Guest Book Review: Julie Cohen - Where Love Lies

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Lately, Felicity just can't shake a shadow of uncertainty. Her husband Quinn is the kindest person she knows and loves her peculiarities more than Felicity feels she deserves. But suddenly it's as if she doesn't quite belong.

Then Felicity experiences something extraordinary: a scent of perfume in the air which evokes memories that have been settled within her for a long time, untouched and undisturbed. As it happens again and again, the memories of a man Felicity hasn't seen for ten years also flutter to the surface. And so do the feelings of being deeply, exquisitely in love . . .

Overwhelmed and bewildered by her emotions, Felicity tries to resist sinking blissfully into the past. But what if something truly isn't as it should be? What if her mind has been playing tricks on her heart?

Which would you trust?

Amazon links: Kindle or Hardcover

Guest Post: My Wedding Dress by Paige Toon

Today I'm delighted to be part of the #13Dates blog tour for Paige Toon's latest novel Thirteen Weddings.

I had to write about so many weddings and wedding dresses in Thirteen Weddings that it brought back plenty of memories about shopping for my own wedding dress.

For someone who usually wears black, I never thought I would look good in white or cream. I remember worrying that I would never find a dress that I loved – but there was no way I was going to go for anything other than a traditional gown. 

I still clearly remember the first time I saw The Dress. My husband-to-be and I were flicking through a bridal magazine together and when we came to this shot of the dress, we both froze and then stared at each other. 

Okay, so I know your husband-to-be is not supposed to see your wedding dress before the big day, but eleven years later, it hasn’t done us any harm. I have always trusted his judgement, and he does, after all, have excellent taste (not least because he picked me, ha ha).

Weirdly, my mum also saw the same dress being advertised in another magazine and she cut out the small ad to give to me – it was the only time she had done this, so it must’ve been fate.

Guest Post & Giveaway: Two Thousand Years of History by Nicola Griffith

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Nicola Griffith as part of her blog tour for her latest book Hild which has recently been published here in the UK.  

Yorkshire's history is stamped on its landscape, literally and figuratively, and it moulded the language that I absorbed with my mother's milk (and grandmother's whisky). A quick survey of Yorkshire place names (from natural features, to street names, to towns, to pubs) is like cutting a language core: in the sturdy bedrock of Anglo-Saxon there is the occasional gleam of Brythonic Celt heaved up from an earlier age, the pale glint of Norse, even strangely evolved fossils of Latin and Norman French. This hybrid and textured language is largely responsible for who I am. To explain, let me give you a few broad strokes of West Yorkshire history.

In the Iron Age, the place that was to be Leeds was an agriculturally various land enjoyed by the Brigantes, Brythonic Celts. In the first century the Romans arrived, and started building forts which became cities. Then they laid nature-defying roads across hill and dale between those cities, followed by armed camps to guard those roads. The Romans abandoned the region after about three hundred years and left the native Britons in charge again. Around this time, Angles, Saxons and other Germanic peoples started visiting Britain and staying, forming kingdoms and acquiring territory. A couple of hundred years later the Norse--Danes, mainly--arrived and the region lived under the Danelaw, with its own language and coinage and culture. Gradually, after battles and negotiations and marriages and so forth, the Danelaw melded with England. And then the Normans came.

Author Interview: Angeline M. Bishop

Today I'm happy to welcome Angeline M. Bishop to the blog as part of her South Beach blog tour.

Angeline Bishop writes contemporary romance fiction and has a growing fan base. Angeline’s novels are thought-provoking, refreshingly entertaining, fast paced, and with a strong romantic elements. She was born in Washington, D. C., but lived most of her life in New Jersey and considers the 'Garden State' her home. Her childhood passion for writing led to a degree in English Literature and a membership in Romance Writers of America.

