Heartwarming Holiday Stories: Top Book Picks

Christmas came and went in a blur , a few end of year events and then spending time at home. It was an ideal time for reading as here in Australia we aren’t battling cold and ice, but heat and sizzling temperatures. So,I enjoyed reading about snowy landscapes and the kind of Christmases that I remember.

New Year passed quietly and suddenly it was 2025. January was an unexpectedly challenging month for me. It marked the end of a twenty- five association with a community group. Sadly a long-standing friendship also ended. So ,I’ve joined two online author groups and still continue with the art classes I attend. My much loved cat, Alexei( aged 14) had yet another vet visit and we now have dental wipes and water additives to add to his daily routine.He’s not enthusiastic about either .

Four Weddings and a Christmas by Phillipa Ashley.

Don’t miss the new Christmas novel from Sunday Times Bestselling author Phillipa Ashley! Can the spirit of Christmas reignite an old flame? With her thriving business Cottage Angels, Freya Bolton prepares the Lake District’s holiday homes for Christmas visitors. It’s her job to think of everything, from cinnamon-scented candles to tasteful decorations and hampers of seasonal treats. If only her love life were such a success… After being burned by past relationships, she’s now determined to steer clear of love for good. So when she bumps into gorgeous – and single – ex-boyfriend Travis, a no-strings festive fling seems perfect. But when her feelings for him begin to develop, is she on track for another romantic calamity? Or could this Christmas give her the gift of true love? This gorgeous Christmas romance from Sunday Times bestseller Phillipa Ashley will take you to the Lake District with a story of second chance love as heartwarming as a cup of mulled wine. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Karen Swan and Heidi Swain I adored this from beginning to end. Phillipa Ashley never disappoints, her books are a warm hug on a cold day .’

My Review.

Perfect escapist holiday reading! Delivers on all counts, a believably flawed heroine, and an ex-boyfriend who still sets her pulses racing The push and pull of family dynamics and relationships. With just enough uncertainty to say the end result isn’t a foregone conclusion.

I read this over Christmas in a boilingly hot Australian summer but mentally I was snowbound in the Lakes and enjoying it!

My Hygge Home: How to Make Home Your Happy Place by Meik Wiking

The author of the New York Times bestseller The Little Book of Hygge, helps you turn your home into your happy, cozy safe place.

The urge to nest and control our close environments has never been stronger. We spend more time in our homes than anywhere else—but the way in which our homes impact how we feel has remained relatively unexplored until now.

Backed with Danish design principles, years of research, case studies and a sprinkle of hygge, Meik Wiking has created the ultimate guide to turning your home, office, or wherever you may be, into your happy place.

The Hygge Home will teach us all how to create a much-needed cozy safe space in our homes into which we can retreat to escape the tough things going on in the outside world. Meik will explore the size of our spaces, the way we decorate our homes, the amount of natural light coming in, how much access to green space we have and how we can extend these design principles from inside our homes to our neighbourhoods and beyond.

Meik is guaranteed to help you create a home and safe space where you can both live and thrive.

272 pages, Hardcover

My Review.

I enjoyed reading this with its reflections on home, and how we use our personal space. There are some thought provoking ideas and concepts.I found the study of hospital patients and recovery particularly interesting.The illustrations add to its charm. and I looked at my home with new eyes and concepts of spatial awareness.

New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Café by Julie Haworth

New Beginnings at The Cosy Cat Café tells the story of Tori who, after being dumped and left stranded by her long-term boyfriend Ryan on a trip of a lifetime to Asia, returns home to the sleepy Sussex village of Blossom Heath with her tail between her legs and her dreams shattered. Donning her frilly apron to help her Mum, Joyce, behind the counter at The Cosy Cup Café, Tori starts to believe – with the help of a hunky fireman and a clowder of rescue cats – that perhaps the secret to her future happiness might lie closer to home than she ever thought possible. If you love your romance with a side order of cake, cats and cosy community dynamics, this is the purrfect uplifting, feel-good read from the winner of the RNA Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year 2023.

My Review.

An enjoyable read that has that ‘feel good’ factor, especially if you are a cat lover. The café sounded delightful, and Tori had a dilemma choosing between the two men vying for her attention. I appreciated the attention to detail as to how cats were treated, the differing cat personalities and the strict rules for cat adoptions. The additional reference to a real cat cafe was a bonus.

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by You Ishida,E.Madison Shimoda( Translator).

A cat a day keeps the doctor away….

Discover this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats in the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation.

Tucked away on the fifth floor of an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can be found only by people who are struggling in their lives and who genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, and occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.

Throughout these pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a hardened handbag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha learns to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients grapple with their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.

297 pages, Hardcover First published March 8, 2023

Original title 猫を処方いたします。

My Review.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book with its whimsical cat decorations on almost every page. My advice? Suspend disbelief and follow where the story leads .Is it a fable? A fairytale? For me , it was an unexpected delight.

Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley

Life is sweet for chocolate maker Chloe Lyon! In the picture-perfect Lancashire village of Sticklepond, Confectioner Chloe dispenses inspirational sweet treats containing a prediction for each customer. If only her own life was as easy to forecast – perhaps Chloe could have foreseen being jilted at the altar! But when a new Vicar arrives in the village, the rumour mill goes into overdrive. Not only is Raffy Sinclair the charismatic ex-front man of rock band ‘Mortal Ruin’, he’s also Chloe’s first love and the man who broke her heart. Try as she might, Chloe can’t ignore this blast from her past. Could now be the time for her to make a wish – and dare to believe it can come true? A charming novel for chocoholics everywhere, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Jill Mansell and Carole Matthews.

376 pages, Paperback First published January 1, 2010

My Review.

Just as predictable and delicious as I anticipated. Trisha Ashley’s books often have a touch of magic or whimsy about them, and it’s always relatable. Missed opportunities, lost love and a feel-good factor. Perfect escapist reading .

Love at First Book by Jenn Mc Kinley

When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading .

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.

Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.

When Siobhan’s health takes a bad turn, she’s more determined than ever to finish her novel, while Kieran tries every trick in the book to get his mother to rest. Thrown into the role of peacemaker, Emily begins to see that Kieran’s heart is in the right place. Torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her own growing feelings for the mercurial Irishman, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.

330 pages, Paperback First published May 14, 2024

My Review.

I loved this book! The bookish theme, the characters and the witty banter. My imagination took flight and I was with Emily every step of the way in her transformation from downtrodden Emily to the feisty and witty “Red.” Kieran had enough bite to spark rebellion in Emily and also an attraction.I really fell for these two and was sad when the story ended.Of all the books this month, this was my favourite.

Of course, I have found another book by this author, more about that next month.

I’m isolating in my writing cave and putting the finishing touches to my memoir.The development editor is booked and the cover designer. No one really does this alone, nor should they. We can’t see our own mistakes or tell what isn’t working. My first book, I loved the cover, but I hadn’t considered what worked for the readers.This time I will let the professionals decide.

Currently the book is around 55,000 words. Who am I writing it for? Firstly, for me to release my memories and for my children.They may have heard one side of the story and now they get to hear the other. I think it should also appeal to double decker bus enthusiasts. It covers the years I worked as a bus conductor when being a female and doing that job was quite unusual.

Month of Reflection: Health, Reading, and Life Changes.

November was a difficult and stressful month for me. Unusually, I read very little. My cat’s continuing health problems, and my surgeries kept me occupied. I had an eye patch – reading wasn’t a priority, but I missed it.

I won’t make my Good Reads reading target of 100 this year. I will be lucky if I hit 70. But, my cat is in remission from diabetes and he had some dental work done. I had three skin cancers removed and new skin is growing back.

Reading was a mixed bag over these two months, as health appointments and care routines took priority.

The House at Sea’s End By Elly Griffiths

Forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is back, this time investigating a gruesome World War II war crime. Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as “highly atmospheric” (New York Times Book Review), “remarkable” (Richmond Times-Dispatch), and “gripping” (Louise Penny).

Now the beloved forensic archaeologist returns, called in to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach.

Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson—the married father of her daughter, Kate—does not help. The bones turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret that the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?

First published July 1, 2011.

My Review

I was looking forward to reading this, but somehow it didn’t engage me as much as the previous books. It could have been the time frame, going back to the war years, or the fact that there were fewer interactions between Ruth and Harry Nelson.

The Art of Memoir by Mary Kerr.

Credited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club spent more than a year at the top of the New York Times list. She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well.

For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning graduate teaching prizes for her highly selective seminar at Syracuse, where she mentored such future hit authors as Cheryl Strayed, Keith Gessen, and Koren Zailckas. In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patient, writer and spiritual seeker, recovered alcoholic and “black belt sinner,” providing a unique window into the mechanics and art of the form that is as irreverent, insightful, and entertaining as her own work in the genre.

Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers’ experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karr’s own process. (Plus all those inside stories about how she dealt with family and friends get told— and the dark spaces in her own skull probed in depth.) As she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir, she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic history, whether writer or reader, will relate.
Joining such classics as Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, The Art of Memoir is an elegant and accessible exploration of one of today’s most popular literary forms—a tour de force from an accomplished master pulling back the curtain on her craft. power of reflecting on the past; anybody with an inner life or a complicated one

My Review.

This was suggested reading as I am currently writing a memoir. It comes highly recommended, so I duly read it. Nothing stood out for me, which could well have been my distracted mind, as I was dealing with the health issues both for myself and for my cat. I was scheduled for biopsies and then surgery a bit later in the month. Might give it another try when life is more settled.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary.

Audio Book Read by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar Jones.

Leena is too young to feel stuck.
Eileen is too old to start over.
Maybe it’s time for The Switch…

Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Newly single and about to turn eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen… So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, and Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire.

But with a rabble of unruly OAPs to contend with, as well as the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – local schoolteacher, Leena learns that switching lives isn’t straightforward. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, and with the online dating scene. But is her perfect match nearer to home than she first thought?

My Review.

I’ve not been a fan of audiobooks, as they often send me to sleep. This time I had one eye covered with a patch after surgery and reading was difficult. An audiobook was the perfect solution. It also helped that there were two distinct voices.

