Category: Adult Fiction

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

Today I am super excited to be sharing some festive fun with my review for The Christmas Trip by Sandy Barker

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

I am super excited to be sharing my review for The Christmas Trip, I always love a book by Sandy Barker and this was no exception. I love getting to catch up with Lucy, Chloe and Jules again in this wonderful festive read.

Grab a cup of coffee and a cosy blanket and snuggle down for your Christmas trip with the May Ladies as they celebrate Christmas together and work hard to create the ultimate Christmas experience for everyone. Filled with Christmas decorations, stockings and traditions from all of their families as they combine all of their previous experiences and traditions from Colorado, Melbourne & London.

I absolutely loved this story, it was full of everything that is amazing about Christmas. I love the family time and time spent with loved ones and this story captures it so perfectly and is set in a gorgeous location (even if a hot Christmas doesn’t seem right)

A story that I loved from start to finish and couldn’t wait to find an extra few minutes to keep reading, so I could catch up on the latest developments between the friends and the additional characters that presented themselves throughout the story.

Book Blurb

Another year has passed and it’s Christmas again. This year best friends Chloe, Jules and Lucy are all loved up but living worlds apart.

Chloe is madly in love with her celebrity beau, Archer, but after a whirlwind year in Hollywood’s limelight, she’s desperate to get away and spend some quality time together.

Jules loves her Melbourne life – and gorgeous winemaker Matt – but a crowded flat share has her longing for a place of her own.

Meantime, Lucy is stuck in a long distance relationship, jetting back and forth between Colorado and London to see Will.

When Archer’s plan to whisk Chloe to Paris goes awry, he surprises her by bringing her friends together for a Christmas to remember…

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Sandy is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list, and many of her travel adventures have found homes in her novels. She’s also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob. 

Sandy lives in Melbourne Australia with her partner, Ben, who she met while travelling in Greece. Their real-life love story inspired Sandy’s debut novel One Summer in Santorini, the first in the Holiday Romance series with One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins. 

The series continues in That Night in Paris and A Sunset in Sydney and there are two more to come in 2022. Her standalone novel The Christmas Swap celebrates her favourite time of the year, and next up is The Dating Game, a laugh-out-loud romcom set in the world of Reality TV.

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/sandybarkerauthor

https://sandybarker.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sandybarkerauthor/

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 5*, Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for the latest book in the Cornish Midwife Series – Mistletoe & Magic for the Cornish Midwife by Jo Bartlett @rararesources @j_b_writer @boldwoodbooks #boldwoodbookbloggers

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

I absolutely love reading this series as the author has got the balance bang on, each time we spend the book with a different midwife and get to know them and their families.

In this story we are with Nadiya and her gorgeous children after she has returned from New Zealand. We get a glimpse into her reasons for returning to Port Agnes and watch as she tries to lay a future out for herself and her children.

These books always grab my attention early as Jo has such a wonderful way of drawing you into the story, so that you feel like you’ve never left the midwives.

I absolutely loved this story and couldn’t wait for an excuse to sit down and keep reading 🥰

Book Blurb

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

But for single mum and busy midwife Nadia, it’s quickly turning into her worst Christmas ever.

Her marriage is over, and whilst her husband has moved on, Nadia finds herself back home, squashed into her mum’s spare room with her two small children. They might not be a perfect family anymore, but Nadia is determined to make this Christmas special for them.

Dr Hamish Spencer totally understands Nadia’s pain. As a fellow single parent, he’s struggling to cope with a rebellious teen daughter and a precocious six-year-old! Perhaps if he and Nadia join forces, they could make this Christmas slightly more memorable for everyone?

The last thing Nadia wants is a new man in her life, but she’d definitely like lovely Hamish as a friend. But Christmas has a way of melting the hardest of hearts and maybe a kiss under the mistletoe could change everything?

Meet the Author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast. Her first title for Boldwood is The Cornish Midwife – part of a twelve-book deal

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, Contemporary Fiction

Today I am super excited to be joining the blog tour for The Christmas Letters by Jenny Hale

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

What a wonderful story, I always love reading books by Jenny Hale and this was no exception. When Liz returns home for Christmas after 7 years in New York, she is unsure what she will find after the loss of her Nan earlier in the year.

When Liz meets up with Naomi her childhood friend, we start to see glimpses of who Liz was before she became Elizabeth in New York. I was swept up in this story straight away as we revisit traditions including the letters her Nan used to write to friends and family to go with her cookies each year.

I loved the way the plot evolved and loved this story from beginning to end. What beats a Christmas story, based on a farm surrounded by snow and Christmas traditions with a sprinkling of romance.

Book Blurb

From the USA Today bestselling author of Coming Home for Christmas, with over one million copies of her books sold, comes a heartwarming holiday story that’s perfect for fans of Sheila Roberts, Debbie Macomber, and Jill Shalvis.

Elizabeth Holloway’s sparkling world comes crashing down around her when her boyfriend of seven years drops the bomb that he’s leaving her—at Christmas. In an attempt to piece her life back together, she suddenly finds herself seven hundred miles from her New York City home, trudging through the snow, back at her childhood farm in the Great Smoky Mountains.

And she isn’t expecting to meet visitor Paul Dawson with his dazzlingly blue eyes and warm smile, chipping away at her resolve to focus on figuring out who she is and what she really wants in life.

Just when she starts to think things are moving in the right direction, a stack of letters from Elizabeth’s grandmother will change everything she thought she knew about her family and cause a divide between her and Paul that she never saw coming.

Under the glitter of Christmas trees and bundles of mistletoe, Elizabeth uncovers more than she’d ever imagined. Will the Christmas letters strip her of everything she holds dear? Or will they be the biggest gift of the season?

A heartwarming holiday escape that will have you rushing to your loved ones this Christmas. If you enjoyed the Christmas movies based on Jenny’s books and are looking for more feel-good, small-town romance, look no further!

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Jenny Hale is a USA Today, Amazon, and international bestselling author of romantic contemporary fiction. Her books have sold worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television. Her novels Coming Home for Christmas and Movie Guide Epiphany Award winner Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses are Hallmark Channel original movies. 

She was included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and Southern Living’s “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now.” Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family. Jenny is at work on her next novel, delighted to be bringing even more heartwarming stories to her readers. 

When she isn’t writing, or heading up her romantic fiction imprint Harpeth Road, she can be found running around her hometown of Nashville with her husband, two boys, and their labradoodle, taking pictures—her favourite pastime.

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

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for the Final Book in the series Happy Endings at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

I was super excited to hear this book was being released as I absolutely love reading books by this wonderful author and I have loved this series.

Over this series we have spent time with Laurie, Ivy and Nerissa and gotten to know these wonderful ladies and their families. In this story it is picked up with Aurora who was in the beginning of the series and now working in America whilst Nick is moving on with his life after completing the warehouse conversion.

I quickly found myself immersed in the story as I remembered these wonderful characters and where we had last left the story. I always find that with books by this author, I just want to keep reading. They always have such a feel good factor about them whilst having the ability to make you laugh and occasionally cry throughout.

I am so sad to have reached the end of this series, but I absolutely loved revisiting Mermaids Point and watching Nerissa marrying the lovely Tom and seeing who would also find their happily ever afters.

Book Blurb

Music sensation Aurora Storm finally has her career back on track, but then she’s caught up in a media storm. Desperate to distract from the story, she enlists the one man she trusts to pretend to be her boyfriend. 

Meanwhile, in the small seaside village of Mermaids Point, Nick Morgan never expected to see Aurora again. When she calls out of the blue needing his help, he agrees at once. It feels like she’s back in his life for a reason, and he’s determined to make the most of it.

