Month: Jul 2019

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Historical Fiction

#Review Today I am sharing my review for Victory for the East End Angels by Rosie Hendry #BlogTour #VictoryForTheEasyEndAngels #BackaBlogger @rararesources @hendry_rosie

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Today I am sharing my review for Victory for the East End Angels by Rosie Hendry, which has just been released and is the last book in the East End Angels series. I read this as a standalone book and really enjoyed the brilliant characters and the glimpse into how life was for the ladies driving the ambulances during World War 2.

I love historical fiction and really enjoyed the insight during this story as to what the women at home endured whilst their men were away fighting. I instantly loved Winnie and the friendship she had with Frankie & Bella, which was so important to help them remain strong and still look for the good things in life. The final instalment is the girls starting to consider how their lives are going to change once the war is over and contemplate if they can go back to their previous lives before they were thrown into turmoil.

I loved this story and feel invested in the characters and want to know what these brilliant ladies go on to do and achieve now the war is over. I can’t wait to see what Rosie Hendry writes next as this book was brilliant!

 

Book Blurb

The war is almost over – and it’s up to the East End Angels to keep the home fires burning!

Frankie‘s fiance, a doctor, is away looking after the troops in Europe – will he return safely home?

Winnie has a happy secret – but can she carry on at Station 75 when she’s going to have a baby?

Bella is intrigued by her new friend, a Polish airman.

As the war ends and victory is in sight, what next for the girls of Station 75?

 

Victory Cover

Available to purchase on Amazon UK / US

 

About the Author

Rosie Hendry lives by the sea in Norfolk with her husband, two children, chickens and a snake. She’s worked in a variety of jobs from fruit picking, waitressing, teaching and as a research scientist but has always loving reading and writing. Starting off writing short stories for women’s magazines, her stories have gradually become longer as her children have grown bigger.

Listening to her father’s tales of life during the Second World War sparked Rosie’s interest in this period and she’s especially intrigued by how women’s lives changed during the war years. She loves researching further, searching out gems of real-life events which inspire her writing.

When she’s not working, Rosie enjoys walking along the beach, reading and is grateful for the fact that her husband is a much better cook than her.

Website: www.rosiehendry.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RosieHendrybooks/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/hendry_rosie

 

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Many thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part in this blog tour

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Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Contemporary Fiction, Ghosts/Horror

#Review Today I am sharing my review for one of my top reads of the year so far The Girl at the Window by Rowan Coleman #BlogTour #BackaBlogger #TheGirlAtTheWindow @rowancoleman @annecater

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Today I am sharing my review for one of my favourite reads of the year so far, a stunning story that I fell in love with upon arrival at the rundown Ponden Hall.

Trudy has returned to her beloved childhood home recently widowed with her son Will after an estrangement from her Mother. I found this story beautifully creepy and enthralling, it mixes modern day with events that happened hundreds of years ago. The ghosts trapped in the house have always spoken to Trudy and now they are leaving clues about events in the past.

This book has a dark and slightly gothic feel that made me want to just keep reading. It was a story of how the house had many stories to tell of loss and love over the years and through the generations of the Heaton’s.

As the past and present come colliding together the book keeps gaining momentum and I found more and more that I couldn’t put the book down as was so keen to see what would happen to Ma, Trudy and Will.

A truly brilliant and memorable read with superb characters that you will love and hate in equal measures, this book made my spine tingle and I loved it!

 

Book Blurb

Ponden Hall is a centuries-old house on the Yorkshire moors, a magical place full of stories. It’s also where Trudy Heaton grew up. And where she ran away from…

Now, after the devastating loss of her husband, she is returning home with her young son, Will, who refuses to believe his father is dead.

While Trudy tries to do her best for her son, she must also attempt to build bridges with her eccentric mother. And then there is the Hall itself: fallen into disrepair but generations of lives and loves still echo in its shadows, sometimes even reaching out to the present…

 

The Girl at the Window Cover

Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

Rowan Coleman Author pic

Rowan Coleman’s first novel Growing Up Twice was a WHS Fresh Talent Winner. Since then, Rowan has written fifteen novels, including The Memory Book which was a Sunday Times bestseller. It was selected for the Richard and Judy Bookclub and awarded Love Reading Novel of the Year, as voted for by readers.

Her latest novel, The Summer of Impossible Things, is a Zoe Ball TV Book Club selection.

Rowan lives with her husband and their five children in a very full house in Hertfordshire, juggling writing novels with raising her family. She really wishes someone would invent time travel.

