Not Moving Out by Jon Rance - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Freya and I agreed to meet at Pelicano Coffee Co in The Lanes, which we had been to before during happier times and it was one of our favourites...

***

The Blurb

Spouses Without Benefits - how can you move on without moving out?

Freya and Joe’s marriage has fizzled its way to the end, but for financial reasons, and to support their daughter in her final year of school, they decide they need to keep living together for six months.

They know it won’t be easy, but for Joe at least, it provides creative rewards: a struggling sitcom writer, he has found his new project. Why not write about his own situation? And the network loves it.

There is just one problem - Freya doesn’t know.

Can Freya and Joe navigate the six months together and might they find out something new about their relationship?

My Review

I enjoyed reading this rom com very much and it has a lot to offer.

The chapters are told from the points of view of the two main characters, Joe and Freya. They live with their teenage daughter Dolly who is heading off to university in the next six months. Joe and Freya's marriage has come to an end, but they agree to live in the family home until Dolly leaves.

From Joe's chapters of the book, we can ascertain that he still loves Freya. As a writer of sitcoms, he hasn't had much work of late and so decides to write a sitcom based around their situation. He knows that he must tell Freya and hopefully, receive her approval but he just never seems to find the right time to tell her.

This situation perfectly sums up why their marriage has fizzled out. Although Joe's job as a writer is in itself an ability to communicate ideas and feelings to others, when it comes to doing so with Freya he never seems able to do it. He has been unable to communicate with her about so much and keeps his feelings to himself. He is a jovial character, preferring to consistently see the positive side of life, even when it is sometimes inappropriate.

Although it is Freya who has instigated the separation, I got the distinct impression that deep down she still loved Joe. However, her frustrations with him override her feelings. The whole book has a will they/won't they vibe and I found myself rooting for them throughout.

They were both good characters who were fun to read about. I thought the author did a great job with portraying them and their attitudes and feelings. The secondary characters were equally well written. 

I thought this was brilliantly written, and the author captured the atmosphere in the house skillfully. Conversations with friends and family about the situation were excellently done and stopped the book becoming too insular.

This book both saddened and amused me at times. It was extremely funny in parts which balanced perfectly with the less happy points in the novel.

It is an extremely well put together novel and I highly recommend it.

Book Details:

ISBN:  978 1804368589

Publisher:  Hera Books

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  352 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

JON RANCE writes novels about love, family, relationships, and all the messy bits in between. His novels have been described as hilarious, romantic, and perfect for fans of Mike Gayle and Beth O’Leary.

 His first two books, This Thirtysomething Life and Happy Endings, were published by Hodder and Stoughton. Since then, he has written numerous novels including, Sunday Dinners, Dan And Nat Got Married, and The Worst Man. Jon signed a two-book deal with Hera in 2024 and the first novel, One Hundred Moments Of Us, was published in August 2024. The second book, Not Moving Out, a second chance rom com, will be published in May 2025.

Jon grew up in England and studied English Literature at Middlesex University, London, before travelling the world and meeting his American wife in Australia. He now lives in California with his wife, two kids, and a dog called Pickle, where he writes full-time and drinks far too much tea.

You can also find Jon at:

Author Website

Twitter / X

Instagram

Facebook

Bluesky

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

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

Dancing in the Moonlight by Lynne Shelby - #blogtour #bookspotlight

 

Today I am shining the book spotlight on this gorgeous looking book. Dancing in the Moonlight by Lynne Shelby looks like a delightful read. 

The Blurb

When dancer Nell Avery auditions for Speakeasy, a new West End musical, she is shocked to discover that the choreographer is Finn Harris, a man she never expected to see again.

Ten years ago, Nell and Finn had a casual, no-strings fling. He left London to work abroad. Nell found herself pregnant.

Having made the decision to raise her child alone, Nell didn’t tell Finn that he was the father, a secret easy for her to keep while he was hundreds of miles away. But now Finn is back – and he offers Nell a role in Speakeasy’s cast.

Nell knows if she takes the job she risks Finn finding out her secret, with unimaginable consequences for the life she has made for herself and her daughter, Savannah. But Speakeasy could be Nell’s only chance of dancing on a West End stage – the dream she’s had ever since she first put on a pair of tap shoes. How can she give up her dream?

Nell accepts the role, telling herself that all she has to do is keep away from Finn . . .

