Release Day Round-Up #20

So here we are the last week of February and finally some sunshine here in Yorkshire! Fingers crossed it lasts. So here are my top three for this week and surprisingly they are all authors whose previous books I also loved.

Kitty's Countryside Dream by Christie Barlow

Published: 25th February 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 309

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

New home. New life. New beginning. Love affairs can blossom in the most unlikely places . . .
When Kitty inherits Bluebell Lodge from her grandmother, a farm in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it’s time for fresh air and a fresh start. Up to her elbows in chickens and ponies, Kitty soon realises there’s an awful lot to learn about farming. Still, at least the locals seem friendly, not least her handsome neighbour Tom…

But just as Kitty is beginning to find her feet, and the possibility of love, the discovery of a long-hidden diary, by a mysterious character called Violet changes everything. Who is Violet and what is her message for Kitty? As Kitty fills in the lost pieces of her family jigsaw and discovers some shocking revelations, will her countryside dream and blossoming relationship fall to pieces? When it comes to life in the country, nothing is ever quite as it seems …

Just like Christie's previous novels I loved this book. Its got more of a deeper plot than her other books with the mystery surrounding Kitty's grandma and who exactly Violet was. It still had Christie's wonderful comical moments and close-knit friendships which made it a really enjoyable book. Check out my review here.

The Silk Merchant's Daughter by Dinah Jeffries

Published: 25th February 2016

Publisher: Penguin UK

Pages: 400

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule, by any means possible. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family's involvement shocks her to the core...

Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem?

The Silk Merchant's Daughter is a captivating tale of dark secrets, sisterly rivalry and love against the odds, enchantingly set in colonial era Vietnam.

Dinah Jeffries The Tea Planter's Wife was one of my favourite books of last year so I was really looking forward to her next book. In The Silk Merchant's Daughter we meet Nicole a young eighteen year old who is half French and half Vietnamese and is struggling to find where she belongs in the world. I really enjoyed reading about Nicole as she is pulled first one way then another by the various sides in her life, but can she really trust Tran who is offering her a way out of the family where she's never felt she belonged or Mark the my of her dreams who she longs to be with. Check out my full review on the blog tomorrow. 

The Cosy Teashop In The Castle by Caroline Roberts

Published: 25th February 2016

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

When Ellie Hall lands her dream job running the little teashop in the beautiful but crumbling Claverham Castle, it’s the perfect escape from her humdrum job in the city. Life is definitely on the rise as Ellie replaces spreadsheets for scones, and continues her Nanna’s brilliant baking legacy.

When Lord Henry, the stick-in-the-mud owner, threatens to burst her baking bubble with his old-fashioned ways, Ellie wonders if she might have bitten off more than she can chew. But cupcake by cupcake she wins the locals over, including teashop stalwart, Doris, and Ellie’s show stopping bakes look set to go down in castle history!

Now all that’s missing in Ellie’s life is a slice of romance – can Joe, the brooding estate manager, be the one to put the cherry on the top of Ellie’s dream?

I've only just started reading this but already I'm hooked. Ellie's determined to make the teashop work and I'm right behind her and rooting for her to succeed as she's such a lovely bubbly character. I love how this is much more light-hearted than Caroline's previous novel The Torn Up Marriage which for me was a real emotional rollercoaster. I can't wait for more time to continue on with Ellie's story. Look out for my review coming soon.

So that's my top three for this week but I'd also like to mention One Summer Night by Emily Bold which is a very emotional read and perfect for fans of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Checkout me review here. If your after something else then check out my releases page above to find other books published today.

Kitty's Countryside Dream by Christie Barlow

Kitty's Countryside Dream by Christie Barlow

Published: 25th February 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 309

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Pre- Order now from Amazon

Blurb

New home. New life. New beginning. Love affairs can blossom in the most unlikely places . . .
When Kitty inherits Bluebell Lodge from her grandmother, a farm in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it’s time for fresh air and a fresh start. Up to her elbows in chickens and ponies, Kitty soon realises there’s an awful lot to learn about farming. Still, at least the locals seem friendly, not least her handsome neighbour Tom…

But just as Kitty is beginning to find her feet, and the possibility of love, the discovery of a long-hidden diary, by a mysterious character called Violet changes everything. Who is Violet and what is her message for Kitty? As Kitty fills in the lost pieces of her family jigsaw and discovers some shocking revelations, will her countryside dream and blossoming relationship fall to pieces? When it comes to life in the country, nothing is ever quite as it seems …

Review

Having read and adored Christie’s first two novels last year I was eager for her next novel and what a stunner Kitty’s Countryside Dream is. Just look at that cover it’s gorgeous and it just screams spring and sunshine to me which is what I think we’re all longing for.

In Kitty’s Countryside Dream we meet the lovely Kitty who has recently lost her mother and has inherited a small flat and Bluebell Lodge a farm from her late grandmother, whom Kitty knew nothing about. With nothing to lose Kitty embraces the challenge of life in the country and heads off to the farm.  Soon she is immersed in farm and village life and feels surprisingly at home around the farm and her new friends Jeannie, Tom, Lucinda and Robin. Everything is going well until Kitty discovers an old journal from someone called Violet, who is she and how does she link to Kitty? As Kitty reads the diary her whole world is turned upside down and everything she knew is questioned, will Kitty be able to make sense of it all?

I instantly adored Kitty she seemed very determined and strong. Despite having no family support anymore she moves to a new location where she knows no-one and has no clue what will happen and throws herself wholeheartedly into everything she finds there, there is no way you would get me anywhere near a chicken! I also loved that she cares about her new friends and will instantly help them when they need her without them even asking. However I think the thing I loved most about her was her slight clumsiness. The scene where she first meets Tom and she falls over her bicycle not once but twice had me in stitches, I knew then I was going to love this book.

The other characters in this book are also lovely and I just longed to be part of their little gang. With hunky farmer Tom, the lovely Jeannie whom Kitty instantly feels close to, the lovely sweet shy Robin and Lucinda, I need her as a friend if she going to bring cake every time I see her. I also loved that despite their closeness there were a few hidden secrets among them which made for interesting reading and some comical misunderstandings along the way.

Although I loved Christie’s first two novels I think this one is my favourite. I loved that is had an element of mystery to it surrounding Kitty’s past and reading about how that unravelled was so intriguing and kept me wanting to read more.

This is a lovely novel full of friendship, funny mishaps and finding out the truth. I adored everything about it, the lovely characters, the intriguing plot and the lovely village of Rosefield. I’d recommend everyone reads this as it’s the perfect book to put you in the mood for spring and it will leave you with a warm and fuzzy glow at the end.

Thank you Christie for another fabulous read, they just keep getting better and thank you to the publishers Bookouture and Netgalley for the review copy. I give Kitty’s Countryside Dream a massive 5 stars! I just loved it!