Title: One Winter Morning

Author: Isabelle Broom

Published: October 17th 2019 by Penguin

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Genie isn't feeling very festive this December.

The frosty mornings and twinkling fairy lights only remind her it's been a whole year since she lost her adoptive mother, who took her in as a baby and raised her as her own.

She's never felt more alone - until she discovers her birth mot

And where to find her: New Zealand, half the world away.

Travelling there could be her one chance to meet the woman who gave her up.

But will she find the answers she has been looking for? Or something she could never have expected?

Review: A new Isabelle Broom book has become a highlight in my reading year and with One Winter Morning she completely surpassed all my (high!) expectations. This is a beautiful touching story set in a stunning location that stole my heart. 

I found the characters in this story very interesting and I loved getting to know them. The story unfolds quite slowly so you don't really know how they are connected until you are totally immersed in their world. I think it worked very well here as it made it easier for me to connect with them and understand what they were going through. 

I especially enjoyed reading about New Zealand. Locals Tui and Kit were the perfect guides for Genie in this foreign land and they made such a great job that not only she felt in love with the beautiful nature but so did I. New Zealand has just climbed to the top of my dream holiday destinations. 

I think the development of the main character Genie was perfect. At the beginning of the book she was quite lost but she found her inner strength and took a chance at life again. A very inspiring woman. I think I will be revisiting her story quite soon to enjoy all the little things that happen to her in more detail. 

One Winter Morning is the perfect story to escape to this winter. There's plenty of sunshine and adventures waiting for you in New Zealand!

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Next stop, Cornwall! Hop on The Cornish Cream Tea Bus for a delicious, romantic adventure…

‘Captivating’ Heat Magazine 

‘Beautiful… heartwarming’ Zara Stoneley 

‘A wonderful ray of reading sunshine’ Heidi Swain

Title: The Cornish Cream Tea Bus 

Author: Cressida McLaughlin

Published: August 8th 2019 by HaperCollins

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Baking fanatic, Charlie Quilter, is surprised when her late uncle bequeaths his vintage bus to her in his will. Keen to give the bus a new lease of life, Charlie thinks it will be the perfect mobile café for afternoon tea, and when her friend, Juliette, suggests Charlie comes to stay with her in the picturesque Cornish village of Porthgolow, she’s thrilled at the chance of a new start.

Charlie and her cute dog, Marmite, make new friends wherever their bus stops – except for the sexy but reclusive owner of the posh spa up on the hill, Daniel Harper, who isn’t very pleased that her bus is parked outside his lovely hotel.

Has Charlie’s Cornish dream developed a soggy bottom? Or can she convince Daniel that her bus could be the start of something wonderful for the little village – and for them?

Review: I absolutely loved this story. It is such a feel-good book set in the stunning setting of Cornwall. Just as her other books, The Cornish Cream Tea Bus was first released as a 4-part serialised enovel, so the whole story is divided in 4 parts with a little cliff-hanger at the end of each. This makes for a very entertaining read that keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. It has quite a few surprises and it definitely made me chuckle more than once. 

I really enjoyed the characters too. It was a real treat to get to know the main character, Charlie. She really was a fighter and poured her heart into her new Cornish adventure. She was dealing with grief and it was not an easy path for her to find her place in the world again, but I think Cressida McLaughlin wrote a very touching and heart-felt story, in which Charlie really shone. 

The story also had a good dash of romance, with a love triangle going on, which kept me intrigued and very satisfied with the ending. But what really stole my heart were two things, the descriptions of the stunning Cornish coast and of the delicious food Charlie was preparing. Cornwall is on top of my places to visit next in the UK and when I do visit, I hope to find a charming cafe where to have some cream tea. It would be even better if the bus existed though! 🙂

The Cornish Cream Tea Bus is deliciously good. The small town community was a delight to read and I could picture their gatherings perfectly in my head. I would highly recommend this story for anyone looking for a touching, up-lifting and charming story!

