April 30, 2026 – My Sanctuary

Review Card & Book Review – Tomorrow Starts Today By Jessica Redland

It’s never too late to find yourself… 💫

After unexpectedly losing her husband, Yvonne Kellerman’s world turns quiet and grey. Five years on, her days are filled with the gentle chatter of her loyal parrot, Trevor, and the comfort of her crafting table—but she can’t shake the feeling that life is slipping her by and Yvonne feels lost and lonelier than ever.

Joining the local crafting club at Willowdale Village Hall, Yvonne expects nothing more than a few afternoons of sewing. Instead, amongst the other local crafters, she discovers friendship, laughter and a renewed appreciation for her gorgeous Lake District home. It’s a reminder that she isn’t alone and, with each new stitch, her confidence returns, and so does her belief that it’s never too late for fresh starts and new beginnings.

When a familiar face from her past reappears, Yvonne finds herself standing at a crossroads: will she protect her heart, or embrace the chance to love—and truly live—again?

About The Author

My Review

This is a warm, comforting story about new beginnings, friendship, and finding hope when life feels painfully quiet. Yvonne’s loneliness is immediately relatable, especially as her world has shrunk to supermarket chats and conversations with her parrot. Her decision to attend the Cake and Craft Club feels like a brave step, and watching her slowly build confidence and connection is genuinely uplifting.

Willowdale Village Hall quickly becomes a haven of kindness, tea, cake, and creative energy. The group’s warmth, alongside Saffy’s fresh ideas and Yvonne’s growing desire for change, creates a gentle yet engaging storyline filled with possibility. I loved how the friendships developed naturally, and the romance thread is handled with sensitivity and charm.

The character list at the front is a thoughtful touch, making it easy to settle into the series. Like all Jessica Redland’s books, this one offers a beautiful setting, emotionally rich characters, and that wonderful feeling of community. It’s a story that reminds you it’s never too late to start again—and that tomorrow truly can begin today.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon

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Happy Publication Day – 30 April 2026

The Hopeful Hearts Bookshop By Debbie Johnson

“Take a leap of faith and visit our perfect little bookshop by the sea.” Bookshop owner Moira writes the first of many invitations she’ll send out into the world. They’ll find the right people, she’s certain…

Single and in a dead-end job, Kate feels hope spring when an anonymous invitation falls from the pages of a book. Now, she’s standing in a charming Scottish village and trying to ignore the six-four silver fox by her side. He’s got an invitation too, a husky Chicago accent, and dangerously gorgeous sea-blue eyes…

Widowed ex-police officer Brody never expected to be stranded in Scotland with a cute British lady. Her smile might be bewitching… but her attitude? Way too cheerful. And eccentric bookshop owner Moira says they can stay for free, as long as they don’t mind sharing one very cozy little cottage.

That’s the least of their problems. Turns out Moira’s bookshop needs them just as much as Kate and Brody need a fresh start. And with a twinkle in Moira’s mischievous matchmaking eye, things are soon hotting up in surprising ways!

The Sunshine Teashop By Jaimie Admans

Welcome to Thimblenouth: where the kettle is always on and fresh starts and unexpected love are waiting. 🧁🫖

Dolly Lymford is having one of those days…The kind that starts with dreams of opening a café… and ends with discovering your boyfriend kissing your best friend!

Heartbroken and with nowhere else to go, Dolly accidentally-on-purpose borrows her now-ex-boyfriend’s campervan and drives until the road runs out. This leads her to Thimblenouth, a picture-perfect Yorkshire Dales village where life moves more slowly and the kettle is always on.

After literally bumping into gorgeous local builder Reece Sterling, Dolly begins to feel something she hasn’t in a long time: safe. She also rediscovers her love of baking, filling the campervan with the scent of warm scones and freshly brewed tea. And Reece is always around to share a lemon pie or two…

When Dolly has an idea to open her own pop-up café, Reece is all too happy to help. And as the summer sun begins to warm everything it touches, Dolly wonders if she’s finally found a place to call home… maybe even with Reece.

Review Card & Book Review- Chasing Dreams By Carolyn Brown

Chasing Dreams

Nita, Sharlene, and Billy Joe, all about to turn 80, enlist Billy Joe’s great-grandson, Ford, who has just gotten out of the Air Force, and Sharlene’s great niece, Joelle, a schoolteacher who has the summer free. Their mission—to drive the three bickering old people on a road trip to remember. Each of the octogenarians is determined to tick off at least a few bucket list items before they go. Somewhere along the journey, Ford and Joelle discover that their elderly companions aren’t the only ones who need to take some risks in life…and in love.

The Matchmakers

Dotty, Minnie and Sookie have been best friends for decades, so when they all retired they decided that living on a cruise ship was cheaper and a lot more fun than living in an assisted living facility. But after a cruise or two, they got bored and decided to become matchmakers. Not knowing that they were choosing a couple that was already bound for divorce, they had their work cut out for them. Could they get this poor couple who evidently were still very much in love back together?

A Summer to Remember (Sisters in Paradise series prequel novella)

Before she moves to the Paradise in Spanish Fort, Texas, Great Aunt Bernie runs a bar where she listens to all kinds of people’s problems. One day, Nash, Hershel, and Clara walk into her bar and change the trajectory of Bernie’s life forever. After seeing the sparks between Clara and Nash, Bernie decides to try her hand at matchmaking. If she’s good at it—and it turns out that she is—she intends to retire and get to work marrying off her seven great-nieces.

About The Author

My Review

This is a charming, heartwarming collection of three novellas that celebrate friendship, romance, and the courage to embrace new beginnings at any age. Carolyn Brown delivers warmth, humor, and emotional depth in each story, creating a delightful reading experience.

The opening novella, Chasing Dreams, follows three lifelong friends nearing eighty who embark on a cross-country bucket-list adventure. Their lively personalities, humorous mishaps, and matchmaking schemes for their young companions, Ford and Joelle, make this story especially joyful and uplifting. The Matchmakers shifts to the high seas, where three retired women living aboard cruise ships attempt to save a struggling marriage. Their wit, wisdom, and persistence bring both laughter and heartfelt moments. The final novella, A Summer to Remember, offers a tender and hopeful conclusion as Bernie, a small-town bar owner, faces life-changing decisions and plays cupid for her great-niece before starting a new chapter of her own.

Together, these novellas form a warm celebration of family, love, and second chances. Chasing Dreams is a comforting, feel-good read that reminds us it’s never too late to follow your heart.

My Rating