Left on the Shelf

About the Author

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. A love of books is a common theme too, so her publisher, One More Chapter, has christened them the Bookish Escapes collection which currently includes The Dubrovnik Book Club, and The Santorini Writing Retreat, with The Croatian Island Library to be published in January 2026.

In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter, and a new beginnings novel entitled The Olive Grove. All are set in Croatia, a country she loves.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.

You can also find Eva at:

Facebook

The Croatian Library Cover Reveal

Bluesky

My Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author

The DuBrovnik Book Club - Book Review

(media courtesy of the author's website)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 17 August 2026

10 Ten Exciting New Release Books Coming in September 2026

The sweet little doggie in the photo above resonates with how excited I am about some of the new release books coming this month. Honestly, if it wasn't so hot I might well be leaping around excitedly myself!!

As always, I've limited myself to just ten. I hope you find something in this list that excites you too.

In This Life or Another by Melissa Payne

On the brink of death, a man comes to terms with the life he lived versus the one he never pursued in an emotionally rich novel of parallel lives, redemption, and finding purpose.

On the eve of his sixtieth birthday, mechanic Rusty Wilson takes a bullet to save the patrons of a small-town Colorado diner—and awakens to a strange realm between life and death.

However, he finds that this limbo is not the end. There are still choices to be made and a lifetime to review. Paths open for a man who believes the life he did live was one of disappointments, grief, and devastating family estrangements. Given a chance to experience an alternate reality, Rusty is visited by figures from his past and present, sees what could have been if he had pursued a woman he loved from afar, and confronts a family secret that shaped everything. Now it’s Rusty’s choice: accept the imperfect existence he knew, or the what-if that could still be his.

At the heart of this poignant exploration of mortality, memory, and second chances is the profoundly simple question: What makes a life truly meaningful?

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

The English Bookstore in Bologna by Boo Walker

Against the sunlit backdrop of Italy, five expats discover each other—and rediscover themselves—in a charmingly funny and poignant novel by the author of An Unfinished Story and A Spanish Sunrise.

Tucked away on a cobblestone street in enchanting Bologna, Italy, is the only English bookstore in the city. It’s owned by prickly Sandy Cooke, who keeps love, and even romantic fiction, at a distance. Her employee, timid and hopelessly optimistic Moira, dreams of transforming the struggling shop into a vibrant community hub. Against the odds, one Bolognese summer, it becomes a haven for fellow expats at their own crossroads.

Bianca is a psychotherapist escaping both a breakdown and withering reviews of her new self-help book. On her heels is her father, George, wrestling with retirement—and regrets. He’s had a few, but the light of his life has always been his daughter. Then there’s Harold, a young and awkward barista from Denver recovering from his first belly-flopping high dive into love. Maybe it’s time for reinvention.

At the only English bookstore in Bologna, paths converge for five damaged souls who discover that healing doesn’t require much—just honest connection and an open heart.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Under Story by Chloe Benjamin

At an isolated research station in Antarctica, biologist Laurel Salter washes dishes for a living ten hours a day, six days a week. She tells no one why she left her career, or why her marriage ended.

But even in this remote outpost, Laurel can't outrun her past. When a strange light appears across the ice and draws a group of physicists to McMurdo, her former husband, Eli, won't be far behind.

Laurel is captivated by the Arc: its surreal glow; the way it seems almost alive. And though Eli is reluctant to test her wildest theory, Laurel is convinced that the Arc leads down a rabbit hole and into a world they can barely imagine. Can she persuade him to risk everything to fix the burden that hangs between them - to turn back the clock and live their story a second time?

And this time, live it differently.

Once read, never forgotten, Under Story is a genre-defying exploration of the promise of this life, what might lie beyond it, and how far we would go for more time with the people we love.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

The Day Our Lives Collided by Laura Pearson

How do you know when you’ve met your soulmate?

