Month: May 2020

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

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for the gorgeous read – A Wedding at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am joining the blog tour for the wonderful read A Wedding at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry

My Review

Set in a wonderful location, I loved the mix of the fields of bluebells on the family farm and the beach hut where they spend so much time surfing and having family BBQ’s. Both families were full of wonderful characters; I loved the vibrance of Clover and how she seemed to light up every room she enters and Gwen always there to lend an ear and wisdom. The relationships were wonderfully detailed and the characters easy to visualise which just made the book even more appealing to immerse myself in.

A perfect read to whisk you away and immerse you in the lives of Robyn and her soon to be husband Jake. Robyn is in the midst of planning her wedding whilst dealing with lots of emotions and debating whether now is the time to reach out to her birth mother.

A story that unfolds and draws you in as emotions are laid on the table, the wording makes moments throughout this book really poignant and I was taken on an emotional journey that made me laugh, cry and smile as the story unravelled.

A truly brilliant book that I loved and where I could easily have kept reading about these wonderful characters and what would come next for them

Book Blurb

Escape to Everdene Sands, where the sun is shining – but is the tide about to turn?

Robyn and Jake are planning their dream wedding at the family beach hut in Devon. A picnic by the turquoise waves, endless sparkling rosé and dancing barefoot on the golden sand . . .

But Robyn is more unsettled than excited. She can’t stop thinking about the box she was given on her eighteenth birthday, and the secrets it contains. Will opening it reveal the truth about her history – and break the hearts of the people she loves most?

As the big day arrives, can everyone let go of the past and step into a bright new future?

Available to purchase here

About the Author

Veronica Henry has worked as a scriptwriter for THE ARCHERS, HEARTBEAT and HOLBY CITY amongst many others, before turning to fiction. She won the 2014 RNA NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD for A NIGHT ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Veronica lives with her family in a village in north Devon.

Find out more at http://www.veronicahenry.co.uk or follow her on Twitter @veronica_henry

Many thanks to Random Things Tours for the invitation to join the blog tour, please remember to like and share to spread the love for this brilliant book!

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Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

A Cornish Summer Holiday (Little Duck Pond Cafe Series) by Rosie Green

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today is my stop on the blog tour for A Cornish Summer Holiday by Rosie Green, which is Book 10 in the Little Duck Pond Cafe series.

My Review

I loved my trip to Cornwall whilst reading this book as it reminded me of the trips we took when I was a child and the summer days wandering the beaches and eating cornish pasties.

This is the 10th book in this series but the first time I’ve met these lovely ladies and I really enjoyed it and it reads great as a stand alone if you haven’t started the series yet. A Cornish Summer Holiday is a lovely easy read oozing with brilliant characters that all bring a little something to the story.

I love a home renovation so the storyline really appealed to me, I love how the girls got stuck in with the renovations armed with colour charts inbetween their visits to the beach. As I continued to read this book I enjoyed how the backstory trickled in of the cottages and who had previously lived in them and the discoveries they made along the way that led to new friendships being forged.

A brilliant read to escape to the sandy dunes in Cornwall and feel like your taking a mini holiday and I look forward to reading more of this series and getting to know more about these kind hearted ladies.

Book Blurb

The Little Duck Pond Cafe girls are looking forward to a well-earned break in the Cornish seaside town of Pengully Sands, where Sylvia’s sister, Aggie, owns a holiday home. With the glorious golden sands, sparkling azure sea and an ice-cream parlour only yards away, it seems like the perfect location to relax and watch the surfers riding the waves (and maybe even have a go themselves).

But when they arrive, the girls find it’s not quite the seaside idyll they were expecting. The house is less ‘holiday home’ and more ‘creepy, dilapidated haunted house.’ Gracie, who runs the ice-cream parlour, has problems of her own and the last thing she needs is a bunch of high-spirited girls arriving to disturb the peace and isolation she craves. And when a handsome stranger looks set to destroy her livelihood, it seems like the last straw. Will Gracie get her happy ending – and maybe even make friends with the girls next-door? This wasn’t the relaxing break the Little Duck Pond Cafe girls were expecting, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be the holiday of a lifetime!

Available to purchase here

About the Author

Rosie has been scribbling stories ever since she was little.

Back then, they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ‘the baddies’.

Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger involved at all – unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.

Her series of novellas is centred around life in a village cafe. The latest, ‘Lemon Drizzle Mondays at the Little Duck Pond Cafe’, is out now.

Rosie is currently writing a full-length book, ‘Lucy’s Great Cornish Escape’, which – in a fun twist – will feature favourite characters from the Little Duck Pond Café series.

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

Pop over to my blog today to read my review for The Plus One Pact by Portia Macintosh

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am joining the blog tour for The Plus One Pact, another brilliant read with lots of comedy sprinkled throughout.

