Category Archives: Book Review

Happy Publication Day – 20 October 2025

Canapés At The Beach House Hotel By Judith Keim

A surprising turn of events awaits Ann and Rhonda…

When Vice-President Amelia Swanson asks them to oversee a stay at the hotel by the Italian Ambassador to the United Nations in New York City and his family, Ann and Rhonda hope this won’t mean another problem for The Beach House Hotel. Enrico Ferrara, his wife, Catarina, and his daughter, Philippa, arrive at the hotel at the same time a young chef, Chet Waring, and a friend, Harper Lewis, seek employment at the hotel after being unfairly booted from the Miami restaurant scene by a notorious, difficult chef. The same chef, Jonny Arno, is opening an Italian restaurant close to The Beach House Hotel to compete directly with them. All of these people, and a few more, come together to create a recipe for danger, love, and loyalty.

The Spiced Cocoa Cafe By Harper Graham

A new girl in town who lives for Christmas and has everything to prove. A local rival with tousled dark hair and a smirk that spells trouble. Who will win the holiday showdown of the year? Find out in this totally addictive small-town romance! Gilmore Girls + spice = 🔥

Cassidy is finally opening her dream chocolate shop, inspired by her dear Grandma who made the best cocoa. Now all she wants for Christmas is to win best decorated store and show she belongs in the small-town of Maple Falls. But she’ll have to pull out all the stops to beat the handsome, loveable grinch across the street…

Liam hates the holidays—they remind him of past heartbreak. But to support his family’s llama sanctuary, he’s determined to deck out his farm shop in holiday cheer and win that prize. Then he sees her—chocolate-smeared cheeks, wide blue eyes and the warmest smile. He’s up against the cutest, most Christmas-obsessed person ever…

Their rivalry heats up as the town divides between Team Cassidy and Team Liam. But with the snowflakes falling and their stores looking all merry and bright, will the magic of the season bring them together?

Clued In To Love By Ellie Alexander

When her hometown launches a holiday scavenger hunt with a life-changing cash prize, Marissa Henry jumps at the chance to save her fledgling business—until she’s partnered with the most gorgeous but infuriating man in town.

Marissa’s catering company is her passion project but it’s swiftly turning into a financial disaster. With bills piling up and her culinary dreams crumbling faster than aged cheddar, she’s determined to win the prize money.

There’s just one problem: she’s been paired with William Graff, who wrecked her carefully curated display when she catered his wealthy family’s party and who she’s convinced is an entitled jerk. But as they race through holiday challenges, from Christmas light chaos to competitive snowman-creation, Marissa discovers there’s more to William than his trust fund and his ugly holiday sweater collection.

Soon Marissa has something new to fight for: a chance at an unexpected romance that could really change her life.

Review Card & Book Review- Falling In Love At Pennycress Inn By Sarah Hope

Is this just a summer romance or could it be more? 💕

Nicola grew up at Pennycress Inn, in the beautiful Cotswold village of Meadowfield, and now she’s come full circle by landing a job there. After a difficult few months, she’s happy to be back in the place she loves and calls home.

The whole village is looking forward to the annual summer carnival, and Nicola is charged with asking the local farmers to lend their tractors and trailers for the occasion. It’s an easy task – until she meets the new owner of Little Mead Farm, who stubbornly refuses to help.

On sabbatical from his City job for the summer, Charlie wants to do up his late uncle’s farm and put it on the market as soon as possible. The place might have been in his family for generations but country life is simply not for him. He has no time for whatever the villagers are up to.

When Nicola and Charlie meet, sparks fly – and unexpected feelings grow. Soon there’s more at stake in Meadowfield than the success of the carnival. But whatever happens between them, this is just a summer romance… isn’t it?

About The Author

My Review

Nicola is a wonderful heroine—kind-hearted, resilient, and deeply connected to her hometown of Meadowfield. After a painful breakup with her cheating fiancé, she throws herself into her job at the lovely Pennycress Inn and volunteers to help with the annual carnival. Enter Charlie, the grumpy newcomer who’s inherited his uncle’s rundown farm and has zero plans to stick around. He’s all sharp edges at first, but once his walls begin to crumble, he reveals such a thoughtful and gentle side. I really liked Charlie—his transformation felt genuine, and the chemistry between him and Nicola was sweet and satisfying.

Nicola’s ex continues to cause drama (honestly, what nerve!), but she handles it with grace. It’s her generous spirit and deep love for her friends and the community that make her so endearing. I also adored side characters like Trixie and Claudette—not to mention the hens, who somehow added even more charm!

The small-town setting of Meadowfield and the warm, close-knit community make this book such a feel-good escape.

My Rating

Link to Purchase

Review Card & Book Review- Nurse’s Nine – Month Surprise By Carol Marinelli

ONE NIGHT TO UNEXPECTED MIRACLE

When nurse Sorcha saves a stranger with the help of ER doc Richard, she doesn’t expect her own world to be upended as well. Because dropping her guard with Richard leads to an unforgettable encounter—with life-changing consequences! And the last place Sorcha expected to reveal her pregnancy was the hospital…when it’s announced she’ll be working with Richard. But when he’s wrestling with a painful past, can love-weary Sorcha trust that Richard will be there not just for their baby, but her too?

About The Author

My Review

This is an emotionally charged, right-man-wrong-time romance that delivers on both drama and heart. Carol Marinelli skillfully weaves a story of missed chances, complicated pasts, and the life-changing surprise of an unexpected pregnancy.

Sorcha is a sympathetic heroine—vulnerable but strong—as she navigates not only a painful encounter with her birth mother but also the aftermath of a brief, passionate night with ER doctor Richard. The revelation of Richard’s marital status adds a punch of heartbreak, and the story doesn’t shy away from the emotional complexity that follows. Their workplace tension crackles with chemistry and unresolved feelings, made even more compelling by the looming reality of parenthood.

Richard is a layered character, caught in a no-win situation yet desperate to do the right thing. His journey toward redemption and responsibility is one of the book’s strengths.

Ultimately, this is a heartfelt medical romance about love, consequences, and second chances.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Review Card & Book Review- Girls Just Want To Have Sun By Jo Lyons

She never expected to find herself in Benidorm. But when life gives you lemons, add a shot of tequila…

Connie’s singing career isn’t exactly going to plan. On a final warning from her agent and failing every big audition, she’s desperate for a fresh start. So when she lands a last-minute gig in Benidorm (of all places) she jumps at the chance – despite knowing she’s completely out of her depth.

Thrown into the wild world of the Dollz, a cocktail-fuelled girl group who love glitter as much as they love drama, Connie struggles to fit in. Then there’s Matteo – the brooding, annoyingly attractive local who seems to be everywhere she turns, throwing her further off course.

As she stumbles through a week of sun, surprises and absolute chaos, Connie has to decide: is this rock bottom, or can she find her own way to shine?

About The Author

My Review

This is a fun, feel-good romp that perfectly blends humor, heart, and a splash of sunshine. Connie, a down-on-her-luck singer reeling from personal and professional disappointments, is thrust into the chaos of a last-minute gig in Benidorm with the wild, free-spirited Dollz as her opening act. What follows is a week full of mishaps, personal growth, and laugh-out-loud moments.

Connie’s journey—from grief and self-doubt to rediscovery—is heartwarming and relatable, especially as the unlikely friendship with the Dollz helps her break out of her shell. The dynamic among the women adds vibrant energy to the story, with each character bringing something unique and outrageous to the mix.

The romance with Matteo adds a sweet layer, though it could have benefited from more development—it leans a bit too heavily on the quick transition from friction to passion. Still, the charm of the setting and the comedic timing more than make up for it.

This book is an uplifting, summery escape about second chances, found family, and rediscovering your sparkle.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Review Card & Book Review – If You Can’t Stand The Heat… By Mona Shroff

When a cooking competition turns personal

A pair of chefs will feel the burn…

What’s the recipe for success? For single mom Karina Mistry, it’s the head-chef position she’s chased for years. But her boss has one more hoop for her to jump through. The new head chef will be chosen…via a reality cooking-show competition! Four weeks, eight meals, two competitors and everything on the line. Losing this job would be crushing. But losing to Chef Aneel Rawal, the man from her past she’s never forgiven? That’s not an option. It’s time for Karina to sharpen her knives, turn up the heat…and watch the tension simmer!