It’s the first day of term, and the lives of three new university students are about to collide. They’re going to introduce each other to more friends too. People who will be in their lives forever.

They’re young when the weddings start. Tash and Adam seem destined for each other, only 22 but with a baby already on the way. Even when a chance remark from Adam’s best man about their other friend, Hayden, puts everything at risk.

By the time the second wedding comes around, everything’s changed. And even more by the third…

Because it turns out, our soulmates aren’t always who we think they’ll be. And life has a funny way of switching things around. Just when you least expect it.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Tell Two Friends by Ann Garvin

A wickedly funny and empowering thriller about women, the manipulators who underestimate them, and keeping your dignity while saving the day by the author of I Thought You Said This Would Work.

Jane Baye is a regular person, good at a lot of things, but identifying the serial killer right in front of her isn’t one of them.

In 1990, college senior Jane wrote to an incarcerated woman because it seemed like a nice thing to do. Thirty-six years later, that felon, actually a man, has moved in next door. He’s watching her every move, with a decades-long plan for Jane that a nice person like her would never see coming.

Especially because Jane is wrapped up in her own problems: a small-town golden boy with talk of forever and a diabolical history of cheating. When she exposes her ex, the entire town of Wonder Lake turns against her.

It’s no wonder she doesn’t see what’s coming on the night of the Norwegian heritage festival.

But woe to those who mistake Jane for a pushover. When celebration becomes a fight for survival, the very qualities that make her ordinary become the weapons she’ll bet everything on.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

The Library of Lost Stories by Eloise Williams

It’s Christmas 1976, Noni and her dad have no money left and the bailiffs are getting ready to take away their home. Noni thinks that fixing the mobile library might be the thing to bring a spark back to her dad’s eyes and get him back to work. But the library van is stuck on Mrs Williams’ driveway and, according to the stories, she’s probably a witch.

Noni needs the help of Becca, Gareth, Clare and stray dog Jones to get the job done. But can Noni learn to trust her new friends and get the van started before she loses her home?

An unforgettable, heartwarming novel and the perfect Christmas gift.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Heartbreak for the Irish Midwife by Seana Tinley

Belfast, 1939.

When World War Two is declared, Maisie Canavan is working as a newly-qualified midwife in Belfast's Royal Maternity Hospital, helping women and babies across the community - no matter what their families' background is. She's just moved back home from London after having her heart broken, but focusing on helping new life enter the world is enough to distract her thoughts, and she's determined not to let herself fall for someone again.

But as she works more and more with Dr Alex Lowe, Maisie is pulled in by his kind grey eyes and gentle heart. Maisie and Alex find themselves drawn together - but they come from opposite sides of the Irish political divide, and the world around them isn't ready to accept love between a Catholic and a Protestant. They have no choice but to keep their feelings a secret . . .

As bombs begin to rain on Belfast, and she sees Alex risking his life to care for the whole community, Maisie can't help but wonder why two people in love should be kept apart.

Can she find the strength to go against her own community for love - or will the dangers of war mean her heart is broken for a second time . . .

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Until the Last Day by Cynthia Ellingsen

The fate of two strangers becomes part of the heartbreaking history of a celebrated painting in a novel of suspense and forbidden love by the bestselling author of The Lost Letters of Aisling.

The historic art gallery Hatterfield House symbolizes hope for cancer survivor Hannah Caddell. Like the art she painstakingly restores, Hannah needs to be brought back to life herself. Everything is upended when she and a new client, Lucas Henry, are held hostage by gunmen in search of a world-renowned painting from the Cuban Missile Crisis that, decades ago, captured both dread and beauty in a time of cataclysmic fears.

In 1961, Maryann Linnegan can’t see beyond her narrow future as a traditional wife and Florida socialite. Then she falls unexpectedly, deeply in love with Elio, a construction worker and Cuban immigrant. Their forbidden love couldn’t possibly survive beneath the weight of expectations. But when the Cuban Missile Crisis threatens to end the world as they know it, will they choose each other in spite of it all?

Past and present converge as Hannah and Lucas find a startling connection between the painting and the long-ago love story. As the mystery reveals itself, Hannah wonders who she can trust and what she must risk to protect a profound work of art—and to make it out alive.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

The Golden Hours by Louisa Young

Continuing the story of one of the most beloved families in British literature, The Golden Hours is the brilliant new novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s iconic Cazalet Chronicles written by her niece, the bestselling author Louisa Young.

Our lives have changed so much . . .

It’s December 1962, and the Cazalet family are gathering to celebrate Christmas. With the family’s beloved Home Place long sold, Polly and Gerald have offered up their rambling stately pile, Fakenham Hall in Norfolk, to parents, siblings, cousins and children.

The old guard – brothers Hugh, Edward, Rupert and their sister Rachel – look on as the England they knew and understood fades from view. Cousins Polly, Louise and Clary, all now on the brink of turning forty, are struggling to balance the demands of midlife with their personal desires – however secret. And then there are the young – a new generation growing up in a society on the cusp of real change.

In this spellbinding novel, familiar faces reappear, newcomers are introduced, and the legacy of the Cazalets carries on into the Swinging Sixties.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Beneath David's Throne: Michal's Story by Melissa Alfredson

THEY CALL JERUSALEM DAVID'S TRIUMPH.

Michal calls it her cage.

Once a princess of Israel and the woman who helped secure King David's crown, Michal now lives as a discarded queen in the palace her husband built upon the ruins of her father's dynasty. Childless and increasingly sidelined as new wives and their sons rise around her, she clings to the fragile power her name still commands.

But when the house of David fractures under rival claims and hidden betrayals, Michal is drawn into the deadly politics of succession as she fights to protect the young princess Tamar, the one soul in the palace she cannot abandon.

As prophecy closes in around David's throne and old wounds refuse to stay buried, Michal must confront the legacy of her father, the silence of the husband she once loved, and the God whose purposes she cannot escape.

Darkly lyrical and psychologically charged, Beneath David's Throne is a work of literary historical fiction steeped in the court intrigue and dynastic politics of ancient Israel. For readers of The Red Tent and The Marriage Portrait, this first novel in the Beneath David's Throne saga reclaims Michal, daughter of Saul—the forgotten woman who stood closest to David's throne.

History remembered her as barren. This is the story it left out.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

(Header photo courtesy of Joe Caonie/Unsplash)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

(all opinions are my own)

Thursday, 13 August 2026

The One Where They Fall in Love by Cristina Wolf - #bookreview #blogtour

This cannot be said enough: Living in New York City in your twenties is nothing like Friends makes it out to be. Really, nothing about being in your twenties is how Friends made it out to be. I'm thirty years old, and I have not had an all-consuming romance like Ross and Rachel...

***

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

You never know when love may come knocking…

Hopeless romantic and romance editor Elle Thompson lives for happy endings—but real-life love? Not so much. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t thrilled when her best friend gets engaged. Really. Not jealous at all.

Meanwhile, Oliver Cole likes things a certain way. Schedules and routines and order. So when his move back to New York is disrupted with the unwelcome addition of Thor—the dog his sister adopted for him—he’s less than enthused. Even less enthused than Oliver? His neighbour, Elle.

When Elle can’t bear to hear Thor howling all night, the two agree to strike a deal: she’ll dog-sit while he’s on shift.

But what starts as a reluctant arrangement soon turns into late-night chats, sizzling chemistry, and two lonely hearts daring to let each other in.

My Review

I absolutely loved the slow burn of friendship, later followed by desire between the two main characters in this book.

Elle and Oliver are neighbours. They meet when Elle is shocked by the noises coming from Oliver's flat above hers, where he has left his dog alone for hours. Full of indignation, Elle confronts Oliver, resulting in them sharing care of the dog, Thor.

The chapters are told from both Elle's and Oliver's perspectives, and I really liked this about the story. We can see how they are both dealing with life, both professionally and personally, and the challenges that they both face. As understanding of themselves and of one another grows, we observe this wonderful friendship blossoming into something more.

I found both Elle and Oliver easy to engage with, and the author does an excellent job of bringing them alive on the page. I felt very invested in their story, and I found myself wanting to get back to this book when life forced me to put it down for a while.

Through both narrative and dialogue, the storyline moves along nicely. It is a fast and entertaining read which I enjoyed enormously.

I haven't read anything by this author before, but I shall be seeking out her other books. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy romantic comedy with a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers trope.

Publishing today, this book is worth getting your hands on.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1035915392

Publisher: Aria

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 288 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

About the Author

Cristina Wolf wrote her first book in the third grade. It was an adventure book about her beagle, Abby, complete with hand-drawn illustrations and top-notch handwriting. Needless to say, writing and reading has been a passion of Cristina’s from the beginning. After graduating from Marist College with a double major in Business and English, Cristina pursued a career in the publishing industry while earning her Master of Science in Publishing from New York University. Cristina has experience working at literary agencies and as an editorial assistant at a publishing house. Finding life in NYC a bit different than she expected, Cristina returned to her native New Jersey where she earned her Master in Teaching from Monmouth University. She now shares her love of books with her students as a middle school English teacher.

You can also find Cristina at:

Author Website

Wedded to Her Enemy Knight by Lissa Morgan

My Other Blog Posts Featuring Enemies to Lovers

The Freshman Parents by Ko Porteous

Clues to You by Claire Huston

The Viscount's Daring Miss by Lotte R. James

I Followed the Rules by Joanna Bolouri

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

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 10 August 2026

Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage by Della Galton - #authorQ&A #blogtour

I am so excited to be welcoming author, Della Galton onto the blog today. Della is the author of Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage, which is part of the Duck Pond Cottage series.

The Blurb

When two best friends decide to share their wedding day, what could possibly go wrong?

Jade is over the moon to be tying the knot alongside her best friend, Sarah, at the stunning Bluebell Cliff Hotel in Dorset—a venue where no detail is too small and no expense is spared in the pursuit of perfection.

But as the big day draws closer, so do the complications.

A long-lost relative, a troublesome brother, and some wildly unexpected animal antics all threaten to derail the brides’ dream celebrations.

With emotions running high and chaos around every corner, their perfect day begins to unravel.

Can love and friendship hold everything together when it matters most?

Welcome to the blog, Della and for agreeing to answer a few questions about your new book.

Q Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage has a plot line that includes a missing dog. Was there a reason you decided to write about a missing dog?

A Yes, there was. Last year I lost my beloved cockerpoo for two days and one night. She was spooked by a dog when we were walking in the park, but instead of running home, we were only about 5 minutes away, she ran the other way. I live in a close knit community. The whole town turned out to help me look for her, and fortunately there was a happy ending and we found her.

Eye in the Sky drones were involved in the search, and a wonderful volunteer called Jules, helped me find my little dog. I dedicated Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage to Jules. She said she was honoured, but I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.

I also now volunteer for Eye in the Sky myself. I find I can really help distraught owners because I know what they’re going through.

Q So you were drawing from real life? Do you often do that?

A Yes, I do. I think many authors do. That way we know the emotions are totally authentic.

Q In Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage you write about a double wedding. Is this something you’ve experienced yourself?

A Sadly not, as I’m sure it would have been fun. But I had a lot of fun researching how double weddings are organised.

Q One of the themes in Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage is finding your family in later life. Do you have any personal experience of this?

A Yes, I do. My father has six children, but I didn’t grow up with any of them! I was in my thirties when I was traced by one of my younger half-brothers – he’d been adopted – and we met in time to go to each other’s weddings.

My elder half-brother Mark and I didn’t meet until were in our late forties.

We’ve also met our half sister, Debbie. We once had a reunion in Bournemouth. It’s fantastic how much we all have in common and we keep in touch.

Q Is it important to you to get the facts right in your novels? How much research do you do?

A Yes, I’m very keen to be authentic, so basically I do as much research as it takes. One of the oddest bits of research I did for Perfect Moments involved finding a home-made remedy for getting toffee sauce stains out of silk satin! Another piece or research involved investigating countries where choosing to wear a red wedding dress is very common. I’m not going to tell you why. You’ll have to read the novel!

Many thanks Della. It has been lovely to have you on the blog today.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1806570171

Publisher: Boldwood Books

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

No. of Pages: 240 (paperback)

Series: Book 3 in the Duck Pond Cottage series

Purchase Links

About the Author

Della Galton is the bestselling author of several romantic comedies set around the Dorset beaches and the beautiful New Forest. Her stories feature strong female friendship, quirky characters and very often the animals she loves. When she is not writing she enjoys walking her dogs around the beautiful Dorset countryside.

You can also find Della at:

Facebook

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resource)

(all opinions are my own)

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:

Facebook

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)

Thursday, 21 May 2026

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in June 2026

There are some fabulous books being released in June.

During the latter half of the month, I will be taking a two week break for a holiday. Although, I won't be posting during that time, rest assured that some of the little beauties in this list will be sneaking into my suitcase and keeping me company.

I hope you find something in this list to entice you too.

The Promise of Wonder by Katherine Webb

A tragic accident. A misguided accusation. Are some mistakes unforgivable?

England, 1889. In her family’s rambling manor house in Dorset, fifteen-year-old Theodora Hallewell dreams of magic, adventure, and Toby Meriwether. As Toby prepares to leave for university, Theo plans a midnight gathering—one last chance to make Toby notice her. By dawn, a tragic mistake will shatter the world as they know it.

Years later, Toby has built a respectable life in London, scarred by the past but determined to put it behind him. Theo, struggling with the aftermath of what happened, has begun to fear that the life she has built is more fragile—and far more dangerous—than she ever imagined. Both live under the shadow of that fateful night—until a startling discovery casts what happened in a whole new light, and offers a chance to right the wrongs that have haunted them for so long.

Spanning three decades, The Promise of Wonder is a spellbinding story of lost love, atonement, and the long journey towards forgiveness.

The Underground Sisters by Soraya M. Lane

Amsterdam, 1940: Schoolteacher Aletta knows the war will soon reach her and the Jewish children in her class. When her family hide an injured Allied airman in their home, they must decide: how much will they risk when resistance could prove deadly?

Paris, 1940: Since her mother’s death, Chloe has dedicated herself to protecting her brothers. So when the SS accuses Claude of being in the Resistance, she sacrifices herself to save him.

Forced together in Ravensbrück concentration camp, Chloe, Aletta and her mother, Emma, forge an unbreakable bond. Surrounded by unimaginable cruelty, they mount their own kind of resistance―secretly teaching children and preserving fellow prisoners’ precious memories. In a place designed to strip away humanity, their friendship becomes an act of defiance, their determination to bear witness a lifeline of hope.

As the war rages on and whispers of a longed-for liberation grow, can their courage and sisterhood see them through to freedom? And if they survive, how can they ever be the same?

Based on true events, this is an inspiring testament to the power of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.

Dwell by Rue Baldry

January 1919 - A new gardener at a snowbound boarding school catches everyone's attention. It's rumoured he is a war hero. He's nineteen-year-old Albert, haunted by Great War experiences and fighting the temptation of one particular prefect. What they want is illegal.

Being caught would ruin them. Then Albert's past finds him, making their quest for a place where love can safely dwell look impossible.

Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko

The past, present, and future collide in a DC Metro elevator as three women get caught up in a gripping time-traveling tale of memory, emotion, and unspoken truths about their shared history. Synopsis: When Emilia Fletcher finds herself trapped inside a Washington, DC Metro elevator, getting out is the least of her problems. Sharing the confined space with her are Em, a troubled teenager plagued by suicidal thoughts, and Millie, an elderly woman yearning to mend ties with her estranged daughter. As the hours drag on, hunger, exhaustion, and panic set in, revealing an almost incomprehensible truth: they are the same person. Locked in an uncompromising match of memories, the three women excavate and attempt to reckon with the shared shame and suffering stemming from an unresolved trauma that has cast a profound shadow over their lives. Brimming with biting humor, compassion, and quick-witted insight, Just Emilia is remarkable journey of self-discovery.

Collapse by Edourd Louis

Édouard’s brother spends much of his life dreaming. He lives in a poor, working-class world, where he imagines that he will become one of the finest butchers in France, that he will travel, that he will make his fortune, that he will restore cathedrals, that he will earn his father’s love.

But his reality allows none of this. There is no way to escape, no one who can show him how, and everything about him – his drinking, his violence, his behaviour with women and with others – condemns him.

At thirty-eight he is found dead on the floor of his small studio apartment. This book is the story of his collapse.

Bad Deeds by Andrew Hunter Murray

Alex used to break into houses illegally. These days, it’s his job.

Alex is part of a small firm of consultants who break into offices and homes to test their security. It’s fun, it’s well paid, and he’s very good at it. It’s almost like he’s grown up at last.

But when he gets fired from his firm, evicted from his flat and dumped by his girlfriend, all in the same evening, he decides to steal one last job from his company without their knowing. A job they had already decided not to accept.

Big mistake.

Before long, Alex is in remote northern Scotland, following the trail of an ambitious young man who supposedly fell to his death with no witnesses in sight.

And if Alex doesn’t get to the truth soon, he may well be the next one over the edge...

A Time to Be Born by Dawn Powell

Amanda Keeler is a bestselling novelist, famed for her martini-soaked parties. It's a glamorous life, paid for in full by marriage to a tedious, teeth-grinding newspaper tycoon.

When a meek friend from her provincial past arrives in Manhattan, Amanda plots to use her as cover for an affair-until she realises that they have both fallen for the same man.

Sophisticated, scandalous and acidly funny, this is a portrait of a woman determined to have everything, even if it costs the one thing she never meant to gamble: her heart.

Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.

How to Survive in the Woods by Kat Rosenfield

Emma Sharp knows the rules of survival. From being raised by a doomsday-fearing father and hardened by the startup world, she has learned how to endure - especially in her marriage to Logan Grant, a charismatic tyrant who keeps her under tight control. To Emma, her marriage is a cage: it keeps you in, but it also keeps you safe. Until it doesn't.

When Emma forms an unexpected bond with Logan's former girlfriend, the two women form a plan to help Emma reclaim her life. Destination: the punishing final stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

After all, bad things happen in the woods all the time.

As the three venture deeper into Maine's backcountry, desire and dread curdle into something unpredictable, dark and deadly. Someone is lying. Someone is watching. And in the remote heart of the forest, someone is about to be lost . . . or found.

Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine by Mo Fanning

Lisa Doyle is fine. Absolutely fine.

At least, that's the story she's been telling herself.

Her best friend is getting married. Everyone around her seems to have a partner, a plan, and a life that makes sense. Lisa, meanwhile, has four glasses of wine in her, a talent for making bad situations worse, and a growing sense of being left behind.

So she does what any sensible woman in a crisis would do. She announces that she's engaged.

There is only one problem.

Brian does not exist.

Now Lisa needs a fiancé before the wedding, her actor flatmate is far too willing to get involved, and the real Brian, who is very much married and very much her boss, is starting to look at her in ways that suggest this lie may have got seriously out of hand.

Warm, witty, and painfully recognisable, Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine is a grown-up romantic comedy about love, pressure, friendship, and the exhausting performance of holding everything together when you're quietly falling apart.

Perfect for readers of Mhairi McFarlane, Beth O'Leary, and Marian Keyes.

The Cider Girls Join the Fight by May Ellis

1941, Somerset: the shadow of war is closing in.

Two years into the conflict, Rose is adjusting to life as a Land Girl, working the Somerset fields alongside Jimmy, the farmer’s son whose watchful, protective attention she can neither escape nor ignore. Thankfully, she has found companionship in Daisy, a district nurse, and Elsie, an ATS clerk. New friends thrown together by the necessities of war, they call themselves the Cider Girls.

As the threat of invasion grows, the girls prove their courage to the commanding officer of a secret resistance unit and are drawn into a dangerous world of espionage, coded messages and hidden loyalties.

But there is trouble close to home too. Daisy knows she is in love with her lifelong friend Mattie, but will she speak the truth before it’s too late? Elsie’s life is shattered by the tragic death of her sister, leaving her with an impossible choice. And Rose finds her work in the resistance increasingly hard to hide.

In a world of secrets and sacrifice, can the Cider Girls’ friendship see them through the darkest days yet?

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 11 May 2026

I'm Back from Holiday

Today I am back at my desk following my holiday in Scotland. It was my first visit there and it is such a beautiful country that I can't wait to visit again sometime.

The photo above was taken on Loch Lomond. As you can tell, we had glorious weather and the loch was as still as a millpond. A few clouds but no rain added to our enjoyment.

Plenty of Scotch pies and shortbread were eaten while I got in some leisurely reading. My dog, Roxie, thought the quality of walkies was superb and plenty of walking and sniffing ensued.

Thank you Scotland for such a fabulous week.

Tomorrow, the blog will be up and running with a book review of The Hyena's Daughter by Jupiter Jones. It was a lovely novella and I can't wait to share my thoughts on the book with you.

Thursday, 26 March 2026

Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur and Translated by Faridoun Farrokh - #bookreview

The orchard, vibrantly green and with adobe walls, backed up against the village at one end and bordered the river at the other. It was an orchard mostly of sweet and sour cherries...

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It has recently come to my attention that I must 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

Women Without Men traces the interwoven destinies of five women – including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a sex worker and a schoolteacher – as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran.

Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.

Translated from Persian by Faridoun Farrokh

My Review

Before I even begin my review of this short book, I want to acknowledge the author's courage and strength of character in the writing and publishing of this book. She had already been imprisoned for almost five years without charge. Following her release, she soon published this book and was imprisoned again.

This book contains a series of stories of Iranian women who have chosen to live their lives without men. In our western culture, this would not be considered outrageous, but in a patriarchal society such as Iran, this is unheard of and not without consequence.

The chapters about the five individual women are all interconnected and the author does a marvellous job of interweaving them. Indeed, the book has much to say about the friendship of women and the courage which these women portray.

Much of the narrative is based on mythological stories and the magical realism elements add to the story. There are many elements within the stories that many woman will identify with. It is a short but powerful novel that explores the expected role of Iranian women within society, and then turns it on it's head through folklore, family and society.

Publishing in the UK for the first time, it is no surprise that the book is an International Booker Prize longlist nominee and deservedly so. Ms Parsipur is a talented writer and it's thrilling to read her insights into feminism. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in Iranian history or feminism.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 0241792513

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 128 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

About the Author

Shahrnush Parsipur was born in Iran in 1946. She began her career as a writer of fiction and producer at Iranian National Television and Radio. She was imprisoned for nearly five years by the Islamist government without being formally charged. Shortly after her release, she published Women Without Men and was arrested and jailed again, this time for her frank and defiant portrayal of women’s sexuality.

While still banned in Iran, the novel became an underground best-seller there, and has been translated into many languages around the world. She is also the author of Touba and the Meaning of Night, among many other books, and now lives in exile in Northern California.

You can also find Shahrnush at:

Author Website