To some extent the story is predictable, but I found it amusing and entertaining.

Warning there are references to cancer and a death that happened before the book began.

Both narrators did an excellent job in conveying their characters.

Richard III: A Ruler and His Reputation by David Horspool.

For many, Richard III is an obsession–the Richard III Society has a huge membership, and Shakespeare’s Histories have contributed to, if not his popularity, certainly his notoriety. Now, with the discovery of Richard III’s bones under a parking lot in Leicester, England, interest in this divisive and enigmatic figure in British history is at an all-time high. It is a compelling story to scholars as well as general readers, who continue to seek out the kind of strong narrative history that David Horspool delivers in this groundbreaking biography of the king.

Richard III dispassionately examines the legend as well as the man to uncover both what we know of the life of Richard, and the way that his reputation has been formed and re-formed over centuries. But beyond simply his reputation, there is no dispute that the last Plantagenet is a pivotal figure in English history–his death signaled the end of the War of the Roses, and, arguably, the end of the medieval period in England–and Horspool’s biography chronicles this tumultuous time with flair.

This narrative-driven and insightful biography lays out a view of Richard that is fair to his historical character and to his background in the medieval world. Above all, it is authoritative in its assessment of a king who came to the throne under extraordinary circumstances.

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 22, 2015

My Review,

Full disclosure, I was halfway through this when I had eye surgery and there was no way I could continue. From what I read this is a scholarly and well-researched book which examines Richards’s life in its entirety. I intend to go back to it.

It was a joy to be able to go back to reading, but my progress has been slower than I would have liked.

Part of December Reading 2024.

December brought some lighter books that I’d requested from the library as I was in the mood for a little seasonal escapism.

We Solve Murders By Richard Osman.

A brand new series. An iconic new detective duo. And a puzzling new murder to solve…

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.

My Review.

Easy reading, with some interesting characters, but it didn’t quite gel for me. Maybe I was missing The Thursday Murder Club Gang? Steve could certainly fit in with them. His high-flying daughter-in-law Amy needs Steve’s expertise and takes him far out of his comfort zone. It has the potential to become a fun series.

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.

A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family–and a new love–changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….

My Review.

Suspend disbelief and enjoy this magical book. It’s a fairy tale for adults. Mika is a disparaged and neglected witch who has to hide her power and is missing feeling loved or cared for. And what good is power if you can’t use it?

The invitation to Nowhere House should be ignored, but how can Mika ignore three isolated young witches? She knows what it’s like to feel alone. Mika finds far more than just the girls, acceptance, companionship, and potentially even love. My favourite read of the month.

A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves.

Heppleburn, once a Northumberland pit village, has always been close-knit, friendly and safe – until the murder of headmaster Harold Medburn. Suddenly, the village seems unfamiliar, uncomfortable.

The school caretaker and his daughter pursue their own route of investigation, which should have made Inspector Ramsay’s job a little easier. But hampered by false leads, powerless to pre-empt the killer’s next move, and overshadowed by the evil atmosphere of All Hallow’s Eve, Ramsay finds his own reputation is on the line…

228 pages, Kindle Edition First published January 1, 1990

My Review,

It’s interesting to read an early Ann Cleeves book. I hadn’t heard of Inspector Ramsay and suspect he has been overtaken by Jimmy Perez and Vera Stanhope. He could be an interesting character. I’ve just checked and there are six books in the series set in Northumberland. Ann Cleeves does a sense of place particularly well and Ramsay comes across as a decent bloke, a bit of a loner. Might try book two.

Christmas at the Chateau by Annabel French.

Life has gone a little bit downhill for Naomi Winters… Ever since her ex-husband Ollie filed for a divorce last Christmas, Naomi is a self-confessed scrooge. She hates her job, has exactly zero hobbies, and on top of that she’s all alone this holiday season. Spurred on by her best-friend Mia – who has invited her to spend Christmas at her snow-kissed Chateau in the Swiss Alps – she decides it’s time for change. But, when she arrives, she’s shocked to see Mia’s big brother Gabriel. It’s been fifteen years since they last saw each other, forcing her to face memories she’d rather forget. As Naomi grapples with getting her life back on track, she throws herself into various festive activities, and she can’t seem to escape Gabriel this time… Will he manage to thaw her icy heart, or is she on a downward slope to disappointment? Escape to the Swiss Alps with this festive, feel-good novel! Full of warmth and romance, it’s perfect for fans of Lucy Coleman, Karen Swan and Katie Fforde.

My Review.

As I was spending Christmas alone, I grabbed a couple of “Christmassy “books, hoping they would help my festive cheer. This had all the ingredients, exotic European location, a recently single woman, her best friend, a chateau and an old flame. A recipe for seasonal delight.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the chateau, the village, the Christmas market, and the townsfolk. The relationship between Naomi and Mia seemed genuine and the brooding Gabriel in the background added a sense of intrigue.

Naomi is adopted and over time her constant reflections about not being wanted, and rejected by her birth parents, were repeated too frequently. I found the story less engaging. I finished the book but as a seasonal pick up, it hadn’t done the job for me.

I’m hoping that I will get back to reading for enjoyment and pleasure as well as for information.But my writing is going to have to take priority, I’ve been writing for a full year and need to get this memoir finished!

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year, with friends and family and plenty of good books!

Book Reviews: Escaping Into Stories Amidst Stress.

Another month has passed by in a blur of medical appointments both for me and my cat. Unexpectedly I’ve had two lots of surgery in November. Luckily nothing serious, but two basal cell carcinomas close to my eye were concerning and better removed. Alexei, who had recently been diagnosed with diabetes was out and about in our enclosed garden, and I thought I didn’t have to worry about him. When he was on my knee I noticed an odd tuft of fur on his head. I assumed he’d been under a bush, and it was sap. Two days later it was still there and when I teased it apart, I saw he was developing an abscess. So, another expensive vet visit.

Reading was a welcome escape for me from stress and worry, but I didn’t read quite as much as I had hoped to.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig.

The remarkable next novel from Matt Haig, the author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Midnight Library, with more than nine million copies sold worldwide

“What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…”

When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.

Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.

Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

324 pages, Hardcover First published September 3, 2024.

My Review.

I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Midnight Library, but how can you compete with that? Another story that requires a suspension of disbelief. Grace is an interesting character, and her unexpected inheritance challenges her in a myriad of ways that I found quite relatable. There is a fantastic part to the story which you can accept or not.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

“She smiled a soft, troubled smile and I felt the whole world slipping away, and I wanted to slip with it, to go wherever she was going… I had existed whole years without her, but that was all it had been. An existence. A book with no words.”

Tom Hazard has just moved back to London, his old home, to settle down and become a high school history teacher. And on his first day at school, he meets a captivating French teacher at his school who seems fascinated by him. But Tom has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he’s been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history–performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.

Unfortunately for Tom, the Albatross Society, the secretive group which protects people like Tom, has one rule: Never fall in love. As painful memories of his past and the erratic behavior of the Society’s watchful leader threaten to derail his new life and romance, the one thing he can’t have just happens to be the one thing that might save him. Tom will have to decide once and for all whether to remain stuck in the past, or finally begin living in the present.

How to Stop Time tells a love story across the ages–and for the ages–about a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live. It is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

My Review.

How versatile is Matt Haig? Another story that asks you to suspend disbelief, but one that when you do, makes perfect sense. It appeals to the romantic idea that there is one perfect soulmate, one perfect love, Having once found that, to lose them would leave you bereft. Yet, you live on and on… searching for your elusive twin soul. Reminiscent of The Time Traveller’s Wife.

A Love Letter to Paris By Rebecca Raisin

Late at night when I wander the streets of Paris, my thoughts turn to her… How do I tell her how I feel? Perhaps, I need to show her…

The pretty little streets of Montmartre are abuzz with a rumour. Apparently a mystery matchmaker, known only as ‘Paris Cupid’, has somehow helped the city’s most famous bachelor find love.

But old-fashioned romantic Lilou is staying very quiet. She’d just wanted to set up her best friend, and to get on with her life selling whimsical old love letters, in Paris’s famous St. Ouen market.

She hadn’t imagined her little Paris Cupid project could ever have attracted so many people looking for true, heartfelt romance. Though the truth is that Lilou adores helping people find the right person. Even if her own love life is nothing short of disastrous.

But then a message arrives. And it’s just for her. Someone is in love with her. Someone who knows her secret. But they’re keeping their own identity secret too… Could it be from cheerful, talkative, flame-haired Felix? Or quiet, beautifully handsome Benoit? Or even Pascale – who drives Lilou mad every day?

After so long of helping others find their soulmate, is it time for Lilou to find love of her own in Paris herself?

273 pages, Kindle Edition Published July 8, 2024.

My Review.

This is a story about Paris, and a love letter to Paris. It felt as if I was strolling down the boulevards and side streets of The City of Love. A matchmaker has to believe in love, even if it has eluded her. Lilou has a talent for matching people and starting Paris Cupid has allowed her to indulge that talent. Her own love life though is disastrous, but someone starts sending her letters. There are three potential candidates, but I thought it was fairly obvious who the love interest was.

If I Tell You… I’ll Have to Kill You. Edited by Michael Robotham.

What is the secret to good crime writing? No one better to ask than a group of Australia’s leading crime writers. Their conclusions are fascinating, provocative, often surprising, and they are all drawn from the hard school of personal experience. What pieces of advice do the writers have in common? That there is no substitute for hard work! One tells us there is no such thing as writer’s block – “just do it” is a common theme. There is a fun part though: research. The writers could not vary more in their research and the way they approach it; from Shane Maloney’s near-death experience in a freezer to Leigh Redhead’s adventures as a stripper, Barry Maitland’s endless walks through the streets of London to Gabrielle Lord’s night out at a Gangster and Molls party, the search for ideas and atmosphere is never done and never dull. These writers also read voraciously, and they all give us their five ‘must reads’ – it’s interesting how much they coincide. As do their Rules for Writing. All in all a treasure trove for all fans of crime fiction, be they aspiring writers or simply want to get to know their favourite writers better.

Contributors: Kerry Greenwood, Shane Maloney, Peter Corris, Barry Maitland, Garry Disher, Michael Robotham, Gabrielle Lord, Katherine Howell, Liz Porter, Leigh Redhead, Leah Giarratano, Lindy Cameron, Angela Savage, Malla Nunn, Geoffrey Mcgeachin, Lenny Bartulin, Lindsay Simpson, Marele Day, Peter Lawrance, Tara Moss And Adrian Hyland.

My Review,

An enjoyable read. You don’t have to be an aficionado of crime to find these pieces readable and relatable. Both writer and readers will enjoy the insights gained about the writing process. One thing shines through all crime writers have an endless curiosity about people and motivations.

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre.

FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL

You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.

You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a Sunday best hat.

Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.

A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.

480 pages, Hardcover Published July 18, 2024.

My Review.

Cleverly done Mr Brookmyre. Read it once and then immediately wanted to go back and read it again. Hard to describe without giving things away. You may be surprised, you won’t be disappointed.

As the month winds down, I am hoping for a less stressful December.

A Quick Note. I am an expat Brit now living in Australia, as such I still use British spelling.

Navigating Challenges with Pets and Health and Escaping into Books.

Suddenly it was September — where has the year gone? It’s been quite a challenging month. Sadly, I lost one of my cats in August. Annabelle had been with us for fourteen years since she was an 8-week old kitten. A tortoiseshell cat with an assertive personality, she was a definite presence. She sat on my desk or on my lap, quietly purring. It was a heartbreaking decision to say goodbye, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I miss her company and her loud purrs.

I decided to be proactive and take my other cat for a checkup as he’s thirteen. It was a wise if expensive decision. He was diagnosed as diabetic so a drastic change in his diet and insulin injections twice daily. He also needs his blood glucose monitoring. There is some good news, diabetes in cats is 80-85% reversible, but not so for dogs. It’s been a tough learning curve for both of us.

Additionally, a routine eye check found two suspicious spots close to my eye. They had to be biopsied and turned out to be basal cell carcinomas. I will be having surgery to deal with that, soon. It has been a disruptive time and I haven’t read as much as in other years, but so be it. I accept that I won’t reach my reading target this year.

Educated by Tara Westover.

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag”. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes and the will to change it.

My Review.

As others have said, this is a tour de force of a book. As fiction the story would be heart-rending enough- but this story is true. Imagine realising that your worth/value was only a twelfth of the man who would be your husband. It was expected that Tara would have a husband, as was normal in her world. While questioning this was wrong and the devil’s work. Her husband would then decide everything for her, just as her father had. Rebellion meant exclusion.

The Right Side of Mr Wrong by Jane Lightfoot.

One-off, moving on sex, wasn’t meant to be this hot…

When determined singleton Shea Summers is persuaded to become the “wife” of the Lord of Edgerton Manor, the last thing she wants to do is play house with a stranger.

Brooding playboy Brando Marshall is far from happy when Shea turns up at his sprawling estate with production crew in tow. Surely she’s just another woman after his wallet? And if she’s looking for Mr Right, she’s definitely hitting on the wrong guy. Then again, after catching an unscheduled glimpse of her knickers, perhaps Brando needs to teach this “gold-digger” a lesson!

She’s seizing the moment, he’s breaking the rules, and when bad boys can be so much fun, who can resist getting on the right side of Mr. Wrong…

My Review.

A fun read with steamy sex and delicious banter. A hot guy who knows how to push Shea’s buttons and a woman who wants to resist, but finds she cant. A quibble, the name Brando didn’t resonate with me. I immediately connected it to Marlon Brando which spoiled the image

Coffee and Cake at Wildflower Lock by Hannah M Lynn.

Wildflower Lock 2

Daisy May is embarking on a new chapter of her life as a permanent resident at the idyllic Wildflower Lock. Determined to seize this second chance she’s been granted, Daisy is putting her all into making her new business venture a success. As her friendship with Theo grows ever stronger, her happily ever after seems within reach.

However, life isn’t always smooth sailing. When a string of unfortunate mishaps and an unruly stag party leaves Daisy’s finances in dire straits, she starts to question her decision to launch a coffee shop. But just when she’s nearly lost hope, the mysterious and generous Christian enters her life. Astute and eager to assist Daisy, he proposes a solution that could be the answer to all her problems…or will it be the beginning of even more challenges.

My Review.

I had been looking forward to this, but I was disappointed. I accept that a certain amount of repetition may be necessary to orientate a new reader, but this seemed excessive. Also, Daisy May behaves quite idiotically with Theo and seems to have lost all her decision-making abilities or confidence. Another man adds to the complications but she floats along letting things happen So much could have been resolved with an honest conversation. I won’t be reading book three.

A Cornish Cottage by the Sea by Jane Linfoot.

Hurtling through the sky was supposed to be Edie Browne’s flight of independence. But when she falls head over champagne bucket while celebrating her successful landing, her life is changed in an instant.

But starting over has its benefits, and as Edie relearns the basics under the watchful eye of her Aunty Josie and an entire Cornish village of new friends and neighbours, she finds love and joy she never could have imagined in the unlikeliest of places…

Come home to Periwinkle Cottage for a romance full of love, laughter and friends for life!

My Review.

Finding a supportive community has continuing positive effects on Edie as she loosens up returns to baking and starts to embrace life and love again. Relatable

Josephine’s Garden by Stephanie Parkyn.

A captivating story of love, nature and identity in Napoleon’s France

‘Stephanie Parkyn is one very talented storyteller.’ -Mrs B’s Book Reviews

France, 1794. In the aftermath of the bloody end to the French Revolution, Rose de Beauharnais stumbles from prison on the day she is to be guillotined. Within a decade, she’ll transform into the scandalous socialite who marries Napoleon Bonaparte, become Empress Josephine of France and build a garden of wonders with plants and animals she gathers from across the globe.

But she must give Bonaparte an heir or she risks losing everything.

Two other women from very different spheres are tied to the fate of the Empress Josephine – Marthe Desfriches and Anne Serreaux. Their lives are put at risk as they each face confronting obstacles in their relationships and in their desire to become mothers.

From the author of Into the World comes a richly imagined historical novel about obsession, courage, love and marriage.

‘Enthralling novel, rich in historical detail … Highly recommended.’ -Good Reading on Into the World

My Review.

I was looking forward to reading about this less well-known part of Josephine’s life. Most of the initial story is of Napoleon’s attraction to Josephine which I knew about. These were perilous times and Josephine accepted the inevitability of a man who could protect her. Sadly, for me the story felt oddly disjointed and as if the two parts were hardly related but two separate entities.

The Plumberry School of Comfort Food By Cathy Bramley.

The Plumberry School of Comfort Food was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package.

Verity Bloom hasn’t been interested in cooking anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.

But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks’ time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she’s home.

But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?

My Review

like to mix my reading up, so after something heavy, something lighter, what I’d classify as an easy read. A relaxing book with enough in it to keep me interested. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food delivered all the things I wanted. Characters I cared about, a setting that inspired me, and a story that kept my attention. I enjoyed this book. The depiction of grief, guilt, and indecision was relatable. I enjoyed this book. Verity is a strong character, but even strong characters can buckle. Loved the school, the food descriptions, and the hot chef. Who wouldn’t want to attend a few classes?

The Very Virile Viking by Sandra Hill

Magnus Ericsson is a simple man. He loves the smell of fresh-turned dirt after springtime plowing. he loves the feel of a soft woman under him in the bed furs. He loves the heft of a good sword in his fighting arm.

But, Holy Thor, what he does not relish is the bothersome brood of children he’s been saddled with. Or the mysterious happenstance that strands him in a strange new land – the kingdom of Holly Wood. Here is a place where the folks think he is an act-whore (whatever that is), and the woman of his dreams – a winemaker of all things – fails to accept that he is her soul mate…a man of exceptional talents, not to mention…A Very Virile Viking

My Review.

With a title like that, how could I resist picking this book up? An absolute romp, suspend disbelief and go along for the ride. A clash of cultures and plenty of hot and steamy sex.It should have you chuckling.

Overall it has been a difficult month emotionally both for my own health and also worrying about my cats. My reading has been an escape and a pleasure. Do you enjoy escaping into a good book?

August Reading Recommendations: Atmospheric Crime Fiction and Feel Good Novels

Photo by Viktoria Alipatova on Pexels.com

August can still be wintery weather for us in Perth Australia and when the rain is pouring down nothing beats settling down with a good book. I’ve been branching out and reading some unfamiliar authors. I love the thrill of discovering “new to me” writers.This month its a mixed bag of four crime fiction and three “feel good” stories.

All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye by Christopher Brookmyre.

Jane Fleming, forty-six and three years a grandmother has always played by the rules, never hurt anybody, never lied, never even had a parking ticket. But she’s about to put all that right in a very big way…
Intrigue. Espionage. Advanced technology. Clinical violence. Hoovering. It’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye.

My Review.

The story starts quite slowly and as usual with Brookmyre, the reader is thrust into the thick of a gradually unfolding action. Ok, industrial espionage, so you think you have a handle on the story. Suddenly you get Jane Fleming, a suburban mum, and wonder what the connection is. Things are about to get interesting! In one sense it morphs into every downtrodden woman’s fantasy. Jane takes control, and ignores her domestic responsibilities, finding amid the panic and terror that she is far more capable than she had ever realised. Who is this woman? Some very bad people are about to find out.

New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock by Hannah M Lynn.

Wildflower Lock 1

The start of a BRAND NEW series from Hannah Lynn, bestselling author of the Holly Berry Sweet Shop series! New starts and hopeful hearts…

At 25, Daisy May’s life is not living up to expectations. Her childhood dreams of being an artist feel as unachievable as a committed relationship or managing to save enough money for a deposit on a house. But a surprise inheritance could change all that.

After Daisy learns she’s now the new owner of a forty-foot narrow boat, she sets out for Wildflower Lock, where the fresh country breeze and the calm water is enough to assure her everything will be okay.

With the help of the ruggedly attractive, yet grumpy riverman, Theo, she begins to work on her new home, the September Rose. Can she breathe new life into the old boat and learn to navigate not only the canals themselves, but also the people who live there? Or will the whole venture pull her under?

My Review

I got this through the library app Borrow Box. It is what I expected, an easy and fun read and along the way, I learnt a little about cruising the waterways of Britain and also restoring a narrow boat. Daisy’s life isn’t without its complications so it’s not all plain sailing, Unexpectedly the book ended without a resolution for most of the problems.

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths .

Ruth Galloway 1

When she’s not digging up bones or other ancient objects, quirky, tart-tongued archaeologist lives happily alone in a remote area called Saltmarsh near Norfolk, land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants—not quite earth, not quite sea.

When a child’s bones are found on a desolate beach nearby, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson calls Galloway for help. Nelson thinks he has found the remains of Lucy Downey, a little girl who went missing ten years ago. Since her disappearance he has been receiving bizarre letters about her, letters with references to ritual and sacrifice. The bones actually turn out to be two thousand years old, but Ruth is soon drawn into the Lucy Downey case and into the mind of the letter writer, who seems to have both archaeological knowledge and eerie psychic powers. Then another child goes missing and the hunt is on to find her. As the letter writer moves closer and the windswept Norfolk landscape exerts its power, Ruth finds herself in completely new territory—and in serious danger.
The Crossing Places marks the beginning of a captivating new crime series featuring an irresistible heroine.

My Review.

I enjoyed this atmospheric book with its sense of place and interesting characters. It was easy to inhabit the skin of Ruth Galloway and experience her emotions. Ruth is no fool, but she has her blind spots too. I also enjoyed having a Northern hero, with his direct ways. To tell you how much I enjoyed it, I’ve already got book two on my TBR.

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on earth before ten days are up… If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, but now she’s standing in her ‘shine like a star’ nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her. As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is until someone comes running out of a door, yelling something about a huge mistake, and sends the dreamy stranger back down to earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife. When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to earth and reconnect with the mysterious stranger, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start at life. But in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind.

My Review.

Pure escapist fun! I enjoyed this immensely as Delphie is just the sort of nerdy heroine I enjoy reading about. Can the deadline change her luck? She will have to behave in ways she never has and do things she never thought she would. But love and life are worth fighting for. I’m going to be checking out more books by this author.

The Plumberry School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley

My Review.

I like to mix my reading up, so after something heavy, something lighter, what I’d classify as an easy read. A relaxing book with enough in it to keep me interested. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food delivered all the things I wanted. Characters I cared about, a setting that inspired me and story that kept my attention.

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz.

Hawthorne & Horowitz 5

In New York Times–bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound

Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong and tranquillity from behind the security of a locked gate.

It is the perfect idyll until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, a gaggle of shrieking children and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and they quickly offend every last one of their neighbours.
When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator that can be called on to solve the case.
Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?

My Review.

I usually enjoy the interplay between Hawthorne and Horowitz, but this time the story fell a bit flat for me. Maybe it was the lack of Immediacy and the usual acerbic exchanges between them. The map at the front of the book recalled classic crime novels and was a welcome addition. I doubt anyone could have worked out the solution. I certainly didn’t.

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

It’s been only a few months since archaeologist Ruth Galloway found herself entangled in a missing persons case, barely escaping with her life. But when construction workers demolishing a large old house in Norwich uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway—minus its skull—Ruth is once again called upon to investigate. Is it a Roman-era ritual sacrifice, or is the killer closer at hand?

Ruth and Detective Harry Nelson would like to find out—and fast. When they realize the house was once a children’s home, they track down the Catholic priest who served as its operator. Father Hennessey reports that two children did go missing from the home forty years before—a boy and a girl. They were never found. When carbon dating proves that the child’s bones predate the home and relate to a time when the house was privately owned, Ruth is drawn ever more deeply into the case. But as spring turns into summer it becomes clear that someone is trying very hard to put her off the trail by frightening her, and her unborn child, half to death.

The Janus Stone is a riveting follow-up to Griffiths’s acclaimed The Crossing Places.

My Review.

As I had enjoyed the first book in the series, I was happy to get this. It’s an interesting story with a definite Gothic horror feel. While I enjoyed the ongoing “not a relationship” between Harry Nelson and Ruth Galloway the story’s structure ( interspersed diary entries) didn’t work so well for me. I will still be reading the next in the series though.

Last month I sadly lost my cat Annabelle at fourteen years old.Here is my other cat Alexei as a kitten.He’s all grown up now and just one year younger than Annabelle. Instinct or caution, made me take him to the vet and he’s just been diagnosed with diabetes. That was a bit of a shock, but we will learn to deal with it together.

Wishing you all good health, good company and good reading!

Chilling Crime and Heartwarming Stories: Book Reviews

Yes, it’s winter in Australia and while we mostly don’t get snow, it can be cold and bleak. I live in Perth, Western Australia and being used to sunshine, the cold grey days can really get me down. TV holds a few programs that interest me. So, I snuggle up with a hot drink and a good book .

My reading has been less predictable than usual, as I simply read books that caught my eye, ones I’d been waiting for or ones that appealed to me.

The Overlook by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch 13

In his first case since he left the LAPD’s Open Unsolved Unit for the prestigious Homicide Special Squad, Harry Bosch is called out to investigate a murder that may have chilling consequences for national security. A doctor with access to a dangerous radioactive substance is found murdered in the trunk of his car. Retracing his steps, Harry learns that a large quantity of radioactive cesium was stolen shortly before the doctor’s death. With the cesium in unknown hands, Harry fears the murder could be part of a terrorist plot to poison a major American city.

Soon, Bosch is in a race against time, not only against the culprits, but also against the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI (in the form of Harry’s one-time lover Rachel Walling), who are convinced that this case is too important for the likes of the LAPD. It is Bosch’s job to prove all of them wrong. First published May 22, 2007

My Review.

I watched the first two seasons of Bosh on TV and enjoyed them. A friend loaned me this book. I hadn’t realised it was number thirteen in the series so there were quite a few gaps in my knowledge of the back story. It was still easy to follow the main story. Given the time it was written, America’s preoccupation with terrorists seems justified. But never discount a cop’s instincts. Even though the evidence points one way Harry senses there is more to the case. Teaming again with Rachel sometimes pits them against each other and at other times they are allies. Interesting dynamic.

Suddenly Single At Sixty by Jo Peck

An uplifting, witty and hilarious memoir about the road from the shock and despair of a sudden marriage break-up to a fabulous new life.
Dumped by her husband of twenty-five years, Jo Peck-smart, successful and sixty-is totally floored. There’s the complete bombshell of the news, the cliche of a younger woman-a much younger woman-there’s the disappointment of cancelled retirement travel plans, and there’s the foundation-rocking loss of her sense of identity-if she’s no longer Rex’s wife, who the hell is she? She’s lost and angry and hurt and confused. But not for long! There’s the comfort and support of excellent friends and newly forged connections with extended family, there’s therapy. And there’s internet dating.
This inspiring, witty and at times hilarious memoir tells the story of the road from shock and despair to an unexpected new life, of friendship, romance and racy sex, proof that being suddenly single at sixty is not the end, it’s an opportunity for a fabulous new beginning.

My Review.

I wouldn’t quite describe it in terms of the burb. I think being suddenly single and dumped is a fairly common experience no matter what our age. Of course, it was a shock and Jo was lucky enough to have supportive friends who rallied around as well as a fairly comfortable lifestyle and income. I found her online dating experiences relatively tame, having fished in the same swamp!

A Snowball in Hell by Christopher Brookmyre.

Each society gets the serial killers it deserves…
How sick are you of our vapid celebrity culture, reality TV shows and tawdry talent contests? Not as sick as Simon Darcourt—but let’s face it, nobody is as sick as Simon Darcourt. A deranged but inventive killer with a genuinely wicked sense of humour, he is busy creating his own celebrity talent show, one that is generating more publicity than its contestants have ever had in their lives. The catch is that those lives won’t be very long.
With the police losing the ratings war, they turn to Angelique de Xavia, a cop who has crossed this psycho’s path before. Having given the best years of her life to a thankless career, concluding unfinished business may be the only motivation keeping her in the job. However, the police are not the only people who want Darcourt, and ruthless measures are engaged against Angelique asleverage in determining his final destination. Now she’s faced not only with tracking down her quarry and spiriting him from under the noses of her fellow cops, but the even more daunting task of ensuring she doesn’t end up dead once she’s served her purpose.
Scared and alone, Angelique knows she’s got a snowball’s chance of pulling this off, which is why she’s going to need a little magic…
A viciously dark satire, a breathlessly exhilarating thriller and a most unlikely romantic comedy: this is Christopher Brookmyre at the very top of his game.

My Review.

Manipulations and misdirection are the name of the game, but who knew that more than one person was playing? Better keep your wits about you to follow the twists and turns of this meticulously plotted thriller. If you like your humour dark, Christopher Brookmyre delivers, as well as thought-provoking reflections on our obsession with celebrity culture and who qualifies as a “Celebrity.” The mirror he holds up to our society isn’t an edifying one.

The Other Bridget by Rachael Johns.

A feel-good romantic comedy by Australia’s bestselling romance writer, ideal for fans of Emily Henry and Marian Keyes.

Named after a famous fictional character, librarian Bridget Jones was raised on a remote cattle station, with only her mother’s romance novels for company. Now living alone in Fremantle, Bridget is a hopeless romantic. She also believes that anyone who doesn’t like reading just hasn’t met the right book yet, and that connecting books to their readers is her superpower. If only her love life was that easy.

When handsome Italian barista Fabio progresses from flirting with love hearts on her coffee foam to joining the book club she runs at her library, Bridget prays her romance ‘curse’ won’t ruin things. But it’s the attention of her cranky neighbour Sully that seems to be the major obstacle in her life. Why is he going to so much effort to get under her skin?

With the help of her close friends and the colourful characters who frequent her library, Bridget decides to put both men to the test by finding just the right books to capture their very different hearts. She soon discovers that not all romances start with a meet-cute, but they might just end in happily ever after…

Written by Australia’s most beloved romance writer, The Other Bridget is a delightfully uplifting book about books, and a gorgeous celebration of the power and pleasure of romance novels throughout the ages.

496 pages, Paperback Published January 30, 2024

My Review

A book featuring books and libraries is an almost automatic choice for me. This one has a plethora of book recommendations for adults and teens… I got my copy via Borrow Box and was disappointed to find the complete reading list wasn’t included. It is however available online.

Imagine being called Bridget Jones, a joke that was funny once but not when repeated a thousand times. No wonder she chooses to call herself Bee.

Bee believes herself as cursed as Bridget with a disastrous taste in men until the Fabio the sexy Italian Barista chats her up. Life appears to be looking up but for her, apart from her interactions with her grumpy and annoying neighbour Sully. Can she break her relationship curse?

Venus with Pistol By Gavin Lyall

ASSAULT, GUNFIRE AND MURDER’ New York Times

‘COOL SMOOTH STYLE COMBINED WITH HOT PACE. A GRIPPER’ The Sun

For a skilled art smuggler like Kemp, the job looked easy.

All he had to do was sneak a few extremely valuable paintings over the border from France into Switzerland—a simple task for a man of his experience.

But when Kemp wakes up in a Zurich park covered in blood and without the priceless Cézanne he’d been carrying, it’s clear things have gone badly wrong.

To add to his problems, Kemp has no memory of the attack—and no idea who carried it out.

The next day Kemp runs into Harry Burroughs at the airport. Kemp suspects this is no coincidence—because Burroughs is a fine art dealer and an even finer crook.

If Burroughs really is mixed up in all this, then Kemp knows that from now on he will have to earn his money the hard way—or he will lose more than just his fee.

My Review

In one part of the book, a character criticises a John Le Carre novel saying, “Not enough guns.” It’s not a criticism that can be levelled at this book, especially as our ‘anti-hero’ Bert is a dealer in antique guns. For the majority of the book, I pictured him as a grumpy middle-aged man. The story is plot-driven with little emphasis on character. I enjoyed the bits of art history. Of its era.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

My Review

I enjoyed this book with its enemies-to-lovers trope. The characterisation was good, the banter was top-notch, while the sex was sizzling. Of course, there were problems and misunderstandings and a will they, won’t they moment. Additionally, for me there was the bonus of the book-related content.

Storm Child by Michael Robotham Cyrus Haven 4

My Review.

While it would be possible to read this as a standalone, I wouldn’t recommend it. So much of the story relates to Cyrus and Evie’s shared past traumas and how they have come to a calmer place.

A rare day out for them spirals out of control when bodies start washing up on the beach. What follows is a tale of secrets, of lies, menace and murder.

Fast-paced, compelling reading. But have we seen the last of Cyrus and Evie?

Loving My Lying, Dying, Cheating Husband: A Memoir of a Whirlwind Romance Gone Wrong by Kerstin Pilz.

Kerstin is childless by choice and married to her job when Gianni, a charming Italian, turns her life into a champagne-coloured fairy tale.
Soon after their runaway wedding, Gianni is diagnosed with cancer and Kerstin becomes his dedicated carer. But when she discovers that he has been cheating on her all through their relationship, she is faced with a difficult walk away, or continue to care for the man who betrayed her. She turns first to wine and then to therapy, eventually ending up in a Buddhist monastery. There she realises that finding a new way of loving her lying, dying husband might offer a chance to grow from her pain rather than be crushed by it – and to avoid liver damage.

My Review.

An interesting book that prompts self-reflection. Initially, it reads like the start of a fairytale a whirlwind romance, with an appealing Italian man. But like most fairy tales there is darkness at its core. In this case, Kerstin discovers that her new husband has cancer. The details of illness and disintegration are realistic and hard to read. Most damaging of all she learns that he has been seeing other women throughout their relationship. This gives her a choice, to leave him when he needs her most or to stay. It’s a choice that many women would baulk at.

After Gianni dies she is deep in grief and finally allowing herself to feel all the feelings she suppressed. For me, this is the book’s most honest and thought-provoking part.

Its the weather for staying home and for comfort and that is what I’ve been doing,apart from attending an art group, and a writing group and an occasional coffee catch up with friends.

A little over a week ago I noticed that Annabelle wasn’t eating much and didn’t seem her usual self.I wasn’t too concerned ,as she was only fourteen and most of our cats live until around the 20 year old mark. Sadly, it was bad news and I had to say goodby to Annabelle. I miss her, I miss her quiet presence, and her feisty independence .There is an Annabelle shaped hole in my heart.

Apologies that this post was delayed a few days.

What Did I Read in June 2024?

So here in the Southern hemisphere its winter and that is the perfect time for snuggling up with a good book. One question remains for me. Why haven’t I read more? I’m way behind on my reading target of 100 books for the year, as so far I have only read 34.

Part of the reason is I’ve been writing- a non fiction book which is very close to my heart, a memoir. You will hear more about that in the coming months.

The Regent’s Menagerie anthologies had a successful launch and hit number one in their categories. Congratulations to all my fellow authors I’ve a lot of reading to do to catch up on all these fabulous stories.

Surprisingly too, I’ve found things to watch on tv although I haven’t been watching Bridgerton series 3. As with my reading, I was preferring darker themes. I’ve spent time playing with the app and generated a series of portraits of me. Interestingly, all of them were brunette although I’m a blonde.

Possibly my reading has influenced my tv viewing.

A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away by Christopher Brookmyre.

Back when they were students, just like everybody else, Ray Ash and Simon Darcourt had dreams about what they’d do when they grew up. In both their cases, it was to be rock stars. Fifteen years later, their mid-thirties are bearing down fast, and just like everybody else, they’re having to accept the less glamorous hands reality has dealt them. Nervous new father Ray takes refuge from his responsibilities by living a virtual existence in online games. People say he needs to grow up, but everybody has to find their own way of coping. For some it’s affairs, for others it’s the bottle, and for Simon it’s serial murder, mass slaughter and professional assassination.

My Review.

I’m on a bit of a Brookmyre kick at the moment. This is the third one I have read and I found it mostly enjoyable. As some other reviewers have said it lost impetus around the halfway mark and it could easily have been cut without losing anything. The thirties are a time for reflection and for both Ray and Simon life has deviated from their plan. Once members of an unsuccessful rock band, that glittering existence is still out of reach. Ray has accepted he has to grow up and has become a teacher. Simon has other darker plans, all the more easily accomplished now that he’s officially dead. At times serious, at times funny, I snorted with laughter when reading it.

Berry Grove Bed And Breakfast by Sarah Hope

When Kim Reynolds learns how unhappy her daughter is, she realises the perfect remedy is a completely fresh start.

Giving up the corporate job she’s worked towards for her entire life, Kim is determined to make Berry Grove Bed & Breakfast a success, but more importantly, she’s determined to support her daughter Mia as she settles into her new life.

But when Danny, Kim’s childhood sweetheart, turns up, buried feelings and a complicated secret threatens to jeopardise their newly discovered peaceful lifestyle.

Can the two people Kim loves most in the world understand and forgive her for keeping them apart?

A story of family, love and friendship, perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Jessica Redland and Polly Babbington.

288 pages, Kindle Edition Published February 25, 2024

My Review.

While initially enjoying the book and Kim’s ” take no prisoners” attitude in her corporate job in part one. By part two, she appeared to have undergone a character change and kept second-guessing herself, postponing decisions and setting herself up to fail. It didn’t work for me.

The Revenge Club by Kathy Lette.

When the odds are against you, it’s time to get even. Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy are all women at the top of their game; so imagine their surprise when they start to be personally overlooked and professionally pushed aside by less-qualified men. Only they’re not going down without a fight .Society might think the women have passed their amuse-by dates but the Revenge Club have other plans. After all, why go to bed angry when you could stay up and plot diabolical retribution? Let the games begin…

PRAISE FOR KATHY ‘Deliciously rude and darkly funny’ Nicole Kidman ‘Unputdownable’ Stephen Fry‘ The thinking lady’s hornbag.’ Kath and Kim.

My Review.

I had high hopes for an enjoyable read and it does contain some witty one-liners and examples of horrible misogyny. Successful women are suddenly ‘just not up to it’ because they have dared to age. Unfortunately, the central premise required too much suspension of disbelief for me. While the finale accelerated it even further,

Return to Half Moon Farm-prt4 Winter Magic by Holly Hepburn

*PART FOUR in the brand new series from Holly Hepburn, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde**
When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.

But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no WIFI.

Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.

Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray… 112 pages, Kindle Edition

My Review.

No real surprises, and all loose ends are tied up. It’s an enjoyable read that rounds out the story. Personally, I don’t enjoy this format and would prefer to wait until the whole story is available.

The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods

When the lives of four very different women become entangled in a boutique Venice hotel, dark secrets unravel and not everyone who checked into the hotel will check out again.

Signora Loretta Bianchi, the world famous cook at Venice’s Hotel Il Cuore, is forced to choose between once-in-a-lifetime passion and her devoted husband.

Sophie, on assignment in Venice as a food writer, finds a lot more than Signora Bianchi’s secret recipes to love, but what is the charming Rocco hiding?

Law graduate Elena is sinking just like the endangered city she’s returned home to, and she’ll stop at nothing to be free from her marriage.

Grandmother Gayle’s dream Venetian holiday turns sinister as she finds herself embroiled in a life or death escape.

Set against a backdrop of the romance and tragedy of magical Venice, The Venice Hotel explores the powerful bonds that develop between women in times of crisis, and the healing power of female connection.

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 3, 2024

Book details & editions

Tess Woods has done it again with The Venice Hotel. It features four fabulous characters who I cared about and I often recognised aspects of myself in their behaviour. The fifth major character is the city of Venice itself, beautifully beguiling and under siege from its visitors. I was totally caught up with the story and stayed up way too late to finish it. My Advance Reader Copy was an absolute pleasure to read, 5 stars!

One Fine Day in The Middle of the Night by Christopher Brookmyre.

