Month: Mar 2020

Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Contemporary Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Maybe One Day by Debbie Johnson #BlogTour #BackaBlogger #MaybeOneDay

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook
I have previously loved reading books by Debbie Johnson and jumped at the chance to join the blog tour for her latest release Maybe One Day!

 

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My Review

Wow where to start with this heartbreakingly beautiful book. From the very first paragraph I was hooked and I just wanted to find somewhere to hide and keep reading.

This is a story of true love and soul shattering loss where the characters jump off the page as you learn the heartbreaking story of Jess and Joe and the curve ball that changed their lives forever.

A rollercoaster of emotions are entwined in this book and you will want to laugh and cry as you get to know them and all the people who have touched and shaped their lives.

I have previously read and loved the Comfort Food Series by Debbie Johnson but this book was a whole other level and I loved it from the first to last page.

 

Book Blurb

What if you had the chance to find a lost love?

Jess still thinks about the man who disappeared from her life seventeen years ago, and the tragedy that tore them apart. So when she discovers a hidden box of letters in her mother’s attic, Jess realises that the truth about why he walked away has been kept from her all this time.

Jess sets out to follow the faded postmarks across the country, determined that her journey will bring her closer to him. As each clue falls into place, Jess discovers new things about herself – and the man who once broke her heart. Maybe she can find him. Maybe their love story isn’t over.

Maybe one day, they will be together again…

 

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Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

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Debbie Johnson is an award-winning author who lives and works in Liverpool, where she divides her time between writing, caring for a small tribe of children and animals, and not doing the housework.

She writes feel-good emotional women’s fiction, and has sold more than 1,000,000 books worldwide. She is published globally in nine different languages, and has had two books optioned for film and TV.

Her books include the best-selling Comfort Food Cafe series,The A-Z of Everything, and the upcoming Maybe One Day.

She is also the author of supernatural crime thriller, Fear No Evil, and urban fantasies Dark Vision and Dark Touch.

 

Social Media Links

You can find out more at www.debbiejohnsonauthor.com, www.facebook.com/debbiejohnsonauthor or twitter.com/debbiemjohnson

 

Maybe One Day blog tour

Many thanks to Orion Publishing for the opportunity to join this blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love for this superb book!

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Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Psychological Thriller

#BlogTour Today I am joining the blog tour for the superb Mine by Clare Empson #review #mine

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

Today I am very excited to be sharing my review for this superb read by Clare Empson. This is a new author for me and I can’t wait to read more after diving into this one!

Mine is a book that lures you in really quickly, the dual time line flits between Alice in the seventies and Luke present day. As you get to know the characters you start to realise there is more to events that are happening than meets the eye.

A vivid book where the colours and music burst out of the story, I love the musicality throughout this story and the links to art. The sketches are well described and it helps you to visualise them as the story progresses.

I liked the split time line and how they tied together as the story progressed and more was revealed about the characters in the family as the story picked up momentum.

Overall a superb book that will make you smile, break your heart and make your heart race as you grip the book a little tighter as I was never quite sure where the story was going to go next.

 

 

Book Blurb


‘Who am I? Why am I here? Why did my mother give me away?’

On the surface, Luke and his girlfriend Hannah seem to have a perfect life. He’s an A&R man, she’s an arts correspondent and they are devoted to their new-born son Samuel.

But beneath the gloss Luke has always felt like an outsider. So when he finds his birth mother Alice, the instant connection with her is a little like falling in love.

When Hannah goes back to work, Luke asks Alice to look after their son. But Alice – fuelled with grief from when her baby was taken from her 27 years ago – starts to fall in love with Samuel. And Luke won’t settle for his mother pushing him aside once again…

 

About the Author

Clare Empson is a journalist with a background in national newspapers and has worked as a small business editor, finance correspondent and fashion at the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Express. Clare freelances for The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and Tatler amongst others. She currently works as editor/founder of experiential lifestyle website http://www.countrycalling.co.uk. Him is her debut novel. Her second novel Mine is an exploration of the fraught relationship between a birth mother and her adopted son set against a backdrop of a passionate love affair in the 70s. Mine will be available August 2019.

Many thanks to Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to take part and please remember to like and share to help spread the love on this blog tour!

