Thursday 13 December 2018

Blog Tour Review: Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Cafe by Jessica Redland


Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Café by Jessica Redland
Published: 10th November 2018
Publisher: Little Bear Publishing
Pages: 187
Available on Kindle
Rating: 5/5

Blurb
A few minutes of courage might change your life…
Emotionally, Tara Porter finds the festive period a challenge. Christmas Day is a reminder of the family she lost, and New Year’s Eve holds bitter memories of the biggest mistake of her life: marrying Garth Tewkesbury. Shunning invitations to celebrate, she seeks refuge in her flat with only her giant house bunny, Hercules, for company.
Professionally, though, it’s the best time of year. Tara’s thriving café, The Chocolate Pot, is always packed. With the café hosting a wedding and engagement party, it’s shaping up to be the café’s best Christmas ever.
When former nemesis, Jed Ferguson, threatens the future of The Chocolate Pot, Tara prepares for a fight. The café is everything to her and she’s not going to let anyone or anything jeopardise that.
Tara badly misjudged ex-husband Garth and, since then, has refused to let anyone in. After all, if you don’t let them in, they can’t hurt you. But has she misjudged Jed too? Is it possible that he’s not the arrogant, deceitful man from whom she bought the café 14 years earlier? Can she find the courage to find out for sure?
Review
After reading Jessica Redland’s first Christmas book this year Callie’s Christmas Wish I was really looking forward to reading Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Café in the hopes of Callie and Maria’s story evolving. They do appear in Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Café but the story is set five years on, so I feel a lot of wonderful story-telling potential has been missed.
I soon got over my initial disappointment once I began Tara’s story. Tara Potter has been the owner of The Chocolate Pot Café for over fourteen years and has led a very sheltered life in Whitsborough Bay hoping her past life won’t catch up with her. With her customers she’s the perfect café owner, warm, hospitable and nothing is too much trouble for Tara to help with. Here personal life is a different story, she lives alone and hasn’t formed any close bonds with anyone in the town, except maybe her assistant manager Maria who she longs to see happy again. As Tara spends yet another Christmas alone, she decides maybe its time to step out of her comfort zone and start to let people into her life again. But just as Tara starts to reach to people her old advisory Jed Ferguson returns to the Bay and threatens the café’s livelihood, can Tara be strong enough to confront him about his cheating ways all those years ago and finally let her demons rest.
I really loved The Chocolate Pot Café, Tara’s story is a great one and has some very unexpected twists which kept me hooked on reading this. This is a book which covers betrayal, grief, loss, and at times is quite a sad tale, this is perfectly balanced out though with Jessica Redland’s wonderful heart-warming writing. The addition of Maria’s wedding adds extra romance and there is plenty of community spirit which was a lovely to read about.
I can’t wait to read more from Jessica Redland as her story’s totally absorb me and leave me wanting more everytime.

About the Author

Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realised she had a trilogy and a novella.
She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast — the inspiration for the settings in her books — with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!
Her passion for North Yorkshire is shared by fellow-writer and great friend, Sharon Booth and, together, they are the Yorkshire Rose Writers.
Jessica tries to balance her time — often unsuccessfully — between being an HR tutor, trying to re-learn how to play the piano, studying towards a Masters in Creative Writing, and writing itself. Who needs sleep?
Social Media Links –
Twitter:                               @JessicaRedland
Facebook:                          https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRedlandWriter/
Website and blog:           www.jessicaredland.com

Purchase Links



Saturday 1 December 2018

Blog Tour Review: A Bloomsbury Affair by Anita Davison


A Bloomsbury Affair by Anita Davison
Published: 20th November 2018
Publisher: Aria
Pages: 333
Available on Kindle
Rating: 5/5

Blurb
1905 London is a heady mix of unimaginable wealth and simmering political tensions, and with war looming Flora Maguire wants to keep her family safe.

So when her beloved charge Viscount Edward Trent is accused of murder, she’s determined not to leave the investigation to the police. Flora has trodden the path of amateur sleuth before, but with so much at stake, this time it’s personal.

Slowly the body of the victim found stabbed on a train bound for Paddington starts giving up its secrets, and Flora and her husband Bunny become mired in a murky world of spies, communists and fraudsters. And with the police more sure than ever that Edward is their murderer, Flora must work fast to keep him safe.

Anita Davison’s compulsive story-telling, combined with the irresistible mix of historical drama and gripping mystery, make this unputdownable.

