Category Archives: Book Review

Review Card & Book Review- Come Back To The World By Jane Costello

It’s never too late for a comeback!

Single mum Jules lives next to a tennis club, but has no plans to play. Especially when her old school crush, handsome doctor Sam Delaney, returns thirty years after he left and is now displaying a killer forehand in direct view of her bedroom window.

But when she’s hit by an unprecedented wave of anxiety – brought on by her 19-year-old daughter’s solo trip around the world – she’s in urgent need of a distraction and rashly agrees to join an amateur women’s tennis team. They are desperate for players. The fact that she doesn’t really play doesn’t seem to matter . . .

As rallies are hit and friendships are formed, Jules is astonished to find herself in the grip of a passionate, all-consuming relationship . . . and not only with the tennis. But will these sexy encounters she keeps stumbling into with Sam put her on course to a devastating double fault?

About The Author

My Review

This book is about rediscovering joy, confidence, and romance in midlife after years of putting family first. This book delivers a witty, uplifting story that celebrates second chances and the excitement of starting over.

Jules has spent years focused on raising her daughter after the heartbreaking loss of her husband. Now, as she faces the daunting reality of becoming an empty nester, she finds herself unsure of who she is without the role that has defined her for so long. Joining a local tennis club on a whim becomes the catalyst for change—especially when a childhood crush unexpectedly reappears and stirs feelings she never expected to revisit.

Costello excels at portraying the messy, funny, and deeply human side of midlife reinvention. Jules’s insecurities, hopes, and small victories feel authentic and relatable, while the humor keeps the story light and engaging. The tennis backdrop adds playful energy and a sense of momentum that mirrors Jules’s emotional growth.

Warm, charming, and full of heart, this novel proves that love stories don’t have an expiration date—they simply evolve with experience.

Second-Chance Romance

Childhood Crush

Midlife Reinvention

Empty-Nest New Beginning

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Review Card & Book Review – A Brewed Awakening By Pepper Basham

In the charming mountain town of Wisteria, North Carolina, Daphne Austen clings to tradition like cream to a scone. She’s built her life–and her late grandmother’s tearoom, Tea Thyme–around all things English: delicate china, Jane Austen novels, and the comforting predictability of routine. The only thing threatening her perfectly ordered world? The loud, aggravatingly handsome Brit opening a pub next door.

After his ex-wife broke his heart and his business partner nearly destroyed his career, Finn Dashwood packed up his six-year-old daughter and left England behind. He’s looking for a fresh start, and the last thing he needs is a fussy, tea-obsessed neighbor criticizing his every pint and playlist. It doesn’t matter that she’s ridiculously kind (to everyone else) and that his daughter is utterly fascinated by her. Finn’s heart is not open to being broken again.

But disagreements turn into prank wars and then a competition when a high-profile wedding needs a last-minute caterer. The townsfolk are thrilled–Wisteria hasn’t seen this much excitement since the county fair lost a goat.

When the wedding demands both sweet and savory fare, Daphne and Finn are forced to put down their swords and pick up their serving trays. Between burnt pastries, brewing tempers, trending hashtags (#SipsAndSpats, anyone?), and one very adorable little girl, rivalry soon gives way to reluctant friendship–and maybe something that feels suspiciously like chemistry.

Can a tea shop princess and a pub owner with a past mix their lives as seamlessly as clotted cream and jam . . . or will their differences keep them steeped in rivalry forever?

About The Author

My Review

This book is about a charming rivalry that brews into romance between two very different café owners in a small Southern town. In this book, Pepper Basham blends sweet romance, faith, humor, and community spirit into a delightful slow-burn love story.

Daphne runs a refined tea shop, while English pub owner Finn champions hearty comfort food. Their competing businesses quickly spark playful tension that becomes the town’s favorite entertainment—especially once social media begins documenting every hilarious and heart-fluttering moment. The cooking rivalry provides a fun backbone to the story, filled with mouthwatering descriptions that make the book feel cozy and indulgent.

Beyond the romance, the novel highlights themes of faith, humility, and leaning on God during difficult moments. Finn’s daughter Lucy adds warmth and emotional depth, often grounding the adults with her innocence and courage. The supporting cast and small-town setting create a strong sense of community that enhances the romance beautifully.

With witty banter, gentle faith elements, and heartfelt emotional growth, this story offers a comforting, feel-good escape. It’s a cozy, uplifting read that celebrates love, family, and finding harmony between tea and coffee.

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Review Card & Book Review- Come Back To The World By Catherine Ryan Hyde

Amelia Booker, a journalist and expert in American literature, receives a photograph leading to the possible whereabouts of E. L. Swann, an author who vanished forty years ago after the success of her first and only novel. It’s too intriguing a literary mystery for Amelia not to follow.

In Santa Rosarita, Mexico, Amelia and her seven-year-old son, Jaden, meet the elderly and guarded Ella Steinbach, known to locals for riding her donkey to market, then retreating from the world again to her hilltop house. Prickly and defensive at first, Ella reluctantly concedes the truth about her identity. If not for Ella’s deep affection for the bright and introverted Jaden, she would have found the intrusion unforgivable. Instead, she grants an interview on the condition that Amelia tell no one where E. L. Swann has been found.

As days turn into weeks, and Ella reveals more than expected about her past, she and Amelia form a difficult but surprising bond. From it comes the realization that the personal struggles we endure determine the necessary choices we make to move forward. But no matter how much Amelia tries to convince her otherwise, E. L. Swann really does wish to be left alone. And only by accepting the author as she is can Amelia maintain the life-changing connection.

About The Author

My Review

This book is about a determined journalist chasing the story that could define her career and discovering a far more personal journey along the way. In Come Back to the World, Catherine Ryan Hyde delivers a warm, reflective story about fame, privacy, motherhood, and unexpected connection.

Freelance journalist Amelia Booker tracks down the famously reclusive author E.L. Swann, hoping for a long-awaited interview. What begins as a professional mission quickly shifts when Amelia and her young son Jaden become unexpected guests in the writer’s secluded world. Through Jaden’s innocence and Amelia’s persistence, Swann slowly reveals the emotional cost of sudden fame and the burden of public expectation.

The novel shines brightest in its character work. Jaden is delightful and wise beyond his years, while Amelia’s struggles with divorce and parental rights add emotional weight and urgency. Hyde also explores the ethics of storytelling—who owns a story, and what readers believe they deserve from artists.

Gentle humor, thoughtful dialogue, and a slow-burn friends-to-lovers thread balance the deeper themes. Ultimately, this is a heartfelt, uplifting novel about empathy, second chances, and learning when to step back into the world.

My Rating

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Coastal Small-Town Escape

Review Card & Book Review- Home No Matter Where By Nancy Naigle

Nina is at her wit’s end with her teenage daughter, Kendra. Still dealing with her own wounds of divorce, Nina hopes a change of scenery will help. She and Kendra head to the serene coastal town of Whelk’s Island to spend a restorative summer with Nina’s mother, Rosemary—bringing three generations under one roof for the first time in years. Amid the island’s charm, old wounds begin to heal, and as new friendships bloom—especially with the steady and enigmatic Fisher—light begins to break through the cracks of Nina’s tightly controlled life.

Kendra’s reckless behavior continues but Fisher’s intervention during a critical moment for Kendra sparks a sense of hope in Nina that she thought was lost. Still, change is never easy.

As the women navigate the tides of forgiveness, growing up, and letting go, healing begins and new love brings surprises. While Whelk’s Island may not hold all the answers, it has a way of reminding people that moving forward doesn’t follow a set path—it requires the bravery to start anew.

About The Author

My Review

This book is about rebuilding family, rediscovering belonging, and learning that home can be found in unexpected places. In this book, Nina and her teenage daughter Kendra retreat to Whelk’s Island after a divorce upends their lives. Amid ocean breezes, surfing lessons, and the warmth of Nina’s mother’s home, the pair slowly begin healing their strained relationship while discovering the strength of community and new love.

The novel blends heartfelt family drama with a cosy coastal atmosphere that feels comforting and escapist. Naigle excels at portraying multigenerational relationships and the quiet ways love shows up in everyday life. The island setting is vivid and inviting, adding charm and a summery glow that makes the story easy to sink into.

While the emotional themes are meaningful and often inspiring, Kendra’s perspective can feel stereotypical at times, and some humour and romantic moments land a little awkwardly. Still, characters like Fisher and Tug bring warmth and balance, delivering wisdom and sincerity that elevate the story.

Starting Over

Mother–Daughter Healing

Second-Chance Romance

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Happy Publication Day – 24 August 2026

Just For The Season By Jo Lovett

Frankie Winters’ life has fallen apart spectacularly, with her becoming single, jobless AND homeless all in the same day. Fleeing to the sea – more specifically to her gran and cousin’s hometown of Milbury Bay – feels like the right answer.

Marcus Brooks swore off women the moment his ex-wife walked out on him and his children. And after a tumultuous encounter with a certain stubborn stranger in the local café, he’s only more convinced he made the right decision.

