This delightful picture book tells the story of time through a continual needle and thread. If you would like to read my full review you can find it here.
This delightful picture book tells the story of time through a continual needle and thread. If you would like to read my full review you can find it here.
Florence gazed around her at Winstanton's bustling Christmas market, full of shoppers passing each other with studied determination, whilst people who knew each other occasionally stopped to chat...
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I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from Rachel's Random Resources. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.
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The Blurb
CAN LARA ADD A SPRINKLING OF MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS?
Jacob introduces ever tastier treats to the Sugar and Spice cafe’s menu as the Christmas Spirit knits her magic into the lives of those finding this Christmas tough.
Florence is struggling to make ends meet and afford the present she knows her son wants for Christmas. Her ex-husband flaunting his new girlfriend and their baby isn’t helping her mood.
Widower Jude feels a failure as a father to his two young children after the tragic death of his wife. The move to Winstanton was meant to make life easier. Can he learn to carve out time to build new friendships and give himself the chance to grieve?
Rachel’s boss has given the promotion he promised her to the man twenty years her junior, whom she trained. She’s fed up with being taken for granted, and the lack of sympathy from her husband and teenage children.
Retired David feels Grinch-like as his son expects him to look after his grandchildren all the time, without taking his life into consideration. He used to love Christmas, but this year it has lost its sparkle.
Can the warm welcome at the Sugar and Spice café help them find their Christmas spirit?
A feel-good festive romance with a heartwarming community and a generous helping of Christmas spirit!
My Review
A trip to the Sugar and Spice Cafe is an annual must for me. This is probably my favourite Christmas series and I always look forward to a new one being published immensely.
Set in the picturesque and homely fictional village of Winstanton, the warm and welcoming Sugar and Spice Cafe attracts many customers. Each of the books features just a few of the regulars and I got caught up in their stories completely. Jacob, who runs the cafe, is in each of the books that I have read, along with his niece Lara, who is pivotal to the plot.
I love Lara's warm-heartedness and the way she cares about others. Every Christmas she weaves her magic to ensure people get people get the Christmas that they deserve. She is a wonderful character to get to know and, like all the characters in the book, comes alive on the page.
This is a genre of book that you begin reading knowing that everything will be okay in the end. It is lovely to spend time with these characters in the cafe. Descriptions of the cakes on offer made my mouth water. I almost felt as if I were there.
Such pure escapism makes for joyful reading. It is heartwarming to read and I finished the book feeling very satisfied with the ending. If there is one festive book you are going to read this year, make it this one. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1915589071
Publisher: Susan Buchanan
Formats: e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)
No. of Pages: 300 (paperback)
Series: Book 5 of the Christmas Spirit series
Purchase Links
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, A Taste of Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Leap Year Proposal, You Can’t Hurry Love and The Boulangerie on the Corner.
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.
You can also find Susan at:
My Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author
(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
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I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the publisher. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.
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The Blurb
While a young girl awaits the arrival of a new sibling, her Nana works on a special story quilt. As she sews, mends, and adds new patches, Nana shares the story of her own journey - of fleeing her homeland, finding love in a new country, and stitching together a new beginning from fragile threads.
With every new and restored patch, the girl begins to understand her place in the world. Patterns burst with stories, threads shimmer with spirits passed and new patches wait to be brought to life. Each careful mend and every stitch carries the hope of what's to come.
Now, as a new life enters the world, Nana's quilt wraps around her grandchildren in the warmth of the past and the promise of what's to come.
My Review
This delightful picture book tells the story of time through a continual needle and thread.
In fact, as we turn the pages we follow the thread through the life of a young girl as she waits for the birth of her new sibling. We meet her family and friends as we watch her grandmother sewing a quilt, weaving the past and present into every stitch.
It has been beautifully illustrated with the thread and the grandmother working on the quilt as constants throughout the book. We see the grandmother sharing photos and stories of the family's past, their fleeing their country in search of peace.
