Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts

Monday, 8 September 2025

The Word is Love by Florence Keeling - #blogtour #bookexcerpt #bookextract


I am so excited to be bringing you an extract from this gorgeous looking book today. The Word is Love by author, Florence Keeling is a romantic comedy and looks like just my cup of tea.


The Blurb

Lucky in life but unlucky in love, Lucy Greenfield owns a successful carriage business along with her best friend Max, and they have never been busier since their shire horses gained fame from their roles in the hit movie A Little in Love.

Too busy for romance, Lucy is surprisingly swept off her feet when Spencer arrives seeking help with his horse, and something more from Lucy. As quickly as Lucy falls, she wonders if all is not as it seems. Max can prove it, but that means he will have to express his true feelings for Lucy.

Relationships are strained as secrets unravel, and Lucy needs to solve the riddle of words to best describe how she feels… For her best friend.

Together, they must overcome what’s keeping them apart before it’s too late, if they are going to realise that the word they are searching for is love.


The Extract

In this extract Lucy is starting to recognise that her feelings for Max might be more than friendly. She feels she might be losing him to him another girl and her world starts falling apart.

Luckily her work at the castle kept her busy all week preparing for the Halloween ball, but now it was really hitting home that Max might actually leave. What on earth would she do then? He was her best friend, her brother, and she didn’t know if she could run the yard without him.

‘Well, I’m mightily pissed off I can tell you.’ Johnny revved the engine as Lucy hooked the little trailer to the back of it. ‘I’m going out with Mollie tonight and I smell like I’ve been rolling in horse muck.’

Lucy laughed. ‘Just call it eau de manure.’ He laughed too, neither of them stayed mad at Max for very long and Lucy knew it was more worry than anger with both of them.

Johnny managed to get out almost on time for his date with Mollie and Lucy had settled her mum for the evening in front of the TV. She looked at the clock; it was already half past seven and still no sign of Max or Alex. She had his dinner warming in the oven and she went to the corner shop to purchase popcorn and sweets for their regular date in front of the television. They made a point every year to watch the Halloween special of their favourite dancing show, the final and, of course, the Christmas special.

The front door opened and closed and one pair of footsteps ran up the stairs. Lucy popped her head into the hallway and heard the shower being turned on. She waited for him to finish then when she heard his footsteps coming back down she took his dinner out of the oven and placed it on the table. Max needed her to be a friend now more than ever.

‘You look smart.’ He wore a navy-blue suit with a yellow shirt and navy tie.

‘I’m going out.’ He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and left the kitchen.

She followed him. ‘But it’s the Halloween special. We always watch it together.’

‘Can’t tonight.’ Max patted Parker on the head before going out the front door. Lucy heard his Land Rover start and pull away down the drive.

She scraped his dinner into the bin, washed up and then grabbed the popcorn, flicking on the TV to BBC One.

‘But we always watch the Halloween show together,’ she said to Parker as he was the only one in the room. It was in that moment Lucy suddenly realised that they did everything together, or used to, anyway. They were like a married couple in so many ways. She looked forward to seeing him each morning and missed him when he wasn’t around. Oh, dear God, her heart lurched. Was she in love with Max?


Book Details

ISBN: 979 8289380388

Publisher: Independently published

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

No. of Pages: 259 (paperback)


Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Florence was born in Coventry but now live in Nuneaton. She married the love of her life over 20 years ago and they have two almost grown up children. They share their lives with two mad dogs as well.

Writing is a great passion of Florence's, that one day she hopes to be able to turn into a career but until that day comes, she will continue working in accounts and payroll.

You can also find Florence at:

X

Instagram





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

(author photo courtesy of Simon & Schuster)

(all opinions are my own)



Friday, 5 September 2025

Clues to You by Claire Huston - #bookreview #blogtour


Kate squeezed past another huddle of chattering guests, her gaze fixed on the banner at the top of the noticeboard to the left of the reception desk...


The Blurb

One murder mystery weekend. Two rival sleuths.

They’re looking for answers. But will they find love?

