Tailored Truths by Nancy Jardine - #bookreview #blogtour

The Blurb

Is self-supporting success enough for Margaret Law or will her future also include an adoring husband and children? She might secretly yearn for that though how can she avoid a repeat of relationship deceptions that disenchanted her so much during her teenage years?

Employment as a lady’s maid, and then as a private tutor in Liverpool in the 1860s bring thrilling opportunities Margaret could never have envisaged. Though when those posts end, her educational aspirations must be shelved again. Reliance on her sewing skills is paramount for survival when she returns to Dundee.

Meeting Sandy Watson means love, marriage and starting a family - though not necessarily in that order – are a striking development though it entails a move north to Peterhead. Yet, how can Margaret shed her fear of commitment and her independence and take the plunge?

Jessie, her sister-at-heart, is settled in Glasgow. Frequent letters are a life-line between them but when it all goes horribly wrong, the contents of Margaret’s correspondence don’t necessarily mirror her awful day-to-day realities.

My Review

Although this is the second book in the series, there is sufficient reference to the first book to make this one work perfectly as a standalone.

This book features Margaret as the main character.  We read of how she fights to keep her head above water - working in various jobs from tutoring, to being a lady's maid/companion and even sack sewing. However, her skills enable her to move up in the world to a leadership role in a factory.

Her search for employment highlights how women were viewed during the period in which the book is set. It was very hard for a woman to make much of herself, as all the opportunities to grow were only available to men. Through this, the author demonstrated the role of women at the time and how they were considered by Victorian society.

Margaret was an excellent character. She is a hard-working young woman with a strong character, which enabled her to survive in difficult situations.

The author immerses the reader in the time and place. She has exhaustively researched the time period and, therefore, immerses the reader in the book. I almost felt like I was there.

It is a dialogue-led book, which served to move the story along at an appropriate pace for the genre. It made for easy and engaging reading.

I enjoyed this book very much, and am looking forward to the next book in the series already.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1739696443

Publisher:  Nancy Jardine with Ocelot Press

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  468 (paperback)

Series:  Book 2 in the Silver Sampler Series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Nancy Jardine writes historical adventure fiction, historical saga, time travel historical adventure and contemporary mysteries. Research, grandchildren, gardening fill up her day in the castle country of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, when not writing or promoting her writing. Interacting with readers is a joy at Book and Craft Fairs where she signs/sells paperback versions of her novels. She enjoys giving author presentations on her books and on Ancient Roman Scotland.

Memberships include: Historical Novel Society; Scottish Association of Writers, Federation of Writers Scotland, Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She’s self-published with Ocelot Press.

You can also find Nancy at:

Author Website

X

Instagram

Bluesky

Pinterest

(ARC and media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

The Self-Made Saint by Alexandra Addams - #bookreview #blogtour

"Best get on with it before you go under it."

The Blurb

Judith Drainger has always played life by her own rules. But these days life seems to be playing her right back.

Divorced, orphaned and forcibly retired, 59-year-old Judith is determined to seize the opportunity to leave her broken home in London and move across the world to Australia. Here she reunites with her estranged adult daughter Cassandra – only to land smack bang in the emotional quagmire of her daughter’s anger and abandonment issues. To make matters worse, Judith can see her new granddaughter Emily has a serious health issue, but her offers of help are ignored and rejected.

When an accident knocks her off her feet, Judith is swamped by the kindly care of her nosy new neighbours. Yet, when given a chance to become a part of their community, Judith shocks even herself by making a series of unforgivable blunders. Realizing if she’s to have any hope of reuniting her family, well-meaning but stubborn curmudgeon Judith must learn the power of saying ‘sorry’ - and what it actually means to be a good person.

My Review

Hidden between the covers of this book is a real gem.

The main character is Judith. She is bad-tempered, curmudgeonly and irascible. She has left England and gone to live near her daughter, Cassandra, and baby granddaughter, Emily, in Australia, in order to rescue her from an unhappy relationship and take her and Emily away to live with her. However, the reality is that Cassandra is very happy in her relationship and has no intention of going anywhere - let alone with the mother with whom she has abandonment issues. 

Judith was a fabulous character.  She is complex and flawed, and it made her such an interesting character to spend time with. She is also highly relatable. I think most readers, especially those of us who have adult children, will find a little of themselves in Judith.

The author demonstrated real skill in her depiction of the characters and their various interactions. They all came very much to life on the page, from the handsome man next door to the dog walker who allowed his dog to toilet by Judith's house. Even the minor characters are well-nuanced.

I enjoyed being immersed in the environment and the characters, both Judith and those around her. The Australian setting was perfect and well portrayed. This was a fabulous book to read. Despite Judith's irascibility, it was impossible not to like her, and I loved observing how her character developed through the book.

This is a fantastic debut novel and I can't wait to see what the author brings us in the future. If this novel is anything to judge by then she is definitely one to watch.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1962931175

Publisher:  High Frequency Press

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  266 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Blackwells

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

You can also find Alexandra at:

Instagram

X

(ARC and media courtesy of the publicist)

(all opinions are my own)

Books I Want to Read in October 2025

Welcome October - the month of pumpkins, witches and all things spooky!

I've got some cracking books in my to read list for this month. Some new, some old and some that have been on my TBR for far too long.

What are you planning to read this month?  Is there anything here that has caught your eye?

 Frankie by J.M. Gutsch and Maxim Leo

Meet Frankie the cat. He’s a stray who belongs to no one, and that’s just how he likes it.

Until one day, everything changes. He crosses paths with Richard.

Richard isn’t doing so well. Grieving the loss of his partner, he’s turned his back on hope and is ready to end it all. But his plans are halted when Frankie the cat is injured on his doorstep.

Frankie needs help. But then, so does Richard. What Richard doesn’t know is that Frankie is no ordinary cat.

It’s an unlikely partnership. But it might be exactly what they both need . . .

 Concrete Dreams by Ferdinand Dennis

Concrete Dreams tells the gripping story of Lucas Bostock, a Jamaican immigrant who arrives in 1950s London determined to succeed — and to impose his vision of success on his family. A harsh, domineering man, shaped and scarred by survival, Lucas is no one’s idea of a nice man. When his wife Rhoda finally leaves him, taking their only daughter, he’s left to raise their three sons with a mix of toughness, pride, and unrelenting ambition.

Lucas believes that hard work — on building sites, as a carpenter, and eventually as a landlord — is the only way to protect his family. But as his children grow up and take their own paths through boxing, journalism, politics, retail, and religion, they are forced to reckon with the cost of their father’s influence. Meanwhile, the tenants in his houses add further layers to this vivid portrait of Caribbean-British life, sharing their stories of resistance and renewal in a changing city.

Dennis crafts Lucas with remarkable honesty — flawed, often unlikeable, but deeply human. Concrete Dreams is both an intimate family saga and a bold exploration of race, masculinity, and generational legacy. It’s a Windrush story, but one that refuses easy narratives, capturing instead the full complexity of Caribbean London and the voices that shaped it—and a narrator determined to tell his own.

 In Memoriam by Alice Winn

In 1914, war feels far away to Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood. They're too young to enlist, and anyway, Gaunt is fighting his own private battle - an all-consuming infatuation with the dreamy, poetic Ellwood - not having a clue that his best friend is in love with him too.

When Gaunt's mother asks him to enlist, he signs up immediately, relieved to escape his overwhelming feelings. But Ellwood and their classmates soon follow him to the front. Ellwood and Gaunt find love in the trenches – but just as war brought them together, it can tear them apart…

An epic, unforgettable love story between two soldiers in the First World War, In Memoriam is a breath-taking debut.

  A Lot to Unpack by Portia MacIntosh

Liberty’s just landed her dream job. The catch? It’s at Matcher, the dating app that ruined her life. After catching her boyfriend sending intimate pictures to everyone in a twenty mile radius, Liberty is struggling to get back into the dating game. Every man gives her the ick sooner or later.