The illustrations add so much more to what is written in the text. They are delightfully done and encapsulate the story of this family through the three generations in the book.
It is a lovely story which is inclusive and diverse. It is a beautiful book for sharing and I could imagine it being one that a child returns to regularly. There is something very special within its pages and I highly recommend it.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1800789654
Publisher: Templar Books
Formats: hardback
No. of Pages: 32
Purchase Links
About the Author
Sita is a multi-award-winning writer of novels, plays, novellas and short stories. She is the winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Award for Artichoke Hearts, and has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal five times. Sita has been an Amnesty International Ambassador and speaks in schools, at festivals and conferences. In 2018 Tender Earth received the UK Honour from the International Board of Books for Young People.
Sita is based in London. She is a former Writer in Residence for BookTrust and Writer in Residence at the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants.
You can also find Sita at:
About the Illustrator
Jane is a London-born artist and illustrator. She has illustrated over 60 children's books, and her work has been widely recognised, earning nominations for prestigious awards like the Hans Christian Andersen Award (2018) and the Kate Greenaway Medal. Jane continues to exhibit her art regularly at galleries such as Primavera in Cambridge and Watermark Gallery. She works with Sita as the Artist in Residence at the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants.
You can also find Jane at:
(book and media courtesy of the publisher)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
***
I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the publisher. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.
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The Blurb
ON THE EVE OF WAR, A ROYAL GUEST IS LURED INTO HITLER'S DEADLY WEB . . .
Munich, 1937. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor have arrived in Germany for a historic meeting at Hitler's mountain retreat.
But recent attacks by ruthless Communist band, Red Freedom, has brought fear and bloodshed to the area. As brutal as the Nazis, their next targets are Edward, Wallis and the Fuhrer himself.
Detective Sebastian Wolff is charged with their protection, but the conflict between his job and his politics becomes even more complicated when Wolff realises who is behind Red Freedom: Ulrike, his first love and the mother of his son.
My Review
Although this is the third book in a series, I have not read the earlier books. It works very well as a standalone novel.
The book is set in Munich in 1937, just as Hitler's power is in the ascendant and prior to the beginning of the Second World War.
The main character, Detective Sebastian Wolff, is investigating a terrorist gang called Red Freedom. However, he is transferred to guard the visit to Hitler's mountain retreat in the Austrian Alps, the Berghof, as the controversial Duke and Duchess of Windsor are going to visit.
Meanwhile, Wolff's fiancée Hexie has also been invited to stay at the Berghof by her old friend, Eva Braun. These three subplots running through the book lead to some exciting twists and turns for Wolff as he continues to investigate Red Freedom whilst also carrying out his protection duties of the abdicated King Edward VIII and his wife, Wallis Simpson.
I really liked the way the author wove the three aspects of the plot together. It demonstrated real skill in the writing. Mr Clements is a great storyteller and for I was completely gripped by the book
The book is fairly slow-paced, but I think this was entirely necessary for the slow burn of the plot to develop. It also provides the reader with a more in-depth understanding of the characters.
The book has definitely made me want to go back to the beginning of the series and read the books prior to this one. Fans of pre-war thrillers will love this book and I highly recommend it.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 0241728215
Publisher: Viking
Formats: e-book, audio and hardback
No. of Pages: 400 (hardback)
Series: Book 3 in the Detective Sebastion Wolff series
Purchase Links
About the Author
Rory has a passion for thrillers. He loves reading about men and women facing the ultimate test under fire - and he loves writing about them. It must be in his blood.
Born in Dover, Kent, and raised in various outposts of the world while mhis father served in the Royal Navy. He grew up hungry to become a writer.
He worked for many years as a national newspaper journalist but always dreamed of switching to novel-writing. On moving to Norfolk in 2007 he found the perfect spot to achieve his ambition.
So why thrillers? Well, it might have something to do with his family history.
