Left on the Shelf

About the Author

Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of historical fiction. He lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the lives of the early Tudors.

As well as his Elizabethan series, Tony’s historical fiction novels include the best-selling Tudor trilogy and his Elizabethan series.

You can also find Tony at:

Author's Writing Blog

Author Podcast

James I, The King Who United Scotland and England by Keith Coleman

My Other Blog Posts Set During the Stuart Era

Charles II's Portuguese Queen: The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza by Susan Abernethy

The Lady of the Tower by Elizabeth St. John

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 20 July 2026

If I Could Be With You by M.W. Arnold - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am so pleased to be shining the spotlight on this book today. If I Could Be With You by M.W. Arnold is a story of strong female friendship set during World War Two.

The Blurb

May 1944, it's the build-up to D-Day, for which the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club are busy delivering the aircraft sorely needed, and the search goes on for a Nazi spy, who has information which cannot be allowed to get into the enemies hands.

For one of the girls, her husband in badly burned after his Mosquito is shot down, bringing the war closer to home than it's ever been before.

With danger at every corner, the girls unbreakable bond is put to the test like never before. Through it all, they stand firm, taking all the war can throw at them, before daring it to try again.

Book Details

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

Formats: e-book

No. of Pages: 341

Series: Book 7 in the Broken Wings series

Purchase Links

About the Author

Mick is a hopeless romantic who was born in England and spent fifteen years roaming around the world in the pay of the late HM Queen Elizabeth II in the Royal Air Force, before putting down roots and realising how much he missed the travel. This, he’s replaced somewhat with his writing, including reviewing books and supporting fellow saga and romance authors in promoting their novels.

He’s the proud keeper of two Romanian Were-Cats bent on world domination, is mad on the music of the Beach Boys, and enjoys the theatre and humouring his Manchester United-supporting wife. (Please don't mention this last to her!)

You can also find Mick at:

You Tube

My Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author

Time Waits for No One

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 12 June 2026

A Wish for Beth by Audrey Davis - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am thrilled to be shining the spotlight on this book today, A Wish for Beth by Audrey Davis.

It is a heartwarming paranormal cosy romance set in a small Scottish village, featuring a flamboyant genie, three unexpected wishes, and a second chance at love after loss.

The Blurb

Love, second chances, and a dash of magic… what could possibly go wrong?

Beth Calder’s life so far:

Marriage falling apart? Check.Heartbreak she can’t quite move past? Check.Fresh start in a quiet Scottish village? Check.Discovering a genie inside a pinball machine? That’s new.

Arriving in Cranley is meant to be Beth’s chance to begin again. A job as head chef at The Jekyll and Hyde pub, a cosy place to call home, and a village that doesn’t ask too many questions feel like exactly what she needs. Romance is firmly off the table.

That becomes harder to hold onto when she meets Kieran, a thoughtful and quietly charming tech developer who understands more than she expects. It becomes even harder when the pub’s dusty basement reveals a glitter-loving genie with a habit of interfering and a belief that Beth’s story isn’t over yet.

With three wishes she doesn’t quite trust and a heart still holding onto the past, Beth must decide whether to keep playing it safe or risk everything for a chance at something new.

In Cranley, even the most unexpected kind of magic can help you find your way forward.

A Wish for Beth is Book 4 in the Cranley Wishes series. Perfect for readers who love small-town charm, gentle paranormal romance, and uplifting second-chance love stories filled with warmth, hope, and a touch of magic.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1036733957

Publisher: Vinci Books

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 336 (paperback)

Series: Book 4 in the Cranley Wishes series

Purchase Links

About the Author

Audrey Davis is the bestselling author of sparkling romantic comedies that blend warmth, wit and just a touch of mischief.

She burst onto the scene with A Clean Sweep and its prequel A Clean Break, before bewitching readers with her ghostly romcom The Haunting of Hattie Hastings, first published as a trilogy and later as a standalone novel.

Her feel-good Cranley Wishes series began with A Wish for Jinnie and went on to delight fans with A Wish for Jo and A Wish for Wilma. Along the way, she also delivered the laugh-out-loud Lost in Translation (2021). Her latest standalone, The Lexicon of Love, charmed readers in September 2025.