Kate Brannon is delighted to be attending her first murder mystery weekend in a movie-worthy Victorian manor house. Still getting over being dumped, cracking the case would be a welcome boost to her flagging confidence. And the prize money wouldn’t hurt either.

But Kate’s dreams of victory become a nightmare with the arrival of Max Ravenscroft. Smart, enigmatic and annoyingly handsome, Max is Kate’s sleuthing nemesis. 

When she and Max are forced to work together, Kate despairs. But, as the investigation brings them closer, she finds being his partner in solving crime isn’t all bad. 

With growing suspicions that the game is rigged against them, can Kate and Max beat the odds to find the killer? And, as their partnership deepens, can they find romance too?

This rivals-to-lovers romance is a standalone romcom and part of the Love in the Comptons collection.


My Review

Clues to You was the winner of BBNYA 2024! More about BBNYA below.

It was a highly entertaining novel which I really enjoyed reading. Whilst it is the third book in the Love in the Comptons series, each book is completely standalone. This is the first in the series which I have read.

Set during a murder mystery weekend, friends Kate, Bella, Ethan and Max make up a team to solve the murder in a 1920's manor house. However, there are tensions between Kate and Max which creates the enemies to lovers trope perfectly and I loved the undeniable chemistry between them.

The author has done a great job in creating her characters. Kate and Max are believable and well fleshed out. The secondary characters are equally good.

Kate has always felt that Max thinks he is superior to her. However, this weekend she is determined to prove to him that she is just as capable as him of reading all of the clues and discovering the murderer.

The book had Agatha Christie vibes and I liked the way the author created a 1920's story within a  contemporary setting. She writes very well and really knows how to pull a reader into the story.

I am not in the least surprised that this book won the Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award last year, and I feel it was a very worthy winner. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy murder mysteries, coupled with a nice romance.

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 finalists (16 in 2024) 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. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads. 



Book Details

ISBN:  978 1913719906

Publisher:  Goldcrest Books International

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

No. of Pages:  379 (paperback)

Series:  Part of the Love in the Comptons series


Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA


About the Author


Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire, UK, with her husband and children. She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but need a little help to realise it.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul, her first novel, at clairehuston.co.uk along with over 150 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.

 You can also find Claire at:

Instagram

Facebook

Tik Tok

Bluesky

Threads

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(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)



Wednesday, 3 September 2025

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore - #bookreview



Jeanie Ellis had never killed a man before, but tonight might be the night. Desperate times and all that. She clutched the baseball bat tighter in her fist and crept down the rickety, back staircase...


The Blurb

When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice CafĂ© in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…


My Review

This book was recommended to me by one of the members of my book group. To be honest, I wasn't sure that it would be my sort of book but decided to give it a go. I am so pleased that I did as I devoured it and have already ordered the next one in the series.

It is a charming book with the main characters, Jeanie and Logan falling nicely into the sunshine/grumpy trope. Jeanie's Aunt Dot has gone off travelling and passed the business to Jeanie to run. It is perfect timing as Jeanie needs a fresh start away from the city where she has worked as an executive PA for many years. She is definitely not looking for a relationship, but then she meets Logan.

Logan is a farmer and has lived in the small town of Dream Harbor all his life. It is a town where everyone knows his business and witnessed the terrible and humiliating ending of his last relationship, leaving him with abandonment issues. He is absolutely not looking to repeat the experience, but Jeanie disconcerts him as he feels an instant chemistry with her.

I loved spending time in Dream Harbor. The author did a great job in describing the claustrophobic atmosphere of small town life. Her main characters, Jeanie and Logan are excellently portrayed and I was fully engaged by them. In addition, the secondary ones are quirky and utterly believable.

It was an easy, entertaining and spicy read and I loved it. I am so looking forward to reading the next one.


Book Details

ISBN: 978 0008610678

Publisher: One More Chapter

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently free on Prime)

No. of Pages: 374 (paperback)

Series: Dream Harbour Book 1


Purchase Links


Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Laurie Gilmore is a No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller and a USA Today bestseller who writes steamy small-town romance. Her Dream Harbor series is filled with quirky townsfolk, cozy settings, and swoon-worthy romance. The first book in the series, The Pumpkin Spice Café, was featured on Good Morning America and was named the TikTok Shop Book of the Year 2024.

