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Can neighbours become more than just good friends this Christmas?

Bella Moore is excitedly counting down the days to Christmas. That is until she arrives home one evening to find her boyfriend leaving her for another woman. Completely heartbroken, Bella is left wondering if Christmas can still be the same this year.

Next door, Bella’s neighbour Nick is facing his first Christmas as a single dad and doubting whether he can make it the magical time his son Freddie deserves.

Determined to fix both Christmas and their broken hearts, Bella comes up with an idea: a Christmas giving tree for the whole village, where the community can unite and secretly give each other the Christmas presents they truly need.

As Bella becomes chief elf, taking donations and delivering gifts with much-needed help from Nick and Freddie, the two neighbours grow closer and start seeing each other in a whole new light.

But when Nick’s estranged wife returns just before Christmas, is their budding romance over before it’s begun? Or will love be Nick and Bella’s perfect gift this Christmas?

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Review

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and enjoyed a few books from Katie Ginger and so I was delighted to be offered a place on this HQ Digital Blog Tour.  I am grateful for the ARC copy and to be included.

Returning to the village of Meadowbank where we met Amelia and Adam last Spring,  review here, we now meet Junior school teacher Bella.  As soon as I started reading about her, I found Bella to be truly lovely and the kind of teacher I would wish for all children.  Once she was hit by her boyfriend’s bombshell, I was gutted for her and willing her to dust herself down and find a new focus.

When we first meet neighbour, Nick, I hoped that he would be one of the stars of the story.  I was thrilled as their stories combined and, along with the adorable Freddie, they started to grow closer.  That was until the shock return of Nick’s ex!

I loved the idea of the Giving Tree and have got involved in similar schemes which are aimed at children in my local community.  Bella’s plan goes a lot further, and I found some of the requests to be either touching or heart-breaking.  As the scheme takes shape, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the spirit of the coming season. 

One of the joys of Katie Ginger’s writing is the beautiful way she constructs her characters.  They are all thoroughly developed and completely believable.  I always feel invested in the outcome of her stories. Of course, in any lovely story, there always seems to be a villain of the piece.  I don’t include spoilers but watch out for a loathsome chap named Seymour!

I’m already looking forward to returning to Meadowbank and meeting some more of Katie’s gorgeous villagers.

Learn more about Katie Ginger here.

Follow Katie on Twitter.

Do you love someone enough to let them go?

It was love at first sight when talented art student Felicity “Flick” Johnston-Hart and Jim MacDuff’s worlds collided at Oxford University.

However, after years of blissful marriage, everything crashes down when their marriage comes to a painful and abrupt end, thanks to Flick’s interfering mother Penelope.

Finally succumbing to maternal pressure, Flick falls into the high-flying career her mother believed she was destined for.

However, she soon realises life without Jim isn’t all she’d hoped, and that some decisions, once made, cannot be undone.

Meanwhile, Jim is settling back into life as a single man in the beautiful Highland village of Shieldaig, when an unexpected visitor brings painful news. A letter from beyond the grave leads him to do something he never imagined and takes him on a journey he didn’t anticipate.

Can either of them heal and truly move on?

Or is it true that a broken heart can never be a blank canvas?

This book was previously published as Through the Glass.

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Review

I received a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I just loved this book.  Not just the story, but the way it was put together.  Historical conversations were presented as ‘flashbacks’ and not just as memories.  I found myself almost immediately invested in this love story, despite the fact that it had come to an end.

Jim and Flick, when viewed historically, are the perfect match and their relationship is enviable.  However, there would be no story without the introduction of heartache.  The result of a meddlesome mother leaves them both devastated and struggling to repair their damaged lives.  It was hard, for me, to understand how Flick could have been so easily swayed by her mother’s influence, but it’s part of the story and I was able to accept it.

As usual, we head to the Scottish Highlands to see how the story evolves.  Jim returns to the beautiful village of his childhood holidays and starts to slowly heal.  Of course, the story can’t end there, and devastating news starts to unravel the progress that they have both made on the road to recovery. The story picks up the pace and heads to a thrilling conclusion on all accounts.

I enjoyed this story, in particular, I loved Jim and his unwavering loyalty to his relationship.  His relationships with his former employer and his ex-father-in-law speak volumes about his character and I found it frustrating that he had to endure so much pain because of an interfering mother.        

I was awake until the wee small hours, again, reading this story because I simply had to know what would happen next.  This book took me from London to Scotland and then to Chicago.  It was a wonderful escape which I would highly recommend.

