September 2023 – Page 3

Review Card – Coming Home To The Highlands By Lisa Hobman

Sometimes life is full of surprises, especially when you least expect them…

Born into the Scottish Clan MacBain and the 17th century ancestral home, Drumblair Castle, Liv MacBain has always dreamt of leaving the ancient homestead and becoming her own person in the world of fashion.
From a young age, she worshipped the trailblazing designs of the haute couture glitterati, hoping one day to join them.
With older brother Kerr, the rightful heir, Liv has been free to spread her wings.
Fast forward. Liv, is now 28 years old, working at a high-end fashion house and living her dream life in New York. She’s never been happier.
Until everything changes with one devastating phone call from her brother, Kerr, that brings her rushing back to Scotland.
Old friends and adversaries resurface and Liv faces a difficult decision that could mean her dream future can no longer be a reality.
Or can you have your castle and your career?

About The Author

Link To Purchase

Book Review – One Hot Cowboy Wedding By Carolyn Brown

He’ll do whatever it takes to get ownership of that ranch…

When our lawyer went over Gramps’s will and told me that my ranch would be signed over to my no-‘count cousin Cole unless I got married, I was in despair. I had a week left to get married and not even a girlfriend to propose to.

And then there’s the woman he loves…

When I told Ace I’d marry him, it was just to help out an old friend. He’d have a marriage license to show his lawyer, and the time would pass the same for me whether I was married or not. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Right—unless your secret wedding is filmed and shared with the entire world.

Published Date: 11 April 2023

My Review

Ace Riley, Jasmine’s long-time best friend, is a charismatic, attractive cowboy who owns a ranch and is a pro at bull-riding. Their friendship took root when Jasmine left her mundane city job at an accounting firm to pursue her passion in cooking at a local diner. Now, Ace is facing a predicament. His grandfather’s will, which Ace hadn’t fully scrutinized, has a condition requiring him to get married within a week or risk losing his beloved ranch and all the investments he made in it to a scheming cousin. Jasmine, who cares deeply for Ace, proposes a secret and temporary one-year marriage to save his ranch. Their intention was to continue living their lives as usual, without the burden of a permanent commitment. However, a passionate kiss from Ace outside the Las Vegas wedding chapel, followed by their wedding being broadcasted nationwide on television, sets off a storm in their native Texas, as their stunned friends and families watch on.

This tale combines the themes of friends-turned-lovers and a pretend marriage in Vegas, all set within a traditional cowboy romance. As a reader, I found this compelling combination hard to resist.

My Rating

Happy Publication Day – 15 September 2023

Christmas At The Cat Cafe By Jessica Redland

It had always been Tabby’s dream to work with cats and an inheritance from her beloved nanna has finally made that a reality. Idyllic Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay couldn’t be a better place for pastry chef Tabby to open a cat café with her boyfriend, Leon.

But when Leon leaves her in the lurch, the pressure mounts for Tabby. With Christmas fast approaching, she has to open the café on her own – a daunting prospect, especially when she’s been hiding her health issues from the ones she loves.

Faced with local resistance to the café – and somebody seemingly determined that she won’t succeed – Tabby will need her friends, family and cats more than ever to recover her broken Christmas spirit and pull together for a Christmas miracle.

Will the cat café bring the festive joy to Castle Street as Tabby had hoped or will it be a cat-astrophe? And can the magic of Christmas on Castle Street mend Tabby’s broken heart as well as her business?

Review Card – One Hot Cowboy Wedding By Carolyn Brown

He’ll do whatever it takes to get ownership of that ranch…

And then there’s the woman he loves…

About The Author

Link To Purchase

Book Review – A Sweet Spot For Love By Aliyah Burke

Former pro baseball player Linc Conner knows exactly where his head’s at. Most of the time, he’s completely focused on running his community center and focusing on the kids. But when it comes to single mom Emma Henricksen, Linc can’t see straight. She’s driven, resourceful—not to mention that smart, extra-kissable mouth—and when she’s near, he gets lost in a fog of lust. But he needs her help to convince an investor they’re engaged.

