November 21, 2023 – My Sanctuary

Happy Publication Day – 21 November 2023

A Wedding In Driftwood Cove By Olivia Miles

With youngest sister Hallie getting married, the three Walsh sisters reunite at their family’s beach house for the big event. It’s a celebratory affair, rife with cherished traditions.

But families are complicated, and these sisters are no exception. Claire, the eldest, no longer believes in love after years working as a divorce attorney, and she resorts to taking her “work husband” as her date to convince her family otherwise. Middle sister, Amy, fears a confrontation with the man who broke her heart by announcing he was marrying someone else. And although Hallie has always lived a charmed life, she’s getting cold feet about marrying her childhood sweetheart.

As the Walsh sisters grapple with the secrets they’ve kept from one another, they must decide if Hallie’s wedding is a chance to mend mistakes of the past…even if it means confronting their feelings about love, life, and one another.

Secrets Of Starshine Cove By Debbie Johnson

A warm, sparkly and absolutely unputdownable return to the unforgettable Starshine Cove!

Cally, a devoted single mum, is stretched thin between caring for her clingy mother and her day job as a hairdresser with an always sympathetic ear. When her life in Liverpool is suddenly upended, she grabs her son Sam and jumps in the car to drive south for the holidays. Searching for a tiny speck of a village she once visited as a child, they nearly give up when a snowstorm hits, only to unexpectedly stumble across it: Welcome to Starshine Cove.

Amidst the welcoming – if slightly mad – locals, Cally finds some unexpected new friendships. But as the year draws to a close, she faces a tough decision: she and Sam can’t stay here forever, and the future looks a lot less jolly back home…

Book Review – The Memory Of You By Samantha Tonge

Alex would like to believe she’s a woman who has it all. Or that’s what she tells everyone, including herself. But this is far from true. Actually she’s on the cusp of losing her home, her dream career as a writer is in tatters, her ex won’t speak to her, and her mother’s gone forever.

But then a chance meeting with a stranger named Hope gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, when Hope jokes that perhaps Alex should take over her job in a café while she goes travelling.

Just at that moment, it sounds like the answer to all her problems. So Alex persuades Hope to let her step into her shoes for a month. She brushes away Hope’s attempts to explain about the café, instead demanding to know more about the owner Tom.

But she should have asked for more details. Because the ‘Wrong Order Café’ isn’t like anywhere she’s ever been before. And Alex’s life is about to change forever…

Published Date: 16 May 2023

My Review

In the book centering around the Wrong Order Cafe, the narrative sensitively addresses the topic of dementia. The cafe, previously run by Tom’s now dementia-afflicted father, has workers Renee and Fletch who, due to early stages of dementia, often mix up orders. Alex steps in to replace Hope, residing in the apartment above the cafe while Hope is on vacation. Initially seeking an escape from her declining writing career and poor life decisions, Alex, who starts off as rather self-centered, almost abandons the cafe. However, she soon recognizes the profound impact of the cafe and undergoes significant personal growth as she confronts various challenges. The book, commended for its research and heartfelt writing, encapsulates themes of love and kindness, deeply resonating with the reader.

My Rating