Blog Tour: Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Cafe by Jessica Redland

 

Tara and Jed are taking it slowly. Tara has emotional scars from her past that have forced her to keep her distance from everyone for years. Slowly, she has been letting down her barriers down to many people around her allowing her to form friendships, to rebuild her relationship with her foster parents and yes, to fall in love with Jed. But she is still keeping part of herself back from him. Fortunately, Jed understands. After all, he has a history of his own including his manipulative ex-wife who tore their family apart, and separated him from the boy he thought was his son, Aaron. 

The past has a tendency to come back to life. Jed returned from life in Australia with his two daughters and has established his own business across the road from Tara's Chocolate Pot Café. When Ingrid, his ex-wife shows up unannounced, drama is sure to follow. When Jed sees Aaron again, the boy is angry with him, believing that Jed had abandoned him and wanted nothing more to with him. 

For Tara, her painful past is represented by her step sister Leanne, who betrayed her in the most shocking way. When Leanne tries to get in contact with her parents, Tara knows that it won't be for altruistic reasons and she also knows that she has to protect herself even if it means losing her parents again.

When I started reading this book, it felt like I had walked in half way through, and that's because I had. Tara and Jed's story started in a book that was published years ago called Starry Skies Over the Chocolate Pot Cafe. Of course, it I had of seen the title it would have prompted me to wonder if they were connected but there was nothing to suggest that it was a continuation of a previous story on Goodreads or in the blurb. I have learned before that Jessica Redland likes to pepper her story with recurring characters and I expected it in this one. I just didn't expect that it would be a sequel. I guess I just have to hurry up and read all of the books set in Whitsborough Bay and then the recurring characters will be old friends!

Giving that this isn't the boy meets girl part of Tara and Jed's relationship, the story really comes from the Drama with a capital D that swirls around them, and there is a lot going on. Jed's daughters have a really fractured relationship with their mother, which is perfectly understandable given the history, so when Ingrid drops in unannounced he has to navigate carefully. Similarly, Tara has enough drama in her own world, but she still manages to see opportunity to help other people, including Zoe, a young girl who lives in a shelter.

I could relate to having a relationship that is in the middle of other people's lives. My husband and I have been known to have conversations about the fact that we are really good within the two of us, but it is outside dramas that can some times cause emotional impacts on one or both of us. The main difference is that we are not now navigating a new relationship as Tara and Jed were. 

Despite the fact that I did feel like I had missed the first half of the story, I did really enjoy this book and I would love to read more of Jessica Redland's books. The question is when will I find the time and space to do so!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour! Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4/5

About the book

Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café

Sometimes all your hopes and dreams really do come true… ✨🌈

Life at the Chocolate Pot Café has never been sweeter for Tara Porter. Nestled on Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay, her café is thriving, her friendships are close, her foster parents are back where they belong—and she’s finally let herself fall in love with artist Jed Ferguson.

For Jed, returning from Australia feels like coming home in every sense. His teenage daughters have settled, his gallery opening is a success, and with Tara by his side, the future looks full of promise.

But the past can’t stay at bay forever.

When Tara’s estranged foster sister reappears, old wounds resurface. And when Jed is reunited with twelve year old Aaron - a boy he once believed was his son - secrets unravel and loyalties are tested.

Now Tara and Jed must decide whether facing the past will shatter everything they’ve built—or hope it gives them the strength and courage to dream again.

Warm, heartfelt and hopeful, Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café is a story of love, forgiveness and second chances.

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

About the Author 

Jessica Redland is the million-copy bestselling author of novels, including the Hedgehog Hollow and Escape to the Lakes series. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough and the Lake District, she writes uplifting women’s fiction of love, friendship and community.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @jessicaredlandauthor

Twitter: @JessicaRedland

Instagram: @jessicaredlandauthor

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

Bookbub profile: @jessicaredlandwriter

Blog Tour: Love Blooms at the Cornish Cottage by Kim Nash

Michelle finally has the life that she wants. A couple of years earlier she had moved to Cornwall to a place that she loved, she had made some really good friends, her business is going well and she has fallen in love with a gorgeous Greek doctor named Demetri who she could see being part of her life ....well....forever! It's a long way from the life she was living before moving to Sandpiper Shore.

When Demetri announces that he needs to return to Greece to care for his sick mother, Michelle is torn. Can she start again...again? When she decides that this is something that she cannot do, Michelle and Demetri agree that the best way forward is no contact after he leaves. It would hurt too much to still be talking to each other.

Michelle is heartbroken but she is beginning to pick herself up again with the help of her friends, Jo and Emma who we met in the previous books in the series. One day she is shocked to find a man on her door step. At first, she thinks it is Demetri but it turns out it is Makkis, his brother. When Michelle explains that Demetri has gone home Makkis is surprised as he says that their mother is fine and suggests that there are other reasons for him to return home. Did Michelle really even know Demetri at all, or has she been played.

Makkis stays with Michelle and soon he is offering to help out with her business dealings and more. Can she trust Makkis more than she could ever trust Demetri?

A good guide to how invested you are in the characters in a story is how you react to some of the things that they do. As Michelle made several of her decisions I was yelling noooo in my head! I did, however, love the storyline with her brother. That part of the story made me feel quite emotional!

In all three books in this series, building community is a really important part of the story. In the first book, the friends were instrumental in building a Lonely Hearts club for the town. In the second it was a Christmas pantomime and in this one it was a barn dance (in an actual barn). When I was very young my family was involved in square dancing so we used to go to a lot of barn dances!