About The Author

My Review

In If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Karina Mistry is a talented single mom vying for her dream head chef job—only to find out the final decision will come through a reality cooking competition. Her unexpected rival? Aneel Rawal, the man who broke her heart seven years ago. As tensions rise in the kitchen, so do old feelings, especially as Aneel bonds with Karina’s young son, Veer.

This book blends emotional depth, cultural richness, and slow-burn romance in this heartfelt story about second chances, family love, and following your dreams. With familiar faces from her Once Upon a Wedding series and a standalone plot, this story is warm, tender, and deeply satisfying.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review – Beside The Turquoise Sea By Emma Burstall

Can one magical Crete villa change everything?

Now her children have moved out, Edie has begun to feel lonely in the home she shares with her husband. She hopes returning to Crete, where she and Ralph spent their honeymoon, will help heal the growing rift between them.

And when Edie stumbles upon the website for the Villa Ariadne, with its breathtaking views and peaceful surroundings, it feels like the perfect place to spend a week together, along with their closest friends Mac and Hannah. But then, Edie invites a fifth guest: her feisty, independent colleague Jessica, with unexpected consequences.

It’s clear from the moment they arrive that the villa is special, and under the golden Greek sun, Edie hopes to rekindle the relationship she’s felt slipping away from her. But when conflict arises between two of her fellow guests, will Edie be prepared for revelations that could change her life forever?

About The Author

My Review

This book swept me away with its vivid setting and emotionally resonant storytelling. What begins as a hopeful escape to rekindle a fading marriage slowly unfolds into a profound journey of self-discovery, friendship, and the pivotal choices that define midlife.

Edie is a relatable and quietly courageous protagonist. Her decision to return to Crete—the place of her honeymoon—is steeped in longing: for reconnection, clarity, and a spark she fears has dimmed. The Villa Ariadne, with its dreamy views and tranquil charm, serves as both sanctuary and crucible, revealing truths that have long simmered beneath the surface.When Edie invites her bold and unpredictable colleague Jessica to join them, the trip takes an unexpected turn. Tensions simmer, long-held secrets unravel, and the emotional stakes rise. The group’s interactions are layered and authentic, adding a depth that elevates this beyond a typical sun-drenched holiday read.

More than a story of sunshine and sea, this novel is a moving reflection on letting go of illusions and choosing the life that truly fulfills you.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Review Card & Book Review – Everything’s Coming Up Rosie By Courtney Walsh

Rosie Waterman has one dream: to become a working actor. But lately, that hasn’t been working out. When she loses her apartment and her job on the same day, she does what she always does–puts herself out there, ready to find the next big thing. But a trip home makes her realize that while she’s been struggling to make this dream come true, all her friends have become real adults with careers and weddings and babies on the way. Rosie’s been at this for years, and she has nothing to show for it. But how does she simply let go of her dream?

When she’s offered a job as the director of a regional theatre’s production of Cinderella, she jumps at the chance–even though she’s only directed in college and the job is in Door County, Wisconsin, and not in New York. She has no other offers, and at least she’ll be getting paid to do something theatrical. But when she arrives, she quickly realizes that the “regional theatre” is actually in a retirement community, and the “actors” are actually senior citizens with no acting experience whatsoever.

Working on the show presents new challenges, forcing Rosie to learn how to step up and be the leader this fledgling theatre troupe needs. The more time she spends with her new cast, the more she begins to rethink what it means to dream big, especially when that big dream hasn’t turned out to be at all what she thought it would be. It’s not at all what she expected, but could it be exactly what she needs?

About The Author

My Review

This is a charming, feel-good rom-com that delivers exactly what many readers need—a joyful escape. In this lighthearted novel, Courtney Walsh introduces Rosie, a struggling actress whose dreams of Broadway have fizzled. With nothing left, she returns to her small hometown, ashamed and hiding her failures from her successful friends.

When a mysterious job offer lands in her inbox, Rosie jumps at the chance without reading the fine print. What follows is a heartwarming journey of self-discovery, unexpected surprises, and the kind of personal growth that only comes when life veers wildly off script.

