Happy Publication Day – 14 March 2024

Invitation To Italy By Victoria Springfield

Abi is distraught when her ex-husband Alex takes their twelve-year-old daughter, Chloe to spend the summer with his glamorous fiancée Marisa and her parents at their home on the beautiful Italian island of Procida. Persuaded by her best friend to book a holiday at the island’s Hotel Paradiso, Abi finally meets the woman she’s been avoiding for so long. Will the two women’s strained relationship survive the summer? 

One-time teenage swimming sensation, Loretta, has run the Hotel Paradiso since leaving Capri broken-hearted. When childhood friend Salvo comes to stay, Loretta is forced to confront her past and the fears that have kept her away from the water for forty years. But just as she finds the courage to open her heart, she discovers all is not as it seems with Salvo… 

It’s a summer of new beginnings for Abi and Loretta – and one they will never forget.

The Woman Who Ran Away from Everything By Fiona Gibson

Kate is sick of being taken for granted by her husband Vince. It’s bad enough that she allowed herself to be dragged away from the London life she loved, but now she’s constantly compelled to keep up with the (very smug) Joneses in this small home counties town. She hates it here. What happened to the fun-loving woman she used to be? At almost 50 Kate feels lost, overlooked and like nothing is ever going to change. That is, until she comes home to an unexpected party – one that she has to cater.

And that’s it. The final straw. Breaking point.

Scrambling out the bathroom window, Kate leaves. She has no plan, but a chance encounter at Euston station sees her following her own heart for once – to beautiful Scotland where a crumbling mansion and a handsome bookseller could be just what she needs . . .

As Kate discovers, sometimes you have to feel utterly lost to find out who you truly are.

Book Review – The Wedding Gift By Carolyn Brown

A week before your wedding is one heckuva time for your ex to ride back into town, stirring up trouble. But that’s exactly the predicament Darla McAdams finds herself in. Darla’s on the verge of breaking up with her fiancé, Will Jackson—only a week before the wedding. Her parents would disown her, but Darla’s sure that her Granny Roxie will understand when Darla tells her that her first love, Andy, has come back to town. Thank goodness for a wise granny’s reminiscences of her own sassy wedding at just the right moment…

Published Date: 11 July 2023

My Review

Three delightful novellas, including a fresh release and two previously published works, make up this collection of charming country tales.

In “The Wedding Gift,” Darla’s impending marriage to Will Jackson is shaken when her old high school flame returns, prompting second thoughts. Granny Roxie and Grandpa Claud offer sage advice, guiding her toward clarity.

Following is “A Slow Dance Holiday,” a standalone Christmas romance from the Honky Tonk series. Jorja trades her dull Nashville job for a half partnership in a Texan Honky Tonk, only to discover her business partner, Cameron, is a lanky cowboy with dreams of bar ownership and ranching.

Concluding the trio is “Summertime on the Ranch,” a standalone from the Spikes and Spurs series. Becca, a former Nashville singer, now works at a winery, resisting the charms of cowboy Dalton. A canine matchmaker brings them together after six months of Becca’s initial reluctance.

Each novella offers a unique setup and romantic plot, infused with author’s down-to-earth humor and sweet, slightly spicy cowboy romance. Overall, it is a delightful blend of laughter, music, and love in the ranch country read to me.

My Rating