Author Bio

Lisa Hobman has written many brilliantly reviewed women’s fiction titles – the first of which was shortlisted by the RNA for their debut novel award. In 2012 Lisa relocated her family from Yorkshire to a village in Scotland and this beautiful backdrop now inspires her uplifting and romantic stories.

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An uplifting new Christmas novel from the Sunday Times bestseller

Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home,

Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her

childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big

day.

Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front

door. And as Christmas day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house

runs deeper than she first thought. But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine’s

family arrive at the house – including Dido’s teenage crush Xan – tensions rise around

the castle’s future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel…

As past secrets come to light, can this still be a magical Christmas to remember?

Praise for Trisha Ashley:

‘One of the best writers around’ Katie Fforde

‘A warm-hearted and comforting read’ Carole Matthews

‘Full of down-to-earth humour’ Sophie Kinsella

Praise for Trisha’s previous Christmas bestseller, The Christmas Invitation:

‘Like a nice mug of mulled wine in book form!’’ Good Housekeeping

‘Romance, friendship, love, humour and a generous dose of Christmas spirit’ Woman & Home

‘Engrossingly written and packed with wonderful characters, it’s a heart-warming, feel-good read’ Choice

Purchase link

11th November | Hardback | £14.99 | Bantam Press

Review

I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Trisha Ashley book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I follow Trisha on Twitter and always look out for her delicious descriptions of the morning sky.  I was thrilled to discover that the same beautiful observations were the key style to her writing.  I was able to immerse myself in the sights and sounds of the Castle, the Winter Garden and the outlying lands.  This is a book that requires your full attention, or you risk missing some of the exquisite details.

Sabine is not the easiest character to get along with, but as the story unfolds, the reader gains a better understanding of her life and the challenges that she has faced.  Slowly, her softer side becomes more evident. Sabine’s saving grace is the arrival of her best friend, Nancy, who’s ability to gently persuade Sabine to reconsider her harsher opinions is a key element to the story.

Conversely, Dido is a joy and is bursting with kindness and goodwill.  Her friendship with Henry is enviable as their shared work ethic and attention to detail is the backbone for Heavenly Houseparties. The arrival of her former crush, Xan, brings all her old feelings back to the fore.

As the story progresses, secrets are revealed, and some old wounds start to heal.  More importantly we are treated to a wonderful Christmas gathering with the same distinctive descriptions which not only bring the celebrations to life, but also create a flavour of the wonderful dishes which are served.

This is a Christmas story which needs to be enjoyed and not rushed.  The descriptions are immersive, and the concept is heart-warming.  The comedy is gentle, and the justice is rather well served. I recommend that you find a quiet corner and indulge in traditional Christmas.

Author Bio

Trisha Ashley’s Sunday Times bestselling novels have sold over one million

copies in the UK and have twice been shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan award for

Romantic Comedy. Every Woman for Herself was nominated by magazine readers as

one of the top three romantic novels in the last fifty years. Trisha lives in North Wales.

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Sometimes you just need a little Christmas magic to make your wishes come true…

When master chocolatier, Charlee, takes the leap to move to the picturesque seaside town of

Whitsborough Bay, she is determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and set up a chocolate

shop.

Luckily, she finds the perfect location for Charlee’s Chocolates on beautiful Castle Street… Now she

just has to refurbish it in time for Christmas!

With a useless boyfriend and countless DIY disasters, Charlee doesn’t know if she’ll make it in time.

With no ‘traditional’ family to support her, she feels lost in her new surroundings and the secrets of

the past are weighing her down.

But the warmth and festive spirit of the Whitsborough Bay community will surprise her, and when

plumber, Matt, comes to the rescue, it might be that all of Charlee’s dreams could come true this

Christmas, and she could learn what family really means…

Escape to Castle Street for the perfect uplifting, festive read from top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland.

Christmas Wishes at the Chocolate Shop was originally released as Charlee and the Chocolate Shop.

Now re-released with a new title and new cover, this version has been freshly edited and features

several new chapters.

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Review

I received a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas Wishes at the Chocolate shop is another reworked title from Jessica Redland’s back catalogue.  I discovered Jessica at just the right time, as I’ve read so many of her books, but been able to resist the previous titles, as I knew it was receiving the ‘Boldwood Touch’.

Once again, the characters and story, in this gorgeous book, captured my imagination. As we’re back on Castle Street, there are some familiar faces, but don’t worry if you’ve not been before, you’ll still enjoy this visit. Charlee is the kind of person that I would welcome as a friend.  Kind-hearted and willing to go the extra mile, despite a history of heartache.  Let’s face it, there aren’t many of us who reach 30 without carrying a fair share of emotional baggage.