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book South Beach?
South Beach is the story of Laila Sheridan, the youngest sibling of the Sheridan clan. It picks up during her girls’ vacation with her best friends Sofìa and Marina. Laila has just finished celebrating her brother’s marriage and is taking a much needed vacation in sunny Florida. Things get a little hectic when her ex-boyfriend Malcolm decides to win Laila back and Gray is sent to South Beach Miami to keep an eye on everything. 

The readers of NORTH STAR will enjoy a better look at Laila and her life, while readers that haven’t read the first book will appreciate that this story can stand alone. 

Guest Book Review: Sinead Moriarty - The Secrets Sisters Keep

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

The Devlin sisters rely on each other - but some things are just too painful to share, even when your sisters are your best friends ...

Mum-of-four Julie thought that if her family had more money, life would be easier. But now that they've inherited a fortune, her problems are only starting.

Lawyer Louise is used to having life go exactly as she wants it to. So accepting that she cannot control everything in her world is beyond her.

And former model Sophie can just about cope with getting older - that's until her ex-husband finds a younger model.

All three women think that some battles are best fought alone. Maybe they need to think again...

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Guest Book Review: John Dolan - John & George: The Dog Who Saved My Life

Reviewed by Janine Cobain

The incredible true story of how one man turned his life around through the companionship of his best friend.

For years, John Dolan had been living rough, trying his best to get by. Born and bred on the estates of east London, his early life was marked by neglect and abuse, and his childhood gift for drawing was stamped out by the tough realities outside his front door. As he grew older, he found himself turning to petty crime to support himself and ended up in prison. On coming out, with a record and no trade, he soon found himself on the streets, surviving day-by-day, living hand-to-mouth.

It wasn't until he met George, a tearaway Staffy puppy, that his life changed for the better. To begin with, George was a handful: he had been abused himself and was scared of human contact. But in a matter of weeks. John and George had become inseparable. It was then that John decided to pick up his long-forgotten gift for drawing, sitting on Shoreditch High Street for hours at a time, sketching pictures of George which he would sell to passers-by. With his best friend by his side, and a pencil in his hand, John suddenly found his life's calling.

Last autumn, John put on his first gallery show just across the road from where he had sat and sketched for three years. It sold out. Now, John and George are no longer homeless and live just around the corner from where they first met on the streets.

Amazon links: Kindle or Hardcover

Extract & Giveaway: The Country Doctor by Jean McConnell

This morning I'm delighted to be able to share with you an extract from The Country Doctor by Jean McConnell, one of the latest books published by Corazon Books with a giveaway for you to win a copy of the book.

Young doctor Linda Ford swaps a busy London teaching hospital for a six month post at a small West Country General Practice. She soon discovers that countryside life is far from uneventful.

John Cooper, the senior doctor, warns Linda not to get emotionally involved in her cases. But Linda can’t help taking a personal interest in her patients, particularly when their problems seem to be more than medical. And as this is the late 1970s, Linda also faces some misgivings about a female doctor. Especially a young and pretty one.

Linda clashes over medical matters with Dr Peter Cooper, the older doctor’s son. But there is an undeniable attraction too. Where will it lead? And as Linda is keeping Peter’s place until he joins the practice as his father’s partner, what will her future hold?

Ebook: £1.99: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IXVMROU/
Paperback: £5.99: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1909752126/

About the author 
Jean McConnell is a prolific writer of plays, television and radio scripts, and short stories. Her stories have appeared in anthologies and magazines worldwide. For television she has written for the BBC (including the popular BBC medical drama Dr Finlay's Casebook), Granada and channels in the USA and Europe. Jean's radio plays have been heard on the BBC and in Germany and Zambia. Her plays have been performed in theatres around the UK and internationally. She is a member of the Crime Writers' Association and a Vice President of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. 

Extract

Linda meets old Dr Cooper’s son, Peter, for the first time, while she’s standing on a chair,  reconstructing a scene to figure out whether a patient had been telling her the truth about a recent gunshot wound...

