Category Archives: Book Review

Review Card & Book Review – A New Dawn At Owl’s Lodge By Jessica Redland

Could one chance meeting change your life forever?

Zara is at a crossroads in life. While she adores her job as a producer’s assistant working on hit TV shows, travelling around the country means she doesn’t truly feel that she has a home. With a fractured relationship with her family and unrequited love weighing heavily on her heart, she is torn about what her next step in life should be…

Snowy is hiding from the world. He’s devoted his life to home schooling his young son and caring for sick owls at his home, Owl’s Lodge, deep in the Yorkshire Wolds countryside. While he’s passionate about both, it’s a lonely existence and he’s starting to question his decisions. But how do you step back into a world you’ve pushed away for years…?

When Zara brings an injured owl to Owl’s Lodge, its frosty, reclusive owner is far from welcoming. Despite hostilities, there’s a connection that neither could ever have prepared themselves for. As they discover a shared passion, a new friendship blossoms, but both Zara and Snowy are used to shutting people out.

Can they both find the courage to open up and the strength to move on from their pasts? And what could this mean for their future happiness?

About The Author

My Review

The novel is set in the scenic Yorkshire Wolds and centers on Zara, a producer’s assistant with a wandering lifestyle, and Snowy, a reclusive man living at Owl’s Lodge who homeschools his son and cares for injured owls. Despite their contrasting backgrounds and initial tension, they find a common bond in their shared passion for caring for animals.

As their friendship deepens, they both confront their emotional struggles—Zara with her unresolved family issues and Snowy with his reclusive tendencies. The evolving relationship between them allows the author to explore themes of love, loss, and the healing power of connection.

The story stands out for its authentic characters, set against a beautiful countryside backdrop with a cast of charming supporting characters. It ultimately serves as a reminder of the potential for transformation through human connection and shows that even in moments of isolation, new beginnings can emerge.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review – The Wedding Box By Toni Blake

MARRIAGE
Not even a bridal-veil-stealing dog can ruin Haley and Ben’s wedding day. And when Haley’s beloved Aunt Nan gives them a gift that’s not to be opened “until your first big disagreement,” Haley is sure the box will sit gathering dust for a lifetime. After all, she and Ben are the perfect couple. Aren’t they?

MAKING UP
But life comes with stresses. Architect Ben’s career dreams are rooted in losses from his past, while bakery owner Haley has her own firmly-set – and conflicting – plans for how to get to a happy future. Each time they decide to open the gift, though, something stops them, pushing them to solve the issue themselves, and before long, the mysterious box takes on almost mythic proportions. They can’t imagine what’s inside that could fix every marital woe, but they want to save it as long as possible.

MIRACLES
What happens when a problem comes along that can’t be solved and no gift could ever fix? This one might just take believing in miracles.

About The Author

My Review

Ben, an architect, is excited about his new skyscraper project in Cincinnati, while Haley, his wife, co-owns a bakery with her sister, Hannah. Before leaving for their honeymoon, Haley’s Aunt Nan gives them a special wedding present—a box to be opened only when they face their first big disagreement. Confident they won’t need it, they store it away.

As the story unfolds, told from both Ben’s and Haley’s perspectives, they navigate the usual challenges of marriage, like adopting a pet, buying a home, and discussing parenthood. Despite a harmonious start, these issues cause friction, making them reconsider the wedding box. However, they opt to resolve their problems through conversation and compromise, delaying the box opening. When they eventually open it, the moment feels underwhelming, not just for them but for the reader as well.

Overall, the story is wholesome but lacks dramatic tension and excitement, with a feel-good ending that could have been more engaging. Though I appreciated the couple’s growth and Aunt Nan’s wise counsel, the narrative often felt slow and didn’t hold my attention as much as I had hoped.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review – Love At First Knight By Megan Clawson

She’s no damsel in distress, and he’s certainly not wearing shining armour. But one knight can change everything…

Daisy Hastings has always thought she was born in the wrong era. So when she bags a summer job at the Tower of London helping to run their Knight school, it feels like a step in the right direction.

Theodore ‘Teddy’ Fairfax is a loose cannon. A disgraced distant relative of the royal family, he’s tall, dark and now (begrudgingly) helping with the Tower of London’s summer programme – and there’s nowhere he’d like to be less.

When Teddy’s oath to be an obstruction almost gets Daisy fired, she declares war. But as the two cross swords, they start to discover they both need a little rescuing…

And that maybe, just maybe, love can bloom, even on a battlefield…

About The Author

My Review

“Love at First Knight” focuses on Daisy Hastings, who has struggled with anxiety and shyness for years. She still lives with her parents, feeling at ease mostly with family, friends, and during her live-action role-playing (LARPing) sessions. When a summer position at the Tower of London’s Knight School opens up, Daisy takes the opportunity, stepping out of her comfort zone into an exciting new environment. There, she meets Theodore ‘Teddy’ Fairfax, a disgraced royal and her polar opposite, whom she is tasked with helping.

I was intrigued by the book’s premise, but I found the character development somewhat lacking. It was interesting to learn about the world of LARPing, which seems like a fun activity, and I appreciated the warmth of Daisy’s family. However, the romantic relationship between Daisy and Teddy didn’t quite work for me; it felt underdeveloped and could have used more depth.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review – The Love Algorithm By Camilla Isley

He’s off limits – but you can’t fight physics…

At 28, with a Ph.D under her belt and a meteoric rise to head of Research and Development at Mercer Robotics, Reese feels her decision to put her career first has worked out pretty well for her. Sure, she doesn’t have many personal relationships to speak of, but she does love her team and they like her too.

So when she’s called to the Big Boss’s office and told she will be looking after his son while he does a rotation in her lab, she’s not thrilled that her hard work and achievements have boiled down to being a glorified babysitter – especially to a billionaire playboy with zero experience of mechanical engineering.

But then tall, blond Thomas walks into her office, and Reese realizes this assignment is going to be even harder than she thought. Because the CEO’s son is not only extraordinarily gorgeous, chiseled, and charming… he’s also on course to become her new boss one day, and so extraordinarily out of bounds. As the pair get to know each other, can Reese hold her nerve and her beliefs, or will she fall victim to the billionaire charm?

About The Author

My Review

Thomas Mercer is the heir apparent to his family’s company, but to earn his father’s approval, he needs to get a better understanding of every department. He starts by working in the robotics division with Dr. Reese Campbell. I found Reese and Thomas to be an amazing pair. They come from different backgrounds: she’s an intelligent and quirky robotics expert, while he’s a sociable and dedicated individual. Despite not knowing much about each other’s lives or work, they quickly discover they have great chemistry and a strong connection. I was cheering for them from the start, as their journey together was entertaining, and their chemistry was palpable from their very first meeting.

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Review Card & Book Review – Coming Home to Roseford Villas By Fay Keenan

Aurora Henderson and Leo McKendrick were love’s young dream when they first dated as teenagers.

But like many a first love, parents, life, and distance got in the way, and the couple lost touch. Now, twenty years later, Aurora – Rory to her friends – needs a break. Burnt out from her teaching career and longing to write a novel, Rory heads to the idyllic village of Roseford for a summer of writing and relaxation.

Leo needs a change too. Ex-pat life in Australia has come to a sticky end so the opportunity to run his family’s B&B, Roseford Villas, for the summer is too good to turn down.

Neither Rory nor Leo believe in fate, but when Leo opens the door to his latest guest, he might just have to reconsider. And when a sultry summer fills with nostalgia and memories and six weeks flies by too fast, love’s young dream might just get a second chance…

About The Author

My Review

Rory, an English teacher from York, is eager to spend the summer in Roseford to finally work on her dream of writing a novel. However, her plans are disrupted when her reserved chocolate-box cottage gets switched to a lodge at Roseford Villas. Although the new accommodation has its inconveniences, like not being able to plug in her laptop at the table, it’s still within walking distance of Roseford Hall, where the archives can aid her research for her book. Plus, her former friend, who lives nearby, is available to discuss her ideas, and the village pub is ideal for observing local life. The real surprise comes when Rory discovers that Leo, her first love from 20 years ago, is temporarily managing the B&B at the Villas while the regular owners are away.

Their unexpected reunion ignites a heartwarming second-chance romance, with both Rory and Leo carrying baggage and secrets from their long time apart. As their slow-burn relationship starts to rekindle, they find themselves facing practical complications—Rory’s commitment to her teaching job, and Leo’s plans to start a new position in London—which raise doubts about whether their relationship can last beyond the summer.

The book captures the emotional journey of reconnecting with the past and the challenges of overcoming obstacles on the path to a happy ending. It balances the romantic elements with Rory’s journey as a writer and the historical discoveries that come with it. Although this could be the final book in the series, it leaves readers with a sense of closure and a feeling that the residents of Roseford are well on their way to their own happy-ever-afters. With strong characters, a captivating setting, and thoughtful storytelling, it’s a charming and engaging read.

My Rating

Link To Purchase