Review

Anita Davison is back with a fifth Flora Maguire mystery in The Bloomsbury Affair. This time its her younger cousin Viscount Edward Trent who the one being investigated. While on a train to Paddington to visit his sister, Ed shares a compartment with a young gentleman, when it’s time to leave the train Ed finds the man dead and the police think he’s to blame. Panicked he runs to Flora’s house where he hopes her, and husband Bunny will help clear his name before he’s sent to jail.
As the mystery and Flora encounters a haberdashery in a Cheltenham, an elderly army officer and a trendy new hotel its clear that Ed hasn’t been totally honest with them about his connections to the dead man. Can Flora solve the mystery without putting herself in danger again?
I loved the latest Flora Maguire novel I read which introduced me to Flora, her husband Bunny and her estranged parents and other members of her family and household. The book continues the storylines from that book, so it gave the mystery a comforting feel as many of the characters I had previously connected with were involved. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the previous books though you’ll soon figure out who’s who and the storyline so far.
I did find the mystery part of this book slow to get going but Flora soon finds herself in a tangled mess as Anita Davison slowly lets the story unfurl and more and more connections are made between the characters we are introduced to. Each of her characters are well developed and I can clearly visualise them.
If you’re a lover of historical mysteries then I can highly recommend this novel, it has realistic characters a great storyline and plenty of historical details.

About the Author




Born in London, Anita has always had a penchant for all things historical. She now lives in the beautiful Cotswolds, the backdrop for her Flora Maguire mysteries.

Follow Anita
Twitter handle: @AnitaSDavison
Any blogs/website: @AnitaDavison

Buy links

Follow Aria
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction


Sunday 25 November 2018

Callie's Christmas Wish by Jessica Redland


Callie's Christmas Wish by Jessica Redland
Published: 25th October 2018
Publisher: Little Bear Books
Pages: 210
Available on Kindle
Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Christmas is approaching and love is in the air at Bay View Care Home. Supervising carer, Callie Derbyshire, is blissfully happy with new boyfriend, Rhys. The tree’s up, the lights are twinkling, and, with the Christmas Eve wedding of one of the residents, Iris, to look forward to, everything is perfect.
Well, almost.
Rhys’s ex has him at her beck and call, yet refuses to let Callie meet their baby daughter. Callie’s ex is intent on stirring up trouble. And Callie’s favourite resident, Rhys’s nanna, Ruby, hasn’t been her usual self since Iris announced her engagement.
Convinced that Ruby’s lonely, especially after discovering the truth about her lost love, Callie’s determined to give Ruby’s romantic story the happy ending it deserves. Ruby might be adamant that the past should be left in the past. But, when it comes to true love, surely a little well-meaning meddling and a Christmas wish or two can’t do any harm. After all, it’s never to late to let love in again. Or is it?
A heart-warming Christmas story of finding new love, and the courage to revisit a love that was lost long ago.

Review
Callie’s Christmas Wish is the first book by Jessica Redland that I’ve read and I loved every page of it, if your looking for a heart-warming romantic tale with a little Christmas cheer then this is the book for you. It follows on from Jessica Redland’s novella Raving About Rhys but I think you’ll still love this book just as I have if you haven’t read it.
Callie Derbyshire is all set to have a magical first Christmas with her new boyfriend Rhys, there’s just one or two problems which might get in the way first. The major one threatening to spoil Callie’s Christmas is Rhys’s ex-girlfriend Tiffany who’s determined to keep Rhys at her beck and call helping her with baby Meagan, who she insists Callie cannot meet. Callie’s own ex-boyfriends Tony is also out to cause trouble; but Callie’s biggest problem is how lonely Ruby seems. Ruby is Rhys’s grandma and she lives in the Bay View Home where Callie works, with her best friend Iris planning to marry Ruby’s looking at a future alone and warm-hearted Callie wants nothing more for Christmas than to see Ruby happy.
Callie is such a warm-hearted and loving character and all she wants is for everyone around her to be happy, so she decides to take matters into her own hands and do a little festive match-making. I warmed to Callie instantly as she’s just lovely, she sees the best in everyone and longs for everyone to get along happily. She’s even nice to those people who have wronged her in the past such as old friend Maria, but sometimes even the nicest people snap and when Callie does its quite brutal but made for gripping reading.
Ruby was one of my favourite characters, she was such a lovely old lady and despite there being a sadness about her it was obvious that she adored Rhys and was very proud of him. I longed for her to get her happy ever after, like her friend Iris as she seemed a lady who hadn’t had much love in her life.
This book is full of drama and twists which made it such an enjoyable read for me, I loved the mystery of Ruby’s past and wondering how everything would come together after it turns into a big mess for Callie.
This is one of those stories which I could have just read forever as I just adored the characters and the storyline. I’m really glad Jessica Redland has another book out this Christmas as I’m eager for more of her wonderful story-telling.
Thank you so much to the publishers and Jessica Redland for sending me a copy to review honestly and to Rachel’s Random Resources for organising the blog tour.