Blog Tour: Exclusive extract from The Summer Guest by Emma Hannigan

Today I am delighted to be kicking off the blog tour for Emma Hannigan's latest novel The Summer Guest, which is published next Thursday, with an exclusive extract to get us in the mood for what I am sure is going to be another bestseller. 

Chapter 1

LEXIE GLANCED AT HER WATCH, MAKING SURE SHE had enough time for another cup of coffee. The remnants of breakfast festooned the table. She smiled to herself. Her husband, Sam, was such a creature of habit. As regular as clockwork, he stacked his coffee mug on top of his toast plate, with the knife neatly tucked alongside, but it never occurred to him to transport the pile across the kitchen to the dishwasher.

This was Lexie’s favourite moment of the day. She flicked off the radio, posted a capsule into the Nespresso machine, placed her already used cup under the spout and pressed the brew button. She and Sam liked to hear the news headlines followed by the round-up of that day’s newspapers, and after that, Lexie relished a few minutes of silence. She felt it set her up for the day ahead. 

As she crossed the kitchen to the bay window seat, her leather-soled ballerina pumps made a satisfying sound as they connected with the waxed wooden floorboards. She perched on the long, spongy cushion and gazed out into the oval railed-in park opposite. The late May sunshine flooded the neatly kept communal space. Although each of the houses in Cashel Square had fine-sized gardens, the residents all made use of the wooden benches in the park. They took turns to tend the flowerbeds and keep the place clean. It was too small to appeal to gangs of youths and the absence of swings or play equipment meant it rarely attracted non-resident families.

Lexie sipped her coffee and closed her eyes to savour it. It was just the right temperature, black and strong with no sugar and a delectable covering of crema.

Guest Book Review: Rhoda Baxter - Doctor January

Reviewed by Tanya Phillips

If you keep looking back, you might miss what's standing right in front of you...

Six months after a painful break-up from Gordon, Beth's finally getting her life back on track. She has faith in her own scientific theories and is willing to work hard to prove them. She's even beginning to see Hibs, her dedicated lab partner, as more than just a lousy lothario in a lab-coat and goggles.

So when Gordon arrives back from America without warning and expects to be welcomed back into Beth's arms, she's totally thrown. She also quickly begins to see that Gordon isn't the man she thought he was - Hibs has always held a candle for Beth, but he can only wait so long for her to realise there's more to life than being patronised and bullied by the one who's meant to love and protect her.

Will Beth forsee the explosive nature beneath Gordon's placid surface before he destroys everything she's worked for, both inside and outside the lab?

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Author Interview: Jane Linfoot

This morning I'm delighted to welcome author Jane Linfoot to the blog to talk about her latest book High Heels and Bicycle Wheels which Tanya reviewed earlier this month. 

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book High Heels and Bicycle Wheels?
High Heels & Bicycle Wheels is sexy chick lit, with a whole lot of humour and emotion thrown into the mix. It’s fresh, it’s different, it’s got explosive chemistry, and a fab summer feel, which makes it a great beach or poolside read, but it’s also fab to read when you’re at home and want to dream. Think camper vans, beaches, a hot successful, complex pro cyclist hero, Jackson, whose demons are overtaking him, and a determined heroine, Bryony, who is used to being in control, and isn’t going to give that up without a fight. 

It’s two strong people, thrown together, on a road trip neither intended to go on, discovering a lot about themselves on the way, and finding that one summer will change their lives forever. And it’s about the last bit of growing up you have to do, before you’re ready to commit. 

Guest Post: Introducing Annie Carter by Jessie Keane

Today I'm delighted to welcome bestselling author Jessie Keane as part of her Lawless blog tour.  Jessie has written an exclusive guest post which introduces readers to her central character, Annie Carter.

Annie Carter strolled into my head one day seven years ago, and she hasn’t been out of it ever since. She has turned up in five books so far – Dirty Game, Black Widow, Scarlet Women, Playing Dead and Ruthless. And yes – there is going to be a sixth Annie Carter book very soon.