She loves finding books with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice and strives for that in her own writing.

Laurie also writes romantic fantasy as Melissa McTernan.

You can also find Laurie at:

Author Website

Instagram

X





(media courtesy of the author's website)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)


Thursday, 7 August 2025

Trial of the Alchemist by Trevor Melanson - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am so pleased to be shining the spotlight on this book today. Trial of the Alchemist by author, Trevor Melanson was the third place finalist in BBYNA Award 2024.

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 finalists (16 in 2024) 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. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.


The Blurb

Aurora’s greatest entrepreneur has been murdered, and only the truth will save Alchemist Ortez from the gallows.

Facing a heated courtroom of strangers, he must now recall the events that brought him here as a fellow alchemist probes his memory. Such is the job of alchemists: administering elixirs in order to see into the minds of men. Their dreams. Their nightmares. Their secrets.

But while everyone believes him guilty, Alchemist Ortez knows what they do not.

He was hired by the victim for a job unlike any they could imagine. Nor would they ever guess what other mysteries lie buried beneath the mountain metropolis of Aurora, a cave-enclosed city where countless gas lamps illuminate the endless night.


Book Details

ISBN:  979 8857292624

Publisher:  Independently Published

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

No. of Pages:  451 (paperback)


Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA


About the Author


Trevor Melanson is the author of four novels, including Trial of the Alchemist, a semi-finalist of both the SPFBO and BBNYA competitions and previously one of the twenty best-rated completed stories on Royal Road. 

A former journalist, Trevor now spends his workdays running communications at a think tank and advancing the transition to clean energy. He lives on the scenic Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada, with his wife and two cats, having gleefully abandoned the big city life that once beckoned him as a younger man.

You can also find Trevor at:

Linked In

Sage and Savant





(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)


Wednesday, 16 July 2025

This is Me Trying by Jenna Adams - #bookreview #blogtour

 


The Blurb

In this contemporary coming-of-age YA novel, a teenage girl navigates a romance with an older boy when they're cast as the leading roles in their drama group's production of Romeo and Juliet.

When Brooke and Matt are cast as romantic leads in their drama group's performance of Romeo and Juliet, they don’t mean to actually fall in love. Secrets and lies seem a small price for Brooke to pay for an older boyfriend, until they take their relationship to the next level one night in an empty auditorium. After she learns of the illegality of Matt’s actions, Brooke’s anxiety reaches breaking point and she makes a decision that changes her life forever. Years later, Matt is reunited with Brooke, desperately seeking redemption. But what sense can they make now of a love that never did run smoothly?

Exploring mental health, co-dependency, and the blurred lines of sexual consent, this captivating debut recounts a young woman’s journey to independence as she strays beyond all she has ever known to confront her traumatic past.

Previously published as Can I Stray.


My Review

This was a five-star read for me, and I enjoyed every page.

The two main characters in this book meet at a drama group when Brooke is fourteen, and Matt is eighteen. They are cast in the roles of Romeo and Juliet. Brooke already has a crush on Matt, and it is not long before her feelings are reciprocated. What follows is a complicated, messy romance, which made for fascinating reading. 

The chapters are alternated between Brooke and Matt and cover the coming few years. We can observe them mature through their individual narratives, which gave a fabulous insight into their thoughts and emotions. 

This is a very heartfelt and emotive book. There were times when I felt heartbroken at the story that they had to tell. They both had to face some very complex issues. The author did a fantastic job of portraying the range of emotion and complex needs that both Brooke and Matt have to face.

Thus, the book deals with some difficult themes, and Ms. Adams deals with them with sensitivity and compassion. The issues of consent, depression, and codependency are covered in this book with realism and honesty. My heart went out to Brooke in particular, and how her lack of self-esteem affected her and those around her. It would be impossible not to feel devastated on behalf of her mother.