The occasion: high school reunion.
The place: an oil rig converted into a tourist resort.
The outcome: carnage.
Gavin is creating a unique ‘holiday experience’; every facility any tourist who hates abroad will ever want will all be available on a converted North Sea oil rig. To test the facilities he’s hosting a reunion for his old school (none of his ex-classmates can remember him, but what the heck, it’s free). He is so busy showing off that he doesn’t notice that another group have invited themselves along – a collection of terrorist mercenaries who are occasionally of more danger to themselves than to the public.
And they in turn are unaware that Inspector MacGregor has got wind of their activities. Within twenty-four hours Gavin’s dream has blown to the four winds, along with a lot of other things.
Dress Casual. Bring your own bullets.

373 pages, Paperback First published January 1, 1999

My Review.

I’ve mixed feelings about this book as initially I found it confusing. Gradually it became clearer, and I found the school reunion intriguing, contrasting the then and now. The last third fairly paced along I could not put the book down as I raced through the last hundred pages. Even then there was an additional surprise. Not for the squeamish, but otherwise good fun.

Jane Austen “There is Nothing Like Staying Home for Real Comfort.”

Winter encourages us to semi hibernate.

And for the most part I have been doing that, snuggling down with my cat and keeping warm.

But rules are made to be broken!

I had a leftover birthday treat in store. A friend had bought tickets for an Abba tribute show- with Bjorn Again and what a fabulous evening it was. Two thousand people all intent on having fun, singing ,swaying , applauding. Oh what a night it was! Foot tapping, arm waving, smiling and singing.

Next month I intend to be hard at work on the memoir ,as well as attending two art classes, my writing group and catching up with friends. Wonder how much reading I will manage next month? What are you reading? Do you read more in winter?

May 2024 I Was Reading and Writing.

Our almost endless summer continued, with day after day of warmer than average temperatures and endless speculations as to when and if the rains would come. In a dry land like Australia, those rains are important to fill the dams.

TV provided few distractions to my reading. In the lead-up to the launch of The Regent’s Menagerie I had some proof reading to do. Lucky I did, as I found a mistake and I hate seeming those in a finalised book. It happens , even in books by well known publishers.

The Booklovers Retreat by Heidi Swain

One long summer. One perfect setting. Can fiction inspire real life…?
Sometimes a book grabs you by the heart and grows to mean everything to you. That’s what Hope Falls is to friends Emily, Rachel and Tori. So, when they get the chance to spend a whole summer at the cottage in Lakeside where the film adaptation was located, they know it is going to be the holiday of a lifetime.
Spending six weeks away will give them a chance to re-evaluate their life choices. For Emily to decide which way her career will go – the safe route, or the more risky creative option? And for Rachel to decide whether to move in with her partner Jeremy. Then Tori has to drop out at the last moment, and her space is offered to another Hope Falls afficionado, Alex.
But when Alex turns out not to be who they expected, the holiday takes an unforeseen turn. And as the summer develops, so does their friendship. Could this be where they uncover their future selves, find love in all its forms and where their lives will change course forever. First published April 13, 2023

My Review

The book didn’t surprise me there were a couple of scenarios which I saw coming up, but I found it an enjoyable read. The book that inspired them all Hope Falls was made into a film and has achieved cult status. The Holiday Cottage has a waiting list of devoted fans all wanting the Hope Falls experience. Can anything live up to the hype?

Return to Half Moon Farm – Spring Fever by Holly Hepburn.

**PART ONE in the brand new series from Holly Hepburn, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde**

When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.
But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no Wi-Fi.
Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.
Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…

81 pages, Kindle Edition Published May 11, 2023

My Review.

I really should look before I leap! I got this from my library’s online book collection without realising it was only part one. To me, this is an annoyingly ridiculous concept. Why would I only want to read part of a book? Having said that it’s a good beginning and I will access the other sections.

Percy’s Bus by Susan Briars

“If you are smiling, you can’t be crying”. That was the motto of Percy Taylor, the father of Susan Briars.

Using a century of journals written by Susan Briars’ father, Percy, and grandfather, Ernest Taylor, this book chronicles the everyday lives of her extraordinary, extended family, as told from her father’s viewpoint, covering the war years and observing the changing society.
The narrative begins his life in the austere Edwardian period, going through his time in service and then onto his many years driving buses and coaches. Here we meet a myriad of interesting characters and find out just what real life is like “on the buses”.

My Review.

This was another e-book from the library collection. Anyone who expects to learn a lot about buses may well be disappointed. There are some anecdotes from Percy’s driving career, but much of the book is from a family perspective. A portrait of a bygone era.

The Novel Project by Graeme Simison.

‘Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.’ Variously attributed to Thomas Wolfe, Paul Gallico and Ernest Hemingway, the quote portrays writing as mysterious, romantic and, implicitly, unteachable. This book is about another approach, based on established theories of creativity and design—and on the experience of authors who have adopted a more structured and reliable process.

It’s aimed at those who want to write a book for publication, or at least one that others will want to read. It could have been called What They Don’t Teach You in Writing School, because its focus is on the writing process as a whole: it treats writing a book as a step-by-step project.

Easy to follow, practical and highly entertaining, The Novel Project is the inside scoop from an author who started his writing career at fifty and whose novels have sold millions of copies around the world. It will help you craft the best book you’re capable of—no blood on forehead required.

208 pages, Paperback Published March 1, 2022.

My Review,

A highly logical and practical approach to writing a novel or even a memoir. It will suit those who appreciate such a structured method. Intellectually I know that it makes sense , but it didn’t resonate with me.

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden.

A gripping and atmospheric debut that is at once a chilling gothic mystery and a love letter to Victorian fiction.

Nobody ever goes to Hartwood Hall. Folks say it’s cursed…

It’s 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, attempts to escape the shadows of her past by taking a position as governess to an only child, Louis, at an isolated country house in the west of England.

But Margaret soon starts to feel that something isn’t quite right. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants, and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs. Eversham, Louis’s widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village.

Lonely and unsure whom to trust, Margaret finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But as Margaret’s history threatens to catch up with her, it isn’t long before she learns the truth behind the secrets of Hartwood Hall.

My Review.

I found the first half of the book more engaging than the second. It certainly hit all the tropes for Victorian melodrama. Margaret is a puzzling character at once strong-willed and determined but then put in an invidious position by a servant.

Interesting story line with an unexpected twist.

Love From Scratch by Amy Hutton.

Opposites attract in this laugh-out-loud rom-com about a heart-throb actor, the grumpy woman who minds his beloved dog, and the cat that steals his heart.

Ethan James has a problem: he’s about to start shooting a movie and he needs someone to mind his anxious dog, Harry. This film could make or break Ethan’s career, and he knows he has to give it all his attention, but Harry’s new minder turns out to be more of a hindrance than a help. She’s gorgeous and funny and throws so much shade in his direction that Ethan can’t think straight.

Hazel Conor has a problem: she’s just lost her job as a sous chefat the fancy beachside restaurant she uphauled her life for. And if she doesn’t get another job soon, she won’t be able to afford food—or worse, cat food, and then her grouchy cat Kevin will finally murder her in her sleep. So, when she sees an ad for an easy dog minder job, she goes for it.

Hazel finds everything about Ethan annoying; he’s flashy, flirty, and a total charmer. She probably wouldn’t look at him twice if it wasn’t for her cat. Because Kevin, the cat who hates everyone, is totally smitten with Ethan James.

And with each purr, cheek rub and head bump that Kevin bestows on Ethan, Hazel begins to wonder if there’s something her cat can see that she can’t.

288 pages, Kindle Edition Expected publication June 5, 2024

My Review.

If you are a fan of Grumpy/sunshine, you will adore this book. It’s amusing and heartwarming and you will probably fall just a little in love with Ethan yourself.

Kevin the cat is the archetypal aloof cat, yet he’s kittenish with Ethan. Is Hazel the only one who doesn’t fall for Ethan’s charm? What if two ambitious people want their careers and love? I enjoyed it.

Angelique De Xavier 2

The Sacred Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre

Let us prey …
The press tend to talk about bank robberies as being daring, ingenious and audacious. They don’t describe many as Dadaist, even the ones who know what ‘Dadaist’ means. But how else does one explain choreographed dancing gunmen in Buchanan Street, or the surreal methods they use to stay one step ahead of the cops?
Angelique de Xavia is no art critic, but she is a connoisseur of crooks, and she’s sure that the heist she got caught up in wasn’t the work of the usual sawn-offs-and-black-tights practitioners indigenous to the parish. She knows she’s dealing with a unique species of thief, and it’s her job to hunt him to extinction – though the fact that it’s not just his m.o. that’s cute might prove a distraction.

This thief, however, has greater concerns than his own safety, and a secret agenda more valuable than anything he might steal. He can afford to play cat and mouse with the female cop who’s on his tail; it might even arguably be necessary. What he can’t afford to do is to let her get too close; he could end up in jail, which holds terrors enough; but even more scary, he could end up in love.
Honesty is a virtue. Deceit is a talent. Theft is an art form.
The Sacred Art Of Stealing: prepare to be misled. 410 pages, Paperback First published January 1, 2002

My Review.

A friend recommended this book It is the second in a series, the first book is called A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away. You don’t have to have read that, but it would add more context. I hadn’t read book one, but I intend to.

Unlike anything I’ve ever read, clever, cynical, dark and brutally funny. It will either grab you or you will wonder what the hell it’s all about.

Summer Love by Holly Hepburn

**PART TWO in the brand-new series from Holly Hepburn, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde**
When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.

But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no Wi-Fi.
Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.

Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…

86 pages, Kindle Edition Published July 6, 2023

My Review.

Continues the story and adds more complications, an old mystery surfaces and now two men are on Daisy’s radar. Of course, I will get part 3.

A Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter

Decadent Dukes Society 2

New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter comes the latest sexy tale of three untamable dukes and the women who ignite their decadent desires . . .

HE MAY BE A DEVIL

He’s infamous, debaucherous, and known all over town for his complete disregard for scandal, and positively irresistible seductions. Gabriel St. James, Duke of Langford, is obscenely wealthy, jaw-droppingly handsome, and used to getting exactly what he wants. Until his attention is utterly captured by a woman who refuses to tell him her name, but can’t help surrendering to his touch . . .