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1068358401

Publisher:  Shaldo Books

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

No. of Pages:  366 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Waterstones

About the Author

Lynne Shelby writes contemporary women’s fiction/romance. Her debut novel, French Kissing, now re-published in ebook as Meet Me In Paris, was published when it won a national writing competition run by Woman magazine and Accent Press. Her fifth novel, Love On Location, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novelists’ Association Award. 

She has done a variety of jobs from stable girl to child actor’s chaperone to legal administrator. When not writing or reading, Lynne can usually be found at the theatre watching a play or a musical, or exploring a foreign city, writer’s notebook and sketchbook in hand. She lives in north London with her husband and a lot of books, and has three adult children who live nearby.

You can also find Lynne at

Twitter / X

Blue Sky

Instagram

Facebook

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

A Little Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan - #bookreview #giveaway #blogtour

 

'Mum, come on.' Lara put her woollen-mittened hand in her mum's as they approached the school's main entrance.

'Welcome to Heatherwood. I'm Mrs Ralston. The assembly hall is this way.'

Lara led her mum down to the assembly hall where the Christmas fair was being held...

***

The Blurb

Can a sprinkle of magic heal broken hearts this Christmas?

With Jacob now at the helm at the cosy Sugar and Spice café, it’s the perfect opportunity for Christmas Spirit Lara to weave her magic.

Fraser is floundering in his new role as headteacher as he grapples with guilt over having to place his beloved mother in a care home, leaving him feeling lost and alone during what should be a joyful time. 

Meanwhile, school janitor Paul is torn between his desire to feel needed and the pressure from his wife to retire, dimming the season’s sparkle. 

Valerie, overwhelmed by the demands of newborn twins, feels she’s not giving her other daughter enough attention. She needs a bit of me time and for her husband to realise the responsibility for the kids falls to both of them.

And Bella, heartbroken after her husband’s shocking request for a separation just a year into their marriage, longs to escape the memories of last year’s perfect Christmas.

Can Lara help them rediscover joy, connection, and the true spirit of the season? 

A heartwarming journey filled with friendship, community, and a dash of holiday magic that promises to transform the lives of those in need of hope this Christmas.

My Review

If you are looking for the perfect Christmas read then you need look no further than this book. There is also a giveaway of a signed copy of the book at the bottom of this post.

I had not even realised that this was the third in the Christmas Spirit series until after I had finished reading this book. Needless to say, reading its predecessors is not necessary to your enjoyment of this book. Having said that, I enjoyed this one so much that I would like to go back and read both A Christmas Spirit and Return of the Christmas Spirit.

There was so much to love in this book. The characters, the plot and the setting all ooze with festiveness. The book is primarily based in a cafe called Sugar and Spice which is run by brother and sister, Jacob and Tabitha. It is the heart of the community and therefore, much of the story revolves around it. Indeed, it is every bit as important as the characters.

It was a quick and heartwarming book to read. I loved all of the characters, but Lara had to be my favourite. The daughter of single mum, Tabitha she is central to the story and also links us to her head teacher Fraser and to Bella, her teacher. 

It is such a warm and comforting book to read. I rarely give books of this genre five stars but this was well worthy of it. I found myself thinking of the characters when I was away from the book and had time permitted I would have gobbled it up in one sitting.

This is the first book I have read by Susan Buchanan. As well as the two books in the series which I have already mentioned, I would love to read more of her work too. I highly recommend this lovely book to read in the run up to Christmas. It would also make the perfect Christmas gift.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1915589026

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

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Waterstones

About the Author

Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship and community.

Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. 

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:

https://susanbuchananauthor.com/

Twitter / X

Instagram

Blue Sky

Giveaway

(just click the giveaway link to be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of A Little Christmas Spirit)

Giveaway to Win a Signed copy of The Christmas Spirit and bookmark (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter 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.

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

(all opinions are my own)

Dark Days at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi - #GuestPost #blogtour

Today I am welcoming Francesca Capaldi on the blog to talk about her new book, Dark Days at the Beach Hotel.

But first, a little about the book...

The Blurb

Can she save the hotel... and her reputation?

Helen Bygrove is managing the hotel, now that her husband has been conscripted. Against all expectations, Helen and her team are doing marvellously, despite the shortages brought by war. Even the exacting Lady Blackmore agrees. But then the calm is shattered when poison pen letters are sent to prominent townsfolk and Helen finds herself the target of a police investigation. Is someone trying to ruin Helen, and the Beach Hotel? And can she rely on the handsome but taciturn Inspector Toshack to help her? When her husband, Douglas, is invalided out of the war he is determined to take back control of the hotel and things go from bad to worse.