This is Me Trying is being published tomorrow, and I highly recommend that you get your hands on a copy. However, I should add some trigger warnings to that recommendation. Issues of consent, mental health issues, and abandonment are all present in this book. But it is a brilliant book and well worth reading.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1917275101

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  432 (paperback)

Previously published as Can I Stray


Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Blackwell's

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author

Jenna Adams began writing at the age of fourteen and now writes from her third-floor flat, which is full of houseplants. She has written for a variety of publications including The Book Network, Brook Charity, and The Content Wolf, and is passionate about exploring mental health, consent, and codependency in her writing.

You can also find Jenna at:

Author Website

Instagram

Tik Tok

Facebook


Why not check out some of the other fabulous bloggers on this tour.


 


(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Alliance with Her Renegade Knight by Lissa Morgan - #bookreview

Ludlow, 1459 -

"Who would have thought to see Proud Cis brought so low? How shaming for her!" Isolda, standing at the window looking down onto the town square, noded in response to her mother's remark. "Yes, but how brave she is."

***

The Blurb

The knight's target...

Becomes his greatest desire!

From the moment wool merchant Isolda catches sight of Sir Henry, she senses a powerful bond. But the vigilante knight is tracking down the person penning seditious poems exposing corruption...poems she secretly wrote!

Henry is torn after discovering Isolda's hidden identity, especially as he sympathizes with her cause. When Isolda's apprentice is murdered, Henry joins forces with her, hiding out in his manor, where passions run high! Yet after the traumatic death of his family, Henry can't let Isolda breach the walls around his heart. Still, he must find a way to earn her trust--their lives depend on it!


My Review

I was delighted when the author of this book, Lissa Morgan asked me if I would consider reading her latest novel. I have previously read, enjoyed, and reviewed her titles, The Warrior's Reluctant Wife and The Warrior's Forbidden Maiden, which form her Warriors of Wales series. Consequently, I had high hopes for this novel too, and I am glad to say that it surpassed those expectations, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The book is set in Ludlow in 1459 during the War of the Roses. Yorkists and Lancastrians oppose one another, and this brings Lancastrian knight, Sir Henry Wevere to the once Yorkist stronghold of Ludlow to seek out and punish the person who is pinning insurgent poetry to the church door.

When Sir Henry lays eyes on Isolda, who is the main character in the book, they both sense an instant chemistry. However, their loyalties lie on opposing sides of this war, and Isolda is, in fact, the author of the poems!

This was a fabulous premise for this book, and I loved watching it unfold. The chemistry between Sir Henry and Isolda was palpable, and it made for a wonderful enemies-to-lovers story.

Isolda was a marvellous main female character. She is a strong and determined woman. On her father's death, she took over his business as a wool merchant. Consequently, she is shunned by the Merchant's Guild because she is a woman in business. Her conviction that she is as worthy as any man to run a business perfectly sets up her strength of character, which we can see demonstrated throughout the novel.

Henry is fleeing his own demons after his family were all killed in a fire. This makes him a complex character, full of grief, dread, and unable to get close to anyone else for fear of losing them.

The author has created two brilliant characters who were likeable, and I was longing for them to find a way to put aside their differences and fears.

The author has skill in portraying historical stories while making them relevant to a modern readership. I think, as women, we can all identify with Isolda being held back merely because of her gender, a concept recognisable to the majority of women today.

I thought this was a book that was well worth reading, and I enjoyed it very much.


Book Details

ISBN: 978 1335540225

Publisher: Harlequin

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 272 (paperback)


Purchase Links


Blackwell's


Harlequin

Amazon UK

Amazon US


About the Author


Lissa Morgan hails from Wales but has travelled far and wide over the years, usually in pursuit of the next new job.  A history graduate and former archivist, she now works in academia and freelance website design, which she fits in around her writing time. She lives between the mountains and the sea in rugged north-west Wales surrounded by medieval castles that provide the perfect inspiration for her books.


You can also find Lissa at:

Author Website

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Facebook


Bluesky


(book courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)



Monday, 7 July 2025

Hit for Six by Isabella May - #bookspotlight #blogtour

 

Here we are at the beginning of another week and I am shining the book spotlight on Hit for Six by Isabella May. It's a sporty, romance type of book and looks like a lot of fun.