BUT SHE’S NO ANGEL EITHER . . .

Amanda Waverly is living two lives—one respectable existence as secretary to an upstanding lady, and one far more dangerous battle of wits—and willpower—with the devilish Duke. Langford may be the most tempting man she’s ever met, but Amanda’s got her hands full trying to escape the world of high-society crime into which she was born. And if he figures out who she really is, their sizzling passion will suddenly boil over into a much higher stakes affair . . .

249 pages, Kindle Edition First published April 24, 2018

My Review.

Initially a bit of a slow start to this one. It has all the elements, but somehow for me ,it dragged in places. Gabriel is an appealing hero and is well-matched with Amanda and the sexual tension sizzles.

Fallen Angel by Christopher Brookmyre.

To new nanny Amanda, the Temple family seem to have it all: the former actress; the famous professor; their three successful grown-up children. But like any family, beneath the smiles and hugs there lurks far darker emotions.

Sixteen years earlier, little Niamh Temple died while they were on holiday in Portugal. Now, as Amanda joins the family for a reunion at their seaside villa, she begins to suspect one of them might be hiding something terrible…

And suspicion is a dangerous thing.

My Review.

A domestic noir with a dual mystery at its heart. Has the past influenced the present? Can an outsider (Amanda) see more than the others? Kept me guessing , while admiring the writer’s versatility.

My Review.

A domestic noir with a dual mystery at its heart. Has the past influenced the present? Can an outsider (Amanda) see more than the others? Kept me guessing , while admiring the writer’s versatility.

Autumn Dreams Return to Half Moon Farm 3

When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.

But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no WIFI.

Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.

Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…

112 pages, e book Published September 14, 2023

My Review.

As the story continues, we learn more about a past romance that may still affect the present .Daisy chooses one of the men, but has she made the right choice?

News

Excitement is mounting for the June 21st release of the dual set of The Regent’s Menagerie. There are both sweet and spicy versions depending on your preference. Or why not indulge yourself and treat yourself( or a pal) to both?

After June 21st the price rises to $4.99 so grab your copy now. Slightly later paperbacks will be available. Based on the page count they will be the size of standard brick!

And now I’m onto my next project, which I will tell you more about next time. Until then Happy reading.

What did I Read in April 2024 and My Birthday Extravaganza.

April is always one of my favourite months. When I lived in the UK it held the promise of Spring and Spring flowers and bluebell woods. Now, I’m living in Australia it’s the middle of autumn, with thankfully cooler days after a record-breaking summer. It’s also the birth month I shared with my Dad.

Is there any space more magical than a bluebell wood?

This year April has been incredibly busy, as I was racing to finish my elephant story for The Regent’s Menagerie. Mine is in the Sexy set, but both books promise to be so much fun. Currently, both books are available for Pre-order at a special 99c/ 99p price.

Release date is June 21st

Volume 1, Sweet:

https://books2read.com/SweetMenagerie?store=amazon

or shorter url https://tinyurl.com/4nkff89a

Volume 2, Sexy:

https://books2read.com/SexyMenagerie?store=amazon

shorter url: https://tinyurl.com/58pvnzs5

Additionally, I had my flu jab and sore arm for few days. My writing group was producing an anthology .They graciously held space for my contribution. There were birthday celebrations-more about that later, and I still found time to read!

Summer at The Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin.

A Greek island holiday. A fake-dating pact. A chance at true love?
After losing her job as a book scout, hopeless romantic Evie needs a fresh start. So when she hears that her eccentric grandmother has just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini, Evie jumps at the chance to visit her.
But life on the island is not as idyllic as it first seems. Gran has a tempestuous relationship with her landlord and he’s threatening to take the bookshop away from her. So when Gran asks Evie to fake a romance with her landlord’s Greek God of a grandson, Georgios, to keep the family on side, she reluctantly agrees.
As the sun sets on Evie’s Greek holiday, can she save the bookshop – and fake date her way to love?

352 pages, Paperback Expected publication May 7, 2024

My Review.

An enjoyable escape from humdrum reality. Evie’s family has a problem with Grandma. She has never behaved as a grandma should. Now she has bought a bookshop in Santorini. As Evie is currently unemployed it’s obvious, she’s the one to sort it out. For book nerd Evie, a bookshop is a paradise, but she’s not as well equipped to handle all grandma’s problems. These include an irate landlord who is threatening to sell the shop, his gorgeous nephew Georgios, as well as Grandma’s disappeared husband (no 9) and a pack of rescue dogs.

Despite knowing it would all end happily, I enjoyed the twists and turns of this journey. A great holiday read!

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan.

It’s a dream assignment. Former Senator Dorothy Gibson, aka that woman, is the most talked-about person in the country right now, though largely for the wrong reasons. As an independent candidate for President of the United States, Dorothy split the vote and is being blamed for the shocking result. After her very public defeat, she’s retreated to her home in rural Maine, inviting her ghostwriter to join her.

Her collaborator is impressed by Dorothy’s work ethic and steel-trap mind, not to mention the stunning surroundings (and one particularly gorgeous bodyguard). But when a neighbor dies under suspicious circumstances, Dorothy is determined to find the killer in their midst. And when Dorothy Gibson asks if you want to team up for a top secret, possibly dangerous murder investigation, the only answer “Of course!”

The best ghostwriters are adept at asking questions and spinning stories . . . two talents, it turns out, that also comes in handy for sleuths. Dorothy’s political career, meanwhile, has made her an expert at recognizing lies and double-dealing. Working together, the two women are soon untangling motives and whittling down suspects, to the exasperation of local police. But this investigation-much like the election-may not unfold the way anyone expects.

336 pages, Hardcover First published January 23, 2024

My Review.

This book has created a lot of buzz and it certainly sounded intriguing. Of course, I was drawing comparisons between the fictional Dorothy Gibson and Hilary Clinton. It’s interesting to reflect on the difficulties for a ghostwriter to accurately convey someone else’s thoughts and feelings. Especially someone as guarded as a practised politician. The break with routine should provide them with time to do that, but then there is a murder. All the ingredients are there, but sadly the book didn’t gel for me.

The Wake -Up Call by Beth O’Leary

Two hotel receptionists–and arch-rivals–find a collection of old wedding rings and compete to return them to their owners, discovering their own love story along the way.

It’s the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So, when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel’s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through.

The hotel won’t stay afloat beyond Christmas without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way to fix everything. With four rings still sitting in the lost & found, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel–and their jobs.

As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there’s more at stake here than the hotel’s future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?

356 pages, Paperback. First published September 26, 2023

My Review.

A fun, easy-to-read and engaging story. Misunderstandings, hurt feelings, competitiveness and rivalries are all compounded by the ticking clock of a post-Christmas closure.

I Remember Paris by Lucy Diamond.

‘I enjoyed it SO much!’ MARIAN KEYES’As multi-layered, rich and enjoyable as a giant mille-feuille. You will adore it’ MILLY JOHNSON.

Jess Bright, single mum and journalist, feels her life has stalled. So, when she’s offered a writing job in Paris for the summer, she leaps at the chance to go. Hasn’t she always felt that she left a piece of her heart in the city years before. Her subject is the iconic artist Adelaide Fox, whose personal life has been steeped in scandal and intrigue. Now approaching eighty, she’s ready to tell her side of the story – and serve up some scalding-hot revenge in the process. Amidst a stormy working relationship, Jess and Adelaide must face up to their pasts. As passionate affairs, terrible betrayals and life-changing secrets surface, there may be more surprises in store than either of them dared imagine . . .Set in the city of love, with two unforgettable protagonists, I REMEMBER PARIS is a glorious, life-affirming novel about second chances, unlikely friendships and finding your way back to yourself

‘Escapist, romantic and a little bit scandalous, this is Lucy Diamond at her page-turning best’ VERONICA HENRY.

My Review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. A writer is invited to ghostwrite an autobiography of an intriguing female artist. Mistakes both past and present affect the future. Add in Jess’s family dynamic. Adelaide’s stubborn nature, old flames and secrets combined with Paris itself. There is so much to savour and enjoy

The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson

What if you could write your own perfect storyline…?
The heartwarming, feelgood novel from the much-loved Sunday Times bestselling author, Milly Johnson

Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job – until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris – until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing – there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself – as the fictional Sabrina Anderson.

But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it’s a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have.
But what if this new life could belong to her after all?

My Review,

Many of us will identify with how Polly’s life was before she lost her memory. What does it say about that life that no one was actively looking for her? I was cheering Polly on as her new life unfolded, willing her to succeed. In my opinion, Milly Johnson has created a character many of us can relate to and care about. I think Milly has taken over Maeve Binchy’s mantle

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

Victorian high society’s most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London’s most sought-after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor.

Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she’s worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she’ll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London’s attention she’ll need a habit-maker who’s not afraid to take risks with his designs—and with his heart.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row’s infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?

First published January 11, 2022

My Review.

Great title and an interesting read, parts of which would be of interest to those who know more about riding than I do. For me, the most appealing parts were the discussions on how to dress and also how the romance progressed.

The Cat Who Caught a Killer. by L.T Shearer.

Conrad the Cat Detective 1

Meet Conrad the cat. You’ve never met a detective like him before.
Neither has Lulu Lewis when he walks into her life one summer’s day. Mourning the recent death of her husband, the former police detective had expected a gentle retirement, quietly enjoying life on her new canal boat, The Lark, and visiting her mother-in-law Emily in a nearby care home.

But when Emily dies suddenly in suspicious circumstances, Lulu senses foul play and resolves to find out what really happened. And a remarkable cat named Conrad will be with her every step of the way . . .

318 pages, Kindle Edition First published October 27, 2022

My Review.

It seemed as if this book would be like catnip to me, a cat detective who is a talking cat. I wanted to like the book, but unfortunately, I didn’t.

It was heavy-handed in the extreme with info dumps and non-sequiturs. It felt as if I was reading information straight from Google or Wikipedia. And then incidentally in the middle of the book was a recipe for how to cook fish.

As there are currently three in the series, I must assume that some people have found these books enjoyable.

