Blog Tour: A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

 

Rachel Mason has kept herself very busy since her husband died several years ago. Between running a busy B&B, looking after her energetic grandchildren and her dog, she doesn't have a lot of time leftover. Despite all of her friends recently meeting their second chance loves, Rachel doesn't have the time even if she had the inclination. And now that her son, Alexander, has announced that he is coming home from London and that he is bringing a surprise, she still has a lot to do before Christmas.

Luke Findlay was glad to offer his son and his partner a place to live when they needed it, but now he feels a bit uncomfortable. When he is offered the chance to take up a locum position in the small town of Pelican Crossing, he knows that his son can look after his veterinarian practice, so he decides to take the offer. After all, he grew up in Pelican Crossing, and being there will help him find out more about his family history.

When Rachel needs to take her dog, Molly, to the vets, she is surprised to see that it is Luke. Luke used to date her sister, and Rachel had a bit of a crush on him. Luke was always really nice to her, and even had a nickname for her, Red. And he is still very attractive! Rachel's own self worth is a little damaged and so she can't believe he would be attracted to her.

Luke is very attracted to Rachel, but he knows that he is only in town for a limited time so it wouldn't be fair to start anything anyway. So why can't he seem to stay away?

And when Alexander arrives with his surprise, it is not at all what she was expecting. To be honest, Rachel was far more patient with him than I would have been! 

I always love visiting the town of Pelican Crossing. I swear if it was a real place, I could walk into town and recognise some of the people and places in the books. And because it is a very friendly place we could have a chat before I continued on my merry way.

Maggie Christensen's books are very much comfort reads for me. I know when I pick up one of her books, I will be drawn into the lives of the characters, that it will be a book that I can get lost in and that I will close it with a smile. Whilst I have read a lot of her books, I do have some that I am saving for a rainy day, for one of those days where I just need a pick me up read!

Obviously with the title this is set at Christmas time.  It's nice to occasionally read a Christmas story where there is sun and sand, which is what I am used to, rather than cold and snow. 

This is another fun read in the Pelican Crossing series, and I can't wait for the next one!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. This also counts for the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge.

Rating 4/5

About the Book

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing

Christmas is coming to Pelican Crossing, bringing with it a host of surprises.

Fifty-eight-year-old widow Rachel Mason thought she had her life all figured out – running her quaint Bed and Breakfast, spending time with her grandkids, and keeping her loyal West Highland Terrier by her side. But when her son announces a Christmas surprise, Rachel's world is turned upside down.

Luke Findlay, widowed, retired, and looking to check off items on his bucket list, suddenly finds himself back in his hometown of Pelican Crossing, where he is tasked with temporarily running the local vet clinic.

When the new vet turns out to be Rachel’s teenage crush, and her son’s Christmas surprise is very different from what she anticipated, her life becomes unexpectedly complicated. But then, Luke receives a surprise of his own.

As Rachel and Luke reconnect, sparks fly, and old feelings resurface. But with Luke's impending departure and Rachel's unforeseen responsibilities, can their newfound connection survive?

Fans of heartwarming romances will love this story of second chances and unexpected love.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Surprise-Pelican-Crossing-perfect-ebook/dp/B0DBXPL4NM/

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Surprise-Pelican-Crossing-perfect-ebook/dp/B0DBXPL4NM/

About the Author 

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!



Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor
https://twitter.com/MaggieChriste33
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8120020.Maggie_Christensen
https://www.instagram.com/maggiechriste33/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-christensen?list=about
https://maggiechristensenauthor.com/

Countdown to 2025: Day 4

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 4 and the prompt for today is  Gifts – a book you enjoyed more than you expected to

Now don't get me wrong, I knew that I liked Antoine Laurain's books, but this one surprised me due to the dual timeline with a great historical storyline!

Tomorrow's prompt is Chocolates – a book that was simply delicious

Countdown to 2025: Days 1, 2 and 3

Thanks to Emma at Words and Peace I have just seen that Lynn from Lynn's Books is hosting a Countdown to 2025 and it sounds like fun so I am going to join in! Apparently Lynn has been doing this for a few years now but this is the first time I have come across it.

The idea is that there is a list of prompts and we post something to fit the prompt for each day. Here are the prompts for the month. I am going to try and complete the prompts using books I have read throughout 2024 (unless the prompt doesn't work for that), but I do give myself permission too go outside that if I need to!

