Monthly Archives: August 2025

Review Card & Book Review- Best Friend To Husband? By Louisa Heaton

WERE THEY ALWAYS MEANT TO BE?

GP Lorna has spent years healing from a divorce and the end of her fertility journey by throwing herself into her work at Clearbrook Medical Practice. But when Oliver—her onetime best friend and secret crush—takes a job as a doctor at her surgery, life suddenly becomes more complicated! After the breakdown of his difficult marriage, Oliver isn’t looking for romance, either. Yet old feelings soon begin to resurge. Can they risk their friendship in the hope of something more?

About The Author

My Review

This heartfelt friends-to-lovers story follows Lorna and Oliver, former medical school friends who reconnect decades later as doctors in a Cotswolds village. Despite past attraction, they prioritized their careers and later married and divorced separately. Now colleagues again, their easy friendship resumes, but as they spend time cooking, running, and reminiscing, their feelings deepen. Fear of losing their bond holds them back, but emotions intensify, leading to a touching conclusion about embracing love. The novel beautifully captures late-in-life romance, the warmth of a close-knit community, and the rewarding challenges of rural medical practice.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Harlequin

Review Card & Book Review – If I Lost You by Sheila Norton

My son George is everything to me, but he’s slipping away, and no one can tell me why.

Every test comes back inconclusive, every doctor leaves me with more questions than answers. I’m terrified – each day brings new fears, and my heart aches knowing how much he’s suffering.

Then Barbara appears – my biological mother, a stranger for most of my life. She’s in poor health, struggling with the weight of her past, and her sudden arrival stirs a mix of emotions in me. Part of me wants to believe she’s here to help, but there’s a wall between us, and I can’t shake the feeling there’s something very wrong.

As George’s condition worsens, I find myself wrestling with doubt. Can I truly rely on Barbara? Will she bring comfort or complicate an already fragile situation? All I want is to protect my son and give him the love and support he deserves. I only hope that I can be the mother he needs before it’s too late. Will I find a way to save him?

About The Author

My Review

Jo is overwhelmed as her young son’s asthma worsens, her daughter feels neglected, and work pressures mount due to unsympathetic management. Struggling with marital tensions and feeling alone, she’s further shaken when her biological mother reaches out.

Sheila Norton’s storytelling kept me engaged, making me feel like I was watching events unfold in real time. The characters made mistakes, hope seemed distant, but they kept pushing forward. The novel isn’t just about a mother fighting for her son—it’s about resilience, family, and finding strength through hardship.

I won’t reveal more, but if you enjoy deeply emotional stories filled with struggle, despair, and perseverance, this book is a must-read.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon
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Kobo

Review Card & Book Review – Not Quite By The Book By Julie Hatcher

Emma Rini is in a rut so deep she could shelve books there. While her sister awaits her first baby, and her parents kick off retirement with vow renewals and travel, Emma stays put among the stacks of the family bookshop.

In fact, she can’t remember the last time she took a vacation. Or had a romance that hovered above disappointing. When her parents assume she’ll take over the shop for them without a break, she realizes she needs to get away—back to the nineteenth century. Channeling her favorite poet recluse, Emily Dickinson, Emma rents a crumbling manor house outside Amherst where she can learn how to be quietly, blissfully alone.

But becoming a world-weary spinster isn’t easy. She can’t start a fire or reason with the bunnies that are destroying the garden. She finds herself sparring constantly with the grumpy-hot architect who is renovating the manor. And then there’s the secret admirer who keeps sending her complicated floral messages…

No matter what she does, the outside world keeps knocking, and Emma starts to dream about the future. Will she forgo love for the family legacy? And will she shrink away or become the sort of bold person fortune favors?

About The Author

My Review

This book follow the journey of Emma Rini—a woman burned out from corporate life and motherhood—who takes a bold leap into solitude, hoping to channel the spirit of Emily Dickinson in a remote Amherst mansion. What she finds instead is a chaotic garden, failed domestic experiments, and the gruff (but charming) handyman Davis Sommers.

The story shines in its emotional nuance. Emma’s attempts to disconnect and rediscover herself are portrayed with both vulnerability and humor. Her budding connection with Davis is slow-burning and satisfying, evolving naturally as both characters confront their own insecurities. With vivid prose, gentle pacing, and a strong sense of place, this novel is a cozy, uplifting read perfect for fans of character-driven fiction and second-chance narratives. It’s a tribute to the messy, beautiful process of starting over—and the unexpected joys that come with letting go of perfection.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon
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Kobo

Review Card & Book Review- If You Could See Me Now By Samantha Tonge

How far would you go for a perfect life?

Back in her troubled school days, kind-hearted Violet always dreamed of a life where she was happy. Now it feels like she’s just about getting there. She has her dream job working with books, and she’s living with her handsome boyfriend, Lenny.

But when her relationship with Lenny falls to pieces and he moves out, Violet, hurt and lonely, decides it’s time to really take her happiness in hand. With her new flatmate Bella’s help, she changes her image and takes control at work, ready to show the world that she doesn’t need Lenny, ready to live her best life!

Then she meets magnetic author Casey, she begins to wonder if all she needed all along was a makeover. Lenny will rue the day he lost her!

But – with Bella – all is not as it seems. And Violet too has a secret, one that dates right back to her childhood, which could change everything…

About The Author

My Review

If You Could See Me Now by Samantha Tonge follows Violet as she navigates heartbreak and self-discovery after her ex cheats on her. With the help of her lively new roommate, Bella, she focuses on self-improvement, but her transformation becomes a shield against deeper struggles she refuses to face. Alternating between past and present, the story begins lighthearted but soon reveals a more serious, introspective journey. As Violet confronts shocking truths, the novel explores mental health, identity, and empowerment. Though the pacing is uneven, this emotional yet hopeful read delivers a powerful message of confidence and self-acceptance.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Happy Publication Day – 14 August 2025

Where You’re Planted By Melanie Sweeney

A single mum. A grumpy gardener. Can they let love bloom?

Busy librarian and single mum Tansy Perkins doesn’t have time for love – she’s either lost in a book or in a pile of homework.

Grumpy gardener Jack Reid has sworn off relationships since his divorce. Right now, he’s only interested in growing flowers, not feelings.

So when a hurricane forces Tansy to move her library into Jack’s pristine botanic gardens, it’s safe to say that neither of them are thrilled by this new distraction. But soon the chemistry between them grows impossible to ignore …

Will they dig in their heels, or let love take root?

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas By Hayley Dunlop

Can life be like a made-for-TV Christmas movie?

Mally Allister prides herself on being nice and predictable, just like the trope-filled festive films she turns to for comfort every winter.

But when she faces the prospect of spending Christmas alone in her London flat, Mally is sent on a writing assignment to try to recreate the cheesy Christmas movie experience in her humdrum British hometown.

With the help of familiar faces from her formative years, including her teenage crush Tom, Mally starts ticking off the classic holiday romance movie tropes in unexpected ways.

But can real life ever live up to the magical movie experience?

Don’t Believe A Word By Susan Lewis

They raised her. Nurtured her. And lied about everything.

They told Sadie she was adopted.

They gave her a home and showered her with love.

But they lied.

Sadie was stolen.

They say Sadie’s making it all up.

But you shouldn’t believe a word…

The Boss I Can’t Stand By Leslie North

The Hating Game meets Anyone But You—but she’s a costume designer, he’s Hollywood’s hottest problem, and one dropped cufflink launches them into a fake engagement with real feelings and zero escape plan.

Yay, I’m engaged… to the biggest jerk in Hollywood. If Finn Lockhart ever wrote an AITA post, the answer would be a unanimous yes. Why am I engaged to someone I can’t stand? Funny story. I work for Finn—costume designer on his latest movie. One day on set, I dropped a box of cufflinks. Finn kneeled down to help. The paparazzi snapped a photo. Voilà—engagement.