My Review

Here is my review for the ultimate feel good read, which is just what the doctor ordered in the current climate. I love a light hearted read and have found I am gravitating to them more recently and this one made me giggle throughout.

When Cara meets Millsy and they come to an agreement to be each others plus ones for some family events, what could possibly go wrong. Neither of them anticipated how well they would get on or the mischief they would find themselves creating as they put their plan into action.

I really enjoyed this book, it made me chuckle throughout as the characters came to life and create havoc at each event they attend. Cara is a brilliant personality and I felt drawn to her, I liked her attitude and how she quickly struck up a friendship with Millsy. This book is light hearted read and will keep you entertained right until the last page.

Book Blurb

What if your plus one could be the one…?

Cara has officially run out of men. Her most recent dates have gone from bad to worse, and when her dating app informs her there is no one left in her area to choose from, she is at a dead end.

But with a summer of events ahead of her, she needs to find a solution, fast; someone to keep her company at the never-ending weddings, family gatherings and gender reveal parties that she can’t face going to alone. 

So when she meets handsome, confident, Millsy on a night out she may be in luck. They could not be more different in personality, but he too has a summer of events ahead and is desperate to get his family off his back about finding a ‘nice girl’. What if they made a pact to help each other out and be a plus one for the summer? Just as friends of course…? 

A brand new romantic comedy from bestseller Portia MacIntosh, perfect for fans of Zara Stoneley, Sophie Ranald and Mhairi McFarlane.

Available to purchase here

About the Author

Portia MacIntosh is a bestselling romantic comedy author of 12 novels, including It’s Not You, It’s Them and Honeymoon For One. Previously a music journalist, Portia writes hilarious stories, drawing on her real life experiences.

Social Media Links

Newsletter – http://bit.ly/PortiaMacIntoshNewsletter

Facebook – http://facebook.com/portia.macintosh.3

Twitter – https://twitter.com/PortiaMacIntosh

Instagram – http://instagram.com/portiamacintoshauthor

Bookbub – //http://bookbub.com/authors/portia-macintosh

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

Escape to the French Farmhouse by Jo Thomas

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am super excited to be sharing my review for Escape to the French Farmhouse by Jo Thomas as this book totally captured my heart.

My Review

A glorious sunny read that mixes the relaxing scents of Lavender and the gorgeous French sunshine in between the pages as you read.

Shamefully this was my first book by Jo Thomas and now I’m wondering what other gems I might have missed as I just loved it.

Del is a wonderful character who despite the odds digs deep to carve a new life for herself as per her original intention when she left her old life behind and moved to the farmhouse in France. From the first few pages I just knew I was going to love Del and as I kept turning the pages I just grew to love her character more and more.

 A story that will bring a smile to your face on even the gloomiest day. I loved my afternoon in the garden making the most of the sunshine and enjoying the delicious scent of the lavender fields and beautiful lavender inspired recipes.

If your looking for the perfect read to lose yourself in this is the perfect gem, to enjoy on your sun lounger either on holiday or just for some much needed escapism.

Light hearted and heart warming this book will leave you with a lovely fuzzy feeling.

 

Book Blurb

Can she find her recipe for happiness?

Del and her husband Ollie moved to a beautiful village in Provence for a fresh start after years of infertility struggles. But six weeks after they arrive, they’re packing the removal van once more. As Del watches the van leave for England, she suddenly realises exactly what will make her happier…a new life in France – without Ollie.

Now alone, all Del has is a crumbling farmhouse, a mortgage to pay and a few lavender plants. What on earth is she going to do? Discovering an old recipe book at the market run by the rather attractive Fabian, Del starts to bake. But can her new-found passion really help her let go of the past and lead to true happiness?

A heart-warming tale about reclaiming your life, set amongst the lavender fields of Provence. Perfect escapism from the author of Late Summer in the Vineyard and The Honey Farm on the Hill.

 

Escape To The French Farmhouse Cover

Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

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Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, first for BBC Radio 5, before moving on to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show. In 2013 Jo won the RNA Katie Fforde Bursary. Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller in ebook and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best Ebook Award. Jo lives in the Vale of Glamorgan with her husband and three children.

 

Many thanks to Random Things Tours for the invitation to join the blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love! 

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Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Historical Fiction

Today I am joining the #BookstagramTour for These Lost & Broken Things by Helen Fields

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for These Lost & Broken Things by Helen Fields, this was my first book by this author and I loved getting to know Sofia and her family.

Broken Comp1

My Review

Based in the early 1900’s in London we get to know Sofia when her husband suddenly dies leaving her sole provider for their young children. Throughout this story you observe Sofia struggling to put food on the table for her children and gain an insight into her childhood where she initially learnt to spot cheats as a child travelling with her family. As you keep reading Sofia visits the darkest corners of her past whilst trying to find a way forward and remain in control of her life and keep her children safe.