Aurora joins Nick and the rest of his family for their festive celebrations and, as the snow falls, Aurora finds herself caught up in the romance of Christmas. But having tasted worldwide fame, can she ever be content with village life? 

Two weeks is all Nick has to prove to Aurora that there’s a happy ending for them both in Mermaids Point.

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Sarah Bennett is the bestselling author of several romantic fiction trilogies including those set in Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay. Born and raised in a military family she is happily married to her own Officer and when not reading or writing enjoys sailing the high seas.

Social Media Links

Facebook: Sarah Bennett Author | Facebook 

Twitter: Sarah Bennett (@Sarahlou_writes) / Twitter 

Instagram: Sarah Bennett (@sarahlbennettauthor) • Instagram photos and videos 

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SarahBennettnews 

Bookbub profile: Sarah Bennett Books – BookBub 

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, Contemporary Fiction

What better way to end the weekend than with a review for the wonderful Making Waves at River View Cottage by Jennifer Bohnet

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

I am a massive fan of books by Jennifer Bohnet and this story is a previous release that was originally known as Call of the Sea and I jumped at the chance to read one that I hadn’t previously read.

We meet the lovely Cassie and her family from the offset as her son Tom is preparing to finish his competitive sailing career with a round the world boat race. I found that I got to know the family and their back story early on and you could see the love of sailing in the family.

I absolutely loved this emotional story as we experienced the highs and lows with Cassie during the boat race and the old feelings that surface whilst she contemplates a new romance. The perfect story to pick up on a rainy day and curl up and lose yourself in.

Book Blurb

Cassie Lewis, a widow for over 20 years has begun to realise there must be more to life.

In-between working at the family boatyard in picture perfect Dartmouth and raising two children, she wonders where the years have gone.

Both her children, Tom and Polly, have inherited their father’s love of sailing and currently Tom is preparing for a gruelling round the world race. When an accident forces Tom to pull out, Polly, to Cassie’s horror, insists she is capable of taking his place.

As Polly prepares for the race, Cassie unexpectedly finds herself with two keen and eligible men vying for her love.

With her BIG 5-0 birthday approaching Cassie knows she has some big decisions to make but will the worry over Polly’s safe return, cloud her judgement?

Originally published in 2003 as Call of the Sea

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Jennifer Bohnet is the bestselling author of over 12 women’s fiction titles, including Villa of Sun and Secrets and A Riviera Retreat. She is originally from the West Country but now lives in the wilds of rural Brittany, France.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Jennifer-Bohnet/100063527178184/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenniewriter 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniewriter/ 

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JenniferBohnetnewsletter 

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-bohnet 

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

Today I am super excited to share my review for Christmas Miracles at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

I was super excited to pick this book up as I’ve absolutely loved the Hedgehog Hollow series. Jessica Redland is one of my favourite authors to pick up and lose myself in.

This visit to Hedgehog Hollow is our last visit and whilst reading this story was tinged with sadness at being the last, the story soon grabs you and makes you want to keep reading.

Filled with drama from the offset, I was soon totally oblivious to the world around me as I just kept reading about the drama surrounding those at Hedgehog Hollow.

This story does contain potentially triggering subjects, which were sensitively handled throughout. I highly recommend grabbing a copy so you can see how the final trip to Hedgehog Hollow pans out for all of its wonderful residents and what beats a story set at my favourite time of year.

Book Blurb

It’s the countdown to Christmas at Hedgehog Hollow Wildlife Rescue Centre, and everyone is gearing up for a festive season to remember…

It should be the most wonderful time of the year for Samantha and Josh as they prepare for the arrival of their first baby. But life at Hedgehog Hollow rarely goes to plan and the pair are faced with adversaries, old and new, and unexpected challenges to overcome.

Fizz’s job at the heart of the rescue centre is a dream come true but her personal life is more like a nightmare. With her love life a disaster and her past about to dramatically catch up with her, she needs the love and support of her Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever.

As the snow falls over Hedgehog Hollow, will Samantha and Fizz find the Christmas miracle they need to overcome their heartache and find happiness?

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Social Media Links

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaRedland 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaredlandauthor/ 

Newsletter Sign Up:https://bit.ly/JessicaRedlandNews 

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-redland 

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, Publication Day

Today I am super excited to be sharing my review for A Chance in a Million by T.A Williams

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

A wonderful story that instantly captured me and made me eager to keep turning the pages. I loved meeting Jane and joining her as she embarked on a new job in Italy far away from her demons.

Veronica is a lovely character that you warm to quickly as her story starts to unfold and her family starts to come into the picture.

Set against a gorgeous sunny backdrop in scenic Italy, filled with gorgeous descriptions that make the scenery come to life. A story that will warm your heart and make you want to keep reading.

Grab yourself a copy and get cosy as you are transported away from a wet autumn to sunny Italy.

Book Blurb

Fate brought them together, now it’s up to them to make it work…

Having left the army to recover from a traumatic experience, Captain Jane Reed is on her way to Venice to assist Lady Veronica Cooper, a world-famous writer who has lost her mojo. Plagued by grief and sleepless nights, Jane soon finds a kindred spirit in Veronica, coping with her own loss after the death of her husband.

When the two relocate to Veronica’s villa in the countryside to escape the summer tourists, Jane meets the rest of the Cooper family – including Veronica’s brooding son, David. With his own tragic past, David has resigned himself to a life of solitude. Jane finds herself determined to bring joy back into his life, even if it means finally spilling her secrets.

Can Jane and David help each other heal, and find love in the process, or are some scars too deep to treat?

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I did languages at university a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to Italy for seven years as a teacher of English. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only seven years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

The fact that I am now writing escapist romance is something I still find hard to explain. My early books were thrillers and historical novels. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations, even if travel to them is currently difficult.

Social Media Links

Website: www.tawilliamsbooks.com

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawilliamsbooks

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

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

As our thoughts all turn to Christmas, we are jumping onto the blog tour for Christmas at the Borrow the Bookshop by Kiley Dunbar

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

I absolutely loved the first visit to Borrow the Bookshop and couldn’t wait to pick this book up and what a wonderful second instalment to the series. I was instantly hooked and reaching for my book each time I sat down so I could learn more about the grief stricken Alex and the brooding Magnus.

I absolutely oved revisiting Clove Lore and hearing about how the wonderful residents were getting on, we get to meet many of the same characters from the first book whilst meeting a few new additions including Magnus whose name and finally reached the top of the waiting list for the beloved Bookshop.

This is a wonderful story to make you laugh and cry in equal measures filled with wonderful highs and some real lump in your throat moments. I am already super excited to read the next one as I truly loved this story.

Book Blurb

‘Tis the season for finding love… and the perfect book

With just two weeks until Christmas, everything in Clove Lore should be perfect. But the latest holidaymaker to the Borrow a Bookshop is feeling far from festive…

Icelandic ex-bookseller Magnús Sturluson might be surrounded by love stories in the Bookshop, but he’s nursing a sadness that not even fiction can fix.

When Alexandra Robinson finds herself stranded in Clove Lore, she finds a safe place to hide from heartbreak. After all, all that’s waiting for her at home is a cheater boyfriend and the memories of her parents. As Alex finds herself embraced by the quirky village community, she finds her tough exterior thawing – and as she grows closer to Magnús, she finds an equally soft heart under his gruff shell.

It seems that Clove Lore is working its magic once again – until a great flood on Christmas Eve brings devastation in its wake. It’s up to Magnús and Alex to batten down the hatches and help bring the village back together again, while also introducing the locals to the Icelandic tradition of the jólabókaflóð – Yule book flood – where families and friends gather on Christmas Eve to exchange books and read together.

But can Magnús and Alex truly rescue the ruins of the village, and salvage their Christmas spirit? Or is there another complication lurking even closer than they thought?