Once again, Kim Nash has delivered a really lovely story of friendship and love, healing and growth all set in a nice community near the beach in Cornwall! I am already hoping for the next book!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour! Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4.5/5

About the Book

Love Blooms at the Cornish Cottage

💔 How do you mend a broken heart? 💔

Michelle finally thought she’d found love with her hot Greek doctor. But when Demetri reveals he’s returning home to care for his sick mother, Michelle’s dream future crumbles. Choosing not to follow him feels like losing more than just love - it feels like losing who she’d started to become.

Determined not to fall apart, Michelle decides to throw herself into rebuilding her life in Sandpiper Shore, but then unexpectedly, Demetri’s brother, Makkis, arrives on her doorstep. Offering him a room seems like the kind thing to do… but the constant reminder of her lost love is difficult for her heartbroken soul.

And the more time she spends with Makkis, the clearer it becomes: there are parts of Demetri she never knew… Just as Michelle starts to heal with a little help from her friends, she’s faced with a decision: fight for the love she knows she deserves, or finally learn how to let go…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/SandpiperShores3

About the Author 

Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, romantic, feel-good fiction, having wanted to write books since she was a little girl. She works as both Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture. She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni. When she's not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog and reading, as well as running a book club in Staffordshire and organising local and national reader/author events.



Social Media Links –

Facebook: @KimNashAuthor

Twitter: @KimTheBookworm

Instagram: @KimNashAuthor

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

Bookbub profile: @KimNash18

Weekend Cooking: The Golden Spurtle

 

When we visited Scotland a couple of years ago, we visited the border town of Jedburgh on our way to Hadrian's Wall. We wandered through the town and made our way to visit Mary Queen of Scots House which was very interesting. Of course, whenever you visit tourist attractions you have to exit via the gift shop and while we were there we bought a spurtle. The woman in the shop insisted that our porridge will taste even better than it normally does. To be honest, we have had many bowls of porridge since then but I don't think we have ever used the spurtle. What is a spurtle? Apart from being a fun word to say, it is a wooden implement that is used to stir porridge. I was intrigued when I saw that there was a movie coming out called The Golden Spurtle and so I dragged my husband to see it with me. He only came under sufferance but we both enjoyed it!

When you travel, you often come across small towns that are making big claims like home of raspberry jam, or best tomatoes in the world. Back in the 1990s the small town of Carrbridge in the Scottish Highlands was looking for something to differentiate itself. They wanted something very Scottish and so the World Porridge Championships were born.

Sometimes people get obsessed with something unusual and this movie is testament to this. I would never have expected people to get obsessed with porridge. Now when I think of porridge, I think of winter mornings, creamy oats, made with milk and topped with little blobs of butter and sugar. But for the people who take porridge very seriously, they would probably be horrified at that description. For the purists, porridge consists of just three ingredients - oats, salt and water.  

This documentary focusses equally on both the organisers of the competition but also the competitors. Among the competitors we meet an Australian chef, Toby Wilson. We follow him from Sydney as he practices his technique through to the community hall in picturesque Carrbridge where the competition is held. We also meet returning champions, the ultra competitive health food shop owner, other international competitors and the man who is returning to the competition after a 15 year break. We hear about their dedication to finding the perfect oats to cook, and the techniques they practice at length to get the texture and taste just right. There are rivalries and friendships, secrets, obsessions, controversies and ceremonies. 

As interesting as the competitors and the competition are, if you had to pick just one of the stories, it is probably that of the chieftain Charlie Miller. He has been leading the organisation of the event for 30 years but this is his last time as he is retiring due to ill-health. He is ably backed by the rest of the organising committee who grapple with the logistics of an event that seems to have almost outgrown the venue. Other members of the committee include the woman who is charged with washing all the pots (not my favourite thing to do after cooking porridge) to the person organising all the flags of the competitor's nations, sound and video links, dealing with the Scottish weather and so much more. 

It's probably a bit of cliché, but the word charming absolutely applies. This documentary is funny, heart warming and offbeat, and definitely worth checking out. Just finishing this post makes me wish I could watch the movie again! It comes to streaming here next week so maybe I could make that happen!

Oh, and our spurtle is only made of wood, not gold! What I did learn from this movie is that we need to make sure that we stir our porridge in the right direction. Apparently, if you stir in an anti-clockwise direction. you let the devil in!

Here's the trailer

Weekly meals

Saturday - Roast pork, crispy potato galette, cauliflower cheese
Sunday -  Honey Chicken and Rice
Monday -  Beef and Broccoli Noodles
Tuesday - Thai Chicken Meatballs with rice (new)
Wednesday - Japanese Pork Curry
Thursday - Takeaway
Friday - Takeaway

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: The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

 

\

It never ceases to amaze me how many little known stories there are about the events in WWII that are still being told in new stories. This is another one which features characters who share messages in their knitting and is based on a true story.

When an elderly woman has a stroke, her family is shocked when she suddenly starts speaking fluent French, her family are completely shocked.  They had no idea that their mother/grandmother who refused to leave their Channel island home could speak French. It turns out, she had a whole other life that she never told them about. 