Still, she’s having a great time travelling the world for work, until she’s assigned a secret mission: Travel to New York with her handsome and charming boss Jordan and swap out a contract from under his nose. It should be easy, but the more time Liberty spends with Jordan, the more she realises he might not be the bad boy she thought he was. But it turns out they’ve both got a lot to unpack, and Liberty still needs to complete her mission if she wants to keep her job - which means not breaking the one golden rule: do not fall for the boss!

 The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey

When Leah and her husband moved to France, it was with the dream of becoming self-sufficient. But in truth, it’s not the ‘good life’ she’d imagined, as three hours of digging barely yield a single straggly carrot. Worse, her teenage daughter is acting up, and her husband seems to find every strange excuse under the hot French sun to disappear.

So when her friend entreats her to join the new bookclub she’s forming, Leah decides it’s something she will do for herself. The chance to make new friends, to drink a few glasses of wine, and to escape into stories that take her miles away from the life she’d thought would be her own happy-ever-after.

But the book club is a strange group of misfits. There’s prickly Grace, who lives alone and seems to know everybody and like no-one. Buttoned-up Monica, who says her husband is away and appears to be parenting her baby all alone. Handsome builder George, who has barely read a book before. And Alfie – who is a full two decades younger than everyone else, and is hiding a devastating secret…

As the stories they read begin to bring the new friends closer together, Leah is about to discover that happy-ever-afters don’t always look how you expect them to…

  The Silent Sister by Jan Baynham

A woman searching for somewhere to belong.

A child rescued from the rubble of a ruined island.

A secret buried in the heart of Kefalonia.

Greece, 1953. When a catastrophic earthquake reduces the beautiful island of Kefalonia to ruins, Cassia Makris risks everything to save a young girl buried beneath the rubble that was once her home.

In that moment, Cassia makes a life-changing decision that will bind their fates forever but force her to carry a devastating secret . . .

Wales, 1973. Eléni Davies has always felt there was something unspoken in her past — a silence at the heart of her childhood. When she discovers a hidden journal among her mother’s belongings, it unravels an untold story of love and loss on a faraway island.

Drawn to the place where her story really began, Eléni travels to the now-rebuilt Kefalonia. Among the lemon groves and sun-bleached chapels, she begins retracing her mother’s footsteps to piece together a story that was never meant to be told.

But in doing so, Eléni must decide whether some secrets are better left buried — or whether confronting them is the only way to finally heal.

  Ever After by Amanda Prowse

If you’re given another chance at love, shouldn’t you take it?

Enya’s life has become small. Her husband’s death has left her bereft, and though she’s only in her early fifties, she’s happiest looking after her son, Aiden, his childhood sweetheart, Holly, and her beloved cat, Pickle.

So the spark she feels for the stranger who bumps into her car in the airport car park is a complete shock. But Enya can’t stop thinking about him.

Then, when Aiden makes a life-changing decision, Enya suddenly finds her close-knit community thrown into chaos. Her best friend, Jenny, isn’t speaking to her, Aiden’s future hangs in the balance, Holly is devastated, and the stranger from the car park is suddenly in her life.

Torn between family, love and loyalty, Enya faces a dilemma: stay safely where she is, or take a leap into the unknown? Because maybe her happily-ever-after could have one more chapter yet…

  Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall by Sharon Booth

Can Callie give some needy ghosts their happy-ever-afterlife, while making Rowan Vale her own forever home?

When cash-strapped single mum Callie visits the beautiful Cotswold village of Rowan Vale on a school trip with her daughter, she is enchanted. It's run as a living museum, with a steam railway, vintage teashop, Elizabethan manor house and old water mill allowing tourists to see history in action.

But there's more to Rowan Vale than meets the eye...

To Callie's surprise, the owner of the village, elderly Sir Lawrence Davenport, requests a meeting with her. It appears Callie has been observed talking to several villagers she shouldn’t be able to see - as they’re ghosts.

Sir Lawrence then makes an astonishing offer: to sell Callie the whole estate for a tiny sum, if she agrees to protect the village’s present tenants and make sure the headstrong ghosts are represented too.

With a spectral lord of the manor and his imperious wife, a naughty 1940s schoolgirl and the man who once taught William Shakespeare among them, it seems Callie’s role as owner wouldn’t be easy.

