Top Ten Tuesday: Books with place names in the title

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is the theme is Books With Nationalities In The Title (e.g. The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Mexican Gothic, An American Mariage, etc.) (submitted by Cathy @WhatCathyReadNext)

I am going to mix it up a little bit and focus on place names. I am, however, going to avoid Paris because I have only recently done a whole TTT only featuring titles with the word Paris in it!

A Sunrise Over Bali by Sandy Barker - I haven't actually read this book but I have read the one that follows it which was set in Tuscany. I am still choosing to use it as we only recently visited Bali

Italy and Forever by Leonie Mack - Leonie Mack writes a lot of destination style romances. This is the final book in her excellent Wedding Planners series. (my review)

The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin - Portugal is on my list of places I would love to visit! Even more so after reading this book! (my review)

The Nile Cruise by Caroline James - This is another thing that is on my list of places to do and see! I would love to cruise down the Nile one day. (my review)

Finding Forever in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - Pelican Crossing may not be a real place, but I love visiting it through the pages of the Pelican Crossing series. It is based on real coastal towns,  so I am still counting it! (my review)

Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft - This book is the first in a trilogy set in a guesthouse on the shores of Lake Como! (my review)

A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby - Whilst I have never been to Lake Como, I did go to Venice many, many years ago. One day I will go back. (my review)

Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki - Kagoshima is a city in Japan and is famous for being the location of the Samurai Rebellion, which saw the end of the samurai way of life. (my review)

Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn - I can't see myself walking the Camino, but I did like reading about it! (my review)

Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop by Kenji Ueda - Ginza is an area in Tokyo but we didn't make it to this area when we visited Tokyo last year.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Summer 2025-2026 to-Read List

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books On My Winter 2025-2026 to-Read List. Of course, I live in a land Down Under my to-read list is for summer!

Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - This is the current Cook the Books selection and I am listening to this on audio.

The Croatian Island Library by Eva Glyn - This will be my first blog tour for next year

Flashlight by Helen Choi - Currently buddy reading this one with Bree from All the Things I Can Read. 

The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas - I started this a while ago but I had to take it back to the library before I finished it. 

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - This has been on my TBR list for a long time.

In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont - I really enjoyed Sophie Beaumont's previous Paris books so I am looking forward to this one. 

Yours Cheerfully by A J Pearce - I loved the first book in the Emmy Lake series so I have high hopes for this one.

My Big Greek Island Ex-Scape by Sandy Barker - This book comes out early next year and it sounds like a lot of fun1

The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd - I saw these books on someone's blog last week! This is the only one I can get in Australia

Jean Plaidy - My read on a theme book club theme for January is a childhood favourite. I think I have decided to revisit my high school reading days when I obsessively read every Jean Plaidy book my library had! Big decision is which one! I am leaning towards The Goldsmith's Wife, mainly because I have two copies of that one!

Top Ten Tuesday: Christmas books that remind me of songs

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is a freebie so no set theme. I am choosing to do Christmas books that remind me of songs. The first five are books that I have read (or at least started to read) and the next five are books that remind me of my favourite Christmas songs.

Last Christmas by Clare Swatman - I started this right near Christmas last year but never finished it. I will try again this year because the concept was interesting. 

So This is Christmas by Helen Rolfe - Christmas in Vienna! Yes please! (my review)

Will You Stay Another Day? by Samantha Tonge - I read this book earlier this year. (my review)

Someone Like You by Sandy Barker - This one is set in both London and Seattle! (my review)

A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft - This was the second book in the Skye Sisters trilogy set on the Isle of Skye in Scotland (my review)

Let it Snow by Beth Moran - Beth Moran has a lot of books that have Christmassy titles!

How to Make Gravy by Paul Kelly - This might not sound or look very Christmassy but How to Make Gravy is a classic Australian Christmas song. There is even a Gravy Day on December 21 and last year they made a movie of the story in the song. I have included the video below if you want to take a listen.

Driving Home for Christmas by Emma Hannigan - Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea is one of my absolute favourites!

