Monthly Archives: December 2022

Book Review – Loving Brooke By Elsa Winckler

Can two friends fake love or will their fake relationship end their real friendship?

Irritated by their families continued efforts to get them together, good friends widow Brooke Johnson and Gavin Wilson decide to fake a relationship for the next two weeks. But then Gavin kisses her, making her aware of the desires she’d suppressed for so long.

Suddenly, Brooke struggles to focus on finishing paintings for an upcoming exhibition and her simple life becomes way more complicated than before.

When a creepy gallery manager makes her life unpleasant, Gavin wants to take control of the situation and red lights flicker. Brooke had made a vow to handle her own problems rather than relying on someone. Her husband’s death had left her in the dark about finances. She couldn’t let Gavin take over but will their new romance stand up to her hands off attitude? Or will Brooke learn that it’s okay to lean on the ones you love sometimes?

But in the small town of Alisson, Montana, love will find a way.

Published Date : 11 October 2022

My Review

Brooke and Gavin are friend but when their family started to play Cupid to get them together, both of them decided to play pretend to be involved to each other to get their family off their back. Only it turns out they fall in love with each other without letting each other know.

This book has a great storyline that make you turning the pages and kept your attention throughout the book. Love both Brooke and Gavin, him being sweet and loving and Brooke, being so independent and stubborn in her own way. She know want she want. Overall it is a delightful read to me.

My Rating

Review Card – Loving Brooke By Elsa Winckler

Can two friends fake love or will their fake relationship end their real friendship?

Irritated by their families continued efforts to get them together, good friends widow Brooke Johnson and Gavin Wilson decide to fake a relationship for the next two weeks. But then Gavin kisses her, making her aware of the desires she’d suppressed for so long.

Suddenly, Brooke struggles to focus on finishing paintings for an upcoming exhibition and her simple life becomes way more complicated than before.

When a creepy gallery manager makes her life unpleasant, Gavin wants to take control of the situation and red lights flicker. Brooke had made a vow to handle her own problems rather than relying on someone. Her husband’s death had left her in the dark about finances. She couldn’t let Gavin take over but will their new romance stand up to her hands off attitude? Or will Brooke learn that it’s okay to lean on the ones you love sometimes?

But in the small town of Alisson, Montana, love will find a way.

About The Author

I have been reading love stories for as long as I can remember and when I ‘met’ the classic authors like Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry James The Brontë sisters, etc. during my studies, I was hooked for life.
I married my college boyfriend and soul mate and we are fortunate to live in the picturesque little seaside village of Betty’s Bay, South Africa with the ocean a block away and a beautiful mountain right behind us. And although life so far has not always been an easy ride, it has always been an exiting and interesting one!
I like the heroines in my stories to be beautiful, feisty, independent and headstrong. And the heroes must be strong but possess a generous amount of sensitivity. They are of course, also gorgeous! My stories typically incorporate the family background of the characters to better understand where they come from and who they are when we meet them in the story.

Link To Purchase

Book Review – Lucky Streak By Tif Marcelo

I never thought I’d see her again. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? But five years later, my casino fling is my new next-door neighbor.

A lot’s happened since we got acquainted in that hotel room. I finished out my military career, took a job with my estranged father, moved to the beach…the only thing that hasn’t changed is that Beatrice has always been on my mind. I can’t let her get away again. Lucky for me, she feels the same way.

Not so lucky, though, is our families’ business rivalry—and our resorts’ competition for the same property.

As much as I want to ride off into the sunset with Beatrice on the back of my bike, we want to make this work. And that means smoothing things out between our families.

If we thought finding each other after our night in Vegas was a long shot, this feud is about to give impossible a whole new meaning.

Published Date: 27 September 2022

My Review

Five year ago Beatrice and Jackson meet in Vegas and they spent the night together. Both of them has not really forget that night and then 5 years later, he discover she is his neighbor. He is back in the same as Beatrice as he is working got his father to buy property for their own. Unknown to him, Beatrice’s family and his father are rival and soon, he found out that her brothers are also bidding to buy the same property.

A second chance romance filled with family drama and its complexity and the interracial relationship. Loved seeing Beatrice and Jackson working on their relationship and remain true to themselves despite their family rivalry. Overall it is a fun read to me.

My Rating

Review Card – Lucky Streak By Tif Marcelo

I never thought I’d see her again. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? But five years later, my casino fling is my new next-door neighbor.

A lot’s happened since we got acquainted in that hotel room. I finished out my military career, took a job with my estranged father, moved to the beach…the only thing that hasn’t changed is that Beatrice has always been on my mind. I can’t let her get away again. Lucky for me, she feels the same way.

Not so lucky, though, is our families’ business rivalry—and our resorts’ competition for the same property.

As much as I want to ride off into the sunset with Beatrice on the back of my bike, we want to make this work. And that means smoothing things out between our families.

If we thought finding each other after our night in Vegas was a long shot, this feud is about to give impossible a whole new meaning.

About The Author

Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast, and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, which was a Target Diverse Book Club pick, The Holiday Switch, and the Heart Resort and Journey to the Heart series. She and her books have been featured in The Today Show, Shondaland, Real Simple Magazine, The Asian Journal and more!

Link to Purchase

Happy Publication Day – 27 December 2022

Mail Order Cowboy By Victoria James

Hope Roberts has a strict No Cowboys Allowed policy. Between raising her daughter, running her business, and trying to settle into her new ranch, Hope has no room for romance—especially when it comes to cowboys. What she needs is someone to help fix her ranch. But the only person to respond to her ad is the one man Hope still blames for her husband’s death…

In Wishing River, Dr. Dean Stanton is pretty much a legend. Cowboy, doctor, heir to his family’s ranching empire—everyone knows and loves him…with the exception of Hope. But Dean doesn’t trust a complete stranger to keep Hope and her daughter safe. And despite their troubled past, he’s still the best cowboy for her job.

Bit by cautious bit, Hope’s little family of two is making room for the man she once thought of as her enemy. Until one day, Dean looks like the perfect exception to her “no cowboys” rule. But he’s been keeping a secret from her that could destroy their newfound family…

Book Review – Snowflakes Over Primrose Woods By Jill Steeples

Winter has arrived in Primrose Woods bringing with it new loves, new adventures and warm hugs on cold days. 

Abbey Carter, her boyfriend Sam and their trusty canine companion Lady, relish living in the picturesque village of Wishwell at the edge of their beloved Primrose Woods.  The woods and the country park are full of activity as the festive season approaches.

Lizzie Baker is flat out at the Treetops café, serving all sorts of winter warmers, festive goodies and lashings of hot chocolate. And when her daughter and grandchildren arrive to stay, the run up to Christmas is set to be even more magical than she had expected.

Rhianna West has finally found the perfect man to fall in love with – if only Luke wasn’t moving away in the New Year. 

As the snow falls on Primrose Woods, and the village of Wishwell sparkles with Christmas lights, could this be the year that every wish comes true for the three friends?

Published Date: 4 October 2022

My Review

Lizzy is happy with her work and her love, Bill. As Christmas is getting nearer, she found her daughter and grandchildren arrived at her doorstep, back to stay while waiting for her husband to join them. Sam and Abbey is happy together although they did hit a rough patch in their relationship throughout the story while Rhi who is excited and scared to start her own business, has secretly fallen in love with Luke. But Luke is moving away for a better job prospects after the holidays.


This is a story filled with romance and focus on family theme. The storyline flowed very well and I love the unexpected twists in the story. Love the community in Primrose Woods and all the character mentioned in the book sound so real to me. There is characters of all ages. This book is the second book in the series and I get to reconnect with the characters from the first book. Overall it is lovely read to me.

My Rating

Review Card – Snowflakes Over Primrose Woods By Jill Steeples

Winter has arrived in Primrose Woods bringing with it new loves, new adventures and warm hugs on cold days. 

Abbey Carter, her boyfriend Sam and their trusty canine companion Lady, relish living in the picturesque village of Wishwell at the edge of their beloved Primrose Woods.  The woods and the country park are full of activity as the festive season approaches.

Lizzie Baker is flat out at the Treetops café, serving all sorts of winter warmers, festive goodies and lashings of hot chocolate. And when her daughter and grandchildren arrive to stay, the run up to Christmas is set to be even more magical than she had expected.

Rhianna West has finally found the perfect man to fall in love with – if only Luke wasn’t moving away in the New Year. 

As the snow falls on Primrose Woods, and the village of Wishwell sparkles with Christmas lights, could this be the year that every wish comes true for the three friends?

About The Author

Jill Steeples lives in a small market town in Bedfordshire with her husband and two children. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, baking cakes, eating them and drinking wine.

From an early age she fell in love with the fabulously funny romances of Jilly Cooper, and vowed, one day, she would have a go at writing one of her own.

Jill loves writing short stories, particularly those with a twist in the tail, and her work has appeared in popular womens magazines around the world and in a number of charity anthologies.

Link to Purchase

Author Interview – Rachel Dove

I am a wife, mother of two boys, avid reader and writer of words. I sometimes sleep, always have eye bags and dream of retiring to a big white house in Cornwall, with 2 shaggy dogs, drinking wine on my seafront balcony whilst creating works of romantic fiction. All done with immaculate make up and floaty dresses. 

In the meantime I nearly always remember to brush my hair, seldom have time to look in a mirror and write many, many to-do lists. I write fast paced sexy medical romances for Mills & Boon, and contemporary fiction and romantic comedies for HQ Digital. I always have a few books in progress, and am always jotting down new shiny ideas to torment myself with. Rachel Dove Bursary founder – RNA since 2018.
Writers Bureau Writer of the Year – first place 2016

(a) What inspire you to write a book?

I have always loved reading, writing and books from a very early age. I love how worlds are created in the pages! The inspiration for this book is something that has been in my mind a long time, and the news about domestic violence levels rising during lockdown urged me to write it.

(b) Do you write full time? if yes, is it tiring to write day in day out?

I do write full time yes, around my teenagers. It is tiring, and I don’t always feel so inspired, but every day my head is always working on the next book or scene. The characters talk to me, which sounds weird but it’s true!

(c) Which of the book that the story plot touches you the most and the hardest for you to let go?

Saying goodbye to the characters at the end of the book is the worst. I’ve spent a lot of time telling their story, and sometimes I am not ready to let go once the story has ended. I love the angst and euphoria of falling in love.

(d) Do you read other author’s book specifically from the same industry as you?

I love romantic fiction, I write a lot of romance and a lot of other genres too. When I am working on a book though, I don’t read any romance to keep my own voice clear. I love a good thriller and textbooks are my jam. I often research through books for my next book whilst writing the current one.

(e) Which part of the writing process that you find it hardest to go thru i.e. from writing to the published book?

The muddy middle – writing the middle part of the book is the part I hate the most – I write in a very linear way so I don’t tend to skip from scene to scene.

To Know More About The Author

Book Review – Someone Like You By Rachel Dove

Hannah leaves her unhappy marriage with her daughter Ava and moves to the village of Leadsham to start afresh. She plans to keep a low profile, focusing on Ava and making a new life for them, far away from her violent ex-husband.

What she hadn’t counted on was Andrew Brody. A police officer with a strict moral code, he knows something’s wrong as soon as he meets Hannah, and he wants to help. But Hannah has been let down by the police – and men – before, and pushes him away.

But the more Hannah tries to ignore Brody, the more she’s drawn to him. Caring, kind and patient, he’s nothing like the man she’s running from. Can Hannah finally put her past behind her, and open her heart to someone new?

Published Date: 21 September 2022

My Review

Hannah ran away with her daughter to a new town to start afresh without her husband who abused her. She plan to keep low profile and focus on her baby’s upbringing. She have to start from scratch without knowing a single soul in the town. She encountered Brody, a lone police officer with strong characters and from the start, Brody sense she is running and he want to help her. But Hannah, given her past, push him away at every corner.

The storyline is very engaging from beginning till the end and I love watching Hannah’s recovery from her past and found her happiness in the end. I love Ava, Hannah’s daughter and Bullet, Brody’s dog too. Overall it is an emotional read to me.

My Rating

Review Card – Someone Like You By Rachel Dove

Hannah leaves her unhappy marriage with her daughter Ava and moves to the village of Leadsham to start afresh. She plans to keep a low profile, focusing on Ava and making a new life for them, far away from her violent ex-husband.

What she hadn’t counted on was Andrew Brody. A police officer with a strict moral code, he knows something’s wrong as soon as he meets Hannah, and he wants to help. But Hannah has been let down by the police – and men – before, and pushes him away.

But the more Hannah tries to ignore Brody, the more she’s drawn to him. Caring, kind and patient, he’s nothing like the man she’s running from. Can Hannah finally put her past behind her, and open her heart to someone new?

About The Author

I am a wife, mother of two boys, avid reader and writer of words. I sometimes sleep, always have eye bags and dream of retiring to a big white house in Cornwall, with 2 shaggy dogs, drinking wine on my seafront balcony whilst creating works of romantic fiction. All done with immaculate make up and floaty dresses. 

In the meantime I nearly always remember to brush my hair, seldom have time to look in a mirror and write many, many to-do lists. I write fast paced sexy medical romances for Mills & Boon, and contemporary fiction and romantic comedies for HQ Digital. I always have a few books in progress, and am always jotting down new shiny ideas to torment myself with.
Rachel Dove Bursary founder – RNA since 2018.
Writers Bureau Writer of the Year – first place 2016

Link to Purchase