But when Frankie decides she needs a fake boyfriend to reassure her eighty-five-year-old gran she’s doing just fine (even if she isn’t!), her gaze lands on the last man she should ask: the grumpy, unruly one she argued with over the last carrot cake.

Saying yes to Frankie’s insane plan might be Marcus’s biggest mistake yet… or the best decision he’s ever made. Because sometimes, the last thing you’re looking for is exactly what you need.

Review Card & Book Review – Wishes On The Waves By Catherine Michaels

She’s convinced love belongs in her memories.

He’s certain his second chance already came and went.

But Gull Island has other plans.

Widowed business owner Annie Lawson lives a full life running her shop, raising her young son, and keeping her heart carefully guarded. Letting someone in again isn’t on her to-do list. But when the cottage next door fills with a bestselling author and single dad carrying more regret than momentum, the rhythms of her predictable life begin to shift.

Cal Carter comes to Gull Island to escape a painful divorce, rediscover his writing voice, and rebuild trust with his teenage daughter. What he doesn’t expect is a neighbor whose warmth slips past his defenses and makes him question the future he thought was settled.

Between sea turtle nests, summer storms, and twilight talks, Annie and Cal drift closer than either intended until a long-buried truth from Cal’s past asks them to risk what they’ve worked hard to protect.

About The Author

My Review

This book is about second chances, healing, and rediscovering love in the charming seaside town of Gull Island. Inthis book, we follow Annie, a widowed shop owner devoted to her son and family business, and Cal Carter, an author struggling with writer’s block, divorce, and reconnecting with his teenage daughter. When their lives intertwine, friendship slowly blooms into something deeper—though grief, secrets, and lingering fears threaten their fragile happiness.

This novel shines through its warm, small-town atmosphere and strong sense of community. Gull Island feels alive with supportive neighbours, cosy traditions, and meaningful friendships that add depth and comfort to the story. Annie and Cal are instantly lovable, and their emotional journeys feel authentic and heartfelt. Their banter sparkles, their chemistry grows naturally, and their shared moments feel tender without ever becoming overly dramatic.

More than a romance, this story celebrates resilience, family bonds, and the courage to open your heart again after loss. Gentle, uplifting, and full of seaside charm, it’s the perfect escapist read that leaves you with a lingering sense of hope and warmth.

Second Chance at Love

Small-Town Romance

Friends to Lovers

Healing After Loss

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Review Card & Book Review- One Sunny Day By Shari Low

As the sun rises on a summer’s day, four people are about to find out what it takes to make their dreams come true ☀️

Global TV megastar Ollie Chiles has fame, fortune, and now he’s met Stevie Dixon, the love of his life. But he’s realised that he can’t have it all. He has a huge decision to make – and no matter what he chooses, he’s going to hurt someone he loves.

Widow Netta McGonigle gave up her dreams to spend a lifetime taking care of everyone else. Alone now, she’s resigned herself to quiet contentment – but what if life still has one or two surprises in store for her?

Single mum Kiki Strang has remained in the shadows raising her daughter Ava, while the man who promised he’d come back for her chased the limelight. With that promise broken, should Kiki fade away quietly or share his secrets with the world?

Actress Ginny Canavan has a chance to land the role of a lifetime. But when fate throws in a plot twist even she could never have predicted, will she find a way to rewrite her own script?

About The Author

My Review

This book is about how a single day can quietly reshape four very different lives. The novel gathers Ollie, Netta, Kiki, and Ginny at emotional turning points and follows the ripple effects of the choices they make within twenty-four transformative hours.

Low excels at creating characters who feel authentic and relatable. Ollie’s storyline explores the loneliness behind fame, capturing the ache of choosing between ambition and love. Netta’s journey is especially touching; after years of putting others first, her tentative steps toward personal happiness are tender and uplifting. Kiki brings emotional depth, balancing vulnerability and strength as she confronts truths she has long buried. Meanwhile, Ginny’s professional dreams collide with unexpected reality, adding energy and hope to the ensemble.

The pacing benefits from the ticking-clock structure, creating gentle urgency while allowing intimate, reflective moments to shine. Low’s warm humour and emotional sincerity weave the four narratives seamlessly, highlighting connection, courage, and second chances. Ultimately, this is a comforting, heartfelt novel that reminds readers how small decisions can open new paths when life feels stuck.

Second Chances

Life-Changing Choices

Interconnected Lives

Finding Yourself

My Rating

Link To Purchase