About the Author


Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realised she had a trilogy and a novella.
She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast — the inspiration for the settings in her books — with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!
Her passion for North Yorkshire is shared by fellow-writer and great friend, Sharon Booth and, together, they are the Yorkshire Rose Writers.
Jessica tries to balance her time — often unsuccessfully — between being an HR tutor, trying to re-learn how to play the piano, studying towards a Masters in Creative Writing, and writing itself. Who needs sleep?
Social Media Links –
Twitter:                               @JessicaRedland
Facebook:                          https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRedlandWriter/
Website and blog:           www.jessicaredland.com

Purchase Link


Thursday 22 November 2018

Blog Tour Review: A Little Christmas Charm by Kathryn Freeman


A Little Christmas Charm by Kathryn Freeman
Published: 16th October 2018
Publisher: Choc Lit UK
Pages: 267
Available on Kindle
Rating: 4/5

Blurb


Would you swap sea and sunshine for tinsel and turkey?
Gabby Sanderson is used to being let down – even at Christmas. Which is why she’s happy to skip the festive season completely in favour of a plane ticket and sunnier climes.

But this Christmas could be different, because this time she might not be spending it alone. Can Owen Cooper charm Gabby into loving Christmas in the same way he’s charmed his way into her life, or is he just another person who’ll end up disappointing her?

Review


Gabby Sanderson has been used to spending Christmas alone, preferring to jet off somewhere exotic rather than drown herself in tinsel and turkey. So when she starts an office romance with Sales Director Owen Cooper it looks like Gabby is about to share her Christmas holiday with someone else. As the big day approaches more and more obstacles appear preventing Own from joining Gabby on the beach. But has he charmed her enough for her to consider spending Christmas with him, his elderly father and his wannabe daughter Zoe and have the full on Christmas experience or will she board that plane alone again.

This is the second book I’ve read by Kathryn Freeman and it was a joy to be back immersed in one of her stories. Gabby and Owen’s romance is full of chemistry despite Gabby’s reluctance to completely open herself up to her feelings. This additional storylines in this book gave it much greater depth than just a romance. These characters all felt very real to me and I love how Kathryn Freeman has portrayed the vulnerabilities of both Gabby and Owen perfectly.  Their concerns about elderly parents and trying not to disappoint young Zoe, while finding time for their own fun are issues facing most of us at Christmas time and it was good to read about the realistic solutions they came up with.

I loved the addition of young Zoe who really added to the Christmas feel of this book and her interactions with Owen’s father were lovely to read about. Introducing Faith for A Little Christmas Faith was a great idea too as I now have this book on my Christmas reading wish-list.

This is a lovely Christmas romance which had me completely absorbed from the start with lovely characters and plenty of fun moments making it the perfect read for this time of year.

Thank you so much to Choc Lit for sending me a copy to review and Rachel’s Random Resources for organising this blog tour.
About the Author




A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero.
With two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.
Social Media Links –

Giveaway

Win a paperback copy of A Little Christmas Faith by Kathryn Freeman (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Sunday 11 November 2018

Blog Tour Review: Who I Am by Sarah Simpson



Who I Am by Sarah Simpson
Published: 6th November 2018
Publisher: Aria
Pages: 494
Available on Kindle
Rating: 3/5

Blurb
I know everything about you

And you know everything about me… except

WHO I AM.

Andi met Camilla at university. Instantly best friends, they shared everything together. Until their long-planned graduation celebration ends in tragedy…

Years later, Andi is living a seemingly perfect life on the rugged Cornish Coast with her loving husband, happy children and dream home. Yet Andi is haunted by a secret she thought only she knew. Someone out there is bringing Andi’s deepest fears to life. And she knows there’s no escaping the past that has come back to haunt her…

You trusted me with your secrets, you told me everything, you thought I was your best friend... but you have no idea WHO I AM.

 Gripping, unputdownable and packed with twists and turns from the first page to the very last, this stunning psychological thriller will make you question whether we can ever really trust the ones we love. 

Review
Sarah Simpson is back with another twisty addictive thriller with Who I Am. Andi meets Camilla while studying in Edinburgh, the two form a close bond and are soon best friends until one fateful night after graduation where there is a tragic accident and their lives are changed forever. Years later and Andi’s living the dream life in Cornwall with husband Kyle and her two children but suddenly things are starting to happen which remind Andi of her past. Is Andi just imagining it or is there someone else who knows what really happened that night.
To begin with I was gripped by this character driven novel as we learn about the beginnings of Andi’s relationship with Camilla. I loved how we kept learning little details which helped me to try and build a picture of what happened on that fateful night. I did find though that I seemed to be getting too much information, things that happened when the girls were at university were brought back into the present day and left me more than a little confused.
Andi and Camilla were not character’s I particularly liked, both were very self-absorbed and didn’t seem to care about the feelings of others and when they did there always seem to be a hidden agenda. I did find them fascinating to read about though, especially Andi as she becomes haunted by her past. I loved the addition of Eve from Ms Simpson’s previous novel Her Greatest Mistake and it was good to find out how she was getting on.
This is a novel with a lot going on in it, there are three main narrative voices Andi, Camilla and a mysterious and quite vengeful sounding third and the storyline swaps between Edinburgh and Cornwall from 1999 to 2017. This made for a very detailed storyline and with characters who weren’t always honest it was hard to know what was the truth and what were lies.
If you like complicated plots with many layers you will love this novel, it has interesting characters and a complex plot exploring the truth and how well can we really know anyone. I enjoyed most of this novel but  I was left a little disappointed as I guessed a couple of the twists early on and the final ending for me was a bit lack-lustre after all the build-up.

About the Author


Sarah Simpson has a first-class honours degree in Psychology and has experienced working at a Brain Rehabilitation Hospital. She has spent time as a family consultant for Warwickshire and Oxfordshire solicitors and gained knowledge of the Family Court System. She now lives in Cornwall with her husband, three children and animals.

Follow Sarah
Twitter handle: @sarahrsimpson
Facebook: @sarahsimpsoncornwall

Buy links

Follow Aria
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction

Tuesday 23 October 2018

Blog Tour Review: Divide and Rule by Rachel McLean


Divide and Rule by Rachel McLean
Published: 23rd October 2018
Publisher: Catawampus Press
Pages: 336
Available on Kindle
Rating: 5/5

Blurb
Jennifer Sinclair’s fight to save her political career, her family and her freedom has failed. Traumatised by prison violence, she agrees to transfer to the mysterious British Values Centre.

Rita Gurumurthy has betrayed her country and failed the children in her care. Unlike Jennifer, she has no choice, but finds herself in the centre against her will.

Both women are expected to conform, to prove their loyalty to the state and to betray everything they hold dear. One attempts to comply, while the other rebels. Will either succeed in regaining her freedom?

Divide and Rule is 1984 for the 21st century - a chilling thriller examining the ruthless measures the state will take to ensure obedience, and the impact on two women.

Review
Divide and Rule is the second book in Rachel McLean’s Division Bell Trilogy and the sequel to A House Divided. In this book MP Jennifer Sinclair has been imprisoned after being found to be helping her son Samir, who was suspected of terrorist behaviour. Jennifer has been sent to a secure facility where she is to be rehabilitated and must prove her loyalty to the state, something Jennifer initially thinks will be easy but soon learns there is much more behind the supposed “celebration” than they are led to believe.
Rita Gurumurthy is a teacher who also finds herself imprisoned by the state as she fails to teach her children the British Values Oath as prescribed by the new government. Rita finds the institution difficult as is unwilling to relent on her views. Can either of them find away to “cheat” the system and find a way out.
Just like Rachel McLean’s previous book A House Divided I found Divide and Rule to be gripping right from the start and it had a chilling and sinister feel running throughout it as both Jennifer and Rita experience a Big Brother type regime like in 1984. I did find the story dragged a little in the middle but regained pace towards the end where its left us with another cliff-hanger ending. I have loved this as I’ve been pondering different ways the trilogy cold end since finishing the book and I’m really looking forward now to finding out how Jennifer’s story ends.
I like the introduction to Rita into the story as it explores another view of the radical Britain Rachel McLean has created and I loved her determination not to let go of her initial beliefs. There are a couple more characters who play an important role in Jennifer’s story particularly Dr Mark Clarke and Meena Ashgar and I’m interested to know what happens to these two in the next book.
If you enjoyed Rachel McLean’s last book I’m certain you will enjoy this one just as much and look forward to the final instalment soon. If you haven’t read A House Divided yet, I urge you to do so as it’s a real page turner, just like this one.

About the Author


I'm Rachel McLean and I write thrillers and speculative fiction.

I'm told that the world wants upbeat, cheerful stories - well, I'm sorry but I can't help. My stories have an uncanny habit of predicting future events (and not the good ones). They're inspired by my work at the Environment Agency and the Labour Party and explore issues like climate change, Islamophobia, the refugee crisis and sexism in high places. All with a focus on how these impact individual people and families.

You can find out more about my writing, get access to deals and exclusive stories or become part of my advance reader team by joining my book club at rachelmclean.com/bookclub.
Social Media Links –

Purchase Links:


Saturday 20 October 2018

Blog Tour Review: Cottage on a Cornish Cliff by Kate Ryder


Cottage on a Cornish Cliff by Kate Ryder
Published: 16th October 2018
Publisher: Aria
Pages: 474
Available on Kindle
Rating: 4/5

Blurb
Returning to the heart of her beloved Cornwall, Kate Ryder weaves another deliciously irresistible tale of desire, jealousy and the search for understanding, set against the stunning backdrop of the glorious Lizard Peninsula.



Globally renowned actor Oliver Foxley has made the most difficult decision of all and set the love of his life free, in order to try and bring his family back together. But there's a magnetic pull back to both Cara and Cornwall that Oliver can neither deny nor resist...



Heartbroken for a second time in her short life, single mother Cara knows she has no choice but to pick up the pieces yet again and carry on. Perhaps a complete change of scenery would help her, and her young family? Yet her mind, spirit and heart yearn for the windswept shores of her Cornish Cove...



Cara and Oliver face the agonising choice between following expectations, or following their hearts. How will their story end...?


Review



Cottage on a Cornish Cliff is the sequel to Summer in a Cornish Cove, if you haven’t read the first book then I urge you to do so before reading this. Firstly because it was a great novel in its own right and secondly I think you will definitely gain more enjoyment from Cottage on a Cornish Cliff if you’ve read its predecessor.

It’s been eighteen months since world famous actor met his soulmate Cara Penhaligon and then sadly had to let her go it order to keep his family together. It’s a decision he found heart-breaking at the time and one he’s beginning to regret, especially since his wife Deanna announces she wants more of a life of her own away from family life.

Cara’s reputation as a world-class artist is gradually increasing, thanks to her mentor Greg. As Cara spends more time with Greg he begins to make it clear his interests in Cara don’t stop with a paintbrush and he could offer her the security she and her young family need. Can Cara really make a life away from her beloved cove and all the memories it holds.

I adored Kate Ryder’s previous book Summer in a Cornish Cove and I’m so glad she has fulfilled the wish of many readers to that book by writing a sequel, so we can find out if Oliver and Cara ever found a happy ever after. Like her previous book this story has been written incredibly well and her ability to create characters whose inner turmoil really strike a chord with the reader.

Although I enjoyed this book very much I don’t think it’s quite as good her first. I loved the interaction between Cara and Oliver in the first book as it was so enchanting but in this book their lives are very separate for most of the book and I did miss their “togetherness”.  I also felt there wasn’t as much going on in this book and that it lacked a little sparkle that the previous book had.

I can’t wait to read more from Kate Ryder as for me she creates incredible characters that you can’t help but fall in love despite their flaws.

This is great a read and I’m glad I got to experience an ending to Cara and Oliver’s story. It’s a story of love both for your family and romantic love, it’s a story of second chances and taking risks but most of all I think it’s a story about being true to yourself and listening to your heart.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Aria for sending me a copy to review honestly and to the publishers for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.



About the Author



After pursuing a career in publishing and acting, Kate found her passion in writing. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her self-published debut novel received a Chill with a Book, “Book of the Month” Award. She currently lives with her husband in the Tamar Valley in a renovated 200-year-old Cornish sawmill. She finds the Cornish landscape a great source of inspiration. When she is not writing she enjoys reading, art, theatre and travel.

Follow Kate

Facebook:  kateryder.author
Twitter handle:  @KateRyder_Books

Buy links

Follow Aria

Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction