Category Archives: Review card

Review Card & Book Review – Body Check By Elle Kennedy

After a childhood spent being dragged around the country by her hockey coach father, Hayden Houston intends to take some time to figure out her future. Whether that future will include her currently off-again boyfriend remains to be seen. What it certainly won’t include is the for-one-night-only guy she just met at a bar.

It seems hockey star Brody Croft did not get the memo about being temporary. Big, bold and driven, he’s dedicated in everything he does. Up till now, that’s been his team—the one owned by Hayden’s dad. But his night with Hayden has sparked something he didn’t expect. The two of them are good together. Really good. There’s a connection he’s never experienced before, one he knows they’d be wrong to ignore. Even with a game-fixing scandal testing both their loyalties—to teammates, to friends…to family.

Part of Hayden wants to turn tail and run. A complicated relationship with a bad boy hockey player is exactly what she never wanted. But when it comes to Brody, Hayden is realizing that people can be so much more than what they seem.

About The Author

My Review

The story follows Hayden Houston, an art history professor at UC-Berkeley, who returns to Chicago to support her father during his contentious divorce. While in town, Hayden meets her friend at a bar and plans to have a one-night stand. She ends up hitting on Brody Croft, a pro hockey player who is not used to women interested in him rather than his fame. Hayden leaves without a trace, wanting to keep it a one-night affair.

Unexpectedly, they meet again when it’s revealed that Hayden’s father owns the hockey team Brody plays for. The romance between Hayden and Brody develops with Brody valuing Hayden’s intellect and Hayden appreciating Brody’s straightforwardness, a contrast to her dull art historian boyfriend back home. Despite her initial reluctance due to her childhood experiences with her hockey coach father, Hayden eventually realizes she needs more in a relationship than what she thought she wanted.

The story also includes a subplot where Hayden’s father is accused of game-fixing, adding tension to the narrative. Despite these challenges, the story concludes with Hayden overcoming her fears and giving Brody, who seeks a serious relationship, a real chance.

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Review Card & Book Review – A Secret Cornish Wish By Ali McNamara

What if one summer could change your life?

For Frankie and her five best friends growing up on the glorious beaches of Cornwall’s St Felix, life couldn’t get any better. Late one night, the friends discover an old box washed up on the shores and they learn the tale of the St Felix mermaid who grants wishes to those who find her treasure. Even though they know it’s just Cornish folkore, the friends decide to make a wish for what they each want out of life – most importantly, they want to always be together . . .

Over the course of the next few decades, as weddings, funerals, birthdays and more bring the friends back together, lost loves, broken promises and buried secrets just as quickly tear them apart. But when they reunite one last time in St Felix, will it be for good? And will their wishes finally be revealed?

About The Author

My Review

The story follows Frankie and her five best friends, who discover a box with a tale of a wish-granting mermaid on the beaches of St Felix, Cornwall. They make wishes for their futures, hoping to stay together. Over the decades, life events bring them together and tear them apart, culminating in a final reunion where their wishes are revealed. The narrative spans from their teenage years into their 50s, revisiting them every ten years. Known as the Misfit Mermaids, their story is filled with magic, mystery, strong relationships, and life lessons. The book balances happiness and sadness, offering a magical and emotional journey with lovely characters and a beautiful setting.

My Rating

Review Book & Book Review- It Started With A Book By Camilla Isley

Sometimes, life is stranger than fiction…

When she’s ghosted by yet another Tinder match, Leighton swears off dating for life. Who needs apps and blind dates when she has the perfect-in-every-way (apart from being fictional) heroes of her beloved romance novels?

That night, Leigh finds a second-hand book on her TBR pile that transports her to the small-town of Lakeville Hills, where the heroines wear shorty-shorts and the men drink bourbon. And as Leigh drifts off to sleep, she dreams of billionaire cowboy Killian St Clair, who could win a gold medal for smouldering and bicep flexing.

For a while, Leigh finds it easier to stomach misogynistic supervisors, newly coupled friends, and extravagant bridesmaid duties knowing she can return to Lakeville Hills each evening. Until one day she wakes up to find she’s brought a bit of Lakeville Hills back with her: the impossibly sexy and entirely implausible Killian St Clair is in her apartment.

Now Leigh must help Killian navigate the real world. But as she gets to know the man behind the trope, can she keep her heart safe, or does she risk falling in love with her book boyfriend in real life?

