Top Ten Tuesday: Things that make me happy

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories (Feel free to tell us about those memories if you’d like!). 

I was going to keeping it simple and share ten titles that have some variation of the word happy in the title. I had all the titles chosen and then I realised that I did the same thing two years ago and only two books would be different, so I had to think of something different. I am going to keep those two books in the list though!

So here are some bookish references to things that make me happy

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith- Whilst our street name isn't Zebra Drive, my good husband is from South Africa originally (review)

The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson - I love books and I love books about books, and this authors books about WWII librarians are right up there! They are so good.

The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin- Love travelling, and planning travel. Portugal is my next must visit destination. Reading books set in the destinations I want to visit do give me ideas of things to include in our itinerary (review)

The German Ward by Pip Williams - Love going to author events. I went to an event for this book last night!

You Had Me at Cake by Emelia Jackson - Loving baking out of this book at the moment, or any of her books really

Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas - Set in France and foodie! To be fair I do like Jo Thomas's books wherever they are set. (review)

Mixed Signals by B K Borison - I am loving on B K Borison's books right now, although I am pretty much caught up on all of them. Just need to read her latest book.

The French Christmas Market by Gillian Harvey - For a long time I was a bit of a scrooge when it came to Christmas, or more precisely I was faking it until I made it, but over the last few years I have begun to love Christmas books. This one is the latest one I read and has a bonus element as it is set in France

The Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai - Japanese, foodie and it has the word Happiness in the title! (review)

Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering - I do enjoy Jane Lovering's books which are set predominantly in Yorkshire in England (review)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Handwriting on the Cover

 Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

This week theme is Books with Handwriting on the Cover (Or fonts that look like handwriting. Titles, subtitles, covers with letters on them, etc.). There is a publisher that I read quite a lot from who tends to put their author names on the cover in a cursive like font, but I am going to see how far I can get but focussing only books where it is the title that is in cursive. On some covers it might be the whole title but on others it is just words like the or on!

A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby - I read this a couple of months ago and enjoyed it a lot.

The Palace of Lost Virtue by Anthea Hodgson - This one was sitting on my desk right in my eye line so I couldn't not have this on the list even though I haven't read it yet!

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page - same with this one really

An Italian Island Love Story by Leonie Mack - This might look more like handwriting if you squint at it slightly but it is there!

Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Cafe by Jessica Redland - Isn't this cover fun?

The Seaside Book Club by Helen Rolfe - This is a cute cover too!

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa - This is such an eye catching cover. I am glad that it is the one that got.

The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods by Jane Lovering - The contrast between the block letters and the cursive is very effective as we can see on several covers in this list.

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien - It's only one word but it still counts!

The Boulangerie on the Corner by Susan Buchanan - And now I want to eat France and eat lots of fresh bread.

Top Ten Tuesday: Author names - Jane who?

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

This week theme  Books I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read but I feel like I did a variation on that not too long ago. I have had this post half written in draft for weeks so I decided to go with this theme instead. I do see myself doing variations on this theme on occasion in the future too!

Have you ever noticed how many authors there are with the same first names. There are a proliferation of books who are written by people named Susan (however it is spelt) or Elizabeth or Jane or Kate or Victoria. Today, I am focussing on the name Jane! So here are ten books written by author's whose first name is Jane.

Jane Austen - Hand's up if this was the first Jane you thought of when I said what my theme was this week!

Jane Harper - I am a long way behind on Jane Harper's books but I do like their Australian setting.

Jane Lovering - A recent favourite author. I have read a number of her books over the last few years.

Jane Tara - I read this book club a couple of years ago.

Jane Harrison - This book tells of the arrival of British settlers from the point of view of the Indigenous people who witnessed, and then suffered because of it

Jane Yolen - A while ago I was reading a lot of fairytale retellings and this was a good one!

Jane Sanderson - I liked this book because it was set in both Adelaide and Sheffield which are both places I have listed 

Jane Harris - I don't know why I haven't read more by this author.

Jane Smiley - I liked this book but I didn't love the abridged audio.

Jane Yang - This is one that is on my Kindle.to read.

Do you have any other authors named Jane that immediately come to mind?

Blog Tour: The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods by Jane Lovering

 

Every now and again a book comes along which leaves you wondering how on earth can I possibly review this book to give it the praise it deserves without spoiling. This is one of those books! I have to try though, so here goes.

Libby is a young mum who has run away from a difficult relationship with her ex and the father of her now two year old daughter. She is doing the best she can, but it is hard to move forward when you are forever looking over your shoulder, worried that you may be being followed or that you will be found. She is, however, determined that she will get to a point where she will be able to provide a stable home for Tilly and herself. She does whatever odd jobs she can to make money during the hours that Tilly is at nursery. 

When Ross, a local architect with big dreams, asks her to make sure that the cottage at the edge of the woods is empty before he gets it knocked down, Libby agrees. However, on her first visit, she is attacked by birds. It is normal to be scared when you visit a house that is nearly falling down, but it is terrifying for Libby as she has an extreme fear of birds. She runs away screaming and has no intention of going back again. 

Ross needs to know that the house is empty, so he implores her to go back and offers her a decent amount of money to do so. It's the kind of money that could at least get Libby and Tilly out of the hostel they currently live in. Returning to the cottage, she meets eccentric mute Isobel who lives in the tumbledown cottage, looking after injured birds. 

Slowly each of the characters begin to open up to each other but not without asking some questions which might lead to some tough answers. Why does Isobel live out here by herself? Is Ross a decent man as he seems? Can Libby trust him? Is she in danger of being found? Are things really as they seem?

I have read five of Jane Lovering's books now. While they all tend to be set in Yorkshire, they are all different from each other, and I think this is her best one yet. It touches on a heartbreakingly serious subject but does so with so much grace and empathy. I felt the tension building for each of the main characters as they each faced their own issue. For Isobel, the question is where could she and her birds live if they have to move the cottage. For Ross, what will happen if he can't get the cottage clear in time for his big potentially life changing TV project, and for Libby, how can she outrun her past, without continuing to actually run.

This is an exceptional read from Jane Lovering, with some unexpected outcomes for everyone concerned. Once I read past the first couple of chapters, I really struggled to put it down. It was that good!

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

Rating 4.5/5

About the Book

The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods

Some houses won’t let go of the past. Some people won’t, either…

When single mum Libby is offered a life-changing sum of money to clear out an old cottage in the woods, she expects dust and decay. She doesn’t expect a house full of secrets, a room full of birds, and a woman who refuses to leave.

The handsome but stressed architect who hired Libby is also a puzzle. Why can't Ross empty Elm Cottage himself? What can he possibly see in Libby, who has been burned by love and is wary of attachment? How can they persuade the mysterious but kindly Isobel to move on?

As Libby is pulled into the cottage's story, she must face up to her own deepest fears. Can she help Isobel, fight the past that haunts her, and learn to open her own heart to love once more?

Jane Lovering’s new novel is a delicious, romantic mystery where secrets, love and healing weave through every page.

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

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

This week....

I'm reading

At the beginning of last week I suddenly realised that I had four books to read in a very short period in order to meet blog tour commitments. I am on the last of those books now!

I read and really enjoyed The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann which tells a WWII story set in Norway. My review is here.

Then it was another WWII with The Wartime Affair by Victoria Cornwall which I reviewed here

Another very enjoyable read The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods by Jane Lovering. I always enjoy her books and I think this is one of her best yet. My review will be up later this week.

My final read for the week is The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham, which I am about a third of the way through. 

I'm watching


I was home by myself on Saturday night which is a very unusual turn of events. I had to finish my book, and then I watched the first half of the first episode of Heated Rivalry. I definitely intend to read more.

We watched quite a lot of the Olympics this time, but now it is has come to an end. I hope to watch some of the Paralympics when they start in a few weeks. 



Life


Last time I went to get my nails done I got them done in  a mint green pastelly colour. This weekend it was time for a change and I chose purple cats eyes. My husband said I see you chose a grown up colour this time. What does that even mean? lol 

We went on a Sunset Penguin cruise last night. The weather wasn't great but it was still a fun night.

I did come home to a bit of drama tonight. Somehow the kitchen sink flooded and nobody who was home heard it so there was water everywhere. Unfortunately some of the carpet was affected too so we will see what happens with that.

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Armchair Travelling

Blog Tour: The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann

Blog Tour: The Wartime Affair by Victoria Cornwall

Weekend Cooking: Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by Donna Hay

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Spell the Month in Books: October

Reviews From the Stacks

For 2025 I have decided to have a go at Spell the Month in Books which is hosted at Reviews From the Stacks. The link party opens on the first Saturday of the month, but I won't be posting until after that as I already have other things scheduled every Saturday and for the first two Sundays of the month. I will be sharing this post with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz.

The idea is that you use the titles of books to spell the month name. The theme for October is This month’s theme is Trick or Treat: books that you feel strongly about, whether positively or negatively

Let's get started

O - Once Upon a Thyme by Jane Lovering - I started reading Jane Lovering's books a couple of years ago now and I really enjoy them. Most of them are set in Yorkshire which is near where I lived when I lived in the UK.

C - Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon - Don't be confused. This isn't a Diana Gabaldon book hou havne;t read. In the UK and Australia the first novel in the Outlander series was originally called Cross Stitch.

T - To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis - I feel like a reread of this whole series wouldn't go astray!

O - On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - I also feel like I could easily reread all of Melina Marchetta's books too. I think of this book every time I hear the song Flame Trees by Cold Chisel. Every time without fail!

B - Beartown by Fredrik Backman - This was a 5 star read from earlier this year. I need to read the second book in the trilogy!

E - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - This one was a five star read from a few years ago!

R - Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly - I loved the Rose trilogy from Jennifer Donnelly and this book. I haven't read much by her since then but I have such fond memories of the books I love.

November's theme is Nostalgia. Not sure what direction I will take that one in. Good job I have a month to think about it.

Top Ten Tuesday: It's a flower!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Book Covers that Give off Fall Vibes (Or, if you’re not a cover person, share the books in general that feel like Fall.). It is Spring here, so I am choosing to focus on gardens and flowers this week. 

The Lucky Sisters by Rachael Johns - This book isn't even out yet but how could I not include it in a post about flowers on covers!

The Lost Garden by Angela Petch - The title says it all really. This garden is found again in WWII Italy. (my review)

Once Upon  a Thyme by Jane Lovering - This book is set in a herb garden (my review)

The Whisky Widow by Karen Brooks - I love the thistles on the cover of this book (my review)

The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson - The main character of this book runs a plant hospital (my review)

A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont - This books takes it's characters on a walking tour of the gardens of Paris. (my review)

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin - This books features a cemetery caretaker who takes care of the garden and the graves (my review)

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - I love the cover on this book! (my review)

The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts - I like the way the flowers frame the arch on this cover. I am thinking about doing a TTT all about books with arches on the cover. (my review)

The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn - This cover is so pretty with all the flowers cascading down the cover. (my review)

Have you read any of these books?

Top Ten Tuesday: Sunset colours

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Beach/Beachy Reads (Share books you’d take to the beach OR books that take place at the beach.)

I am going to twist the topic a little this week. I have read several books recently where the colours on the cover are pink, orange, yellow and red, the colours of a lovely sunset on the beach so I thought I would use this as my theme for this week. . Coincidentally these are also the colours of the Top Ten Tuesday logo. 

Love and Saffron by Kim Fay - I read this a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. I still need to read her latest book! (My review)

The Alphabet Sisters by Monica McInerney - This was the original cover when this book first came out, and which I still have now. 

Eat Your Heart Out by Victoria Brownlee - This is my most recent 5 star read, and the most recent cover with these colours. (My review)

An Italian Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack - I do enjoy this author's books and was glad I could find a cover that worked for this post. (My review)

Happy Place by Emily Henry - In my mind a lot of Emily Henry's books would suit this theme but it turns out they really don't!

A Sunrise Over Bali by Sandy Barker - Sunrise, sunset! Oh well. The colours worked. I have read a lot of Sandy Barker's books but I still need to read this series.

The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe by Catherine Greer - Read and loved this earlier this year! Even cooked a recipe from it. (My review)

One Day and Forever by Shari Low - I am about to read my next book by this author so I needed to add her to this list. 

Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering - I have read a few books by this author now and like the way she tells her stories. (My review)

Half Truth by Nadia Mahjouri - This is the colour as it gets darker and darker! Another great read from an Australian author! (My review)

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

This week...

Max


Who's a good birthday boi! Max turned 3 last week. Over the last 8 months or so he has had some pretty significant health issues so we weren't always sure that he would make it to 3 but he did! We think he is now going blind so we'll see what happens this year. For now, we are giving him the best life we can!

I'm reading

This week I read The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson which was fun. My review is here.

I was then very surprised to find out that there had been a fourth short story in the Once Upon a Time Book Stories by Alice Hoffman. It was  released back in February and I have no idea how I missed it! As soon as I found out about it I had to read it. It is called The Bookstore Family and I really enjoyed it. I like how she manages to pack so much into stories that are no more than 40 or so pages. Now I need to decide which full length book I should read by her.

I did have a very strange moment this week where I wasn't read anything other than my War and Peace readalong (and to be fair I was am a bit behind on that anyway). I had finished my audiobook, my Kindle book and my physical book and I had no idea what I was going to read next in any format. Too many options to be able to make a decision.

In the end I decided to listen to Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Dame Judi Dench which is a rare foray into non-fiction for me. It isn't narrated by her though although the narrator who is playng her is doing a great job in my opinion. Basically it is a friend of hers, another actor called Brendan O'Hea, asking her questions to prompt her thoughts of memories of the various roles she has played in Shakespeare productions. I am really loving hearing her thought processes which do a great job of bringing the humanness of Shakespeare to the fore. Definitely makes it seem much more approachable than we think of Shakespeare now!

After my period of indecision, I decided to read A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont. I really enjoyed her last book, The Paris Cooking School, and I liked this one a lot too. I'll have a review up for this in a few weeks once Paris in July starts.

For a physical book I started reading Half Truth by Nadia Mahjouri. I met Nadia at the Rachael Johns Readers Retreat in Perth a few weeks ago and knew I had to read it after hearing her speak about her book!

We had a few hours of flying time over the weekend and I was able to take advantage of this by reading The Island of Hopes and Dreams by Kate Frost on the way up to Brisbane and then Once Upon a Thyme by Jane Lovering. I also started reading Not My Greek Wedding by Sue Roberts. All three of these are blog tour books so I will have the reviews up soon. 

I'm watching

I watched a movie called Firebrand which basically telling the story King Heny VIII's last wife, Katherine Parr. It shows a woman who has some pretty strong religious beliefs which bring her to odds with Henry in the last days of his life. I am not sure it is totally historically accurate but it is an interesting movie to watch. It stars Jude Law as King Henry and Alicia Vikander as Katherine.

Last week we started re-watching Ted Lasso.  I had been seeing lots of clips online and it made me want to go right back to the beginning. What a joy that show is! We finished the first season and I imagine we will continue with season two this week.

Life


We had to do a quick trip to Brisbane this weekend as it was my stepdaughter's 30th birthday. We flew up Friday night and back Sunday afternoon. On Saturday we took advantage of the great weather and went for a drive to look at Moreton Bay and then on Saturday night we had dinner at Skydeck. We were sitting outside on the viewing deck (yes, it's winter here and it was a bit cool but there were heaters). I have to say, the food was amazing! Amazing!

I did get a little bit excited as I started seeing ads saying Paris comes to Brisbane and there was a 4 story Eiffel Tower at Southbank so I made my poor husband traipse over the river to see it, but it was a little bit underwhelming really! Will just have to plan another trip to see the real thing

The only downside, I had picked up some germs before we went away so I was feeling pretty average a lot of the time, and flying does not help! I think I am going to be taking it very easy for the first few days of this week.


Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles That Remind Me of a Song
Blog Tour: Over the Sea to Skye by Sue Moorcroft
Blog Tour: The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
Weekend Cooking: Sticky Apricot Chicken Drumsticks
Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - May Statistics


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

Top Ten Tuesday: Animal Companions

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Animal Companions (These animals can be real or fantasy!) (submitted by P.S. I Love Books)

I was thinking about just doing a post with the word dog in the title, but it turns out I already did that a couple of years ago and I would have used a lot of the same titles! Instead, I am choosing books where there are dogs in the books. First though, here's a recent picture of our good boi, Max.

Now, onto the books!

A Snowy River Summer by Stella Quinn - Features a black labrador named Herbert.

Snowy Mountain's Daughter by Alissa Callen - There is a kelpie named Bundy in her series who just moves from place to place around town, whereever he is needed! (My review)

The Woman Who Met Herself by Laura Pearson - One of the characters, Debbie, starts walking a dog called Bonnie. (My review)

The Recipe for Happiness by Jane Lovering - Seren finds herself temporarily owning a Collie called Kez. Or is it temporary? (My review)

The Mirror by Nora Roberts - Mooks, Jones and Yoda! With all the books that Nora Roberts has written how on earth does she come up with character names and then have multiple dogs in the story too! I'm listening to this one at the moment!

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - How could anyone forget Six-Thirty the dog? (My review)

Starting over at Starlight Cottage by Debbie Viggiano - Tilly tells her dog Cindy all her secrets. I mean, I talk to Max. I am not sure that he is that good at keeping secrets. (My review)

Hopefuly Hearts at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash - Gladys the labrador plays a big part in this book. (My review)

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - When Molly the dog gets sick, Rachel takes her to the vet and meets the vet locum, Luke, who just happens to be her first love. (My review)

Muster Dogs: From Pups to Pros by Lisa Millar- I haven't actually read this but it is the book that accompanies the Muster Dog TV series, which I adore!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books where a house is a character

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books that Include/Feature [insert your favorite theme or plot device here] (for example: unreliable narrators, coming of age, darkness vs. light, time travel, metafiction, a specific romantic trope, good vs. evil. cliffhangers, flashbacks, plot twists, red herrings, loose ends, stories within stories, meet cutes, symbolism, etc.) (submitted by Alice @ The Wallflower Digest)

I have chosen to do books where a house is almost one of the characters

Recently I read Happily Ever After where a woman goes to work in Templewood House and steps straight into a gothic novel. I had already decided to do this topic ever before I read this book but it seemed like a good opportunity to share a passage. This is the section early on in the book where Andi is being given a tour of the house.

We mounted an enormous staircase, carved in twiddly dark wood, curving like an impressive eyebrow over the hallway and up onto a galleried landing which branched off in various directions. "This is the most haunted part of the house," Hugo said, leading me off to the right along an upstairs corridor. Occasional glances through the huge windows told me that this wing of the house looked out over the gardens.

"I'm sorry?" As I spoke, the sun went behind a cloud and the wonderful roseate light died to leave us staring down a wood-panelled box into a murky dimness which was giving off a distinct smell of damp plaster. 

"Oh yes. Whole place is riddled with ghosts of course, but this is the worst bit." Complacently Hugo set out, touching closed doors and naming as he went. "My room, the Green Room, Scarlet Room..." We rounded the end of the corridor and set out along another, which branched around to the left.

"Hang on, hang on, can we go back to the "ghost" thing please?" I'd stopped moving now, frozen into immobility on the landing. "The house is haunted?"

"Oh yes". Hugo sounded completely blase about the walking corpse potential. "Dreadfully, I'm afraid." Then he smiled. "No need for you to worry, though. Stay in your room after dark, don't go wandering around - it's all perfectly all right."

And then later when Andi asks what kind of ghosts

"And then there's the noises, footsteps and so on, occasional ghastly scream, that sort of thing, all very standard in a house this old. There's a ghost horse in the old stable block, but that's mostly disused now, and we haven't heard him for ages, and sometime something moans in the Morning room. I'll show you that in a bit."

Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering - I had to include this one seeing as I quoted from it above! Every chapter in this book has the name of a famous house from literature which is a fun feature! (my review)

Discovery of Witches series by Deborah Harkness - I am sure that the aunt's house is a bit magical! (my review)

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." What an opening line!

Inheritance by Nora Roberts - There were a few different books I could have chosen but this it the most recent one I read.

Thornwood House by Anna Romer - This is a gothic story with an Australian setting. (my review)

The House of Light and Shadows by Lauren Westwood - This was a recent read which features a house that is slowly revealing it's secrets (my review)

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley - Never miss an opportunity to share a Kearsley book in these posts (link to joint review at Historical Tapestry)

The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell - Another house with secrets to be revealed!

Casa Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra - This is a bit different in that the book tells the story of Casa Paradiso through a series of stories about the various owners. It covers several hundred years. (my review)

The Girl who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen - I feel like I could have chosen any number of SAA's books, but this one features wallpaper that changes according to your mood and baking! (joint review)

Can you think of any other books where the house is almost a character?

This week...

I'm reading

It was a busy reading week this week! I read several books, a short story and finished an audiobook. 

Firstly, I finished The House of Light and Shadows by Lauren Westwood which I reviewed here. If you like a book where a house is an integral character in the story, then this might be for you.

Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering also has a house like that and for added measure each chapter is named for a famous house in literature. Here is my review.

I was then excited to see that The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman was available. This is the third short story in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop stories. These are the first Alice Hoffman stories I have read. I will be reading more as I am amazed how much story and feeling she fits into these short stories.

I was then hoping to get a bit of my reviews for March and also read an Aussie author, but the book I wanted wasn't quite ready. I therefore started A Santorini Secret by Rose Alexander which I really loved. Will be searching out some of her other titles. The review for this one will be up later this week.

I am now sneaking in a non-review read. A couple of weeks ago I went to see Mary-Lou Stephen talk about her book The Jam Maker and so I have started that one!

I also finished listening to Pride and Prejudice, narrated by British actor Rosamund Pike. I then started 

Mis-Directed by Lucy Parker which also has a couple of celebrity narrators, Nicola Coughlin and Gwilym Lee. I sat on the couch to listen to this and may have fallen asleep so I need to rewind a bit. Generally I listen to audiobooks on walks or in the car. 

I'm watching

We watched Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story which was heartbreaking and inspiring in equal measures. Jelena Dokic was a young tennis player back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She came to Australia as a refugee and then represented Australia, until she announced that she was going back to Yugoslavia. She was infamous because of the way her father, Damir, acted, even getting thrown out of major tournaments due to his aggressive behaviour. However, what the public saw was only the tip of the iceberg. The abuse that Jelena was receiving at home was horrific. She is now estranged from her father, and she is a respected tennis commentator and body image advocate. Here's the trailer

Tuesday night I went to see a preview screening of The Last Journey, a Swedish documentary in which a man and a friend decides to take his elderly father on a road trip to the south of France, to try and spark him back into life. It was a lovely movie, and we went to see it in a fab art deco theatre I had never been to before. The son and his friend, who are famous in Sweden, who produced the movie were at the screening and there was a Q and A session after. It was so touching, because when it started it was about the son not understanding how aging had affected his father, and by the end it was about him accepting that his dad was getting old. Along the way they reminisced about their summers in France. If you get the chance to see it, do so, but maybe take some tissues. It's now the highest grossing Swedish documentary of all time.

Life

We went for a lovely lunch for Valentine's Day which I posted a bit about here. Other than that it was all about the dog this week.

Max

Our lovely boy had a relapse and is not well at all. Late last year he was really unwell and was diagnosed with Addison's disease, liver enlargement, muscle shrinkage in his head and brain, and hyperthyroidism. Despite that for the most part he is a happy dog. He is a Labrador though, so you know there is something wrong when he goes off his food and water, so we ended up at the emergency vet on Thursday. He now has a couple of more things medically and so the vets talk about him having a complex medical history. He takes more medication than Robert and I do combined!

He is recovering, but we have had to have some serious conversations about what happens next time. His a very handsome boy, and has a great nature but he is not genetically blessed and wouldn't have done well in the wild! 

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Have Never Reviewed
Blog Tour: The House of Light and Shadows by Lauren Westwood

Blog Tour: Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering

The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Weekend Cooking: What I Ate in One Week (Stanley Tucci Style)


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

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

Sunday Salon: Spell the Month in Books -- February

 

Reviews From the Stacks

For 2025 I have decided to have a go at Spell the Month in Books which is hosted at Reviews From the Stacks. The link party opens on the first Saturday of the month, but I won't be posting until the third Sunday as I already have other things scheduled every Saturday and for the first two Sundays of the month.


The idea is that you use the title of books to spell the month name. There is also a theme each month, with the theme for February being Valentine’s Day/something sweet on the cover. 

Finding Love at the Christmas Market by Jo Thomas - A caterer in an aged care home takes a busload of pensioners with her when she goes to Germany to meet a baker she met online.

Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood - This is about a baker who solves crime on the side and it is set in Melbourne! This author is better known for her Phryne Fisher series. (my review)

Battle Royale by Lucy Parker - Two bakers go head to head for the chance to cook for a royal wedding. At first they are fierce rival but when they have to work together, sparks fly.

Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop by Rebecca Raisin - After all that cake we need a cup of tea, surely? (my review)

Under the Maui Sky by Kellie Coates Gilbert - I haven't actually read this book but I do own it. The family in this one run a pineapple plantation! Just the thought of that brings back memories of eating pineapple ice cream when we visited Hawaii a couple of years ago.

The Art of Cake Alice Oehr - This was a delightful little book featuring some history of cake, some recipes and lots of sweet drawings. Click on the link for an example of a page. (my review)

The Recipe for Happiness by Jane Lovering - This book features a cook in a day centre for the aged. (my review)

Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan - To be fair, this book isn't really about cake at all or have much sweetness, but it works for this prompt! (my review)

The hardest letter for me this month was the U! 

The theme for next month is Science Fiction. Not sure I will be able to the whole thing with science fiction as it isn't a genre I read a lot of, but I will try.

I am also sharing this post with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and given the foodie theme which inadvertently ended up being in the post I am also sharing it with Weekend Cooking which I host.