His generation of the Clements clan is the first since the Crimean War not to have seen active service in a branch of the military, and he feels extremely fortunate that this is so. While his father, grandfather and great-grandfather survived fierce and deadly fighting in three major wars, he fears he would not have measured up.
He believes his history has given him a keen understanding of valour and the stoicism of those in peril - whether from enemy agents, at sea, in the air, or on the battlefield.
These are the essential qualities of the protagonists in his three series - Tom Wilde, a Cambridge history professor; Seb Wolff, a Munich cop in the 1930s; and John Shakespeare, a spy in Elizabethan England. They're very different characters but they share one quality - courage.
You can also find Rory at:
(ARC and media courtesy of Viking Press)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
***
I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from Rachel's Random Resources. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.
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The Blurb
In early 20th century Britain, society was changing rapidly, but not much was changing for women. From different ends of the social spectrum, Celia Mapperley and May Hallam wrestle with rules and circumstances beyond their control and must navigate love, sex, war, and the thin line between conformity and scandal. As they each bear the shame of a devastating family secret, their stories come together in ways that neither could have imagined.
My Review
This review is of all three of the books in this series, as they do not really work as standalone novels.
The first book begins in 1911 before the outbreak of World War One. Set in the grand house of Mapperley, we follow the main character, Celia, who was born into a world of standing and privilege. As a young woman of the aristocracy, we read of her innocence and naivety. This isn't a spoiler as we are made aware on the first page that Celia and her brother, Makepeace, have an unhealthily close relationship.
In the second book, we meet May and her brother Davey. May's family work on the Mapperley estate until the outbreak of the war when the family are scattered. Two of her brothers are away at the front and her sister Lily is in service at a different aristocratic house. May's brother Davey has Down's syndrome, and a close bond has formed between them.
In the third of this trilogy, the worlds of both Celia and May are brought together. Two women who have had to navigate their ways through life in very different ways left me feeling very hopeful and optimistic for them both.
What we see in this book is two main characters who have formed very close brother-and-sister bonds, but in very different ways. Not only are the characters separated by class, but it also highlights the change that happened following the war, where the class boundaries changed significantly.
I enjoyed the writing in these books. The author has constructed her stories extremely well and each of the books had me gripped. It is a glimpse into the life both upstairs and downstairs of the time period, which the author portrayed very well.
The books made for excellent reading and I wholeheartedly recommend them. However, I must add that these books are not for the faint of heart. We witness on the page both incest and sexual violence, so please be aware.
Book Details
ISBN: 979 8993482309 (part 1)
979 8993482316 (part 2)
979 8993482323 (part 3)
Publisher: Midatlantic Press
Formats: e-book and paperback
No. of Pages: 128 (part 1)
126 (part 2)
174 (part 3)
Purchase Links
About the Author
Fiona J. Mackintosh is a Scottish-American author living in Washington D.C. whose fiction draws from both sides of the Atlantic. Her flash fiction collection, The Yet Unknowing World (Ad Hoc Fiction, 2021), was a runner-up for the 2021 Saboteur Award for best short story collection, and her debut novel Ancestral Virgins will be published on June 26, 2026. Her flashes were selected for Best Small Fictions in 2023 and 2019, and her short stories have been finalists in the Cairde Word, Colm ToĂbĂn, Bristol, Galley Beggar, Exeter, and Fish Short Story Prizes. She is a proud recipient of an Individual Artist’s Award from the Maryland State Arts Council.
You can also find Fiona at:
(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
The Blurb
In the walled, rotting City where daylight is a just a memory, pickpocket Wellington Thorneycroft drifts through life. The rules are simple: take what you can, feel nothing, and never look too closely at the shadows.
But when a ghostly woman appears—silent, radiant, impossible—everything shifts. Her promise is clear: we’ll escape together. With that, Thorneycroft is thrust into a fever-dream journey that twists through brothels, back alleys, and the outer edges of sanity itself.
Guided by visions and a growing hunger for something beyond the City’s poisoned streets, he begins to question the nature of the prison he calls home... and whether escape is even possible.