Rosie is relatable in her vulnerability and self-doubt, yet her journey is full of warmth, humor, and hope. The story is refreshingly clean, uplifting, and threaded with themes of second chances and the power of believing in yourself—even when life doesn’t go as planned.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review – The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back By Fiona Gibson

🌸 Is it ever too late to bloom? 🌸

Meet Celia. Life hasn’t worked out quite how she’d planned.

Since her son left for university, Celia has felt stuck at home – battling with her husband Geoff over control of the thermostat, and without the merest glint of a social life. Her only joy comes from the plants she nurtures in her makeshift plant hospital in their Glasgow flat.

Then three unexpected things happen:

She catches Geoff in bed with a secretary from his sausage factory (no pun intended).
Her high-flying best friend Amanda arrives on her doorstep without warning (but with a very large suitcase).
A tall handsome French teacher asks her to tend his daughter’s cactus back to health.

🪴

Suddenly, Celia finds her life in freefall, but she makes a decision: she won’t let this be the end of her. She’ll bring herself back to life, just like the plants she works her magic on. But just how do you change the habits of a lifetime?

About The Author

My Review

Celia’s life in Glasgow is quiet and predictable—until she discovers her husband Geoff in bed with his secretary. Suddenly single and unsure of her future, Celia is forced out of her routine and into a journey of rediscovery. With the unexpected arrival of her glamorous best friend Amanda, and a chance meeting with a charming French teacher (thanks to a cactus emergency), her world begins to open up again.

This heartwarming and humorous story follows Celia as she slowly rebuilds her confidence, embraces new experiences, and learns to find joy, friendship, and even love in unexpected places. It’s a relatable, midlife coming-of-age tale about letting go of the past, stepping out of autopilot, and learning that it’s never too late to start again.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Review Card & Book Review – A Very Italian Wedding By Donna Ashcroft

When Rose’s best friend Luna calls her to tell her she’s getting married to her holiday fling Marco in Italy, alarm bells, not wedding bells, start ringing. Before she can say arrivederci, Rose is booking her flights, packing her suitcase, and putting one objective at the top of her to-do list: save her friend and stop the wedding.

As she boards the plane, a devastatingly handsome guy makes a beeline for her. He just happens to be Ben Pearson, Marco’s best man, and he’s also an infuriating charmer, who has his sights set on making sure the wedding goes ahead. The two soon find themselves speeding through Italian backstreets towards Bellemilia, and their attraction to each other accelerates even faster than the drivers weaving their way along the cobbled streets. But Rose will not be distracted by delicately handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza, or by the tinkling of ice in a glass of Aperol Spritz. And she definitely won’t be distracted by the very handsome Ben…

Falling for Ben is not on Rose’s list, but will the sun on her skin and the gentle breeze caressing the lemon trees give her the encouragement she needs to take a chance on the unknown? Or will a disaster en route to the altar push them further apart?

With their best friends about to tie the knot, can Rose and Ben put their rivalry aside? Or will Rose discover there is happiness for both her friend and herself, if they follow their hearts?

About The Author

My Review

The story follows Rose, a pragmatic woman with firm beliefs about love and relationships—shaped largely by her parents’ failed marriage. When her best friend Luna plans a whirlwind wedding in Italy, Rose rushes in, determined to stop it. But her plans are quickly challenged by Ben, the best man who’s equally determined to make sure the wedding goes ahead.

The chemistry between Rose and Ben sparks instantly, driven by witty banter and opposing goals. Ben is undeniably charming and easy to root for—sweet, grounded, and emotionally open. Rose, however, may be more polarizing. Her judgmental attitude and emotional baggage make her harder to connect with early on, and a key miscommunication late in the story breaks the momentum for some readers. While she experiences growth, it may not be enough to fully redeem the romantic pairing for those who found them mismatched.

The secondary characters add much-needed charm and levity—Aurora and Coco in particular steal scenes with their vibrant energy. Luna and Marco’s relationship, however, feels underexplored, and giving them more focus might have deepened the emotional core of the story.

Though the romance may not fully land for everyone, the Italian setting is beautifully drawn. The scenic adventures along the villages and coastline provide a lovely sense of escape. The writing is breezy and accessible, making this an enjoyable, quick read.

My Rating

Link To Purchase