Month: Nov 2020

Posted in Blog Tour, Young Readers 5-9

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for Hector’s Perfect Cake by Lily Clarke

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

I love encouraging children to read and love dipping into books for our younger audience to help spread the love – today I am sharing my review for Hector’s Perfect Cake.

My Review

Today I am delighted to be brightening up your Thursday morning with a review for this wonderful children’s book. Hector’s Perfect Cake is written for our younger readers with colourful illustrations and a great story to entertain children whilst carrying a message about perfectionism.

As soon as I saw the cover for this one it appealed and who can resist a story about cake! The size of the font for the story makes it easy to read and the pages are bright and colourful but not too cluttered.

Hector is trying to make a cake for his Granny’s birthday but hasn’t got his key ingredient and is desperate to make sure it is perfect. This story highlights sharing and that it isn’t always about being perfect but about making the effort and showing you care.

A recommended read that you will love to curl up and read to your little ones in the evening and enjoy as they learn to read and describe the pictures themselves.

Book Blurb

Hector is baking a cake for his Granny and he’s determined that it’s going to be perfect.
But when he discovers that the peanut butter jar is empty, Hector decides that he must head out to find some more, or else his perfect cake will be ruined.

As time begins to run out, Hector’s luck begins to run out too. He may have to accept that sometimes perfection just isn’t possible…

Available to purchase below:

Hector’s Perfect Cake Website

Etsy

Amazon UK

Meet the Author

Lily Clarke is the author and illustrator of Hector’s Perfect Cake. 
She studied Physics at the University of York and now works as an innovation consultant in Cambridge. When she doesn’t have her nose in a book, she runs a small business called Lily in Space Designs, where she sells a range of illustrated products inspired by books and nature. Her favourite animals are badgers, birds and bats, (although she also loves animals that don’t begin with the letter B!). 
Hector’s Perfect Cake is Lily’s first book, inspired by her own experiences of dealing with perfectionism. 

Follow on Social Media

Twitter – @lilyclarkex

Instagram – @lilyinspacedesigns

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

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

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today and I hope you have a great day!

Daisy & Kel x

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Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Historical Fiction

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for the wonderful – Harpers Heroes by Rosie Clarke

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today is my spot on the blog tour for the wonderful historical fiction series Harpers Heroes by Rosie Clarke. I read this a couple of weeks ago and it was a fitting book to have read to commemorate Remembrance Day, set in World War I.

My Review

I am loving the Harper Girls series, in this fiction story we spent some time on the frontline with Maggie and her new friends as well as spending time in the Harper store, it was great to revisit old characters that you’ve loved but also get to know new ones. A story that is reminding you what life was like for everyone during WWI, the war that should have only lasted a few months.

I love historical fiction especially the early 1900’s to late 1950’s and this story is a wonderful reminder of what the men and women sacrificed and the constant heartache experienced during these times. There is joy and heartache within these pages, the descriptions and smells from the frontline are vivid and make it drive home the impact of what our great grandparents would have experienced either in their childhood or as young adults.

I can’t wait for the next book to be released to see what comes next for these wonderful characters. A highly recommended read that I really enjoyed.

Book Blurb

From the bestselling author of the Welcome to Harpers Emporium and The Mulberry Lane Series.


The Harpers Girls come face to face with the harsh reality of the cruelty of war.


Oxford Street, London 1915

Sally Harper quietly battles to keep Harpers afloat in the difficult days of the war, whilst husband Ben is working all hours for the War Office.

Beth Burrow is fighting concern for her husband Jack, now at sea with the Merchant Navy, and the fear she may never see him again and be blessed with a child.

Driven to exhaustion, Maggie Gibbs, is now working as a nursing assistant on the battlefields in France. With the everyday horrors of the casualties of war to contend with she suffers her own personal tragedy when her fiancé’s plane ditches in the sea.

Can the Harpers Girls and their loved ones survive the perils of war and find a path to future happiness?

A heart-warming saga following the lives, loves and losses of the Harpers Girls. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Pam Howes and Dilly Court.

