A Vintage Vacation by Maddie Please

 

Clover Harrington might be sixty-one, but she’s still bossing it in the corporate world and can still run rings around her younger colleagues. And then she is made redundant….

Devastated and now suddenly the wrong side of sixty Clover doesn’t know what to do with her life or her corporate wardrobe! What does she wear if not red lippy and a power suit?! Rather than offer her any support, her partner, Jack announces he's off on a golfing weekend, leaving Clover completely adrift.

Desperate to get away from it all, Clover decides to visit her cousin Zoe at her small taverna in the gorgeous Italian Lakes. There she can rest and recuperate and plan the next stage of her life.

Until Clover’s eighty-year-old mother, Eleanor decides to turn up for the holiday too! Instead of gentle ambles around the lake, Eleanor seems more interested in late night poker and swigging Prosecco and Clover can’t quite believe her mum is having more fun than she is. But as the saying goes - if you can’t beat em, join em!

But is Clover brave enough to live La Dolce Vita?

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/AVintageVacationsocial

What did I think?

I love the covers on Maddie's books and this one is no exception. Very appealing and made me want to start reading straight away.

This book was perfect escapism writing - I loved being transported to the Italian Riviera (somewhere I have never been would would really love to go)

Great to have a story that features leading female characters that are slightly older - nearer my own age. I thoroughly enjoyed following their adventures. Some proper laugh out loud moments in there.

Overall this is a light, fun read with engaging characters. I will definitely be reading more by this author. We all need some sunshine in our lives and this book certainly did that.

Author Bio –

 

Maddie Please is the #1 bestselling author of novels including The Old Ducks’ Club and Sisters Behaving Badly. Having had a career as a dentist and now lives in rural Devon where she enjoys box sets, red wine and Christmas. She will be taking a new direction in her writing for Boldwood with joyous tales of older women.

 

Social Media Links –  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/maddieplease

Twitter https://twitter.com/MaddiePlease1

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maddieplease1/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MaddiePleaseNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maddie-please

Murder in the Scottish Hills by Lydia Travers

 

 

When Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid Daisy travel into the Scottish Highlands, the last thing they expect to find is a body on the train… Will these keen amateur sleuths stop a murderer in his tracks?

Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud McIntyre receives a letter from a maid called Rose, sharing her suspicions that something strange is happening in the house where she works, she and her assistant Daisy immediately travel to the Highlands to investigate.

But as they are changing trains, the body of a man falls from the carriage right in front of them, a bullet in his head. Maud and Daisy can’t believe it – they’ve waited ages for a new case, and now one has literally landed in front of them! And when the local police rule the death as a tragic accident, the pair have no choice but to investigate what they believe is a murder…

Arriving in the Scottish village, Maud and Daisy go undercover to begin their hunt for the murderer, while also investigating the strange behaviour of Rose’s employer, a local art dealer. As they begin to piece together the chain of events, Maud and Daisy wonder whether the cases might be linked. Is it possible the man on the train was killed to cover up something in the village? And, if so, who would do such a thing?

When a local artist is found murdered, Maud and Daisy become convinced the two cases are connected. Searching for the link between the deaths, will Maud and Daisy solve the case before another mysterious murder takes place?

A page-turning historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of the mysteries of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.

What did I think.

I enjoyed meeting up with Maud McIntyre again and was looking forward to her escapades.

This is the second in The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency. In this book Maud and her partner Diasy head for the Scottish Highlands (no too far from where I live.) On the journey Maud opens the door to one of the train carriages - and a body falls on her! The Police reckon it is a suicide - but Maud has other ideas.

Maud and Daisy are an entertaining duo and this series is fast becoming my favourite in the cozy mystery genre. I listened to the first book on audio and whilst I was reading this instalment I could hear Maud and Daisy's voices - really brought the story alive for me.