London gangsters have always been a source of fascination for me, and at one low (and very poor, I might add) moment I thought: ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if there was a woman in among these scary black-suited men, kicking arse and generally causing a ruckus?’

Guest Book Review: Alan Titchmarsh - Bring Me Home

Reviewed by Sarah Brew

It seems a perfect afternoon in the Highlands.

Standing at the door of the lochside castle that has been his family's home for generations, Charlie Stuart welcomes his guests to the annual summer drinks party. Conversation, laughter and the clinking of glasses soon fill the air as friends and neighbours come together to toast the laird's happiness and prosperity.

But Charlie sees the truth behind the façade: the sacrifices made to safeguard the estate; the devastating losses that have haunted him for decades; the guilt that lies at the heart of it all.

And in a few hours, he knows, the perfect afternoon will come to an end. The past, with its dark secrets of love, death, loyalty and betrayal, is about to catch up with him. And it could finally tear his family apart...

Amazon links: Kindle or Hardcover

Guest Book Review: John Grisham - Sycamore Row

Reviewed by Lindsay Hill

Jake Brigance has never met Seth Hubbard, or even heard of him, until the old man’s suicide note names him attorney for his estate. The will is dynamite. Seth has left ninety per cent of his vast, secret fortune to his housemaid.

The vultures are circling even before the body is cold: the only subject more incendiary than money in Ford County is race, and this case has both.

As the relatives contest the will, and unscrupulous lawyers hasten to benefit, Jake searches for answers to the many questions left by Seth Hubbard’s death:

What made him write that last-minute will leaving everything to a poor black woman named Lettie Lang?

Why did he choose to kill himself on the desolate piece of land known as Sycamore Row?

And what was it that Seth and his brother witnessed as children that, in his words, ‘no human should ever see’?

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Guest Book Review: Dinah Jefferies - The Separation

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

What happens when a mother and her daughters are separated; who do they become when they believe it might be forever?

1953, the eve of the Cartwright's departure from Malaya. Eleven-year-old Emma can't understand why they're leaving without their mother; why her taciturn father is refusing to answer questions.

Lydia arrives home to an empty house - there's no sign of her husband Alec or her daughters. Panic stricken, she embarks on a dangerous journey to find them through the hot and civil-war-torn Malayan jungle - one that only the power of a mother's love can help her to survive.

 Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Guest Book Review & Giveaway: Kathleen Shoop - Return to Love

Reviewed by Louise Wykes

Sweet Romance… Fresh off their whirlwind nuptials and unexpected, but joyous pregnancy, April and Hale Abercrombie are gleeful about their life together. But, while Hale is serving his country in Vietnam, he receives news of the loss of their newborn daughter. 

Back home on leave, Hale can barely wait to hold his wife. Their reunion is passionate and their physical connection, strong and soothing. His embrace, his touch, and his love are just as perfect as April remembered. But nothing, not even Hale, can ease April’s heartache. 

Hale stumbles through his attempts at convincing her that their future will be rich and full of wonder despite their loss. His good-hearted, but take-charge approach causes her to retreat. Even in grief, April recognizes Hale’s earnestness, yet she can’t help but distance herself from him. With only a short time before Hale must return to war, the couple begins to understand that hope starts with them—that the bliss they once knew will return only if they are willing to trust again. 

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Guest Book Review: David Mark - Original Skin

Reviewed by Tracey Walsh

He squints his eyes against the glare on the glossy page. Knows, even before the image swims into focus, that the picture will be of a skinny young man with peacock feathers on his back, and a fleshy girl with blossoms and lilies upon her shoulder.

Simon Appleyard and Suzie Devlin are two pleasure seekers defined by their flamboyant tattoos. Their lust for life is matched only by their hunger for taboo pleasures - a lifestyle that has just made them the deadliest enemy imaginable.