How can she ever escape his bullying? Is she a fool to hope that she may have a second chance at love?

***

Welcome Francesca. It's lovely to have you on the blog today.

When I started writing the timeline and ideas for Dark Days at the Beach Hotel, set in Littlehampton in World War One, I knew that I wanted it to be manageress Helen Bygrove’s story. Things were about to become a little darker at the hotel, not least of all because of Helen’s rather boorish and bossy husband, Douglas, who is the manager and owner of the hotel. Although the hotel really existed, all the characters in the Beach Hotel books are fictional (though there is the odd mention of living people).

Just before I embarked on planning this story, I read an intriguing book called The Littlehampton Libels, by Christopher Hilliard, which sets out a real-life story of libellous letters and wrongful arrests in the early 1920s. I started reading it for its period detail of the town, but it soon occurred to me that libellous letters would be a wonderful idea for the book, causing trouble and misdirections.

Although part of my storyline was inspired by this real-life case, it has nothing of the original story in it. The Beach Hotel was certainly never involved, although the real-life perpetrators and victims lived only two streets away from the Beach Hotel, which sat on the common between the promenade road and the beach.

Strangely enough, a couple of weeks ago I discovered that a film’s been made, based on The Littlehampton Libels, starring Olivia Colman, called Wicked Little Letters, due to be released a few days after Dark Days at the Beach Hotel. I’ll be interested to see what they’ve made of it.

My books are categorised as sagas, or historical romance, and this is the first time I’ve included so much crime in one of them, but it was rather fun to write. I loved the idea of putting the main character into what seemed like an impossible situation and getting the staff together to try to solve it. This might be because I’m a fan of programmes like Father Brown and books like the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries by Julie Wassmer and Agatha Christie’s novels, where ordinary people get to solve the crimes. And I’ve always loved writing the parts of the ‘baddies’ in my books.

I’ve just finished watching series 2 of The Traitors on TV, and it struck me how similar it seemed to this kind of novel. In a way, the baddies are the ‘traitors’, trying to fool people into thinking they’re ‘faithfuls’, while some of the faithfuls are trying to prove they’re not traitors, and the rest of the faithfuls are trying to work out who the traitors are. It’s like the staff at the Beach Hotel sitting around the table in the staff dining room, discussing their theories, and the guilty people accusing others to deflect from themselves. 

Sometimes, as I’m planning a book, I wonder how I’m going to get my characters out of trouble, so it’s often as big a journey for me as for my readers. So, what will become of Helen and her faithful staff? Will the handsome Inspector Toshack go along with the evidence as it appears, or dig deeper to vindicate Helen? What will become of the traitorous antagonists? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to read the book… 

***

Thank you so much for being our guest on the blog today. It has been lovely to have you and the book looks amazing.

It is available as an e-book, audio and paperback, and is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

(all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

Lessons by Ian McEwan - #spotlight #promo #blogtour

 

The Blurb

While the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has descended, young Roland Baines's life is turned upside down. Stranded at boarding school, his vulnerability attracts his piano teacher, Miriam Cornell, leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade.

Twenty-five years later Roland's wife mysteriously vanishes, and he is left alone with their baby son. Her disappearance sparks a journey of discovery that will continue for decades, as Roland confronts the reality of his rootless existence and attempts to embrace the uncertainty - and freedom - of his future.

ISBN: 978 1529116311

Publisher:  Vintage

Formats:  e-book, paperback, audio

No. of Pages:  496 (paperback)

About the Author:

Ian McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of seventeen novels

and two short story collections. His first published work, a collection

of short stories, First Love, Last Rites, won the Somerset Maugham

Award. His novels include The Child in Time, which won the 1987

Whitbread Novel of the Year Award; The Cement Garden; Enduring

Love; Amsterdam, which won the 1998 Booker Prize; Atonement;

Saturday; On Chesil Beach; Solar; Sweet Tooth; The Children Act;

Nutshell; and Machines Like Me, which was a number-one bestseller. 

Atonement, Enduring Love, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach have all been adapted for the big screen.

The Hussar's Duty by Griffin Brady - #bookexcerpt #blogtour

 

I am delighted to be bringing you an excerpt as part of the blog tour for The Hussar's Duty by Griffin Brady. It is a standalone novel in The Winged Warrior Series. Enjoy!

The Blurb

Poland’s most valiant winged hussar is called to fight in a campaign ripe for disaster. But he must also protect those he loves from jackals waiting to pounce. How does he choose between duty and devotion when death is on the line?

When Sultan Osman II sends Poland's envoy packing, the Commonwealth must prepare for war against one of the largest armies the Ottomans have ever assembled. Tasked with repelling the invasion is Grand Hetman of the Crown Stanisław Żółkiewski, and he knows who to turn to: Jacek Dąbrowski, the Commonwealth’s most valiant Polish winged hussar.

Jacek has been idle far too long, and the call to arms is a sirens song he can’t resist. But he has built a life far from the battlefield with his wife, Oliwia, and their children. If he pursues his quest for glory, who will safeguard them? Oliwia knows her husband is restless. In fact, she’s been sending Jacek on cross-country errands for years in the hopes of quelling his lust for battle. When she realizes her efforts are futile, she resolves herself to letting him go — after hatching a scheme to accompany him.

Honor. Obligation. Devotion. These forces push and pull Jacek in different directions. His country needs him, but so does his family. Where does his duty lie? His choice will cause catastrophic ripples no matter which path he follows ... and could very well bring the loss of his loved ones or his life.

Will the cost of defending king and country prove too steep for this warrior?

ISBN:  979 8985328363

Publisher:  Trefoil Publishing

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  538

The Excerpt

Unable to sleep, Jacek was up before dawn lightened the horizon and made his way to the

makeshift stable. Jarosława lifted her majestic gray head. Stroking her nose, he nuzzled her cheek. “You and I together once more, old girl.” He was loath to take her into battle, but Heban would get them killed, and his other horses were not trained for war. If he was to live out the day, he needed a mount he could rely on. Only Jarosława would do.

Next he went in search of a priest to hear his confession and found himself in a line of soldiers with the same thought. He held in an ironic chuckle. Only before men were to take the battlefield against their enemies would one find a line of soldiers ready to confess their sins.

Later, he was among the same soldiers attending Mass in the open air. As the gathering broke up, he asked Henryk if he had been shriven. Henryk snorted. “No. It would take far too long and keep others from being absolved who deserve it far more than I.”

At noon, the sky was bright and calm—preternaturally peaceful despite the drummers and trumpeters—as the troops began filing into formation. Watching his lord-brothers as they took their positions always swelled his chest with pride. Surely the Commonwealth’s best stock were right before him, their backs straight and strong, their jaws set in determination, their grip on their kopie firm. Hussar wings rose from their armor backplates or their cantles, and they rustled ominously in the breeze.

The mystery of his own misplaced wings had not resolved, and he felt their loss upon his back, as though he were without armor and exposed.

He looked out over a sea of crimson and feathers and darkly glinting armor amid flags and banners of the Crown army. And he was part of their majesty as he stood behind them, ready to command.

 He glanced behind him, seeking out Filip. When he didn’t spy him behind the rampart and the line of infantry, he darted his eyes toward Rogowski’s regiment on his right, where it was positioned at the rear of the rolling stock with the Moldavians. His gaze found Wronski, whose face held no smirk. It was pure ferocity, like a snarling panther waiting to be let out of its cage, and strangely, Jacek was comforted.

As he surveyed the rolling stocks, the regiments between, and the field beyond where the enemy forces lay in wait, Jacek was overwhelmed by an odd sensation: Here were the most powerful warriors on both sides, lining up to kill and be killed. A scene that would soon devolve into bloody chaos was eerily orderly at the midway point of this otherwise ordinary September day.

Why?

Was fighting for one’s country and basking in the honor that came with it worth theheartache it cost in exchange?

A soldier’s gasp of “Look at them all!” pulled him from his thoughts. He took stock of the spread of the enemy.

Spirit of God! So many!

Banners snapping in the wind announced not only Iskender Pasha’s force but Kantymir Murza’s Tatars, as well as others swelling their ranks.

Dear God, how will we defeat them?

No, he must not think it. How many times had he and his lord - brothers been thusly arrayed against a force far larger than their own, and how many times had they emerged victorious? Many times.

He had been younger then. Brasher. Fearless. Seduced by wearing the wings. Without the loves that now pinned his heart, he had been resolved to die for God and country, draped in glory. God had chosen to spare him, and Jacek prayed he would do so again.

Jarosława, bedecked in her silver and turquoise, shook her head and jangled.

We will prevail.

Jacek sought out the hetmans, gilded and proud, their bearded chins held high. Then came the signal: first a motion of Hetman Żółkiewski’s buława, followed by a blare of the trumpet and a roll of the drum that matched the thundering in his chest.

Blood whooshing through his head, he raised his sabre and shouted, “Remember Kłuszyn!”

***

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon AU

Amazon CA

The Writer's Guide to Obscurity by John Steinberg & Illustrated by Fiona Wilson - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Since time immemorial, man has found writing an uphill struggle so one might reasonably ask: why bother going to all that effort?

Yet one day it must have suddenly dawned on an enlightened individual that there had to be better ways to communicate than the traditional method of relying upon physical force to get one's point across. This individual was called Norman...

***

Norman was born to write, but doesn't know his destiny is written in his DNA, inherited from generations of earlier Normans who yearned to put pen to paper - once those items had been invented! Yet with nothing to show for all his literary endeavours and struggling to pay the rent, he tells himself there must be easier ways of making a living. It's only when

Norman discovers his descent from a long line of wordsmiths who'd experienced many of the same setbacks as himself yet had found the resolve to keep on going, that he wants to know:

'What was their secret?'

The Writer's Guide to Obscurity is an illustrated record of Norman's research into his vast family tree, sharing with us his predecessors' trials, triumphs and absolute catastrophes through the centuries, before bringing us back to Norman today - and the twist in his own tale.

***

This short book was a humourous look at the life and frustrations of a writer. Told from the perspective of a man called Norman, it covers the period of Ancient Norman from 4500 BCE right through to Modern Day Norman which covers the period from 1900 until the present day.

I liked the quirky illustrations of the time line at the beginning of the book, taking us through eight generations of Norman. In fact, Fiona Wilson has done a great job with illustrating this book, and they really add something to this short volume.

It is both witty and original, and I do not think I have ever read anything quite like it before.

ISBN: 978 1914083747

Publisher:  2QT Ltd

Formats: Paperback

No. of Pages:  44

About the Author:

Born and raised in North London in 1952, John still lives in the city with his wife and three children. Privately educated, John left school after ‘A’ levels and completed a business diploma in what is now the University of Westminster, before entering banking.

He started training as an accountant but did not complete the course, choosing a position in his family’s furniture manufacturing business instead. John started his own mergers and acquisitions business in 1987, which he ran for almost 20 years before quitting to become a full time writer in 2007.

John has co-written and produced comedies for the stage and has created a series of books for children.

“Previously, I had only been interested in comedy and finally started to write down the things I said or thought of. That led me to co-write and produce a play, In the Balance, and then W for Banker – which appeared at the New End Theatre, Hampstead. It was then I decided to quit the world of business in favour of writing full-time, and move toward more serious subjects. My first novel has taken two years to write and is the first in a series of books I am calling the ‘Steinberg Stories’.”

The Rose of Florence by Angela M. Sims - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Summer in the Tuscan mountains. The haze of dry, dusty soil and the smell of thyme and rosemary hung heavily in the air. The sky above was approaching that magical mix between the gold of the setting sun and the first blue of the approaching night, giving the rooftops of the surrounding farms a fiery glow. A lone buzzard circled in search of an evening kill. Beneath its beady eye, a dormouse scuttled into the undergrowth and survived another day.

Fiesole, the small town on the hillside overlooking the bustling city of Florence, breathed a soft sigh as it began to rest in the early evening. The farmers and shepherds had returned home from the fields. Wealthy businessmen and noble families rested in their summer villas, enjoying the cool breeze from the mountains, so different from the hot, dry, foul air of the city...

***

1478: Gianetta and Matteo have a happy life, working in service to the wealthy Rosini family. They are used to entertaining rich and powerful members of Florentine society in Palazzo Rosini, where Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici and Botticelli are regular visitors. Even when the Medici brothers narrowly escape the Palazzo with their lives (an accident, surely?), Gianetta and Matteocan’t imagine that the growing unrest in the streets of Florence would everspoil their happiness.

When a bloody conspiracy erupts in the heart of Florence, in the city’s beloved Duomo, nobody is left unaffected by the aftermath. When the family hear that Matteo is among the conspirators, Gianetta knows that her life will never be the same.

***

The author's descriptions of Florence, where the book is set, are divine. She vividly depicts them and enables the reader to feel as though they were there.

It was interesting that this book is based on historical fact and Ms. Sims the events and period in a way that makes it feel very authentic. She has clearly conducted extensive research and it was no surprise to read that she has a particular interest in Italy during the Renaissance period.

She has created a wonderful cast of characters, and Gianetta made a wonderful leading lady in this story. However, the secondary characters are equally believable and easy to engage with.

The book has been divided into and compared with the courses of an Italian meal, and littered with recipes which all sound wonderful. I liked this unique method of presenting her prose and it was very successful, making this book a must not just for historical fiction fans but for food lovers too.  I cannot wait to try baking, Torta della Nonna, which translates as Grandma's Cake, which is presented as one of the final courses/sections of the book.

It crosses over many genres and is so much more than a historical romance. There is murder and bloodshed, poisoning and intrigue and all based around a delightful love story.

I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.

ISBN: 9781739117306

Publisher: Romaunce Books

Formats:  e-book and hardback

No. of Pages:  276 (hardback)

Support Independent Bookshops - Buy from Bookshop.org *

About the Author:

Angela’s background is in healthcare, and she has been a university lecturer since 2010. Her writing experience was limited to a master’s dissertation, purely academic, but the research skills she learned during that process were soon used in researching her favourite topic, the Italian Renaissance. It didn’t take long before the seeds of a story began to germinate, and The Rose of Florence, her debut novel blossomed.

Support Independent Bookshops - Buy from Bookshop.org *

(book, photo and author info courtesy of Random Things Tours)

*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.

Twisted Bond by Katlyn DeRouen - #CoverReveal

 I am delighted to be bringing you this cover reveal today, and what a lovely cover it is. It is the first part in the Twisted Series and is due for publication in October.

The Blurb

Three Girls.

Three Lives.

One Bond.

After almost a decade apart, Cammie, Hannah, and Sabina never expected their paths to cross again so suddenly. But when Cammie is plagued by memories of a person she has never met, she has no choice but to reach out to thefriends she lost touch with years ago.

A charismatic stranger—by the name of Caelan—claims he holds the answers to her mounting list of questions.Instead, Cammie winds up in a comatose state. With Caelan’s help, Sabina races against time to find the man inCammie’s memories who holds the key to an unseen world… before her friend is lost within her own mind forever.

Meanwhile, Hannah finds herself fighting for her life after being thrust into the middle of a war between beingsrumored to be myth. In the midst of the chaos, one element holds true… fate pulled them back together for a reason.

Will the trio uncover the truth they seek? Or run from an answer they fear will shatter their world as they know it?

About the Author:

Katlyn DeRouen is a multi-genre author who dabbles in science fiction, fantasy, and romance. Driven by her love of the written word, she penned her debut book of poetry in 2019, which received an outpouring of glowing reviews.

Encouraged by the support of her readers, she allowed her imagination to take her to the stars and back with countless new engaging characters and compelling novels. She lives in Kansas with her husband and two fur babies where she can always be found getting lost in a story.

Preorder link - Amazon US

The Viscount's Daring Miss by Lotte R. James - #bookreview #blogtour

 

If Lady Rothwakes had been here to witness her eavesdropping, Bobby would've had to write a lengthy and thorough dissertation on the importance of good manners. Only, Her Ladyship was not here to witness such vulgar, ill-mannered behaviour. She had been gone a long time now, so this, like so much else Bobby did that the lady might've objected to, would go unpunished.

Not that it felt that way to Bobby. Twelve years since the best woman in the world had died, and still, it felt as if she was there, waiting around a corner to call her to tea, or reprimand her for things like eavesdropping. Feeling her presence contantly, particularly in the house, was something which was both reassuring, and painful...

***

May the best Viscount or Miss…

…win!

When her best friend and employer is injured, groom Roberta ‘Bobby’ Kingsley feels compelled to help him. She agrees to step into the saddle and compete in an endurance horse race to help secure his ancestral home. Yet the minute Bobby comes face to face with her opponent—arrogant yet infuriatingly charismatic Lawrence, Viscount Hayes—it’s clear that it won’t just be the competition that has her heart racing!

***

I am new to both this author and publisher imprint and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a wonderful bit of escapism and was perfect yesterday when the weather dictated that I curl up on the sofa with a good book.

The main character, Bobby, is feisty, determined and self assured. She is not the average 19th century woman and some of her values were very twenty-first century. 

Speaking as a history graduate, its paucity of correct period attitude would usually have bothered me. However, with Bobby I did not care. I was rooting for her all the way. She is the daughter of a blacksmith who was raised as the ward of Lord and Lady Rothwakes. She struggles with her place in the world and prefers to spend her nights sleeping on a bed of hay with the horses.

It is the story of a horse race and a budding romance, and I very much wanted her to succeed on both counts.

The chemistry between Bobby and Lawrence was unmistakable, and the author did a good job in bringing this to life. The book is rather racy at times and if you are a reader who prefers the more intimate scenes in a book to conclude with the closing of the bedroom door, this may not be the book for you. However, it is not gratuitous in its descriptions of the intimate side of their relationship but served to highlight the significant attraction between them.

Setting this book in the beauty of the English countryside added a further dimension to its atmosphere. 

The enemies to lovers trope is not an original one, but Ms. James did a great job in bringing all the elements of this book together. It was a captivating story, and I enjoyed it very much. 

ISBN:  978 0263305135

Publisher:  Harlequin Historical

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  282 (paperback)

About the Author:

Lotte James trained as an actor and theatre director, but spent most of her life working day jobs crunching numbers whilst dreaming up stories of love and adventure. She’s thrilled to finally be writing those stories, and when she's not scribbling on tiny pieces of paper, she can usually be found wandering the countryside for inspiration, or nestling with coffee and a book.

(book, photos and bio info all courtesy of the blog tour host, Rachel's Random Resources)

Birthright by Charles Lambert - #bookreview #blogtour

 

She is washing the feel of the evening's cooking from her hands when Aldo calls her into the living room. She wipes her hands on a tea towel, picks up her tray and joins him on the sofa.

He is pointing at the screen. 'Isn't it remarkable?' he says. She looks across and sees a photograph of a girl with a fringe almost covering her eyes and the kind of blue-and-white-striped sweater she thinks of as Breton. The photograph has that deckled edge that photographs used to have and is set at an angle, which accentuates its vintage air.

'I don't know what you mean.' Her fingers grip the tray. For a second she thinks she might faint.

Aldo pours her a glass of wine. 'Come on, Liz, don't tell me you can't see the likeness.'

***

Sixteen-year-old Fiona inhabits a privileged world of English affluence, though her relationship with her widowed mother is strained. When she discovers an old newspaper clipping of a woman and her daughter – the little girl a mirror image of her own younger self – she becomes convinced she has a true family elsewhere. Four years later, with the help of charming fraudster Patrick, Fiona drops everything to seek out her doppelgänger in Italy.

Fiona arrives in Rome to find Maddy living hand to mouth with her alcoholic mother. Spooked by the appearance of this strange girl wearing her face and stalking her every move, Maddy wants nothing to do with her. Caught in a surreal push-and-pull, the two are both fascinated and repulsed by the oddly familiar other, each coveting a different life. But they aren’t the only ones trying to control their fate, and the two women will soon learn that people aren’t always what they seem – though blood may still prove thicker than water.

***

This is an excellent book, and I enjoyed reading it very much. As a psychological thriller it hits its target perfectly and kept me gripped throughout. In fact, the more I read, the more I wondered in which direction the author would take the story.

When Fiona travels to Italy to meet her doppelganger, Maddy, she attempts to insert herself into Maddy's life in a way that alarms Maddy and makes her very wary. The book is primarily about the chemistry and evolving relationship between these two characters, and I was fascinated by it. I could identify with the different feelings of both of them but then my sympathies would alternate between the two. It made for an enthralling and intense read.

I enjoyed the Italian setting and it made for the perfect backdrop to the drama and complex relationships, not only between Fiona and Maddy, but for the secondary characters also.

It is an intense read that has been written with intelligence and cleverness. It has left me wanting to read more of Mr. Lambert's work. I highly recommend this remarkable novel.

ISBN:  978 1913547288

Publisher: Gallic Books

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  407

About the Author:

Charles Lambert is the author of several novels, short stories, and the memoir With a Zero at its Heart, which was voted one of The Guardian readers’ Ten Best Books of the Year in 2014.

In 2007, he won an O. Henry Award for his short story The Scent of Cinnamon. His first novel, Little Monsters, was longlisted for the 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His novel Prodigal was shortlisted for the Polari Prize for LGBTQ writing in 2019. Born in England, Charles Lambert has lived in central Italy since 1980.

(author photo and bio. info. and book courtesy of the publisher)