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Rosie Clarke is a #1 bestselling saga writer whose most recent books include The Mulberry Lane series.  She has written over 100 novels under different pseudonyms and is a RNA Award winner.  She lives in Cambridgeshire.

Social Media Links


Newsletter Sign Up – http://bit.ly/RosieClarkeNewsletter

Website – http://www.rosieclarke.co.uk/

Bookbub – http://bookbub.com/authors/rosie-clarke

Twitter – https://twitter.com/anneherries

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

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today and I hope you have a great day!

Daisy & Kel x

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit, Seasonal

Today I am very excited to share my review for the romantic read – One Kiss Before Christmas by Emma Jackson

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

I love reading books by a new author and jumped at the chance to read this festive read by Emma Jackson.

My Review

A story set against the backdrop of Paris and the wonderful seaside town of Brighton. The descriptions were vivid and jumped off of the pages for the places Olivier & Ashleigh were visiting, they really bought the location to life. We love visiting Brighton and it homes our favourite Sealife Centre which is affectionately referred to in this story.

Olivier has returned to see his Maman for Christmas and is expecting to actually get a few days rest. Whilst Ashleigh is donning her elf costume again as she works in the lead up to Christmas. I love how these lovely characters had known eachother in their teens and are randomly thrown together again in a series of events and trips planned by friends to help them get to know eachother and reconnect as friends.

A festive read full of romance, laughter and fun with some tears sprinkled like confetti amongst the pages. I loved this story from beginning to end and was so disappointed when real life got in the way and I had to put my book down. I loved the magic that was scattered across the pages of this heartwarming story.

Book Blurb

A gorgeously romantic festive read from the author of A Mistletoe Miracle, guaranteed to warm your heart this Christmas!


Could it be the start of her happy ever after?

Ashleigh could use a little Christmas magic. She’s still living in Brighton with her Nan — who could give the Grinch lessons in how to be miserable — her acting career has been reduced to playing one of Santa’s elves, and not even the prospect of a friend’s winter wedding can cheer her up…

That is until Olivier, the gorgeous French chef, reappears in her life. Or more accurately, next door.

When they were teenagers, Olivier would spend every other Christmas with his mother, who just happens to be Ash’s neighbour and owner of the best chocolate shop in England. 


If anyone can bring a little sparkle back to Ash’s life, it’s Olivier. All she needs is one kiss before Christmas…

Feel-good and festive, this is the perfect romance to curl up with this winter!

Available to purchase here

Meet Emma Jackson

Author of the Best Selling A MISTLETOE MIRACLE and contender for the Joan Hessayon Award 2020, Emma has been a devoted bookworm and secret-story-scribbler since she was 6 years old. When she’s not running around after her two daughters and trying to complete her current work-in-progress, Emma loves to read, bake, catch up on binge-watching TV programmes with her partner and plan lots of craft projects that will inevitably end up unfinished. Her latest romantic comedy, SUMMER IN THE CITY, was released in June 2020.

Emma also writes historical and fantasy fiction as Emma S Jackson. THE DEVIL’S BRIDE was published by DarkStroke in February 2020.


Where to find Emma on Social Media

You can find out news about Emma via her website, by signing up to her newsletter at http://www.esjackson.co.uk or on:
Twitter: @ESJackson1 

Instagram: @emma_s_jackson 

Facebook @EmmaJacksonAuthor

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

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today and I hope you have a great day!

Daisy & Kel x

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit, Seasonal

On this chilly Sunday morning I’m getting well and truly into the Christmas spirit sharing my review for Christmas at Aunt Elsie’s by Emily Harvale #rachelsrandomresources #blogblitz #backablogger #festiveread @rararesources @emilyharvale

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

All this talk of Christmas and making my festive range of wax melts has got me well and truly into the festive spirit, so I was very excited to dive into this festive treat.

My Review

I love reading books by Emily Harvale and this one has been on my kindle since it arrived on publication day and I’ve been so excited to pick it up. Back in the summer I took my first trip to Seahorse Harbour and met Aunt Elsie and I loved curling up to enjoy this festive read.

I love that Emily Harvale often writes a few books featuring the same characters and Lottie & Merry arrival in this story are excellent additions to those we met in the summer.

A wonderful festive read that will have you reaching for the brandy to lace your hot chocolate and pulling out your supplies to make mince pies. This story oozed Christmas festivities set against a wonderful seaside view.

I really hope there will be another visit to these wonderful characters as I loved this story!

Book Blurb

A distant relative. A blizzard. A Christmas of surprises.

Lottie Short isn’t looking forward to Christmas. Her boyfriend has dumped her and she’s also lost her job. Lottie and her beloved spaniel, Merry, are facing the festive season – and a bleak future, alone.

But a Christmas card and round-robin letter give Lottie hope. And as the first snowflakes fall, she’s on her way to the tiny seaside village of Seahorse Harbour to visit her distant aunt. She’ll stay in a cosy B&B and get some bracing, sea air. That might lift her spirits.

What she doesn’t plan for is a blizzard, her aunt taking a fall, or the dramas unfolding all around her. But at least there’s a warm welcome at Aunt Elsie’s cottage … and a roaring log fire in the village pub.

That’s not all that might bring a rosy glow to Lottie’s cheeks. Asher Bryant, the local vet is pretty hot, and Lottie also hits it off with another visitor to Seahorse Harbour. This festive season might be better than she hoped.

And when Lottie gets more than one surprise this Christmas, perhaps she and Merry won’t be spending the New Year on their own.

This is book 2 in my new series of standalone novels set in the tiny, seaside village of Seahorse Harbour.

Available to purchase here

Meet Emily Harvale

Emily writes novels, novellas and short stories about friendship, family and falling in love. She loves a happy ending but knows that life doesn’t always go to plan. Her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.

Emily loves to connect with her readers and has a readers’ group in which many have become good friends. To catch up with Emily, find out about the group, or connect with her on social media, go to her website at www.emilyharvale.com.

Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her home town of Hastings where she now writes full-time. She’s a member of the SoA, an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star. When not writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies – and will do anything to avoid both. Emily has two mischievous rescue cats that like to sprawl across her keyboard, regardless of whether Emily is typing on it, or not.

Where to find Emily on Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/emilyharvalewriter

https://www.twitter.com/emilyharvale

https://www.instagram.com/emilyharvale

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog blitz!

Please remember to like and share to help spread the book love.

Have a great day and thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book!

Kel x

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

As we reach the end of the week I am very excited to share my review for a wonderful 5* festive read – Christmas at the Cornish Confetti Agency by Daisy James

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

I am a massive fan of Daisy James and am very excited to be jumping on the blog tour for this wonderful festive read.

My Review

OMG what a superb festive read, I’ve laughed and cried as I’ve lost myself between these magical pages and been transported to Cornwall alongside Lexie and her wonderful friends.

Daisy James is always an author I look forward to reading and this book did not disappoint. It was lovely to go back to Cornwall and get reacquainted with old favourites and meet a few new faces as Lexie plans her final Cornish wedding and pushes the thought of what she is going to do next to the back of her mind.

A jam packed story as the countdown is on to the final wedding which has a host of events in the lead up with a few mysteries along the way in true Cornish Confetti Agency style. I loved the wedding planning and the details that are included and how the friends all pull together. My favourite event in this book was the planning for the fashion show and this made me feel emotional, it was written with such passion and affection I could feel the emotions of these wonderful characters.

I loved reading this story and will miss the wonderful characters that made me laugh and cry throughout. A festive masterpiece packed with activities to really get you in the spirit of Christmas.

Book Blurb

It’s Christmas at The Cornish Confetti Agency!

When Lexie Harrington is asked to choreograph Phoebe and Sam’s Christmas-themed wedding, she can’t wait to create the perfect winter wonderland – elegantly dressed fir trees, glossy garlands of holly and mistletoe, baskets of yule logs and pine cones, and the mouth-watering fragrance of gingerbread, cinnamon sticks and warm mulled wine floating through the air.

