July 5, 2026 – My Sanctuary

Review Card & Book Review – The Deal Maker By Louise Bay

When the maid of honor and the best man fabricate a romance to keep the peace, the only thing they can’t fake are the sparks.

Lucy Jones is tired of being the “other sister.” Elizabeth is the golden child—beautiful, serene, and engaged to the perfect man. Lucy? She’s thirty, single, and still dodging her mother’s digs about how she never quite measures up. But when Elizabeth names Lucy as her maid of honor, she vows her sister’s wedding will be her grand rebrand. She’ll prove she’s polished, sophisticated, and totally in control.

Enter Hunter Bain. Best man. Business bro. Walking scowl emoji. Also the rudest, most aggravating man Lucy has ever met—and her new partner in planning the joint bachelor/bachelorette weekend. Fantastic. Because nothing says “reinvent yourself” like clashing with a man who thinks party planning is beneath him.

From drunken disasters to shenanigans on Martha’s Vineyard, Lucy and Hunter can’t stop butting heads. Until one impulsive lie forces them to pretend they’re dating. It’s supposed to be temporary. It’s supposed to be fake. But every lingering glance, every stolen kiss, every unexpected laugh makes it harder to remember what’s real and what’s not.

About The Author

My Review

This book is about Lucy Jones and Hunter Bain, two people who reluctantly agree to pretend they are engaged while planning the wedding of Lucy’s sister and Hunter’s best friend. What begins as a practical arrangement quickly becomes complicated as their dislike slowly gives way to unexpected attraction and emotional connection.

Lucy is warm, optimistic, and eager to please, yet she quietly struggles with deep insecurity caused by years of feeling overshadowed by her seemingly perfect sister and judged by her demanding parents. Hunter, on the other hand, is a successful co-CEO who hides his own fears of failure behind a guarded, cynical exterior shaped by painful past experiences.

As they spend more time together, their fake relationship becomes an emotional journey of self-discovery. Lucy begins to question her need for approval, while Hunter slowly learns to trust and open his heart. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the tension between them creates a compelling blend of humor, vulnerability, and romance.

Louise Bay crafts a heartfelt story about healing from past wounds, embracing one’s worth, and daring to pursue happiness. Ultimately, The Deal Maker shows how love, honesty, and courage can transform two guarded hearts into something real and lasting.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Happy Publication Day – 5 July 2026

The Cinnamon Spellbook Bakery By Ella Cook

One bakery. A hint of magic. And sparks you can’t ignore.

Bad boy Aiden arrived in Hudsbury hoping for peace and quiet – but the sleepy little town has other ideas. Nestled among golden leaves, crisp fall air he’s drawn into a peculiar shop—filled with the scent of cinnamon and a hint of magic… and is convinced to become the town’s newest baker.

The residents, and especially a mysterious grey cat named Mist, seem to know more than they let on. Whispering trees, heart-soothing teas, and jack-o-lanterns offering playful romantic advice make Hudsbury a place where the ordinary and magical intertwine.

Then he meets Mia, the practical local nurse. One playful night grows into a friends with benefits arrangement—but under the glow of autumn leaves and cackling pumpkins, sparks are impossible to ignore, blurring the lines of their friendship. As Aiden’s magic grows wilder and long-held secrets from his past begin to surface, he realises that love—and a little enchantment—might be exactly what he and Mia need to finally open their hearts.

Review Card & Book Review- If I Had My Time Again By Linda Green

How would you live your life differently, if you had a second chance?

Emily, Carl and Jules have all ‘gone before their time’. After dying on the same day in Halifax, West Yorkshire, they each wake up in a room in a hotel on the outskirts of town. They’re instructed to meet in the basement headquarters of film production company ‘End Credits’, where no-nonsense producer Suzi tells them their lives have been secretly filmed and they must edit their own biopic before they are able to move on.

There are only three rules: they can’t prevent their own deaths or anyone else’s, they can’t kill anyone but they can make a director’s cut – one change which will alter everything that comes after.

About The Author

My Review

This book is about Jules, Carl and Emily, three strangers bound together by the tragic fact that they all died on the same day. They awaken in a surreal parallel version of Halifax—no longer alive, yet still present—guided by a mysterious film production company that helps them revisit, process and reframe the most pivotal moments of their lives, including their final hours.

Linda Green crafts a moving tragi-comedy that balances heartbreak with unexpected warmth and wit. Rather than focusing on grand metaphysical answers about the afterlife, the novel centres on the deeply human task of reckoning with regret, trauma and unresolved pain. Through this unusual “epilogue,” each character is given space to confront their past and inch toward peace.

An author’s note sensitively flags themes of suicide, loss and serious illness, and these are handled with compassion and emotional intelligence. Tender, thought-provoking and quietly uplifting, this is ultimately a story about understanding, forgiveness and the fragile grace of second chances—even at the very end.

Afterlife Journey

Strangers Connected by Fate

Second Chances

Healing from Past Regrets

My Rating