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Yesterday I had the pleasure to interview author Alice Peterson about her latest story, as part of the Blog Tour to celebrate her Publication Day last week. And today I am sharing my review for this stunning story, If You Were Here:

Blurb: When her daughter Beth dies suddenly, Peggy Andrews is left to pick up the pieces and take care of her granddaughter Flo. But sorting through Beth’s things reveals a secret never told: Beth was sick, with the same genetic condition that claimed her father’s life, and now Peggy must decide whether to keep the secret or risk destroying her granddaughter’s world.
Five years later, Flo is engaged and moving to New York with her fiancé. Peggy never told her what she discovered, but with Flo looking towards her future, Peggy realises it’s time to come clean and reveal that her granddaughter’s life might also be at risk.
As Flo struggles to decide her own path, she is faced with the same life-altering questions her mother asked herself years before: if a test could decide your future, would you take it?
An emotional, inspiring and uplifting novel, IF YOU WERE HERE will break your heart and put it back together again. The brand new novel from the acclaimed author of A Song for Tomorrow, perfect for fans of Hannah Beckerman, Dani Atkins and Jill Mansell.

Review: Since discovering Alice Peterson a few years ago, I've fallen in love with every single book she has written. Her stories always make me cry but she always manages to make me feel better about life. I absolutely loved her last book, A Song for Tomorrow, so my expectations for this one were really high. But Alice Peterson did not disappoint at all, If You Were Here is a stunning story that stole my heart. 

This story is about Flo who has lost both her mother and her grand-father but who doesn't know they both had Huntington's Disease, a hereditary disorder that results in the death of brain cells, and that her chances of also having it are 50 %. She is about to move to New York with her fiancé when her grand-mother finally finds the courage to tell her. As you can imagine this changes Flo's life completely and we follow her in her journey to come to terms with this new situation and to find herself again. 

Flo was such a fascinating and interesting character, it was impossible not to root for her. I loved getting to know her and she really inspired me to value life more and to challenge myself. Although I really don't know what I would do in her shoes, it was a real pleasure to share this journey with her and learn more about Huntington's and how it affects people and their family and friends. I really cannot imagine how hard it must be to live with it but I do think that this book shows us a fair portrayal of it and I'm sure that it will raise awareness on this disease.

Flo was not the only special character in this story though. I had a great team hanging out with Flo's granny Peggy and thanks to her old diaries, with Flo's mum too. The friendship between Peggy and her neighbour was definitely a highlight of the story for me, such a touching relationship. And the rest of the characters were pretty great too. 

If You Were Here is truly amazing, an unforgettable story that will pull at your heart-strings. Definitely one not to miss.

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion. 

Today I am sharing my review for a very special book, The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey. This is the epic and long-awaited new romance from the author of Letters to the Lost, winner of the RNA Award.

Title: The Glittering Hour 

Author: Iona Grey 

Published: May 30th 2019 by Simon & Schuster

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying just the right side of scandal.

Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina's orbit one night and can never let her go.

Spanning two decades and a seismic shift in British history as World War II approaches, this is an epic novel of passion, heartache and loss.

Review: I have just finished reading this stunning story and I need to put into paper how much I loved The Glittering Hour. I still have tears in my eyes and I cannot believe that Selina and Alice's story is over. I am definitely going to miss them immensely. As you can tell, this book has made me feel many emotions, as I felt really connected to story and its characters. 

Iona Grey already made me fell in love with her writing with her acclaimed debut, Letters to the Lost, but I think that The Glittering Hour is in a whole new level. The writing really transports you back in time and the characters feel like part of your family. 

The story is set in two different decades. We have shy young Alice in the thirties, who has gone to live with her grandparents in the big and cold Blackwood House, while her parents go on a long business trip. And then, thanks to letters sent by her mother, Selina, we discover more about her mother's youth and how Alice herself came to be. 

Together with the letters, Selina sends Alice in a treasure hunt to help her feel better in this new foreign setting but also as a way to share with her her past and talk about the people that were important to her. I loved discovering the glittering twenties through Selina's eyes, Iona Grey painted such a clear image of the colours, the fashion, the cars, the parties... that I felt like I was looking at photos rather than just reading. 

I can only praise this epic story and I highly recommend you pick it up if you are looking for a very special story that will fascinate you and probably steal your heart. It has secrets, it has family drama, it has love, it has glamour but also lots of pain. A book that has found a place in my favorite books ever list, for sure. 

Rating: 5 stars

Today I am reviewing After the End, the stunning new novel from Clare Mackintosh, the number one bestselling author of I Let You Go, I See You and Let Me Lie.

Title: After the End 

Author: Clare Mackintosh

Published: June 25th 2019 by Sphere

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They're best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can't agree. They each want a different future for their son. 

What if they could have both?

A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.

Review: This story is completely different from Clare Mackintosh's previous books, which all fell in the psychological thriller category. After the End is all about a family and how their son being terminally ill changes their lives forever, especially when they cannot agree what the best course of action is. 

This is a very emotional story, I cannot even imagine what these character must have felt going through such a hard time, but the author makes an exquisite job of describing their thoughts, their feelings, their fears and their hopes. You become one hundred per cent invested in their story and wonder, in every single page, what you would do in their shoes. 

The book is divided in two parts, the first one centers its action in the hospital, during the months leading to the decision on their son's future and the second expands a few years after it. I had already fell in love with this story during the first part but it was the second one that left me completely in awe. It was so cleverly written and although it was hard to read sometimes, I loved following the characters' lives. 

In After the End, Clare Mackintosh managed to break my heart and put it all back together. This story surprised me until the very last page and it will stay with me for a long time. 

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Today I am sharing my review for Cathy Bramley's new book, A Vintage Summer, a sparkling summer story that's FULL of surprises!

Title: A Vintage Summer

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: March 21st 2019 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: London has not been kind to Lottie Allbright. Realising it’s time to cut and run, she packs up and moves back home – but finds her family in disarray. In need of a new place to stay, Lottie takes up the offer of a live-in job managing a local vineyard. There’s a lot to learn – she didn’t even know grapes could grow so far north!

Butterworth Wines in the rolling Derbyshire hills has always been run on love and passion but a tragic death has left everyone at a loss. Widowed Betsy is trying to keep the place afloat but is harbouring a debilitating secret. Meanwhile her handsome but interfering grandson, Jensen, is trying to convince her to sell up and move into a home.

Lottie’s determined to save Butterworth Wines, but with all this and an unpredictable English summer to deal with, it’ll be a challenge.

And that’s before she discovers something that will turn her summer – and her world – upside down...

Review: A book by Cathy Bramley is always a highlight of my reading year, I absolutely adore her style and her heart-warming stories, and A Vintage Summer is no exception. Set in a vineyard in Derbyshire, this is a novel about friendship, family and love. 

You can't help but fall in love with this setting but also with Lottie's bright personality and enthusiasm. She has had a rough time in London, so she is ready to go back home and find a new purpose in life. And she soon finds it in Butterworth Wines, a vineyard with a very unclear future. 

In the vineyard, Lottie doesn't only find a job tough, she discovers a whole new passion and makes a whole bunch of very passionate friends. These characters were a joy to read. I loved finding out more about them and how they all had their part to make this story special. 

But it was not all sunshine and laughs at the vineyard, the story also handled some more serious issues, which really touched my heart. I really cared for this characters and rooted for them. 

A Vintage Summer is a beatiful story that will warm your heart. With a delightful cast of characters and a stunning setting, it is the perfect read to enjoy outside now that the warmer months are coming.

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

Someone’s going to sleep and never wake up…

Today is my stop in the blog tour for CL Taylor's latest psychological thriller and I am sharing my review for this clever and addictive psychological thriller. Do you dare to sleep?

Title: Sleep

Author: CL Taylor

Published: April 4th 2019 by Avon

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests have a secret but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna.

Review: Sleep has all the ingredients I love in a psychological thriller: it is creepy, twisty, atmospheric, and above all, addictive. I loved how it started with a letter from the main character saying that if someone was reading it, it meant she was dead. My curiosity was certainly picked from page one and it only grew as the story unfolded.

In this book, CL Taylor takes us to a remote island in Scotland, where our main character, Anna, has escaped to to forget about a traumatic accident. But soon after her arrival, 7 guests come to stay at the hotel she is working in and things start going wrong, very wrong, in all possible ways.

I loved getting to know all the characters and trying to figure out who is lying and who is keeping secrets. I found this cast of characters fascinating and they made this story even more interesting.

As the story got darker and darker, I had my heart in my mouth. The suspense was superbly written and the ending took me completely by surprise. This well-crafted and absorbing book is probably my new favorite by the author. I cannot recommend it enough.

Title: The Magnificient Mrs Mayhew 

Author: Milly Johnson

Published: March 7th 2019 by Simon & Schuster

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Behind every successful man is a woman.

Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

Sophie Mayhew looks like she has the perfect life. Wife of rising political star John F Mayhew, a man who is one step away from the top job in the government, her glamour matches his looks, power, breeding and money. But John has made some stupid mistakes along the way, some of which are threatening to emerge. Still, all this can still be swept under the carpet as long as Sophie 'the trophy' plays her part in front of the cameras.

But the words that come out of Sophie’s mouth one morning on the doorstep of their country house are not the words the spin doctors put in there. Bursting out of the restrictive mould she has been in since birth, Sophie flees to a place that was special to her as a child, a small village on the coast where she intends to be alone.

But once there, she finds she becomes part of a community that warms her soul and makes her feel as if she is breathing properly for the first time. Sophie knows she won't be left in peace for long. Now she must decide: where does her real future lie?

Review: The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew is a delightful story. I had such a great time reading it that I completely forgot about anything else! And once I finished it, I actually had to remind myself a couple of times that Sophie and all the other characters were not real and that I would not find their latest adventures in the newspaper.

Sophie Mayhew is a fantastic, multi-layered and intriguing character. I loved getting to know her both in the present time and through the flashbacks to her school days in the cold and rigid boarding school, St Bathsheba. Her upbringing and her family had taught her to be a good and dutiful wife to a powerful man, but deep down, she knew that something was not right with her life. It was very inspiring to read about her journey of self-discovery.

This is a story of contrasts, we go from the cold and target-oriented world of politics, in which everyone has a hidden agenda, to the warm and supportive community of the village of Little Loste. I think these opposite settings complement each other really well and make for a very interesting story, with plenty of twists and fascinating insights to both worlds.

I loved this story, it reminded me that no dream is too small or too big, you just need to go for it. Plus, Milly Johnson's writing is a joy a to read, engaging and with the perfect dash of drama and magic. Definitely a story that will leave you with a warm heart and a very positive vibe.  

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

About the Author:

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. As well as being an author of 16 published novels, 2 short story books and 2 novellas, she is also a copywriter for the greetings card industry, a poem and joke-writer, a columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016 and the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015.

She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.

Her latest book - 'The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew' deals with a woman who has been conditioned since a child to be little more than a support for an important man. But there is much more to Mrs Mayhew than anyone who knows her - even her own family - could ever believe.

Graeme Simsion's new book, The Rosie Result, is the triumphant final instalment of the internationally bestselling series that began with The Rosie Project.

Title: The Rosie Result (Don Tillman #3) 

Author: Graeme Simsion

Published: April 4th 2019 by Penguin 

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: 'The phone call signalling an escalation in the Hudson Adjustment Problem came at 10:18 a.m. on a Friday morning . . .'

Meet Don Tillman, the genetics professor with a scientific approach to everything. But he's facing a set of human dilemmas tougher than the trickiest of equations.

Right now he is in professional hot water after a lecture goes viral; his wife of 4,380 days, Rosie, is about to lose the research job she loves; and - the most serious problem of all - their eleven-year-old son, Hudson, is struggling at school. He's a smart kid, but socially awkward-not fitting in.

Fortunately, Don's had a lifetime's experience of not fitting in. And he's going to share the solutions with Hudson. He'll need the help of old friends and new, lock horns with the education system, and face some big questions about himself. As well as opening the world's best cocktail bar.

Big-hearted, hilarious and exuberantly life-affirming, The Rosie Result is a story of overcoming life's obstacles with a little love and a lot of overthinking.

Review: it's been a few years since I read The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect but as soon as I picked The Rosie Result, I felt right at home, surrounded by old friends. I really enjoyed the previous two books and this one is the perfect ending to a highly entertaining, fun and touching series. 

The Rosie Result takes place several years after the last book, and Don and Rosie's son, Hudson, is eleven. At the beginning of the book, they decide to move back to Australia from New York. The main reason is Rosie's new and important new job. But after a few months in Melbourne, nothing is working out as they had planned, so Don needs to take action, can he actually find one solution for all their problems?

I always enjoy reading about Don and how he analyzes his problems to the last detail and tries to find the most logical solution. He shows once again, what a big heart he has and I loved discovering his dad side in this story. He has evolved incredibly as a character since we first met him and I am pretty fond of him and everything he has achieved. Actually, the same goes for Rosie, as she has been a key character in this series. I love how they interact with each other, how they stand together when facing problems, and what a strong and clever woman she is. 

Their son Hudson plays a big role in the book too and I had a great time getting to know him. He really taught Don, Rosie and all of us a few lessons. The story handles complex issues about autism, like what it means to be "labelled" as autistic, how others react to this, and it includes several characters with different views and opinions about this, which I found very interesting. It also touches on other serious issues like the challenges of working mothers and the anti-doctors and anti-vaccination views. A lot of food for thought and a lot to learn. 

The Rosie Result is a joy to read, funny, life-affirming and inspiring. I am going to miss Don Tillman, his family and his friends. 

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.