Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review – First Bride To Fall By Ginny Baird

A shy woman. Her outdoorsy crush. And the bet that could bring them together…or implode spectacularly.

Nell Delaney will do almost anything for her parents and her two sisters. But enter a marriage of convenience to save the family’s coffee shop? Too far. So Nell and her sisters strike a deal: whoever hasn’t found love in thirty days has to step up to take one for the team. The good news? Nell knows the perfect guy to fall in love with. The bad news? She’s going to have to pretend she likes the outdoors…a lot.

Adventure guide Grant Williams knows immediately that Nell is not exactly Little Miss Outdoorsy. She’s a walking natural disaster—an amazingly adorable disaster. And whoa, their chemistry is unbelievable. Everything between them is so perfect, he’s not even a little bit shocked when he starts thinking of forever…

Right up until he catches the town gossiping about the Delaney sisters’ bargain and realizes she’s just using him to win a bet. His family’s unreliable reputation means he can’t just dump one of the town’s sweethearts. No, she needs to dump him. If she’s going to pretend to be the perfect doting bride, well, he’ll just pretend to be the worst bachelor on the market.

Let the games begin…

My Review

3 sisters make a pact that the last person among them who couldn’t find love and be engaged within 30 days is to agree on a prearrange marriage to save their family’s coffee shop. 

This is the 1st book of the series focusing on Nell who have secret crush on Grant for many years now. This pact is forcing her to step out and take matters into her own hand and hearts. She decided to join on a hiking excursion organised by Grant’s company and due to bad weather and Nell’s inexperience, Nell injured herself and found herself end up at Grant’s cabin together w him. The story then continue with a lot of miscommunication between the two of them. 

The story is a fun and quick read for me and narration of the story flow very well. I love the shy banter between Nell and Grant and chemistry between the two of them. Love how they fall for each other. Can’t wait to see what happen to the 2 other sisters. Am curious and wonder who will be the one who is going to marry the rich Billionaire, Aiden.

My Rating

Book Review – How to Seduce a Cavanaugh by Marie Ferrarella

A lone wolf who’d prefer to work solo, Detective Kane Durant has been through six partners. His latest? A chatty, go-getter blonde he can’t seem to intimidate with his killer stare-downs and deadly silence. But when they’re assigned a case of home invasions in the ritzy section of town, he’s impressed by Detective Kelly Cavanaugh’s quick mind, her determination to catch the perp…and how badly he wants her. 

With one month to prove herself to her tall, tough and sexy new partner, Kelly works overtime to crack the case—and the hardened detective by her side. But when late nights on the job lead to passion, Kelly’s heart is suddenly on the line, too.

Published Date: 7 July 2015

My Review

Kane and Kelly were tasked to work together. Kane is not happy about the arrangement as he prefer to work alone. Due to his past, he kept to himself and have been driving away all his partner. Kelly, on the other hand, is trying to make him to talk as her objective. Kane come across as a strong but a loner while Kelly, a bubbly and nosy colleague. Whilst Kane prefer to keep to himself, Kelly will strive to find the information.

Overall it is a sweet read for me. Love the main characters: Kane and Kelly and their interaction. I enjoyed the detail of the investigation and reading how both Kane and Kelly solved the mystery.

My Rating

Book Review – A Leap of Faith For The Cornish Midwife By Jo Bartlett

Midwife Izzy is devastated to learn that her beloved grandmother is dying. Abandoned as a baby by her own mother, her grandparents have been the only family Izzy has ever known and she wants to spend every last precious moment with them.

New locum vicar, Noah, is a wonderful support – kind, considerate and always there for Izzy whenever she needs a shoulder to cry on. But secretly Noah is battling his own doubts about his faith – how can he offer Izzy comfort if he doesn’t truly believe his own words?

When Izzy and Noah are brought together to support grieving parents, Noah reaches breaking point. He can’t stay in Port Agnes and live a lie. But Izzy is adamant it’s the only place she can be….

Will love find a way or will Izzy’s hopes of a future be dashed?

Published Date : 29 June 2022

My Review

Izzy’s grandma is terminally ill but it didn’t deter Eileen from renting a houseboat in Port Agnes  for the summer to be closer to her. Eileen enjoyed tending to her flowers and found herself at St Jude doing what she love to do. Noah, a temporary pastor in the absence of Reverend Sampson found formed a friendship with Eileen which at first suspicious of the friendship between them. But Eileen’s health began to deteriorate, it was Noah that Izzy sought support from. Noah is fighting his own demon and he is struggling in trusting God. 

This is an emotional read for me with good balance of warmth yet uplifting and well balance emotion between negative and positive feeling when the loved one’s is facing life and death situation. Love to see both Izzy and Noah’s relationship blossom at the end of the book.

My Rating

The Review Card – A Leap of Faith For The Cornish Midwife By Jo Bartlett

Midwife Izzy is devastated to learn that her beloved grandmother is dying. Abandoned as a baby by her own mother, her grandparents have been the only family Izzy has ever known and she wants to spend every last precious moment with them.

New locum vicar, Noah, is a wonderful support – kind, considerate and always there for Izzy whenever she needs a shoulder to cry on. But secretly Noah is battling his own doubts about his faith – how can he offer Izzy comfort if he doesn’t truly believe his own words?

When Izzy and Noah are brought together to support grieving parents, Noah reaches breaking point. He can’t stay in Port Agnes and live a lie. But Izzy is adamant it’s the only place she can be….

Will love find a way or will Izzy’s hopes of a future be dashed?

About The Author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast. Her first title for Boldwood is The Cornish Midwife – part of a twelve-book deal.

Link to Purchase

Book Review – Taming Her Navy Doc By Amy Ruttan

The one woman to tame him… 

Finally the injured navy SEAL who had once been brought to surgeon Erica Griffin in the dead of night has a name: Captain Thorne Wilder—her new commanding officer! Five years later he’s just as gorgeous as Erica remembers…but now he’s totally off-limits! 

Thorne has been left damaged, brooding and untamable after the loss of his dreams—and beautiful Erica is an unwanted complication! She might be as wary of relationships as he is, but fighting temptation will be the biggest battle of all…

Published Date: 1 July 2015

My Review

Erica was the one who amputated his leg. Five years later they met again and Erica wonder whether he remember her. Thorne knew who Erica is even before her request to work was approved. Both of them battling their own demons and neither of them want long term commitment but couldn’t help when they were attracted to each other.

It is a sweet and emotional read for me. The storyline is well written about how love heal two people who really have been through some tough times and found found the happiness they deserve at the end. Loved watching the chemistry between Erica and Thorne.

My Rating

Book Review – The Friendship Pact By Jill Shalvis

Alone in the world, Tae Holmes and her mother April pretty much raised each other, but as Tae starts asking questions about the father she’s never met, April, for the first time in her life, goes silent. To make matters worse, Tae is dangerously close to broke and just manages to avoid financial meltdown when she lands a shiny new contract with an adventure company for athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors.

Her first big fundraiser event falls flat, but what starts out as a terrible, horrible, no-good night turns into something else entirely when Tae finds herself face-to-face with Riggs Copeland. She hasn’t seen the former Marine since their brief fling in high school, and while still intensely drawn to him, she likes her past burned and buried, thank you very much. Hence their friendship pact.

But when April oddly refuses to help Tae track down her father, it’s Riggs who unexpectedly comes to her aid. On a hunt to unlock the past, the two of them find themselves on a wild ride and learn a shocking truth, while also reluctantly bonding in a way neither had seen coming. Now Tae must decide whether she’s going to choose love . . . or walk away from her own happiness.

Published Date: 14 June 2022

My Review

April got pregnant with Tae when she was a teenager and was raised by her and they barely scraped by growing up. Given their close in age, they rely heavily on each other. Tae want to know about her real father but April is trying to avoid to revealed it. Tae met Riggs when she join a new company dealing with athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors. Riggs had trouble pasts and has put up walls to keep their emotional stable. Riggs came from a tough home life and lived as a Marine for years while Tae, growing up taking care of her mother more than her mother took care of her. He remembers Tae from high school where they have a brief flings and never spoken again.

This book is the 2nd book of Sunrise Cove series. It is an emotional book about 2 broken people who needed each other for support. Love Tae & her mum’s dynamic relationship i.e like sisters or best friends and the depth of the characters, their hearts, struggle and joy.

My Rating

Book Review – The Maverick’s Accidental Bride By Christine Rimmer

Married by Mistake? 

Rust Creek Ramblings 

Welcome back, faithful readers! The Rust Creek Rambler has an exclusive for you: Jordyn Leigh Cates has gotten married! That’s right, our innocent Jordyn, who came to town a few years back with the Rust Creek Falls “Gal Rush,” tied the knot on July Fourth in what appeared to be a very impulsive ceremony. 

No one could blame the blushing bridesmaid for saying “I do” to Will Clifton. The sexy, blue-eyed rancher is six feet of pure muscle and charm. But are these two merely love-struck friends who got swept away at someone else’s wedding? Our sources suggest otherwise. Stay tuned to find out the true story behind these surprise spouses—and see if they can make it past their honeymoon!

Published Date : 16 June 2015

My Review

Jordyn and Will met again at a wedding they both attended in Rust Creek after separated for years. They woke up the next day and got a shock when they found out that they are married. As they discover that they could not dissolve their marriage as easily as they thought, they decided to stay married for a month to see whether Jordyn got pregnant from the night they spent together.

It is a charming and delightful read for me with long time friends finding out they are perfect for each other. Both Jordyn and Will does make a cute couple and I love the banter they share.

My Rating

Book Review – Chasing Dreams At Hedgehog Hollow By Jessica Redland

Samantha has a secret. Returning home from her dream honeymoon to the normality of running her beloved Hedgehog Hollow rescue centre, she’s ready for the next chapter of her life with Josh. Or is she? Samantha is hiding something which could forever change the dreams they shared and bring their happy ever after crashing to the ground.

Lauren has given up on love. Twenty-six years ago the love of her life, Shaun, left her a note and was never seen again. Two painful divorces later she still can’t face opening up to anyone. But little does Lauren know that the closure she’s dreamt of for all these years may be closer than she thinks, and perhaps the only way to let new love in is to forgive and forget.

Samantha and Lauren will need the love and support from the Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever. After all, some dreams are worth chasing…

Published Date: 28 June 2022

My Review

It is continuation story where we get to witness Samantha and Josh’s wedding on the 1st anniversary of the Sanctuary. 

This is the 5th book of Hedgehog Hollow series and my 2nd book in the series. The story started at a slow pace but pick up towards the middle. Whilst the previous book focus on Sam and Josh, this story focus on Lauren. She discovered that she has made redundant as the college where she worked been sold. I was surprise with Lauren’s story which came as unexpected to me especially about what happened to her ex- husband. As her life hits a crossroad, Lauren was forced to find closure to her past. 

It was a heartwarming story with wonderful characters. I love how each of them entwined together. I love reading the way the author wrote the more complication situation sensitively.

My Rating

Book Review – An Island Summer By Jenny Hale

All that Meghan Gray has left of her beloved Pappy is his cottage on the edge of the shimmering Atlantic Ocean. Longing to feel close to her grandfather, she returns to the golden sands of Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks for the summer, clutching the manilla envelope he gifted her tightly in her hand.

On her first night on the sun-drenched island, she meets brooding Toby Meyers, a local businessman. She might feel lost without Pappy, but looking into Toby’s sparkling blue eyes feels like coming home.

The beach house where she spent her childhood is just how she remembers: a shingled bungalow with two rocking chairs on the porch and shutters on the windows. As Meghan strolls along the sand with Toby, breathing in the salty air, she realizes she is making new memories…

When Meghan opens the envelope, she finds a black-and-white photograph of someone she doesn’t recognize. If she can find out its meaning, and why Pappy gave it to her, she’ll unlock a secret that has been hidden for decades. The truth has the power to change everything Meghan and Toby thought they knew about their lives—and it will either bring them together, or break their hearts…

Published Rate : 9 June 2022

My Review

Meghan return to Hatteras Island to her beloved grandpa’s home, where all her fond memories are. She met Toby and his dementia grandfather, Rupert who mistaken her for his good friend. As his delusional mind become more detailed, Meghan began to believe Rupert’s story. Meghan feel there is undeniable bond with Rupert and those snippet from Rupert turned out to be a secret that has been buried far too long. 

This book is about family drama, pasts and present, with a dash of mystery and love. It is a quick and sweet read about Meghan who return to her hometown to find a place that she belong. Along with this, there is mystery surrounding the relationship between Rupert and Meghan.

My Rating

Book Review – His Sicilian Cinderella By Carol Marinelli

His until midnight…? 

When millionaire Matteo Santini bought one night with Bella Gatti, it was to protect her innocence from the dangerous game she was caught up in. He never expected to be so undone by their fierce attraction or her disappearance the next day.  

Chambermaid Bella has escaped her shameful past, but her memories of that night with Matteo still burn. Forced to attend Sicily’s most exclusive wedding together, Bella knows the dark-hearted tycoon will want a reckoning. As the clock strikes twelve, it’s clear the only way Bella will be leaving the party is with Matteo—via his bed!

Published Date: 21 July 2015

My Review

Erica was the one who amputated his leg. Five years later they met again and Erica wonder whether he remember her. Thorne knew who Erica is even before her request to work was approved. Both of them battling their own demons and neither of them want long term commitment but couldn’t help when they were attracted to each other. 

It is a sweet and emotional read for me. The storyline is well written about how love heal two people who really have been through some tough times and found found the happiness they deserve at the end. Loved watching the chemistry between Erica and Thorne.

My Rating