The fake news goes viral. Suddenly, Hollywood’s most notorious (and hottest) bachelor is off the market. And his PR team? Obsessed. Finn’s stressed about the film, and I’m not one to ruin a good production. So, I play along. I move into his absurdly luxurious penthouse where his cat gives me side-eye from a marble windowsill. Clearly, brooding disdain runs in the family. But I know how this story goes. Men like Finn don’t fall in love. Especially not with women like me.

Then his lips crash onto mine. And suddenly, pretending is the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done.

Review Card & Book Review – When Alec Met Evie By Jenny Proctor

Evie told herself not to fall for her pro-hockey crush. But when she sees him holding her baby girl, all bets are off.

When Evie moves South to the same mountain town where her childhood crush plays pro-hockey, she arms herself with all the reasons why she can’t fall for him again.

Number one: Alec is her best friend’s much older brother.
Number two: She’s recently divorced and does not need another man in her life. At least not anytime soon.
Number three: With a four-month-old daughter, she has zero time for dating.

Trouble is, Evie doesn’t know another soul in North Carolina, so when her rental floods before she’s even moved in, her only option is to crash with Alec for a few weeks. When she protests, he insists it’s what he’d do for his sister, and that’s basically what she is to him.

But all these years later, the unexpected chemistry between them definitely says otherwise.

A new relationship is risky when Evie is still licking her wounds from her divorce, and she has no idea if Alec has any desire to be a dad. His sister already warned he isn’t the type to settle down.

But she can’t make herself care about any of that. Not until she’s already fallen, and it might be too late to save herself from another heartbreak.

About The Author

My Review

Evie, a newly single mom, moves to a new town to start fresh as a luthier. The only person she knows is Alec, her childhood crush and a pro hockey player nearing the end of his career. Their reunion rekindles old feelings, and Alec quickly becomes attached to both Evie and her daughter, Juno. As he grapples with life after hockey, Evie navigates single motherhood in a story that is heartfelt, authentic, and beautifully written. With deep emotional moments and a genuine connection between the characters, this final installment in Jenny Proctor’s series is a touching and satisfying read.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Happy Publication Day – 13 August 2025

Last Stop On The Winter Wonderland Express By Rebecca Raisin

A honeymoon for one on the most romantic train journey in the world… what could possibly go wrong?

When Aubrey’s fiancé dumps her – literally at the altar – just days before Christmas, her first thought is for the honeymoon. A luxury snow train, winding through Europe’s most beautiful Christmas markets, stopping in places like Paris and Stockholm, before ending in Lapland, to stay in igloos under the Northern Lights.

It was meant to be the most romantic ten days of her life. And now she has to go it alone. But arriving on the train – where, not wanting to be known as someone who was jilted, she might have accidentally implied her new husband died in a horrible accident – she finds she’s not the only singleton on board.

The group of single passengers quickly nickname themselves ‘The Unlucky in Love Travel Club’… But – as the train gathers pace – so do Aubrey’s feelings for absurdly handsome travel journalist, Jasper.

And she starts to wonder – as fireworks explode over the snow – whether her magical Christmas honeymoon-for-one might be just what she needs. And if she might not be as unlucky in love as she’d thought…

Fake Off With Fate By Whitney Dineen

She’s a closet designer for the rich and famous and he’s a broken-hearted captain of a pro-hockey team. Neither of them is looking for love.

Ashlyn
An unexpected trip home to Maple Falls gets even more surprising when I inadvertently become acting mayor.

Add a huge crisis and a smoking hot hockey player, and I’m in over my head before I know it.

I’m only here for a short time, so I will not fall for Mr. Tall, dark, and adorable. I don’t care how helpful and kind he is. Long-distance never works, so the answer is no.

Jamie
I’m sick of the press hounding me about my last relationship, so when the opportunity arose to captain a new hockey team in smalltown Washington, I jumped at it.

Too bad I didn’t ask more questions before moving here, like, “Are there bears, and will they be living in my backyard?”

Then there’s Ashlyn. The last thing I expected was to meet a funny, sassy, and good-hearted woman like her. I swore off love after my last heartbreak, but my heart is acting like it missed the memo.