DS Aector McAvoy has been a marked man all his life. A policeman with scars to his body and career, his fate will become linked with that of Simon and Suzie as painfully and intricately as tattooed markings on virgin skin.

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback 

Debut Spotlight: Jessica Brockmole

Today I'm taking part in the the Letters from Skye blog tour with a debut spotlight feature for Jessica Brockmole and her novel which includes a short piece Jessica wrote about the inspiration behind the book.

Jessica Brockmole grew up in the Midwest but began writing Letters from Skye while she was living in Edinburgh. After her second child was born, she and her husband escaped the city and spent a week on the Isle of Skye. The story came to her on the journey home and she started scribbling notes in the car. 

To begin with, the outpouring was less a novel than an extended letter to herself, written late at night when everyone else had gone to bed. A letter reminding her not to lose touch with the people she loved, and reassuring her that she would be stronger for overcoming her fears. Jessica now lives in Indiana with her husband and two children. Letters from Skye is her first novel.

I was living in Edinburgh, Scotland some years ago. My son was brand new, my daughter three and restless, my husband busy with a new job. I was entranced by the history of the city—by the whole country's, really. So much longer and windier than the American history I’d grown up with—and I was sifting through ideas for a new novel. So far from family and friends, so dependent on those postcards, emails, scribbled notes tucked into packages, I thought about writing an epistolary novel. Something that explored relationships held together with envelopes and stamps, with words and wishes. Something that dipped back into history to some time when people loved and fought and dreamed via letters.

Coming Soon from Carina UK

As this feature week for Carina UK draws to a close it's time to take a look at a few of the books that they will be publishing in the next few weeks.

From Paris with Love by Samantha Tonge (published 24th July)

Every girl dreams of hearing those four magical words Will you marry me? But no-one tells you what’s supposed to happen next…

Fun-loving Gemma Goodwin knows she should be revelling in her happy-ever-after. Except when her boyfriend Lord Edward popped the question, after a whirlwind romance, although she didn’t say no….she didn’t exactly say yes either!

A month-long cookery course in Paris could be just the place to make sure her heart and her head are on the same page... And however disenchanted with romance Gemma is feeling, the City of Love has plenty to keep her busy; the champagne is decadently quaffable, the croissants almost too delicious, and shopping is a national past-time! In fact, everything in Paris makes her want to say Je t’aime… Except Edward!

But whilst Paris might offer plenty of distractions from wedding planning – including her new friends, mysterious Joe and hot French rockstar Blade - there’s no reason she couldn’t just try one or two couture dresses is there? Just for fun…

Author Interview: Samantha Tonge

I can't believe today is the final day in my Carina UK feature week but there's still a few more posts to come starting with a Q&A with Samantha Tonge.

What does a typical writing day look like for you?
I am fortunate in that I can write full-time, as both my children are now at High School. So, quite often, I plant myself in front of the computer at 8.30 am and don’t move again until 3pm. Tis wonderful for the writing but terrible for the figure!

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book From Paris with Love?
From Paris with Love is the standalone sequel to my debut fun novel, Doubting Abbey. Former pizza waitress Gemma and her aristocratic boyfriend Lord Edward spend a month in Paris – she wants to be a chef and Edward is going into journalism and they can both develop their skills whilst there. Except that things take an unexpected turn after Gemma develops new friendships with a mysterious sexy man called Joe Bloggs (yes, really!) and hot French rockstar, Blade. This is a romantic, action story about Paris, romance and food – what more could a girl want?!

Books Read: Annie Lyons - Dear Lizzie

Two sisters. Twelve letters. One year that changes everything.

Lizzie and Bea Harris were always very close. They were sisters and nothing could tear them apart. Until Bea dies at the age of thirty-five, leaving her sister twelve letters and a mission that will change Lizzie’s life forever.