With handsome wedding columnist-cum-fledgling scriptwriter Theo Barker at her side, she’s confident that she can create the perfect festive ambience the bride and groom have been dreaming of since their engagement in the Swiss Alps; no rampant hosepipes, no mechanical mice, no confetti-filled hairdryers.

But this is The Cornish Confetti Agency, and the words ‘plain-sailing’ and ‘hassle-free’ do not feature in the promotional brochure. So, when a much-loved portrait of the groom’s father is adorned with pirate eye-patches and black plastic moustaches, and his expensive cologne is switched for toilet cleaner, Lexie and Theo must once again don their metaphorical deerstalkers and unravel the mystery before the wedding dissolves into Christmas-themed chaos and calamity.

A perfect Christmas wedding?
Is there such a thing for The Cornish Confetti Agency?

A glittery, feel-good story perfect for the festive season, and the third book in The Cornish Confetti Agency series.

Available to purchase Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com

Meet Daisy James

Daisy James loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She especially likes to create sunshine-filled settings in exotic locations – the Caribbean, Tuscany, Cornwall, Provence – so she can spend her time envisioning her characters enjoying the fabulous scenery and sampling the local food and drink.

When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea – china plates and teacups are a must.

Where to find Daisy James

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

Twitter – https://twitter.com/daisyjamesbooks

Instagram – @daisyjamesbooks

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

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today and I hope you have a great day!

Daisy & Kel x

Posted in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

Today I am joining the blog blitz for a lovely light hearted read – Wedding Vows and Cornish Ribbons by Laura Briggs

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for Book 1 in the new series by Laura Briggs, I loved my visit to Cornwall with Laura in the summer and was really excited to pick this one up and revisit these lovely characters.

My Review

I loved meeting these ladies in the summer and am so pleased the author has decided to create a series based on their wedding planning adventures.This visit to Cornwall is kicking off the new series by Laura Briggs and we get to go back and spend more time with Kitty & Julianne as they plan their first wedding event since renovating the barn.

In this story we meet an indecisive bride and groom and get lots of detail into the fine workings of planning both a larger and smaller wedding which helps create the authenticity of the story. There is lots of fine detail points and you feel as if you are planning the wedding for indecisive Deidre and Nic.

I enjoyed settling down to read this light hearted read by Laura Briggs, I love a book that makes it easy to distract yourself from the outside world and I look forward to what adventures come next in this series.

Book Blurb

Event planner Julianne Rose is on the verge of making her dreams of ‘rescuing’ weddings in need of help a reality. She and business partner Kitty have finally finished transforming the dilapidated barn into a chic event space, and they even have a new client eager to use it—a quirky, charming space organization guru named Deirdre who seems capable of organizing everything but her own special day. As if that wasn’t enough, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity soon presents itself through the who’s who of their sleepy little Cornish village: the chance to step into the event planning void for a posh bride in desperate need of an emergency salvage for her wedding plans. A wedding that could establish Julianne and Kitty as two of Cornwall’s best event planners if all goes well.

But an event that big doesn’t come without a catch. To persuade the posh clients to commit to them, Julianne and Kitty must first impress them with the ceremony for their current bride-to-be—a task that seemed easy, but proves complicated when stories emerge involving a history of broken engagements, cold feet, and commitment phobia on the part of Deirdre, who soon begins to exhibit possible symptoms of nervousness regarding her big day. Faced with a real case of runaway bride—and with their future reputation at stake— they must attempt to the impossible task of holding together a wedding fraying at its seams, and Julianne finds herself seemingly facing a choice between what’s best for Save the Date’s survival and what’s best for her client’s happiness, regardless of the cost.

Are Julianne’s worst fears about to be realized, with Deirdre gearing up for yet another run from the church altar? Can she persuade the posh but sympathetic bride Alexi to take a risk on Save the Date regardless of it? And will Julianne and the handsome-but-equally-busy Matt find time to smolder anything in their marriage besides leftover chicken pie? Readers will learn these answers and more in the funny and heartfelt sequel to the first full-length titular novel Return to Cornwall.

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to church, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Where to find Laura Briggs 

Author Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI 

Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ 

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

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today and I hope you have a great day!

Daisy & Kel x