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

Today I am delighted to be sharing a review for the uplifting read Summer in Provence by Lucy Coleman #BackaBlogger #BookBlogger #Review #BlogTour #SummerinProvence #Rachelsrandomresources

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am sharing my review for Summer in Provence by Lucy Coleman, I absolutely loved this book when I read it a few weeks ago and highly recommend it as it is a book to transport you away from the current realities and transport you to a beautiful destination.

Summer in Provence

My Review

Summer in Provence set in a stunning location at a retreat where Fern finds herself after her husband has decided he would like a year’s sabbatical from their marriage. I loved reading about Fern as she discovered herself without being the other half of Aiden and learnt to slow down and stop worrying about everyone else and look after herself.

The concept of the retreat really appealed to me as sometimes we all need to switch off and move away from the norm for a few days to give ourselves some quality uninterrupted time. Set in a gorgeous location with lots of time spent outdoors, your once again treated to some stunning views and descriptions from Lucy Coleman.

I love finding a new author and she is quickly becoming a goto author for me as her destinations are stunning and the descriptions are vivid and colourful and so easy to visualise. I loved reading this book and am excited to see what she releases next as her books just whisk me off and provide some gorgeous away time from the real world.

 

Book Blurb

Is a change as good as a rest?

When married couple Fern and Aiden have a windfall, their reactions could not be more different. While Fern is content to pay off their mortgage and build a nest egg before starting a family, her husband is set on traveling the world.

Fern’s not much of a back-packer so, before she knows it, the idea of a ‘marriage gap year’ takes shape. And, as Aiden heads off to the wilds of Australia, Fern chooses the more restful Provence for her year out.

Set amidst the glorious French scenery, Château de Vernon offers a retreat from the hustle and bustle of normal life, and Fern agrees to help out in return for painting lessons from the owner – renowned, but rather troubled, painter Nico.

As their year unfolds in very different ways, will the time apart transform their marriage, or will it drive Fern and Aiden even further apart…

SummerInProvenceHIRES

Available to pre-order here

 

About the Author

Linn 2

From interior designer to author, Linn B. Halton – who also writes under the pen name of Lucy Coleman – says ‘it’s been a fantastic journey!’

Linn is the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels – including Summer on the Italian Lakes, Snowflakes over Holly Cove, The French Adventure and A Cottage in the Country. She is represented by Sara Keane of the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

When she’s not writing, or spending time with the family, she’s either upcycling furniture or working in the garden.

Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award; her novels have been short-listed in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards.

Living in Coed Duon in the Welsh Valleys with her ‘rock’, Lawrence, and gorgeous Bengal cat Ziggy, she freely admits she’s an eternal romantic.

Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the SoA. Linn writes feel-good, uplifting novels about life, love and relationships.

Visit Linn & Lucy’s website at: http://linnbhalton.co.uk/

 

Social Media Links

Website: http://lucycolemanromance.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyColemanAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucyColemanauth

 

Giveaway to Win a signed paperback of ‘A Springtime to Remember’ and a Boldwood Tote bag (Open INT)

Provence Prize

Click here to enter!

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide 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.

 

Summer in Provence Full Tour Banner - Copy

Many thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to take part and t for taking the time to read my review, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love of this wonderful book!

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

Today I am sharing my review for the fabulous The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am sharing my review for the brilliant debut The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, this is a superb feel good read that once you pick it up you will just want to keep reading! 

My Review

I have seen so many wonderful reviews for The Flatshare that I had to pick it up and what a brilliant book!

Tiffy is a wonderful larger than life character with a quirky dress sense who is trying to move on and overcome her emotions from her previous relationship and find somewhere affordable to live. Whilst Leon is battling just to keep his head above water, working constant night shifts and trying to help his brother and feeling like he isn’t getting anywhere. 

I loved the whole concept of this story and how it just jumps from the page, you quickly get to know how lovely Tiffy is and how her and Leon in the most unlikely of circumstances start to forge a friendship through post it notes and leftovers.

An emotionally charged read that will keep you reading into the early hours of the morning as you just have to know what comes next for these wonderful characters. This book is like a virtual hug and I absolutely loved it! 