Young Lennie Gallienne is an orphan who lives a very restricted life on the isle of Guernsey. When she received the dreaded telegram to tell her that her beloved brother is missing presumed dead, she refuses to accept it, and heads to London to try to find the truth. An unexpected meeting in the War Office, sees Lennie in training to be a spy .Of course, the men aren't necessarily happy to have a woman recruit with them. And they are even less enamoured when she uses her knitting to teach herself morse code. Her superior officers find out and think it is a great idea and so they all have to learn to knit.

Lennie finds herself working in a bookshop in Paris, helping distribute tracts and pass information back to London. Being a spy is a dangerous business though. It's hard to know who you can trust and if you catch the attention of the wrong people, it can be a matter of life or death. Even if you make it out alive, you can be left with enduring memories and guilt. 

In some ways this book felt a little like a thriller, with each chapter headed by a date and time, with the tension building and building as the time and dates got closer and closer together. 

Whilst this book is probably technically a dual time line, the modern parts of the story really only bookends the main story and form a very small part of the book. I do think that it added something even though it was only a very small part.

Unfortunately, the other thing that ended up playing only a very small part of the story is the knitting. Yes, there was a group of knitters that Lennie spent time with in Guernsey before she went to London, and then when she was teaching the other recruits. However, there wasn't much obvious knitting when she was in Paris which is the majority of the book. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity, particularly given the title of the book.

I did find myself quite engrossed in the story very quickly. This is the first book in a series, and I am definitely intending to read the next book in the series. 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog, British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 4/5

About the Book

The Resistance Knitting Club

Inspired by the true story of a woman who used knitting patterns to encode intelligence during World War Two.

Guernsey, 2010. After a stroke, an elderly woman shocks her family by speaking perfect French – a language they never knew she possessed. As her granddaughter unravels seventy years of silence, a hidden wartime story emerges...

Paris, 1941. After her brother is declared missing in action at Dunkirk, eighteen-year-old Lenny Gallienne vanishes into Churchill’s secret army. In a bookshop on Rue de la Pompe, she poses as a simple shop girl while encoding intelligence from Nazi headquarters into knitting patterns. Each sweater smuggled to prisoners contains flight paths. Each scarf holds radio frequencies. Each mistake means execution.

Fellow agent, Harry Dennison is the only person who knows her real name. But when the SS close in, Lenny faces an impossible choice in the Metro tunnels beneath Paris – one that will haunt her family for generations. Because in the resistance, the most dangerous secrets are the ones you keep from those you love most.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resistance-Knitting-Club-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0FZ6F8397/

https://www.amazon.com/Resistance-Knitting-Club-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0FZ6F8397/

About the Author

Jenny O’Brien writes complex thrillers and heartbreaking historical fiction, as well as intriguing romances. Silent Cry, initially self published, topped the Amazon kindle chart in both the UK and the USA. Most of her books have followed suit.

Jenny has over 40 years experience as a qualified nurse. She turned to creative writing as a hobby when her children were born.

Born in Ireland, she now lives in Guernsey with her husband and children.

BOOK NEWS

The Resistance Knitting Club comes out in February, 2026. A blend of Jenny’s two hobbies - knitting and reading. For more check out The Resistance Knitting Club Facebook Page. Join the conversation as well as share your crafting projects.



Social Media Links 

Twitter and Instagram @scribblerjb

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

The Sweet Life Cafe by Helen Rolfe

When sisters Addie and Susanna receive an invitation to their aunt's funeral, it isn't a done deal that they would attend. Gayle might have stepped in to care for the girls when they were orphaned, but it wasn't smooth sailing. Susanna, in particular, was resentful of having to move to Anchor Island in the Channel Islands, and she could not wait to get out of there when she was old enough. Addie was more settled living with Aunt Gayle, and she had a burgeoning love of baking as she helped in her aunt's pudding bar until she was forced to choose between staying on the island or heading to the mainland with her sister. 

Having arrived on the island, the two girls are shocked to find Aunt Gayle alive, although not necessarily well. A small but crucial word was missing from the invite - it was meant to be a living funeral! For Susanna, this accidental oversight feels like manipulation and she is reminded of why she wanted to get away from the island in the first place. However, Susanna's life is a bit of a mess right now with her marriage seemingly on the rocks, so maybe she can stay for a short time while she thinks about what might come next. What she doesn't need is to run into her first true love but Anchor Island is a very small place!

Addie is a single mother. She lives in London with her young son, and she worries about how she can give him a life where he has the freedom to play in a garden or ride his bike. It all feels like a long way from anything she can achieve now. Could spending time on Anchor Island help her define what her next steps in life are. 

Having agreed to stay for a short time, Addie and Susanna take on the task of clearing out their late father's belongings. Addie adored her father but the two sisters can't talk about him without tensions boiling over. Addie can't understand why Susanna has issues when it comes to him. And Gayle is the keeper of even more of their father's secrets. What happens when the truth is revealed?

I have read quite a few books set on the Channel Islands but most of them have been set during the German occupation during WWII. As far as I can remember none of them have had a contemporary setting. Anchor Island sounded like an idyllic place with it's mix of sea and land and interesting characters!

I loved the sound of Aunt Gayle's pudding bar. The food sounded amazing! From jam roly polys to fruit crumbles, lemon meringue pies and so much more. I would love to visit a place that specialised in all of these different desserts!