Emma’s too busy raising her gifted little girl to have a sex life that’s notbattery-operated. Still, how could she resist being engaged to a guy who’s the sexual equivalent of her favorite dessert topped with whipped cream and a cherry, even if it’s just pretend? Emma knows all too well that if something seems too good—or too tempting—to be true, it definitely is…

Now it’s a game of pretend with a whole lot of chemistry between the guy who’s used to playing the field—and the woman who opted out of the game long ago. All that’s missing is one helluva curveball…

Published Date: 27 March 2023

My Review

Emma, a devoted single mother, is determined to provide her young daughter Greer with a better childhood than she had. Greer has recently discovered a passion for baseball at the local community center, which poses challenges for Emma in managing her work commitments. Linc, the former professional baseball player who runs the community center, dreams of expanding its reach. When an Investor assumes Linc is a family man, he quickly decides to point out Emma as his fiancée in the crowd, leading to a classic fake dating scenario in a small town with some miscommunication involved. The book features a delightful pairing of a curvy single mother with a former baseball player, and the slow-burn romance beautifully unfolds as the story progresses. Well-developed characters and a close-knit friendship circle add depth to the narrative, while vibrant dialogue and the charming small town setting make it an enjoyable read overall.

My Rating

Review Card – A Sweet Spot For Love By Aliyah Burke

About The Author

Link To Purchase

Happy Publication Day – 12 September 2023

Fire Me Up By Kimberly Kincaid

Ingredients:

One bad-boy chef with a broken arm and a head full of bad memories.

One tough as nails kitchen-phobe who has to run her father’s pub with no notice, no cash, and no room for error.

One reluctant deal that keeps him in the kitchen and her out of hot water.

Mix well and see if these two can stand the heat in the kitchen.

Serve with a side of workplace romance, forced proximity, scorching hot banter, and a sexy, hard-won happily ever after.

Fire Me Up is an updated version of the fourth full-length Pine Mountain novel that was originally published in 2015. This edition has been edited and updated for readability and added steam.

The Gingerbread House In Mistletoe Gardens By Jaimie Admans

When local baker Essie Browne discovers that Mistletoe Gardens is to be demolished in January, she’s determined to save the place she loves so much. So Essie proposes building a life size gingerbread house to bring in the crowds…just how hard can it be?

Well, quite hard actually. Essie can bake gingerbread blindfolded, but she hasn’t got a clue how to build an actual house with it! She needs help – and fast!

Enter local builder, Joss Hallissey. Essie is convinced that with Joss’s help they can pull this off. There’s just one tiny problem: Joss hatesChristmas, gingerbread, and… well, just about everything else too.

Joss the Grinch makes it clear that her idea is ludicrous and pointless, but he reluctantly agrees to help with her plan.

Will the gingerbread house be enough to save Mistletoe Gardens? Or will Essie’s chance for a magical kiss under the mistletoe be lost forever?

Book Review – Bluebell Season At The Potting Shed By Jenny Kane

Spring has arrived at The Potting Shed and things seem to finally be going Maddie’s way. Her relationship with lovable lawyer Ed is going well and the business is thriving with the help of her new friend Jo and his bright orange coffee van.

But troubles are just around the corner… the upgrade of The Potting Shed from a nursery to a garden centre is at a critical point, turning part of Maddie’s business into a building site. And just as she has to temporarily move out of her home, a major garden centre announces its grand opening only twenty miles away.

With money running out Maddie and her sister Sabi must think fast – they only have until the end of bluebell season to save The Potting Shed.

Published Date: 30 March 2023

My Review

This heartwarming tale follows Maddie and Sabi as they inherit their father’s nursery and embark on the journey of transforming it into a garden center. Throughout the story, they face numerous challenges and obstacles, making their path to success a bumpy one. The presence of friends and family at the Potting Shed adds complexity to the narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Maddie and Sabi’s journey and loved the direction the story took. The setting, based on a real garden center in the area, felt entirely believable. I’m eagerly looking forward to what unfolds next! This remarkable book stands alone, but having read the previous one will provide a better grasp of the dynamics. It’s a brilliant read from beginning to end!

My Rating

Happy Publication Day – 11 September 2023

Two To Tango By Laura Carter

A high-intensity personal trainer

The secret to Brooks’s success as a Manhattan gym owner? Being motivated to disprove everyone who ever doubted him. So he’s not about to let a perky newcomer like Izzy tarnish his reputation. Even if watching her lead a salsa class on his premises gets his own heartbeat raised…

His beautiful British rival

Every time influencer Izzy slams Brooks in her fitness blog, her book sales soar. But when their escalating media feud forces them to be up-close-and-personal for two weeks, she realizes there’s much more to Brooks than that lean and muscled body.

And a competition that’s got their hearts racing…

Soon Izzy and Brooks are finding all kinds of creative ways to work up a sweat. A passionate workout is easy, but can their rivalry give way to a lasting partnership?