The Blurb

A simmering Fangirl Down X Rivals X Crazy Rich Asians (with a British twist)

LOLA is juggling two jobs to make ends meet; underpaid sales exec by day, and waitress in a cocktail bar by night.

MONTY is the captain of Bath Beasts cricket team and heir to a portfolio of luxury properties.

Girls like her don’t normally end up with boys like him. But when she accidentally bares all at his cup final, destiny (and the number six) ensures their match is a home run.

Unfortunately, Monty’s family has other ideas, doing all they can to prevent their golden boy from getting bowled over by the lowly Lola. Can their love survive the attacking shot? Or will they find themselves on a sticky wicket?


Book Details

ISBN:  979 8286818297

Publisher:  Independently published

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

No. of Pages:  360 (paperback)

Series: Book One in the Balls and Banter series


Purchase Links

Amazon UK


About the Author

Isabella May lives in (mostly) sunny Andalusia, Spain with her husband, daughter and son, creatively inspired by the mountains and the sea. She grew up in Somerset on Glastonbury's ley lines and loves to feature her quirky English hometown in her stories.

After a degree in Modern Languages and European Studies at UWE, Bristol (and a year working abroad in Bordeaux and Stuttgart), Isabella bagged an extremely jammy and fascinating job in children's publishing... selling foreign rights for novelty, board, pop-up and non-fiction books all over the world; in every language from Icelandic to Korean, Bahasa Indonesian to Papiamento!

All of which has fuelled her curiosity and love of international food and travel - both feature extensively in her romcoms.

Isabella is also a Level 4 Pranic Healer and a stillbirth mum.


You can also find Isabella at:

Author Website

Instagram

Tik Tok

Blusky




(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

10 Ten Exciting New Releases Coming in July 2025 - #books



There are so many wonderful looking books which are due to be released next month. I am very excited by some of these titles. As always, I have limited myself to just ten here. Believe me, it is never easy deciding which ten books I am most enthusiastic about as there are loads of wonderful looking ones coming along next month.

Are there any soon to be released books that you are looking forward to reading?


 Till Death Us Do Part by Revd. Penny Stephens

Weddings can be murder . . .

Reverend Clare Brakespear is used to a challenge. With a young family to wrangle, a parish to manage and a particularly excitable Golden Retriever by her side, life is never dull.

But when she attends a wedding where one of the guests is fatally stabbed with a cake knife, even Clare admits that she might have been given too much to handle this time.

As the police investigate the murder, they zero-in on one woman as their prime suspect, who they believe had the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime. The trouble is, Clare is convinced that they have the wrong person. She might not understand forensic testing and finger-tip searches, but if there's one thing Clare does know, it's people and the complexities of their emotional lives. So she decides to take matters into her own hands.

However, investigating a murder is no mean feat and Clare soon finds herself embroiled in a complex web of family secrets and deceptions. Is she in way over her head or can she find the real killer before an innocent woman is sent down?

Preorder Link


Romance is Dead by Katie Bohn

Roses are red, violets are blue, romance is dead - but is their love true?

Scream queen Quinn has had it with scary movies. After years as Hollywood's horror It Girl, she's sick of the tabloids and the off-screen drama. So she's decided: one last film, before quitting for good.

All that stands in her way is leading man Teddy James. Reality TV star and renowned playboy Teddy has looks to kill for, but absolutely no talent. AKA, Quinn's worst nightmare.

That's until they stumble - literally - across a dead body on set. Everyone believes it's a tragic accident, but Quinn's not convinced. So she offers Teddy a deal: acting lessons in exchange for his help investigating. And as Teddy and Quinn dig deeper, she begins to wonder what's most at risk here - their lives, or her heart?

Preorder Link


The Writer by Valerie Keogh

Cara Jenkins is a successful author about to embark on her thirtieth novel. But as she sits at her desk to write, she realizes that she has no ideas left. And as the pressure mounts for her to deliver, she begins to fear that her career is over.

Then the letters start.

At first, they seem harmless. But as the messages grow darker, Cara becomes convinced that someone is watching her, waiting for their moment to strike.

Her husband, Artie, dismisses the notes as stupid pranks, but Cara feels them pulling her back to a past she can't escape. With no easy answers, Cara does what she does best and begins to write. But the more words that come, the more fantasy and reality begin to blur and soon her imagination, and her accusations, begin to run wild.

With reality blurring into fiction, Cara struggles to see the truth. Is someone really watching her, or is her unravelling mind feeding her paranoia? And how will this story - her story – end?

This time her deadline has never felt more deadly….

Preorder Link


Such Good People by Amy Blumenfeld

It's 10 p.m. on a Thursday in the spring of her freshman year of college, and April is standing at the back of a crowded Manhattan bar waiting for her friend, Rudy, to arrive. Their eyes lock the moment he enters the room, and in an instant, lives and legacies are altered forever. Within hours, Rudy is arrested. Within days, April is expelled. Within weeks, he's incarcerated. And within months, she meets Peter, a prodigious young attorney who makes her world recognizable again. Nearly fifteen years later, April is happily living in Chicago married to Peter, a mother of three with a fulfilling career and standing yoga date with her girlfriends. On the eve of Peter's election for local office, Rudy is up for parole. Headlines explode about April's past, jeopardizing Peter's campaign and everything they hold dear. Suddenly, April is faced with an impossible choice: protecting the life she created, or the person who sacrificed everything to make that life a possibility. Such Good People is a captivating portrait of blurred lines, divided loyalties, and what it means to love purely, steadfastly, and interminably.

Preorder Link


Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle by Lilac Mills

Will she give everything up for love?

Freya Sinclair has it all. An exciting life in London, a successful career as a ceramicist and a handsome boyfriend. But when she receives a call that her father is in hospital, she drops everything to support his recovery in Skye.

On the island, Freya finds new inspiration – Coorie Castle’s craft centre is firing her creativity and she’s glad to be back with her dad again. Being so close to her schoolgirl crush, Mackenzie Burns, is an added bonus. The two share an instant connection and Freya misses London less and less.

But Freya has a boyfriend at home and now a dazzling job offer in New York. She must figure out what she truly wants, before anyone gets hurt..

Preorder Link


The Lines We Draw by Tim Franks

A moving journey through a Jewish family history from BBC Newshour presenter Tim Franks.

Tim Franks spent years as the BBC's Middle East Correspondent covering Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. During that time, he was attacked as a self-hating Jew and as an Islamophobe - as a tool of competing, malign agendas. He always tried to respond with a journalist's detached curiosity, drawing a clear line between his identity and his work. Up to the point that he asked himself: is that necessary? Beyond the judgments of others: what does it mean to be Jewish?

It was a question he struggled to answer. As a child in 1970s Birmingham, Tim was a practising Jew with hardly any relations or sense of lineage. And so he embarked on a search for his ancestral roots, from Constantinople to Curaçao, from Amsterdam to the death camps, from Lithuania to Downing Street.

Framing each part of his journey through what he has learned as a journalist, Tim discovers ancestors who all speak to a part of the Jewish story: there are the refugees and the risk-takers; the artists, rabbis, soldiers and revolutionaries; there is even a route to the Conservative Party's unlikeliest leader, Benjamin Disraeli.

This book is a deeply empathetic memoir which encourages us all to confront the lines we draw. In searching for what it is to be Jewish, Tim discovers what it means to take a stand and write about the world.