And that’s without the added complication of Lawrie’s disinherited grandson, the gorgeous Brodie.

Rowan Vale and Callie may need each other. But is this a match made in heaven or hell?

  All Change at Harbour House by Fenella J. Miller

Wivenhoe May 1940

A moment that changes everything...

The war continues to rage, but for now, Harbour House continues to keep the Roby family safe from harm. Not so for new lodger Richard Stoneleigh. As one of the few men who can captain a ship, Richard is called to help with the dangerous evacuation of troops from Dunkirk – it’s a perilous voyage that almost costs Richard his life…

Housemaid, Annie Thomas, initially disliked Richard and his hoity toity ways, but after his heroic return she sees a changed man. Richard seems to know the value of life and is eager to grab every day and make it count. And Annie, recently widowed and feeling slightly adrift in life, finds him compelling.

As their friendship develops, so too do their feelings for one another. But Annie knows that she can never truly be with a man like Richard – he is far above her own lowly class.

But war changes everything and with the fear of imminent invasion hanging over everyone, Anne and Richard decide that perhaps it’s time that they change too…and take a chance together?

Will they overcome the social divides between them and find love in the darkest of times?

  The Wonderful Discovery of Elizabeth Sawyer by Jonathan Vischer

The year is 1621: a time of paranoia following the English Reformation. In London’s Newgate prison, Elizabeth Sawyer, the mother of eleven children, lies shackled in her cell. Denounced as a witch by her woodland neighbours and condemned to death by the court, Elizabeth has one last chance to make her peace with this world. By way of confession, she tells the prison chaplain three stories about her life.

Chaplain Goodcole at first responds with revulsion. Like the court he condemns Elizabeth as wicked and depraved but as her execution draws near, his opinion shifts. Does this ‘ignorant’ countrywoman know something that he doesn’t? Has she indeed made a wonderful discovery, or has he, as his colleagues suspect, fallen under the spell of a wily and malign witch?

Based on a true story, this novel is rooted in the struggles of rural women 400 years ago. Exploring different types of power, it unravels the fear and superstitions surrounding any girl or woman who spoke her mind.

Books I Have Read in September 2025

 

Here in my part of the world the weather has turned rather chilly. Still, I have a day at home today so plan on snuggling down with a book this afternoon.

I have read some lovely books this month and even read my first Christmas book this year. I am sure there will be more to come over the next couple of months.

Have you read anything good this month? 

The Vanishing Act by Jo Jakeman

What happens when a body is found and named as you? I enjoyed every page of this super book and was sorry when it ended. You can find my full review by clicking here.

The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken by The Secret Barrister

Written by an anonymous barrister, this account of what can go wrong in our court system was fascinatingly scary. It was easy to read and I enjoyed it.

The Irish Midwife by Seana Tinley

I enjoyed this novel, which is set in Belfast, very much. You can find my full review by clicking here.

A Keeper by Graham Norton

I just didn't have a free slot in which to review this book but it was probably my favourite book of the month. A well-written, dual timeline novel set in Ireland. Excellent.

The Figurine by Victoria Hislop

I have read several of this author's titles and really enjoyed them. However, this one disappointed me.

A Taste of Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan

A lovely feel-good Christmas story which I really enjoyed. You can find my full review by clicking here.

The Sitter by Caroline McGhie

This was a wonderful literary book to read. Beautifully written. You can find my full review by clicking here.

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

This book is a refreshing new take on this genre of books - crime and science fiction mixed together. You can find my full review by clicking here.

Tiger's Last Roar by Harriet Howe

This is a moving story about losing a pet. The death of a pet is a difficult enough experience when you are an adult, but for children, it can be a sad and confusing time. If you would like to read my full review please click here.

The Teacher Evacuees by Rose Warner - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am so pleased to be shining the spotlight on this book today.  It's a thrilling and compulsive Second World War saga for fans of Lesley Eames, Katie Flynn and Betty Walker which sounds really good to me.

The Blurb

There are more dangers than German bombs in wartime...

