Blog Tour: I Knew You Were Trouble by Sandy Barker

 

When a stranger knocks at Kate's door on a Friday night telling her that he has something important to tell her she is immediately wary. There is no way she is going to let him into her flat, so she runs a quick google search to check if the name he has given her is legit or associated with any scams, and then when the search is clear goes to meet him at the local pub. The news that the Dutchman, Willem de Vries, gives her turns her world upside down. Her pilot fiance, Jon, is also engaged to Willem's sister Adriana, and he needs her help to get his sister to believe it. He therefore asks Kate to come to Amsterdam with him to prove that they have both been duped. 

Kate had met Jon through a matchmaking agency. She had registered with two agencies. The other agency was the Ever After Agency where she met matchmaker Poppy Dean.  Soon, Kate is putting together a plan to get revenge on Jon, a plan that will need Adriana and Poppy to be involved. But first, she needs to know if there are any other fiancees out there.

Willem has done a good job of investigating Jon, but Poppy has other resources at her disposal, in the form of grumpy French detective Marie. Soon, Willem and Kate are crisscrossing Europe, putting the plan in place to bring Jon back down to earth with a thud.

This is the fifth book in the Ever After series, featuring Poppy, and this one was interesting because here Poppy isn't acting as the matchmaker, even though she can quite clearly see that Kate and Willem have some serious chemistry going on! Instead, she becomes more and more involved in the plot to snare Jon in the honey trap, which could be quite awkward with her husband, Tristan.

I loved the Amsterdam setting, and the other places that are visited throughout the book too! I also definitely appreciated the Dutch hero! I have one of those myself. My husband was born and raised in South Africa, but his parents are both Dutch so he is 100% Dutch blood with a touch of South African accent, and an Australian passport!  And I have one of the difficult to pronounce Dutch surnames!

I am really sad to see the end of the Happy Ever After series featuring Poppy and her friends and colleagues. It has been an enjoyable series.  I am going to a readers retreat in May where Sandy Barker is one of the attending authors and I am really hoping that we will hear about what comes next! I will be reading it!

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, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

I Knew You Were Trouble

Don’t get mad. Get even.

Kate Whitaker has always believed in love, but when a stranger named Willem shows up on her doorstep, the news he has to share isn’t as exciting as his god-like looks might suggest. He’s come to tell her that Kate’s fiancé is also engaged to his sister.

Kate doesn't know how she didn’t see the red flags: Jon’s work as an airline pilot having him flying around the globe, the postponed dates, the huge rock of an engagement ring that isn’t her style at all.

Overcome with fury – and entranced by the Nordic god’s piercing blue eyes and quiet allure – Kate agrees to accompany Willem to his hometown of Amsterdam to help break the news to his sister. Yet what begins as a simple gesture of support soon twists into a deliciously devious plan to get back at Jon.

Kate is drawn into a world of retribution, revenge and – unexpectedly – romance. Because sometimes the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else…

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about broken trust, sweet revenge, and the surprising places we find love. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Emily Henry.

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

About the Author 

Sandy Barker is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic.

Sandy’s first novel, One Summer in Santorini, a romantic comedy set in Greece and inspired by her own real-life love story with her partner, Ben, was published in 2019 by One More Chapter (HarperCollins), launching the 5-book Holiday Romance series. Also with One More Chapter are her Christmas Romance series, celebrating her favourite time of year, and The Dating Game, a stand-alone romcom set in the world of Reality TV.

Sandy’s new 5-book romcom series with Boldwood Books is about the Ever After Agency, a bespoke matchmaking agency based in London, with a brilliant cast of characters and settings around the world.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @SandyBarkerAuthor

Instagram: @sandybarkerauthor

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sandy-barker

Blog Tour: Someone Like You by Sandy Barker

 

When Rafferty is crowned the winner of the Britain's Best Bakers: Festive Baking Spectacular, he should have been on top of the world. After all, not only did he win the competition, but he was planning to propose to his girlfriend Winnie. Except....she dumped him via text leaving him heartbroken.

Gaby never liked Winnie, but she knows that Raff is happiest when he is in love, so she agrees to their friend Freya's suggestion that they use her work perk to use a matchmaker to find Raff his one true love, once and for all. Freya works at the Ever After Agency, and once a year they are allowed to refer a case. Of course, it would be unprofessional for her to be too involved due to a conflict of interest, so the case is assigned to Poppy Dean, who we have met in the previous books in the Ever After Agency. There is one condition though. Whilst Raff has in theory agreed to this plan, he doesn't want to know that it is happening. So, any introduction can't be on a date. It just has to seem to happen organically.

In order to try to make this happen, Freya calls on Gaby to help fill in the questionnaire that will help Poppy understand what kind of person Raff is and what kind of person he is looking for.  When Freya announces that they need to find the right person before Christmas, the pressure is on for Poppy. The only thing is that Poppy sees that Gaby may have feelings for Raff herself, but just doesn't realise it.

Gaby finds herself roped into assisting with the case more than she would have liked. Thank goodness it is only a few weeks before Christmas, where she can go home to Seattle to the warm cocoon of her family, and attend her cousin's wedding which is going to be quite the affair given the bride's mother is going all out.  Mom-zilla here we come! In the mean time, there is also the stress of a potential promotion at work. There's a lot going on. She doesn't have time for an emotional crisis when she realises how she feels about Raff.

Raff's family situation is more complicated. He was practically raised by his aunt and uncle but they are going away this year, something that was a last minute surprise and so he has nowhere else to go. Gaby unthinkingly asks him to come home to Seattle with her, to an already overflowing house. So now, she has nowhere to hide as she watches him, start to fall for one of his matches. It's a terrible situation to be stuck in.

I really enjoyed this instalment in the Ever After Agency series. Raff sounds seriously dishy, and seems like a really nice guy, even in the face of his new found baking fame. I liked that he really respected his family (as in his aunt and uncle) and that he was prepared to change his life as he wanted to rather than just do what was expected from him by his distant parents. There was also a lot of delicious sounding baking in this book, and it was also seriously Christmassy. I really liked the way that the action was split between London and Seattle! 

Sandy Barker has announced that he next book will be the last in the series and it will be sad to say goodbye to Poppy and her friends. I did read the excerpt for the final book and I now want to read it all! Bring it on, and whatever comes next. 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story.  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

Someone Like You

What do you do when you realise you've fallen for your best friend, but he sees you as the sister he never had? And to make things worse, you're stuck in the middle of a matchmaking scheme to find him someone else!

Best friends Gaby and Raff are inseparable and know each other inside out. But with Raff's string of disastrous relationships and his newfound fame as Britain’s Best Baker, it's time to enlist the Ever After Agency to help him find true love.

At first, Gaby is all in – Raff is a catch, after all. But as she secretly helps to find his perfect match, she’s hit with unexpected pangs of jealousy. And before she can act on her feelings, Raff falls for one of his dates.

Can Gaby keep her emotions in check, or will she risk ruining their friendship to find out if Raff feels the same way?

Set in London and Seattle, this romantic and festive romcom is perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Mhairi McFarlane and Lindsey Kelk.

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

About the Author 

I’m a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic, and am currently on a one-year sabbatical with my partner, Ben, living and writing across the world.

As a traveller, I love exploring new places, outdoor adventures, and eating and drinking like a local, and many of my travel adventures have found homes in my novels.



Social Media Links

Facebook: @SandyBarkerAuthor

Twitter: @SandyBarker

Instagram: @sandybarkerauthor

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

Blog Tour: The One That I Want by Sandy Barker

 

After a late night working with her boss,vAnjali, Greta shares that she is a bit lonely and worried that she will never find love. Luckily Anjali has an in with a professional matchmaker at the Ever After agency. Enter Poppy Dean. Of course, Greta cannot know that she is being matched so they need to come up with a cover story. 

Greta is a rising star in the magazine world, and is just about to launch a new online magazine. She is the editor, and the buck stops with her. When her boss suggests that maybe a series of articles on dating would be a good idea, Greta is on board, even though she sees through the ruse relatively quickly, but she cannot let Anjali know she knows. Yes, its all a bit complicated. Of course, it would be no good to go on just one date and meet your dream man so first step is to go on some disaster dates first. Perfect fodder for a column in the magazine. Let the fun begin!

I love the way that Sandy Barker writes female friendships. Greta's best friend is Tiggy and the way they support each other is so good. There's even a surprise reveal of a friendship for Anjali. 

Poppy and her colleagues at the Ever After Agency work tirelessly for their clients, and contribute some fun to the story, especially George with his love of fashion. I am also quite partial to the agency's French PI. I also love being able to see how Poppy's own relationship is going!

