Category Archives: Review card

Review Card & Book Review – When We Were Young By Elaine Hastings

Spring, 1994. Will, a talented busker, falls for Emily, a quirky art student. By 1997, Will is playing Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, and Emily is unveiling her first gallery show. They spend a whirlwind summer touring with Will’s band, caught up in their love for their art and each other.

But within two years, Will is dead.

Spring, 2016. Emily remains single. Her art is long forgotten. Now, life revolves around her 16-year-old daughter, Liv. But when Emily accidentally reveals she once knew Will, Liv is stunned. How could her ordinary, predictable mother have known someone like Will Bailey?

And why does Emily blame herself for his death?

About The Author

My Review

This book is a beautifully crafted dual-timeline novel that explores the weight of the past and the quiet, powerful moments of connection between generations. Told across two timelines—1994 and 2016—it follows 16-year-old Liv, a music-obsessed teenager who idolizes the late Will Bailey, a tragic musical figure from the ’90s. Her world is turned upside down when she discovers that her seemingly ordinary mum, Emily, once knew Will intimately—and may have been part of the mystery surrounding his untimely death. The time transitions are smooth, the pacing tight, and the emotional pull immediate. The alternating POVs give a layered understanding of both Liv and Emily, as well as the people who orbit their lives. One of the standout characters is Magda—vibrant, honest, and memorable in her own right.

What sets this novel apart is its emotional authenticity. Themes of grief, guilt, lost dreams, and the fragility of mental health are woven in with care and insight. The inclusion of the “ask twice” campaign is subtle yet impactful, reinforcing the novel’s message about listening, understanding, and compassion. This is a novel that lingers—both for its nostalgic brush with the ’90s music scene and its deeply human story of love, loss, and second chances. Overall, it is a moving, multi-layered coming-of-age story with emotional depth and lyrical heart.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Review Card & Book Review- Dating Dr Love By Rachel Dove

Diagnosis: career chaos…

Doctor Chloe Henry is a no-nonsense surgeon gunning for a promotion. All that stands in her way is her smug colleague, Doctor Johnathan Carson, who’s beloved by the board for his charm and for simply being a man. When a one-week medical conference promises her a chance to shine, Chloe packs her power suits and determination, ready to crush it—or at least avoid strangling Carson.

Take once a day…

Enter Logan Broderick, aka Doctor Dante Love, TV’s hottest (and most medically inaccurate) neurosurgeon-slash-plastic-surgeon. After yet another scandal involving booze, starlets, and bad decisions, Logan’s sent to the same hotel to lay low. But things go awry when Logan and Chloe literally crash into each other—half-naked—in her bathroom. Cue viral chaos.

Prescription: Romance!

To save face, Logan proposes they fake-date. She’s the real doctor to his fake one; he’s the PR boost she didn’t want. But as bickering turns to banter and sparks fly, Chloe wonders: can Dante Love save her?

About The Author

My Review

Dating Dr. Love is a fun, fast-paced rom-com that delivers equal parts charm, heart, and escapist delight. At its core is Dr. Chloe Henry, a fiercely capable surgeon determined to earn her place on merit, not her last name. When she heads to a career-defining medical conference, she’s laser-focused on crushing team-building challenges and nailing a pivotal presentation—until Logan Broderick quite literally bursts into her life.

Logan, the scandal-prone star of a hit medical drama (and Chloe’s secret celebrity crush), accidentally ends up in her hotel room—with paparazzi not far behind. To save both their reputations, they strike a deal: a fake relationship that, predictably and delightfully, becomes something more.

The fake dating trope is handled with warmth and wit, but what makes this story shine is its heartfelt character development. Chloe is a brilliant, introverted woman navigating not only a high-stakes career but also the weight of family expectations and the isolating pressure of professional perfection. Logan, on the surface a carefree playboy, turns out to be far more—thoughtful, sweet, and struggling with the shallow side of fame.