I have read a number of books by Helen Rolfe, and I do enjoy them. This was a different setting, and had a different feeling. It took a little while to get going, and it took me even longer to warm to Susanna in particular. Whilst this book is being billed as a standalone novel, it does feel like it could be the start of a series or a duology at last, and I would love to see what happens with one of the characters we met. 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story. And of course with Weekend Cooking which I host. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

Two Historical Fiction novels - The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson and The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jeffries

 Last year my stated goal was that I wanted to read all the historical fiction I read and all the Australian authors I read. I did pretty well at that until I went back to work, so now I am just trying to tidy up by sharing some mini reviews. Today I bring you mini reviews of two historical fiction novels I read towards the end of last year. To be fair, I could probably have just posted them individually as they are not really that mini!

The War Time Book Club by Kate Thompson 

I had been meaning to read Kate Thompson for the longest time. Now that I have finally read her I will be meaning to read more of her books sooner rather than later. Part of the reason I enjoyed this book is the setting. I find the WWII history of the Channel Islands completely fascinating, given that it was the only part of the United Kingdom to be occupied by the Germans. This fascination started with books like the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society but continues with TV documentaries and more.

Grace Le Motte and Bea Rose are more than best friends. They grew up together on the island of Jersey, and Bea is involved with Grace's brother. The island is now occupied by the Germans, and soon the two women are finding whatever small ways they can to resist. For Grace, the local librarian, this means hiding books that the Germans have declared must be destroyed because of their content. For Bea, it means using her position at the post office for good, misdirecting mail and on occasion becoming privy to information that she probably shouldn't

As the war drags on, food and medicine supplies dwindle and so does morale. Grace starts a bookclub at the library where locals can come and hear a story under the watchful eyes of their German invaders. 

We also meet many of the locals. Some, like the older men who work at the post office, take Grace under their wings and try to protect her from her own tendency to be a bit hot-headed and get into trouble. Others are young girls who start dating German soldiers, much to some people's disgust.

When both women catch the attention of the commander, their lives will be changed in ways that neither of them could have imagined.

This was an engrossing read, made all the better by the extensive author's notes that were included which gave extensive details about what the true events were, who were real people and so much more.

I am sharing this review with Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books and with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog.

The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jeffries

This book takes place on another island, but it couldn't be more different in setting. This time the island is Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was known them. I was looking for a book that was set there before we went on holidays. I knew that we would be spending at least some of our time in the tea plantation area and so this felt like a good option.

I actually read most of this book on the way to Sri Lanka on the plane and then we carried it around all over the place to try and get the perfect photo!

After a whirlwind romance Gwendolyn Hooper marries Laurence, a handsome widower who owns a tea plantation in Ceylon. Her marriage means that she needs to uproot her whole life and move to a different country. She arrives in Galle, where the air is laden with unfamiliar scents and humidity. Also unfamiliar is the running of the big house on the tea plantation where there are servants with specific roles, rules about who can do what in the house and absolute rules about visiting the worker's homes on the plantation. Most unfamiliar is the brooding, inattentive and non communicative man who her husband has become, seemingly overnight.

Whilst Gwendolyn knows that Laurence is a widower, he hasn't exactly been honest about the death of his first wife, and he is in no mood to discuss the matter with his new wife. Then there is his spinster sister who seems intent on being as difficult as she can. Gwendolyn soon finds herself on the wrong side of the plantation manager, and caught up with an enigmatic Sinhalese man who her husband forbids her from seeing. It's all very dramatic.

Of course, the problem with keeping secrets is that the truth inevitably comes out, in the most dramatic way possible. The book is set in the late 1920s and there was an interesting twist in the tail of the book from a history of tea perspective.

Whilst I did enjoy the book, there were things that bothered me but I think they were meant to. For example, the way that the husband behaved with their friends and, in particular, his sister was all a bit odd. I absolutely enjoyed reading about life on the plantation, and it helped me visualise how the plantations operated when I was visiting the modern equivalent. 

This was my first Dinah Jeffries book, and I see that she has an extensive backlist set in all kinds of different locations. At some point I will likely pick up another one. Maybe I should check if she has one set in our next holiday destination!

I am sharing both of these reviews with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. I gave both of these books 4/5 ratings but if I had to say which book I enjoyed more it would be The Wartime Library!

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

 

Years ago I read Helen Simonson's debut novel Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (reviewed here) but it was only earlier this year that I finally picked up another book by her. I read The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club as part of Cook the Books (my review). I knew then that I had to read her only other book which is this one.

When I picked this book up from the library I was surprised by how big it was. At 592 pages this is a chunkster and yet, as I was reading it, I didn't feel like it was taking a long time to get through.

The book starts in 1914 when a young woman named Beatrice Nash moves to the town of Rye to take up a position teaching Latin in a small school. She has no choice but to take a job after her father passes away leaving his estate in trust for Beatrice, which surprises her because she thought that her father was proud of her independence and would have trusted her to be able to take car of her own interests. Instead, she must ask for money from the estate, people who do not like her independent nature, so she is often left with too little to survive on

There she meets the formidable Agatha Kent, who has gone out of her way to insist that Miss Nash is a suitable candidate for the role, despite some opposition from other town leaders. Beatrice also meets Hugh Grange, a young man who is studying to be a surgeon and his cousin Daniel who dreams of being a poet. Then there is the (in)famous author who she is helping will help publish her father's papers.

It doesn't take long for Beatrice to start seeing the villagers for what they are. As a single woman she must be very careful of her actions, lest her reputation be damaged. Already some are shocked that she has moved to the town. She also sees the petty jealousies, the feuds, the class divide and the double standards that are rife.