I have now read all three books in this series and I think this was the best of the three. Yes Greta is quite anxious at times, but she is in a stressful job, trying to navigate dating disasters and trying to find love. It's probably understandable. You'll notice that I haven't mentioned much about who Greta ends up with, and that is deliberate, not because he's not a lovely hero, and that it isn't relatively obvious where things are going, but I don't want to spoil too much.

If you follow Sandy Barker on socials you might be aware that she is currently travelling around the world, writing as she goes. I can't wait to see how some of the locations she is visiting find themselves in future books. There are a lot of different locations portrayed through her previous books! Whatever comes next, I am looking forward to it.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog

Rating 4.5/5

About the book

The One that I Want

Greta Davies, the features editor at a women’s magazine, is accomplished and successful. That is, in all areas except her love life.

Determined to help, Greta's boss - and friend - secretly enlists the help of the Ever After Agency, and sets out to make her dreams come true.

Work-obsessed Greta is nothing if not stubborn, so it’ll take some creative thinking, which leads to a lightbulb moment: a new column focused on dating in the city.

With date after disastrous date, things are not looking rosy for Greta. But little does Greta know, the perfect man has been there all along. Will she realise it’s more than friendship before it’s too late?

A fun and sexy rom com inspired by the classics How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Thirteen Going on Thirty and Sex and the City.

Purchase Links - https://mybook.to/theonethatiwantsocial

About the book –

I’m a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list. I love exploring new places, outdoor adventures, and eating and drinking like a local when I travel, and many of my travel adventures have found homes in my novels. I’m also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob.

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/sandybarker

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

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

Bookbub profile: Sandy Barker Books - BookBub

Blog Tour: Shout Out to My Ex by Sandy Barker

Last year I read and enjoyed the first book in the Happy Ever After series, Match Me If You Can. I already knew that I would read the second book, and I might as well declare it now.... I will be reading the next book too!

Elle Bliss is unlucky in love. Unlike her older sister and business manager, Cassie,  Elle does go out on dates, but none of the men has ever lived up to the memory of her greatest love, Leo. Elle and Leo were inseparable until he broke up with her and disappeared off the face of the earth. She has searched for him on and off over the years, but there is no trace to be found.

Luckily Elle can throw herself into her work. She is an up and coming fashion designer who is on the verge of a huge career breakthrough. A spot has opened up at Paris Fashion Week and she is going to take it, even though it will be a huge amount of work for her team to get everything ready in time.

Cassie has decided to do something about Elle's love life though. She has enlisted the Happy Ever After agency to try and find out what happened to Leo and maybe, just maybe, orchestrate a meeting between them. However, the whole thing needs to be kept secret from Elle.

As for Leo, he too is an emerging fashion designer known as Lorenzo although his focus is on designing fabulous shoes. 

Poppy, whose story we got to hear about in the last book, is back at work after her honeymoon and ready for her latest assignment. If that assignment means popping over to Paris whilst pretending to be a fashion journalist then so be it. But the assignment becomes increasingly complicated as she juggles pretending to be a journalist, trying to ensure that Elle and Leo's meetings appear coincident, and navigating the hurt feelings that are there, just under the surface

Given that Elle and Leo are both in fashion, it should be easy to orchestrate a meeting, especially when there is an opportunity for a collaboration, but Elle was very hurt, and she is also angry.

I liked Elle and Leo, and I understood why they both felt the way that they did. Leo was clearly ready to try and mend bridges with Elle before she was, but once she got past the Lorenzo persona, she did begin to see the Leo she knew and loved hiding under there. But the world of high fashion is cut throat and everyone has their own agenda, so there are plenty of obstacles that get in the way.

Now I am not a particularly fashion conscious person. I am not 100% sure I actually have a style, and my days of wearing sky high heels are a distant memory so some of the fashion stuff passed me by a little. However,  you know that I am all about Paris at the best of times, so I loved that this book was at least partially set there in the heady days of Paris Fashion Week.

One of the unusual aspects of this book was that there were two viewpoints. One was obviously Elle, but the other was less obviously Poppy rather than Leo. It was different, but it worked. It was especially lovely to see how Poppy was going given that she was the star of the first book. 

If you are after a fun read, featuring fashion and France (see what I did there) give this books a go!!

Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel's Random Resources and the publisher for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog

Rating 4/5

About the book:

Shout Out To My Ex

Fashion designer, Elle Bliss, is unlucky in love.

She's still hung up on her first love, Leo, who ended things abruptly, then mysteriously disappeared – and a decade on, no one else can measure up.

