How has August finished so fast?
I have had the best start to the month, with the RNA Conference kicking things off.
The first 2 weeks were filled with appointments for either me, Lil Princess or my MIL.
Lil Princess got her A-Level results (She passed with great grades, and that made us all the more proud, given the ups and downs she has faced over the last few years!) as well as starting her apprenticeship! Oh, and she got offered a job!
I had to pop into school to get ready for next year, too.
Then we finished the holidays with a little city break, the whole family.
I really tried hard to get up to date with my reading because it was beginning to stress me out!
Did I write?
Around 1k words. Not much, but something.
So I read and listened as best I could. And I didn’t do too badly!
The Way Home by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Every time,
She gets me every time.
Amanda Prowse has written ANOTHER cracker here!
The story of Lilly Bob, an older woman, single, living in the flat she has always lived in, suddenly finds that her life may be about to be uprooted as a big development company threatens to take everything she has always known away.
Written with a dual timeline, we learn all about Lilly Bob, from her younger years to the present, as everything falls into place and the reader connects events from her past to how she thinks now.
I loved the entire premise of the story. Lilly Bob, and her attachment to the River Thames, her relationship with her parents, and different partners who shape how she handles life as she gets older.
I was a little bit in love with this independent woman, who had a vulnerable past.
The other characters help to round this story perfectly, but Clodagh and her little boy, Apollo, definitely made a special place in my heart. The young woman, closed off to anyone, finding a friend in Lilly Bob, and little Apollo with his obsession over sticks. Oh, so cute!
The Invitation by Veronica Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, what a wonderful read/listen!
I was swept away fully as I listened to this story, set in the 50s.
Clementine and Alfie fall in love. She can’t believe it, not feeling that they are of the same social standing.
Meanwhile, a little dual timeline of Stella, a few years earlier. She works in an art shop and meets Edwin, an artist. They fall in love, but it ends in tragedy.
We hear different POVs as the book goes on, so it can get a little confusing if you don’t listen properly. But I always love different POVs, so it enhanced my enjoyment of the story, as a grieving family find joy in a way they never expected.
Murder in Gilmerton by Val Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Val Penny is fantastic with her plots and twists, and she creates books that can be read as standalones while also building such depth of character as you read the series. You really get to know individuals, and each book layers another bit of intel about each character.
This story brings us back to Hunter and a murder case (well, obvs, Ritu, the title tells us that!) But this case is a bit different in that the victim is known to most of the police force dealing with it.
The backstory of the victim is well written at the beginning, and then how things progress, how characters with history emerge, and how they are involved in an intricate web of deceit, drug trafficking, and murder comes to light.
There are also light moments with certain characters, and a romance thread that it is good to get little updates on, but ultimately, a great story. It kept me hooked!
The Wedding Planner’s Guide to Stealing the Bride by Jeevani Charika
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have just finished this one, and it gave me all the right feels.
Author Kalpana is engaged to be married to another author, Marcus. Bookish match made in heaven? Well, it could be, only Marcus is one of those literary authors, to Kalpana’s contemporary romance author. Already we see the imbalance… And I say that with a pinch of salt, because romance authors are no less than any other writers out there!
Anywho, off the soapbox to the review.
Marcus wants their wedding in Sri Lanka, the motherland of Kalpana and her family, only she isn’t that bothered. Being born and brought up in the UK means she has heritage, but it doesn’t mean she has a powerful pull to the land of her ancestors.
They find a wedding planner who sets about looking into their dream wedding – only rather cute Sampath is already quite a fan of Kalpana’s books, and who knows? Maybe more!
The story takes us to Sri Lanka, where we are wowed with some beautiful locations, and honestly, if I were to renew vows and all that, I think Sri Lanka would be a hot contender!
I love the story. The yearning, as feelings are uncovered and held back. The chemistry between Sampath and Kalpana, the two not getting married, and the anger and frustration I felt at Marcus, and the way he treats Kalpana… I really didn’t like the guy!
You kinda know the conclusion, given the title, but what a lovely journey to get there. A great beach read.