 

Book Blurb

Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met…

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…

 

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Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

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Beth studied English at university before going into children’s publishing. She lives as close to the countryside as she can get while still being in reach of London, and wrote her first novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from work.

She is now writing novels full time, and if she’s not at her desk, you’ll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).

 

A superb debut that I absolutely loved and I can’t wait to share my review for her upcoming release The Switch with you! 

Posted in 5*, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit

A massive Happy Publication day to the lovely Katie Ginger who releases the 1st book in her new series Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay today! #review #backablogger #publicationday @katiegauthor @hqdigitaluk

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Happy Publication day to Katie, I can’t wait to see this book on the shelves in May as I absolutely loved it and it’s the perfect feel good read to bring a little cheer to those who need it!

My Review

OMG Katie Ginger has done it again! She has such a wonderful way of drawing you into her books and writing so that the characters feel like your best friends and you feel like your along for the ride on their adventures.

In this new series you meet Stella as she embarks on a new adventure with her trusty King Charles Spaniel, Lexie who is juggling her two young children and trying to pay the bills and Miles who desperately wanted to buy the shop where Stella is licking her wounds.

This books is brimming with love and energy, it draws you in and doesn’t let you go again until you reach the final page. I loved the descriptions of the beautiful vintage dresses that Lexie wears and how it is set in a lovely seaside destination. It oozes charm in Swallowtail Bay and I can’t wait to go back for another visit in the next book in the series.

I can’t wait to recommend this one and will be eagerly awaiting (slightly impatiently) the release of Book 2 in the Swallowtail Bay series.

Book Blurb

Escape to the cosy seaside town of Swallowtail Bay, the perfect place for a fresh start – but is Stella’s new beginning over before it’s begun?

Licking her wounds from her divorce, Stella impulsively buys a gift shop and two holiday lets in glorious Swallowtail Bay, hoping for a fresh start with her King Charles Spaniel Frank.

When the neighbours meet her with a warm welcome, Stella knows she’s found the new home she was looking for. Even gorgeous but grumpy local Miles can’t take the shine off things. But then her ex-husband announces he’s getting married again, and someone in the village starts gossiping about Stella…

Is Stella’s dream over already? Or, with her new friends behind her, can Stella fight back and save her new life – and find the happy ever after she’s been waiting for?

About the Author

Well, hello there! Thanks for stopping by my author page!

I’m Katie, a writer of romantic fiction and a few cozy mystery short stories. I’ve written the Seafront series (The Little Theatre on the Seafront and Summer Season on the Seafront) and my stand-alone Christmas novel Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage comes out in October 2019.

I live in Kent with my hubby, two kids, and our King Charles Spaniel, Wotsit. As I love a good chinwag, do come and say hello over on Twitter: @KatieGAuthor or on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/KatieGAuthor. I also blog about random stuff on my website: http://www.keginger.com

Please like and share to help spread the book love for this superb 5* read and enjoy some escapism in the spring sunshine!

Posted in Adult Fiction

#CoverReveal Today I am delighted to be able to help reveal the cover for The Cauldron of Life by Caroline Logan @bearpuffbooks @cranachanbooks #Lovebookstours @lovebooksgroup@bearpuffbooks @cranachanbooks #Lovebookstours @lovebooksgroup

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

I love helping spread the book love and helping with cover reveals for gorgeous books is always so much fun!! Today I am helping with the cover reveal for The Cauldron of Life!

Book Blurb

Join the journey; discover your destiny Harris has been captured by the Faerie Queen and Ailsa must journey once again into the heart of Eilanmòr to rescue him. But Ailsa is struggling with her newfound magic and the revelations about her real identity. Is the Faerie Queen Ailsa’s mother? Is everything she believed about her past a lie? Meanwhile, a war is brewing between Heaven and Hell, with the world as the battleground. The lines between good and evil are blurring, and Ailsa must decide where she stands.

Publication date: 1st October 2020




About the Author


Caroline Logan is a writer of Young Adult Fantasy. Her debut novel, The Stone of Destiny, is the first in The Four Treasures series, and the much-anticipated, The Cauldron of Life, will be the second. Caroline is a high school biology teacher who lives in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland, with her fiancé. Before moving there, she lived and worked in Spain, Tenerife, Sri Lanka and other places in Scotland. She graduated from The University of Glasgow with a bachelor’s degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology. In her spare time, she tries to ski and paddleboard, though she is happiest with a good book and a cup of tea.