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Kiley Dunbar writes heart-warming, escapist, romantic fiction set in beautiful places, with One Winter’s Night being shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel Award 2021.

Kiley’s five novels include: The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday (May 2021), One Winter’s Night (September 2020), Summer at the Highland Coral Beach (2020), Christmas at Frozen Falls (2019) and One Summer’s Night (2019).

Social Media Links

Website and newsletter: http://www.kileydunbar.co.uk/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI8wM4Fmkbyg4S_XGSnfUCA 

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

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 5*, Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Chick Lit, Publication Day

Super excited to be sharing my review for Meet Me on Platform 3 by Zara Stoneley #publicationday #blogtour @zarastoneley @rararesources

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

I am a massive fan of Zara Stoneley and this book just swept me up and carried me away.

When Millie & Joe meet in the pouring rain, you have no idea where the story is headed. Millie is a fun character with a love of life and a tendency to over share. Whereas Joe is a bit more serious and likes to keep his business to himself whilst balancing helping his parents and his job in London.

I love a book that I pick up and don’t want to put down and this story captured me early on and encouraged me to just keep reading. I loved the dynamics of the characters and the way the story was based around a chance meeting on Platform 3.

If you haven’t already, grab a copy!

Book Blurb

Two people. One journey…

Millie loves her city life, her city friends and writing her true(ish) confessions column – but she’s starting to wonder if the grass really is greener on the other side, or if her heart really belongs back in Northumberland, with her mum who is struggling after the death of Millie’s dad.

Since leaving home. Joe’s lived believing that looking back means you’ve failed, and life is about taking chances and seeing the world.

So when the two meet up surely it can never work, their lives are moving in opposite directions. On different tracks…

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of ‘The Wedding Date’.

She lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Zara’s bestselling novels include ‘No One Cancels Christmas’, ‘The Wedding Date’, ‘The Holiday Swap’, ‘Summer with the Country Village Vet’, ‘Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage’ and the popular Tippermere series – ‘Stable Mates’, ‘Country Affairs’ and ‘Country Rivals’.

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, Blogs, Chick Lit, Contemporary Fiction

Today I am delighted to be reviewing The Only Exception by Claire Huston

Posted on by LovetheSmellofaBook

My Review

This has been in my pile since release day and I finally got a gap to read it and I’m so glad I did! I loved the first visit we had last year to the Compton’s when I read Art & Soul and really enjoyed this visit too.

We encounter Alex & Lucinda who meet in a fluke encounter in a lift early on in the story and after a sticky start build up an unlikely friendship. We spend time getting to know both of these wonderful characters and learn about their highs and lows of life and where they are currently at. As we get to know them we start to piece information together to understand how they have gotten to their current place in life and what they are planning to do to make changes. After they spend a bizarre afternoon/evening together they find some common ground and the pace and direction of the book really comes into its own.

A really enjoyable story, that I loved it was one of those that the more I read, the more I wanted to read. If you haven’t grabbed a copy and you fancy a light hearted read that will make you chuckle, then grab a copy now!

Book Blurb

Lucinda Green knows something is missing from her life. But what? Her catering business is enjoying modest success and she loves her cosy house, even if she does have to share it with her irritating ex-fiancé.

Whatever’s making her unsettled and edgy, Lucinda’s certain that a lack of romance isn’t the problem. How could it be when she doesn’t believe in true love?

But Lucinda’s beliefs are shaken by a series of electric encounters with Alex Fraser, a newly notorious actor who gradually proves himself to be infuriatingly funny and smart, as well as handsome.

Not that any of that matters. Because Lucinda doesn’t believe in all that ‘The One’ nonsense. That’s the rule.

But doesn’t every rule have an exception?

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire, UK, with her husband and two children. She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but sometimes need a little help to realise it.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul at http://www.clairehuston.co.uk along with over 150 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.

As well as her website, you can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Goodreads: linktr.ee/clairehuston_author