1. Snow – a book set in a cold or wintry climate
2. Shopping – the last book added to your wishlist
3. Wrapping paper – a lovely cover
4. Gifts – a book you enjoyed more than you expected to
5. Chocolates – a book that was simply delicious
6. Christmas stocking – stocking fillers – a novella or short story
7. Christmas Tree –  a winter read
8. Baubles – these add some colour, a very colourful and striking cover
9. Fairy Lights – something magical
10. Under the Tree – a book you forgot you owned
11. Mistletoe – a little bit of romance
12. Holly and Ivy – a book with great world building
13. Feast – a book that was magnificent
14. Christmas pudding – if you could squeeze in just one more book for 2024
15. Mince pies –  a little sweet something
16. Turkey Dinner– eye’s too big for your belly?  A chunkster
17. Glitter – A book that you simply have to have
18. Christmas Cards – a book with a message
19. Christmas Carols – a book with musicians, song or instruments
20. Eggnog – a book that was out of your comfort zone
21. Santa’s Snack – a book that was a ‘light read’ between heavier books
22. Reindeers – a book with memorable critters
23. Sleigh bells – a series that you want to ring out the praise for
24. Christmas Eve – One of your most anticipated books for 2025
25. Christmas Day – a book you received as a gift
26. Boxing Day – feeling bloated, a palate cleanser
27. Christmas Crackers – Ended with a bang
28. Candlelight – a book that kept you up into the early hours
29. A roaring fire – a book that was heartwarming
30. Family and Friends – a book with great characters
31. Bottle of Bubbly – your first read for 2025

Obviously, I am coming to this a couple of days late so here are the first three selections

The first prompt is Snow - A book set in a cold or wintry climate and I am choosing A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin. This is set in Prague in winter! (my review)

For the second prompt, Shopping - the last book I added to my wishlist, which is The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki

The third prompt is Wrapping Paper - a lovely cover I am choosing At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer

I am looking forward to this!

Top Ten Tuesday: Short stories

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is a freebie so we can pick topic whatever we like. I am choosing to share the last ten short stories I have read or listened to, as the case maybe

The Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson - I listened to this last year, but decided to listen to it again this year. There's every chance that this might become an annual event. It's full of really interesting facts about the history of Christmas.

The Ex Proposal by Rachael Johns - This was originally published in an anthology but the author has just got the rights back so published it for her fans to read. It's available from her author facebook page.

The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan - I got this as part of Amazon First Reads. I think it is now released and it was a bit of fun.

The Yellow Wood by Minnie Darke - This was an Audible only book, with about 4 hours of listening time.

Amelia's Shadow by Marie Benedict - This is part of a collection called Blaze about lesser known but interesting female characters. This one was about Ruth Nichols who was close friends with Amelia Earhart

The Tasting Menu by Stuart Macbride - I was tempted because this was set in Scotland, where I was when I read the story, and it was foodie, but it was a bit too much horror for me.

The Forgotten Chapter by Pam Jenoff - Another entry in the Blaze collection. 

Barriers to Entry by Ariel Lawhon - This is another Blaze book and I really enjoyed it. This one was about a woman who changes the way that people thought about criminal investigations.

The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman - I haven't read any of Alice Hoffman's full length books, but I have enjoyed these linked short stories 

How Captain Found the Anywhere Hotel by Gisele Stein - Last year I read an imaginative book called The Anywhere Hotel and Captain was the dog in the book. This story tells how he came to be at the hotel. I think this was only available to newsletter subscribers so I can't find a cover image for this one.

This week...

I'm reading

Last week I started reading Last Night in London by Karen White. It's not the book I intended to read, but never mind! I enjoyed it nonetheless. I did pick the major twist in the story pretty early on, but I was a little bit surprised by one of the other twists.

Next up I read a super short and sex story by Rachael Johns called The Ex Proposal. It was originally released as part of an anthology, but now the authors have the rights back and so Rachael released it. The link is available on her author Facebook page. 

Next up I read A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen. I really enjoy everything I read by Maggie Christensen and this was no exception. My review will be up in a couple of days

I then started reading Judie Leigh's new book, The Silver-Haired Sisterhood. The review for this one will also be up later this week. Then I have one more review due and then a month or so before the next one. Of course I will be reading to get ahead of due dates, but there will also be some time for me to just read whatever I like which I am looking forward to!

I was listening to The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley, but I have put that aside for now. Last year I listened to the Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson twice, and I felt like listening to it again, so I did. It's full of very interesting Christmas facts! I then began my annual listen to Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. Once I have finished this I will go back to The Missing Sister. I did recently hear that Richard Armitage narrates the next book in the series, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt, so I will need to get onto that asap! But I also have the new Nora Roberts book waiting for me, and so many other audiobooks too!




I'm watching

SailGP is back! We therefore watched the first race last week. Last year we went to Sydney to watch a live SailGP race, and the year before we went to Christchurch but this year we will only be watching from home.

We finished watching Nobody Wants This which was a lot of fun. It stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. I think I will try to start the new Ted Danson series next or maybe we should continue with some of the series we already have on the go?

I also watched Meet Me Next Christmas which was a fun Christmas movie. I am hoping to watch more Christmas movies, but I don't really seem to have enough time which is a bit weird!



Life

How on earth did I ever have time to work. The second half of last week was super busy, featuring a brunch on Thursday, lunch at Geelong, people around for lunch on Saturday, and then visiting a Christmas market on Sunday. 

The other thing that we did on Friday night was to go and visiting the Da Vinci exhibition at Lume. We had seen it before, but this time there was a quintet from Melbourne Symphony Orchestra playing which made it a really nice experience.

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Back to the Beginning
Blog Tour: Casa Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra
Blog Tour: Celebrating 25 books by Sue Moorcroft
Weekend Cooking/Cook the Books: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: December Links
Festive Treats: November


I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Festive Treats - November

  

It's time to start thinking about what I am going to read and watch and eat in the lead up to Christmas. It is going to be a bit different this year as we go away part way through but we will see what we can add to the list.

October

1. Written in the Stars by Helen Rolfe (review)

2. Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin (review)

3. One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot (review)

4. The Village Christmas Party by Sue Roberts (review)

5. A Recipe for Christmas by Jo Thomas (review)

6. Home for Christmas (season 1)

November

7. Someone Like You by Sandy Baker (review)

8. A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft (review)

9. Hot Frosty (movie)

10. Greg Walllace's Christmas Weekend Escapes

11. The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan

12. Nursery Rhyme pantomime

13. Perth Christmas Lights

14. Meet Me Next Christmas (movie)

15. Christmas Tree is up

16. Pre Christmas get together

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - December links

Thank you to everyone who contributed a review in November for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. Currently there are nearly 50 links for the month! I will be back in the next couple of weeks with the statistics for the month! This is also a reminder to add in any of those pesky links that you might not yet have added for this year's challenge as I will do the statistics for the whole year at the end of December.

I am looking forward to reading your reviews throughout the rest of the year,or you know, December! However you want to think of it! I am sure there is still going to be a lot of great historical fiction discovered and shared with fellow HF lovers!

I have been thinking about the challenge for next year, so if you have any ideas on what you would like to see happen differently then feel free to leave a comment or to email me at ozdiamondlil at gmail dot com. I will have the sign up post (including the new logo which is a bit different than this years) for next year up by the end of this week. I will also post a Wrap up post linky for you to add any wrap up posts to shortly.

Just to recap what participants need to know for this year's challenge. At the beginning of each month I will put up a post which will have a Mr Linky embedded into it for you to add your link.

Please remember...

• add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review). A direct link to your Goodreads review is also acceptable
• any kind of historical fiction is accepted (fantasy, young adult, graphic novels...)
• if you have time, have a look some of the other links that are present. You never know when you will discover new blogs or books!

You can also join the challenge group on Facebook which you can find here and don't forget to use the #histficreadingchallenge hashtag on the socials.

Let the reading begin!!

Weekend Cooking/Cook the Books Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

 

When this book was chosen as the current selection for Cook the Books I was curious but wasn't sure what to expect. After all, I had no idea who Michelle Zauner is, let alone what a H Mart is! So first things first, Michelle Zauner is an indie musician who is part of a band called Japanese Breakfast. She originally published an essay called Crying in H Mart. That essay in effect became the first chapter of this book, which is an examination of grief following the loss of her Korean mother. Other topics covered include her search for her own Korean identity given that her mother is Korean and her father is white American.

As for a H Mart, that is a Korean supermarket, usually located on the outskirts of towns, where there  are often restaurants. The supermarkets are filled with the ingredients that remind immigrants of home.

Michelle had a very interesting relationship with her mother. Whilst she hated that her mother had very definite ideas of how she should behave and dress, what she should do with her life, and she rebelled against it, she also looked for validation from her. They were sufficiently close that when her mother became ill Michelle dropped everything to go and look after her. The devastation that the aggressive cancer diagnosis for Michelle's mother, and Michelle watching the decline of her mother was very clear.  I wouldn't be able to do this with my mother, both because of our distant relationship (physical and emotional) and not being able to deal with the physical aspects of such a diagnosis and treatment.

When she was younger, Michelle and her mother used to travel to Korea on holidays, and part of the question for Michelle is how does she maintain those relationships. I have gotten this far in my review and realised that I have not once referred to Michelle's mother by her name, Chongmi, which seems a bit of an oversight. And to be honest, it feels a lot like this in the book too. There were times when I was emotionally affected by the book but there were other times when I found Michelle to be a bit juvenile.

I did find the search for a sense of identity quite interesting, especially given that my own son's heritage is part Afro-Caribbean and part Australian. As far as I know he isn't particularly interested in that side of his identity, but I am also aware that could change at some point.

I was also saddened by the strained relationship with her father. Even watching her mother die did not bring them closer together. Given that I was in Perth just last week spreading my father's ashes after her passed away last year, I did feel that. Then again, I am always emotionally affected by father daughter stories because of the relationship that we had.

One of the things that I enjoyed was when Michelle Zauner started trying to learn to cook more Korean food by watching Youtube videos from a person called Maangchi. I have now gone down a bit of a rabbit hole watching Maangchi's videos. We are heading to Japan and Korea next year on a cruise and I am enjoying seeing some of the foods that we might be able to explore while we are there.  Between the Youtube channel and all the food references in the book, there is plenty for us to explore.

When it came to choosing a recipe, I have a Korean cookbook called Rice Table: Korean Recipes and Stories to Feed the Soul which I bought last year. Interestingly this book is the author trying to find her Korean identity through the exploration of Korean food after living in the UK away from her family for 20 years. She then becomes the mother of a Korean/British child and is trying to share her heritage, so there are definitely some differences but yet some similarities between the themes of the two books.

We have tried a couple of recipes from this book, including a delicious roasted baby potato with soy sauce and cheese recipe. I really need to make those again. 

However, this time I chose to take inspiration from a very popular Korean dish, Kimchi, to make a version of fried rice. This does feel as though it could be a great recipe to adapt, either by adding tuna as suggested, or adding in some chicken or some other protein.

I did have a Korean workmate who suggested that this recipe was overly complicating things and all you really needed was some rice, some kimchi and some tuna and you had a delicious lunch, but we definitely enjoyed this when we made it, and it is an easy mid-week meal. I could have been a bit braver when it comes to creating the crust, but I am also aware that our non stick frying pan is not as non stick as it used to be and I need to be a bit careful with it

I didn't have any Gochujang so I subbed in a small amount of Sriracha. We have also run out of nduja paste. I only know of one place where we can get it so next time I am in the area I will drop in and get more.

Midnight Kimchi Fried Rice 

Serves 2

1½ tbsp vegetable oil
200g (7oz) kimchi, roughly chopped
1 tsp golden granulated sugar
70g (2½oz) ’nduja (cured pork spread)
1 tbsp mirin
300g (10½oz/2½ cups) cooked white short-grain rice
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp gochujang (Korean red chilli paste)
1 tsp oyster sauce
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

To finish

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs
2 tbsp gim jaban (crumbled toasted seasoned seaweed)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil



Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add the kimchi and sugar and sauté for 3 minutes to soften the kimchi. Stir in the ’nduja and mirin and cook for 1 minute to incorporate. Stir in the rice followed by the soy sauce, gochujang, oyster sauce and black pepper. Continue frying for 3–5 minutes.

Reduce the heat and, using the back of a spatula or a large wooden spoon, spread the rice thinly and evenly around the pan, while pressing down quite firmly. Let it sit over a low heat for 3 minutes without disturbing the pan to form a light crust. Remove the pan from the heat after 3 minutes. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, to fry the eggs, heat the olive oil in a frying panfor a couple of minutes over a medium heat. You want the oil to get nice and hot but not smoking, so that when you crack the eggs in they sizzle. Crack the eggs in, ensuring they are not too close together. Let them fry for 2 minutes without touching. After 2 minutes, tilt the pan slightly away from you to pool the oil and carefully baste around any whites that still appear raw. Keep the yolk nice and runny. You should have perfectly fried eggs with a crispy edge. Remove from the heat.

Serve the rice immediately, topped with the eggs and crumbled seaweed and drizzled with the sesame oil. Eat straight from the pan to scrape off the caramelized rice at the bottom.

I am also counting this book for Non Fiction November, and will be sharing the link with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story.  This book also fits the theme for my read on a theme book club. This time the theme is food/cooking 

The next selection for Cook the Books will be Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang. This sounds like it is going to be another book where I am going to be a bit outside my comfort zone, but that's okay. Hopefully I will get that review up a bit before the last possible day! Today is the last day for the contributions for this selection!

Weekly meals

Saturday - Away
Sunday - Away
Monday - Pork chops, mash, broccoli and gravy
Tuesday - Beef and beans stir fry
Wednesday - Kimchi Fried Rice
Thursday -
Friday -

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page

Blog Tour: Celebrating 25 books by Sue Moorcroft (includes UK Giveaway)

Today I am honoured to be part of the extended blog tour which is celebrating the release of Sue Moorcroft's 25th book. The book that I was chosen to focus on was The Christmas Love Letters, and so I thought I would do it in the form of a letter. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour. I shared my review of the latest release earlier in the tour, which I have linked to below.

Dear Sue

Congratulations on the release of your 25th book. That is quite an achievement and quite right that we should be coming together to celebrate it.

I was very pleased when I was allocated The Christmas Love Letters as my stop on this celebratory tour, as it is one of your books that I have read. You see, I am a latecomer to your books, I knew of you, especially your work with the Romance Novelists Association in the UK, but hadn't yet managed to read you until 2023 when I read An Italian Island Summer. 

The Christmas Love Letters was my first of your Christmas books that I read, and I really enjoyed it. I now have several more of these waiting for me to read.

When I think back to when I read The Christmas Love Letters a couple of years ago,  the thing that I remember most was the idea that even when we think we know the people closest to us, they can still have secrets that we all have no idea about. I have seen this play out in the lives of people I know, and to a certain extent, my own family, and sometimes the fallout is devastating.

I also find the whole idea of a stash of love letters coming to light very romantic, and how that will not necessarily be possible for the that generations that follow us. The early days of my own relationship were very much based on text messages, which really won't make interesting reading to any one else, even if anyone else could access them. There's only so many "See you soon" and "On my way" messages that someone can read without losing interest. 

The thing that I have enjoyed about all of the books that I have read by you are that there are layers and depth as the characters deal with. For example, in your most recent Skye Sisters books, I love the thinking around family and what that means, particularly in the context of being adopted, and what happens when you suddenly find your birth family. I reviewed A Skye Full of Stars here and the previous book, Under A Summer Skye,  here

I love that while in The Christmas Love Letters there was an engrossing story revealing family secrets, this was very much and unashamedly a Christmas book. In my original review I said:

There are some Christmas books where the story is set at Christmas and there is a mention of Christmas now and then. This is not one of those books. This book is all about Christmas - food, crafts, fetes, markets, so much snow!

We won't talk about how weird it is to be quoting myself!

As someone who lives in Australia, we don't get snowy Christmases so that seems very idyllic to us.  My husband and I did travel to Europe for Christmas a couple of years ago and didn't see a single snowflake drop from the sky. That trip is now infamously known as the "No $%$#$ snow" holiday. Maybe next time!

I thought I would share links to each of the books of yours that I have previously reviewed

An Italian Island Summer

The Christmas Love Letters

Under a Summer Skye (#1 in the Skye Sisters trilogy)

A Skye Full of Stars (#2 in the Skye Sisters trilogy)

So I guess that means I have 21 more books to read, some of which I already own. That will certainly keep me busy.

Anyway, congratulations again on your latest release...your 25th!

Oh, and given that this is about The Christmas Love Letters, I should finish up by saying Merry Christmas to you and yours, and here's to amazing 2025. I look forward to your next book already!

Regards

Marg - The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

About the book

The Christmas Love Letters

A secret romance was just the start of the story…

Tucked into a crook of the Norfolk coast lies Nelson’s Bar – an idyllic village where time seems to stand still. Maddy Cracey has called this beautiful spot home all her life, as had her husband Adey – until an epic row sent him storming out into a blizzard, with no sign of him since that fateful night.

Six years on, and Maddy’s life in the village has settled into a gentle pattern with her young daughter and Great Aunt Ruthie. However, when handsome stranger Raff turns up with a handful of long-forgotten love letters, their quiet life is upended as family secrets from the past are unearthed.

As Raff and Maddy get to know each other, they grow closer and a love story of their own seems inevitable. But when Maddy receives a mysterious message, she can’t help but wonder whether her own past is as distant as she'd thought it was…

The festive new novel about love, family and the power of words from Sunday Times bestseller Sue Moorcroft, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Phillipa Ashley.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Love-Letters-gorgeous-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B0C7GDGBFX/

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Love-Letters-gorgeous-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B0C7GDGBFX/

About the Author 

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author. 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, two HOLT Medallions 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

Giveaway

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of A Skye Full of Stars, bookmark and pen (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Casa Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra

This is the fourth book in the Paradiso series  by Francesca Scanacapra Now, I haven't read the first three, which tell the story of a family starting in WWII, then in the 1950s and then 1960s. Normally, I wouldn't read a series out of order, but this book takes place before the first book so I thought I would give it a chance.

I love it when a house plays a pivotal role in a book, to the point of being one of the characters. In this case it is not so much one of the characters but rather the main event! This book is almost a series of vignettes telling the story of the house itself, Paradiso, and its various owners through the years.  This starts with the man who built the house in 1637, Cristo Lovetta, who moves into the village of Pieve Santa Clara and falls in love with the location. He is a stonemason who builds a house where he raises his family. The main feature of the house are huge fireplaces and an impressive cantilevered staircase which show his skills as a stonemason. From there, we witness his children and their children as they live in the house. We read about tragedies, some fun stories, the changes in society such as the coming of trains, and more. Through each individual story, we see the house as it is changes hands, as it deteriorates over the centuries, falls into a state of disrepair, and is bought back to life. It is interesting to see that many of the chapters are focussed on the stories of the women who own the house.

We also see how several families in the town are tied together, and I suspect if I had read the first three books, these would all be very familiar names to me. I guess the question is, whether having now read about the house, am I interested in reading the rest of the series. And the answer is yes! I am looking forward to doing so.

It is amazing to me that you could follow a house's history for nearly 500 years. Bear in mind that I am Australian and therefore the oldest buildings you would see in my city would be late 19th century. One of the reasons I love to visit Europe is to see the history that is just visible everywhere. Walk down a street in Paris and there are houses from the 13th century. Head to London and see buildings that have been around for hundreds of years. Amazing!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by me on this blog.  Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

About the book

Lombardy, Northern Italy, 1637

Cristó Lovetta, a skilled stonemason, arrives in the rural village of Pieve Santa Clara to work on a nobleman’s house.

Haunted by a tragic past, Cristó wonders if he will ever find happiness again. However, as he immerses himself in his work, the warmth of the community and the beauty of the landscape convince him to begin a new life there.

Cristó designs and builds his own house, which he names Casa Paradiso. Over the centuries, Casa Paradiso becomes home to many generations, standing testament to lives beginning and ending, and witnessing the everyday challenges and triumphs of its inhabitants – from love lost and found, to the tragedies of war, the far-reaching consequences of political decisions made by powerful men and the evolving role of women in Italian society.

Casa Paradiso – the fourth instalment of the Paradiso Novels – is a shining, evocative saga spanning three hundred years in the life of a very special house, and a book that explores the enduring strength of the human spirit, contrasted with the transient nature of life itself.

About the author



Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. She describes herself as 'unconventional' and has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths – from working in translation, the fitness industry, education and even several years as a builder. In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. Francesca now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for her Paradiso Novels: Paradiso, Return to Paradiso, The Daughter of Paradiso and Casa Paradiso. Her novel The Lost Boy of Bologna was also published by Silvertail Books.



​Social media links

Twitter @francescascana2
Insta @francescascana2

Top Ten Tuesday: Back to the beginning

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is a Thankful/Thanksgiving Freebie

I recently celebrated my 18th anniversary of blogging. 18!! Happy Blogiversary to me!

To celebrate, I finally decided what I am going to do about Instagram and now I have an Insta account specifically for bookish goodness. Yes, I am committing to Bookstagram. I am always very late for any trends but better late than never!

You can find me @intrepidreaderandbaker and I would love it if you added it, and I will follow back!

For this week's TTT post, I thought I would go back and share the first 10 books I reviewed here on my blog. Best not to look at the reviews themselves because let's just say those early reviews would look very different if I was to write them today.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - I had been thinking about starting to write book reviews, but this was the book that I had to write something about and, in effect, started it all. (link)

Sugar Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke - Apparently this was my first review of a book I didn't love! I stopped reading this series soon after because the love triangle annoyed me. If I heard correctly it is still unresolved although I could be wrong. (link)

Chronicals of Narnia by C S Lewis - Not really reviews as such, but this kind of covers the first two books in this series (link)

Dreamland by Kevin Baker - I was trying to recall the book I first read about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Maybe it was this one. (link)

The Dragon and the Jewel by Virginia Henley - I do not remember this book at all!! And I am pretty sure it is a book I wouldn't pick up these days as I can't remember the last time I read a medieval romance. (link)

Bread and Chocolate by Philippa Gregory - At the time, I really loved Phillipa Gregory's books. Wouldn't read them now, but still. (link)

Bubbles Unbound by Sarah Strohmeyer - This was a fun series that I haven't thought about for a long time. Think Stephanie Plum but with an author who knows when it is time to end the series. This was the first book in the Bubbles Yablonsky series.

Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes - I would still read Marian Keyes, if I could fit it in my reading schedule. (link)

Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C S Lewis - I was reading this series with my son who was 8 at the time! (link)

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg - The first second Christmas book I read for this blog, but definitely not the last. (link)

We recently had a topic where we talked about how our reading habits have changed. This post showed that again for me!

This week...

 I'm reading

There's nothing like a bit of plane time to help get through some reading! This week I had two four hour flights where the in flight entertainment was only available on your own device, so I decided to read for a fair portion of that time!

First up, I finished reading Crying at the H Mart by Michelle Zauner, which is the current Cook the Books selection. I will have my review up for that one on the weekend.

I felt like a change of pace was in order so I read the new festive short story from Jenny Colgan called The Christmas Book Hunt, which was available as an Amazon First Reads this month. It was a bit of fun. It has been an age since I read a Jenny Colgan book and I am not really sure why given that I do like them. 

The next book I read was Casa Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra. This was an interesting read. It's the fourth book in a series that starts in WWII, but this book is actually the history of the house that features in the story starting a couple of hundred years earlier. I need to write the review for this one for Wednesday.

I then went back and finished The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kasiwai. I had started it a few weeks ago but had to put it down to read some other things, so it was good to be able to finish it. It did have me wishing that I could google a few things while I was reading it but I wasn't going to pay for plane wi-fi for that. 

And then, in a case of mistaken book identity, I intended to start reading a Madeline Martin book but instead started The Last Night in London by Karen White. I am really enjoying it so I am definitely going to keep going with it and hopefully get to Madeline Martin in due course.

I've also decided to join in on the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge hosted by Katie at Just Another Girl and her Books. I have read quite a few Christmassy books already and I am sure I can find some more without trying too hard.

Last week I mentioned that I have set up a specific Insta account for my book stuff. You can find me @intrepidreaderandbaker and I would love it if you added it, and I will follow back!

I'm watching


Being away for most of the week meant I didn't really get to watch much this week. I will need to catch up on the finales for both Great Australian Bake Off and Dessert Masters. I know who won one of those and I think I can guess who one the second but hopefully I will get to watch them both soon.

We did watch Greg Wallace's Christmas Escapes, where he spends a weekend in both Copenhagen and Vienna, visiting a few different places, but focusing mainly on Christmas Markets. We have watched them before but they are still lovely to watch and brought back memories of our own visits to Christmas markets a couple of years ago.

One thing we did do in Perth was go to the movies. My sister, my cousin and I went to see Wicked, which was fab. It was a bit long, but other than that I thought they did a great job. We now have a year long intermission to see the second half. 

Life


We went to Perth last week to spend some time with family and spread my Dad's ashes. He died just over a year ago, but with my sister and I living in a different state we needed to go back over there just to do this one final goodbye. I don't remember going to the place he had chosen before, but it was a lovely spot and very fitting for my dad who loved the land in WA and also loved water.

We visit Perth quite regularly, but I still like to find new things to do. I had not intended to visit Fremantle this time, although it is one of my favourite places, but in the end we went down there to see a digital exhibition that they have on called Empress Josephine's Garden. It was very interesting in that it spoke about the French exploration of Australia, including sending lots of plant and animal specimens back to Empress Josephine's chateau at Malmaison. She was a serious collector, and I was surprised by a couple of things I learned such as the fact that she had correspondence with Sir Joseph Banks for some time, until France (under Napoleon) and England went to war.

Given we we were in Fremantle I had to do my customary visit to the wreck of the Batavia, which is part of the Dutch related history of Australia, and then have some fish and chips.

Another highlight is that we did the Rio Tinto Christmas Lights Trail through Perth. We had dinner at a very cool Asian restaurant, and then we walked from one end of Perth to the other visiting 20 Christmas lights installations around the city. It was great to be able to do this with my cousin and her family, my aunt and sister. We definitely got our steps in. Now I need to find something Christmassy to do here in Melbourne

I will do a bigger post about this at some point in the next couple of weeks, but here was my favourite video which I managed to get completely by coincidence. I love that you can see that I am walking through the bubbles. It's very short at only 4 seconds! 

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Not New!

Weekend Cooking: A Recipe for Christmas by Jo Thomas



I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Weekend Cooking: A Recipe for Christmas by Jo Thomas

When the first line of a book is "How many Lindor chocolates can you fit into your mouth at the same time?" you know that it is going to be a fun read.

When Clara was made redundant from her HR role, she decides that it is time for her to take a chance, in many aspects of her life. Her newish boyfriend, Dan, has just been offered a new role in Switzerland. Clara has two options. Either it is all over with Dan or she can take a chance and move to Switzerland with him. At 40, she thinks it is time to take the chance. In order to make good use of her time, she decides to sign up for a chocolate making class which her previous employer will pay for as part of her exit package. 

Clara thought she was signing up for a somewhat fun chocolate course,but it is actually a big deal, for serious chocolate makers, and they are all vying to win a prize that money can't buy - the opportunity to see their own signature chocolate flavours in the market with a prestigious Swiss chocolate brand.

Right from day one, Clara feels out of her depth. The other people on the course are already professionals, have no problem with any of the key techniques and no patience for someone who shouldn't even be there. However, Clara has no idea, so she knows she is going to have to work harder than anyone else as she has so much to learn. The last thing that she wants is to have to repay her previous employer for the course.

Each week her efforts are judged by the leaders of the course and also by famed chocolatier Gabriel Hartmann. He is grumpy and distant and just wants to be left alone, but when Clara figures out his secret, they begin to work together. And when the professional jealousies amongst the course participants threaten to derail everything for Clara, she is the person who can bring everyone together.

From the first bite, I was fully invested in the chocolatey goodness of this book. From the exploration of flavours and chocolate techniques, to the snowy beauty of Switzerland at Christmas. But there is more to it than that. Clara shows adaptability and strength in deciding that she wants to change, and in recognising when the chances that she has taken are not working out and doing something about it. It was also a reminder that not everyone is necessarily what they seem.

I really enjoyed this book, and it is a perfect read for this time of the year.

I have previously read a couple of Jo Thomas earlier books, and so I was very keen to read more, especially her Christmas books! The ones I have read are very food forward. She often does a cooking post on Instagram as well about food. I will definitely be reading more from her, hopefully before next Christmas!

For the record, I am not sure that I want to even see how many Lindors I can fit into my mouth. We do buy them but usually only for special occasions (like Christmas) and when I have them I want to savour them. I love the way that you bite through to the centre part, which depending on how hot or cold it is can be almost liquid. Delicious. I might need to go and buy some just because it's Saturday. That's a special occasion right?

I will be sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and the 12 Books of Christmas challenge hosted at Just Another Girl and Her Books.

Weekly meals

Saturday - Chicken Shwarma
Sunday - Chicken Shwarma (leftovers)
Monday - Indian Coconut Prawn Curry (new)
Tuesday -
Wednesday - Away
Thursday - Away
Friday - Away

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page

Top Ten Tuesday: Not new!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Oldest (aka Earliest Published) Books On My TBR (submitted by Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits)

As I have a tendency to do, I have twisted this week's topic just a bit. Like most of us, I have a tendency to read new books, so my post this week is all about the books I have read this year that were published before 2020.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai - originally published in 2013. I have the follow up book ready to read on my Kindle. (review)

Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - originally published in 2018. Seeing this author at Melbourne Writers Festival is one of my highlight for this year. (review)

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - originally published in 2010. Interesting that the first three are all Japanese books.

Sylvester by Georgette Heyer - originally published in 1957. One of my all time favourite audiobook experiences is listening to Richard Armitage narrate the books of Georgette Heyer. I tend to listen to them every couple of years ago. Audible bliss!

Relish by Lucy Knisley -  originally published in 2013. This was a Cook the Books selection and a re-read for me. (post)

The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine by Alexander McCall Smith - originally published in 2015. It had been a good few years since I had listened to or read one of the Precious Ramotswe books. Highly recommend the audio versions. Might be time for the next one.

Family Tree by Susan Wiggs - originally published in 2017 - Another Cook the Books selection (review)

Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran - originally published in 2017. I loved the first Chandran book I read so I decided to give this one a go on audio.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - originally published in 2001 - This is another Cook the Books selection. (review)

The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain - originally published in 2012 - I did do a bit of a Antoine Laurain binge this year. Another book I read by him was published on 4 January 2020 so just missed out on being counted for this purpose 

So, what have I learned from this? I am likely to read older books thanks to Cook the Books. I am also likely to read older books in translation or to listen to them on audio. And it must just be a coincidence that so many of the surnames of these authors start with a K right?