I am thrilled to be on the Cover Reveal Blog Stop for the inimitable Nicola May’s Christmas release, Mrs Clutterbuck’s Christmas Emporium. It looks soooo good!
The Blurb
When Mabel Clutterbuck opens a Christmas shop in sleepy Merrycombe Bay, she has no idea how much her little emporium is about to change the hearts and minds of the people who live there. Mabel Clutterbuck reluctantly returns to the seaside town she grew up in to be closer to her ailing mother. However, the old woman’s fading memories keep confusing Mabel with her sister Clara – the sister who sacrificed everything to care for their mother before recently disappearing without trace. Determined to breathe new life into the old shop Clara used for her crafting endeavours, Mabel transforms it into Mrs Clutterbuck’s Christmas Emporium, a magical haven filled with vintage decorations, festive treasures, and a little bit of wonder. The true magic, however, lies in Mabel’s Lucky Dip Gift Boxes. Carefully chosen for the hidden heartaches of the customers who buy them, each one brings comfort, hope, and unexpected joy. Not everyone in Merrycombe Bay is convinced, though, especially the formidable ladies of the local WI! As Christmas approaches, an unexpected romantic encounter gives Mabel a glimpse of a future she never thought possible. And while she helps others find happiness, she begins to heal the parts of herself she thought would remain broken. But beneath the sparkle of fairy lights and festive cheer, old wounds refuse to stay buried. Why did Clara leave Merrycombe Bay? And if she returns, will Mabel lose everything she’s finally found – including the future she never thought she deserved. Heartwarming, uplifting and sprinkled with Christmas magic, Mrs Clutterbuck’s Christmas Emporium is a story of family secrets, second chances, unexpected romance, and the power of kindness.
Nicola May is a bestselling author renowned for her heartwarming and humorous romantic comedies. With twenty-three books to her name, her work has captured readers’ hearts around the world, has been translated into fifteen languages and consistently ranks in the top 100 of Amazon’s Kindle bestseller charts. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cream teas in her beloved Devon, hikes through nature, and occasionally places a bet on the horses.
Social Media Links – w: www.nicolamay.com i: author_nicola fb: Nicola May Romance Author | Facebook
School finished. My big news is that I have stepped down from my management role and will be solely a teacher in Nursery next academic year. A little less stress, no team to manage on top of the day-to-day work of a teacher. Yes, there will be a little pay drop, but I think my peace of mind is more important!
We had our Nursery Graduation, and I have two intakes, a morning and afternoon set of children. They are so, so different, and each ceremony was unique, but I must admit to enjoying the afternoon one a tad more as the children were so huggy, and we danced! As always, parents were very generous, and I have new notebooks, chocolates and pens galore!
Over the month, there have been other things happening, like going to the MeetCute Book Festival on 4th July, where I was a part of my first bookish panel! I went to a birthday party for an old school friend I haven’t seen since I was 7. We also had a wedding party to attend.
One of the highlights was the RNA Conference, which I attended this weekend… hence the late post. I spent the weekend in the company of wonderful writer friends, old and new, and particularly special was to be with Lucy Mitchell and Shelley Wilson for the weekend, blog buddies who are also authors! We learned so much, and danced like crazy on the Saturday. If you want to see more, you need to check my Instagram…
On the plus side, something rather exciting did happen on the Friday, but I cannot say anything right now. If anything comes of it, I will share further! All I can ask of you delightful Peeps of mine is to please keep your fingers crossed for me!
More stalling on the book front for me – sorry! But, again, it is such a hectic time of year! August. That will be my writing month, you’ll see!
My reading slowed because I read rather than listened, as I found it hard to read for long periods in the heatwave we were experiencing, and that put my July reading list behind! I panicked, but finally got back on track! But did I manage to read all the July ARCS? Er no, but I am catching up!
Thank goodness the holidays started, because I have a LOT of reading to catch up on!
A meet-cute that starts in a rather tense situation but ends with the two MCs, Nora and Cole, sent off into a parallel world powered by Christmas, which forces them to rethink their opinions on the festive season and on each other. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this, especially as we were going through heatwaves here in the UK! It certainly cooled me down, hearing about the cool weather and snow, and the romantic build-up comfortably warmed me!
Gracie is a successful salon owner and meets a client for a treatment who is someone she recognises from her past: Brooks, the love of her life. Thing is, he never knew how she felt about him as a teenager, and now he is back, dating her nemesis and looking hot as heck! Gracie has been on many blind dates, hoping to spark some sort of reaction, but none have been forthcoming. However, the voice in her head has a LOT to say every time she is in contact with Brooks. A thoroughly engaging and fun-to-listen-to romance.
It took me a while to finish this book, and I usually tear through my reading… The story of Raj, a wannabe Hollywood actor of Indian descent who lies to get a job as a personal assistant with a famous Hollywood family, didn’t quite hit it for me. There is dry humour, satire, and many issues covered, with a thread of Vanity Fair running through, but I didn’t gel with it, unfortunately.
Another gorgeous dual timeline story from Victoria Springfield, this time set on the island of Capri. You have a famous fashion house, Tellini, celebrating their centenary, and a hunt for a mysterious woman who became infamous as she accidentally gate-crashed a photo that became an iconic print. That woman is Tanya, who really doesn’t want to be associated with the fashion house, the photo, or the island. However, a little persuasion from her daughter, who discovers the truth, leads her back to the island of Capri, a place where she experienced genuine friendship, true love, and tragedy. What can I say? Well, I want to visit Capri now. I always find myself wanting to visit where Victoria sets her books! And I do love a multiple POV story, which this is, 100%, as well as being a dual timeline. There is a second-chance romance, as well as mystery and intrigue, on top of more romance in unexpected areas. I raced through this story and cannot wait for another book from the author!
The Baby Plan is a short book, but boy, does it pack a punch. The essence is a romance, but one that blossoms out of an enormous tragedy. Sophie is pootling along in her life in London when she gets horrifying news about her sister in Brighton. Finding herself literally holding the baby when she arrives to extremely sad news, Sophie has to navigate her own life, now entwined with that of a baby, and try to unravel the mysteries of her estranged sister, not least who the father is. Samson is shocked one night when an old fling of his arrives at his doorstep with a baby she claims is his. After absorbing the news, he attempts to meet her, only to find her no longer alive, and a prickly sister holding a child who supposedly is his. I loved both main characters, and though there was a teeny bit of conflict, it was minor. Instead, we could concentrate on the emotions of the journey they both travel. The way Bennet navigates to a very satisfactory conclusion is perfect, and I was happy to read a book that was easy to read but filled with potent feelings, too.
I loved listening to this one – a real mix of grumpy/sunshine, a bit of forced proximity and some good old-fashioned revenge! Gemma is off to be the Maid of Honour at her best friend’s destination wedding, but she has a bit of an agenda, and it is not a positive one. Then we meet Leon, the bride’s brother. He’s desperately trying to find the groom-to-be’s redeeming features to write in his speech, left at the last minute as he heads to the wedding. Finally, there is Francesca. the groom’s best friend, but she thinks there may be something more than friendship, and she wants to let him know before he makes a mistake. All three are on a late flight out that gets delayed and are stranded at Orly Airport for many hours. They bicker, argue, and uncover the real reasons behind each of their bitter thoughts about the upcoming nuptials. I had so many guesses about what was going to be the outcome, and plenty of them were totally wrong! But this was such an entertaining listen!
Jenni Keer weaves such magic within her words, and she has certainly struck gold again here, with this new story, which is the first of a trilogy about the Averly Sisters. The first sets the tone, with three sisters, all sent on an intriguing mission, as set out in their father’s will, and the story concentrates on the eldest sister, Edith. Edith ends up in an asylum, Green Briar, of her own will, to investigate a specific murder that her father could never solve, being the armchair detective that he was. She has a gift, something not many people are aware of, and it is both a boon and a bonus, given what she can see because of it, and that is how she is expected to solve her specific mystery. With a false backstory and a fake husband, Edith finds out some pretty gruesome secrets, as well as finding that she may just have feelings for a certain doctor… I was enthralled throughout the story and didn’t want it to end. Then, when I got to the end, I just wished the next story was already there for me to read! A fabulous historical romance with real fantastical elements and realism.
I was whisked away into a bookish world as I listened to this beautiful, fantastical dual-timeline story, based in Dublin, with bits in London and France. If you love a little conspiracy theory surrounding certain classic authors, this would be up your street. The Bronte sisters, in particular Emily, are the main focus. Opaline is a headstrong woman from the early 1900s. She is being coerced into getting married by her mother and brother, and runs away. Her travels take her to France, where she begins a journey entwined with the literary world and a search for a lost manuscript. She ends up in Dublin, running a magical bookshop, and her story grows increasingly complex as it unfolds. At present, we have two POVs: Martha, a young Irish woman running away from an abusive marriage, and Henry, a British researcher looking for a discovery to base his research paper on. The way the story entwines and the mysteries kept me totally engrossed, and I finished listening to the book over two days as I travelled up and down the country, stuck in traffic!
I cannot explain just how much I enjoyed reading this as a woman of a certain age. The story covers two single parents whose daughters are off to university, and the all-encompassing worry that surrounds that, from two very different perspectives. The story begins with a Facebook group-style chat for parents whose children are going to university for the first time, where our two main characters meet and clash. Heather is a character I can relate to (not the single-parent bit, though!). A mother who only wants the best for her child, but as the sole caregiver so far, she finds it hard to let go totally. Scott is a single father who feels he has equipped his daughter with everything she needs to be independent and a true life decision-maker for herself. They clash over mattress toppers at first, then, when the girls start university and are in the same accommodation block, tensions simmer as the two parents meet. There is midlife, and then there is MIDLIFE. These two are both there, and it is fantastic to read how they navigate their different parenting styles and the needs of their children, who grow close and have to spend more time together. Slowly, layers are unravelled, and you get to see the true reason they parent the way they do, and there is a bit of an enemies-to-lovers romance going on. Heather and Scott’s characters go on a journey as they learn to live and love a little again. I was invested the whole way through, and loved the little Facebook updates which echo the concerns of many parents as their children leave home for the first time, as well as giving a bit of a giggle with some questions and answers.
There’s a cafe specialising in Matcha products, a current fave of mine; a bookshop nearby; a brooding MMC; a troubled FMC; a wonderful older couple; some beautiful friendships; as well as a rather nasty woman, cast as the landlord, all coupled with wonderful romance! What’s not to love? Sasha has a beautiful business going in her small village; a Matcha cafe alongside a side hustle of Matcha-making. Her superpower, of being able to see the romantic future of her matcha-drinking customers, brings a special vibe to the cafe. So, matcha reading? It’s like tea leaf reading, but instead of the leaves, she reads the bubbles of the matcha as she whisks. Then she literally bumps into Ben, a rather stern but handsome fellow, covering him in manure-scented water as she was watering her hanging baskets! Not quite a meet-cute, but the catalyst, nonetheless. There is grumpy sunshine as a trope, woven heavily within the story. I did enjoy the premise and the story. The only reason it is not 5-star is that I wish there was a little more romance build-up until the result. Sasha deserves to find love, like her clients, and Ben seems to know what he wants, but Sasha’s woman-made barriers stall the romance. And I wanted a little more depth to Sasha’s character, as she was the focus. I loved some of the side characters, too, and hope they might be featured in future novels.
This was another great listen, and amazingly it was free on Audible! A cute story with a sprinkling of spice, so if you want purely wholesome, you might be surprised. The story follows a famous nepo baby actress, Lee, who disappears for a while after being sidelined after her latest audition. She ends up in Scotland of all places, and finds herself wet and bedraggled, but not for long, as a knight in shining armour arrives to help her dry off, before disappearing. She somehow manages to get a job at a local cafe and does a great job of disguising herself as Natalie (so she thinks), and for the first time in her life, she feels like she is living a normal life. Of course, her knight ends up being her employer, so there is plenty of tension and chemistry because, did I say? He is rather easy on the eye, with a great Scottish accent! There are twists and turns as Natalie tries to hide herself, and the journey of the two of them finally hitting it off is great, with plenty of ups and downs. But is the call of Hollywood too strong? That I will leave you to listen and find out!
A simple, more mature romance set in Oxford. T.W.: addiction, alcoholism Clara has lived in Oxford her whole life and is the reverend at a college there. Tom is new to Oxford and sings in the local choir. Both are of a certain age, with their own life issues. Clara is a sweet woman with so much to give to her congregation and her friends, and Tom is a bit of a lost soul with a past that he is not sure how to deal with, open up about, and process. This story shows how their relationship develops and how they overcome hurdles. I had overlooked the fact that this was a Christian romance, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. It was an easy read, with not much thinking required.
I’ve enjoyed previous reads by Jane Lovering, so I requested this without reading the blurb, and I have to say I loved the little time-slip surprise! Pax has been dragged to Dunaire Castle by her brother, Lennox, who has bought the castle, seeing as it was a part of their heritage. Filled with ideas of renovating it and turning it into a hotel, and somehow reclaiming their ancestral home, he doesn’t realise Pax has disappeared. And she does, in the most surreal way! Falling down stairs and ending up in 18th-century Scotland with four others from the present, trapped in the past, Pax learns so much about her own history, and ends up… well, I shall not say because I’m not about spoilers! There is romance, but it is very slow; however, the entire premise of the story kept me turning the pages, and I finished this in a day! Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.
I listened to this and thoroughly enjoyed the life of Mildred, an ordinary woman in the 50s, always there to support others. She finds herself embroiled in the lives of other ordinary women, all of whom are particularly excellent, as she goes about her days. Mildred is not old, nor young. She is unmarried, and the people around her who she knows assume that of her. This book helps to break those illusions and shows her, as well as the other characters, in their most excellent form. I listened to the story with pleasure and think I need to add some more Barbara Pym books to my list!
14 books read this month! More than I expected! Which one caught your eye?
So Happy to be on the Blog tour for the debut of Ko Porteous and her book, The Freshman Parents, the first in the Empty Nesters series.
The Blurb
They’re off for the time of their lives. But are you?
Book #1 in The Empty Nesters Series.
Single parent Heather isn’t neurotic (honest!) – she’s simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university – so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice on a parents’ forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad whose “helpful” statistics and assertions about “helicopter parenting” leave her fuming.
Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren’t just roommates – they are self-declared “besties for life”. Suddenly, Heather and Scott are thrown into a begrudging alliance.
As they navigate the new status quo, Heather’s instinct to organise meets Scott’s philosophy of letting go. Their practical text messages about mattress toppers and emergency supplies evolve into conversations about dream jobs and bucket list aspirations. Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing them together, meaning Heather and Scott find it increasingly difficult to ignore each other…
I cannot explain just how much I enjoyed reading this as a woman of a certain age. The story covers two single parents whose daughters are off to university, and the all-encompassing worry that surrounds that, from two very different perspectives. The story begins with a Facebook group-style chat for parents whose children are going to university for the first time, where our two main characters meet and clash. Heather is a character I can relate to (not the single-parent bit, though!). A mother who only wants the best for her child, but as the sole caregiver so far, she finds it hard to let go totally. Scott is a single father who feels he has equipped his daughter with everything she needs to be independent and a true life decision-maker for herself. They clash over mattress toppers at first, then, when the girls start university and are in the same accommodation block, tensions simmer as the two parents meet. There is midlife, and then there is MIDLIFE. These two are both there, and it is fantastic to read how they navigate their different parenting styles and the needs of their children, who grow close and have to spend more time together. Slowly, layers are unravelled, and you get to see the true reason they parent the way they do, and there is a bit of an enemies-to-lovers romance going on. Heather and Scott’s characters go on a journey as they learn to live and love a little again. I was invested the whole way through, and loved the little Facebook updates which echo the concerns of many parents as their children leave home for the first time, as well as giving a bit of a giggle with some questions and answers.
About The Author
Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged 10.
Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.
As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and provides listening services for a mental health charity aiming to reduce the number of deaths caused by suicide.
In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.
Ko has been married for 25 years, has 2 children of her own and is now navigating her own empty nest.
The Freshman Parents is Ko’s debut novel and is the first in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series.
I am thrilled to have the President of the RNA, and fabulous author, Sue Moorcroft’s latest release, Secrets of the Italian Guest House, on the blog today!
The Blurb
Two sisters she’s never met A first love who’s impossible to forget…
For Jade, life in Lake Como is la dolce vita. Until her beloved grandmother passes, leaving Jade not just the family’s bustling guesthouse to run, but two life-changing secrets to confront…
The pensione hasn’t just been left to Jade, it’s also been inherited by her sisters – who she had no idea existed. As Erin and Rosalie arrive in Italy, Jade is forced to face the heart-wrenching prospect of sharing her last remaining tie to the woman who raised her.
Jade is desperately trying to hold on to the past, but there’s one person she would prefer to leave firmly behind: her first love, Leo. He’s back in the city that is filled with the memories they once made together. But as Jade fights to take control of her future and her heart, why do all cobbled roads lead back to Leo?
Lose yourself in the first, utterly romantic novel in a brand-new trilogy, filled with new beginnings and second chances. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Milly Johnson.
Lake Como is calling me this time, and Sue Moorcroft is to blame for it! We are whisked off to Lake Como to a small pensione, like a guesthouse, run by Jade and her grandmother. Only, her grandmother, upon her demise, reveals a secret via her solicitor that changes Jade’s life. Such an intimate dissection of family relationships and politics, as we weave through Jade’s idyllic childhood, on the face of it, but the gaping holes that were papered over, like her non-existent father and Houdini mother. Then to find out she has siblings… I really loved how this was written, and cannot wait to read more about these three sisters!
Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada, Germany and Italy. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, two HOLT Medallions and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.
Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse and a Sue Moorcroft pen (Open to UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK 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.
We are celebrating the first book birthday of A Scottish Teashop in Napoli, written by the lovely Jane Lambert!
The Blurb
When Lucy’s childhood sweetheart leaves her at the altar, her world shatters. But instead of cancelling her honeymoon, she boards the plane alone—bound for a sun-soaked island that will change everything.
In Naples, recently widowed Elena is fighting to keep her husband’s family mozzarella factory and language school afloat while raising her young son. Desperate to save both businesses, she posts a job advert—and fate delivers Lucy to her doorstep.
Together, these two women—each nursing heartbreak and loss—discover that friendship, food, and a dash of courage can heal even the deepest wounds.
Imagine setting off on the holiday of a lifetime, with a dream wedding planned at the end, only to have it all come crashing down when he jilts you by not even getting on the plane. This is the situation for poor Lucy, left alone in a tropical paradise by her fiance, She takes the bull (or should I say buffalo?) by the horns and hands in her notice at the school where she taught, after finding an interesting-looking opportunity teaching English to students in Napoli, Italy. Elena, in Naples, is suffering her tragedy, having been suddenly widowed, with her dream English school to run, as well as her husband’s family business, a handmade mozzarella factory to contribute to, plus being there for her son. I loved this story; a celebration of female friendship, as well as new beginnings, and learning that you have to take every opportunity that comes your way. Lucy is someone who seems to have always pleased others, and it is beautiful to see how, with the encouragement from her new Neapolitan friends, she blossoms with ideas for herself, as well as learning to love again. Elena’s deep love for her husband and her loyalty to the family lead her to feel like she is failing everyone, including herself. Through this story, you see her grow and develop a friendship with her new English teacher, Lucy, that is more fruitful than she ever thought it would be. And romance? Of course, there is! Dario, the godfather to Elena’s son Stefano, is a hunky police officer who comes to the aid of Lucy in several ways, and the slow burn of this romance is gorgeously built up. Loss is covered in different forms, and mentions of the effect of the Mafia on families in Italy ground the story in a reality not many live through. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Purchase Links
About The Author
Jane was brought up on the west coast of Scotland, studied Modern Languages at Stirling University, and then taught English in Vienna.
She travelled the world as cabin crew before hanging up her wings to become an actor. She has appeared in ‘Witness for the Prosecution’, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’, ‘True West’, ‘Calendar Girls’ and ‘Deathtrap’ in London’s West End.
“It’s never too late to follow your dreams” is her mantra and the phrase HarperCollins chose to promote her debut novel, ‘The Start of Something Wonderful’, which was inspired by her somewhat risky career change!
Her love affair with Italy began when she married a Neapolitan chef.
‘A Scottish Teashop in Napoli’ is her love letter to this wonderful city, its people and traditions.
She’s currently writing ‘The Unexpected Flatmate’, an uplifting and heartwarming tale of love, hope, community and kindness, set during the pandemic and dedicated to the RAF Benevolent Fund.
Jane will be appearing at Tea Leaves & Reads Literary Festival on 27th September, when she’ll be talking all things teashop and handing out her mini Victoria sponge cakes!
But I Smile Anyway... 