Charlee’s background is perfectly developed to reveal both joy and heartache in her past.  It was impossible not to hope that she would see the light over her ‘useless boyfriend’, I spent several chapters waiting for the penny to drop and for her to see him in his true colours.

Jessica had obviously carried out thorough research into the life of a chocolatier.  I found myself craving a taste of some of the confections mentioned in this story.  The development of the chocolate shop was a joy to follow, and like Charlee’s love-life, it wasn’t without the odd hiccup.  It was wonderful to see that with the right people and support, even the most hopeless of situations can prove to be the answer to our hopes and prayers.

This story is about chocolate, friendship, family and forgiveness.  It looks at the damage we do to ourselves when we put loyalty above our instincts and tolerate behaviour that should be unacceptable.  It also shines a light on the problems caused by making assumptions!

Author Bio

Jessica Redland writes uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community set in Yorkshire where she lives. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast and her Hedgehog Hollow series takes them into beautiful countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

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Thirty-year-old Brooke Padgett is the landlady of The Highwayman’s Drop in the beautiful Yorkshire village of Leyholme. Commitment-averse and obsessed with work, she isn’t looking for anything serious – and she certainly isn’t interested in the pub’s new barman, gorgeous single dad Hayden. Or is she?

Older sister Rhianna Garrett has fled wealthy husband James after discovering his infidelity. As she moves back to the pub with her children in tow, it’s clear that living together will be tricky for these two very different sisters…

Meanwhile, their widowed mum Janey is keen to rejoin the dating scene. But a lot has changed since her youth in the seventies – and she’ll need the help of her girls.

As the sisters join forces to help Janey, as well as fight off the chain circling the pub, their relationship becomes close once again. Until Brooke discovers Rhianna is hiding a secret that could drive a wedge between them all…

Can the two sisters come together to save The Highwayman’s Drop, their mum’s love life – and their relationship?

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Review

I received a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

When I agreed to join this tour, I based my decision purely on the book cover, I didn’t read the blurb, so I went in blind.  I could not be happier with what I found as the story was right up my proverbial street.  This is another book which I finished in one sitting.  The story flowed perfectly, and I just couldn’t find a spot where I could take a break. 

Sisters Brooke and Rhianna are strangers to one another since Rhianna married and fell under the spell of her husband.  She rarely visits the family pub and her children have been brought up with some serious airs and graces.  However, Rhianna comes back to earth with a bang, when she leaves her cheating husband and moves back home to be with her sister Brooke and mother Janey.  Brooke is desperately trying to save the family pub from being taken over by a faceless chain and Janey is hoping to keep the peace. 

The trio of women all have differing priorities, Rhianna wants to be financially independent from her adulterous husband.  Brooke wants to hold onto the family business, as she sees it as her only connection to her deceased Dad.  Janey, well she wants a man!

This is a story which sees difficult scenarios from all aspects.  What one sister finds to be fair and reasonable, the other finds to be cold and callous.  I was particularly interested in the differing viewpoints and seeing how both options seemed completely reasonable, until viewed from the alternative perspective. 

Joining forces to help Janey, the sisters begin working together to save the pub, a surprising change of plan from Rhianna, who throws herself into the post of helping find new and diverse marketing ideas.

As the synopsis mentions, single dad Hayden is another kink in the plan.  Brooke is not in the market for a boyfriend and living with her niece and nephew has convinced her that she definitely doesn’t want any children.  In particular, I enjoyed reading the exchanges between Brooke and Hayden, I could understand her reluctance, but could equally see Hayden’s point of view.

All of the characters were well developed, including the children who played pivotal roles in several of the decisions that were made.  I understand that this is part of a series, but I read it as a standalone and don’t feel that I missed anything.

If you fancy escaping to a family run pub, this is a terrific opportunity.

Author Bio

Lisa   is a romance author from West Yorkshire in the UK. She is represented by Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents. Her first book is due to be published by Hera Books in August 2019.

As Mary Jayne Baker, Lisa also writes romantic comedies for Aria Fiction.

Lisa is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

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All NEW – Escape to Dorset and the beautiful Chesil Beach with bestselling author Della Galton.

Talented, yet relatively unknown actress and celebration cake baker extraordinaire Olivia Lambert is running out of time.

Approaching forty, she’s yet to land the role that will launch her television career and she’s desperate to be a mum.

Her new man, Phil Grimshaw from the Bluebell Cliff Hotel, seems the perfect match, but seems to be in no rush to settle down.

Having ditched her childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Tom Boyd, when he backtracked about being a dad, Olivia dreads making the same mistake again.

Rocked by confessions from both her sister Ruby and Tom, Olivia knows it’s time to make some life changing decisions.

Then a terrifying incident off Chesil Beach changes the course of her future and brings Olivia to question everything she values and loves.

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Review

I received a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I make no secret of how enthralled I’ve been by the Bluebell Cliff series, I have loved each one, but this was a league apart.  I have always enjoyed the strong comedy elements of this series and was surprised that this instalment was more serious. The comedy was still there, I had a few laughs, but it was a change to handle more grownup themes.  That said, it worked beautifully.

Olivia is a wonderful lead, and I soon found myself rooting for her as she dealt with life’s twists and turns.  From dropping a top tier from a cake, to revisiting the high jinks of pranksters Phil and Mr B, her life is filled with fun and thrills.  Her greatest challenge is her ever ticking body clock, and her desire to settle down and start a family.  Her relationship with Maître D’, Phil, is new and broaching the subject of children seems a long way off, but she doesn’t believe that she has time to waste.

Of course, nothing runs smoothly and she’s soon reacting to the curve ball scenarios of a remorseful ex and a chance to audition for a career launching TV role.  She doesn’t see how she can be both a mother and a successful actor, and neither does her ex.

Whilst dealing with her personal challenges, she continues her gentle relationship with the lovely Phil Grimshaw.  He understands her and shares her desire for acting success.  They have a great deal in common, but it’s hard to gauge how committed they are.  That’s before a terrifying incident causes her to reconsider all her options.

This gorgeous book was completed in one night.  I literally inhaled this story, loving all the twists and turns as Olivia navigated her way through the options in front of her.  I was on ‘Team Phil’ from the start, as he’s long been a favourite character in this series, but Della left me guessing what would happen and even drew on her own life experience to add an additional Olivia’s to her conundrum.

As an aside, I won a Twitter competition and I’ve since visited this area and even stayed in the hotel which inspired the Bluebell, and that trip made it even more enjoyable.  I am grateful to Della and Boldwood Books for the prize.

This book can be read as a standalone story, but the rest of the series is truly lovely and well worth checking out.

Author Bio

Della Galton is the author of 15 books, including Ice and a Slice. She writes short stories, teaches writing groups and is Agony Aunt for Writers Forum Magazine. She lives in Dorset. Della launched her new fiction series set around The Bluebell Cliff Hotel with Boldwood in April 2020.

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Artist Zoey Flynn hadn’t planned to spend her favourite holiday on the shores of Jewel Island, but when her fiancé breaks off their engagement before their Christmas Eve wedding, this Cornish paradise is just the distraction she needs.
With a cosy cottage to call home for a month and a stall at the island’s famous Christmas market to sell her paintings, Zoey quickly puts her heartbreak behind her. Love is the last thing on her mind. That is until the handsome Kit Lewis crosses her path…
Their connection is instant, but Zoey has a secret. And the deeper she and Kit fall for one another, the harder it is to hide. Kit knows Zoey is holding something back and if she won’t tell him the truth she could lose him forever.
Is keeping a promise from the past worth sacrificing a future with the man she loves? Or might Kit be the one person she can trust?

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Review

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was lovely to return to Jewel Island and revisit some of the gorgeous characters that Holly has created for this delightful series.  So many favourite faces make a cameo, but the fabulous Sylvia is integral, once again.

The story gets started at a breakneck pace, with Zoey and Kit feeling an instant spark of attraction that even a bucket of cold water couldn’t extinguish!  I really enjoyed the avoidance of the usual ‘will they, won’t they? format’ for the almost immediate connection.

Holly Martin has once again created a romantic duo that it’s impossible not to adore.  Both are romantically damaged from previous relationships, but they cannot ignore the chemistry of their friendship which begs for more.

The story is set in a Christmas market, and I was certainly left feeling very festive.  There are trees, ornaments, festive food and snowball fights, and more.  All adding to this rather magical mix. Of course, when the romance appears early in the story, it’s then a worry that something is going to go wrong.  For the avoidance of spoilers, I won’t say more than this: the path of true love is rarely smooth, but it’s how that path is navigated that is often the most interesting part.

As the synopsis explains, their future depends on whether, or not, Zoey is prepared to give away a secret.  You need to read this gorgeous book to discover where her loyalty lies, and if they can find happiness for the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Zoey and Kit, they brought Christmas in September, and that’s fine by me!

Learn more about Holly Martin here.   Follow Holly on Twitter.