The Curse of the Saltmarsh Girl by Clare Marchant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was enthralled right from the beginning! What atmosphere! I could feel the cold rush over me as the first scene, around the marshes, unfolded.
Clare Marchant has written a beautifully haunting story, with mystery and folklore woven through the pages that kept me hooked throughout.
In this dual-timeline story, we are at once in both the present day and 1665, in Norfolk, at the edge of the marshes, near the fictional ghost village of Saltmarsh.
In the present day, Angel has arrived at her brother Dan’s barn in the back end of nowhere, seeking solace, and she feels something strange around her as she arrives.
Rewind to 1665, and we are taken to Margery’s story as she enters the village and the marshes on the lookout for her mother and sister.
The events of Margery’s time in the area are documented by cryptic symbols that Angel somehow finds in the old village church, and we join her on a journey of discovery and revelations as she, with the help of others, finally solves certain mysteries.
I love a bit of folklore and learning about local myths, so the addition of the Black Shuck, an integral part of both storylines, was fascinating. The awakening of this creature can have two meanings, one more negative than the other, but I loved that she (yes, we have gendered the Black Shuck!) was there to protect both women as they both traversed difficult times.
I loved this story and didn’t want to put it down!
The Valley Road Diaries #1: Troy & Brian by Dion Woode
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I started this, knowing it was an MM romance, but what I wasn’t as prepared for was the SPICE!
This first story in the Valley Road Diaries focuses on Troy and Bryan.
Set in a small rural farming village in New Zealand, the story focuses on more than the romance, looking at heritage and relationships.
Troy is a young man with deep-seated hurt. He really doesn’t want to let anyone into his small circle, fearing he’ll get hurt or lose another person close to him.
Bryan is a widower, with a handful of a son and battling with his own feelings of who he really likes, at heart.
They join hands on a farming venture and encounter barricades in business and emotional ones as they get to grips with the fact that there is serious chemistry between the two of them.
Alongside the steamy scenes, the history of the land and how things came to be was another great hook in the story.
I look forward to book 2!
Just for the Cameras by Meghan Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I listened to this as I walked, and mostly I was very invested in the story.
Maple is a flamingo keeper at the Zoo.
Graydon is a football (American) player.
Both are thrown together when the team needs Graydon to help get positive publicity, and the zoo needs more awareness and funding to keep looking after the animals they have.
So we see:
😶🌫️/🌞 Grumpy/Sunshine
😠/👩❤️👨 Enemies to Lovers
🔏 Forced Proximity
The two really aren’t fans of each other, but there is a palpable chemistry between them from the beginning.
There is some real heart in the story as we learn Graydon’s background; however, the spice!
🥵🌶️🥵🌶️🥵🌶️
Once they break the barrier and admit to themselves that they like each other, well… there is naughty stuff happening all over the show!
Maybe there were a few too many gratuitous scenes… or maybe I felt it more as I listened in the car and realised my daughter was sitting there, listening with me! Oops!
Graydon is also part of a group: The Gladdy Daddies, three athletes, all volunteering at the zoo for similar reasons. What I loved was their little back-and-forth via a WhatsApp group, and how their own relationship toward one another grows through the story.
A strong story, and I look forward to the next one, but will be prepared for the spice factor next time!
Italy and Forever by Leonie Mack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Leoni Mack’s books always lift me up and take me to glorious destinations – the epitome of armchair travel!
Ginny has one of the most important weddings to plan in her career: that of her dear colleague, Sophie, to the unlikely man of her dreams, Andreas. Having talked about ideal weddings for so long together, she is determined to give the couple the best wedding she can, starting with locating it in Northern Italy, where Andreas’s family come from. She just needs to secure the photographer, and whether she wants to or not, she needs to ask one of the groom-to-be’s best friends, Rhys, to do the job. They’ve clashed a lot in the past, and she doesn’t relish the idea of spending time with him.
Rhys suffers from a condition that causes face blindness, something that happened after an accident. He can’t photograph people. How can he be the official photographer at his friend’s wedding, when he’s better at scenic shots?
Through the story, he ends up agreeing, and Ginny and Rhys’s relationship turns from one extreme to the other.
I loved this whole story, and some of the funny traditions that were upheld through the lead-up to the wedding and after were key to some great moments in the book.
Ginny comes across as bold and opinionated, but she has such a soft centre that she tries to protect. Rhys may be a little gruff, but his heart is sore after being burned before. Seeing how they begin to open up to each other and magnify each other’s good sides is fabulous!
Italy and Forever is the fourth and final book in the Wedding Planners series, but can be read as a standalone. I much prefer having read all the previous stories, as we meet the different characters again and again, and we can see them grow and how their own stories develop.
Saving Christmas at the Highland Repair Shop by Kiley Dunbar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, I am so sad that this series has come to an end!
I love how Kiley has woven in so many threads to awaken people’s social and environmental consciousness through the Highland Repair Shop series!
A new face, a person who really needs to learn to love herself, Florrie, and an old face from the village, Hamish, collide on a stormy evening, leaving mixed impressions.
They only get more confusing as it transpires that Florrie is there to audit Hamish’s Ski resort-style business, which may or may not be doing particularly well, and that Florrie’s heart isn’t in her job. She’s doing it to please family – a fractured family.
Alongside this, we get a wonderful side story of firm favourite Rhoda, one of the Gifford sisters, and how her own tragic love life is threaded through the discoveries Florrie and Hamish make.
It’s always heartwarming to come back to a series where you already love the characters, and to add more to them is just wonderful! I loved reading this, and I am so glad Florrie and Hamish got their HEA after a pretty rocky but short journey.
Holidays With the Girls by Jo Lyons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I giggled, cringed, then laughed some more!
The escapades of these girls, especially The Dollz and all their madcap shenanigans, make for the perfect rom-com!
Connie is newly married to drop-dead gorgeous Matteo, but they barely see one another because they are still living in different countries. Her flatmates and best friends, Ged and Luke, are getting married and turning into the worst groomzillas ever. And their venue cancels on them, three weeks before the big day.
Armed with not much of a clue, and the help (?) of The Dollz, as well as a gorgeous French house Matteo can source, they head off for a manic, entertaining and totally off the scales pre-wedding week!
It’s like everything that can go wrong does, and involves young children, a random puppy, and a girl band, each with their own personal traumas going on, and you get the funniest, heartwarming read ever.
It can be read as a standalone, but I have read the previous books, so this just built on an already hilarious foundation and added more depth and guffaws as the story unfolded!
The Secret Diary of a Bengali Mum by Halima Khatun
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Right, so I am back from listening to the next instalment of the Secret Diary of a Bengali… Mum, this time, and I was as enamoured of the whole story as the last books.
This time our FMC has finally had her baby, referred to as H2 in the book, and we accompany her on all the trials and tribulations of being a first time mother, with the usual pressures put upon you, as well as looking through the lens of being from a South Asian background, affecting exactly what you are (and are not) meant to say and talk about postpartum, and your own mental health.
I laughed – honestly, her Mum is brilliant, talking about Jesus baskets! And there are so many emotional pulls and laughter, as she realises motherhood isn’t as simple as it may be made out to be. Halima Khatun, the author, deals with the baby blues, rarely talked about by many of the older generations of South Asian parents, as well as touching upon the support networks built up in the community and, more seriously, the health of your own parents as you become a parent yourself.
Serious issues, covered with a good layer of humour and emotion.
I listened in the car, and even my daughter wanted to keep listening, so I guess we need to get on to the next story, now!
Just for the Season by Jo Lovett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this autumnal meet-cute of a romance!
Frankie heads back to her village roots, devastated after losing her man, her home and her job. The full Trifecta, in one swoop. Being back where she feels safe, with her cousin and pretty much best friend, nephew, and her dear grandmother, should make things better.
Then she meets Marcus – the cake grabber! (I’ll say no more on that issue. You need to read it!) He’s a single dad, rather attractive, and a little bit moody.
That’s where the rom-com kicks in: they end up fake-dating in a tiny village where gossip is the mainstay of residents’ lives.
Faux romance, undeniable chemistry, and a moody child to rock the boat – what more could you want?
I loved it and sped through the story, and the ending left me with a real warm glow.
A Little Christmas Rivalry by Sandy Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, I do love a Sandy Barker book, and she does write these romances beautifully!
We have two sparring colleagues, Sophie and Drew. Each of them rubs the other the wrong way; however, they both feel some sort of attraction they want to fight.
Both have romantic histories that keep them from moving on. But you know what happens if you keep denying chemistry, especially in Rom Coms… Things are going to get heated!
There is angst, the aforementioned chemistry, as well as two girls, one young and rather cute, one older and a little more cunning- and they are both rather naughty in a way.
A perfect enemies-to-lovers story, wrapped up in festive spirit and tied up with a huge romantic bow!
Love Unlocked: the brand-new emotional and uplifting love story from the international bestselling author of PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cecelia Ahern is such a wonderful storyteller; I was excited to get to read this one a bit early!
It centres around a bridge filled with ‘love locks’. You know, the ones that people attach to particular bridges around the world, signifying a special union?
Well, the fictional love locks in this story are based on a bridge in Ireland, and the history of the name of the bridge brings all sorts of romance before you even start to think of the locks.
Anywho, we have Melody, a successful DJ and podcaster, firmly in the ‘No thanks, Love’ camp, after a particularly awkward break-up.
And then we have Al. Love was his thing. In love with his fiancée, with his best friend living with them, his world is turned upside down, shaking his faith in his intuition and in love.
Al is partly responsible for removing the Love Locks from the bridge.
Melody thinks she’s found a connection between that action and many unexpected breakups that day.
And then they meet one another…
Each character is wonderfully flawed, and I loved learning a little bit more about each one and seeing what really made them tick.
Falling for You by Heidi Swain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another beautiful read by Heidi Swain, revisiting Nightingale Square and watching a new family move in.
Skylar is at a loss for what to do with her life. She’s without a job, home or partner, so, fortuitously for her, Rafe, her father, is moving to the UK and has bought a house. His invitation to stay with her is both lucky and tinged with a little worry, as she has spent very little time with her father.
Once there, her worries begin to dissipate, and she meets wonderful neighbours and community members, including Erik, a former rugby star who came here to try an alternative lifestyle after an injury put his career in jeopardy.
It starts with a bit of an enemies-to-friends dynamic, then moves to friends-to-lovers, slowly but steadily.
The characters were all intriguing, and I took a liking to Skylar, especially as she gives so much of herself to others. I loved her stints at the local residential home, and her relationship with her grandfather and some of the other residents, who added their own flavour to the story.
The Disappearers by Marlon James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I found this a tough read.
If you are going in, expect raw, gritty, and sometimes explicit and violent scenes.
Depicting the gay scene in Jamaica in the late 1980s, with a group of eight gay men, all auditioning for a play that will very much put them in possibly unfavourable limelight, this was an uncomfortable read.
We all know prejudice occurs, but to read it so openly was difficult. The fear around AIDS that spread across the world feels magnified within this community, and how the Gay community had to survive was heart-wrenching.
An important read, but again, if you want something simple, this is not it. It’s long, and it’s very emotional.
The French Christmas Market by Gillian Harvey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Christmas in France, with snow, Père Noël and a handsome French man visiting regularly… sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?
Not as cut and dried as that.
The MC, Nicola, has moved to France after a change in her employment circumstances, and she and her husband, Steven, plan to celebrate their first Christmas together; however, his job as a paediatric nurse means he can’t join her as planned.
Ready to face the festive season alone, with no one she loves around her, Nicola sets about trying to sort her new life out.
She has to navigate a new country, new culture, and traditions different from her own, as well as a cranky elderly neighbour who seems to be her only one!
Lucien is her first art student, and I wondered whether he would become a distraction, but I loved how his connection with Nicola panned out.
A little discovery when clearing out some rooms in her new house ties in nicely at the end, too.
Nicola is a family-loving soul, and reading about how she navigates a very family-centric time with the possibility of being alone tugged at the heartstrings.
I always say this when reading Gillian Harvey’s books, but she does make the idea of upping sticks and moving to rural France a real treat! Yes, there are inevitably teething problems, but the communities she builds for the characters, and the whole ambience, make me want to do it!
The Regency Switch by Helen Gaskell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, I absolutely adored this Regency time-switch story!
I am definitely a Bridgerton fan, and dual timelines and time switches are always fun, so to have them both was perfect!
It’s 2023 and Etta Moore is on her way to work, sitting on the tube, minding her own business when two older women are suddenly by her side with a strange proposition.
A woman ahead of her time, Hetty Bainbridge, in 1817, somehow concocts a way to time-shift to the future, swapping her life with Etta.
It was brilliantly done, with Etta dropping into an era she has only really read of, in the Recency romances, and by watching Bridgerton, and she soon finds out life isn’t all that rosy, especially since the body she now in habits, had a bit of a reputation for being a bit, well, mad.
Hetty, on the other hand, finds herself. From getting the help she needed as well as gaining an education, and finally spreading her romantic wings, life is wonderful.
There is romance, plenty of that, in unexpected places. I love the sapphic twist for Hetty, as well as the angst a hush hush liasion causes Etta.
And there are so many other threads there, looking at how life really has changed for women over the centuries, how depression was depicted, as well as independence for women.
I think I could gush about this one for a while, but I don’t want to add spoilers, so please read/listen! It’s a good un!
The Time of My Afterlife by Lucy Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, I was sucked into this story from the very beginning!
Florence and Clark – known each other since they were six. Bickered their way to adulthood. Florence really can’t stand him. Clark is a bit bemused by it all, but gives as good as he gets.
Somehow getting stuck in the afterlife, after a freak accident, they end up with a challenge – to change something and get the chance to live again, or…
So many great romance tropes in this story, from enemies to lovers, to forced proximity (a particular fave of mine) as well as magical realism.
Okay, so you kinda know what will happen in the end, or at least you hope you do, but the journey there is entertaining, and emotive in equal measures.
In their pursuit to change and help others, we meet a wide cast of characters, like Pearl, the octogenarian neighbour of Clark, pining for her lost love, and Jane who is trying to move on after losing her partner, with a teenage son in tow who grief affects in its own unique way, among many others.
Lucy Mitchell has added layers to the story that affects several characters, over and above the romance element. Grief is pivotal, with emphasis on how grief doesn’t just disappear, and how it can affect different folks in different ways.
Overfall, a good read, with some wonderful moments and a few twists to keep a reader on their toes!
A beautiful feel-good story – I am on the blog tour for this one, so full review there next month!
The Secret Diary of a Fraught Bengali: a clean romance with a hint of first time mum anxiety by Halima Khatun
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Finished listening to the next instalment of the Secret Diary of a Bengali Woman; this time, H is fraught!
I always love diving back into the world and family that Halima Khatun has depicted in this series. There are so many similarities and overlaps with the British Bengali community and our British Sikh one, but also so many differences, so it is both a reminiscence and an education.
H is dealing with a toddler now, still unsettled at night, fraught with her child’s allergies, and dependence on her. She’s not back at work and feels like a failure, seeing everyone else around her in similar situations excelling.
The balance of wanting independence, and also needing the comfort and support of her own family, as well as dealing with the whole sandwich generation issue; young children and ageing unwell parents is handled carefully, and we are brought right to the current political climate of rising fascism and racism, with the thoughts going through H’s mind being ones that many of us British born citizens, who are a bit more melanin heavy, worry about.
Add in a major move in the cards towards the end, and we get a wonderfully haphazard, realistic account of being a brown female of a certain age, someone many will relate to.
Bengali Millennial… bring it on!
A Curious Ending by Sally Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sally Page’s books always mesmerise me, and this wasn’t any different.
A little different, in that we have a mystery to solve, but no less captivating.
Lara, a florist, lives in a small village and finds she really has only one friend: an elderly lady, Lady Porter, with whom she can relax. She is devastated when the old lady passes away, leaving her alone. But she’s not.
She finds herself with a Kindred Spirit – a ghost of a kind – Abigail, who has been sent to help her solve a mystery. Namely, a murder.
I have to say, I loved this whole concept: a ghostly detective supporting our main character as she finds out what really happened to the unforgettable Lady Porter.
There is a huge cast of characters, many of whom could be suspects, as well as those who have the potential to become something more to Lara.
Many twists and turns left me guessing until the very end as to the conclusion of this mystery!
Heartbreak for the Irish Midwife by Seána Tinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
TW: Miscarriage, Abortion, Loss, Suicide
I’ll be honest. I already knew I would love this before reading it, because I’m so enamoured with the previous two books.
Heartbreak for the Irish Midwife nearly broke my heart at different points!
This story follows the relationship between Maisie, a newly qualified Catholic midwife, and Alex, a recently qualified obstetrician from a Protestant family.
Religion featured heavily in this story, namely the religion’s guilt piled upon people of certain faiths and beliefs, causing heartbreak and negative views of themselves.
I loved Maggie and Alex’s romance, and how slowly they fell into a relationship, both respectful and illicit at the same time. The journey of having to admit their feelings to their families, and whether their love would be accepted, was a beautifully painful tale.
Pregnancy and childbirth are never easy, and it was so much harder in years gone by. The portrayal of how women were treated during their precious months was equally heartwarming and devastating, depending on who they were and who was treating them.
There is a lot to absorb in this story, and Seána Tinley approaches it with empathy and care, making the reader care keenly for all the characters in the book, not just the two main characters, for whom we only want the best.
The Salem Supper Club by Shelley Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I just finished reading The Salem Supper Club by Shelley Wilson, and I LOVED it!
Ellie is in a bit of a bind. She has lost her job and her boyfriend, and has no means to pay her London rent, meaning she needs to go back home to her father, who has never been backwards in showing his negative feelings towards her.
Sad news comes with a way forward, as she learns that her beloved aunt in Salem, America, has passed away. Rushing there to attend the funeral, she is given an opportunity to start afresh, but even in Salem, there is uncomfortable, unfinished business involving Nate, her first love from fifteen years before.
While settling into Salem life, Ellie starts The Salem Supper Club in what was her aunt’s cafe, catering to the town’s lonely souls and encouraging friendship, conversation, and a chance to belong.
Ellie and Nate’s histories provide most of the drama, so what we read is the healing, and I loved that.
You know those moments you read something, and you want to literally reach into the pages to give someone a good slap/shaking? That was me, every time Alistair was on the scene!
The Salem Supper Club is a place I’d go to, if only to chat to different folks and be a part of helping them through loneliness, too 🧡🤎🧡
A Tempting Trio: An Irresistibly Fun Romantic Comedy! by Bettina Hunt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A Tempting Trio is the story of Sarah, who has managed to find herself, unintentionally in a bit of a dating conundrum.
I have read this before, so listening to it later was a pleasure.
She’s been in a relationship with David, a married man, though she knows it’s wrong, and she should end in, when she meets a rather gorgeous stranger, Adam, in a coffee shop. He leaves his number. Maybe Adam will be the one who helps her kick her married man to the curb, and back to his wife…
Then her best friend, Alice, offers her a job opportunity and introduces her to Tommy, an aristocratic romantic who fancies our Sarah.
All three men have something about them.
But she’s not that greedy… is she?
There are some moments when you feel glad you’re not in her shoes. I mean, what are the chances of having all three of your men turning up in Paris, and confronting you while you are trying to enjoy a midnight visit to the Eiffel Tower?!
Again, another easy-to-listen-to, fun story, where you don’t quite know where Sarah and her dating future will lead her.
25 books read this month! More than I expected! Which one caught your eye?
But I Smile Anyway... 