Laced with brutality and bleak wonder, Mark Richardson's The Sun Casts No Shadow is a neo-noir descent into metaphysical horror.
Dark. Gritty. Unforgettable. Enter the City.
Book Details
ISBN: 979 8184326337
Publisher: Independently published
Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback
No. of Pages: 180 (paperback)
About the Author
Mark Richardson writes neo-noir novels which blend elements from a range of genres, including surrealism, science fiction, fantasy, and dystopia.
He grew up near Chicago, graduated from the University of Iowa, and now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
You can also find Mark at:
(media courtesy of The Write Reads)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
They always had the most wonderfully-waggy-tailed time...
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I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the publisher. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.
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The Blurb
Every year, Little Wolf and Daddy Wolf watch the Wolf Moon rise. Two wolves, alone together, under the big night sky. But this year's trip is looking to be a little bit BIGGER and BUSIER than usual... This time all the brothers, sisters and pups are coming, too. Little Wolf is worried it won't be the same...
And sure enough, it ISN'T. As things go from bad to worse, strange feelings start to bubble in Little Wolf's belly and fizz through his fur. Before long, he feels BIG and BAD. He huffs...and he puffs...
Can Daddy Wolf help Little Wolf get a handle on his huffs and puffs before it's too late? And teach him about a very special part of being a wolf?
This reassuring picture book is packed with fairytale-like storytelling and in-depth character and world building, supporting children when they are faced with BIG feelings to process. Perfect for fans of Barbara Throws a Wobbler, The Colour Monster and Tom Percival's Big Bright Feelings series.
My Review
This is a delightful picture book to share with children finding themselves in need of a little reassurance.
Little Wolf is a charming character. He is a first child, followed by lots of younger siblings. He's okay as long as his annual wolf moon watch stays just as it's always been, with just him and Daddy Wolf. Then one year when Mummy Wolf is unwell, the baby wolves come too and it scares Little Wolf who thinks it just won't be the same.
I loved the language that the author used in this book to describe Little Wolf's feelings. She describes him as having a "wobbling worry inside... the not-fairness... churning round and round and upside down... big feelings bubbled in his belly..."
The author conjures up the worry and fear that children experience at one time or another in their young lives. However, I also loved how Daddy Wolf teaches him coping strategies for when he feels worried and unsure. In fact, at the back of the book is a page demonstrating to children how to use these strategies for themselves. Overall, what this book is really saying is that it is okay to have unhappy feelings and to express them. If I could go back in time and visit my childhood self, I would be taking a copy of this book with me.
The illustrations are delightfully done and add to the text really well. I loved seeing the mischief the younger siblings were causing without it being said in the text. They have been done in a lovely palette of colours and are evocative.
I highly recommend this book to the little ones in your life. It carries so much in its forty pages and is a lovely story which would provide an opportunity to discuss how a child is feeling.
A brilliant picture book that is well worth getting your hands on.
Book Details
ISBN: 9781835874455
Publisher: Bonnier Books
Formats: Paperback
No. of Pages: 40
Purchase Links
About the Author
Harriet's first word was "book", she's loved stories ever since, so it's a dream come true to end up writing her own. Originally from London, she now lives in Suffolk with her family. When not writing, Harriet works in television; she's filmed talking horses, chefs in jets and pop princesses in fabulous dresses. But she's happiest with a pencil in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, brewing up her next story.
You can also find Harriet at:
About the Illustrator
Katie Cottle is a freelance illustrator and picture-bookmaker based in Bristol. Originally from Swansea, Katie graduated from the Illustration course at the University of the West of England in 2017. She enjoys telling stories through drawing, and uses a variety of media, including a mix of traditional and digital techniques. She was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for The Blue Giant. She particularly enjoys using bright colours and drawing grumpy faces.
You can also find Katie at:
My Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author/Illustrator
(ARC and media courtesy of the publisher)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
I am so pleased to be bringing you an extract from this book today. Fraying Skeins by Nancy Jardine is set in Scotland during the late 19th century.
The Blurb
Escape In Paradise Evasion
1870 Scotland
Fleeing from Peterhead, Margaret Law makes Aberdeen her refuge. Menial jobs keep her and her toddler son fed– till an unusual tutoring task boosts her finances, and self-worth. Letters to best friend Jessie contain the absolute truth, especially when Johnny Fraser re-enters her life. Is he the man for Margaret to grow old with? When better employment emerges in St. Andrews, Margaret is torn. Will the move mean losing Johnny?
When Johnny follows Margaret to St. Andrews, their life together is idyllic. But when menacing secrets unfold, will Johnny’s past indiscretions be their undoing? Will he lose the cherished family he is establishing with Margaret?
The Extract
Fraying Skeins – A Stupefying Dilemma.
Sitting down alongside him, Margaret forced his attention. “Johnny. There’s something bothering you. It’s been a problem brewing for ages but we have to talk about it.”
His eyes when they slid towards her were guarded. “There’s nothing wrong.”
She grabbed the fingers of one of his hands and squeezed to get some reaction from him. Refusing to back down, she forced him to maintain his gaze on her. “I vowed after living with Sandy’s lies and mistruths that I’d never allow myself to be in a similar vulnerable situation where someone close to me was lying to me. I know there’s something wrong.”
A flicker of despair was there before Johnny shuttered his feelings once more.
“I’m sure you still love me and the children as much as ever, Johnny, so I don’t think it’s that.”
His head bent again, but not to read the newspaper.
“I’m also sure it’s not because you’ve gambled away your wages. Or our savings.”
She watched his head shake mutely from side to side.
“I want to help with whatever is causing you this anguish. But you have to tell me what it is.” When he still said nothing she persisted. “It doesn’t matter if I find it painful, or unpalatable. We can surely work it out, together, whatever has happened.”
His head eventually lifted, the look in his eyes bleak.
“I’m not sure this can be worked out, whether we’re together or not.”
The sneering laugh that then rumbled from him shocked her in its cruelty. “You and me, together, is the problem that I can’t work out!” he scorned.
“You don’t want to be with me any longer?” She couldn’t believe that he wanted to be free of her. She just wouldn’t accept that was his problem.
His abrupt rise from the table was unnerving. His fingers clawed through his hair and he had the demented look of a trapped animal.
“It’s because I desperately do want to be with you, Margaret. You! That’s what the problem is!”
“You’re not making any sense, Johnny. You have to make me understand.” She jumped up to catch him in his roaming around. Her arms encircling his taught body stopped his strides.
She knew when his forehead touched down on her own that he was near to a breaking point, his furious torso trembling.
Edging him towards a chair, she forced him to sit down again, then perched sideways on the chair next to him, his hands held firmly in her own. Though her insides were churning, she ensured her tone was encouraging and not threatening in any way. “Start at the beginning.”
Ten minutes later, after a horrifying explanation, she was no longer holding his hands since he’d wrestled them free of her attempts to soothe him. He sat as still as a statue, his gaze blindly facing forward.
“And this letter you received today from Artie says that Jane Forbeson has given up on the Kirk Session finding you, and she has paid for adverts in the local and national newspapers?”
“Yes.” He still stared directly ahead.
“Her hope being that the newspaper adverts will widen the search for you?”
The slightest of nods broke Johnny’s immobile posture.
Margaret’s mind was in a whirl but showing she was devastated wasn’t going to help. They needed to discuss the situation even more, to work out what to do.
“And Artie’s indication is that the local paper states that you are her legal husband, and she has certification to prove it?”
Again the nod was so tiny she could have missed it, his whole body held so rigidly in the grip of his fury. “It’s in my pocket.”
She took it that he wanted her to read his letter. Going to the door she fished out a
crumpled piece of paper and flattened it on the table. The writing was, of course, unfamiliar since he’d never let her read any of his Kirriemuir correspondence. However, what Artie had written showed his deep concern about the ongoings. And it also showed his faith in Johnny, who Artie clearly believed to be innocent.
“But…If you really did marry her, then…we…”
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1739696467
Publisher: Nancy Jardine
Formats: e-book and paperback (currently available on Amazon Unlimited)
No. of Pages: 324 (paperback)
Series: Book 3 in the Silver Sampler series
Purchase Links
About the Author
Nancy Jardine writes historical adventure fiction, historical saga, time travel historical adventure and contemporary mysteries. Research gobbles up lots of time but it’s a delight, and never a chore. Her garden wouldn’t win any prizes but tending it is a great way to unwind and gives her some lovely plants to post on Instagram!
When not creating her novels, or promoting her writing, she loves to interact with readers at Book and Craft Fairs where she signs/sells paperback versions of her novels. Recently she’s taken part in author panels at Book Festivals.
Memberships include: Historical Novel Society; Society of Authors; Scottish Association of Writers; Federation of Writers Scotland; Romantic Novelists’ Association; and Alliance of Independent Authors. She’s self-published with Ocelot Press.
You can also find Nancy at:
My Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author
(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
I am delighted to be shining the spotlight on this book today for it's book blitz party. All That Remains by author, Samantha Grosser is a historical romance that looks like excellent reading.
The Blurb
A choice shaped by war. A life in its shadow. One last chance to make peace with the past.
England 1998. Eva and Ben live a secluded life in the shadow of choices they made years before. But when an unexpected letter brings bad news, it shatters their peace, reawakening painful memories of an earlier time.
England 1939. Lady Eva is young, beautiful, and heir to a fortune. But she chafes against the constraints of her upbringing, and a reckless streak sometimes leads her into trouble. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, she is grounded at the family home at Silverwood Hall, having been sent home from the Riviera in disgrace.
Then her brother invites aspiring writer Ben Marlowe to Silverwood for the summer. Ben is utterly compelling. And wholly unsuitable. Though the passion between them is undeniable, it is an impossible relationship—duty to her family must come before love.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1764721301
Publisher: Sam Grosser Books
Formats: e-book and paperback
No. of Pages: 218 (paperback)
Purchase Links
About the Author
Samantha Grosser is a very British author who doesn’t function without tea. Having spent many years teaching English in Asia and Australia, she has now made her home on the sunny beaches of Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband, son, and a very small dog called Livvy.
She is the author of wartime dramas Another Time and Place, The Officer’s Affair, and Out of the Ashes, and the historical novel The King James Men. When she isn’t writing or reading, (which isn’t often) you can find her either doing yoga, going for long walks, or watching old movies.
You can also find Samantha at:
(media courtesy of Xpresso Book Tours)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
Sometimes it is so difficult to restrict myself to just ten books due to be released in the following month. There are so many great looking books to choose from. I finally settled on the following ten, and I am sure you will agree, they do look exciting.
Happy Reading!
Flickers of Light in a Nazi Darkness by Lisa Waller Rogers
Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933, marking the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of the Nazi dictatorship. As the tide of Nazism grew, so did anti-Jewish decrees which stripped away the rights of German Jews.
In May 1940, the Germans invaded and occupied the neutral country of the Netherlands. Little by little the Nazis took away the rights of the Dutch Jews and the only place they were safe was in their homes, until they weren’t. In 1942, Nazis conducted raids to deport them to labor and concentration camps. But not every Jew was caught. Thanks to the heroic action of Dutch resistance workers, at great risk to themselves, Dutch resistance workers hid Jews from the Nazis, and sought to keep them safe and fed through the long years of WWII. Not all of these efforts bore success, many Dutch workers were imprisoned and executed by the Nazis. Flickers of Light in a Nazi Darkness brings the story of some of these “Flickers of Light” resistance workers to life.
The Secret Keeper by Anstey Harris
Olivia thought there would be years ahead—time to persuade Lizzie to come home. But when she discovers her husband is dying, everything changes. Suddenly, time is very short.
For Lizzie to reunite with her parents, Olivia will have to face the truth of her choices, of the secrets she’s been hiding for years. She knows it is time. Time to bring the two halves of herself back together. But if she does, will those she loves forgive her? Or is it already too late?
An incredibly moving story that will stay in your heart, about the secrets we keep to protect those we love and how to find peace when time is running out.
The Storyteller of Krakow by Carly Schabowski
It takes courage to tell your story…
KrakĂłw, 1994. When an elderly woman named Lena meets a young girl, the child is carrying a toy bear, who she has named Wojtek. She quietly tells Lena it’s named after a bear who was famous in the second world war. This is a name Lena hasn’t heard in many years. And so she begins her story…
KrakĂłw, 1940. When Lena was young, she loved to tell stories – about the places she would go, the battles she would fight, the great loves she might have – imagining herself the heroine in every tale. But when the Soviet forces invade her town, and take her to a Siberian gulag, leaving her with no family, no home, no strength to fight… her dreams feel further away than ever.
Until the Soviets change sides in the war, and Lena finds herself being rescued, and on an unexpected journey – one that runs in parallel with a tame bear named Wojtek. As their journey takes them across the Middle East, to Africa, and finally to war-torn Italy, she realized there might be a chance for her to live the life she always told stories about – fighting the hated Nazis.
But there is one thing missing… a great love. Lena knows she doesn’t need saving by a man. But when Wojtek the bear leads her to an injured stranger, she realises perhaps it’s not her who needs rescue. The only problem is that the man she’s led to is a German soldier, on the other side of the war from her…
Can love conquer all in wartime? Don’t miss this unforgettable story!
All Yours by Pippa Nixon
The last time games designer Fox saw Robyn was the morning after their amazing night together. He didn't even get her last name. But as a single dad to two boys, he's never had time for anything but his work and his family.
So when flame-haired Robyn shows up on his doorstep as his new live-in nanny, Fox is stunned. The connection burns just as bright, but they agree to keep it professional.
The longer they live under one roof, the harder it is to keep their promise. And where Robyn's concerned, Fox is playing for keeps . . .
Loyalty and Lies on Dressmakers' Alley by Rosie Clarke
London’s East End 1927
Yvonne White is content as head seamstress at Miss Susie, raising her beloved son alone and determined to keep the past behind her. So when John’s father suddenly reappears after years of silence, demanding a place in his son’s life, Yvonne’s hard-won peace is shattered.
Polly Blake spends her days exhausted by endless work and family responsibilities, caring for her invalid father and three younger brothers while her carefree twin, Patsy, falls in with dangerous company. Polly longs for happiness of her own, but trouble is never far away.
Meanwhile, Lady Diane’s dazzling fashion designs have made Miss Susie the toast of London. Yet as she accompanies the ailing Lord Henry to Italy, jealousy and uncertainty threaten everything she holds dear.
With fear spreading through London’s East End as a killer stalks the shadows, the women of Dressmaker’s Alley must face secrets, heartbreak, and unexpected surprises before their lives change forever.
Things are looking brighter on Dressmaker’s Alley, but there are always those who want to cause trouble…
The Pilgrimage of Primrose Honeychurch by Laura Jensen Walker
At seventy, the sharp-tongued recluse prefers to keep company with her own routines. But when a life-altering diagnosis leaves her worried she’ll never be missed, she decides it’s finally time to do something to leave her mark: something no one will ever forget.
Clutching her mother’s ashes and the book of her heart, Primrose hops on a plane, bound for Hay-on-Wye, the legendary Welsh “Town of Books.” Unfortunately, her literary pilgrimage just won’t follow the plot. After an accident derails her trip, she finds herself staying awhile with estranged family. But she senses a kindred spirit in the niece she’s getting to know, who uncannily understands the world much the same as Primrose herself does.
As rolling green hills and book-lined streets frame an unexpected season of discovery, what began as an unwelcome detour becomes something more profound. For the first time in her life, Primrose begins to glimpse the beauty―and courage―of true human connection.
A Gala Ball at Tillingford Hall by Flora Dunn
To top it all, Sahara’s closest friend, Guy Tillingford, is losing his calm. In the run-up to the opening gala ball, Tin Tub Productions are filming a documentary about his crumbling country mansion, Tillingford Hall. Although he’s thrilled to be a first-time dad, his fiancĂ©e Alice’s due date is worryingly close to the big night.When Tin Tub ask Sahara to be a presenter, she’s reluctant to step back into the spotlight – until she learns she’ll be working with her old friend, popular TV historian Dr Tom Pemberton. With Tom’s reassurance, she takes a chance on a new career.
Since his wife Vittoria died, Tom has been juggling single parenthood with TV stardom. His eleven-year-old son Cory has retreated into video games, while his fifteen-year-old daughter Xanthe, an exceptional violinist, struggles with sudden fame.
Who better to help Tom navigate these challenges than Sahara?
But when she receives unexpected news about her health, will it bring them closer – or push them apart?
And with Alice’s due date so close to the ball, who will have the first dance?
Dreadnought by Robin Bennett
On a remote Yorkshire headland known as Dreadnought, seven-year-old Cass Delaval begins to glimpse figures and fragments tied to a past that refuses to stay buried.
As the world edges toward conflict, Cass is drawn into a family mystery stretching back to the Second World War: a missing boy, a hidden weapon, and a family secret.
Because whatever has lain dormant on Dreadnought goes deep into our past … and it isn’t finished with us yet.
Dreadnought is a story of loyalty and hope, where the courage of one small girl may be our last defence.
The Translator by Annabelle Marx
1936, London. Edie Adler slips into the back pew of a memorial service for her dearest friend, Vee Saunders – presumed dead, her body never found. As politicians murmur condolences to Vee’s powerful husband, Edie sits with a fury she can barely contain. She knows things about this marriage no one in the room would dare speak aloud. And she refuses to believe that Vee is gone. She closes her eyes and she’s back in the warm Mediterranean water – the salt on her skin, Vee’s hands keeping her afloat, that voice in her ear: don’t worry, I won’t let you sink…
1918, Malta. Edie, an officer in the newly formed Wrens, arrives on the sun-drenched island expecting cyphers, duty and discipline. What she doesn’t expect is Vee – a whip-smart nurse singing in the bathtub with a cigarette in one hand and a gin in the other. Vee teaches her to swim in secret coves, leads her astray in the basement bars of Valletta, and the two women forge a bond that will shape the rest of their lives.
As they take different paths – Edie to a small flat in Hampstead, swimming in the Ladies’ Pond each morning, long days as a social worker in the London slums – they stay bound by letters. Vee’s are vivid, full of mischief, then slowly, they darken. And then they stop. Two years of silence. Until a parcel arrives from Paris – three detective novels, all in French, no sender, no note – and Edie’s world shifts on its axis.
The Secret Garden Murders by J.R. Ellis
When a woman is found strangled in the locked garden of historic Bishop Hewick Hall in Yorkshire, DCI Jim Oldroyd needs to solve a seemingly impossible murder. The only door was bolted from the inside and the kitchen garden walls are too high to climb. If no one could enter or leave, how did the killer commit the crime and escape?
As Oldroyd and his team investigate the victim’s past, they discover Clarissa Morden wasn’t the kind elderly woman she appeared. Instead, she was a ruthless blackmailer who kept coded records of her neighbours’ darkest secrets. Her list included a local cabinet maker, the Bishop Hewick Hall manager and even her next-door neighbour―suddenly it seems as if half the village has a motive for murder.
When a second body is discovered in the local river, it seems this quiet corner of Yorkshire may never be the same again. Can Oldroyd unlock the secret of the impossible locked garden murder and find the culprit? Or will the killer strike again in this tranquil village to keep their secrets hidden…