Originally from the UK but now settled in Switzerland with her husband, Audrey divides her time between writing, shopping, cooking, and indulging her love of red wine. She’s a voracious reader, a keen storyteller, and never fails to get a little giddy when readers reach out.

You can also find Audrey at:

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 5 June 2026

Daughter of Mercia by Julia Ibbotson - #bookspotlight #bookpromo #blogtour #bookbirthday

I am so pleased to be taking part in the book birthday blitz for this book, Daughter of Mercia by author, Julia Ibbotson

The Blurb

Echoes of the past resonate across the centuries as Dr Anna Petersen, a medievalist and runologist, is struggling with past trauma and allowing herself to trust again. When archaeologist (and Anna's old adversary) Professor Matt Beacham unearths a 6th century seax with a mysterious runic inscription, and reluctantly approaches Anna for help, a chain of events brings the past firmly back into her present. And why does the burial site also contain two sets of bones, one 6th century and the other modern?

As the past and present intermingle alarmingly, Anna and Matt need to work together to solve the mystery of the seax runes and the seemingly impossible burial, and to discover the truth about the past. Tensions rise and sparks fly between Anna and Matt. But how is 6th century Lady Mildryth of Mercia connected to Anna? Can they both be the Daughter of Mercia?

For fans of Barbara Erskine, Elena Collins, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley and Christina Courtenay.

Book Details

ISBN: 9781739887780

Publisher: Archbury Books

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

No. of Pages: 301 (paperback)

Series: Book 1 in the Dr Anna Petersen Mysteries

Purchase Links

About the Author

Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of time. She is the author of historical mysteries with a frisson of romance. Her books are evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners. Her current series focuses on early medieval time-slip/dual-time mysteries.

Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language / literature / history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher. Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s.

She has published five other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. Her latest novel is the first of a new series of Anglo-Saxon dual-time mysteries, Daughter of Mercia, where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries.

Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘Julia’s books captured my imagination’, ‘beautiful story-telling’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘brilliant and fascinating’ and ‘I just couldn’t put it down’.

You can also find Julia at:

Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author

The Rune Stone

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

Thursday, 4 June 2026

To Find My Mother by Mary Wood - #bookspotlight #blog tour

Today I am shining the book spotlight on To Find My Mother by Mary Wood.

***

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.

***

The Blurb

A HARROWING AND YET UPLIFTING STORY OF SURVIVAL AND LOVE

Best friends Jana and Eva are carefree eight-year-olds in Prague-until Nazi occupation tears their lives apart.

As their mothers are taken away and the girls face the horrors of war, survival becomes all that matters

In Theresienstadt, two desperate women make unimaginable sacrifices to one day find their children.

But will love and hope be enough to help them reunite?

Book Details

ISBN: 979 8254419655

Publisher: Independently published

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 362 (paperback)

About the Author

Mary was brought up in Leicestershire where her family settled when she was six months old, Mary now lives in Blackpool with her beloved husband Roy. Their children have long flown the nest and are living happily with their partners and have extended Mary and Roy's happiness by giving them eight wonderful grandchildren, and umpteen great grandchildren, all of whom are a joy to them.

Mary began writing in the 1980's but didn't find success until she self-published on amazon in 2011. Soon after she was thrilled to be spotted by Pan Macmillan who have since published 24 of her books, including the bestselling Jam Factory Girls series. Her latest being ‘A Lasting Promise’ and ‘Her Hidden courage’.

Soon after being published by Pan Macmillan, Mary was approached by Sphere, a subsidiary of Little Brown Books. Joining them she wrote 12 novels under the pseudonym of Maggie Mason. Including the bestselling, The Half Penny Girls. Her latest Maggie Mason is: A Daughter's Dream, with one more to come in 2027 yet, untitled.

Mary has now come full circle and is returning to publishing herself with the help of her son, James Wood, as she now cares for her beloved husband and needs to set her own, achievable deadlines, but remains ever grateful to both of her publishers and for all they did for her.

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

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 29 May 2026

The Fatal Farandole by Ana T. Drew - #bookspotlight #blogtour #giveaway

Today I am shining the book spotlight on this lovely looking book. The Fatal Farandole by Ana T. Drew is a cozy mystery full of plot twists and small-town secrets. It’s perfect for fans of character-driven crime novels with emotional depth.

*If you would like to be in with a chance of winning a boxset of the three books in the Provence Mysteries Series you can enter at the end of this post (Open INT)

The Blurb

A beloved Provençal festival.

A murderous conspiracy.

A bullfighter who knows too much.

When two local chefs are killed within a week, shockwaves ripple through the region’s tight-knit culinary world.

Suspicion lands squarely on baker Julie Cavallo.

As whispers turn to accusations, her eccentric family closes ranks, and her loyal friends rally to her side.

But Julie’s running out of time. Her pastry shop is at risk. Her love life is unraveling. The gendarmes are tracking her every move. Julie can’t afford to wait for the official investigation to uncover the truth.Her instincts go into overdrive. Dots connect. Patterns appear…

Can Julie make it through this case, when asking the right questions has already gotten others killed?

Book Details

ISBN: 979 8198692329

Publisher: Independently published

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 334 (paperback)

Series: Part of the Julie Cavallo Investigates series

Purchase Links

About the Author

Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind a recent string of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc. A first-place winner of the Chanticleer MYSTERY & MAYHEM Awards, her books have been released in several languages, both independently and through traditional houses, including HarperCollins France and Straarup & Co.

When she’s not plotting mysteries, Ana can be found perfecting her low-carb cookie recipes or watching The Rookie to cope with the void left by Castle.

Ana lives in Paris with her husband and their dog, but her heart resides in Provence.

You can also find Ana at:

Giveaway

*Giveaway to win a boxset of the three books in the Provence Mysteries Series

(Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide 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.

ENTER HERE

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 22 May 2026

Beauty and the Brooding Viscount by Jeanine Englert - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am very happy to be shining the book spotlight on this book today. Beauty and the Brooding Viscount by Jeanine Englert is a Regency fairytale retelling with a grumpy sunshine romance.

The Blurb

To make her mark…She must find his match!It’s a tale as old as time: Lucas Worthing, a wealthy Viscount, is reluctantly obliged to find a high-society wife. Especially with a deathbed promise to his mother to fulfill! But the odds are stacked against battle-scarred Lucas when the gossip sheets persist in calling him the Beast of Barnett House. Enter the Cupid’s Arrow Agency…Matchmaking for reclusive Lucas won’t be easy, but plucky Ophelia Granger isn’t deterred by his imposing castle or gruff demeanor. If she can pull this off, her business stands a chance of success. Yet there’s nothing harder than finding a bride for the man you’re falling for yourself!

Book Details

ISBN: 978 0263418828

Publisher: Harlequin/Mills & Boon

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 336 (paperback)

Purchase Links

About the Author

Jeanine Englert’s love affair with mysteries and romance began with Nancy Drew, Murder She Wrote, and her Grandmother’s bookshelves full of romance novels. She is a VIVIAN®, Golden Heart®, and Romance Novelists Association Finalist as well as a Silver Falchion, Maggie, and Daphne du Maurier Award Winner in historical romance and mystery. She was also named the 2024 Georgia Author of the Year in romance for A Laird without a Past.

Her Scottish Highland historical, Regency historical, and historical mystery novels revolve around characters seeking self-acceptance and redemption. When she isn’t wrangling with her characters on the page, she can be found trying to convince her husband to watch her latest Masterpiece or BBC show obsession. She loves to talk about books, writing, her beloved rescue pups, as well as mysteries and romance with other readers.

You can also find Jeanine at:

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 18 May 2026

May Flowers at the Three Coins Inn by Kimberley Sullivan - #bookspotlight #blogtour

How enticing is the cover of this book? I'm delighted to be shining the spotlight on this book today. May Flowers at the Three Coins Inn by Kimberley Sullivan is part of the Three Coins series.

The Blurb

After a successful seasonal opening in April, friends Emma and Annarita are eager to welcome a new set of guests to their Umbrian inn during the full bloom of May.

Upstate New Yorker Lisa needs an escape from betrayal and the prying eyes of her smalltown neighbors. Elderly, reclusive artist Antonio hopes leaving Milan for a country sojourn will spark his long dormant creative muse. Manhattan socialite mother Sharon grudgingly embarks on a country holiday with her young son, Josh, with whom she shares few interests. Roman author Margherita prefers time spent alone, but her career may depend on a stay in bucolic Todi among fellow guests. And Emma and Annarita are anxious to embrace their close friend Tiffany on her brief stay in the heart of Umbria.

The swallows may have returned and colorful petals now dot the countryside, but will the inn’s atmosphere allow hurts to heal and friendships to blossom?

Book Details

ISBN: 979 8986884486

Publisher: Kimberley Sullivan

Formats: e-book and paperback (Until 31st May you can purchase May Flowers at the Three Coins Inn for a special release price of 99 cent/99 pence)

No. of Pages: 382 (paperback)

Series: Book 3 of 3 in the Three Coins series

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

About the Author

Kimberly is the award-winning writer of six novels and one short story collection. Kimberly is also the co-editor of two historical fiction anthologies in the Feisty Deeds series. She writes the women’s fiction stories she loves to read, both contemporary and historic tales of women and the rich lives they lead along their journeys of self-discovery. A lifetime admirer and longtime resident of Italy, Kimberly is often guilty of sneaking the bel paese into her stories.

You can also find Kimberley at:

You Tube

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Friday, 15 May 2026

Shorelines by Ruth Ennis - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am very pleased to be shining the spotlight on this book today. Shorelines by Ruth Ennis is a fantasy adventure written in verse and is aimed at a young adult audience.

The Blurb

When proud mermaid Muireann flees her climate-ravaged ocean in search of hope on land, she confronts human cruelty and body-shaming as she struggles to find her true home and voice. Caught between a dying ocean and a divided world, she must grapple between the sea that made her and the surface that might break her – in this stunning verse novel that reimagines The Little Mermaid.

Muireann is a mermaid – fierce, curious and proud of the body that keeps her warm beneath the waves. But life in the ocean is becoming impossible. The merfolk are at war with the human ramifications of climate change: food is scarce, and her twin sister has been killed in a mass-fishing net. With her mother lost in grief and her world falling apart, Muireann longs to escape to the surface to find some answers. But the human world isn’t the haven she hoped for. It’s colder, crueller – and here, her large body is seen not as strength, but as something to be ashamed of.

In this beautiful novel-in-verse, Muireann must find her voice and fight for where she belongs – whether that be beneath the waves, or above them.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1915071989

Publisher: Little Island

Formats: (e-book for preorder) and paperback

No. of Pages: 280 (paperback)

Purchase Links

About the Author

Ruth Ennis (she/they) is a writer from Kildare, Ireland. She has a B.A. in English with Drama from University College Dublin and an M.Phil. in Children’s Literature from Trinity College Dublin. She has written poetry, short stories, and essays for several publications. Her work has been published in The Irish Writer’s Handbook (Books Ireland) and I Am The Wind (Little Island). She usually is working with books in some capacity.

Ruth’s debut novel Shorelines (Little Island, Feb 2026) is a young adult verse novel retelling of The Little Mermaid, told through the lens of a fat protagonist.

Ruth is represented by Alice Williams Literary: Children’s Books Agency.

Ruth is the Emerging Writer in Residence in dlr LexIcon from September 2025 to June 2026. They are working alongside Eve McDonnell as the Established Writer in Residence.

Ruth was a Young Writer Delegate with The Irish Writers Centre for the International Literature Festival Dublin in 2019 and was selected for the Words Ireland Mentorship Programme in 2020. She was awarded two grants from the Arts Council Ireland; a Literature Bursary in 2021 and an Agility Award in 2022. Ruth was selected to take part in the Stinging Fly Summer School Poetry Programme in 2025.

Ruth regularly reviews children’s and young adult books on various platforms. Her main reviews can be found on the Books Ireland Magazine website. She occasionally reviews titles for Children’s Books Ireland and is a Book Doctor for CBI. She also posts informal reviews on her social media accounts (@rurooie).

In collaboration with the Discover Irish Kids Books campaign, Ruth runs the Discover Irish Children’s Books Challenge every October since 2023. This is a social media challenge where participants are encouraged to share a book by Irish / Ireland-based authors and illustrators in response to a daily prompt.

You can also find Ruth at:

(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 30 March 2026

Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant - #bookspotlight #blogtour

Today I am shining the book spotlight on Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant. Miss Bennet’s Dragon is the 10th place BBNYA 2025 finalist!

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

The Blurb

War threatens England, but Elizabeth Bennet’s battles are closer to home. She’s managing the family estate for her ailing father. Insufferable gentlemen keep bursting in to propose marriage. And most dangerous of all, she’s hiding a forbidden skill. Elizabeth can speak to draca, the small, fire-breathing dragons kept by gentry as frivolous status symbols.

When Napoleon’s spies attempt to steal draca, the distant war threatens even cozy Hertfordshire. Elizabeth seeks the aid of Mr. Darcy, the proud man whose proposal she once scorned. Amid the breathtaking halls of Pemberley, she discovers the truth: she is not the first woman to speak with draca. But with her secret revealed, the dark history of Pemberley tears her and Mr. Darcy apart.

One hope remains: her dangerous affinity to draca. But does she dare to trust legends and lost songs? And when a terrible betrayal threatens the man she loves, does she have a choice?

Miss Bennet’s Dragon is the first book in the award-winning Jane Austen Fantasy trilogy. For fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and of course Jane Austen.

Book Details

ISBN: 978-1736662915

Publisher: Acerbic Press

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

No. of Pages: 372 (paperback)

Series: Book 1 in the Jane Austen Fantasy series

Purchase Links

Amazon CA

About the Author

M. Verant writes noblebright fantasy and sci-fi that’s exciting, romantic, and celebrates diversity and empowerment. His latest work is Emma’s Dragon, book 2 in the award-winning Jane Austen Fantasy series. Dragons of the Great Wyves, book 3 of the trilogy, is next, followed by Tiger Seed, a contemporary fantasy rooted in ancient Indus history. He collects Jane Austen paraphernalia and two-legged dragons while dodging wild turkeys in the San Francisco Bay Area.

You can also find him at:

(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 27 March 2026

Like Me by Katharine Light - #bookspotlight #blogtour

Today I am shining the spotlight on Like Me by Katharine Light. It's a novel about second chances with a teenage crush later in life.

The Blurb

When exhausted single-mum Jess returns to Manchester for her twenty-year school reunion, she’s hoping for nothing more than a well-deserved break from reality. What she’s not expecting is to bump into her secret teenage crush, hot single-dad Sam, or to remember quite how much they have in common.

But they live so far apart, their kids aren’t always easy, and there are events in their shared past it’s best not to revisit. Surely the idea of a future together is just a crazy dream in their messy, adult lives?

Though when Sam invites Jess to accompany him to a mutual friend’s high-profile wedding, the years they spent apart once again melt away. What will it take for them to be together? Can they use their second chance to finally get it right?

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1739578008

Publisher: Katharine Light

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

No. of Pages: 371 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Vinted

About the Author

Katharine Light was born in Glasgow and lived there until her family moved to Manchester when she was ten. While in her teens, she began writing stories for her younger sister Emma. These mostly centred around a naïve heroine and a 1980s pop star (some would say the hero was modelled on John Taylor of Duran Duran).

She did a degree in psychology at University College London, and after a year travelling, worked in corporate film production for several years, before taking a break to raise her children.

For many years she wrote mainly during the holidays, around her busy work for a local church.

Her first novel Like Me, published in 2023, was shortlisted for The Selfies Book Awards 2024. Her short story My Arms are Empty which is based on an episode from her second novel Me Too recently won the City University competition City Writes.

She is a director of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with responsibility for organising their conferences, gatherings and awards ceremonies.

Katharine lives in London with her husband and quite often at least one of their adult children. She loves singing, walking, painting, looking at art, and going to the theatre.

You can also find Katharine at:

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

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 20 March 2026

A Perfect Devon Manor by Debbie Morrison - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am thrilled to be shining the spotlight on this book today. A Perfect Devon Manor by Debbie Morrison is a heartwarming romance filled with love and secrets set in a charming seaside village.

The Blurb

What if becoming the perfect wife meant losing the woman you used to be?

Christina Pemberton – born plain Tina Miller – may be a skilled restorer of antique silver, but to her husband’s old-money family, she is still tarnished goods. They won’t quite let her in to their rarified world, and it's tearing her marriage apart.

Desperate to prove herself worthy, Christina makes a decision that weighs heavily on her conscience. But then a secret from her past threatens to resurface, and Christina faces an impossible choice between the world she aspires to join, and the life that shaped her.

This is a warm, gripping tale of family, legacy, love, and second chances, set in a beautiful house on the rugged North Devon coast, perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Tilly Tennant, and Sue Moorcroft. A Perfect Devon Manor is a warm, emotionally satisfying midlife romance set in an enchanting Devon manor. Expect a marriage in trouble, self-rediscovery, second chances, and falling in love again, with high-stakes family drama, village intrigue, a glimpse into the rarified world of antique silver restoration, and a life-affirming happily ever after.

Book Details

ISBN: 978-1068445620

Publisher: Prosperina Press

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

No. of Pages: 376 (paperback)

Series: Part of the Brambleton series

Purchase Links

About the Author

Hi! I’m Debbie. Once upon a time, I was a perfectly respectable London professional – a chartered accountant with a law degree, a Blackberry (remember those?), and too many sensible shoes. Then common sense prevailed, romance called, and I swapped London’s Zone One for Devon’s Zero Signal.

These days, I know the real price of life’s essentials: a good haircut, a great friend, and the joy of a proper night’s sleep. I write love stories for grown-ups – warm, witty, stuffed with second chances and the kind of relationships where affection and exasperation create irresistible chemistry – for better for worse.

I divide my days between the page, the garden and long walks along the Devon coast – usually accompanied by two determined dogs with strong opinions about pacing and biscuit breaks.

You can also find Debbie at:

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Tuesday, 24 February 2026

The Green Baize Door by Eleanor Birney - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I'm so pleased to be shining the spotlight on this book today. The Green Baize Door by Eleanor Birney is a historical mystery book which was inspired by real life events.

The Blurb

An atmospheric historical mystery where every character has their own agenda, and their own truth.

In the fashionable mansions on Chestnut Hill, a simple green baize door separates the masters’ world from the servants’. That door is thrown wide when an elderly housekeeper is found brutally murdered on the first day of the new century. Marie Chevalier, the housekeeper’s poor but ambitious granddaughter, and James Lett, the mansion owner’s kind but indolent son, suspect the killer is connected to one of their families—but which one?

From drawing rooms to alleyways, their separate investigations lead them through the sometimes lavish, sometimes brutal, landscape of turn-of-the-century New England. When long-buried secrets begin to unravel the fragile threads that hold both households together, Marie and James must find a way to bridge the gulf between them—if only to prove that the murderer belongs not to their own world, but to that strange and foreign land on the other side of the green baize door.

Inspired by real-life events, The Green Baize Door is a richly layered historical mystery that explores themes of class identity, family loyalty, and the sometimes blurry line between virtue and vice.

Book Details

ISBN: 979-8993431703

Publisher: Parlour & Dock Press

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 295 (paperback)

Purchase Links

About the Author

Eleanor Birney writes historical mysteries about class, moral ambiguity, and people who aren’t satisfied with life on their side of the green baize door.

She received a BA in History from UC Berkeley, and works as a legal research attorney, a day job that feeds her love of precision, research, and puzzles.

Growing up in foster care gave her a lifelong fascination with the way society steers people into assigned places—and how some of those people refuse to stay in them.

She lives in Northern California with her family. The Green Baize Door is her debut novel.

You can also find Eleanor at:

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 20 February 2026

A Gift of Words by Rosalind Dando - #bookspotlight #blogtour

A Gift of Words was the 14th place BBNYA 2025 finalist! I am delighted to be shining the spotlight on it today.

The Blurb

A magical gift is more trouble than it's worth...

Cam has plenty of things to worry about. His best friend might have broken someone’s fingers, the class bully won’t leave him alone, and staying under the radar of his teachers is much harder than it ought to be. He definitely doesn’t need magic to make his life any more complicated. Which is good, because when he does write his name in Libris Sapientia—the book of wisdom—a whole lot of nothing happens. He is a failure, and even a book agrees. Then, Loman Lykill joins their class, bringing a whole new brand of chaos to Highgrove Secondary. Cam has his magical gift, whether he wants it or not.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1919235219

Publisher: D&O Publishing

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

No. of Pages: 284 (paperback)

Series: Book 1 in The Gifts trilogy

Purchase Links

Amazon CA

About the Author

Rosalind Dando is an author, artist, and primary school teacher living in the north of England. She has written several novels, and her debut, A Gift of Words, is published in April 2024 by Shadow Spark Publishing.

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