The most promising of her Latin students is a young man named Snout, who carries around a copy of the classics and reads Latin for fun. But even with Miss Nash's support, young Snout is unlikely to get to further education because his family are Romany gypsies. Whilst the town is happy to call on a Romany healer when they need, they are never going to be accept them as their own.

When the war begins, the town graciously agrees to take in some Belgian refugees out of the goodness of their hearts...kind of. It doesn't take long for the villagers to feel less generosity of spirit, especially when the parade to celebrate them goes wrong. Soon, at least one of the refugees is being ostracised, when she most needs support.

It is really when the boys of the town start enlisting and the rationing starts that being at war begins to feel real. At first, it is a bit like a game with the young men dressing up in uniforms.When they start to come home injured, or even not at all, the reality sets in. The last section of the book is heartbreaking and I did get emotional reading it. Gone are the languid summer evenings and dinner parties, to be replaced by hardship and loss, no matter which class of society you belong to. 

Like all of Simonson's books so far this one is pretty deceptive as it doesn't feel like a lot is happening but when you look back a lot has happened! She is very adept at taking a small town and digging just under the surface so you see what is really underpinning town life and at exploring the different levels of society. She is also a master at the simmering slow burn romance which is integral to the story, but also almost a subplot. 

Now I, like many others, wait however long it takes for Helen Simonson's next book to come out. You will likely hear the cheers from here when it is announced! I will have very high expectations given that I have loved all three of her previous books. I think, though, this one is my favourite of the three. This book is a 5/5 read for me!

I am sharing this review with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. This was one of the books that I nominated for the Big Books of Winter and also counts as one of my Big Books of Summer.

Rating 5/5

The Storytellers by Sue Heath

 

Happy release day to Sue Heath for her new novel The Storytellers!

Last year I read and loved Sue Heath's novel The Secret Ingredient. It was one of only 3 books that I gave a rating of 5/5 to, so I have been keeping an eye out for a new book by her. I was very excited when I saw the cover and read the description!

The Storytellers is another delightful read about found community, about the power of storytelling and so much more. The book is centred around the local library, where a group of come together to write a short story for a local competition. The rules are simple. Each part of the story must be clearly written by different contributors but come together as a complete story. And the prize? A party with the mayor!

Hattie first comes to the library as she wants to learn to use the computer. She has recently been widowed after many years of unhappy marriage and now she wants to find the man she believes she was in love with many years before. 

Will is the librarian who has moved back to town to look after his dad. He is only in town for a while and hopes to go back to his real job running a bookshop. Things are a bit complicated for Will as his ex girlfriend is also his boss and she is now going out with a man that Will dislikes intensely.

Avril has quit her job and is now searching for what the future might bring. She is also trying to find out anything about her mother who died when she was very young. Her father remarried and Avril doesn't really get along with her stepmother or her two stepsisters. 

Stuart has recently retired and is at something of a loose end. He has a happy marriage although his wife is often very busy with all her different hobbies. Stuart has to get out of the house on Thursdays as he doesn't want to catch an eyeful when his wife is hosting her life drawing art class.

Given that each of our characters are at different places in their lives it makes sense that their sections are all very different, and each of them work through their own issues in their sections of the story. It is a bit of a concern that Hattie does tend to want dead bodies to keep on turning up in her sections!

You couldn't help but cheer the characters on as they wrote their story, willing them on with the hope that they would win the prize. More importantly though, I willed them on as they built bonds with each other, and as they began to help each other.

There were so many great quotes about life and books in this novel, and it was full of humour too. I often found myself smiling for pages afterwards as I read including a particular passage about the local butcher that just had me laughing and smiling for ages.

This is a book that I can see myself rereading if I need a pick me up. At least until the next Sue Heath book comes out anyway!

This was one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter. I am also sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and the Bookish Books challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books.

Rating 4.5/5

Blog Tour: Once Upon a Thyme by Jane Lovering

 

Natalie Fisher has taken over the running of her family's herb farm. Whilst that keeps her busy Tallie is also at her mother's beck and call for everything she needs, which is a lot particularly given her long term health issues. Tallie has learned over the years that it is best to keep the peace with her mother, and to never challenge her in any way. After her father's death when she was a very young child her mother and grandmother raised Tallie and she knows that she owes them everything,

However, mum isn't averse to sticking her nose into the business and the latest way she has done this is to employ a business analyst, Zebedee McAuley-Wilson without letting Tallie know. He gets quite the introduction to the herb farm. 

There was a pig in the kitchen, with its trotters on the table and its snout in the fruit bowl. but this was fine - well maybe not fine. I wasn't happy about it, but at least the pig was a known quantity. The man, on the other hand, standing watching the pig eat a satsuma, was not.

"There's a pig in here," he said, as though observing a strange scientific phenomenon. "Eating an orange."

"It's a satsuma," I said, helpfully pedantic.

"Oh." He eyed the pig again. "Is that a rare breed?"

"I meant the orange, not the pig. She's a Tamworth." Then I regained my sensibilities, like suddenly putting on a pair of glasses and being able to focus. "But who are you and why are you in my kitchen."

This is such a fun opening line to the book and shows the humour that is threaded throughout the story, something that is present in all of Jane Lovering's books. And that pig gets up to all sorts of shenanigans

The next unexpected group to turn up is a folk-rock-meets-prog-meets-acid-psychedelia rock band who want to film their next videos in the gardens. Soon Tallie finds herself out of her depth and is grateful for Zeb's business acumen. But she is curious about why the band chose her herb farm for farming, and so for the first time in her life she starts asking questions. One thing she doesn't question is her immediate attraction to Mika who plays the viola and the washboard in the band. Maybe she should have.