But Elle's all-time dream of showing in Paris Fashion Week is about to become a reality, and she has no time to dwell on her dismal love life. That is until Leo – now going by Lorenzo – comes back into her life.

A celebrated up-and-coming shoe designer, ‘Lorenzo’ is nothing like the man she fell in love with. Rude, brash and with an ego the size of Paris, he’s too caught up in his own celebrity.

But as they constantly cross paths in the city of love, Elle begins to question how much of 'Lorenzo' is an act – a persona for the cameras. Because deep down, she can see glimpses of the man he was, and feelings from all those years ago become impossible to ignore…

Join Elle in the most romantic city in the world in this laugh out loud enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Emily Henry.

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

About the author



Sandy Barker is a bestselling author of destination romance. She’s lived in the UK, the US and Australia, and has travelled extensively across six continents, with many of her travel adventures finding homes in her books. The first in her new romcom series for Boldwood will be published in September 2023.

Social Media Links –

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/sandybarker

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

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

Bookbub profile: Sandy Barker Books - BookBub

Blog Tour - Match Me If You Can by Sandy Barker

The last time I read a Sandy Barker book it was book 5 in the Holiday Romance series. I really don't like reading series out of order so as soon as I heard about the author's new series I was determined to get in right at the beginning. Sandy Barker was also one of the authors at the readers retreat that I went to earlier this year which was another reason why I was super keen to read this book!

This is the first book in the Ever After Agency series. The Ever After Agency is a match making agency which exists to find matches for the uber rich, all subject to the highest levels of secrecy. Poppy is an Australian working in London and loves her job at the agency. However, with someone threatening to reveal the agency, she is feeling a little anxious about things.

In the midst of the turmoil in the office. Poppy meets a new client. Tristan Fellows is handsome, successful and comfortably wealthy. What he isn't is married, and the terms of his recently deceased grandfather's will are that he must be married by his 35th birthday, which is very, very soon in order to inherit an absolute fortune. Tristan has been encouraged by his friend Ravi to use the agency as he successfully found love via the agency.

Soon Poppy has got three beautiful women lined up as possible matches, who are willing to meet the conditions that Tristan has put in place, the most important of which is that this is not going to be a love match. Obviously these women have their own reasons for saying yes to this arrangement, some of which are somewhat surprising to both Poppy and Tristan.

Poppy accompanies Tristan as he goes to meet the first woman but as she spends time with him, she begins to feel the first fluttering of attraction, which of course is completely forbidden given he is a client. 

For Tristan, he can't quite believe that his beloved grandfather has imposed such a condition on the inheritance, to the exclusion of his female cousins, which obviously caused a lot of family drama. To be honest, I struggled to believe that there would be such a condition in a will in this day and age, but sometimes you just have to suspend belief in a story. With the deadline looming, numerous family dramas, there's no surprise that Tristan is a bit grumpy. It is only with his close friends, Ravi and Jacinta where he can let himself relax.

Where Tristan is apparently all surliness, on the outside Poppy is all sunshine and rainbows, so if you love a grumpy and sunshine romance, with plenty of repartee, then give this one a go. 

I would really love to read Ravi and Jacinta's story and I kept on seeing if maybe this is a story that the author has already told, but apparently not. Ravi and Jacinta were really supportive of Tristan despite the craziness of the whole scenario, and they provided some reality checks as Tristan introduced some of the women to them, and they seem to have a great romance of their own.

I enjoyed this first book in the series, and I am looking forward to reading more!

Sandy Barker loves to travel and this always shines through in her books, and this is no exception with the locations varying from a mega yacht in the Mediterranean to Scotland as well as London. 

Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read this book.

About the book

Match Me If You Can

Welcome to the Ever After Agency – a clandestine organisation offering bespoke solutions to romantic problems.

Whether you're looking for the love of your life, a fresh romantic start, or just want to keep up appearances, the agency can tailor a solution to meet your needs.

When Tristan Fellows walks into the agency, Poppy Dean knows she's in for a challenge. A typical bachelor, Tristan has no intention of falling in love, but in order to receive his 30-million-pound inheritance, he must find himself a wife before his 35th birthday.

This may be Poppy’s hardest case yet, but even the most arrogant of men can sometimes warm a woman’s heart…

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

About the author

Sandy Barker is a bestselling author of destination romance. She’s lived in the UK, the US and Australia, and has travelled extensively across six continents, with many of her travel adventures finding homes in her books.

 

Social Media Links –

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/sandybarker

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