About The Author

My Review

Leighton, frustrated with her mundane life and tired of being ghosted on Tinder, swears off dating and escapes into her fantasy world. She discovers a magical book that allows her to travel to Lakeville Hills, a quaint community she visits every evening. One day, she inadvertently brings Killian, a character from Lakeville Hills, into her real life.

Leighton is a relatable and grounded heroine, dealing with loneliness amid her friends’ marriages. Her cynicism, snark, and humor make her interactions with Killian highly anticipated. Killian is the perfect bookworm’s dream: a sweet and handsome fictional boyfriend.

This book explores the intriguing idea of a fictional boyfriend appearing in the real world. It’s a captivating read, filled with the best romance tropes and clichés. The story is short, delightful, and perfect for romance fans. Highly recommended!

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Review Card & Book Review – Meet Me In Ivy Falls By Amy True

Welcome to Ivy Falls

In the gorgeous small town of Ivy Falls, Torran is putting all her passion into building her new career in house restoration, trying desperately to help the town keep its identity and charm. She has no time for love but when her childhood sweetheart, Beck, comes back to town and outbids her on her dream house at auction, sparks fly. This man broke her heart. Can she ever trust him again?

For Beck, Ivy Falls means trauma and loss. He knows his sudden departure hurt Torran badly but there are things she doesn’t know. He never intended to return to Ivy Falls so why is he there, bidding on his childhood home? His feelings for Torran are as strong as ever but Torran means Ivy Falls and Beck can’t go back there. Can he find a way to heal his past and find his future?

About The Author

My Review

Torran Wright’s life is in turmoil with her contracting business failing and her hopes of an HGTV show dashed by a viral accident. She plans to restore a historic home to turn things around, only to be outbid by her old high school boyfriend, Beck Townsend, who has returned to Ivy Falls after ten years. Beck aims to resolve old memories but didn’t expect to compete with Torran for the same house. After an accident reveals his lack of DIY skills, Torran agrees to help him. As they work together, their chemistry reignites, transforming their professional relationship into something more. They must confront their pasts and secrets to mend their relationship.

Initially, the book starts slow but quickly picks up pace, effectively depicting Torran and Beck’s rekindled desire. Their attempts to resolve past issues are compelling, though not smooth, creating tension and anticipation. The dual POV narrative helps understand their thoughts and actions. The characters develop well throughout the story, making it a sweet and engaging second chance romance, even hinting at a third chance.

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Review Card & Book Review – In The Blink Of An Eye By Kate Hewitt

It only took a moment for everything to go wrong. In the blink of an eye, the birthday party became a nightmare when we heard the screams… How did this happen? And who is to blame?

I’m so happy as I walk to pick up my son from the party. It’s his first since we moved here, and I know he’s found it hard settling in. Just as I’ve found it hard to make friends among the mothers at the school gates. But as I turn the corner, my heart stops. Instead of the picture-perfect birthday party I left earlier, there’s an ambulance.

I start to run. My son, is all I can think. I have to find my son.

As I race into the garden, desperately searching for my child, a fellow parent turns to me, her finger pointed. The words out of her mouth make my blood run cold.

“Your son did this. This is your fault.”

Surely that can’t be true? My son can be difficult, but I’d know if he was capable of hurting someone… Wouldn’t I?

As a little girl is lifted onto a stretcher, I feel my world come crashing down. My heart cracks in two for this poor child, her devastated family. Because there’s no coming back from this. An innocent girl has been hurt. My son is being blamed. And although I don’t know what really happened, I do know that this moment will tear us all apart…

About The Author

My Review

This is a novel about three mothers dealing with significant life challenges. Joanna moves her family to Wetherby, Connecticut for a fresh start, but they struggle to fit in. Her husband battles depression, and her son, Kieran, has behavioral issues. When Kieran is invited to a birthday party for Bella, the seemingly perfect daughter of Eleanor, a tragic incident leaves Bella in a coma and Kieran blamed. Eleanor stays by her daughter’s side in the hospital, while Natalie, another supervising mother, is wracked with guilt and worry for her own daughter. As secrets unravel, the mothers’ relationships are tested. The story explores the perspectives of Joanna, Natalie, and Eleanor, as they navigate the fallout from the accident and face real-life issues.

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Review Card & Book Review – Wedding Bells By The Creek By Janet Gover

Are there some things that can’t be forgiven?

Helen Walsh has never stopped searching for the daughter who ran away from home when she was just fifteen. Now Tia has found her. Helen longs for her daughter’s forgiveness. Will a Coorah Creek wedding help heal their rift?