The problem with starting to ask questions for the first time in your life is that it leads to more questions, and then to answers that might completely change who you think you are, and what your story actually is.

All the while, Zeb is trying to figure out his own story. He is very honest with Tallie about his personal story, about the mistakes he made, and with how he is trying to reinvent his life, but he is also searching for what his future might look like. Could it be here at Drycott farm? 

I really enjoy Jane Lovering's books and this was no exception. In this book the family secrets were hidden deep and so took some digging to expose, but there was no doubt in my mind that Tallie bloomed once the truth was revealed. And Zeb was very patient and understanding as he gently encouraged Tallie to look beyond the obvious and question things more.

One odd thing. I think the universe is trying to tell me something. I have now read three gardening/plant related stories in quick succession. Gardening is so not my thing normally!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the Book

Once Upon a Thyme

All her life, Natalie Fisher has been taught not to ask questions. Why risk uncovering uncomfortable truths, when you can stay in the safety of blissful denial?

Since taking over the family herb farm, Natalie has stuck with what she knows, rarely venturing much further than the nearby village where her invalid mother now lives. But then, one day, everything changes with the arrival of unexpected visitors.

First comes Zeb, employed by Natalie’s mother to help with the business but soon hinting at other motives. Then comes Simon with the famous band he manages, wanting to film in Natalie’s beautiful garden. The band causes chaos and the attitude of one particular member throws Natalie’s ordered life into confusion.

Over one magical summer of revelations and of uncovering secrets, Natalie starts to blossom and by the time autumn arrives she knows nothing will ever be the same again. Will she finally get an answer to the mystery of her childhood? And can she embrace the fresh start she so deserves - but which means she’ll have to take one enormous and brave leap of faith?

An uplifting novel about fresh starts, family secrets and finding love when you least expect it.

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

About the Author 

Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who won the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2023 with A Cottage Full of Secrets. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @jane.lovering

Twitter: @janelovering

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

Bookbub profile: @janelovering

Blog Tour: The Silver Ladies Sieze the Day by Judy Leigh

 

Nadine the pig is back! Wait .... maybe I should have started with the gang from Middleton Ferris is back, not just the pig!

We first met the Silver Ladies in the book The Silver Haired Ladies Do Lunch which I reviewed here. From the blurb for this book, you would think that Cecily's story is the one that takes up most of the page time, but it's only one strand of multiple stories. Minnie is umming and ahhing about taking the next step with her American beau whilst hosting her sister at her home in Oxford. Josie's first love has come back to the village to live but she's not sure about whether she can even think about dating him again. Lin still can't cook a thing. And then there is Florence, a young mother who is struggling with juggling everything she has going on her life, without the additional stresses which get added in this book.

It is, however, Cecily's story that is the most moving when she is the centre of the story. Cecily was the village teacher for many years. After returning she became friends with some of her former students. Now 92, she doesn't have regrets as such for she has lived a very fulfilling life, but in the back of her mind there is always Eddie, the man who she was engaged to but had to watch as he married someone else. When she is contacted by Eddie's granddaughter, she has to decide if she wants to see him again, or if the hurt of what happened all those years ago is too much. Some days she very much wants to, but other days she does not. Of course, everyone else has an opinion on what she should do.

And the pig? Well, she's part of a story about the plight of farmers in the countryside around towns and cities in the UK.

I generally like Judy Leigh's books a lot. I like the humour, the Britishness of the characters, the locations and the fact that she is generally telling stories about more mature women. Yes, men too, but mainly women. Those are the reasons why I automatically say yes to her books. She also writes under another name but I haven't said yes to those ones yet, mainly because I already have way too many auto-read authors.

Having said that, despite this book being full of all the things I enjoy, I didn't love this one as much as other books I have read by her, and I felt the same about this group of characters in the previous book. I think there are just so many stories being told at once, with each one having it's own central characters and then secondary characters which may or may not intersect with other stories. I think that we could easily have done without one of the stories and still had a complete book. 

Of course, it could just be a case of it's not you, it's me! Either way, when the next Judy Leigh book is announced I will be volunteering to read it because I just can't help myself. 

Here are some links to other Judy Leigh books I have read previously.

The Golden Gals' French Adventure

The Golden Oldies' Book Club

The Silver Haired Sisterhood

The Silver Ladies Do Lunch

The Vintage Village Bake Off

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog.  Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 3/5

About the book

The Silver Ladies Seize the Day

You’re never too old to fall in love…again!

Cecily Hamilton is months away from her ninety-second birthday. She’s lived life to the full, choosing work over romance, friendship over love. And now she has a host of silver-haired friends living nearby, ready to fill her time with picnic lunches, prosecco and cheer!

Cecily thought she was content. She thought her cup was full…

But when the granddaughter of Cecily’s first and only love arrives on her doorstep, claiming that her grandfather, Eddie, is still in love with Cecily after all these years, Cecily wonders if there might be room for a little romance after all. Especially since, one by one, her friends keep falling head over heels for old flames and new.

Can the oldest silver lady of the bunch really hope for her own second chance at love? Is it finally time for Cecily to seize the day?