Author Bio:

 

Lydia Travers was born in London.  She moved progressively north until settling with her husband in a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. She has raised children, bred dogs and kept chickens; and for as long as she can remember has written for pleasure. A former legal academic and practitioner with a PhD in criminology, she now runs self-catering holiday accommodation, sings in a local choir and is walked daily by the family dog.

Lydia also writes as Linda Tyler and her first novel under that name, Revenge of the Spanish Princess, won a 2018 Romance Writers of America competition for the beginning of an historical romance. Her second novel The Laird's Secret was Commended in the 2021 Scottish Association of Writers' Pitlochry Quaich competition for the beginning of a romantic novel. Mischief in Midlothian won the 2022 Scottish Association of Writers' Constable Silver Stag trophy. She has had a number of short stories published in magazines, journals and anthologies in the UK, the USA and Australia.

 

https://www.facebook.com/LindaTylerAuthorScotland

https://twitter.com/LindaTyler100

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Lydia Travers here: https://www.bookouture.com/subscribe/lydia-travers

 

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0BWNHR79Nsocial

 

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you'll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

 

 

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date. 

What I read last week.

What I'm reading now.

What I'm going to read next.

Bookclub - Benjamin Myers, Fredrik Backman and Fiona Valpy

Audio - Daniel Hurst

Library - Lin Anderson and Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan

Pigeonhole - Faith Hogan

Hate at First Sight by Lizzie O'Hagan

 

THEY SAY IT'S A THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND . . . HATE AT FIRST SIGHT.

Kate hates feeling out of control. Her incessant need to overprepare has always served her well. Yet nothing could have prepared her for today.

Not only is she being evicted from her flat . . . by her best friend , but now her boss has announced cost-cutting measures that will put her job in jeopardy. She may not love the company she works for, but she's worked too hard for too long to just give up. So she's ready to prove herself.

The catch? If she wants to save her job, she'll have to work with creative, happy-go-lucky Harry . The one man she's spent the last five years trying to forget.

But what happens when that line you've drawn starts to blur?

This witty, dizzying, snort-with-laughter enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy is an instantly unputdownable and unmissable treat that will have you falling head over heels in love with its characters. Perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Emily Henry, Talia Hibbert, Mhairi McFarlane and Beth O'Leary.

What did I think:

A new author to me which was exciting.

This is an enemies to friends story rom com - with some proper laugh out loud moments. But under the laughs there was a more serious undercurrent - one of finding your self worth and of finding your delf confidence. I really must take note!

I loved all the characters and could really see this book being made into a film - I reckon it would work well.

Overall I found it a really enjoyable read - loved the quirky characters and the style of writing.

A quick check on Goodreads and I see I have a couple of her other books to catch up with - happy days.

Fall in love with Lizzie O'Hagan's

'I absolutely loved this book , so much so that I devoured it in two sittings! Their banter was fab . . . fabulous ' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'This was a fabulous slow burn romance . A will they, won't they with so much more' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I wanted to stay with these wonderful characters for longer - I will really miss them! I adored this book from start to finish! ' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

' If you enjoyed The Flatshare you will enjoy this novel . The perfect holiday read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'This is just an absolute delight to read!!! I have adored everything about this one. I have been completely pulled in and unwilling to put this one down' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Memory of You by Samantha Tonge

 A gorgeously uplifting story about memories, storytelling, love and friendship, about the journeys we take and the people we meet, what we remember and how there are some things we can never forget.

Alex would like to believe she’s a woman who has it all. Or that’s what she tells everyone, including herself. But this is far from true. Actually she’s on the cusp of losing her home, her dream career as a writer is in tatters, her ex won’t speak to her, and her mother’s gone forever.

But then a chance meeting with a stranger named Hope gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, when Hope jokes that perhaps Alex should take over her job in a cafe while she goes travelling.

Just at that moment, it sounds like the answer to all her problems. So Alex persuades Hope to let her step into her shoes for a month. She brushes away Hope’s attempts to explain about the café, instead demanding to know more about the owner Tom.

But she should have asked to know more. Because the ‘Wrong Order Café’ isn’t like anywhere she’s ever been before. And Alex’s life is about to change forever…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/memoryofyousocial

What did I think?

Samantha is another one of my go to authors - an author whose books I will pick up straight away without reading the blurb - as I know full well I am going to be in for a good read.

At first - going by the title - I thought maybe this book might be a little on the sad side. Then when I found out one of the themes was dementia I was more convinced this was going to be the case.

But Samantha proved me wrong. Yes - dementia is an awful condition and one that I must think is very hard to write about in a novel - but I shouldn't have worried. Samantha dealt with the subject in such a thoughtful and sensitive way - it made me think maybe she has personal experience which is why it was written with so much emotion.

This is a story of hope - a cafe where dementia sufferers are made to feel valued and part of the community. Full of positivity, love and caring. 

Please don't let the subject matter put you off. This is a life affirming and heart warming sotory that will stay with you after you have finished the final pages.

Author Bio –

Samantha Tonge is the bestselling and award-winning author of over 15 romantic fiction titles published by HQ, and most recently Aria. Her first book for Boldwood, Under One Roof, was published in February 2022 and her move to Boldwood marks a broadening of her writing into multi-generational woman’s fiction. She lives in Manchester with her family.

 

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaTongeAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthatongeauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SamanthaTongeNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-tonge

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.  

What I read last week.

What I'm reading now.

What I'm going to read next.

Library - Katie Fforde, Milly Johnson, Lin Anderson and Fredrick Backman

Audio - Daniel Hurst and Alison James

The Pigeonhole - Louise Minchin

Bookclub - Benjamn Myers and Fredrick Backman

The Wedding Day by Sue Watson

The blushing bride. The handsome groom. A secret one of them will kill for…

It’s the day I’ve been dreaming about my whole life. As I glide down the flower-strewn aisle overlooking the Greek orange groves, in my pearl-encrusted ivory gown, I finally see my fiancé Nik. We look like the perfect couple, but not all fairy tales have happy endings…

Today is supposed to be the day of my dreams.

But I don’t see a single friend or family member. I’m surrounded by strangers.

I have been so excited to finally meet my fiancé’s family.

Then why do they turn their heads away as I walk down the aisle?

Now, as I say my vows, I gaze longingly into Nik’s eyes.

But instead of love, he looks through me, as if he can’t wait for this day to end…

And I suddenly have an awful feeling that I don’t know my fiancé at all.

But then again, he doesn’t truly know me either.

And by the time he finds out who I really am, it will be far too late. There’s only room for one happily-ever-after on this wedding day, and I’m determined to make it mine…

What did I think?

You always know you are in for a treat with a Sue Watson book - and this one was no exception. She has fast become one of those authors whose books I will pick up without knowing anything about them.

This was a book filled with action - twists and turns galore. Just when you think you have worked out what is going on you are thrown another curveball. Certainly kept my interest right till the last page.

I do enjoy a domestic thriller and this was a great one. Packed full of suspense and an enjoyable read. No plot spoilers from me - you need to get yourself a copy and see for yourself.

Author Bio:

 

Sue Watson was a

journalist on national magazines and newspapers before becoming a TV producer

with the BBC. 

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue explores

the darker side of life, writing psychological thrillers with big twists.

Originally from Manchester, she now

lives with her family in leafy Worcestershire where much of her day is spent

writing – and procrastinating. Her hobby is eating cake while watching diet and

exercise programmes from the sofa, a skill she’s perfected after many years of

practice.

http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sue.watson.39501

https://www.instagram.com/suewatsonbooks/

https://twitter.com/suewatsonwriter

 

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Sue Watson here: https://www.bookouture.com/sue-watson

 

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0BW166F47social

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you'll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

 

  

Murder at Abbeymead Farm by Merryn Allingham

 

Amateur detective duo Flora Steele and Jack Carrington have gained a reputation for crime-solving. But will they be able to untangle the latest baffling murder in the cosy village of Abbeymead?

Sussex, 1957: When Flora and Jack hear that Percy Milburn – a newcomer to the area who has ruffled more than a few feathers with his grand plans for modernising Abbeymead – is missing, they’re determined to find him. But after scouring the village, Flora is shocked to discover the body of the poor man in the cellar of a crumbling farmhouse.

Percy’s murder is tragic but not unexpected, as his ambition had made him many enemies within the small, rural community. Flora and Jack get stuck into the case, but they’re sent on a wild goose chase around the village. Whoever is behind the death has taken careful steps to cover their tracks…

Was it Miss Minnie Howden, the nervous housekeeper who loved Percy? Sir Frederick Neville, the owner of the farm Percy was trying to buy? Or Colin Palmer, made rich by Percy’s death? Did any of the suspects dislike Percy enough to end his life?

The amateur detective duo finds themselves outfoxed at every turn, unable to find any concrete clues. When their prime suspect is murdered, Flora and Jack have their work cut out to find the culprit. But the clever killer has pulled the wool over their eyes and is reeling them ever nearer to danger.

Will this case finally bring Flora and Jack closer together? And can they unravel the mystery before they’re led like lambs to the slaughter?

A completely addictive cozy crime novel set in the fictional Sussex village of Abbeymead. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis!

What did I think?

This is the 6th book in the Flora Steele mystery series. I have dipped in and out of the series and to me each book seems to work well as standalone titles.

Flora Steele and Jack Carrington are back! And of course there is a death that needs to be investigating.

I'm not going to give anything away about the plot but suffice to say there is enough going on to keep my interest right from the start. 

This is a great cosy mystery - the amateur sleuths start investigating and looking at all the possible suspects. Plenty of twists and red herrings and as a person who can never see the who done it even if it is staring me in the face - I didn't see the ending coming at all.

Really enjoyed this entertaining read and am already looking forward to the next instalment. 

Author Bio:

 

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

https://merrynallingham.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MerrynWrites

https://twitter.com/merrynwrites

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Merryn Allingham here:  https://www.bookouture.com/merryn-allingham

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0BNQXDTB4social

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you'll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

 

 

The Bride To Be by Daniel Hirst

 

Book Blurb

 

What if saying yes was only the first mistake?

Kate is getting married. It’s an exciting time, but she has some doubts - her partner Mark sometimes mistreats her, and she is beginning to wonder if he is really “the one”.

Her concerns only grow when she spots a ridiculously happy couple during a wedding dress fitting. Realising that they have everything she wants, she becomes obsessed with the pair.

She decides that the groom, Tristan, is her ideal man and becomes fixated on getting closer to him.  As she does, she discovers more and more about him and his seemingly perfect life with his bride-to-be, Tess.

And realises that below the surface they have their problems too.

As the wedding draws nearer, Kate has some big decisions to make.

Should she leave Mark?

Is Tristan the one she should really be with?

And what will happen when the dark secrets that both couples are hiding come out into the open?

The Bride To Be is an emotionally charged psychological thriller that’s packed with twists and intrigue.

What did I think?

I love Daniels books - short snappy chapters and great plots make for books you really don't want to put down.

The story grabs you right from the outset - a bit dark and a bit twisty. Kate was a strange character - I would go as far as saying she is a bit unhinged. An obsessive. But oh boy did it make for good reading. I don't want to give anything away but if you are familiar with Daniels books you will know to expect the unexpected.

Daniel is a prolific writer - the books seem to keep on coming - but the quality remains top notch.

Author Bio

Daniel Hurst writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England and when he isn’t writing, he is usually watching a game of football in a pub where his wife can’t find him.

 

Follow him at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielhurstbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielhurstbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dhurstbooks

Website:  https://www.danielhurstbooks.com/ 

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124932011-the-bride-to-be

Buy Links - https://geni.us/s2QmKd