Alone for the first time Lizzie is left trying to pull together the pieces of a life she has for so long ignored. With Bea’s list of last requests, Lizzie has a chance to finally find a place for herself in the world - out from under the shadow of her sister.

Amazon links: Kindle  

Author Interview: Annie Lyons

This afternoon I'm delighted to welcome Annie Lyons for a virtual hang out where we chat about anything and everything, book related of course :-)

What does a typical writing day look like for you?
Once the children are safely tucked up at school I come home, make a large pot of coffee, put on a load of washing (I find the noise conducive to writing) and start to write. I usually carry on until lunchtime (which can be anything between 12 and 2 depending on progress and hunger levels). After lunch, I answer e-mails and delve into the world of social media before the school run.

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book Dear Lizzie?
It’s the story of two very different but devoted sisters, Bea and Lizzie Harris. Bea is the confident, accomplished one with a brilliant career, loving husband and young son. Lizzie is lonely and alone, estranged from the rest of her family but still in touch with her big sister, who acts as her guide and confidante through life. When Bea dies, Lizzie is devastated but her sister leaves her a parcel containing twelve letters to be opened, one a month, for the next year. They contain Bea’s final wishes for her sister; wishes which she hopes will make Lizzie happy but which will ultimately change her life forever.

Books Read: Annie Lyons - Not Quite Perfect

Sometimes having it all isn’t enough…

Emma has everything she’s ever wanted. Her boyfriend’s just proposed and her career has finally taken off. And so what if her latest client just happens to be downright gorgeous? She’s getting married. Isn’t she?

Rachel’s married with 2.4 children (well, actually, 3) and life is all about trying to leave the house in a non-stained top. Once it was about skinny cappuccinos, cocktails and dynamic ad agency meetings. She wants her old life back, but can it ever be the same?

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback 

Guest Book Review: Terri Nixon - A Rose in Flanders Fields

Reviewed by Clodagh Phelan

Driving an ambulance through the mud in Flanders, aristocrat Evie Creswell is a long way from home. At Oaklands Manor all she had been expected to do was to look pretty and make a good marriage. But with the arrival of World War One everything changed…

And Evie, to the horror of her family, does not choose a husband from her blue-blooded set; instead she weds artist Will Davies, who works as a butcher’s apprentice. Soon she is struggling nightly to transport the wounded to hospital, avoiding the shells and gas attacks – her privileged home life, and her family’s disappointment at her marriage, a lifetime away.

And while Evie drives an ambulance in Belgium, Will is in the trenches in France. He withdraws from her, the trauma of his experience taking hold. Evie has the courage to deal with her war work, but it breaks her heart to think she is losing Will’s love. Can their marriage survive this terrible war? That is, if they both get out alive…

Amazon Link: Kindle

Guest Post: Inspiration behind The Last Word by A.L Michael

Today as part of my Carina UK feature I have a fab guest post written by author A.L. Michael giving us an insight into the inspiration behind her latest novel The Last Word.

How did The Last Word begin? Well, I distinctly remember scrabbling around for a spoon in my parents’ kitchen and thinking ‘Tabitha Riley- fuck that’s a good name for a character.’ The development of the story was more nuanced and varied. I was single for the first time in a few years, I’d gone off travelling after finishing my masters degree, and I was living in my parents’ house in London. I had thought that travelling around Australia and America would offer up these insights into romance, I’d thought I’d go off and fall in love once a day. And in many ways I did. With someone’s smile, someone’s laugh. I fell asleep on the coach with my earphones in, listening to Adele and thinking ‘yeah, that’s what love is.’

But I wasn’t looking for love, I was looking for a story. And real life love stories never seem to be as interesting. So I came home, recommenced working at Starbucks, and decided to write my own love story. I’d already written a novel the year before, a coming of age drama called Wine Dark, Sea Blue, which ended up being published whilst I was writing The Last Word.

Books Read: Rebecca Raisin - The Bookshop on the Corner

Who said that only real heroes could be found in fiction?