Preorder Link


A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder by Melinda Mullet

Maeve Gardner kills people for a living. A dodgy occupation perhaps, but as ghostwriter for the long-running Simon Hills mysteries, Maeve has planned the perfect murder time and again and she enjoys it. She dreams of writing something under her own name someday rather than babysitting her adopted character Simon, but at least she's writing. And as one of the burnt-out souls who've run away from dry land to live on London's waterways, she has the joy of working from the home she loves: a colorful houseboat. Life on the canals is grand, but when her cheating ex-boyfriend turns up floating face down in the water outside her boat, murdered, and the police arrest her, the plot takes a wayward turn. Suddenly, Maeve is thrust into one of her own crime dramas, complete with missing money, violent thugs, extortion, and conspiracy. Only this time, there is no real-life Simon Hill to come to her aid. Instead, with the help of friends from the river - India, owner of a popular floating bookshop; Paul, the exceedingly attractive landlord of the local pub; and Ash, Maeve's quiet, nerdy neighbor who is keeping some secrets of his own - Maeve may have a shot at saving herself. As Maeve and her motley crew of would-be investigators find themselves wondering if they are in over their heads, a killer lurks and won't hesitate to kill again...

Preorder Link


Chance at Life by Susan Ellison Busch

Chance at Life provides a portal into the lives of dialysis unit 'regulars, ' both patients and staff. Together they confront life's limitations and its certain end, with unique stories of struggle, hope, and resilience.

Rachel is a novice nurse whose well-intentioned choices put her career in jeopardy. Her personal life disintegrates when she discovers that she is pregnant, and her fiancé abuses her.

Kidney failure derailed Darnell's career path. He waits in vain for a transplant, losing hope as long days on dialysis consume his future.

Elizabeth, a seasoned nurse practitioner, faces her own failing kidneys and decides to refuse dialysis, planning to let nature take its course-though her daughters and her doctor won't let her go so easily.

The dialysis unit is a high-stakes cauldron of conflicts and ethical dilemmas. A machine malfunction claims one patient's life, another patient buys a black-market kidney, and another patient withdraws from dialysis entirely, throwing herself a "goodbye" party. Covid 19 arrives, bringing an entirely new dimension to the daily dramas.

Chance at Life is a gripping, poignant exploration of the human spirit and the unforeseen connections that form in the most trying of circumstances, perfect for those who appreciate medical dramas filled with real-world challenges and heartfelt storytelling.

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The Getaway by Rona Halsall

Would you swap houses – and lives – with a stranger?

Maddie and her long-term boyfriend, Tom, dream of a life living and working abroad, though right now they’re settling for a lovely vacation in the sunny European beach town.

When Maddie is befriended by a lovely-seeming couple, who are living the digital nomad lifestyle, they make her an offer that feels hard to refuse…

Swap houses, swap lives – just for a couple of weeks - and see if living abroad is a lifestyle that would really suit them.

But as soon as they’ve handed keys over to their home in London, it becomes clear the couple aren’t who they’d seemed to be. And Maddie and Tom’s dream getaway is about to become a nightmare they could never have imagined…

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Simple Designs for Meditative Knitting by Barbara Breen

Knit your way to peace of mind!

A meditative approach to knitting that brings relaxation and calm as you create elegant handcrafted pieces

19 easy projects for knitters of all levels, from beginner to experienced

Step-by-step instructions achieving a meditative state while knitting

Clear easy-to-understand patterns for knitwear accessories and home décor, each specifically created for mindful knitting

An essential volume for those who seek balance and stress reduction through knitting

Whether you're a beginner exploring the art of knitting as a portal to serenity, or a seasoned knitter looking for relief from intricate patterns, Simple Designs for Meditative Kitting cuts a soothing path toward mindfulness and well-being.

This stunning collection of super-easy designs allows you to unwind and embrace the calming rhythm of knitting. Timeless patterns with easy-to-memorize knit and purl repeats are the key to a true meditative knitting experience. Choose from a versatile mix of knitwear and home décor items. All are well suited for hours of mindful knitting.

Captivating photos underscore the contemplative theme of the book, while a sprinkling of quotations from notable authors enhances the peaceful narrative. The simplicity of the designs is complemented by carefully curated yarns, resulting in the perfect finish for every piece.

Author Barbara Breen is a highly skilled knitter, designer, and writer. Simple Designs for Meditative Knitting embodies her belief that knitting need not be complicated to produce beautiful results. Her inspiring collection is certain to bring you a joyful knitting experience and enhanced creativity. As a bonus, the universal appeal of this book makes it a gift that any knitter will treasure.

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