Their chemistry sizzles, their banter sparkles, and their emotional journeys feel grounded, even when the premise is delightfully over the top. Chloe’s social anxiety, Logan’s quest for meaning, and the slow-burn trust that develops between them give the rom-com fluff a deeper emotional core.

Dating Dr. Love is a feel-good romance with heart, humor, and just enough heat. It’s a smart choice for a summer beach read—or any time you need a joyful mental escape.

My Rating

Review Card & Book Review- Wes And Addie Had Their Chance By Bethany Turner

Wes left Addie at the altar two decades ago . . . and that was supposed to be the end of the story.

When her life crashes and burns in a flurry of secrets and redacted information, Addie Atwater-Elwyn hightails it home to the tiny mountain town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado–back to living with her dad, back to working a low-paying job, back to a life of disappointments. Growing up, nobody expected their local girl to become a high-ranking CIA analyst, married to a gorgeous CIA operative. But that was Addie’s life until she lost . . . well, everything.

Now she’s trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life with a little help from old friends. But there’s one old friend she knows her life is better without–Wesley Hobbes, her childhood sweetheart who left her standing at the altar when they were eighteen years old. Truth be told, Addie would be perfectly content never seeing Wes’s stupid face ever again–which makes it very inconvenient that he’s now a beloved senator and presidential frontrunner, his face everywhere she looks. But that has nothing to do with Addie personally. He might make history, but in her book, he is history.

So, when the unwelcome Wes appears back in their hometown, no one rolls out the red carpet–not Addie and not an entire town that was forced to pick sides (and unanimously chose Addie) decades ago. Senator Hobbes certainly won’t win the popular vote in Adelaide Springs.

Wes, meanwhile, is sitting on a few secrets of his own, including the political scoop of the decade: he’d seriously rather gouge his eyes out than spend another minute in politics, much less ever go anywhere near the White House. Addie knows there has to be more to the story, and her curiosity is clouding her judgment. You can take the girl out of the CIA, but it’s not so easy to shake the CIA out of the girl. Of course, it’s not just curiosity (and the acknowledgement that his face isn’t so stupid after all) that’s been reawakened inside her. But after more than two decades, it’s too late. Wes and Addie already had their chance. Right?

About The Author

My Review

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is a beautifully written and emotionally rich story about loss, growth, and the unexpected ways life circles back on itself. Years after Wes left Addie at the altar, both return to their small snowy hometown—wiser, wounded, and carrying the weight of everything they’ve lived through. Addie, grieving the loss of her husband and her career, isn’t looking for reconnection. And yet, her reunion with Wes—now a widower himself and rising political figure—sparks a quiet reckoning neither of them saw coming.

What sets this book apart is its emotional honesty. Bethany Turner doesn’t romanticize their past or present; instead, she paints a nuanced portrait of two people who once meant everything to each other, went on to live very different lives, and are now facing the complicated reality of what remains between them. There’s no fairytale illusion that they’re soulmates destined to reunite—but rather a deeper, more mature exploration of whether there’s still space for love after all they’ve endured.

This is more than just a second-chance romance. It’s a story about timing, healing, and the bittersweet nature of revisiting the past. The characters are layered, the writing tender, and the story stays with you long after the final page.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Happy Publication Day – 24 November 2025

Twisted Love By Laura Carter

Gregory Ryans asked me for loyalty, and I gave it. I gave him every last piece of me.

I’ve done things I never thought I was capable of. Crossed lines I swore I’d never cross. And through it all, I stayed.

But the longer I stand at his side, the more the weight of his past crushes us both.

He thinks money can fix everything. But he’s wrong.

Because those ghosts from his past are coming for him. For us. And every secret he’s buried is one step closer to destroying the man I can’t seem to walk away from.

,Loving Gregory Ryans might be the one thing that finally ruins me…

Starlight Over Hollyhock Farm By Georgina Troy

Will sparks fly at Hollyhock Farm this summer?

When a hit TV series sets up camp at Hollyhock Farm, Jersey’s tranquil lanes are turned upside down. Radio DJ Callum Preston is used to high-maintenance guests – but nothing prepares him for interviewing the star-of-the-hour actor Riley Sharp, or meeting his beautiful, overworked PA, Tasha Dodds.