I found that once I had started to read to story of Sofia both past and present it lured me in. Set against the suffragete movement in London this story is full of vivid descriptions of both the squalor and splendure of London dependent on your social class. It highlights how poorly women were treated by men and how this was deemed normal and acceptable just over 100 years ago.

A book that I thoroughly enjoyed and so pleased to have discovered a new author whose books I can’t wait to read again in the future.

 

Book Blurb

Maiden-Mother-Murderer

How dangerous is a woman with nothing left to lose?

The year is 1905. London is a playground for the rich and a death trap for the poor. When Sofia Logan’s husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her penniless with two young children, she knows she will do anything to keep them from the workhouse. But can she bring herself to murder? Even if she has done it before…

Emmet Vinsant, wealthy industrialist, offers Sofia a job in one of his gaming houses. He knows more about Sofia’s past than he has revealed. Brought up as part of a travelling fair, she’s an expert at counting cards and spotting cheats, and Vinsant puts her talents to good use. His demands on her grow until she finds herself with blood on her hands.

Set against the backdrop of the Suffragette protests, with industry changing the face of the city but disease still rampant, and poverty the greatest threat of all, every decision you make is life or death. Either yours or someone else’s. Read best-selling crime writer Helen Fields’ first explosive historical thriller.

 

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Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

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An international and Amazon #1 best-selling author, Helen is a former criminal and family law barrister. Every book in the Callanach series claimed an Amazon #1 bestseller flag. Her next book, the sixth in the series, ‘Perfect Kill’ is due out on 6 February 2020. Helen also writes as HS Chandler, and last year released legal thriller ‘Degrees of Guilt’. Her previous audio book ‘Perfect Crime’ knocked Michelle Obama off the #1 spot. Translated into 15 languages, and also selling in the USA, Canada & Australasia, Helen‘s books have won global recognition. Her first historical thriller ‘These Lost & Broken Things’ comes out in May 2020. A further standalone thriller published by HarperColllins will come soon. She currently commutes between Hampshire, Scotland and California, where she lives with her husband and three children. Helen can be found on Twitter @Helen_Fields for up to date news and information or at www.helenfields.co.uk.

 

Many thanks to Love Books Tours for the invitation to join this blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!

Lost and broken things 1

 

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for the latest release by Melissa Hill. I love it when I have the opportunity to read and review for an author whose books I love and what isn’t there to love about a story set in sunny Italy.

My Review

Set against the stunning backdrop of Italy with it’s amazing views and beautiful villas. This is a story about friendship and how these lovely ladies found themselves and each other whilst on a trip to Italy many years ago. Told over a dual timeline 6 years apart, you get an insight from all of them as to where they were in their lives when they first arrived in Italy and what instigated them being there in the first place. 

I enjoyed getting to know these ladies through their highs and lows and how no-one really quite knows everything that happened during their visit where they all first became friends. 

I love a book set in Italy and this oozes stereotypical cute Italians and delicious food. A story that keeps you guessing throughout as to how other events all link together from their first trip and discover what really happened during those gorgeous summer days.

A book that will provide the perfect companion during the long summer days and that I highly recommend adding to your TBR pile.

 

Book Blurb

Three women. One summer reunion. Secrets will be revealed…

Villa Dolce Vita, a rambling stone house on the Amalfi Coast, sits high above the Gulf of Naples amidst dappled lemon groves and the fragrant, tumbling bougainvillea. Kim, Colette and Annie all came to the villa in need of escape and in the process forged an unlikely friendship.

Now, years later, Kim has transformed the crumbling house into a luxury retreat and has invited her friends back for the summer to celebrate.

But as friendships are rekindled under the Italian sun, secrets buried in the past will come to light, and not everyone is happy that the three friends are reuniting… Each woman will have things to face up to if they are all to find true happiness and fully embrace the sweet life.

 

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Available to purchase here

 

About the Author

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International #1 bestselling Irish author Melissa Hill lives in County Wicklow.
Her page-turning, contemporary novels are published worldwide and translated into 25 different languages.

Many of her novels are currently in development for movies and TV.
An adaptation of A GIFT TO REMEMBER is airing now on Hallmark Channel US and Sky Cinema in Ireland/UK, and a sequel, CHERISHED MEMORIES filmed in 2019.
A Christmas movie adaptation of her USA Today bestseller, THE CHARM BRACELET is scheduled for release in 2020.

Her latest novel, KEEP YOU SAFE has also been optioned for UK TV, and a series based on one of her short stories is in development at Netflix.

Her brand new novel THE SUMMER VILLA available now, is a #1 Irish Times bestseller.