Sarah Smith had an addiction – she was addicted to romance novels. The meet-cute, the passion, the drama and the gorgeous men! Now this wouldn’t have been such an issue if she hadn’t been the owner of the only bookshop in Ashford, Connecticut.

Ever since her close friend Lil, from The Gingerbread Café, had become engaged she had been yearning for a little love to turn up in her life. Except Sarah knew a good man was hard to find – especially in a tiny town like Ashford. That was until New York journalist, Ridge Warner stepped into her bookshop…

Love could be just around the corner for Sarah, but will she be able to truly believe that happy-ever-after can happen in real-life too!

Amazon links: Kindle 

Author Interview: Rebecca Raisin

Today is the start of another publisher feature week, this time for Harlequin's digital imprint Carina UK.

Kicking off the week I'm delighted to welcome Australian author Rebecca Raisin who has been a fabulous supporter to myself and fellow bloggers.

What does a typical writing day look like for you?
I drop my squidlets at school. Return home and survey the mess. And again wonder how two little people can wreak such havoc. Duly ignore said mess and begin writing. The mornings are best for me, I write for about four hours, and then stop because my ‘other’ life takes over. I spend lots of time at night on social media catching up with my book-loving friends. And then rinse and repeat. 

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book The Bookshop on the Corner?
Sarah Smith owns The Bookshop on the Corner in the tiny town of Ashford. She adores romance books and secretly hopes one day to find her own happy ever after. She’s a little quirky in that she believes her books come to life when she’s not in the shop, like they are magical, and have soul. But really, she just thinks books are the answer to everything; she finds them a comfort, like they’re old friends. Her ‘real’ friends want her to step out of her comfort zone and try and find a romance that’s not only on the black and white pages, but Sarah isn’t so sure. She’s an introvert, and she is holding out for the perfect book boyfriend, if he is purely fictional, well then, she’s stuck with that. That is until a reporter who looks like a cover model from a Harlequin book steps into her bookshop...

Reader Spotlight: Catriona Merryweather

This afternoon I am delighted to welcome fellow blogger Catriona for this week's reader spotlight feature.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Ok so I'm Catriona and I blog at Fabulous Book Fiend. By day I'm a primary school teacher which I love & I try to bring my love of reading into work as well! I also love shopping & travel around the country quite a bit. I'm a massive audiobook fan because of all the travelling and my favourite things aside from books and shoes are buttons, cuddles & whisky!

Have you always been a bookworm?  
My reading habits have gone up and down over the years, during secondary school & university because of having to read I only really read in the holidays, but other than that I've been massively into books of all sorts-blogging has only accelerated this!

Guest Book Review: Jane Linfoot - High Heels & Bicycle Wheels

Reviewed by Tanya Phillips

Meet Bryony: she’s a fun-loving, very single TV production assistant whose idea of sport is the Jimmy Choo sales scrum.

Meet Jackson: Cycling’s bad boy superstar. Injured and out of a certain race this summer, without his training, he’s looking for another distraction…

Bryony’s facing a triple whammy – her last single friend just named the day, her mother’s offering to have her eggs frozen, and the guy she’s loved from afar, forever, has just got hitched. So she’s more than happy to accept the offer of a totally out of character but seriously steamy one night of no-strings fun. Especially when the guy in question is so attractive he even looks good in Lycra!

Jackson’s on the lookout for a new career but if the opportunity to work on TV means a fortnight with the most uptight woman in the world, he’d rather not bother. He never goes in for seconds – and who in their right mind would head off in a campervan, with a woman who irons her knickers?

Add in a tandem (yes a tandem) and fast forward to double trouble for a summer neither of them will ever forget!

Amazon link: Kindle

Books Read: Lucy Robinson - The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me

Sally is an incredible singer but she sings only in her wardrobe where nobody can hear her. She'd rather join a nudist colony than sing in public.

That is until she ventures to New York where a wild and heady summer of love and loss changes her forever. No longer able to hide in the shadows, Sally must return home to London to fulfill a promise she cannot break - to share her voice.

But just as she's about to embark on her new life, a beautiful man turns up on Sally's doorstep bearing a sheepish smile and a mysterious hand-written message.

How did he find her? Why is he here? Does he hold the truth to what happened back in New York? And, with him back on the scene, will she still have the courage to step into the spotlight?

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Books Read: Jennifer E. Smith - The Geography of You and Me

Owen lives in the basement. Lucy lives on the 24th floor. But when the power goes out in the midst of a New York heatwave, they find themselves together for the first time: stuck in a lift between the 10th and 11th floors. As they await help, they start talking...

The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland they can't shake the memory of the time they shared. Postcards cross the globe when they themselves can't, as Owen and Lucy experience the joy - and pain - of first love.

And as they make their separate journeys in search of home, they discover that sometimes it is a person rather than a place that anchors you most in the world.

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Books Read: Lucy Diamond - One Night in Italy

How do you say 'I love you' in Italian?

Is Italian really the language of love? A new class of students hopes to find out.

Anna's recently been told the father she's never met is Italian. Now she's baking focaccia, whipping up tiramisu and swotting up on her vocabulary, determined to make it to Italy so she can find him in person.

Catherine's husband has walked out on her, and she's trying to pick up the pieces of her life. But she'll need courage as well as friends when she discovers his deception runs even deeper than infidelity.

Sophie's the teacher of the class, who'd much rather be back in sunny Sorrento. She can't wait to escape the tensions at home and go travelling again. But sometimes life - and love - can surprise you when you least expect it.

As the evening class gets underway, friendships form and secrets from Italy begin to emerge. With love affairs blossoming in the most unlikely places, and hard decisions to face, it's going to be a year that Anna, Catherine and Sophie will never forget.

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Books Read: Lucy Diamond - Me and Mr Jones

Meet the women in love with three very different brothers...

Izzy’s determined to escape her troubled past with a new start by the sea – but flirtatious Charlie Jones is causing complications.

Alicia’s been happily married to loyal Hugh for years but secretly craves excitement. Maybe it’s time to spice things up?

Emma’s relationship with David was once fun and romantic but trying for a baby has taken its toll. Then temptation comes along . . .

As the future of the family’s B&B becomes uncertain, Izzy, Alicia and Emma are thrown together unexpectedly. It seems that keeping up with the Joneses is harder than anyone thought...

Amazon Links: Kindle or Paperback

Guest Book Review: Rainbow Rowell - Landline

Reviewed by Laura Delve

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it's been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and he still loves her - but that almost seems besides the point now.

Two days before they're supposed to visit Neal's family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells him that she can't go. She's a TV writer, and something's come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her - he is always a little upset with her - but she doesn't expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she's finally done it. If she's ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It's not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she's been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts...

Is that what she's supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

Amazon links: Kindle or Hardcover

Books Read: Milly Johnson - The Teashop on the Corner

Life is full of second chances...if only you keep your heart open for them. 

Spring Hill Square is a pretty sanctuary away from the bustle of everyday life. And at its centre is Leni Merryman's Teashop on the Corner, specialising in cake, bookish stationery and compassion. And for three people, all in need of a little TLC, it is somewhere to find a friend to lean on. 

Carla Pride has just discovered that her late husband Martin was not who she thought he was. And now she must learn to put her marriage behind her and move forward. 

Molly Jones's ex-husband Harvey has reappeared in her life after many years, wanting to put right the wrongs of the past before it is too late. 

And Will Linton's business has gone bust and his wife has left him to pick up the pieces. Now he needs to gather the strength to start again. 

Can all three find the comfort they are looking for in The Teashop on the Corner? And as their hearts are slowly mended by Leni, can they return the favour when she needs it most...?

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback