More Than Murder by Jayne Chard - #bookreview #blogtour #giveaway

 

Julia has never been prone to boredom - until now. It has only been ninety-two days, two hours and thirty-five minutes since she found herself in retirement, a fact that continually surprises her...

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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 publicist. 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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For the chance to win a copy of this book either leave a comment below, on X, Instagram or Bluesky  Good Luck!

(Open to UK residents only)

The Blurb

Returning to Little Clarsden to claim her half of Rose Cottage, Frankie is met with a chilly reception from her estranged sister, Julia, who still nurtures an old grievance.  Hoping to mend their fractured relationship, they take part in a Murder Mystery weekend at a Somerset mansion. But the playful intrigue turns deadly when they stumble upon a real corpse.

With a killer on the loose, a body that vanishes without a trace, and trust in short supply, Frankie and Julia must set aside their differences to uncover the truth.

Can the sisters solve the mystery before they become the next victims?

My Review

This is a fun and entertaining cosy crime book from a debut author.

Sisters Julia and Frankie don't have an easy relationship. In fact, they have been estranged for many years, but they are thrown back together when they inherit Rose Cottage from their aunt. Add into the story a murder mystery weekend, and you find a lot of tension between the pair.

The weekend is set in a mansion in Somerset and is the perfect setting for what is about to ensue. They have to work together to find out who is acting and who is genuine. When they come across a real corpse, they pull together to discover who the real murderer is.

In all honesty, it took me a little while to get my head around all the characters taking part in the murder mystery weekend. However, once I did, the book became an engaging read. It possesses all the elements that a good cosy crime book should have, and it made for enjoyable reading.

Additionally, each chapter is headed with a Shakespearean quote which in itself added something to the story. This correlated with the dramatic aspect of the weekend whilst being lighthearted and entertaining.

It is the first in a planned series and I am looking forward to reading what Julia and Frankie get up to next.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1068325007

Publisher:  Chapters Crime Press

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

No. of Pages:  282 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Jayne started writing plays when she was eight years old and wrote her first “book” at fourteen. After graduating with a degree in psychology and drama, Jayne went on to win the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Buzz Goodbody’s Director Award. She started working as a professional theatre director whilst continuing to write, two of her plays were performed on the London Fringe.

Attracted to the small screen, Jayne became absorbed in TV drama directing. Now a multi-award-winning film and TV drama producer, her credits include the BBC’s flagship brand, SILENT WITNESS.  

Jayne lives in the West Country with her partner and two mad cockapoos. MORE THAN MURDER is Jayne’s debut novel and the first in this edgy, cosy crime series. She is already busy writing the next MORE THAN MURDER mystery.

You can also find Jayne at:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram

X / Twitter

Linked In

Blue Sky

For the chance to win a copy of this book either leave a comment below, on X, Instagram or Bluesky. Good Luck!

(Open to UK residents only)

One winner will be randomly chosen across my blog comments, Instagram, X and Bluesky accounts. Giveaway closes at midnight on 26th April. Good luck.

(ARC courtesy of the publicist)

(media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

An Invitation to Seashell Bay by Bella Osborne - #BookReview #blogtour

'Mind the gap,' said the voice over the underground tannoy as more people squeezed into the already full carriage and Nancy felt like sausage meat being squeezed into the already full carriage. Today was a blooming big day for Nancy. Big didn't really cover it. It was more of a make-or-break kind of day. One of those pivotal points in life. What Nancy didn't know was whether it would be wall-to-wall celebrations or the day her life turned to absolute poo. It all hinged on whether her little fledgling business properly took off or nosedived into a puddle, but she wasn't going to let that stress her out. Whatever happened she wanted to look back on today and at least know she'd done everything she could to seal the deal.

***

One ambitious businesswoman.

One irresponsible heir. 

A deal that will turn both their lives upside down… 

To grow her craft business, Nancy is in desperate need of two things: help and money. So when a potential investor she’s looking to impress recommends an assistant, she jumps at the chance to secure both.

Freddy Astley-Davenport is a notorious playboy with zero work experience. He’s poised to inherit his family’s estate in sunny Seashell Bay – but only if he can hold down a job for six months first. His plan is to take the assistant role in name only, then do the least work he possibly can.

Nancy has other ideas, though, and the pair butt heads from day one. However, as they argue, sparks begin to fly, and they soon discover exactly why opposites attract…

An absolutely escapist, funny, feel-good summer romance. Fans of Cathy Bramley, Katie Fforde and Milly Johnson will adore Bella Osborne.

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This is the first book by Bella Osborne that I have read, and I am certain that it will not be my last.

I really enjoyed reading this light-hearted and humourous romance. It captured my attention from the very first page and I was completely invested in the story.

Nancy and Alice are housemates and both of their stories are being told alongside one another. The main characters, Nancy and Freddy were a delight to read, and Alice's story added another dimension to the book. Ms. Osborne possesses a sound understanding of her characters and as such they are portrayed with realism and thus come alive on the page.

I appreciated the way it was not as predictable as some novels of this genre. I do not want to give anything away so suffice to say that what I anticipated happening at the beginning was not the case.

The book delivered a lot. It is a heart-warming story that was a delight to read, has a cute child and a dog and cat to add to the story. What more could I ask for from a novel? It was entertaining and a joy to read.

I highly recommend this book.

ISBN: 978 0008587970

Publisher:  Avon

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org*

About the Author:

Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. Since then she’s written nine best-selling romantic comedies, two best-selling bookclub reads and won the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year Award.

Bella's stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She lives in Warwickshire, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. When not writing Bella is usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.

For more about Bella, visit her website at www.bellaosborne.com or follow her on social media.

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org *

(book and all info. courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

*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.

Janet Jackson's Yorkshire B & B by Becky Papworth - #BookReveiw #BlogTour

 

How would I describe Lavender Cottage? You'd never know from the outside quite how big the garage cottage is. It has a pitched, red slate roof you can actually touch if you stretch high enough - useful when clearing the gutters - and a small, pale green, uPVC door, which looks like wood, with two square casement windows either side. The duck-egg linen curtains in the windows are ones I knocked up myself. (Well done, Janet.) They look decent, as long as you don't interrogate them  too closely. They're not straight, plus I ran out of green and white cotton, so I went with a navy blue zigzag stitch. Hopefully it looks deliberate, like something Kirstie Allsopp might run up in a quiet morning.

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Dental receptionist and Yorkshire lass Janet Jackson (no, not that one) has just turned her garage into a Bed & Breakfast - and without any experience at all, is now awaiting her very first guests.

What can possibly go wrong?

Helped by sulky teenage daughter Chloe and hindered by sex-mad sister Maureen, Janet lurches from one crisis to another, relying on her Yorkshire wit and wisdom to get her through with her bank balance, her love-life and her sanity intact.

A word of warning: if ever you've dreamed of running a B & B, read this book and, like Janet, you'll probably do it anyway.

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I am so very glad that I was offered the opportunity of being part of the blog tour for this book. It is a little different to my usual reading fare but I enjoyed every word.

I think that its appeal to readers will largely lie with the main character, the titular Janet Jackson. She was a delightful character, and I think most readers will find something in her with which they will identify. The author has not only portrayed her as likeable and engaging, but has developed all of the other characters thoughtfully and thoroughly too. They each contribute to the story, and it will be quite some time before I forget about Maureen, who is Janet's sister and completely attention worthy in so many ways.

As we observe Janet being coerced by those around her, it was a joy to observe how she reins back control of her own life. I felt as though I was accompanying a friend on her journey rather than reading her story and I felt a little bereft to finish the book. I was left wanting more of Janet, her family and friends, and not forgetting the array of guests who frequent her B and B.

Written with humour throughout, this is a wonderfully pleasurable book to read and I recommend it to anyone who wants a lighthearted read but with enough depth to keep you enthralled.

ISBN: 978 1739794811 

Publisher: Can Can Press

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 254 (paperback)

About the Author:

Becky Paapworth has spent 20 years making people laugh as a TV Producer on shows like Have I Got News For You, Rab. C. Nesbitt and Citizen Khan. She's hoping to entertain readers with this account of running a B&B, some of it is based on her own experience (she's not saying which bits).

(Thank you Rachel's Random Resources for gifting me a copy of this book)

While You Were Reading by Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus - #BookReview

 

Bea Babbage would have killed to be any of the ladies sitting neatly in a row in front of her. Eliza Doolittle, Elizabeth Bennet, Rachel Chu, Nancy Drew, Aibileen Clark. Each of these women lived boldly between the pages of the books nestled in the towering oak bookshelves she had come to know so well. Bea still remembered the first time she laid eyes on Cassandra's family's library. Her heart had panged with jealousy, then desire. She'd been desperate to explore its grand oak bookshelves, which spread across every wall and reached up to the high ceiling. And after she and Cassandra became best friends, that's exactly what she did most weekends, until they left their hometown of Dunsborough for university in Perth. It was something else being back in this room after all these years, as Cassandra's maid of honour.

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Words are messy. Love is messier.

 

Meet Beatrix Babbage, a 29-year-old dog-earer of books and accidental destroyer of weddings. After ruining her best friend's big day, Bea relocates to the other side of the country in search of a fresh start. But after a few months, life is more stagnant than ever. Bea’s job is dead-end. Her romantic life is non-existent, and her only friends are in her books.

Then Bea stumbles across a second-hand novel inscribed with notes. Besotted with the poetic inscriptions, Bea is determined to find the author . . . and finds herself entangled in one hell of a love quadrangle.

***

Bea was a delightful character to meet. She is funny, quirky and a little bit obsessive, and this book was good fun to read. I could identify with her determination to identify the author of the notes in her book, and even more so, her love of books. Neither did I work out who the writer of the notes was although I was partly in the right area.

I enjoyed immersing myself in the Australian setting and in meeting the people who were part of Bea's world. I thought the notes which went back and forth between her and her cleaner were delightful.

This light hearted and fun read would make an ideal holiday or weekend read.  I borrowed it from the library, and I am keen to now read their earlier novel, Book Ninja. I feel another trip to the library coming up. 

I adore books which are about books and this one hit the nail very firmly on the head.

It has been co-authored, and I am very curious as to the logistics of how they have accomplished this. Perhaps that is a question for another blog post?

ISBN: 978 1471178009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 384 (paperback)

About the Authors:

Ali and Michelle are Co-authors, founders of Books on the Rail, professional Book Ninjas and best friends since they ditched play time for writing club in primary school. 

Their first two novels, The Book Ninja (2018) and While You Were Reading (2019) have been published and enjoyed around the world, and The Book Ninja has been optioned to be made into a film. Their third novel Fancy Meeting You Here was released in December 2021 and is available as an audio book in the UK.

When they are not writing books, Ali is a copywriter and Michelle is a primary school teacher. They both live in Melbourne with their respective families and colour-coordinated bookshelves.

(author photo and bio. information from the authors websitehttps://aliandmichelle.com/)