May 2023 – My Sanctuary

Happy Publication Day – 31 May 2023

The Wagging Tails Dog’s Home By Sarah Hope

The annual dog show is looming, a crucial event when it comes to fundraising and ensuring the volunteers can continue the brilliant work they do.

But their trusted newspaper reporter, who always includes them in his weekly column, is retiring, only to be replaced with a city-slicker named Darryl. And Darryl, as Ginny soon learns, has no interest in articles he deems ‘below him’.

Not one to take no as an answer, Ginny becomes determined to get him to meet the dogs themselves. One look at their cute faces and they’ll worm their way into his heart.

But what Ginny doesn’t anticipate is that Darryl might be more open-hearted than he seems. And inviting him to the dogs’ home might be the best decision she ever made – even if she doesn’t realise it at first!

Happy Publication Day – 30 May 2023

A Vintage Vacation By Maddie Please

Clover Harrington might be sixty-one, but she’s still bossing it in the corporate world and can still run rings around her younger colleagues. And then she is made redundant….

Devastated and now suddenly the wrong side of sixty Clover doesn’t know what to do with her life or her corporate wardrobe! What does she wear if not red lippy and a power suit?! Rather than offer her any support, her partner, Jack announces he’s off on a golfing weekend, leaving Clover completely adrift.

Desperate to get away from it all, Clover decides to visit her cousin Zoe at her small taverna in the gorgeous Italian Lakes. There she can rest and recuperate and plan the next stage of her life.

Until Clover’s eighty-year-old mother, Eleanor decides to turn up for the holiday too! Instead of gentle ambles around the lake, Eleanor seems more interested in late night poker and swigging Prosecco and Clover can’t quite believe her mum is having more fun than she is. But as the saying goes – if you can’t beat em, join em!

But is Clover brave enough to live La Dolce Vita?

Book Review – Warming My Winter Heart By Michelle Cornish

You can’t run from love forever . . .

When Lexi Blair comes home to Little City from LA for Christmas, she gets the surprise of her life—the ex-fiancé she thought was dead is very much alive and wants her back!

It’s Christmas Eve and Lexi’s seen a ghost. Or . . . she thought he was a ghost until her mom admits to faking his death so Lexi would come home for Christmas.

After a humiliating run-in with her ex—which results in Lexi disowning her mother—she hides out at her best friend’s tree farm, babysitting a nameless puppy while her friend and hubby tend to a family emergency.

But farm life comes with a few perks Lexi isn’t expecting—mainly a hunky farmhand who’s helping Lexi run the place until her friends return.

While Lexi ran from Little City, John ran to it, and she quickly learns he’s healing from past hurts of his own.

Published Date: 22 Nov 2020

My Review

Lexi went back home when she heard that her ex-fiancé has passed away. She doesn’t have a good relationship with him but Lexi still upset about his passing. When she reached home, she discovered that he is not actually back and that he wanted to get back with her. Her family and best friend, Briar really want to come back for Christmas hence the lies. While she at home, she discover that Briar and her husband’s business has been slow and they’re struggling. When they received a call about Briar’s mother in law had a heart attack, Briar asked if Lexi could stay at their house while they away to take care of the house which Lexi agrees as she’s still furious with her family. It was there she met John who work at the barn and do improvement on the property. Lexi found herself attracted to him but John is also dealing with his past and he found solace at the house.

It is a story of Lexi and John. Both of them had the same issues and they are running from it rather than dealing with it. It is a delightful and sweet read to me although i find it is too short the story plot for both Lexi and John to fell in love with each other.

My Rating

Review Card – Warming My Winter Heart By Michelle Cornish

You can’t run from love forever . . .

When Lexi Blair comes home to Little City from LA for Christmas, she gets the surprise of her life—the ex-fiancé she thought was dead is very much alive and wants her back!

It’s Christmas Eve and Lexi’s seen a ghost. Or . . . she thought he was a ghost until her mom admits to faking his death so Lexi would come home for Christmas.

But farm life comes with a few perks Lexi isn’t expecting—mainly a hunky farmhand who’s helping Lexi run the place until her friends return.

While Lexi ran from Little City, John ran to it, and she quickly learns he’s healing from past hurts of his own.

About The Author

Michelle strives to write the kinds of books she enjoys reading–complicated characters, a little romance, and a lot of mystery and intrigue. Strong women in sticky situations is her specialty!

You can find Michelle at http://www.michellecornishauthor.com. She also writes children’s books with her kids as A.J. Kormon.

Link To Purchase

Book Review – Wake My Heart By Lydia Michaels

Ryan Clooney moves to the outskirts of his small town and the last thing he expects to find is love, but once he meets Maggie, the beautiful, young widow next door, his plans change.

Maggie O’Malley is not looking for romance. Since losing her husband, she has withdrawn from small-town life and prefers to be left alone. But her new neighbor doesn’t seem to understand personal privacy, and the more he intrudes on her solitary world, the less control she has over her heart.

Determined to charm Maggie, Ryan pulls out all the stops. But once real emotion gets involved, things go too far and Maggie has a difficult decision to make.

Published Date: 23 February 2021

My Review

Ryan discover that his immediate neighbour, Maggie is recently widowed and lost in her grief and trying to live with her husband’s memory. He moves away from his extended family to put some distance between them. From the moment he met Maggie, he is attracted to her but he knows she is still holding on to her memories with her husband. He offered friendship to Maggie and soon he found out that the friendship starts to change between them.

A sad story about Maggie who buried herself in the past and at the same time pushed everyone away. When Ryan approached her and offered her friendship, the last thing she expect is to fall in love again least of all to live again. I love Ryan so much for being so patience with Maggie and the care, love and support he gave her was heartwarming. It is a beautiful story yet painful to read for me.

My Rating

Review Card – Wake My Heart By Lydia Michaels

Ryan Clooney moves to the outskirts of his small town and the last thing he expects to find is love, but once he meets Maggie, the beautiful, young widow next door, his plans change.

Determined to charm Maggie, Ryan pulls out all the stops. But once real emotion gets involved, things go too far and Maggie has a difficult decision to make.

About The Author

Lydia Michaels is the award winning and bestselling author of over forty novels, including the groundbreaking collection, Write 10K in a Day. She is the consecutive winner of the 2018 & 2019 Author of the Year Award from Happenings Media, as well as the recipient of the 2014 Best Author Award from the Courier Times. She has been featured in USA Today, Romantic Times Magazine, Love & Lace, and more. As the host and founder of the East Coast Author Convention and the Behind the Keys Author Retreat, Lydia Michaels plays a respected role in the book community. When she’s not working on her next novel, she is accepting speaking engagements and using her platform to advocate for positive author business practices and doing whatever she can to empower female entrepreneurs around the world.

Lydia is happily married to her childhood sweetheart. Some of her favorite things include the scent of paperback books, listening to her husband play piano, escaping to her coastal home at the Jersey Shore, cheap wine, 80’s pop culture, coffee, and kilts.

Link To Purchase

Happy Publication Day – 25 May 2023

Sheikh’s Accidental Pregnancy By Leslie North

Sometimes opposites attract…

When Sarah starts work at the Botros Oil Company, she doesn’t expect the tall and stunningly sexy CEO to be so rude, arrogant, and argumentative. He obviously doesn’t approve of his brother hiring her.

Sheikh Tariq Botros has never met anyone like Sarah. She has no respect for tradition. She’s clumsy, stubborn, unladylike, and talks far too much. She also isn’t intimidated by him. In fact, she openly challenges him. Just talking to her is an exercise in frustration.

After a heated argument leads to an unforgettable night of passion, they both agree it can never happen again. But there are consequences to their unprotected encounter, and they’re forced to come to terms with their feelings and the explosive attraction between them.

Book Review – All Wrapped Up By Ally Bunbury

It’s the time of year … to run away from your life

Holly always seems to make the wrong decisions: her career in London is going nowhere, and she’s ended up engaged to a man she doesn’t love.

Which is why she decides that’s all going to change – starting with calling off her engagement, six weeks before their Christmas Eve wedding.

Then Holly sees an ad for what could be her dream job: helping to declutter a remote country house back home in Ireland. It’s her chance to avoid all talk of weddings and the trappings of her least favourite time of year.

But when Holly arrives at the beautiful but neglected Knockboden, she discovers that Serena Harpur, the glamorous owner, is planning on renting it out as a romantic honeymoon destination in a bid to avoid financial ruin.

With Serena’s handsome but moody son hanging around, dead set against his mother’s plan, Holly begins to wonder if she’s made yet another bad decision.

Then Serena gets a phone call that looks set to change the fate of Knockboden. Will Holly realise that maybe she has found herself in exactly the right place, at the right time of year, for the first time ever?

Published Date: 27 October 2022

My Review

Holly having doubt to marry her fiancé and generally her life. She did something drastic, i.e. leaving all behind and take up a position near Wicklow Mountains. She met with the owner, Serena Harpur who are struggling to stay afloat and she know her son, Tyrone is getting impatience with her trouble. Her home is in need of repair and Tyrone is urging her to sell the house. But she has her foot firmly on the ground and instead hire Holly to help her declutter. Holly is overwhelmed with the task and an unexpected phone call changed the situation for them. The story plot is rather slow at the beginning but then it became more exciting midway of the story. Overall it is a sweet and charming story.

My Rating

Review Card – All Wrapped Up By Ally Bunbury

It’s the time of year … to run away from your life

Holly always seems to make the wrong decisions: her career in London is going nowhere, and she’s ended up engaged to a man she doesn’t love.

Which is why she decides that’s all going to change – starting with calling off her engagement, six weeks before their Christmas Eve wedding.

With Serena’s handsome but moody son hanging around, dead set against his mother’s plan, Holly begins to wonder if she’s made yet another bad decision.

About The Author

Ally Bunbury is a bestselling novelist, based in Ireland. Inspired by the TV sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, she embarked upon a PR career in New York, London and Dublin. During a personal sabbatical in Paris, Ally wrote the draft of her first novel, The Inheritance, followed by her second novel, Infidelity A frequent contributor to the Irish Times, Ally lives with her husband, historian Turtle Bunbury in the countryside

Link To Purchase

Happy Publication Day – 23 May 2023

Charm Me By Samantha Chase

There isn’t anyone in Laurel Bay he hasn’t been able to charm.

But charming a baby is a whole different story.

Life has never been better for Jamie Donovan. Always has been. And now that it’s his turn to take charge of the family pub, he truly feels like everything in his life is just the way it’s supposed to be. Or it was until an early morning knock on his door ended with a baby on his doorstep. The man who can normally charm his way out of any situation doesn’t know the first thing about taking care of a baby and running a business. And so he turns to his siblings for help.

And once they tell him their solution, he wishes he’d never asked for help.

Fallon Murphy has always prided herself on being good with people. In all her life, she’s only met one person she hasn’t been able to get along with. Unfortunately, their parents are best friends and avoiding him just wasn’t a choice. When his sister calls stating an emergency, the last thing Fallon expects is to find an abandoned baby – one that belong to Jamie. As much as she’d love nothing more than to see Jamie fail at something, she would never put an innocent child at risk.

They’re rivals.

Sworn enemies.

And now…roommates.

Can one small baby help turn adversaries into lovers? Or maybe even…a family?