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

About the Author

Judy Leigh is the bestselling author of Five French Hens, A Grand Old Time and The Age of Misadventure and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Social Media Links – 

Facebook: @judyleighuk

Twitter: @JudyLeighWriter

Instagram: @judyrleigh

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

Bookbub profile: @judyrleigh

Blog Tour: The Shadow on the Bridge by Clare Marchant

 

Sarah has been summoned back to her godmother Cordelia's house in Norfolk. It is a former convent that was turned into a house known as Barnhamcross Hall. It is a place that gave Sarah the best times of her childhood, but also the absolute worst experience of her life, the one that she never got over. Cordelia is very unwell, and she has decided to leave the house and all the contents to Sarah, but she wants to start going through the contents before she passes. As for Sarah, she doesn't want this inheritance. There are too many bad memories associated with the house.

In the historical storyline, we meet Anne, a young orphan whose stepfather now has control of her destiny. He is Duke of Norfolk, cousin to Queen Elizabeth, and he wants the land and money that are due to become the property of Anne's younger brother, George, when he comes of age. The Duke is a man who is used to getting what he wants, no matter what it takes and no matter who is in the way

What the Duke has underestimated is Anne's determination to get revenge for his role in her young brother's death. Anne is now married to his son and is expected in London. She is called to the court of Queen of Elizabeth. Anne realises that the Duke is involved in a conspiracy and decides that this is her opportunity for revenge. Soon she is passing information to the Queen's spymaster using coded messages in poetry. Will it be enough, or will the duke discover what she is up to?

Both Anne and Sarah are impacted by the events that happened in their childhood and which shape the women that they are now. Both feel guilty, rightly or wrongly. 

In the modern storyline, we see Sarah as she works through the many items in the house. She also finds a book of poetry in a hiding place. It soon becomes clear that it is more than just a book of poetry, and Sarah needs to try to work out exactly what is going on.  We also flashback to her last visit to the house in 2005. As we got closer to the big reveal about what actually happened back in 2005, I got more and more tense and almost didn't want to find out what the terrible event was, but then I needed to keep reading. You can't say I wasn't invested!

A couple of days ago I did a Top Ten Tuesday post about books where houses were almost characters. This book could be on that list with not one but two houses with cold spots, secret passages and hiding places, a ghostly apparition or two, plus centuries worth of items to be sorted through in one of the houses.

This was a good read. It's funny that I haven't read a Tudor book for years, and now I have read two in the space of six weeks or so. I do think that some of the characters could have been more nuances. If someone was bad, they were all bad. As usual, I found the historical storyline more interesting than the modern one, although I did enjoy Sarah's gradual understanding that while what happened in the past will always shape who she is, she can move forward and not let it restrain her from finding joy and love.

I have previously read and enjoyed Clare Marchant's novel, The Secrets of Saffron Hall. I have missed a couple but I will try to get hold of those soon. I will also be looking forward to whatever comes next.

Our read on a theme book club theme this month is Spy. This book will be a good selection for that! I wasn't sure what I was going to choose but so far I am up to 3 books with that theme! Turns out this is an easy theme for me!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge when I host here. I have also shared this with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog.  Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 3.5/5

About the book

The Shadow on the Bridge

‘You must forever watch your back,’ I spoke the words clearly, though he could not hear me. ‘Come what may, I shall avenge my brother’s death.’’

Now: When Sarah’s summoned by her godmother to remote Norfolk, she doesn’t want to go. Crossing the bridges where the two rivers meet, said to be haunted by the ghost of a little boy, a large Tudor house looms in front of her. And Sarah’s instantly reminded her of the summer when she last visited. The summer she would like to forget. Which left her unable to ever move forward… Can a person ever recover from the loss of a sibling?

1571: Anne Howard, newly-made countess of Arundel, has also lost a sibling. And been dragged from the relative safety of her home in remote Norfolk to London, by her overbearing, manipulative, new father-in-law Thomas Howard; the very person she suspects of killing her beloved only brother. The Howards have greater secrets than this though. Secrets that will lead Anne to a tragedy that will echo down the ages…

When Sarah finds a mysterious book of poems in a hidden chamber of her godmother’s house, she is drawn into Anne’s story. Perhaps the mystery will take her mind off her own loss? But – as the flood waters begin to rise under the bridges – is Sarah laying ghosts to rest, or bringing truths to the surface that should stay beneath?

A completely haunting, gripping historical novel, perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, and Diane Setterfield’s Once Upon a River.

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

About the Author –

Growing up in Surrey, Clare always dreamed of being a writer. Instead, after gaining a degree in history and an MA in women's studies she accidentally fell into a career in IT. After spending many years as a project manager in London, she moved to Norfolk for a quieter life and trained as a professional jeweller. Now, finally writing full-time, she lives with her husband and the youngest two of her six children.

Blog Tour: If You Could See Me Now by Samantha Tonge

 

Violet is pretty happy with her life. She has a job in publishing children's books and she and her boyfriend Lenny are pretty happy. Yes, things might be a bit routine but that's how things get after a while in any relationship. Right? Well, not right, once fellow publisher Beatrix is on the scene. Beatrix is something of a personal idol of Violets, until she finds out that she has her claws into Lenny.

Heartbroken, Violet decides she needs a new flatmate. Enter Bella! Bella is energetic and driven and soon she is strongly encouraging Violet to take control of her life. First step, a lifestyle change with food and exercise. Second new hair, makeup, clothes. Third step, lose some more weight. Fourth step, why can't you go after that author with the hot new manuscript! But Bella is not quite what she seems.

As Violet's friends and colleagues become more and more concerned about her, she begins to isolate herself from them, all in the name of putting herself first, which is a shame. I particularly liked the book club women who are all much older than Violet and who clearly care for her and in some parts give some welcome comic relief.

Whilst we get to see the new Violet, we also get flashbacks into her childhood, which wasn't the easiest. I did guess part of what happened to cause her childhood trauma, but not the whole story.

I have read quite a few of Samantha Tonge's books now. She writes issues based women's fiction with an astonishing depth to them. This is the second book in a row by her that I have read where the book that requires the reader to come into it not knowing what the major themes are. Knowing would spoil the twists. It does also make it a bit tricky to review as I have so much more I could say, but I don't want to spoil the reading experience for anyone.

I'll finish with something very wise my good friend Sally told me

You don't have to believe everything you think.

Whilst I am not necessarily good at living up to this, I do remember it clearly quite regularly. It's possibly a mantra that could have helped Violet.

This book was originally published as Knowing You back in 2019 and has been revised and an epilogue added. 

I am sharing this review with the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin Bout Books and with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog  Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 3.5/5

About the book

If You Could See Me Now

A brilliant, beautiful story from the bestselling author of A Single Act of Kindness
How far would you go for a perfect life?

Back in her troubled school days, kind-hearted Violet always dreamed of a life where she was happy. Now it feels like she’s just about getting there. She has her dream job working with books, and she’s living with her handsome boyfriend, Lenny.

But when her relationship with Lenny falls to pieces and he moves out, Violet, hurt and alone, decides it’s time to really take her happiness in hand. With help from her new flatmate, Bella, she changes her image and takes control at work, ready to show the world that she doesn’t need Lenny in her life. And when she meets magnetic author Casey, she begins to wonder if all she needed all along was a makeover.

But – with Bella – all is not as it seems. And Violet too has a secret, one that dates right back to her childhood, which could change everything…

IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW is a powerful story about friendship, trust, and taking control of your life while not being afraid to stand out. Perfect for fans of Shari Low, Milly Johnson and Colleen Hoover.

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

About the Author 

Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK with her husband and children. She studied German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has travelled widely.

Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines. She is represented by Darley Anderson Agency & Associates. In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category. In 2020 one of her novels won the RNA's Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award. Currently Samantha writes uplifting, emotional women's fiction for Boldwood Books.

Social Media Links –



Facebook: SamanthaTongeAuthor

Twitter: @SamTongeWriter

Instagram: @samanthatongeauthor

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

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

Blog Tour: Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering

 

Everything Andi Glover knows she learned from books. After an unconventional upbringing, she isn't really equipped to live life independently in the real world but she definitely doesn't want to go back to living in a converted bus, or living with her sister who manages to have a normal life.

When she gets a job working in the library of a stately home cataloguing books, she knows exactly how life should go. She will meet the single and available heir, he will sweep her off her feet and fall desperately in love with her, they will marry, have beautiful children and live happily ever after. That's what happens in every gothic romance right? Except.....that's not how it unfolds

Andi has been asked to catalogue all the books in the library at Templewood Hall, currently haphazardly piled up everywhere. Really, what she is being asked to do by Lady Tanith Dawe is to secretly find the missing diaries of Sir Oswald, a famous author who Lady Tanith says she was the muse for, even though she later married his son. Accompanying Andi most of the time is a cat known only as The Master, and he needs to be treated accordingly. Also in the house is Hugo, who is the second son but who is now heir to all he surveys after his older brother, Jasper, forfeited his inheritance. Throw in a very grumpy housekeeper and a very rude gardener and the cast is complete.

There were a lot of things to like about this book. For example, I loved that each chapter had the name of a famous house from literature in it. For example, the first chapter is called Manderley and then we had Northanger Abbey and Bag End (from The Hobbit) as well as many others. I did like how Andi's story progressed and where she ended up, but I did think it took Andi a bit long to find the diaries and everything was all a bit drawn out and convoluted. 

This is my third Jane Lovering book. Last year I read and loved The Start of the Story by Jane Lovering (my review). If I was going to recommend anywhere to start with this author I would still start there, but this was a bit of fun and worth reading.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 3/5

About the book

Happily Ever After

Andi Glover loves nothing more than a good book.

Any book in fact because when you’re raised by unconventional parents who think school’s for squares, alongside a deeply conventional sister who escapes home as soon as she can, fiction is eminently preferable to reality.

The only problem is that fiction isn’t the best way to learn about the real world. When Andi starts her new live-in job at Templewood Hall for the eccentric Lady Dawe and her enigmatic son Hugo, it’s tempting to think she’s fallen into the pages of one of her favourite gothic novels.

But the plot twists at Templewood Hall are stranger than fiction and it’s not long before Andi questions if she’s living in a romance novel or a whodunnit. Bumps in the night, a missing heir, ghostly apparitions and secrets that have been kept for generations - the mysteries mount up. Then there's the inscrutable gardener who seems to appear when needed - is Andi right to hope for a happily-ever-after end to her story?

Purchase Link https://mybook.to/happilyever

About the Author 

Jane Lovering is a bestselling and multi-award winning romantic comedy writer. Most recently Jane won the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2023 with A Cottage Full of Secrets. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home.



Social Media Links –

Facebook: @jane.lovering
Twitter: @janelovering
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JaneLoveringNews
Bookbub profile: @janelovering