The Most Dangerous Duke in London by Madeline Hunter.

Decadent Dukes Society 1.

Three sinfully handsome dukes, three scores to settle, three hearts about to meet their matches. All in one thrilling new trilogy from New York Times best selling author Madeline Hunter…

NOTORIOUS NOBLEMAN SEEKS REVENGE.

Name and Title :Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton. Affiliation: London’s elite Society of Decadent Dukes. Family history: Scandalous. Personality traits: Dark and brooding, with a thirst for revenge. Ideal romantic partner: A woman of means, with beauty and brains, willing to live with reckless abandon. Desire: Clara Cheswick, gorgeous daughter of his family’s sworn enemy.

FAINT OF HEART NEED NOT APPLY.

Clara may be the woman Adam wants, but there’s one problem: she’s far more interested in publishing her women’s journal than getting married -especially to a man said to be dead set on vengeance. Though, with her nose for a story Clara wonders if his desire for justice is sincere- along with his incredibly innerving intention to be her husband. If her weak- kneed response to his kiss i any indication, falling for Adam clearly comes with a cost. But who knew courting danger could be such exhilarating fun?

My Review

It’s a pleasant change to read a book with an older heroine and one who has a purpose beyond matrimony. Clara’s thirst for independence runs counter to Adam’s desire to marry her. Having recently tasted freedom why would she choose to give it up? Yet, she cannot deny in spite of the suspicions and doubts there is an attraction between them. Family secrets have to be probed and past events re-examined before they can hope to have a “happily ever after.”

Birthday! Actually Birthday months…

The stars aligned, I don’t know how it happened but I will be celebrating until June. All I can say is I have some wonderful friends. So far I have had a casual lunch, a luxurious and expensive lunch, a coffee catch up, where I was gifted with a manicure /pedicure voucher .There is another lunch next week taking my birthday well into May. But wait! There’s more… a dear friend bought tickets to a show I have been longing to see and that happens in June!

What else have I been up to?

Next week I’m writing a passion project close to my heart, a memoir of my late teens and early twenties. My life was far more complicated and challenging then and its something I’ve avoided talking about for a long time. Somehow now, it feels as if the time is right.

Why Was I Reading Murder in March 2024 and Not Romance ?

Simple! I was reading Murder because I was writing Romance and there was no way I wanted to inadvertently plagiarise or copy someone else.

The only exception was a Regency romance I had read in December but was unable to comment on until its March release. I figured that by this time those words were out of my system as I had read and written the review back then.

Didn’t want to freak anyone out to much!

Once Upon A Murder by Samantha Larsen.

A Lady Librarian Mystery

Miss Tiffany Woodall must sleuth the slaying of a footman to clear her beloved’s name in the second Lady Librarian mystery, in the vein of Deanna Raybourn and perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through with masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record the justice of the peace immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder.

As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the night of his death–but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance.

With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the book closes on her or Samir’s life.

My Review.

This is the second in a series and unfortunately, I had not read the first book. This left me at a bit of a disadvantage, but I assumed I’d pick the nuances of the story up. Sadly, it didn’t hold my attention which could be that I hadn’t a connection to the characters. If you are planning to read this series, I suggest you read it in order.

A Death in Diamonds by S.J Bennett.

The royally brilliant fourth book in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates mystery series!

1957 – A young woman is found dead in a mews house a mile from Buckingham Palace, wearing only silk underwear and a a diamond tiara. An older man is discovered nearby, garrotted and pierced through the eye with a long, sharp implement.

According to the police, a high society card game was going on downstairs that night. One of the players surely committed the murders, but each of them can give the others an alibi.

When someone very close to her is implicated, the young Queen is drawn in to the investigation…

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2024.

My Review,

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and the journey back in time to 1957 is well-researched and conveyed. High society London had its own rules and caveats. The police are investigating , hampered at every turn by M16, HM the Queen for reasons of her own wants to know about the investigation too. A fun bit of nostalgia and a puzzling mystery.

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, Alison Watts (Translator)

For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this charming Japanese novel shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a reader’s life.

What are you looking for?

This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they’re looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.

Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi—and the surprise book she lends each of them—will have life-altering consequences.

With heartwarming charm and wisdom, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a paean to the magic of libraries, friendship and community, perfect for anyone who has ever found themselves at an impasse in their life and in need of a little inspiration.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published November 9, 2020

My Review.

I loved this book! Everything about it appealed to me from the delightful cover design to the way the story evolved. Kudos to Alison Watts for such a great translation. A gentle story, which had an almost dreamlike effect. Thoroughly recommended.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo- Reum,Shanna Tan (Translator.)

The Korean smash hit available for the first time in English, a slice-of-life novel for readers of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.

Yeongju is burned out. With her high-flying career, demanding marriage, and busy life in Seoul, she knows she should feel successful, but all she feels is drained. Yet an abandoned dream nags at her, and in a leap of faith, she leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a small residential neighborhood outside the city, where she opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.

For the first few months, all Yeongju does is cry, deterring visitors. But the long hours in the shop give her time to mull over what makes a good bookseller and store, and as she starts to read hungrily, host author events, and develop her own bookselling philosophy, she begins to ease into her new setting. Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that connect them all, she finds her new story as the Hyunam-dong Bookshop transforms into an inviting space for lost souls to rest, heal, and remember that it’s never too late to scrap the plot and start again.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 17, 2022.

My Review.

By some weird coincidence, I read this just after What You Are Looking For is In the Library. It might have been better if I had read another book in between these two.The tone of this book is far more serious as it interrogates topics such as work-life balance, and whether your career always takes precedence. What if you fall out of love? Do you need to be married to be happy?

Charlotte’s Control by Maggie Sims

A young rake soon to inherit an impoverished estate…a lonely widow unable to produce an heir…a love they must renounce.

Widowed at thirty, Charlotte, Dowager Countess of Peterborough, finds herself on the lonely edge of Society, caught between the young chits vying for a husband and older matrons. In a moment of vulnerability, she meets a young rake who tempts her to forget propriety and reclaim her feminine powers of seduction…for a while. Their affair can only last until he marries a wealthy debutante who can give him what Charlotte cannot. An heir.

In his final year at Oxford, William Stanton, heir to the Earl of Harrington, is forced to manage the earldom for his drunken father and provide for his family. With the prospect of an advantageous marriage looming in his future, he yearns for the frivolity of his peers. But when he encounters a lovely widow, he’s drawn to her keen mind as much as he is to her beauty. She believes they are destined to part. To keep her, he must battle Fate, time, and the rules of Society that conspire against them.

311 pages, Kindle Edition Published March 19, 2024

My Review.

He falls first and hard, and Charlotte enjoys educating him.
Fans of the genre won’t be disappointed by this spirited tale of femdom.
This is an age-gap romance between an older woman younger man.
Charlotte is a young widow who doesn’t want to give up on life or love.
William, her younger lover grows and matures throughout the book.
There is lots of sexual tension, sexual chemistry, and some bondage and orgasm control. I received a special copy from the author, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

It’s been a busy month for me as I have been writing the latest novella for The Regent’s Menagerie Anthology, which releases in June but is up for pre-order now at a special introductory price. My story features Badala a baby elephant, what could be cuter than that?

There are two volumes. One is sweeter and the other is spicier to suit all tastes.

You can pre-order your copy now!

I’m back to reading romance this month, but I have another exciting project on the horizon.Until next time , happy reading!

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Four Weddings and a Christmas by Phillipa Ashley.

My Review.

My Hygge Home: How to Make Home Your Happy Place by Meik Wiking

My Review.

New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Café by Julie Haworth

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by You Ishida,E.Madison Shimoda( Translator).

Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley

Love at First Book by Jenn Mc Kinley

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The House at Sea’s End By Elly Griffiths

The Art of Memoir by Mary Kerr.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary.

Richard III: A Ruler and His Reputation by David Horspool.

Part of December Reading 2024.

We Solve Murders By Richard Osman.

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.

A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves.

Christmas at the Chateau by Annabel French.

Sharing is caring.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

A Love Letter to Paris By Rebecca Raisin

If I Tell You… I’ll Have to Kill You. Edited by Michael Robotham.

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre.

Sharing is caring.

Educated by Tara Westover.

The Right Side of Mr Wrong by Jane Lightfoot.

Coffee and Cake at Wildflower Lock by Hannah M Lynn.

A Cornish Cottage by the Sea by Jane Linfoot.

Josephine’s Garden by Stephanie Parkyn.

The Plumberry School of Comfort Food By Cathy Bramley.

The Very Virile Viking by Sandra Hill

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All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye by Christopher Brookmyre.

New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock by Hannah M Lynn.

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths .

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

The Plumberry School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz.

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

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The Overlook by Michael Connelly

Suddenly Single At Sixty by Jo Peck

A Snowball in Hell by Christopher Brookmyre.

The Other Bridget by Rachael Johns.

Venus with Pistol By Gavin Lyall

My Review

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

My Review

Storm Child by Michael Robotham Cyrus Haven 4

My Review.

Loving My Lying, Dying, Cheating Husband: A Memoir of a Whirlwind Romance Gone Wrong by Kerstin Pilz.

My Review.

Sharing is caring.

A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away by Christopher Brookmyre.

Berry Grove Bed And Breakfast by Sarah Hope

The Revenge Club by Kathy Lette.

Return to Half Moon Farm-prt4 Winter Magic by Holly Hepburn

The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods

One Fine Day in The Middle of the Night by Christopher Brookmyre.

But rules are made to be broken!

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The Booklovers Retreat by Heidi Swain

Return to Half Moon Farm – Spring Fever by Holly Hepburn.

Percy’s Bus by Susan Briars

The Novel Project by Graeme Simison.

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden.

Love From Scratch by Amy Hutton.

Angelique De Xavier 2

The Sacred Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre

Summer Love by Holly Hepburn

A Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter

Fallen Angel by Christopher Brookmyre.

Autumn Dreams Return to Half Moon Farm 3

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Summer at The Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin.

My Review.

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan.

The Wake -Up Call by Beth O’Leary

I Remember Paris by Lucy Diamond.