Canadian-born teacher Victoria takes up a new position at a London school, but soon finds herself coordinating its evacuation to a Norfolk village along with standoffish spinster Beatrice and quiet young Nell. Victoria has to adapt to life in the countryside, petty politics and local busybodies. 

When she meets attractive naval officer Louis Grainger, romance blossoms. Victoria is drawn into a clandestine world and told that she is helping the British government, but after she catches Louis covertly meeting a suspicious stranger in nearby woods, she fears the worst -- a traitor in their midst.

It's a race against time for Victoria to discover the truth and keep the village -- and the country -- safe from invasion. 

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1835980262 

Publisher:  Canelo Saga

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  304 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Blackwell's

Waterstones

Hive

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Rose Warner, who also publishes as Jen Gilroy, writes historical women’s /saga fiction and feel-good contemporary romance. She has been a finalist for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Joan Hessayon Award and Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® award. 

She’s Canadian-British and although now based in Canada lived in England for many years and has undertaken extensive research in the WW2 and post-war periods. As Jen Gilroy she writes sweet small-town romance for Harlequin Heartwarming (HarperCollins) and has also published with Grand Central Forever (Hachette) and others. 

When not writing, she enjoys reading, ice cream, ballet and paddling her purple kayak.

You can also find Rose at:

Author Website

Facebook

X

Bluesky

Instagram

Why not check out some of the other fabulous bloggers on this tour.

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org  affiliated)

The Sitter by Caroline McGhie - #bookreview

Steam tumbled skywards as the train beat onwards to Swanton Stoke, scurrying through black turned fields towards the end of the line. It was late in the afternoon on the last day of October and only one passenger remained on board...

The Blurb

Adolescent baker’s boy Jack catches sight of a beautiful woman alighting from a train at dusk. His remote Norfolk village is built around a railway maintenance hub known as The Works which is ruled by ritual, hierarchy and God.

Newcomer Rosie is escaping a secret past involving a well-known London cartoonist who is a proponent of early photographic pornography.

A beguiling tale of love and learning unfolds against the backdrop of the hardships faced by the railwaymen and fishermen of the time.

Poignant and moving, this literary novel weaves the key themes of women’s rights, childhood memories, sexual freedom, religion, art and pornography around its compelling cast of characters. Based on extensive research in and around Melton Constable and Cromer, The Sitter exudes the charms of Victorian Norfolk and a nostalgia for the steam railways.

An historical novel of richness and depth, The Sitter is a remarkable, engaging and deeply atmospheric debut.

My Review

I enjoyed reading this book and it has much to commend it.

It follows the story of two people: Rosie, who is the titular sitter and who has escaped to Norfolk after realising that being the subject of a photographer's obsession wasn't as innocent as she had thought. Also, we have Jack, a young boy who, seeing her alight from the train, is struck by her beauty. 

Alongside the characters, we read of the arrival of steam trains. Many of the local upper and middle class have invested, and as readers, we can observe the hype surrounding this and the impact the trains will have on the area.

The writing in this novel is beautiful. It is a slow-paced, literary luxury of a book. I found its gentle pace almost a meditative experience to read. The author has used and placed every word of text with care, and the result is this gorgeous reading experience.

Ms McGhie is clearly an intelligent writer who has researched both the time and place thoroughly. Additionally, she inhabits her characters and permits the reader to accompany her as we observe Jack turn from a boy to a man within its pages, and Rosie's discovery that we cannot always leave our past behind.

This is a compelling story, and the author has captured the spirit of the age, place and her characters perfectly. Whilst Ms. McGhie is an established journalist and writer of non-fiction, this is her first foray into fiction. This debut novel feels accomplished, and I hope we will see more fiction from this author in the future.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1739603410

Publisher:  Waterland Books

Formats:  e-book and paperback 

No. of Pages:  230 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Waterland Books

Waterstones

Amazon UK

About the Author

Caroline McGhie is a multi-award-winning journalist who has written for The Sunday Times, The Sunday Times Magazine, The Sunday Telegraph, and was part of the launch team for The Independent on Sunday. She has written columns for The Financial Times, The Standard and Country Living. She has lived in North Norfolk for over thirty years.

You can also find Caroline at:

Instagram

(ARC and media courtesy of Hannah Hargrave)

(all opinions are my own)

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths - #bookreview

Alison Dawson can never cross the Old Kent Road without thinking of Monopoly. The brown quare nobody wants. She used to play it with one of her husbands, she can't remember which, offhand...

The Blurb

Ali Dawson is a police officer working on crimes so old, the joke goes, that they are not only cold but frozen. What most people don't know is that the team travels back in time to complete their research - a process pioneered by the mysterious Italian physicist, Serafina Pelligrini.

So far the team has only ventured a few years back but Ali's boss has a new assignment for her. He wants her to step back to 1850, the heart of the Victorian Age, to clear the name of Cain Templeton, the eccentric great-grandfather of Tory MP Isaac Templeton.

To prepare for the challenge ahead, Ali researches the Victorian era. She learns that Cain Templeton was part of a sinister group called The Collectors, the rumour being that you had to kill a woman to become a member. Duly prepared, she arrives in London in January 1850, at the peak of the so-called mini ice age, to start her journey in a house used by artists, with a dead woman at her feet.

Soon she finds herself in extreme danger. Even worse - she appears to be stuck, unable to make her way back to the present, to her life and to her son, Finn.

A brand new series from No 1 bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries. If you're missing Ruth and Nelson, wait till you meet Ali and Cain.

My Review

I adored every one of the Dr Ruth Galloway series of books by this author (links to previous reviews at the end of the post.) When I heard the author, Elly Griffiths had written the first in a new series, I was very keen to read it but with a little trepidation. After all, when you read a series that you love, there is always the possibility that something new might disappoint.

However, my fears came to nought as I enjoyed this book very much. It is very different to the Dr Ruth Galloway series. In fact, I would suggest not going into this thinking it might be similar. This is very different and actually, I enjoyed seeing this talented author turn her hand to something a little different.

The main character, Ali Dawson is a police officer working on a cold case review team. It is a little different to the usual 'cold case' scenario as the officers can actually travel back in time in order to solve the crimes. Thus we see Ali travel back to London in 1850 in order to investigate Cain Templeton, a man associated with a group known as The Collectors. It is said that in order to become a member, one has to murder a woman. What made this even more interesting is that we detect the beginnings of an attraction between Ali and Cain. I can hardly wait for the next book to see whether this relationship develops. 

Whilst she is stuck in the past, Ali's son Fin, is arrested for the murder of Cain's descendent. Needless to say, she is keen to get back to the present to clear his name.

It is a refreshing new take on this genre of books - crime and science fiction mixed together, and it worked very well. The edges of the genres blur perfectly. I loved the way both past and present parallel one another and how a resolution is found.  Although the book moves between past and present, it did so seamlessly.

Ali is a fabulous character. She is a determined, strong minded woman and I am looking forward to seeing how her character develops in subsequent books in the series. 

I highly recommend getting started with this series. I know that I am going to read them all.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1529433371

Publisher:  Quercus

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  368 (paperback)

Series:  Book 1 in the Ali Dawes series

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

About the Author

Bestselling crime author Elly Griffiths worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer.

Her series of Dr Ruth Galloway novels, featuring a forensic archaeologist, are set in Norfolk and regularly hit the Sunday Times top ten in hardback and paperback. The series has won the CWA Dagger in the Library and has been shortlisted three times for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year. There are twelve books in the series so far with number thirteen to be published in February 2021.

Her Brighton-based mystery series set in the 1950s and 1960s is inspired partly by her grandfather's life on the stage and the war magician Jasper Maskelyne, who claimed to have spent the war creating large scale illusions to misdirect the enemy. One of the two leading characters in the series, Max Mephisto, is based on Maskelyne. 

In 2017 she was Programming Chair of Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Festival in Harrogate, the oldest and best-established crime fiction festival in the UK.

In 2018 Elly wrote her first standalone novel The Stranger Diaries. The novel was a top 10 paperback bestseller, selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club and as a summer 2019 Richard and Judy book.

In 2019 Elly published her first children's book in spring 2019 to great reviews with a second following in 2020.

Elly Griffiths lives near Brighton with her husband, an archaeologist, and their two grown children.

You can also find Elly at:

Author Website

Facebook

X

Instagram

Bluesky

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

A Taste of Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan - #bookreview #blogtour #GIVEAWAY

Lara huddled under the golf umbrella with her mum as the countdown to the Christmas lights switch-on began. She wished she'd worn her puffy jacket with the lining like her mum had suggested as the cold was beginning to make her shiver...

The Blurb

CAN LARA ADD A DASH OF MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS?

The Sugar and Spice bakery sparkles with holiday spirit as Jacob serves up more mouthwatering festive treats, and Christmas spirit Lara tries to sprinkle her magic over those finding the time of year difficult.

Ollie is at his wits’ end. A debt from years ago comes back to haunt him just as he and his girlfriend are buying their dream home.

Rose is dejected as her college sweetheart has dumped her now they’re in their final year. She’s not looking forward to Christmas alone, nor her twenty-first birthday on Christmas Eve.

Sacha has recently moved to Winstanton following the failure of his business. He’s too embarrassed to confide in his family, but can he find the friendship he so desperately needs and begin to trust again?

Diana tries to find her new normal after the unexpected death of her husband earlier this year. All her plans for retirement have been thrown out the window and she feels lost. She needs a renewed sense of purpose and to find her place in the world.

Can Lara provide the answer to a joy-filled Christmas?

A story of hope, love, friendship, community, and of course, Christmas spirit.

My Review

Before I even begin my review, I want to let you know that there is a giveaway of this fabulous book, further down in the post.

It is the first Christmas book that I have read this year, and it was a lovely one to kick off my festive reading with. Although, it is the fourth book in the series, it is not necessary to have read the earlier books in order to enjoy this one.  In fact, I came into this series with the third book, A Little Christmas Spirit and you can find my review of that book here.

In this book we meet Sasha, Diana, Ollie and Rose. Each of them has their own backstory, and they come together and find warmth and  companionship at The Sugar and Spice Cafe, which is set in the small Scottish village of Winstanton. I was pleased to see that Lara is still very much the essence of the book. Lara is the ten-year-old niece of cafe owner Jacob, and she sprinkles her own version of Christmas magic throughout the book.

During this book, the cafe becomes host to a celebrity chef who is making a Christmas cookery programme in the kitchen. This adds excitement for the regular visitors to the cafe who become the live studio audience.

Into this wonderful setting, the author has conjured her own Christmas magic throughout her story. She is a wonderful storyteller, and it was very easy to get pulled into this special tale. It is full of festive traditions from far and wide, all centred around this extraordinary cafe.

If you like a feel-good novel, then you will love this one. It has everything to make you smile whilst reading this. It is an utterly charming book to read and I highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1915589057

Publisher:  Susan Buchanan

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  230 (paperback)

Series:  Book 4 of the Christmas Spirit series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction and romantic comedies, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship, community – also Christmas!

Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, A Little Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Leap Year Proposal and You Can’t Hurry Love.

As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.  

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors. 

She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador. 

When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.

You can also find Susan at:

Author Website

X

Instagram

Bluesky

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway to Win a signed and dedicated paperback of A Taste of Christmas Spirit (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Click below to enter.

Giveaway

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Shades of Yellow by Wendy J. Dunn - #bookspotlight #blogtour

Today I am shining the spotlight on Shades of Yellow by author, Wendy J. Dunn. I love the look of this one and I hope to read it very soon.

The Blurb

During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage. 

After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death. 

Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?

Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed?

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1764070409

Publisher:  Other Terrain Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  350 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

WENDY J. DUNN is a multi-award-winning Australian writer fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of Dear Heart, How Like You This, her first Anne Boleyn novel, which narrated the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder. 

Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.

Wendy gained her PhD in 2014 and tutors in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her books. 

You can also find Wendy at:

Author Website

Instagram

Linked In

Pinterest

Substack

Bluesky

Tik Tok

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)