October this year has been a time of optimism, after a hellish three months during which I was ill ,and my much-loved cat Alexei, died. I’m slowly feeling better and tackling the backlog of tasks. Part of my recovery has been due to a small black cat. I previously owned and loved two black cats. The most loving of cats. Heartsore, I’d no plans to get another cat. I was emotionally drained ,with my bank balance depleted after Alexei’s treatment. Then I saw an appeal for a foster carer for a black cat, they are hard to place. My heart said yes,so I applied. After a some checks, I met Jinx a 12-year-old male cat. Suddenly, the house has a heartbeat again. I’m sure he’s aiding my recovery.
The Barefoot Bookshop on the Beach by Rebecca Raisin.
A wildly romantic, escapist summer romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Eliza J Scott, guaranteed to make you feel like you’re on vacation already! 🏖️👣☀️💖 We need a bookseller for the Barefoot Bookshop on the Beach… apply here!
When Harper sees an ad for what must surely be the most idyllic job in the world, she’s almost tempted. But she can’t possibly leave her bookshop job in London, or her burgeoning career as a successful Bookstagram influencer… That is, until a casual remark about a debut author lands her in deep trouble.
So she applies. After all, now she’s got nothing to lose. Except maybe her heart, she realises, as she lands on the beautiful island of Ésperé in the Seychelles and finds herself seemingly surrounded by beautiful men. Including the hotel owner, moody but heartbreakingly-handsome Xavier.
But inter-staff relations are strictly forbidden. And Harper has enough on her plate, with a member of staff missing and a wily band of expats to contend with. Plus, she’s determined to make the bookshop and new start the success they deserve to be… Even if – under the blazing sunshine – the romance novel superfan in her can’t help but hope the boss of the hotel might not be quite the grump he seems…
The most romantic story you’ll read this year, with an unforgettable cast of characters that includes a giant tortoise living in a bookshop. Don’t miss it! 📚🐢🇸🇨 Genres Chick Lit Romance eBooks Contemporary Rom Com Fiction Audiobook
335 pages, Kindle Edition Published March 7, 2026
My Review.
Easy escapist reading that will have you longing to take a holiday in the Seychelles. How could you resist a bookshop on the beach with a visiting giant tortoise? There is mystery as to why the last bookseller left, a gorgeously grumpy hotel boss and lots of book world and book related gossip and insights.
The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods by Jane Lovering.
Some houses won’t let go of the past. Some people won’t, either…
When single mum Libby is offered a life-changing sum of money to clear out an old cottage in the woods, she expects dust and decay. She doesn’t expect a house full of secrets, a room full of birds, and a woman who refuses to leave.
The handsome but stressed architect who hired Libby is also a puzzle. Why can’t Ross empty Elm Cottage himself? What can he possibly see in Libby, who has been burned by love and is wary of attachment? How can they persuade the mysterious but kindly Isobel to move on?
As Libby is pulled into the cottage’s story, she must face up to her own deepest fears. Can she help Isobel, fight the past that haunts her, and learn to open her own heart to love once more?
Genres Romance Fiction Women’s Fiction Mystery
282 pages, Kindle Edition First published February 23, 2026
My Review.
Verges on the slightly creepy and perhaps could have done with a trigger warning relating to Libby’ s past. Beyond the perceived menace of the birds something is seriously wrong. It kept me engaged but I felt there was an implausible ending
The Cyclist by Tim Sullivan .
To solve any murder, you must first know your victim . . .
THE DETECTIVE
DS George Cross has unique and unmatchable talents. He uses a combination of logic, determination and, often, pedantry to get answers where others have failed for families who have long given up hope.
So when a ravaged body is found in a local demolition site, it’s up to Cross to piece together the truth from whatever fragments he can find.
THE VICTIM
Cross has little to go on, but from the faint tan lines on the ravaged body, and strange scars on his forearms, an identity gradually a male amateur cyclist; a reliance on performance-enhancing drugs. But what happened that led to this man’s death? How did he end up here? And, most importantly, who is he?
THE FAMILY
In the face of ever-mounting challenges, including budget cuts and unreliable witnesses, Cross must first work out who the man is to have any chance of solving the murder. But in searching for this man’s identity, Cross will come up against a lot that he is unfamiliar with – jealousy, ambition and a family tearing itself apart . . .
Genres Mystery Crime Fiction Audiobook Procedural British Literature Detective
268 pages, e-book First published September 2, 2020
My Review.
Another complex case for D.S.Cross to solve, a mystery body in an abandoned garage and few clues. Piece by painstaking piece clues are collected and slowly a picture of the victim emerges. While reading I learned about the elite world of competitive cycling, for many more an obsession than simply a sport.
A challenging case for Cross, filled with complex emotions, he’s unfamiliar with. I like how the author shows how Cross’ personality is slowly changing through the course of this series. A satisfying read.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
USA TODAY BESTSELLER · SOUTHERN INDIE BESTSELLER · A BRENDA NOVAK BOOK GROUP PICK · GLOSS BOOK CLUB PICK · THE GIRLFRIEND BOOK CLUB PICK · A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2025 (SheReads) · Margaret never really meant to start a book club . . . or a feminist revolution, for that matter in this bold and plucky novel from New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick.
“Ideal for fans of historical fiction and those who enjoyed Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons in Chemistry.” —Library Journal, starred review
“Readers will cheer.” –Kirkus
“Perfect for those who love book club, nostalgia for the 1960s, and stories of female friendship.” –Booklist
“A feel-good beach read with . . . elements that spark a revolution.” —Southern Review of Books
By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman’s dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia–one of Northern Virginia’s most exclusive and picturesque suburbs. She has a standing invitation to the neighborhood coffee klatch, and now, thanks to her husband, a new subscription to A Woman’s Place–a magazine that tells housewives like Margaret exactly who to be and what to buy. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn’t that feel like enough?
Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia’s newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte’s orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women–Bitsy and Viv–to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they’d been sold isn’t all roses and sunshine–and that their secret longing for more is something they share. Nicknaming themselves the Bettys, after Betty Friedan, these four friends have no idea their impromptu club and the books they read together will become the glue that helps them hold fast through tears, triumphs, angst, and arguments–and what will prove to be the most consequential and freeing year of their lives.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a humorous, thought provoking, and nostalgic romp through one pivotal and tumultuous American year–as well as an ode to self-discovery, persistence, and the power of sisterhood.
Genres Historical Fiction Book Club Fiction Audiobook Feminism Historical
384 pages, Paperback First published April 22, 2025
My Review.
I take a slightly more jaundiced view perhaps than many readers. I’m old enough to have read this kind of story before , even the original The Group. These middle-class women have relatively privileged lifestyle, but it comes at a price. Margaret feels vague dissatisfaction, she allegedly has everything a woman could want, why isn’t it enough? Charlotte has a careless charm and glamour that baffles and intrigues Margaret. But there is much more to Charlotte and her story than it initially appears. Perfect for reminding me of the patronising and dismissive attitudes of men of the era.
The book was reportedly carefully edited so it was shock to find the Concordia estate homes supposedly named after “ English Villages—York, Rye Exeter and the like. So, then women knew exactly what house she meant. Oxfords were by far the largest available, even Bigger than Barb’s Cambridge”
I appreciate the book is aimed at an American audience, but to call two of the world’s most famous university towns villages is quite a shocking bit of ignorance and mis information.
Note Oxford has a population of about 168,00.Cambridge 153,00 York has a population of about 210,000 Exeter 129.00 and Rye, a true village 10,800.
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
From New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth comes a twisty tale of justice, redemption, and one irrepressible woman who’s not done breaking the rules just yet.
Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and never without a hot cup of tea—or a cutting remark. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor turns up dead and the whispers start flying.
Because Elsie hasn’t always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller—Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she’s kept her secret buried for decades.
Enter seven-year-old Persephone, a relentless little chatterbox who has just moved in across the road (armed with stickers, questions, and no sense of personal boundaries); Joan, who appears to have it in for Elsie; and a healthy dose of public interest—the cops are sniffing around, and the media is circling like seagulls at a picnic.
So Mabel does what she’s always done best—she takes matters into her own hands.
Is she a cantankerous old lady with a shady past? A cold-blooded killer with arthritis? Or just someone who’s finally ready to tell her side of the story?
Sharp, surprising, and wickedly funny, this is the unforgettable story of a woman who’s spent a lifetime being underestimated—and is about to prove everyone wrong. Again.
Genres Audiobook Mystery Fiction Book Club Thriller Mystery Thriller Crime
352 pages, Hardcover First published October 1, 2025.
My Review.
A complex and challenging narrative carefully told to reveal the true story of Mad Mabel, sinner or sinned against? Taunts, threats, Mabel has heard it all before and keeps her own counsel. But 7 year old Persephone is persistent and wily and somehow gets under Mabel’s carefully constructed carapace. One concession at a time until Mabel realises she cares and caring has always been dangerous.
The Cairo Bridal Shop by Tess Woods.
Nestled at the bustling foot of the pyramids lies the iconic Albi Bridal Shop, where three sisters are about to break the shackles of tradition to fight for their futures.
When Mariam Albi was tragically killed, the responsibility of running the business was thrust upon eldest daughter, Sarah. Bound to the dress shop and to the demands of her husband and his spiteful mother, Sarah finds herself trapped with nowhere to turn.
Political journalist Aya is writing the story of her career while on the cusp of a thrilling new relationship with Australian-raised journalist, Gamal. When Gamal is arrested on suspicion of treason, Aya risks her life to follow her heart.
University student Lola, the youngest of the Albi girls, is finding her place in the world while masking her true identity. But her secret is exposed, putting her life in grave danger as she faces losing everything and everyone she loves.
Inspired by the stories of the ancient pharaoh queens before them, the Albi sisters must harness their inner strength to survive – for in Egypt, history runs deep but blood runs deeper.
‘Illuminating, compelling and affecting. These women stole my heart and kept me guessing until the last page. I loved it.’ Sally Hepworth
‘Tess Woods just keeps getting better—sharper, braver, and more deliciously unputdownable with every novel. In her hands, the ties that bind us become a tangle of culture, politics, longing, and the eternal question of where we truly belong.’ Melina Marchetta
‘A beautifully structured, fascinating read with such palpable passion for Egyptian people and culture. It blends myth and history and an inherent message about the importance of storytelling with such real, lovable and funny characters. And I love reading about sisters.’ Meg Bignell
‘Tess is an artist, she creates pictures with her words.’ Australian Women’s Weekly
‘Woods is a natural storyteller…Her characters are as well drawn as Melina Marchetta’s and Maeve Binchy’s.’ Writing WA
‘Is this the most anticipated book of 2026 from the most loved author?‘ Gillian O’Shaughnessy
Genres Contemporary Book Club Fiction
380 pages, Kindle Edition Published September 1, 2026
My Review.
I treated myself to this book and finished reading it last evening, just squeaking it into my October reads. Immersive reading, you will believe you are in Cairo among the crowds, the sights, the smells. Unfamiliar to us, but home to the sisters whose bridal shop sits at the foot of the pyramids. Women worldwide have similar problems .Sarah unhappily married and with a spiteful mother-in-law .Aya , passionate, impressionable , newly in love and with a big story she wants to tell. Lola, the baby cocooned, wanting to break free, but for her freedom comes at a price . A universal story but also a decisively Egyptian one.
I haven’t heard Jinx’s full story, he was one of four cats handed in to be euthanised ,but the vet persuaded the owner to surrender them to a rescue.I don’t know his story or the circumstances but he is in such good condition I believe he’d been well card for and loved.Together, we begin a new chapter.