For more info visit her website at http://www.melissahill.ie
Twitter: @melissahillbks
Facebook: facebook.com/melissahillbooks
Instagram: @melissahillbooks

 

Many thanks to Harper Collins for the invitation to join the blog tour,  please remember to like and share to help spread the book love! 

THE SUMMER VILLA BTB

 


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

Happy Publication Day to Jean Fullerton who releases A Ration Book Wedding today 🎉 #publicationday #bookreview #rationbookwedding #backablogger #rachelsrandomresources @rararesources @jeanfullerton_ @corvusbooks

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Happy Publication Day to Jean Fullerton, I am delighted to be sharing my review to help kick off the blog tour for A Ration Book Wedding.

My Review

I love historical fiction particularly set in London during WWII and dived into this one and quickly lost myself into the comings and goings of the Brogan family.

A series that really brings to life the commaraderie of how friends and families pulled together during the war and how they managed to create so much when not a lot was available to them. I love the snippets sprinkled throughout that help reinforce what life was really like living in London during this time. The Brogan’s are a dynamic family with fiesty characters and they exude the spirit of East End London.

I love these books and each one feels like a continuation of the previous book. I am really excited to have been able to read this latest visit to the Brogan family as I love spending time with them and in this visit got to know Francesca as she decides she wants to do more for the war effort.

I feel that reading this book recently added to the impact the commaraderie had on me as I could feel the importance of the relationships with loved ones and how the impact of pulling together made them stronger.

A superb book from cover to cover, as I read I could feel their happiness and sadness ebbing off the pages. I really hope there is more to come from this family as I absolutely love reading about them.

Book Blurb

In the darkest days of the Blitz, love is more important than ever.

It’s February 1942, and as the Americans finally join Britain and her allies, twenty-three-year-old Francesca Fabrino is doing her bit for the war effort in a factory in East London. But her thoughts are constantly occupied by recently married Charlie Brogan, who is fighting in North Africa with the Eighth Army.
When Francesca starts a new job for the BBC Overseas department, she meets handsome Count Leo D’Angelo and begins to put her hopeless love for Charlie aside. But then Charlie returns from the front, his marriage in ruins and his heart burning for Francesca at last. Could she, a good Catholic girl, countenance an affair with the man she has always longed for? Or should she choose Leo and a different, less dangerous path?

Available to purchase here

About the Author

Jean Fullerton is the author of fifteen historical novels. She is a qualified District and Queen’s nurse who has spent most of her working life in the East End of London, first as a Sister in charge of a team, and then as a District Nurse tutor.

She is also a qualified teacher and spent twelve years lecturing on community nursing studies at a London university.

She now writes full time. Find out more at http://www.jeanfullerton.com

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit, Publication Day

Happy Publication Day to @TAWilliamsBooks Today I am sharing my review for Dreaming of Italy by T.A Williams #backablogger #bookreview #publicationday #rachelsrandomresources @rararesources

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

A massive Happy Publication Day to TA Williams, I discovered his books late last year and jumped at the chance to read his latest release.


My Review


Oh I do love a TA Williams book, he knows how to write pure escapism in the most gorgeous locations and I loved this one and how it whisked me away.


During this story you get to travel all over Italy with Emma as she looks for locations to shoot the movie that could land her the dream promotion she has been chasing and witness some gorgeous landmarks along the way. The descriptions are detailed and colourful and just make you want to travel and experience it for yourself.

The author has a brilliant way of bringing the locations to life so you feel like you are there experiencing them. This was another gorgeous story where the pages just whizzed by as I lost myself in the story of Emma & Mark. I loved the balance of the characters personalities and this grew the more I got to know them.

Everyone loves a bit of romance in Italy and this was another wonderful taste of Italy set against a stunning backdrop that I just loved from start to finish.



Book Blurb


Up for a dream promotion, Emma won’t let anything get in her way – not even love.
Working for a major Hollywood film company isn’t all glitz and glam. But when Emma gets sent to tour around Italy to scout the perfect location for a new blockbuster movie, she’s not going to complain. Especially when it could make or break her career…
Historical adviser for the project Mark is a distraction that Emma does not need. As they explore the beauty of Italy, Emma starts to fall for the mysterious Mark, and soon finds herself torn between her job and her heart.
From the wild, northern mountains of Piedmont, down the vibrant coast of Cinque Terre and through the rolling hills of Tuscany, Emma’s journey becomes one of self-discovery as she questions her priorities in life.
This heartwarming story of romance and redemption is the perfect read for fans of Tilly Tennant, Holly Martin and Daisy James.


Available to purchase here

About the Author
Firstly, my name isn’t T A. It’s Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, “Dirty Minds” one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn’t possibly comment. Ask my wife…

I’ve written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I’m enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.

I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.

I’ve been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she’s right.


Massive thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!