There’s no way I’m going to pursue her. Unless of course, fate has intervened, and we were meant to be…

Review Card & Book Review – Sisterhood By Cathy Kelly

Lou never puts herself first. She always looks out for other people. Even at her own birthday party, all she does is worry whether everybody else is having a good time.

Then a terrible secret upends the celebrations. And she decides to do the one thing that nobody ever expects: something for herself.

But she’s going to need her sister. Life has pulled Lou and Toni apart– yet now they set off on a journey, one that will whisk them from the windswept Irish coast to sun-baked Sicily.

Where will their journey end?

About The Author

My Review

Sisterhood by Cathy Kelly is a heartwarming and empowering novel about self-discovery, family, and learning to put yourself first.

Lou Fielding, a lifelong people pleaser, has always put others before herself—her demanding mother, inattentive husband, and ungrateful employers. But on her 50th birthday, a shocking revelation from her mother shatters her world, making her realize just how much she has been taken for granted. Meanwhile, her younger sister Toni, a confident and successful journalist, is dealing with her own betrayal and career crisis.

Determined to escape and find answers, the sisters embark on a journey from Cork to Sligo to Sicily. Along the way, they lean on each other, learning from their differences and discovering their own strength. With humor, wisdom, and emotional depth, Sisterhood explores themes of self-worth, independence, and the power of female relationships.

The novel beautifully captures the importance of setting boundaries and the realization that “people treat you how you allow them to treat you.” It’s a must-read for anyone who has ever felt overlooked or undervalued, with a powerful message: women don’t need rescuing—they rescue themselves.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon

Review Card & Book Review- Pieces Of Us By Eve Ainsworth

To move forward, I’ll have to look back to our past…

I know I have to get myself out of this funk, but it feels impossible. My childhood best friend is dead and nothing in life is working out as I’d planned.

Then Lottie leaves me a ‘jar of joy’ in her will – filled with instructions to visit places where we had our happiest memories. But with every happy memory, I also remember the things that tore us apart.

Because Lottie was keeping secrets. And Jay – the man we both loved – keeps turning up at the same places. Even as I feel pieces of myself begin to heal, some wounds run too deep.

It’s time to make a change in my life, but can Lottie’s jar of joy really give me the strength I need?

About The Author

My Review

Pieces of Us is a poignant, introspective novel that delicately navigates themes of grief, guilt, friendship, and healing. Told through dual timelines and perspectives, the story follows Sara as she copes with the death of her long-time friend Lottie, while revisiting the highs and lows of their decade-long relationship. Sara’s frustration with Lottie’s past behavior slowly gives way to a deeper understanding of her friend’s motives. Lottie, despite her flaws, emerges as someone trying to bring joy and redemption into Sara’s life, even from beyond the grave.

The dual narrative structure works well, allowing the reader to piece together not only the history of their bond but also how unresolved emotions linger after loss.Ultimately, this is a beautifully written novel that speaks to the power of forgiveness, the weight of memory, and the quiet strength it takes to move forward. It’s a moving exploration of how we carry others with us—even after they’re gone.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Kobo

Happy Publication Day – 12 August 2025

The Love Fix By Jill Shalvis

Lexi Clark’s life is falling apart!

Summoned home to Sunrise Cove, the last thing she wants to do is face all the complications she left behind. Her past, her stepsister Ashley, and especially her infuriatingly gorgeous childhood nemesis-turned-crush Heath Bowman.

Lexi’s way too focused on her job as an art appraiser, she doesn’t have time to believe in trust, love, or Happily Ever Afters. Her stepsister, on the other hand, is so full of life it hurts to look at her. But Lexi can’t refuse Ashley’s plea to honor their late mother’s final wish. So, on behalf of her estranged mother’s estate-and with Heath in tow as the executor-Lexi embarks on a road trip to repay all the people her gambling addicted mother owed money to.

Soon, all of Lexi’s complicated feelings come to a head; missing her mom, missing Ashley, and most of all, missing Heath. For the record, she doesn’t like it, or the way he has of scaling the walls she’s built around her heart. The road trip shenanigans that ensue are both funny and heartbreaking, but Lexi finds something shocking along the way. Acceptance. Family.

And, unbelievably… love.