Ed Collins has walked Helen’s path, and he knows that she needs more than her daughter’s forgiveness. Ed feels compelled to help her, as he is increasingly drawn to her kind and loving heart.

Then Ed’s wife Stephanie returns to the tiny outback town – thirteen years after she deserted Ed and their young son, Scott. Steph was his first and only love, and now Ed is being asked to forgive.

But how do you forgive what you will never forget?

About The Author

My Review

The story begins with Helen Walsh, whose teenage daughter Felicity ran away ten years ago. Helen has never stopped thinking about her, and out of the blue, she receives a letter from Felicity. Helen travels to a town where she knows no one except the daughter she lost, now a grown woman. Both mother and daughter are understandably anxious about their reunion. As the story progress we learn about the circumstances of Felicity’s disappearance and Helen’s struggles over the years. Helen soon understands why her daughter chose this remote town, appreciating its strong sense of community. Despite knowing the visit would be challenging, Helen finds support from a kind stranger, Ed Collins, a garage proprietor who has lived in the town all his life. Ed, dealing with his own emotional turmoil, feels a connection with Helen, who is hoping to reunite with her daughter. Overall it is a heartwarming read to me.

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Review Card & Book Review – Resorting To Romance By Jennifer Shirk

It was supposed to be L.A. attorney Loni Wingate’s perfect day. Instead, she got only chaos and heartbreak. Her fiancé stole her promotion and ended their engagement, leaving her career and her future dangling by a thread. Then when Loni tries to go to her safe place, her family’s quaint North Carolina resort, she finds it’s up for sale.

But Loni didn’t get to where she is without a fight. So if a developer is coming by to assess the property, the place she feels most connected to her long-gone Mama…well, Loni and her sisters will serve up a taste of Southern hospitality he’ll neverforget.

Ian Hollowell hasn’t experienced “Southern hospitality” firsthand, but he’s pretty sure this is not it. Between the storage room accommodation, the all-sugar sweet tea, and a lethally hot pepper omelet, he’s getting the sense his welcome is anything but. Still, he didn’t get his ruthless reputation by quitting when the game gets interesting.

And Loni is one adversary Ian can’t resist… especially when family revelations start pushing Loni to question her loyalties.

Now a round of “keep your enemies close” might be flipped on its head in bestselling author Jennifer Shirk’s sparkling and stirring story about reconsidering the past in order to shape the future. Because sometimes it takes one last resort to find the place—and people—that truly feel like home.

About The Author

My Review

This is a heartfelt contemporary romance set in the charming family resort of Sunny Banks. The story follows Loni, an LA attorney whose life starts to unravel as her job and engagement to Blaze fall apart. She returns to Sunny Banks to save the family resort from being sold and unexpectedly develops feelings for Ian, the developer interested in buying the property. The novel explores themes of family strength, second chances, and forgiveness, with vivid descriptions of the resort. While the pacing is sometimes uneven and some secondary characters lack depth, the chemistry between Loni and Ian and the meaningful themes make it a comforting and enjoyable read.

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Review Card & Book Review – Old Girls On Deck By Maddie Please

It’s never too late to sail a new course…

When retired Jill Parker wins an all-expenses paid mediterranean cruise for two she is thrilled! At 63 life in retirement has got a little bit bland for Jill and this might be just the holiday she and husband Eddy need to get the sparks back in their marriage.

But when Eddy admits he would much prefer to build his patio and look through the latest DIY magazine, Jill is left with only one other option – her sister Diana.

Diana has become rather reclusive since her husband, Caspar died, but perhaps this is the push she needs to bring some excitement back into her life, too?

Could this trip be just what both sisters need to reconnect and chart a new path for their futures?

Excited to be exploring new horizons and catching up, the sisters soon discover that not everything is smooth sailing on board. And as they enjoy cocktails together at sundown, they discover that they are both actually a little all at sea…

About The Author

My Review

“Old Girls On Deck” by Maddie Please is a delightful contemporary novel centered on two sisters in their sixties who embark on a cruise, where they meet an octogenarian who shows them how to enjoy life. The story emphasizes that aging doesn’t mean settling and encourages living life to the fullest. One sister, a widow of five years, learns to step out of her late husband’s shadow and embrace her own identity, while the other sister, with her newly retired husband, discovers the joys of exploration beyond domestic routines. Set against the vibrant backdrop of the Mediterranean, the novel is filled with witty dialogue and vivid sensory descriptions.

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