Social Media Links


Instagram: @bearbooksandtravel Twitter: @bearpuffbooks


Are we now ready to see Caroline Logan’s fabulous new cover….


I hope you all love it as much as I do! Massive thanks to Love Book Tours for the invitation to take part, please remember to like and share to help spread the love!!


Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Contemporary Fiction

#BlogTour – Pop over to my blog and check out my review for Her Husband’s Mistake by Sheila O’Flanagan #BackaBlogger #BookBlogger #Review #HerHusbandsMistake @annecater @sheilaoflanagan @headlinepg

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am joining the blog tour for the latest release by Sheila O’Flanagan – Her Husband’s Mistake. Many thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to read this book and share my review. When I saw this blog tour pop up in my inbox I couldn’t wait to read the book as it sounded right up my street. 

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My Review

Roxy has just lost her father and has been running his chauffeur business whilst he was poorly to help keep it afloat in his absence. Just when she thinks life can’t deal her any more blows she catches her husband cheating on her with a neighbour and this story follows her as she goes from being in a carefree marriage to having the weight of the world on her shoulders.

A book full of family loyalty, love, trust and mistrust, Roxy has some big decisions to make – can she trust Dave again? afterall he was her childhood sweetheart but she is also aware she has two children to support and she is still grieving the loss of her Dad and trying to be there for her Mum.

I loved Roxy she was the shoulder for all of the family and as her character comes out as you keep reading you realise just how determined she is to be a success as she decides on the next steps in her life. She is passionate and driven and I love the demonstration of how the onus is often on Mum to keep all of the balls in the air when it comes to childcare and making sure that there is dinner on the table for everyone.

A book that I found gathered momentum the more I read and I found myself routing for Roxy as she looks to move forward with her life. A brilliant book that is easy to pick up and put down and oozing with brilliant strong female characters.

 

Book Blurb


Roxy’s marriage has always been rock solid.

After twenty years, and with two carefree kids, she and Dave are still the perfect couple.

Until the day she comes home unexpectedly, and finds Dave in bed with their attractive, single neighbour.

Suddenly Roxy isn’t sure about anything – her past, the business she’s taken over from her dad, or what her family’s future might be. She’s spent so long caring about everyone else that she’s forgotten what she actually wants. But something has changed. And Roxy has a decision to make.

Whether it’s with Dave, or without him, it’s time for Roxy to start living for herself…

 

Her Husband's Mistakes PB Cover

Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

Sheila O Flanagan Author pic

Ireland is famed for its writers, but for me growing up most of the novels were rural in both their settings and their points of view. I wanted to read books about people like me, who lived in the city and struggled with the chaotic bus timetable and had dreams and ambitions that had nothing to do with the farm. I also wanted to read novels in which the women were the heroes of their own stories and not simply there because they were someone’s wife, mother or daughter.

Although I was constantly writing, the idea of being a novelist was a bit of a pipe dream. I had to earn a living and so I got a job in finance. It was the complete opposite of anything I’d ever expected to do but – at least for a time – I enjoyed it and I did well.

But the dream wouldn’t go away and in my thirties I decided that I would make a real effort to write my novel. Eventually, after a couple of false starts, Dreaming of A Stranger was written and published and became an Irish bestseller.

Since then I’ve written more than 20 novels as well as 3 collections of short stories and 2 novels for children all of which have been bestsellers both in Ireland and overseas. They include The Hideaway, What Happened That Night, Isobel’s Wedding and Suddenly Single and my sales have topped 8 million around the world. My next book will be published on 30th May 2019 and is called Her Husband’s Mistake. In it, Roxy, my heroine, has to reassess her rock-solid marriage after a shattering discovery.

In most of my books, I put women in situations where they have to dig deep inside themselves to find their inner strength even though sometimes they struggle to realise it’s there. Readers often ask who my favourite characters are, but every one of the women in my books is as close to me as a member of my family. (For the time when I’m writing a book they’re even closer because they’re in my head 24/7. At least with the family I can put the phone down!)

Regardless of who my readers are, I always try to do three things when I’m writing:

Tell a good story
Make the reader feel like they know the characters
Make each book better than the last

I’ve been very lucky in having so many books published and hearing from readers all around the world. And I’m glad that, when times were tough, I remembered the quote that ‘a professional writer is an amateur who wouldn’t quit”

I’m a passionate avocate for increasing literacy and helping people who have come to reading late in life so that they can find the same pleasure in reading as I’ve had. I’ve taken part in a number of different televised projects to help people who’ve struggled with reading and writing and I’ve contributed to both the Quick Reads and Open Doors series of novellas for new readers. I’m also a board member of Fighting Words, the creative writing centre set up by Booker prize-winner Roddy Doyle where I’ve worked with teenagers to write their own published stories and retired people who are working on their memoirs.

 

Her Husband's Mistakes PB BT Poster

Please keep following the blog tour and remember to like and share to help spread the book love! 

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

#BlogTour Pop over and have a read of my review for A Springtime to Remember by Lucy Coleman #BackaBlogger #Review @rararesources @lucycolemanauth

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am very excited to be joining the blog tour for A Springtime to Remember by Lucy Coleman, this was my first book by this author and I loved it and am excited to read more books by this author.

A Springtime to Remember Full Tour Banner

A lovely story set in Versailles that will make you keen to keep reading and leave you feeling warm and fuzzy. Lexie has headed to Versailles to follow in her Grandmother’s footsteps and try to discover more about a year of her life she never discussed. 

Set against a stunning back drop I loved devouring the story of Lexie and getting to know the story of her Grandmother and what really happened in the year she spent in Versailles. The story pulled me in early on as I love gardening and was fascinated by the gorgeous descriptions of the stunning gardens. My Grandad was a keen gardener and I really connected with this story on a personal level as it triggered happy memories from childhood and I wanted to take join Lexie on the journey and discover her families long lost secrets.

A book bursting with colour and vibrant descriptions that will make you want to go and visit the stunning locations, exploring the streets of Versailles and discovering the charm of the area for yourself. A wonderful feel good read that just swept me along and made me feel the sun on my skin as Lexie discovered a bit more of her family history each day.

 

Book Blurb

Let Lucy Coleman transport you to glorious, sun-drenched France, for the perfect feel-good read.

Paris and the Palace of Versailles have always meant a lot to TV producer Lexie. Her grandma Viv spent a year there, but her adventures and memories were never discussed, and Lexie has long wondered why they were a family secret.

When work presents the perfect excuse to spend Springtime in Versailles, Lexie delves into Viv’s old diaries and scrapbooks, and with the help of handsome interpreter Ronan, she is soon learning more about the characters
that tend to the magnificent gardens, now and in the past.

In amongst the beauty and splendour of the French countryside, a story of lost love, rivalry and tragedy unfolds. Can Lexie and Ronan right the wrongs of the past, and will France play its tricks on them both before Lexie has to go home? 

Will this truly be a Springtime to Remember…?

 

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Purchase Links

Amazon: https://smarturl.it/SpringtimeToRemember

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-springtime-to-remember

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/a-springtime-to-remember/id1481640123

 

 

About the Author

Linn 2

From interior designer to author, Linn B. Halton – who also writes under the pen name of Lucy Coleman – says ‘it’s been a fantastic journey!’

Linn is the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels – including Summer on the Italian Lakes, Snowflakes over Holly Cove, The French Adventure and A Cottage in the Country. She is represented by Sara Keane of the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

When she’s not writing, or spending time with the family, she’s either upcycling furniture or working in the garden.

Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award; her novels have been short-listed in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards.

Living in Coed Duon in the Welsh Valleys with her ‘rock’, Lawrence, and gorgeous Bengal cat Ziggy, she freely admits she’s an eternal romantic.

Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the SoA. Linn writes feel-good, uplifting novels about life, love and relationships.

Visit Linn & Lucy’s website at: http://linnbhalton.co.uk/

 

Social Media Links

Website: http://lucycolemanromance.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyColemanAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucyColemanauth

 

 

Springtime Prize

Giveaway to Win a signed paperback of ‘A French Adventure’ and a metal leaf bookmark. (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide 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.

Click here to enter!