January 22, 2026 – My Sanctuary

Review Card & Book Review – Pastures New By Clare Balding

Alex has perfected the art of dodging responsibility during her almost 40 years – until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down.

She’s inherited a crumbling sheep farm in wildest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all.

Now, her closest companion is a stubborn Welsh terrier, she’s speed-reading The Idiot’s Guide to Farming, and her arrival has set the village gossip mill spinning. With the farm near collapse, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance.

But as secrets surface, Alex finds her heart pulling her in a direction she never saw coming.

Will she pack her bags – or has she landed exactly where she’s meant to be?

About The Author

My Review

This is a heartwarming, uplifting story about resilience, community, and new beginnings. It follows Alex, a journalist who loses her job to AI—an issue that feels all too relevant today. Unexpectedly, she inherits a rundown sheep farm in Wales, complete with debts, repairs, and plenty of challenges. Having no farming experience, Alex questions why she’s been left the farm and, more importantly, by whom.

As the story unfolds, the farm transforms not only Alex’s life but also the village, the pub, and her neighbor Dickon, a racehorse trainer. I particularly loved Alex’s instant bond with Jiffy the dog and the touching companionship between the horse, The Skirrid, and the sheep who calmed him. Alex’s kindness, resilience, and determination make her a truly special heroine.

This is a wonderful story about overcoming obstacles, embracing unexpected opportunities, and finding love and purpose.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon

Happy Publication Day – 22 January 2026

Amy Elman Doesn’t Feel Sexy By Mary Newman

Amy has her entire life planned out: marry her fiancé Josh, move out of their London flat and live happily ever after in the countryside.

There’s just one problem – Amy and Josh haven’t had sex in 180 days. She’s counted.

So when Josh’s family decide to throw them a surprise wedding, Amy scrambles to cross everything off her to-do list… including Josh.

With the help of a glass of red wine (or two), Amy steps out of her star-patterned pyjamas and into a world of too-tight lingerie and sex-positive affirmations.

As the big day approaches, will Amy’s luck finally turn around? Will her and Josh be one of those couples who just never have sex? Or will she start to realise that love isn’t something that can be checked off a list so easily?

Seaside Dreams On The Scott Isle By Lilac Mills

Can Coorie Castle Crafts survive under new management, or is this the end of their community?

Giselle Ellis loves nothing better than to make gorgeous pictures out of the sea glass that she finds on the shores of the wild and beautiful Duncoorie loch. Living in a cute little cottage with a studio in the castle’s craft centre and a close-knit community of crafting friends, she’s living her best life.

Then tragedy strikes and the castle has a new owner someone she once had a brief but passionate fling with many years ago

Rocco Moore isn’t the man Gisele remembers. When he threatens the craft centre’s very existence, she knows she has a fight on her hand. But as they reconnect once more and she begins to fall in love with him, Giselle realises she risks more than losing her livelihood. She risks losing her heart.

Game Over By Bella North

His football days might be over. But the game is just beginning…

Forced out of the game by a career-ending injury, Dylan Sullivan is busy drowning his sorrows in the local bar. Slumped a few stools down, Izzy Brooks knocks back another bourbon. Her grandpa is selling the horses she loves, meaning she’s out of a job—and a home.

The next morning, Dylan wakes groggily to the sound of horses’ hooves—with zero memory of the night before. Unlucky for him, there’s a tougher-than-nails, sexy-as-hell ranch hand with a scowl the size of Texas to fill him in… Last night, Dylan bought eighteen horses to fill his family’s empty ranch. Izzy’s horses.

Izzy’s future relies on Dylan becoming the rancher he never planned to be. As she puts him through his paces, competitive sparks—and something even more sizzling—fly. And stolen moments amongst the haystacks start to feel like a new beginning for both of them.

But when Dylan gets a chance to rejoin the world of football, the hope in Izzy’s heart flatlines. Will he prove every misgiving she had about him true? Or will he realize the path he never expected to walk is the one leading to the happy ending he was looking for?

Take Me Home To Kelsea Sands By Sharon Booth

Alison has spent years putting everyone else first. But now widowed, fed up with being taken for granted by her daughter and facing unexpected health worries, she realises she’s lost sight of the woman she used to be.

Then her cousin Rosie proposes a daring plan: move back to the coastal village where she grew up, for twelve weeks of ‘Project Alison’ – prioritising herself, for a change. Alison isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry! But the idea of going home to Kelsea Sands, back to the sea and the beautiful, wide Holderness skies, convinces her to take the plunge.

Soon she’s on a journey of rediscovery, hastened by the unexpected return of Mac – the boy she once knew, now a handsome man with a complicated past. But then come some shocking revelations. Does Alison have the courage to stand up for herself and finally seize the happiness she deserves?

Review Card & Book Review- Gracie Jenkins Runs A Marathon By Penny Mirren

Gracie Jenkins thought her days of adventure were behind her. Settled into the familiar rhythms of small-town life, aged 72, she never imagined she’d lace up her trainers for anything more than a stroll down memory lane.

But when a long-forgotten postcard sparks a fire within her, Gracie embarks on an extraordinary journey and sets out to conquer the ultimate challenge: training for a marathon.

As Gracie’s steps turn into miles, she discovers strength she never knew she had and a community she never expected to find. But it’s not just about crossing the finish line—it’s about rediscovering herself along the way.

Can Gracie prove to herself, and her loved ones, that age truly is just a number?

About The Author

My Review

This is a charming, inspiring story about family, reconciliation, and discovering new passions later in life. Gracie, a pensioner drifting through retirement, finds her world shifting when her estranged sister Jill and her niece Emily move into town. While her relationship with Jill remains strained, Gracie has grown close to Emily, who encourages her to join the local running club. What begins as a tentative step soon blossoms into a love of running, sparking a personal journey that’s as heartwarming as it is motivating.

The story alternates between Gracie’s and Jill’s perspectives, giving depth to their complicated relationship. The sibling dynamic is written with honesty and relatability—I often saw shades of my own relationship with my sister reflected in their struggles and triumphs. Watching them slowly work toward understanding and reconciliation was both moving and rewarding. Uplifting, funny, and full of heart, this novel proves it’s never too late to chase dreams or repair broken bonds.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo