I am thrilled to host my dear friend Jodie Homer with her gorgeous book, Autumn at the Sweetshop of Second Chances!
Blurb Abby has a high-flying life as the CEO of a production company, but on her way out of the office one evening, she slips on the floor, and when she wakes up, she finds out her life has completely changed, and she now works with Tom in a sweetshop and lives in a flat instead of her big house. Working alongside Tom, she realises how much she is enjoying herself, but the niggling feeling of her old life is still in Abby’s heart.
The third visit to Birchlea Heath lets us meet many characters we already know, plus one more: the story’s FMC, Abby, who wasn’t bathed in a positive light in the previous stories. Abby works a high-powered job as the CEO of a TV Production company. Her work is her life, and she has no real life outside of her job. A fall and a bang to the head create an almost parallel universe, where she is no longer the well-off Abby, but a simple woman working in a sweet shop back in Birchlea, with a lovely young man called Tom. As she comes to terms with the weird change in her circumstances, she is given a chance to correct much that she did wrong before, and has time to rethink her life, before another twist comes, threatening to take away all the comfort the last month contained. A sweet, simple, easy-to-read story.
Author bio Jodie lives in a small village in Solihull with her husband and two children. She loves nothing more than dancing around embarrassingly to 90s music and eating mint chocolate. Jodie enjoys reading and writing books full of romance and swoon-worthy fictional men.
I’m back with another great blog tour review for my friend, Susan Buchanan and her latest release, A Taste of Christmas Spirit.
The Blurb
CAN LARA ADD A SPRINKLING OF MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS?
Jacob introduces ever tastier treats to the Sugar and Spice cafe’s menu as the Christmas Spirit knits her magic into the lives of those finding this Christmas tough.
Florence is struggling to make ends meet and afford the present she knows her son wants for Christmas. Her ex-husband flaunting his new girlfriend and their baby isn’t helping her mood.
Widower Jude feels a failure as a father to his two young children after the tragic death of his wife. The move to Winstanton was meant to make life easier. Can he learn to carve out time to build new friendships and give himself the chance to grieve?
Rachel’s boss has given the promotion he promised her to the man twenty years her junior, whom she trained. She’s fed up with being taken for granted, and the lack of sympathy from her husband and teenage children.
Retired David feels Grinch-like as his son expects him to look after his grandchildren all the time, without taking his life into consideration. He used to love Christmas, but this year it has lost its sparkle.
Can the warm welcome at the Sugar and Spice café help them find their Christmas spirit?
A feel-good festive romance with a heartwarming community and a generous helping of Christmas spirit!
A Dash of Christmas Spirit is the second in the series I have read, and I was excited to see what Lara got up to as she spread Christmas Joy in her inimitable way. We return to the Sugar And Spice Cafe and meet lots of old friends, as well as new ones like Florence, a single mother struggling to give her son what she knows he wants, with no support from her ex. And then there is widower Jude, arriving in the town with his two children, trying to make fresh memories while honouring the one they have lost. Rachel is another main character, a working wife and mother, overlooked for promotion after many years in her job, and feeling unfulfilled. Finally, there is David, an older man and grandfather with so much love to give, but he feels used by his son and daughter-in-law as convenient childcare while they live their lives as if without children or responsibility. They cross paths at the cafe and in other places, and Lara watches; you know she has hopes, plans, and ideas to help them fulfil their dreams. This is such a wonderful festive read, and you know there will be a positive ending, but not without a few confusions and hiccups. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, A Little Christmas Spirit, A Taste of Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Leap Year Proposal, You Can’t Hurry Love and The Boulangerie on the Corner.
As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.
She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador.
When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out.
Giveaway toGiveaway to Win A Signed and dedicated paperback of A Dash of Christmas Spirit with matching bookmark (Open to UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
September came, and so did the new school year. And year 51 for me, too! My birthday was a lovely time, with lots of love from family, friends and colleagues, and we had a lovely meal out at a restaurant, Coco Asia, a fusion place. (Not-so) Lil Man was thrilled that he was able to arrange this meal as it was a place he frequents regularly with clients, and he does love being a bit of a big shot, lol!
Lil Princess has started a job, too, which is pretty big for her, as well as continuing to take her driving lessons. The countdown is on for when my Mum Taxi duties are almost redundant!
School – well, what can I say? I must admit to feeling my post-half-century age when working with the little ones. They are gorgeous in many ways, but such hard work, and I know I reiterate this every year, but it is flabbergasting how many parents send their children to preschool/school with not many of the skills they should be taught at home. We have twins who are such funny characters – they are identical, and constantly on the go, but they are also not toilet trained fully, plus when one goes, the other does – synchronised! I have never seen anything like it! One is getting the hang of it, and kind of indicates she needs to go. As we rush her to the loo, we have to get the other one, as she hasn’t a clue and will just wet herself, or plonk herself on the toilet without pulling down her pants! And they aren’t the only ones! Some behaviours aren’t fantastic, and we can see where parents may have been giving in to keep the peace rather than setting boundaries, so that’s another nut to crack! But, all in all, it’s not bad. We aren’t full, either, so imagine what it would be like with a full cohort!
As a result, I have been exhausted every night. It is unbelievable: the tiredness from work mixed in with Perimenopausal symptoms, and fibromyalgia flare-ups, as well as this wonderful plantar fasciitis I have in my heel. I haven’t walked as much as I had hoped, but I have to listen to my body, and walk when I feel able.
Did I write? Around 100 words… but that is something, eh!
So I read and listened as best I could. And I didn’t do too badly
If you love a bit of Bridgerton, then this may be right up your street! Alice, our MC, is a young lady who finds she needs to marry, whether she wants to or not, for her family’s sake. She heads off from the one place she feels most secure, her countryside home, surrounded by nature and her horses, to London, to live with her aunt for a season, to procure herself the proposal that she hopes will secure everyone’s future. The thing is, it is not proper for her to be unescorted, and as her brother is now head of the family and busy dealing with estate issues, his rather annoying Earl of a best friend, Anthony, volunteers to step into the chaperone’s shoes, much to Alice’s disdain. You can feel the chemistry and attraction, but it is fun to read how they keep avoiding the elephant in the room. And then, as you learn more about Anthony’s situation, another layer of confusion kicks in, and as a reader, you wonder how the couple you know should be together, get their happy ending, as well as honouring the predicament he is in, too. I loved this easy-to-read enemies-to-lovers story, with a bit of proximity thrown in. Regency-era books always capture my attention!
Oh, my, when a book resonates, it REALLY resonates, and this was one of them! A brilliant read for those perimenopausal, menopausal, and possibly post-menopausal women out there! Nell is a woman of a certain age, in her fifties, divorced, and grandmother to young Freddie. Somehow she has the inability to control her rage and blows up at the slightest inclination, so her daughter subtly buys her a package at the local Rage Room – a place where a person can smash the whole room to smithereens while letting some of that anger out. She has pent-up PTSD from an incident when she was much younger, anger at how her husband treated her, frustration with her new boss, Adrian, and even though she tries to control it, sometimes it’s like a match brought too close, and she blows. Often in inappropriate situations, but also when she’s had enough and simply cannot keep her frustrations in. Whether it is rage or a chance to vent, Nell discovers the satisfaction in ranting, too, and brings on board a few different females to share her newfound therapy! The book deals with so much, from misogyny to how invisible women of this age feel, and I could totally relate. Now, where’s my nearest Rage/Rant room?
The blurb made Noya’s story sound good. A young Indian woman travels around India alone to forget her woes after a broken engagement, and she encounters a guy who keeps popping up to either antagonise or help her. She is convinced he is a stalker, or someone hired by her family to monitor her. Ranbir turns out to be a genuinely good guy, and then it is up to Noya to decide whether to follow her head or her heart. On the face of it, a fantastic idea and story. The storytelling was slightly stilted, a bit simplistic, and unrealistic at the same time. Not a bad story. But not the best, either.
I enjoyed this new read by Amanda James, having read many of her books before. Eve moves to the coast after a settled thirty years in a different location, leaving her beloved bakery business behind, and meets an inquisitive neighbour, Ruth, who introduces her to a little magic at the bottom of her garden. As the story unfolds, their friendship circle grows, and a local legend involving a circle of hag stones casts its magic. Each of the women has a reason that they are drawn to this friendship circle, and together the five women make many changes for the better. Though the pages reveal loss and grief, they also offer plenty of positivity, making it an easy read. Is it realistic? Maybe not, but then we often reach for a book to take us out of reality to a place where things do have a happy ending, and this is that kind of book. This one is lovely and full of whimsy.
I love Evie Woods’ stories, filled with whimsy and a little paranormal twist. This time, our FMC, Edith, ends up in what she thinks will be her fresh start in Paris, but she gets her wires crossed and lands in a small town an hour from the French capital, working in a strange little bakery with a huge secret. I loved how she slowly pieced together tidbits and worked out the entire history of the quaint boulangerie and its fascinating story, along with the romantic twist added by her encounters with Henry.
Another fab story to add to the Nosy Parker series, with a murderous Halloween mystery to solve, entwined with a different story about a convent where girls were brought to have babies in secret. Creepy dolls appearing, nooses, and then a body! I enjoyed reading Jodie’s adventures as a not-quite-police-officer with her DCI hubby, Nathan!
This was my first experience with Carrie Elk’s books, and I will be back for more! The first in this series follows Ava and Myles. Enemies at work, then forced to work together, with an unexpected twist: Myles agrees to be a sperm donor for Ava’s long-awaited child. It has enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity, and I loved how they ultimately got to know one another; Ava found herself falling for the man she thought she hated, and Myles realised there was more than sexual tension between them. A little far-fetched? Possibly. But isn’t that why we read romances? For the HEA.
A Winter’s Trail is a slow-moving mystery that turns into a romance. Faith has recently lost her father, a famous TV personality and historian, and discovers he left her a small task. Unaware of the trail’s purpose, she visits five specific churches, as requested, with the help of George, a Welsh guide her best friend insisted she use. Forced proximity keeps them together, and you can feel the chemistry between them. The trail’s mystery, though, is bewildering. We learn a lot about Faith’s father’s philanthropy along the way, but that still isn’t the main revelation. It was a little slower than my recent reads, and the addition of a rather eccentric pup definitely added some laughs.
Another fantastic read and addition to the Hart’s Ridge series by Kay Bratt. This time, though, we follow our Sheriff Taylor Grey through an investigation regarding the sad death/ murder of a young pregnant woman; there is considerable time spent on the story of Tula Rose, a character introduced in several books previously, and her own family predicament. It sets the scene for the story to come. I always love Kay’s writing, and since each story has a little root in truth, it flowers with her imagination; it makes the reading more powerful.
Book 17 in the Hart’s Ridge series still carries Kay Bratt’s inimitable style, but with a little twist: Sam, Sheriff Taylor Grey’s husband, ends up in the limelight, and she takes a backseat. We also change locations as a case Sam works on as a private investigator takes him out of town. A man went missing, presumed dead, eight months ago, and his brother feels there is unfinished business. He arrives on the Gulf Coast, staying in one of the marina cottages, looked after by Daniel and Tula, a couple of characters from previous books. As they learn why he is there, Daniel enlists Sam’s help and, inadvertently, Taylor’s, to dig a little deeper. What was meant to be a little family break for Taylor and Sam ends when she rushes back with the children, leaving Sam to continue his investigation. Inconsistent evidence, intriguing answers, unexplainable phone calls – all these things help Sam and the team to find out what really happened to Wade. Along the way, we meet the cute Danny Boy, nephew and adopted son of Tula and Daniel, as well as Daniel’s sister Josie and Wade’s brother Walker, where a bit of romance may or may not blossom. But we end on another cliffhanger! Kay! Oh my! At least I know another Hart’s Ridge book is coming!
I have to admit I haven’t read The Henna Artist, the book that precedes this story, yet it didn’t detract from my engagement with it. If anything, it made me want to read it ASAP so I could understand some elements mentioned in The Secret Keeper. The story is set in two very different parts of India: Simla and Jaipur. Simla is a picturesque mountain area known for its cold, beautiful scenery, and Jaipur is hot and known for its history and opulence. Malik is one of the POVs we follow. He is an orphan who has lived with Lalita for many years, like a surrogate son to her, and she has ensured he completes his education, wanting to give him every opportunity to succeed in life. She sends him to Jaipur, the town they both came from, to learn another business, where the Maharani of Jaipur is involved in building a new cinema with the latest technology. He leaves behind Nimmi, a young widow, a tribal woman who has left her tribe and their ways to support herself and her two children in Simla. As he meets old friends and contacts, he writes regularly to Nimmi, missing her simple ways, but since she cannot read, Lalita, his Lady Boss, reads the letters to her. The other two POVs are Lalita and Nimmi. A huge tragedy starts the story, and the rest of it recalls the buildup and then the ensuing investigations taken on by Malik and, later, Lalita to find out the truth. I was engrossed in the whole story and look forward to reading the first book, and the one that comes after!
I was looking forward to diving into this after having read Jennifer Page’s previous cafe-related series, and I was not disappointed, Louise, the FMC, has fled London and her prized job as an editor, after making an epic mistake and arrived back in her hometown, Applethwaite, to seek solace in a familiar place, near her mother. Only to find herself back at the bakery her family has run for two generations, and she knows her mother hopes she will continue the business now that she is back. Poor Louise had a few dilemmas to solve, as well as meeting old and new faces, some more welcome than others. Her ex-stepdaughter, Maddie, also turns up and becomes a genuine support as she tries to decide what she really wants in life. Then there is Jack, or Giacomo, the gorgeous Italian/Yorkshireman, who is there to support his ailing father. There is chemistry, along with questions from both of them, as each hides a secret eating at them inside. I loved how Louise finally followed her dreams and managed to encompass the hopes of her mother with her bookshop bakery, as well as finding happiness in other areas of her life, and I have to say, I would love to visit somewhere like her new business venture!
13 books read this month! Which one caught your eye?
I am delighted to be on the blog tour for Jaimie Admans’ Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle.
The Blurb
A Scottish castle, a fake marriage… and one very real Christmas romance?
After a window display goes disastrously viral – thanks to a malfunctioning animatronic Santa and an unfortunate encounter with Paddington Bear – Lula Haines finds herself without a job just weeks before Christmas. So she jumps at the chance to decorate Hollybrae Castle in Scotland for the holidays.
There’s just one complication: her handsome new boss, Oliver Bracewell, needs a fake wife for the festive season. To secure a promotion that could save his family’s castle, Ollie has been pretending to be a married father-of-two to impress the family-focused firm where he works. Now his bosses are coming to stay at Hollybrae over Christmas… expecting to meet his non-existent wife and children.
At first, playing along is easy as Lula is swept up in the magic of turning Hollybrae into the perfect festive escape with Ollie. But as Christmas draws nearer and she and Ollie grow closer, Lula begins to wonder if Hollybrae could become more than a temporary escape… and if the man she’s only pretending to love might actually be the one she’s been waiting for all along.
With heaps of tartan, tinsel and Christmas magic, this uplifting romance is perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Heidi Swain, Cressida McLaughlin, Ellie Henderson or Jessica Redland!
Fake marriage Christmas romance Boss x employee Small town Found family
Visiting the little worlds that Jaimie Admans creates is a pleasure, and I loved being at Hollybrae Castle, set around the Mull of Kintyre. Lula is a window dresser in a prestigious department store in London, and all the hard work she has done to create a perfect display bites her on the backside when it all goes horribly wrong. Unemployed near Christmas, with little chance of finding another job like it, she responds to an advert for a short-term vacancy in a castle in a remote part of Scotland, to decorate it for Christmas. Ollie, the owner of the castle, is quite gorgeous, in every sense of the word – looks and personality – and Lula finds herself in a surreal situation. This is where the Hallmark vibes kick in, when she finds herself not only employed for a month, but with a fake husband to boot! The whole fake marriage adds another dimension, and getting to know more about Ollie, the reasons behind his wanting his castle jazzed up, and watching them slowly fall into the conclusion you want is just dreamy! A brilliant cast of characters supports this fake couple, including their brilliant pretend children, Rory and Maggie. I loved this easy-to-read festive book because who says Christmas is only for December?
Jaimie Admans is the bestselling author of several romantic comedies – including The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane and The Chateau of Happily-Ever-Afters. Her series for Boldwood, The Ever After Street Series, is based on the magical world of fairytales.
