Monthly Archives: June 2022

Book Review – A wedding At Sandy Cove (Part 1: Always the Bridesmaid) By Bella Osborne

This is the first part in a brand new four-part serial from Bella Osborne.

This will be Ella’s eighth time down the aisle… 

Ella has made it her mission in life to find every bride in their dream dress.

But every time she sends one of her happy customers off to the altar with a perfect, ivory silk gown, she thinks of those seven, hideous bridesmaid dresses hanging in her own closet.

She’s about to add another one, too, because her best friend’s wedding is now only months away. And this one, in a muddy shade of brown, might be the worst dress yet.

Ella is excited for her friend to have the perfect seaside wedding, but every discussion about flowers and centrepieces makes her feel more alone than ever.

So, Ella finally accepts her friends’ pleas to set her up on a blind date.

Ella is set to meet a handsome, gym-going estate agent. But a mix up on the night throws her into the path of Kit, instead.

Kit is most definitely not the man she was supposed to meet, but he could end up changing her life in ways she never thought possible…

Published Date: 25 May 2022

My Review

This book consist of 4 part and this review is on the beginning to the series.

It is a story about friendship and self discovery. Ella is the main character of the story. In this introductory part of the story, Ella is a passive  character is obviously being bullied by her employer. She met her father at a restaurant together with another women and she was  confronted by the son of the women. 

Based on the first part, it is a delightful read for me. Looking forward to read the other remaining part..

My Rating

Happy Publication Day- 29 June 2022

Midwife Izzy is devastated to learn that her beloved grandmother is dying. Abandoned as a baby by her own mother, her grandparents have been the only family Izzy has ever known and she wants to spend every last precious moment with them.

New locum vicar, Noah, is a wonderful support – kind, considerate and always there for Izzy whenever she needs a shoulder to cry on. But secretly Noah is battling his own doubts about his faith – how can he offer Izzy comfort if he doesn’t truly believe his own words?

When Izzy and Noah are brought together to support grieving parents, Noah reaches breaking point. He can’t stay in Port Agnes and live a lie. But Izzy is adamant it’s the only place she can be….

Will love find a way or will Izzy’s hopes of a future be dashed?

Happy Publication Day – 28 June 2022

A shy woman. Her outdoorsy crush. And the bet that could bring them together…or implode spectacularly.

Nell Delaney will do almost anything for her parents and her two sisters. But enter a marriage of convenience to save the family’s coffee shop? Too far. So Nell and her sisters strike a deal: whoever hasn’t found love in thirty days has to step up to take one for the team. The good news? Nell knows the perfect guy to fall in love with. The bad news? She’s going to have to pretend she likes the outdoors…a lot.

Adventure guide Grant Williams knows immediately that Nell is not exactly Little Miss Outdoorsy. She’s a walking natural disaster—an amazingly adorable disaster. And whoa, their chemistry is unbelievable. Everything between them is so perfect, he’s not even a little bit shocked when he starts thinking of forever…

Right up until he catches the town gossiping about the Delaney sisters’ bargain and realizes she’s just using him to win a bet. His family’s unreliable reputation means he can’t just dump one of the town’s sweethearts. No, she needs to dump him. If she’s going to pretend to be the perfect doting bride, well, he’ll just pretend to be the worst bachelor on the market.

Let the games begin…

Returning home from her dream honeymoon to the normality of running her beloved Hedgehog Hollow rescue centre, she’s ready for the next chapter of her life with Josh. Or is she? Samantha is hiding something which could forever change the dreams they shared and bring their happy ever after crashing to the ground.

Lauren has given up on love. Twenty-six years ago the love of her life, Shaun, left her a note and was never seen again. Two painful divorces later she still can’t face opening up to anyone. But little does Lauren know that the closure she’s dreamt of for all these years may be closer than she thinks, and perhaps the only way to let new love in is to forgive and forget.

Samantha and Lauren will need the love and support from the Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever. After all, some dreams are worth chasing…

The Review Card – A Wedding At Sandy Cove By Bella Osborne

This is the first part in a brand new four-part serial from Bella Osborne.

This will be Ella’s eighth time down the aisle… 

Ella has made it her mission in life to find every bride in their dream dress.

But every time she sends one of her happy customers off to the altar with a perfect, ivory silk gown, she thinks of those seven, hideous bridesmaid dresses hanging in her own closet.

She’s about to add another one, too, because her best friend’s wedding is now only months away. And this one, in a muddy shade of brown, might be the worst dress yet.

Ella is excited for her friend to have the perfect seaside wedding, but every discussion about flowers and centrepieces makes her feel more alone than ever.

So, Ella finally accepts her friends’ pleas to set her up on a blind date.

Ella is set to meet a handsome, gym-going estate agent. But a mix up on the night throws her into the path of Kit, instead.

Kit is most definitely not the man she was supposed to meet, but he could end up changing her life in ways she never thought possible…

About The Author

Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember. Her first story, written when she was nine, was about a thief who stole the crown jewels and this sadly remains unpublished. However, undeterred, she continued to write stories for adults and ‘It Started At Sunset Cottage’ is her debut novel.

She likes to find the humour in the darker moments of life and weaves these into her stories. Bella believes that writing your own story really is the best fun ever, closely followed by talking, eating chocolate, drinking fizz and planning holidays.

She lives in The Midlands with her lovely husband and wonderful daughter, who thankfully, both accept her as she is (with mad morning hair and a penchant for skipping).

Link To Puchase

Book Review – A Golden Cornish Summer By Phillipa Ashley

Under the golden Cornish sun, buried treasure and family secrets will change Emma’s life forever… 

Emma loved her life in the seaside village of Silver Cove. But when the discovery of sunken treasure ignited a feud between her family and that of Luke, her first love, everything fell apart. Heartbroken and betrayed, she fled.

Now, as she wades into the sparkling surf for the first time in fifteen years, she remembers everything she loved about this beautiful place. Then a huge wave knocks her off her feet. Wet and dripping, Emma is rescued by none other than Luke – who is, to her dismay, even more handsome than ever.

Emma starts to wonder if returning home was a huge mistake. Or could the real treasure have been waiting here for her all along?

Published Date: 23 June 2022

My Review

After 15 years, Emma found herself to be back to her native Cornwall to get some inspiration for her work without realising that her first love, Luke is also in Silver Cove and is staying in her former home. 

With Luke around, her past came back to haunt her forcing her to confront them. I love the way how her pasts was narrated and how all of her life’s puzzle pieces come back together. There are many secrets that people has been keeping and these was revealed which help Emma and Luke to understand and accept their relationship.

It is a perfect summer read in a breathtaking setting. I love the characters in this book and the friendship between the community.

My Rating

Happy Publication Day – 23 June 2022

Under the golden Cornish sun, buried treasure and family secrets will change Emma’s life forever… 

Emma loved her life in the seaside village of Silver Cove. But when the discovery of sunken treasure ignited a feud between her family and that of Luke, her first love, everything fell apart. Heartbroken and betrayed, she fled.

Now, as she wades into the sparkling surf for the first time in fifteen years, she remembers everything she loved about this beautiful place. Then a huge wave knocks her off her feet. Wet and dripping, Emma is rescued by none other than Luke – who is, to her dismay, even more handsome than ever.

Emma starts to wonder if returning home was a huge mistake. Or could the real treasure have been waiting here for her all along?

Happy Publication Day – 21 June 2022

Brooke Turner has always had a complicated relationship with her father. But when his health takes a turn for the worse, she drops everything to care for him. He’s her dad, after all, and he needs her. What Brooke doesn’t anticipate is the unraveling of her long-term relationship and a cross-country move to San Diego’s Little Italy.

Luca D’Angelo is the oldest of three children and a single father to a young daughter. When his mother rents the top floor of their house to Brooke, he’s angry. Who is this beautiful stranger with no ties to the neighborhood? Can she be trusted in such close proximity to his family?

As Luca learns of Brooke’s difficult journey with her ailing father, his heart softens. And Brooke, who witnesses Luca’s struggle as a single parent, develops feelings for him, too. But when it all falls apart, will love heal their wounded hearts?

The Review Card – A Golden Cornish Summer By Phillipa Ashley

Under the golden Cornish sun, buried treasure and family secrets will change Emma’s life forever… 

Emma loved her life in the seaside village of Silver Cove. But when the discovery of sunken treasure ignited a feud between her family and that of Luke, her first love, everything fell apart. Heartbroken and betrayed, she fled.

Now, as she wades into the sparkling surf for the first time in fifteen years, she remembers everything she loved about this beautiful place. Then a huge wave knocks her off her feet. Wet and dripping, Emma is rescued by none other than Luke – who is, to her dismay, even more handsome than ever.

Emma starts to wonder if returning home was a huge mistake. Or could the real treasure have been waiting here for her all along?

My Favourite Quote

About The Author

Phillipa Ashley loves writing lively, sexy, funny romantic fiction. After studying English Language and Literature at Oxford University, she worked as a copywriter and journalist. Her first novel, Decent Exposure – titled DATING MR DECEMBER for the US – won the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Award. In 2009, it was filmed as a Lifetime TV movie called 12 Men of Christmas starring Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Hopkins. She lives in an English village with her husband and daughter.

Link to Purchase

Book Review – A Country Escape By Katie Fforde

An utterly gorgeous and escapist rural romance, set on a perfectly-imperfect small farm in the beautiful English Cotswolds, that fans of Robyn Carr, Carolyn Brown and Susan Mallery will fall in love with.

When Fran Duke was a little girl, she dreamt that one day she’d get to move to a beautiful farm, keeping animals and living the rural dream. Now it looks like her dream might come true…

Because her Aunt Amy, who Fran has never even met, has made her an offer she can’t refuse. Fran can live on her dairy farm for a year rent-free and, if she is able to turn the farm’s fortunes around—and keep it out of the hands of the dastardly neighbor Antony Arlingham—she gets to stay and live there forever.

Fran feels excited for the challenge. Right up until the moment she walks up the muddy path to the tumbledown little farm and realises it’s in a state of total disrepair. Not only that, but she’s more than a little scared of the cows themselves. But, rolling up her sleeves, she thinks it’s nothing that she can’t overcome. 

But then she crosses paths with Antony… And as her eyes take in the tall, dark, handsome stranger with eyes that seem to flicker with gold, she knows she’s in trouble. Has she found herself a country escape, or will she end up running away?

Published Date : 25 May 2022

My Review

It is a story about Fran receiving an unexpected inheritance from a distant relative, Aunt Amy that if she can make a success of a dairy farm, she will inherit the farmhouse and the herd. She also aware that there is another relative, Roy from Australia who will be competing with her for the inheritance. Aunt Amy has also told her to steer clear of the immediate neighbor, Antony. Fran who is a chef by trade, decided to take up the challenge. However, she did not anticipate the problem that is awaiting her. 

Initially overwhelm and have no idea in running a farm, Fran explore to make cheese from the milk given that that the farm in need of immediate fund, she together with her friend, explore ideas to turnaround. 

The characters are delightful and well developed. At the beginning of the story, I was expected a hostile Antony based on Aunt Amy’s warning to Fran. Surprisingly, as Fran get to know him, she finds that Anthony is one of the nicest people she has ever met and Fran begin to find herself falling in love. I love Fran’s determination in making the farm work despite that she scares of cows on the farm. Overall it is a charming and fun read for me.

My Rating

Happy Publication Day – 14 June 2022

Alone in the world, Tae Holmes and her mother April pretty much raised each other, but as Tae starts asking questions about the father she’s never met, April, for the first time in her life, goes silent. To make matters worse, Tae is dangerously close to broke and just manages to avoid financial meltdown when she lands a shiny new contract with an adventure company for athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors.

Her first big fundraiser event falls flat, but what starts out as a terrible, horrible, no-good night turns into something else entirely when Tae finds herself face-to-face with Riggs Copeland. She hasn’t seen the former Marine since their brief fling in high school, and while still intensely drawn to him, she likes her past burned and buried, thank you very much. Hence their friendship pact.

But when April oddly refuses to help Tae track down her father, it’s Riggs who unexpectedly comes to her aid. On a hunt to unlock the past, the two of them find themselves on a wild ride and learn a shocking truth, while also reluctantly bonding in a way neither had seen coming. Now Tae must decide whether she’s going to choose love . . . or walk away from her own happiness.