August 31, 2026 – My Sanctuary

The Cotswold Christmas Bookshop By Jill Steeples

Isla Stewart has a glittering publishing career in London, but when she’s unexpectedly made redundant, she faces an uncertain future.

Licking her wounds, Isla heads home to the Cotswolds. Keeping her devastating redundancy a secret from her proud parents, she seeks refuge at Finch’s, the enchanting bookshop she worked in as a teenager. With the owners struggling with their health, Isla steps in to manage the shop hoping to convince them that the business has a future.

Isla likes nothing more than chatting to people about books, but her safe haven is soon disturbed when she comes face-to-face with her first love, Charlie Brace, made worse by the arrival of Guy Madley, the incredibly handsome property consultant who has advice for owners Jon and Miriam.

As Christmas approaches, Isla has decisions to make. Does her future lie in London or can a whole heap of books and a sprinkling of festive magic offer a life that she could never even have dreamed of?

A Body In The B & B By Katie Marsh

It’s a perfect location for… murder

When sisters Jennifer and Lizzie Christie inherit their aunt’s dilapidated B&B, in the beautiful Lake District village of Lupton Water, the only thing they have in common is how much they hate their housemate, a Declan Moss.

The two of them fell out thirty years before, and now they’re mid-life, mid-menopause, and about to be mid-disaster. And not just because Jennifer’s cat Clementine and Rose’s dog Gizmo have taken an instant dislike to each other.

But when Declan’s body is found in the bathtub, the sisters are top of the suspect list. Can they and their pets bury the hatchet long enough to find out who the killer is? Or will they become the next victims?

A lost love. A devastating secret. And a summer that could change everything…

Two years on from her husband’s death, dressmaker Ellen is learning how to live again and put memories of a difficult marriage behind her.

However, never far from her mind is another memory: Alexandros, her first love from the summer she turned eighteen.

The moment she’d arrived in his hometown of Kardamyli in Greece, Ellen had been intoxicated by the scent of orange blossom in the air, the days of endless sunshine and sparkling azure waters – but most of all by Alexandros himself. They were meant to be, until a devastating secret forced Ellen to leave and never look back…

But now, when her best friend suggests they recreate their teenage summer in Greece, Ellen knows it’s time to confront her past. Will Greece give her the freedom – and happiness – she desperately craves? And there, amidst the lush olive groves, could she rediscover the love she thought she’d lost forever?

About The Author

My Review

This book is about a widow returning to Greece to confront buried secrets, lost love, and the possibility of a second chance.

Ellen is an instantly likeable heroine carrying years of quiet heartache. As the truth behind her past slowly unfolds, her decision to walk away from the love of her life at eighteen becomes deeply understandable, making the lost years feel even more tragic. Now widowed from an unhappy marriage she kept hidden to protect her son, Ellen has spent much of her life putting others first.

When she returns to Greece with her best friend Penny to recreate a teenage holiday, the trip becomes far more than a getaway. Immersed in a warm, welcoming community, Ellen begins rediscovering herself and the strength she’s long buried. At the same time, the strained dynamics of her friendship with Penny surface, revealing years of imbalance and unspoken tension.

This is an emotionally rich story about resilience, friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. Ellen’s journey toward honesty and happiness is both heartbreaking and uplifting. Beautifully written and deeply moving, it’s a story filled with unforgettable characters and powerful emotional payoff that lingers long after the final page.

Second-Chance Romance

Lost Love Reunited

Holiday in Greece

Healing & Self-Discovery

My Rating