A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans

 

A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street

A brand new and utterly enchanting series by bestselling author Jaimie Admans.

A picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street...

There's always time for tea... unless you've lost your teapot…

Cleo Jordan has only ever wished for one thing – to open her own teashop in memory of her lovely gran. So when she accidentally fools the interview board into thinking she's a brilliant baker and is offered a prime spot on Ever After Street, she knows her dream is about to come true!

Stepping into The Wonderland Teapot is like falling down the rabbit hole - magical! But there’s a catch: Cleo has completely lost her love of baking! With her little white lie ticking in her ear, it seems her dream is over before it’s begun.

Until she meets her very own Mad Hatter. Loved by everyone on Ever After Street, magician Bram brings an energy to the teashop that lifts everyone, and slowly, with his encouragement, Cleo is getting back to doing what she loves best.

But with Bram hiding secrets of his own, Cleo isn’t sure she can put all her faith in him. And when things start going wrong at the teashop, Cleo wonders if the culprit sabotaging her dream is someone closer than she thinks?

If Cleo wants her wish to work, she has to learn to trust again before she loses her head and heart completely…although it might already be far too late for that...

Perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Kat French and Caroline Roberts!

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

 

What did I think?

I love Jaimie's books. Fantastic stories but with a little bit extra. An extra bit of sparkle and magic to transport the stories to another level.

This is the 3rd book in the Ever After Street series and in this book we meet Cleo again. I've always though running my own teashop would be a wonderful thing to do so I was interested to see how Cleo got on trying to achieve her dream.

Loved all the Alice in Wonderland references and the real life Mad Hatter aka Bram. I had a wonderfully illustrated Alice in Wonderland book as a child (although the Cheshire Cat was a bit frightening)  It all added extra whimsy to the story.

This is an adorable story of hopes and of dreams - Jaimie really does have a way with words.

A word of warning though - will all the cake references and descriptions - you might end up feeling hungry whilst you are reading.

Author Bio –

Jaimie is a 32-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, watching horror movies, and drinking tea, although she’s seriously considering marrying her coffee machine. She loves autumn and winter, and singing songs from musicals despite the fact she’s got the voice of a dying hyena. She hates spiders, hot weather, and cheese & onion crisps. She spends far too much time on Twitter and owns too many pairs of boots.

She will never have time to read all the books she wants to read.

 

Social Media Links –  

 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/be_the_spark

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimieadmans1/

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jaimie-admans

Under a Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft

 

Under a Summer Skye

A Scottish island. A stranger from the mainland. A summer of possibilities…

Escape to the Isle of Skye this summer with the Sunday Times bestselling author, and lose yourself in the first book of the Skye Sisters Trilogy.

A chance encounter is about to change everything for Thea Wynter.

The moment she arrived on the Isle of Skye, life changed for Thea. Running from a succession of wrong turns, she comes to the island in search of blue sea, endless skies, and mountains that make the heart soar. Here, she feels at peace.

As head gardener at Rothach Hall, life is exactly how she wants it, with her days spent working in the glorious clifftop garden and her evenings in the cosy village pub.

But an encounter with a stranger from the mainland brings with it an unexpected turn – and she is left wondering whether he is friend or foe.

It seems that even on Skye, life can catch up with you, and Thea is soon faced with the past she left behind – and with it, the family she’s never met…

From old lives to new beginnings, lose yourself on the beautiful Isle of Skye with Thea as she discovers how many possibilities life can truly hold if you look hard enough.

 

What did I think?

This is the first book in a new series by Sue called The Syke Sisters Trilogy. 

Firstly I have to mention the gorgeous cover - it really sums up Scotland and particularly the island of Skye. I am lucky that Skye isn't too far from me and is now accessible by a bridge rather than a ferry. Last time I went it was on a camping trip with my boys. Whilst they ran about the campsite playing football I was sat in the car with the windows up as the midgies were just awful. And for some reason I get bitten to death by the little blighters.

On to the book.

We are introduced to Thea who is making a new life for herself on the island.  She is a gardener at a large country house - one where her sister also works. There is also a gorgeous love interest in Dev who is an 'accidental@ gardener at the same property. They seem like a good match.

Sue really is the queen of escapism writing. I really felt like I was transported to Skye (without the insect issue) and found this an engrossing and enjoyable read.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Under-Summer-Skye-glorious-bestseller/dp/0008636818/

https://www.amazon.com/Under-Summer-Skye-million-copy-bestseller-ebook/dp/B0CKSNYRZL

Author Bio –

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author, and her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada and Italy. She writes two books a year for publishing giant HarperCollins and has won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, a HOLT Medallion and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

 

Social Media Links –

Amazon page: Sue Moorcroft

Audible page: Sue Moorcroft

Website: www.suemoorcroft.com

Facebook author page SueMoorcroftAuthor

Twitter: @SueMoorcroft

Instagram: @SueMoorcroftAuthor

Linked in: Sue Moorcroft

Link Tree: linktr.ee/SueMoorcroft

Bookbub: SueMoorcroft1

Escape to the Tuscan Vineyard by Carrie Walker

 

Escape to the Tuscan Vineyard

Pack your bags and uncork the laughter in this delightful romantic escapade!

After getting her heart broken in her early twenties, Abi Mason vowed to live by a simple (but non-negotiable) rule: no second dates. Who needs a boyfriend, or anything else for that matter, when you have a career to think about?

But life has other plans: with some unexpected time on her hands, Abi finds herself on holiday in Tuscany. Among sun-dappled vineyards and olive groves, Abi meets dashing American Tony, and it seems the universe is conspiring to force her out of her comfort zone...

If Abi can break her own rules, could this unexpected Italian fling lead her to a happiness she never dared to dream of?

Purchase Link - https://amzn.eu/d/5hauV8B

 What did I think?

This is my first book by this author - so I haven't read the first book in the Holiday Romance series.

What did grab me initially about this book was the cover - isn't it gorgeous. The colours instantly made me thin of Italy - so I couldn't wait to start reading.

Throughout the story there are some fabulous descriptions of Tuscany - not somewhere I have been but it sort of felt like I was on holiday whilst reading.

So a stunning location. Add in some romance. Some food and wine. And Carrie has a winner of a story.

Overall this is a fun and easy read - and if you are lucky to be jetting off on holiday soon then I recommend you pop this one in your case.

Author Bio – Carrie Walker is a Brummie born rom-com lover with a lifelong passion for travel. She has lived in a ski resort, by a beach, in the country and the city, and travelled solo through Asia, South America and Europe. Her own love life was more com than rom until she met her husband a few years ago and settled down with him and her dog Ziggy in a small pub-filled village in Essex. Escape to the Swiss Chalet is her debut novel.

Social Media Links – https://www.instagram.com/carriewalkerauthor/ https://twitter.com/carriewauthor

Publisher social media handles:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriaFiction

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

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headofzeus

A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse by Tilly Tennant

 

Among the emerald hills of the Lake District sits the village of Thimblebury and Wordsworth Cottage, its garden bursting with wildflowers. It is the perfect place for village nurse Ottilie to make her brave new start…

Ottilie Oakcroft never thought she’d live in a place like Wordsworth Cottage. Nestled close to the river, her new home in the tiny village of Thimblebury means all her patients are just a stone’s throw from her front door. As they drop in for cups of tea and cosy chats she ignores all the jobs on her to-do list and gets to know her new neighbours.

Yet maybe keeping busy is just what Ottilie needs, even if she’s barely had a minute to unpack her suitcase. Heartbroken after the death of her husband Josh, as she offers advice and hot soup from her kitchen to the villagers who clearly need a helping hand, she starts to feel part of a community again.

But disaster strikes when a terrible storm causes the river to burst its banks and flood Ottilie’s ramshackle cottage. She has sunk every penny she has into what she’d hoped would be her forever home, and now she’s faced with the prospect of losing it.

But the villagers have other ideas. They can’t bear to lose Ottilie and they make a plan to save her house. Leading the effort is handsome Heath, and as he rolls up his sleeves to get involved in the repairs, he and Ottilie start to open up to each other. Ottilie tells him about her loss, and he shares the pain of a marriage that ended in heartbreak for him.

Ottilie hasn’t talked to anyone like this since Josh’s death and while it scares her, a tiny grain of hope begins to grow. Could Heath be the man to make her feel life is worth living again – not just for her patients, but for herself?

A completely beautiful and romantic read about healing after heartbreak and learning that the darkest clouds have a silver lining. Fans of Shari Low, Jessica Redland and Jo Bartlett will lose their hearts to A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse.

What did I think?

I couldn't wait to be transported to the wonderful Lake District with this new offering from Tilly Tennant. It is one of my favourite places in the UK to visit.

I loved the character of Ottilie ( such an unusual name - one I don't think I have heard of before) There is a sense of warmth throughout the whole story - the sense of community in the village, the slow burn romance between Ottilie and Heath and the backdrop of the Lake District.

I could really resonate with the character of Ottilie. Making a new start somewhere new. I too hopefully will be making a new start although in an area I do already know. I can sympathise how daunting a prospect this is.

I spy with my little eye that this is the first book in a new series with book 2 out later in the year. I saw it on Goodreads first of all but it was confirmed by a quick look at Fantastic Fiction. Really looking forward to the next book - hope we don't have too long to wait.

Author Bio:

 

From a young age, Tilly Tennant was convinced that she was destined for the stage.  Once she realised she wasn’t actually very good at anything that would put her on the stage, she started to write stories instead. There were lots of terrible ones, like The Pet Rescue Gang (aged eight), which definitely should not see the light of day ever again. Thankfully, her debut novel, Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was not one of those, and since it hit the Amazon best seller lists she hasn’t looked back. Born in Dorset, she currently lives in Staffordshire with her husband, two daughters, three guitars, four ukuleles, two violins and a kazoo.

https://tillytennant.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant/

https://www.instagram.com/tillytennant6000/

https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter

 

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Tilly Tennant here: https://www.bookouture.com/tilly-tennant

 

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CW1KFNRLsocial

 

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 Journey  

What I read last week.

What I'm reading now.

What I'm going to read next.

Libby - Rowan Coleman, Jennette McCurdy and Eleni Kyracou

Library - Matt Cain and Paul Murray

Bookclub - Marple

Lessons in Love by Hannah Lynn

The Lonely Hearts Book Club is back in session

Meet Jules, a single mum juggling a demanding job at an exclusive prep-school and raising her 11-year-old son, and love is the last thing on her mind. But all of that changes when she meets Nate and they immediately hit it off.

Nate is charming, funny, and seemingly perfect, that is until the first parent-teacher conference of the year. With the knowledge that he is a parent, Jules is faced with a difficult decision: risk her job and security to purse love, or play it safe and miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime connection.

As sparks fly between Jules and Nate, their resolve will be put to the test. Will Jules take a leap of faith and follow her heart, or will she let her fears hold her back? Can these two single parents find a way past all the logistical hurdles for a second chance at love? Find out in this heartwarming, feel-good romantic comedy that will leave you laughing, swooning, and rooting for a happily ever after.

What did I think?

I have read a few books by this author but for some unknown reason I don't think I was aware of this series. Looking at Amazon this is the second book in the series. I haven't read book one but I think this book worked well as a standalone title. Bonus is though that the rest of the books appear to be on Kindle Unlimited which is a boost!

This is a delightful second chance romance story - so cute. I do love a spot of romance - something uplifting and heartwarming. Loved the characters of Jules and Nate and had everything crossed that they would get their act together and become a couple.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the sweetshop series by the same author and looking forward to reading more in this Lonely Hearts Book Club series too. Now I'm off to download the first book.......

Come Fly With Me by Helen Rolfe

 

Come Fly With Me

Take to the skies in this gorgeous and gripping new series, perfect for fans of Jo Bartlett and Cathy Bramley.

A Second Chance…

For Maya, serving as a pilot in the Whistlestop River air ambulance team is a dream come true. And now, with her divorce from her overbearing husband finally complete, flying over the fields of Dorset, and saving lives with the Skylarks, is the centre of her world. If only her ex would accept their separation as readily as she had, life would be perfect…

A fresh start…

Having recently transferred from London to Dorset, paramedic Noah is ready for a new start. But he’s brought with him a lot of baggage, not least his infant niece who he’s been looking after since his sister died unexpectedly earlier that year. Noah adores Eva, but is he really cut out to look after a baby?

A risk worth taking?

When Noah and Maya find themselves on the same rescue team, they’re immediately drawn to each other. Yet, with so many complications in their personal lives, do they have time to open their hearts to someone new?

As their friendship grows, Noah and Maya are both about to discover that life is worth nothing unless you share it with the people you love.

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

What did I think?

I was after a nice summery read to lift my spirits and this book seemed to fit the bill - just look at that cover - wouldn't you want to be there?

Helen is one of those authors whose books really appeal but for some reason there still seems to be quite a few I haven't read yet. This one is the start of a new series so it seemed like a good place to start.

I do watch those air ambulance programmes on the telly and I do have strong connections to the RAF Search and Rescue flight (which sadly no longer exists (I went up in one of those bright yellow Seaking helicopters several times.)

Loved the main characters of Maya and Noah - and loved following their story as the romance developed. It was a story of love and of loss, of resilience and of second chances. The path of true love never runs smooth and we experience this with these characters.

A fantastic opening gambit to the series - and now impatiently awaiting the next book.

Author Bio –

Helen Rolfe writes contemporary women's fiction and romantic fiction. She enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and relationships. Characters often face challenges and must fight to overcome them, but above all, Helen's stories always have a happy ending.

Helen loves creating village settings or places with a small-town feel and a big sense of community. Location has always been a big part of the adventure in Helen's books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries around the world. So far, locations have included Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Connecticut, Bath, Paris and the Cotswolds.

Helen has added Dorset to her list of locations with the launch of Come Fly With Me, set in the fictitious town of Whistlestop River. Come Fly With Me is the first book in Helen's brand new series centred around an air ambulance team, the Skylarks, who take to the skies to save lives.

Born and raised in the UK, Helen graduated from University with a business degree and began working in I.T. This job took her over to Australia where she eventually turned her attentions back to the career she'd dreamt of since she was fourteen. She studied writing and journalism and wrote articles for women's health and fitness magazines. Helen began writing fiction in 2011 and hasn't missed the I.T. world one little bit... in fact she may just have found her dream job!

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HJRolfe

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

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/helen-rolfe

 

A New Dawn at Owl's Lodge by Jessica Redland

 

A New Dawn at Owl’s Lodge

Could one chance meeting change your life forever?

Zara is at a crossroads in life. While she adores her job as a producer's assistant working on hit TV shows, travelling around the country means she doesn't truly feel that she has a home. With a fractured relationship with her family and unrequited love weighing heavily on her heart, she is torn about what her next step in life should be...

Snowy is hiding from the world. He's devoted his life to home schooling his young son and caring for sick owls at his home, Owl's Lodge, deep in the Yorkshire Wolds countryside. While he's passionate about both, it's a lonely existence and he's starting to question his decisions. But how do you step back into a world you've pushed away for years...?

When Zara brings an injured owl to Owl's Lodge, its frosty, reclusive owner is far from welcoming. Despite hostilities, there's a connection that neither could ever have prepared themselves for. As they discover a shared passion, a new friendship blossoms, but both Zara and Snowy are used to shutting people out.

Can they both find the courage to open up and the strength to move on from their pasts? And what could this mean for their future happiness?

Escape to the world of Bumblebee Barn and Hedgehog Hollow with MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland for this brand new feel-good romance of family, friendship and hope.

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

What did I think?

I think I was a late starter to Jessica's books so I haven't read them all - but the ones I have read I have thoroughly enjoyed.

This was a delightfully sweet story and as an added bonus it was an education about owls. Coincidentally as I was lying in bed last night I could hear an owl hooting - and I have not heard one in such a long time.

Again Jessica has given us another well written story with such a wonderful cast of characters. There were references back to Bumblebee Farm and Hedgehog Hollow. It felt like Jessica had done research into several subjects such as owl and gymnastics. Jessica also taking darker topics such as mental health and grief - but she handles them very sensitively.

Such a heart warming read and has made me more keen to read more of her earlier titles that I have missed.

Author Bio –

Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaRedland

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

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-redland