As Callum and Tasha grow closer in the island sunshine, the farm becomes the backdrop for more than just the cameras. But with paparazzi scandals brewing and Callum’s family thrust into the spotlight, will their Jersey summer end in heartbreak – or be the start of something wonderful?

Review Card & Book Review – The Reluctant Flirt By Jennifer Probst

Just one night…

After discovering her husband’s affair, Sierra Lourde flees to New York City for a little damage control—and a lot of wine. A tipsy night in a bar with a charming stranger seems like the perfect way to forget her troubles. No names, no promises, just one night to escape reality and regain her confidence. The next morning, mortified by her vulnerability, she flees without looking back. But who needs closure, right?

But one night changes everything…

Sierra has reinvented herself as the proud owner of Flirt, a trendy boutique in the Outer Banks. Life is good—until Kane Masterson, the man she left behind, walks back into town. And of course, he’s now the developer whose big new project threatens to bulldoze her beloved shop. Kane needs this deal to save his career (and his brother), but Sierra’s not about to let him demolish her hard-won success.

With sparks flying, sarcastic jabs turning into lingering looks, and a family wedding forcing them into close quarters, Sierra and Kane find themselves tangled in a battle of wills—and hearts. But now he has to choose: reclaim his career or risk everything for a second chance with the one woman he can’t forget.

About The Author

My Review

Sierra Lourde is a woman reclaiming her life after betrayal, and her no-strings encounter with a charming stranger in a New York bar is her first bold step forward. That stranger turns out to be Kane Masterson—smooth, confident, and impossible to forget. Fast forward four years, and Sierra is now the proud owner of Flirt, her beachside boutique. The last person she expects to see walk through the door? Kane, again. But this time, he’s not just a blast from the past—he might be the very person who could destroy everything she’s built.

The chemistry between Sierra and Kane leaps off the page. Kane barrels into her life like a bull in a china shop—determined, relentless, and completely swoon-worthy. I loved that Sierra held her own and challenged him every step of the way. Their dynamic was fun, fiery, and emotionally grounded.

The premise—a second chance at love born from a one-night connection—was compelling and well-executed. Probst captures the magic of a fated love story without veering into the overly sweet or cliché.If you’re a romantic at heart and enjoy stories about strong women, determined heroes, and the kind of fate-driven love that makes you believe in second chances, The Reluctant Flirt is for you. It’s heartfelt, humorous, and satisfyingly sexy—a true contemporary gem.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review- The Paradise Petition By Carolyn Brown

Daisy Lindberg and Lily Boyle traded a colorful past for a fresh start as seamstresses in Autrie, Texas, and their aim to spark a women’s rights movement is raising eyebrows among the town’s dumbfounded men. But among the ladies? Tired of being treated like possessions, they have two words: Amen, sister!

Beulah, a sassy shop owner as formidable as a cannon shot, is on board. So is Alma, a timid preacher’s wife who hit her breaking point. Before long, a courageous female posse has a liberating petition of demands. Surprisingly, they also have an empathetic ear in sheep rancher Matt Maguire, who’s as keen on women’s independence as he is on Lily.

As Daisy and Lily make waves in the small town, their secrets threaten to come out. But they haven’t traveled this far to let their past define them. In fact, with love and the forging of new lives on the line, they’ve never felt more defiant.

About The Author

My Review

Set in 1883 Texas, the book follows Daisy and Lily, two women on the run from difficult pasts who land in the small town of Autrie. What begins as a search for safety quickly evolves into something bigger: a grassroots women’s movement that bridges divides between church pews and brothel walls. With the help of spirited allies—like a rebellious shopkeeper and a courageous preacher’s wife—Daisy and Lily spark a revolution of hope, healing, and long-overdue justice.

The friendships are the soul of the novel, and the theme of women lifting each other up is powerfully and movingly delivered. Each character, whether outspoken or quietly fierce, feels grounded and memorable. This is a bold, heartfelt historical novel that blends grit, warmth, and empowerment into a deeply satisfying story of sisterhood and self-discovery.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review – The Village Cafe In The Loire By Gillian Harvey

High-flyer Becky Thorne cannot believe what she’s being told. She doesn’t need to be signed off for burnout! Life has been a bit chaotic lately, that’s all. As if dealing with her enviable job and permanent meddling from her mother aren’t enough, she’s also inherited a café in the Loire from an estranged great-aunt, complete with sitting tenant who refuses to budge.

But nobody stands in Becky’s way! Ignoring her best friend Amber’s advice, she decides to storm over to France and sort the tenant out. Then she can finally get the café sold and jump back on the career ladder.

What she doesn’t count on is the tenant being Pascale, who is six feet of tall, dark, handsome and extremely grumpy about her plans for change. Not to mention the village and the secrets it holds about her past.

Becky’s path to success is all planned out. But the Loire has a magic she might not be able to resist…

About The Author

My Review

Set against the sun-dappled charm of rural France, this novel follows Becky Thorne, a high-achieving London professional forced to confront burnout, family expectations, and long-buried personal wounds after inheriting her estranged aunt’s café in Vaudrelle.

Becky’s journey is both relatable and inspiring. Harvey explores timely themes—career pressure, toxic perfectionism, and the deep need to be seen and loved for who we truly are—with warmth and authenticity. The evolving friendship with her best friend Amber adds emotional depth, while the slow-burn tension with grumpy but charming Pascal brings a delightful romantic thread.

Rich in atmosphere and filled with well-developed characters, this uplifting tale balances heartache with hope. Harvey’s message is clear: sometimes, stepping away from the life you’ve built is the first step to becoming who you’re meant to be. With a strong emotional core and a satisfying, happy ending, this is a must-read for fans of women’s fiction with heart, soul, and a touch of French magic.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review – The Paradise Hook – Up By Christy McKellen

Dee Donovan is used to living up to her reputation as the ‘wild’ twin. She finally has an opportunity to prove everyone, especially her father wrong. She just needs her sister’s business partner Jem to play along with her outrageous plan. Secure a business deal by faking it as her boyfriend in Greece. The catch? Jem and Dee are not that close. In fact, Dee can’t put her finger on it, but Jem seems to really dislike her!

However, it’s just for 24 hours. Until a storm blows in trapping them, alone in Paradise! With no way of getting home, they need something to do… why not confront their tensions head on? After all, they’ve been dancing around their chemistry for years now. But Jem has a secret – he’s not quite as experienced as Dee in this particular area!

So Dee promises to teach Jem everything she knows before they return. And it’s clear that her student is a very fast learner! And all too quickly, they start wishing the storm would hang around. Because neither want to think about what will happen when they have to return to reality…

About The Author

My Review

The Paradise Hook-Up is a fast-paced enemies-to-lovers romance with a classic fake-dating twist, set against the sun-soaked backdrop of Greece. It follows Dee—the free-spirited, often misunderstood twin—and Jem, her sister’s uptight co-worker who sees Dee as reckless and dependent. When an unexpected injury forces Dee to crash at her sister’s flat, sparks fly as she and Jem find themselves unwilling roommates. Things escalate quickly when Dee’s father shows up, prompting a lie that leads to Dee and Jem pretending to be a couple.

Thrown into a high-stakes business trip and stranded together due to a storm, the duo navigates one bed, close quarters, and rising sexual tension. There’s angst, banter, and a healthy dose of steam as their fake relationship starts to feel all too real.

While the setup is fun and filled with tropes romance readers love—forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine vibes, and slow-burning chemistry—the story feels more like a light, entertaining read than something deeply memorable. Dee and Jem’s evolution from dislike to desire is satisfying, but the emotional development may feel a bit surface-level at times. Still, the story delivers on steamy scenes and tension, with enough plot twists to keep the pages turning.

My Rating

Link To Purchase