Category: Romance

Recent Reads: The Little Library on Cherry Lane by Katie Ginger

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Elsie works at the local library, and leads a quiet, safe life.  Jacob works for his father’s building company, and there are plans for shutting the library down for a housing development, which Jacob is going to help with.

He’s building affordable housing, Elsie is trying to help the local community.  But who is going to win?

This is a sweet romance, with lots of community spirit, and the perils of the housing market driving young people away due to house prices.

I enjoyed the story, and agreed with both sides of the argument, which made it hard to know who to be cheering for!

The Little Library on Cherry Lane was published on 11th March 2022, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Katie Ginger on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on her website.

You can read my reviews of other Katie Ginger books below:

The Perfect Christmas Gift

The Secrets of Meadow Farmhouse

The Little Theatre on the Seafront

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and to HQ.

Recent Reads: The Wrong Suitcase by Laura Jane Williams

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Wrong Suitcase by Laura Jane Williams is set at a destination wedding, with Lizzie and Sam ending up with each other’s suitcases, and the hilarity that ensues.

This is a lovely novella, with beautiful descriptions of Italy, and a big dollop of romance.  I listened to the audiobook, and so enjoyed listening to Laura Jane Williams reading her book.  If you’re looking for something to transport you, then this is great!

The Wrong Suitcase was published on 12th February 2022, and is available from Amazon as an e-book and as an audiobook, read by the author.

You can follow Laura Jane Williams on Twitter, Instagram and her website.

You can read my reviews for Laura Jane Williams books:

Our Stop

The Love Square

The Lucky Escape

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to HarperCollins UK.

Recent Reads: Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Sylvester by Georgette Heyer is set in regency period, with Sylvester, Duke of Salford, used to his power and the deference others give to him, tell his mother that he’s planning to marry in the most dispassionate way. 

He ends up going to a country house to meet Phoebe, the granddaughter of his godmother.  Phoebe isn’t pleased with the idea, and found his behaviour during the previous year to be arrogant.

This is historical romance, tamer than Bridgerton, but very enjoyable, with heroines and heroes to cheer on, and plots to surprise you.

Sylvester was first published in 1957, but this is an updated edition, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

Georgette Heyer wrote a great many regency romances, and also detective fiction, and so here is a link for her on GoodReads.

If you’ve been enjoying The Bridgerton TV series or books, then I would highly recommend you try Georgette Heyer!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Cornerstone.

Recent reads: Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin has Flora, a Christmas addict, who gets fired from her job in a Christmas shop, and hits on the idea of going to a Christmas fayre in Lapland with a travelling Christmas shop!

There she meets Connor, someone who definitely does not like Chirsmtas, and so she decides to make it her aim to make him enjoy Christmas.  And of course we have things going wrong, people getting the wrong idea about things, and moments of joy.

I enjoyed this story a lot, and found it to be very Christmasy. It’s an enjoyable read, with a lovely setting on Lapland.

Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop was published on 28th October 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I’ve read and reviewed another book in this same series, Aria’s Travelling Book shop.

You can follow Rebecca Raisin on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and her website.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to HQ.

Recent Reads: The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd is about Maya, who follows her boyfriend to the Arctic, where he is going to count polar bears, and she’s not certain what she’s going to do.

Maya has panic attacks, is scared of the snow, would like to see some daylight sometimes, and her father is starting a new relationship.  Oh, and her boyfriend is acting distant.  All in all, Maya is having a hard time.

When she is given a meal that’s been prepared from her late mother’s recipe book, she has a flashback to her childhood, something that she can’t remember on her own.  And things start changing in her life.

This was an enjoyable read, with the descriptions of the Arctic well done.  It’s a book that makes you want to circle up with a hot drink, and read about Maya’s adventures.

The Arctic Curry Club was published on 9th December 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Dani Redd on Twitter.

I was given this book in exchanged for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Avon Books.

Recent Reads: The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow is about Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.  It starts before the events of Pride and Prejudice, goes through them, and then continues afterwards.

I really enjoyed Mary’s story, seeing her as a more sympathetic character, and understanding her more.  It’s not written in the style of Pride and Prejudice, but written in a style that suits Mary.

The Other Bennet Sister was published on 9th January 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I’m afraid I couldn’t find any links for where you can follow Janice Hadlow.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan Macmillan.

Recent Reads: Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 1)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 1) is  set in early 1900s, about Molly, who leaves Ireland as she’s murdered in self defence the son of the landowner, and heads to England, and then on to New York under a different name.  It’s the start of a new life for Molly, and she’s eager to take it, except a man is murdered on Ellis Island, and it’s a man whom she’s been seen arguing with.

Molly needs to convince handsome police captain, Daniel Sullivan that she’s not the murderer, and find out who really is!

I really enjoyed learning about this time period in New York, Ireland and England, and Molly is a great heroine that I’m enjoying getting to know!

I actually listened to this as an audiobook through my library online.  The narrator is Lara Hutchinson, who acts out all the parts, and does a good job of transporting me away to New York in 1900s as I listen!

Murphy’s Law was published in October 2001, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Rhys Bowen on Twitter, Facebook and her website.

Recent Reads: Love in the Blitz; A Woman in a World Turned Upside Down by Eileen Alexander

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Love in the Blitz; A Woman in a World Turned Upside Down by Eileen Alexander is a compilation of letters that Eileen Alexander sent to the man that she loves. They start in 1939 and go throughout World War 2, whilst Gershon is drafted, and sent off to war.

They are entertaining letters, and show a time when Eileen is ready to be her own person.  She writes about how difficult she finds the separation from Gershon, how her parents control her actions, how she finds her work, about her friends, and the about living through the war.

I found this to be well written, sometimes hard to read, interesting, and really insightful.  

Love in the Blitz was published on 30th April 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and to William Collins.

Recent Reads: Aria’s Travelling Book Shop by Rebecca Raisin

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Aria’s Travelling Book Shop by Rebecca Raisin made me cry quite a few times when I was reading.  Some sad, some happy, but all required tissues, so be warned!

Aria is a young widow, who lives in a camper van, which doubles as her shop.  She is still carrying the grief for her husband, TJ’s, death, but a man keeps appearing in her life.  She made a promise to TJ never to love again, a promise which he didn’t want.  When TJ’s mother sends Aria his journal, Aria finds herself questioning if she could have love again!

This is the second book in the series, but I didn’t notice this when reading it. The first book is about Rosie, who appears in this book as she’s Aria’s best friend.

Aria’s Travelling Book Shop was published on 8 April 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Rebecca Raisin on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and her website.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to HQ.

Recent Reads: The Winter of Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Winter of Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss has Annie, a chef and restaurant co-owner leave her husband, and move to the seaside, where she becomes the caretaker for Saltwater Nook.

She starts taking part in community events, and starts thinking about opening up the cafe that’s onsite, but the John, the nephew of the owner is unhappy about what she’s doing.  Max, her husband, has decided that he can win her back. 

This is a lovely autumnal book, full of cosy moments, hot drinks, and bracing seaside descriptions!  I enjoyed the story, and the community that Annie is put into!

The Winter of Second Chances was published on 11th November 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Jenny Bayliss on Twitter and her website.

You can read my review of Jenny Bayliss’s first book, Twelve Dates of Christmas here.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan MacMillan.