Rear View By K.C Harper

Speed can be dangerous. Letting your past catch up with you is deadly. 

An ex-con bad boy is brought to his knees in K.C. Harper’s contemporary debut, perfect for fans of Lauren Asher’s Dirty Air series. 

Xavier Bosch has yet to find a rally-car course he can’t handle—or a woman he wants to share the road with. He’s worked hard to keep his criminal record a secret, but when the news breaks that his abusive father will soon be released from prison, his past threatens to catch up fast. Letting a woman into his world would only make her a target.

But when a nasty crash brings Ryah Nolan into his life, all bets are off. 

Psychology student Ryah Nolan doesn’t trust easy. Not with a professor determined to make her life hell, an ex-boyfriend who isn’t quite an ex…and a terrifying stalker no one but her best friend takes seriously. Letting someone in is a risk. But despite his gruff exterior and need for speed, Xavier makes her feel safe.

The closer Xavier and Ryah become, the more they want to put their pasts in the rear view. As they race the clock and the dangers they’ve run from give chase, one thing is certain—they will win or lose together.

Rivals To Lovers By Elise Wayland

Mo Denton has been obsessed with the classic feminist novel The Proud and the Lost for as long as she can remember. When Mo puts everything she has into writing a modern adaptation of her all-time favorite book, her agent Yuri loves it—but can’t pitch it anywhere. The original author’s estate must approve any adaptation, and so far, it has never allowed one to go forward.

The agent who represents the estate—Wes Spencer—is also working on an updated version of the beloved story. Promoting Mo’s project would go against Wes’s own interests, and he’s reluctant to bring it to Estelle Morgan, the elderly daughter of the original novelist. But when Yuri contacts Estelle herself, Estelle invites Mo and Wes to her home for a weekend where they will pitch each book to her and let her decide whose book will be approved–and whose work will be destined for deletion. 

Soon, Mo and Wes realize that they have more in common than just their love of the original book. As they grow closer and wait for the estate’s decision, will the secrets Wes is keeping ruin the bond between them, or can they find their way to a happy ending?

The Soldier By Susan Stoker

In this steamy contemporary romance about family, unforeseen circumstances, and unexpected love, an ex-military man and a down-on-her-luck woman find more than they bargained for when they find each other.

When Chad Young moves home, it’s not a decision he makes lightly. A former military man, he doesn’t make any decision lightly. But his father’s passing has left the family—and their business—reeling. Now more than ever, they need to stick together.

Britt Starkweather moved to Maine with her boyfriend, never imagining he’d abandon her there. With no money and nowhere to go, she accepts the Youngs’ offer of a job and room on their property. What more does she have to lose?

Although they just met, Chad makes Britt feel safe in a way no one has before. And she makes him feel things he’d given up on finding. But even as they grow closer, Britt realizes that something is amiss at Lobster Cove…and Chad will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Never Been Witched By Molly Harper

Alice Seastairs is in a precarious position for a witch—isolated from her coven and regretting a lot of her choices. Keeping herself from her sisters is the only way she can protect them from a threat only she knows is coming. While Alice should be searching for the final missing Welling locks and protecting the ghostly residents of Shaddow House, she distracts herself with a job offer from Collin Bancroft. Handsome, surprisingly sweet and filthy rich, Collin needs her expertise to restore his historic Duchess Hotel from the previous owner’s ghastly citrus-toned taste. Little does he know, Alice is also the perfect consultant for what to do when you discover a ghost running nightly through the hotel hallways. Spoiler alert: The solution is almost always late night snacking and smooching.

The weight of Alice’s secrets only gets worse when her manipulative grandparents threaten to ruin her relationship with Collin. And because her life isn’t complicated enough, Collin’s delusional ex walks back into his life like she never left. And then there’s the minor problem of an ancient magical family trying to take over Shaddow House, using the ghosts within for who-knows-what to further their nefarious agenda. Alice can only avoid her coven for so long before they come looking for her… She could really use a friend—or a house full of family, both living and dead.

Will Alice break from generational toxic patterns and claim the joy that she deserves? A witch doesn’t kiss and spell…