You can find out more about Rowan at http://www.rowancoleman.co.uk or follow her on Facebook or Twitter @rowancoleman

 

Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my invite to take part in this blog tour 

Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Debut Book

#Review Today I am sharing my review for the superb debut Instructions For Falling In Love Again by Lucy Mitchell #BlogTour #BackaBlogger #InstructionsForFallingInLoveAgain @blondewritemore @BOTBSPublicity

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

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I am so excited to be sharing my review today after reading this stunning debut as part of the blog tour, I can’t wait to see what comes next from Lucy Mitchell as I loved this book.

A combination of funny, chaotic and poignant, I loved the story and the style in which it was written. Be prepared to pick up this book and just want to keep reading as you experience a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed throughout this book, empathised with the chaos of kids and yet it was tinged with sadness as you got to see how this family were dealing with their grief whilst Mum (Pippa) is trying to hold it all together and work out how the family can move on.

If you are looking for a book that will keep you wanting to turn the pages then look no further. A highly recommended read that I thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to reading future releases by Lucy Mitchell, definitely a new author to watch out for.

 

Book Blurb

What would you do if your late husband left you a list of instructions on how to fall in love with someone else?

Pippa Browning is faced with this exact dilemma, three years after the death of her husband, Dan.

Buried at the bottom of a drawer are a collection of notebooks full of Dan’s advice on how to live without him.

Pippa’s notebook is red and contains his instructions on how to fall in love again.

But Dan doesn’t just want Pippa to fall in love with anyone – Dan’s crazy suggestion is that Pippa should date his handsome friend, Mikey Stenton, a known thrill-seeking ladies’ man.

Reluctant to follow Dan’s advice, Pippa enters the world of dating. She embarks on a humorous journey of self-discovery, with the help of her children and two best friends.

It isn’t long before Pippa is finding it hard to ignore Dan’s instructions and Mikey Stenton.

Is Mikey really the man that everyone thinks him to be? Or was Dan right, and Mikey’s simply been misunderstood?

A heart-warming romantic comedy about motherhood, friendship and finding love, the second time around.

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Available to purchase here

About the Author

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Instructions For Falling In Love Again is the debut novel from Lucy Mitchell. She lives in South Wales with her husband, her two teenage daughters, a giant labrador and a gang of unruly cats.
Lucy is the author of the award winning blog, BlondeWriteMore and was a Featured Romance Author on Wattpad.
When she’s not working or writing, Lucy can be found listening to audiobooks in a muddy field with her dog or sat outside her local pub in the sunshine enjoying a glass of wine.

 

Many thanks to Books on the Brightside for the invite to take part in the blog tour

Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

#Review Today I am really excited to share my review for the eagerly awaited second release by Jenni Keer – The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows #MaisieMeadows #BlogBlitz #backablogger #publicationday @rararesources @JenniKeer

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows

Today I am taking part in the blog blitz for The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows. I was so excited to see this book pop up as I loved Lucy Baker and this book did not disappoint Jenni Keer has once again created some superb characters.

Maisie Meadows is a character that needs order in her life and is super organised, as the story progresses you start to see what led to her character traits and how she is constantly trying to remain in control of everything. I absolutely loved Maisie and her complicated family that she is trying in vain to pull back together.

Jenni Keer has a way of pulling you into her writing so you can’t help but keep reading. This story is focused on Maisie trying to reunite her own broken family, whilst embarking on a new career. Where she meets some brilliant people who lead her to rediscover a link to her childhood through Meredith’s tea set that she feels drawn too in a way she can’t explain.

I read this book in just a couple of days and was disappointed when I reached the end as I had fallen in love with the characters so much that I just wanted to keep reading more about them. Another brilliant triumph from Jenni Keer and I am excited to see what comes next as I have absolutely loved Lucy Baker & Maisie Meadows.

 

Book Blurb

When Maisie Meadows finds herself single and jobless on New Year’s Day, she resolves that this will be the year she focuses on bringing her scattered family back together. Romance is all very well, but it’s the people you grew up with that matter the most.

But a new job working at an auction house puts her in the path of Theo, a gorgeous but unattainable man who she can’t help but be distracted by. As their bond begins to grow, Maisie finds herself struggling to fulfil the promise she made to herself – but the universe has other ideas, and it’s not long before the Meadows family are thrown back together in the most unlikely of circumstances…

Can dealing with other people’s treasures help Maisie to let go of the past, and teach her who she ought to treasure the most?

 

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Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker was published in January 2019.

The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows is out in July 2019.

Social Media Links –

FB Jenni Keer Writer

Twitter @JenniKeer

Instagram jennikeer

Website – https://jennikeer.co.uk/

 

The Unlikely Giveaway Prize

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker,  pack of Scratbag notelets,  pretty purple pen and a Maisie bookmark (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK 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 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.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494245/?

 

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Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

#Review Today I am sharing my review as part of the blog tour for The Little Village of Happiness by Holly Martin #BlogTour #TheLittleVillageofHappiness #BackaBlogger @HollyMAuthor

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

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Today I am so excited to be sharing my review as part of the blog tour for this brilliant book, what a gem!  I love Holly Martin’s books and this story was superb.

As soon as you start the book you meet the lovely Willow who has packed her life up into her car to live in the village called Happiness for a year. She is an impulsive character who is excited yet fearful of the plunge she has just taken to relocate her life.

I loved the characters in this story, it has a brilliant selection of personalities and you feel like you know all of them personally as the story progresses.

I finished this delightful read in just a couple of days. I was keen to know how the village were responding to the gifts that were being magically left overnight and how the friendship between the lovely Andrew and Willow was growing.

I love a light hearted read and this book made me smile and left me feeling so warm and fuzzy. A highly recommended read, set in a beautiful location that is definitely a book for your holiday reading pile.

 

Book Blurb

Fall head-over-heels in love with the beautiful new novel from bestselling author Holly Martin and let The Little Village of Happiness warm your heart and make your spirits soar.

Willow McKay needs a fresh start. Her recent break-up may not have left her heartbroken but it’s certainly wounded her pride. Desperate to escape the whispers and stares of her town’s gossips, an advert offering homes in a picturesque village in the grounds of a majestic castle on the Cornish coast sounds like just what she needs. Without thinking twice Willow applies for a cottage and packs up her life for the village of Happiness.

But when Willow arrives she finds a crumbling ruin and ramshackle cottages, nothing like the pretty picture the advert had boasted. It seems Happiness was too good to be true. That is until she meets the incredibly handsome estate manager Andrew Harrington…

His passion for restoring the village to its former glory is contagious and soon they are working together to bring happiness back to Happiness. And as sparks fly between them Willow can feel herself falling. But Andrew is holding something back.

Can Willow risk her heart again? And will they succeed in transforming the old village to its original beauty before it’s too late?

 

Little Village FINAL

Available to purchase through Amazon UK / US

 

About the Author

Holly lives in a little white cottage by the sea. She studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of her colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years’ service was the moment when she knew she had to escape. She quit her job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, she emerged wide eyed and terrified that she now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. She taught for four years and then escaped the classroom to teach history workshops, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next. But the long journeys around the UK and many hours sat on the M25 gave her a lot of time to plan out her stories and she now writes full time, doing what she loves.

Holly has been writing for 8 years. She was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance. Her short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology. She won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance 2013 with her novel The Guestbook. She was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance 2014. She is the bestselling author of 18 books

Follow her on Twitter @HollyMAuthor

 

Holly Martin

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

#Review #BlogTour Today I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for Foxglove Farm by Christie Barlow #FoxgloveFarm #NewRelease #BackaBlogger #BookBlogger @ChristieJBarlow @rararesources

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Foxglove Farm

Today I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for one of my favourite reads of the summer so far. Foxglove Farm by Christie Barlow is a lovely book that I thoroughly enjoyed and I found read really well as a standalone book as I hadn’t read the first book in the series.

In the brilliant new release from Christie Barlow you get to know Drew, Isla and their young family. This is a story that draws you in from the off and makes you want to keep reading until you reach the very last page.

The lovely Foxglove Farm is a picturesque working farm in the Scottish Highlands that sounds absolutely beautiful and is the family home to Drew and his family. During this visit to Love Heart Lane you meet the wonderful inhabitants of the village again and spend time with Drew and Isla as they hit a really sticky patch where they rely on their friends and family to help them find their way.

A truly brilliant book that will make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes. I loved delving into this story and finished reading in just a couple of sittings as I was so keen to keep turning the pages and experience the highs and lows alongside Isla. I can’t wait to read the next instalment at Love Heart Lane as this one was such a lovely light hearted read.

Book Blurb

Return to Love Heart Lane for friendship, romance and a community who will be be there for you no matter what…

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm.

But, new mum Isla is struggling.  She loves her little family but with Drew working all hours on the farm, Isla’s lonely.

When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love.
Can the Love Heart Lane community pull together once more to help save Foxglove Farm?  And can Isla save her home…and her marriage?

 

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Available to purchase from Amazon UK / US

 

Foxglove Farm Author Photo   About the Author

Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty’s Countryside Dream, Lizzie’s Christmas Escape, Evie’s Year of Taking Chances, The Cosy Canal Boat Dream, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, Love Heart Lane and Foxglove Farm. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA & Australia. 

Christie is an ambassador for @ZuriProject raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organisations to improve their well-being.

Website www.christiebarlow.com 

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow 

Facebook page Christie Barlow author

Many thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part on this fabulous blog tour and please see below for the brilliant bloggers also taking part in the remainder of this tour.

 

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