All We Want For Christmas by Phillipa Ashley - Phillipa Ashley is another British author who has lots o Christmassy titles

I'll Be Home for Christmas by Linda Lael Miller, Catherine Mulvany, Julie Leto and Roxanne St. Claire  - Another favourite song. This book is an anthology featuring four short stories.

Do you have any books with titles that remind you of Christmas songs? Or favourite Christmas songs that you would love to see as a book title?

Six Degrees of Separation: The Safekeep to I Knew You Were Trouble

 Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links. I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Boondock Ramblings.

This month's starting point is the 2025 Women’s Prize winner, The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden.

A Dutch author I have read is Simone Van Der Blugt. Her book was called Midnight Blue and was about the distinctive Delft pottery, in particular the time when the art on the pottery changed from being of Asian scenes to being of Dutch scenes which we associate with it now.

Another art inspired book was The Naturalist of Amsterdam by Melissa Ashley which featured a mother and daughter naturalists who drew flowers and produced amazing books. Part of this book was set in Suriname which was a Dutch colony. (My review)

When I first visited Amsterdam back in the 1990s I was a little surprised that we went to an Indonesian restaurant for dinner. The reason for this was that what we now call Indonesia was another Dutch colony known as the Dutch East Indies. Sunbirds by Mirandi Riwoe tells the story of fighting for Indonesian independence from the Dutch against the backdrop of WII. (My review)

The capital of independent Indonesia is now called Jakarta but it used to be known as Batavia. My brother in law and his family live in a town where there is a replica of the boat of the same name (and a shopping centre called Batavialand!). A new release that I am interested in reading is Daughters of Batavia by Stefanie Koens

The Dutch played an important part in the history of European discovery of Australia. landing here long before the British arrived.  I have long been interested in the story of the Batavia, which was shipwrecked off the coast of Western Australia in 1629. A book that tells the story of the Batavia is The Night Ship by Jess Kidd.

Finally, I am going to finish with a contemporary novel by an Australian author which is partially set in Amsterdam and features a tall Dutch man as the main male character. My husband is 100% Dutch blood even though he was born in South Africa, as both of his parents are Dutch. The book  is I Knew You Were Trouble by Sandy Barker but Robert is no trouble whatsoever! (My review)

So there's my Six Degrees of Separation with a Dutch flavour. Both the first and last covers feature the distinctive houses of Amsterdam so that is almost a full circle right?

Next month, the starting point is the winner of the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award, Ghost Cities by Siang Lu.

Will you be joining us?

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)

Top Ten Tuesday: Book titles that remind me of a song

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Bookish Wishes (List the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to your wishlist so that people can grant your wishes. Make sure you link your wishlist to your mailing address or include the email address associated with your e-reader in the list description so people know how to get the book to you. After you post, jump around the Linky and grant a wish or two if you’d like. Please don’t feel obligated to send anything to anyone!). 

I always feel a bit uncomfortable with this topic. I don't really have a wishlist and I would feel uncomfortable putting one up in the hope that someone would gift me something, and feeling uncomfortable if no one did!

Instead, I am bringing you 10 books with titles that remind me of a song. And you are welcome for any earworms that you might receive as a result of this post. I certainly gave myself some!

Best Days of Our Lives by Helen Rolfe - This phrase reminds me of the chorus of Thank You by Dido where one of the lines is  I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life. (my review)

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens - Makes me think of the Joe Jackson song that was released in 1978. It's a very catchy tune!

Girls Just Want to Have Sun by Jo Lyons - This is an obvious play on the title Girls Just Want to Have Fun by the fabulous Cyndi Lauper

You Can't Hurry Love by Susan Buchanan - Phil Collins anyone? And look, there's a sloth on the cover. 

Someone I Used to Know by Paige Toon - The song title is actually Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye and Kimbra, but it's close enough to make me thing of the song. 

I Knew You Were Trouble by Sandy Barker - Now we are in our our Taylor Swift earworm era. I feel like if I went looking hard enough I would find quite a few Taylor adjacent titles. (my review)

Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane - Back to the 80s with Simple Minds for this one!

Over the Sea to Skye by Sue Moorcroft - The title of this song is actually The Skye Boat Song and it is a very old song, originating in Scotland in the 19th century. You may also be familiar with it as the theme song for the Outlander TV series. I will have my review up for this book later in the week.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by Claudia Carroll - Not quite as old given that it was originally released in 1960  the title of this song by The Shirelles is sometimes shown as Will You Love Me Tomorrow but the lyrics include the word still. 

Suspicious Minds by Martin Edwards - Edwards has a whole series featuring detective Harry Devlin where several of the books have song titles. I chose this one because I love both the Elvis and Fine Young Cannibals versions.

Can you think of other titles which remind you of a song. I am sure there are lots!

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

This week...

I'm reading

We are going away at the end of this month, so I wanted to get a bit of a head start to my reading so that I can write all my posts before I go away. I therefore read I Knew You Were Trouble by Aussie author Sandy Barker, which is the fifth and final book in the Ever After Agency series.

I then started reading Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young. I am not really sure why as I already had multiple books on the go, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do! I have heard lots of good things about it!

I also started reading If You Could See My Now by Samantha Tonge. My review for this book will be up later this week!

Last week I had mentioned that I had started listening to Mis-directed by Lucy Parker but I was falling asleep on the couch. In the end, I started it again, and found myself sitting at the desk just listening to it! I got through it in two days as I couldn't stop listening. I did have to remind myself that Lucy Parker had written the book - it wasn't Nicola Coughlin sharing some of things that go on backstage on a period TV series.

I have now gone back to listening to The Truth by Terry Pratchett. I started this in January but put it aside to listen to Pride and Prejudice for book club. I expect I will finish The Truth this week.

Speaking of Jane Austen, I went to a library event on Friday night. It was a one woman show where she acts as the author whilst dressed in accurate period clothing, sharing letters that she sent and received, as well as excerpts from Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma. Given that I have only recently read P&P, the section she read was very familiar to me!

I'm watching


I've seen a few movies this week. I watched The Dolce Villa which is about a young woman who buys a 1 Euro house in a small village in Italy. Her dad comes to try to persuade her that this is a mistake. He clashes with the female mayor straight away but he does start to come around. They did get all the renovations done very quickly, and there were some nice foodie scenes!

I then watched a movie which has been given an English title of Honeymoon Crasher, but in French it is called Lune de Miel Avec Ma Mere or Honeymoon with My Mother! And that pretty much describes the movie. A man is dumped at the wedding ceremony  and so he is convinced to go on the honeymoon with his mother. Queue all the jokes about him being married to a much older woman. It was fun as he began to see her as someone in her own right, not just as his mother. The movie was set in Mauritius which looked gorgeous!

On Sunday I went to see Bridget Jones 4: Mad About the Boy at the cinema. I am not sure that I remember seeing movies 2 or 3, but I did quite enjoy this one. I cried several times, and I laughed! I might go and see if I can rewatch the first three movies.

We also started watching season 2 of Rogue Heroes. We really enjoyed the first series which is about the development of the SAS - Special Auxiliary Service. It is very much a smash em, bash em, blow em up kind of series, but it is a lot of fun!


Life

Not much to report here!

Max

Max is definitely better than he was last week, but we are struggling to get his sugar reading down. Hopefully we can work it out this week. He's very happy in himself though which is a relief.


Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set in Another Time

Blog Tour: A Santorini Secret by Rose Alexander

Blog Tour: From Provence with Love by Alison Roberts

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - March links

Weekend Kitchen: What I Baked in my Kitchen in February 

Six Degrees: Prophet Song to My Father's House







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: Christmas reads!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. I don't tend to ask or receive books as gifts, with the notable exception of cookbooks. So, here are the ten Christmas books I have read so far this year. I am currently reading another two as well!

Actually, I am going to start with a bonus book! Last night I read this book to my nephew. My sister, her husband and my husband were all in the room as well, so it was like a group readalong.

And now on for the actual top ten!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - I can't believe I haven't read this until now!

The Silver Haired Sisterhood by Judy Leigh - Christmas on the Isle of Skye sound great. (My review)

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - It's so nice to read a Christmas novel set in Australia! (My review)

The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan - A fun short story! Must read more Jenny Colgan (My review)

A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft - Yes, this is another Christmas novel set on the Isle of Skye. (My review)

Someone Like You by Sandy Barker - This one was set in both London and Seattle, which I loved! (My review)

A Recipe For Christmas by Jo Thomas - This one had it all! Chocolate, grumpy hero, and snow in Switzerland! (My review)

The Village Christmas Party by Sue Roberts - What happens when the village senior Christmas lunch is booked at the same time as a birthday party for a 5 year old. (My review)

One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot - When a journalist is sent to a village in the French Alps to cover a story about a pregnant reindeer and a man named Wolf, Christmas magic ensues. (My review)

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin - Christmas in Paris! Yes please. (My review)

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

This week...

Blogging

Raise a glass! My blog can legally drink in Australia! I started this blog 18 years ago, which is pretty amazing to me. I did have a gap for a while, but I am still here.

You'd think I would be better at it by now, right??

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

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

I'm reading

Last week I finished reading Someone Like You, which is the fourth book in the Ever After Agency series by Aussie author Sandy Barker. The review can be found here.

I also then read A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft, the second book in the Skye Sisters trilogy, and I reviewed that here.

I then started Crying at the H Mart by Michelle Zauner. I had never heard of the author before, but I am still finding it an interesting read. This is the current Cook the Books selection and will also work for my read on a theme book club as well. I will also need to find something to cook to tie in with this book, and get it all posted by 30 November!

I went to the library last week and noticed something that I had never seen before, or at least paid any attention to. There is a selection of books by the door which they are calling Express Reads. You can't request them, you can't extend them, and they have to be returned within a week. Now, even though I knew I wouldn't get it read, I couldn't resist picking up The Sea Captain's Wife by Jackie French. She is a prolific Australian writer across a number of genres, including historical fiction. I have started the book, but there is no way I am going to get it finished, so maybe I will have to return it and then borrow it again to finish it. We'll see how far I get today or tomorrow.

Speaking of Australian historical fiction authors, I went to see Tea Cooper at an author event and heard her speak about the inspiration for her latest book, The Golden Thread. I have to say the story behind the story was fascinating!!


I'm watching

Before the Tea Cooper event, I went to the see the movie Lee, starring Kate Winslet. This tells the story of the first female war photographer, Lee Miller. She took some iconic pictures during WWII, despite initially being told that she could not go to the front lines because she was a woman. It was a very, very good movie.

Here's the trailer:

I also started my Christmas movie viewing with Hot Frosty. A woman puts a magical scarf around the neck of a carved snowman and he magically came to life! It sounds really naff, but it was actually a lot of fun, with some great nods to other movies like Pretty Woman and Mean Girls.

Life


Yesterday we went to the One Electric Day music festival which is held in the grounds of a historic home not too far from us. The weather threw everything at us, from strong winds, rain, being cold, to quite sunny and warm. Ah Melbourne weather at it's best. I somehow also managed to get sunburnt in a 2cm strip on my wrists, which is a bit odd!

It was a great show featuring the bands Chocolate Starfish, Killing Heidi, Baby Animals, Wolfmother, Birds of Tokyo and finishing with Noiseworks. Birds of Tokyo is one of our favourites so we love seeing them. Chocolate Starfish are always a lot of fun and draw the crowd in, which is a bit tricky seeing as there are so many people just arriving when they are on. It was our first time seeing Wolfmother and Killing Heidi.

Last week was the hardest week so far of the not working thing goes. There were a couple of days where I was struggling for motivation to do some of the things that I know need to be done. I am definitely not missing being stressed all the time, but my brain does have a habit of finding things for me to stress about. For example, I have a blog post due in a couple of weeks and I couldn't sleep the other night because I was thinking about the content. No idea why that was important at that time but apparently it was.

Max


Max is feeling much better than he has been. He wants to play, to be chased, to climb up on us, which he hadn't for a while now. In the picture you can see him being a lap dog again! lol

His fur is starting to grow back again in all the places that he was shaved but it is a slow process! 

He will go back to the vet again on Wednesday.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: A New Start
Blog Tour: Someone Like You by Sandy Barker

Blog Tour: A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorhouse

Weekend Cooking: Sift by Nicola Lamb

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

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

This week...

 I'm reading

It's been a busy week socially and so there wasn't much time for reading this week, or at least this is my excuse for not reading much.

I finished reading The Girl with the Red Ribbon by Carly Schabowski, which I reviewed here. I then had a complete change of pace and read Breaking the Ice by Amy Andrews. I reviewed that book here.

Now I am reading the fourth book in the Ever After Agency series, Someone Like You by Sandy Barker. 

I am about 40% of the way through The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley, so it feels like I am making good progress there.

I'm watching


It is surprising me just how little time I am spending watching TV. If I do put it one, I will watch a baking show, or a history show, but I haven't really committed to watching any series at this point in time.  I do suspect I will start watching Christmas movies soon though.

We did go to the movie and watch Conclave, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rosellini amongst others. Based on a book by Robert Harris, it tells the story of the internal wranglings when the Pope dies, and the cardinals must be sequestered in Rome until a new one is elected. It was a very good movie.

Here's the trailer

Life


As I mentioned it has been a very busy week for us this week, after a busy week last week too. Fortunately this week will be a bit quieter I think.

On Wednesday night we went and saw British boy band Take That which was a lot of fun. It seems weird to call 3 men in their 50 a boy band, but they still did a lot of those boy band style moves and the crowd reacted in just the same way as they would have 30 years ago! 

They were supported by Sophie Ellis-Bextor whose most famous song is Murder on the Dance Floor, and she was amazing! She really got the crowd engaged right from the beginning of her set which doesn't always happen with support acts.

On Thursday night we went to see the musical version of Beauty and the Beast. I wasn't really intending to go and see it but we got some cheaper tickets so thought why not. And it was great! I was keen to see how they did some of those songs like Be Our Guest from the movie, and they managed it very well.

Finally, on Saturday night, we went to see Australian singers, and married couple, Anthony Callea  and  Tim Campbell doing the songs of George  Michael and Elton John. It was such a fun and joyful night. I hadn't seen either of them live before but I would go again to see them. Here's a bit of a taste:

Max


Max is much more lively than he has been so the medication is taking effect which is great! He will go back to the vet next week for a follow up visit.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Horses

Blog Tour: The Girl with the Red Ribbon by Carly Schabowski
Blog Tour: Breaking the Ice by Amy Andrews
Weekend Cooking: Widow Cliquot

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: October statistics




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

Top Ten Tuesday: Holiday countdown!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Ten Favorite Books from Ten Series (We all have a favorite book in our favorite series, right?) (submitted by A Hot Cup of Pleasure)

However, I have holidays on my mind, so I am going to do the last ten books I have read that have given me holiday vibes. Lucky I read a lot of escape lit at the moment!

An Island Promise by Kate Frost - Three friends go on holidays to Ibiza and promise that in 10 years time they will do it all again, except everything is different.

The Stolen Hours by Karen Swan - This book doesn't have a holiday feel at all, but it is set in Scotland and that is one of the places we are visiting.

Poppy's Parisian Patisserie by Daisy James - Poppy goes to Paris to work, but I would love to go back for holidays again and again. (my review)

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum - I picked this one because we are going to Korea next year.

The One That I Want by Sandy Barker - This doesn't really have holiday vibes either, but it is all about London, which is one of our destinations this time. (my review)

A Love Letter from Paris by Rebecca Raisin - Paris! Paris! Paris!! (my review)

The Itinerary by Penny Pentley - This is a fun read in which the main characters starts a European trip in Rome and ends up in France.

The Riviera House Swap by Gillian Harvey - The idea of being able to swap houses and spend some time on the French Riviera sounds amazing! (my review)

The Golden Gal's French Adventure by Judy Leigh - The two main characters in this story, head off to the north of France for a life changing holiday. (my review)

A Wedding in the Sun by Leonie Mack - Two people end up getting into all sorts of adventures on the way to the wedding of their exes. (my review)

What kind of books give you holiday vibes?

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