Emma's Review: The Little Christmas Teashop of Second Chances by Donna Ashcroft

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Snow is beginning to fall around the cosy Castle Teashop, with its toasty log fire, scrumptious mince pies and delicious hot chocolates. Romance is in the air and Lily King is hoping some winter magic will help to make her dreams come true…

Twenty-five-year-old Lily King is wondering when her life is going to start. She adores working at the much-loved Castle Teashop, surrounded by familiar faces and delicious cakes. But she’s stuck in a rut. She’s just been dumped by her boyfriend and her dream job seems to be slipping through her fingers.

When her best friend Emily Campbell needs urgent help to organise her enchanting Christmas wedding, Lily realises it’s finally her moment to shine and reach for the opportunities she’s been wishing for. Can she pull off the biggest celebration Castle Cove has ever seen or will something - or someone - make things more complicated than she imagined?

Rebellious and handsome photographer Josh Havellin-Scott has always felt like an outsider, especially next to his perfect older brother, who is about to get married. At the last minute, Josh finds himself roped into plans for the Big Day, the very last thing he wants to do, until he is meets creative and quirky Lily King…

When Lily and Josh are thrown together, it’s clear they couldn’t be more different. But they begin to realise that opposites can attract – and sometimes when you’re not looking for love, it comes and finds you when you least expect it. With some festive magic, will they manage to work together and save the day?

And could they discover a winter romance of their very own along the way?

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Emma's Review: The Christmas Cafe at Seashell Cove

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Interior designer Tilly Campbell loves being carefree and single. But her latest job is redecorating the cosy local café for a Christmas party, and when her friends confess their plans for the big night – including a proposal, a declaration of love and a pregnancy announcement – Tilly starts to wonder if she might be missing out…

Transforming the café into a winter wonderland is more of a challenge than she thought, so when she bumps into gorgeous newcomer Seth, Tilly welcomes the distraction. Seth is a single father, struggling to settle his son Jack into their new cottage, and Tilly is determined to help them make their house into a home in time for Christmas.

But with the café still in chaos just days before the party it looks like it’s going to be a Christmas to remember for all the wrong reasons… With friends old and new relying on her, can Tilly save the Christmas party?

And could she finally find love waiting for her under the mistletoe?

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Books Read: The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup

One blustery October morning in a quiet suburb of Copenhagen, the police make a terrible discovery. A young woman is found brutally murdered in a playground and one of her hands is missing. Above her hangs a small doll made of chestnuts.

Ambitious young detective Naia Thulin is assigned the case. Her partner, Mark Hess, is a burned-out investigator who's just been kicked out of Europol. They soon discover a mysterious piece of evidence on the chestnut man - evidence connecting it to a girl who went missing a year earlier and is presumed dead - the daughter of politician Rosa Hartung.

The man who confessed to her murder is behind bars and the case is long since closed.

Soon afterwards, another woman is found murdered, along with another chestnut man. Thulin and Hess suspect that there's a connection between the Hartung case, the murdered women and a killer who is spreading fear throughout the country. But what is it?

Thulin and Hess are racing against the clock, because it's clear that the murderer is on a mission that is far from over . . .

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Emma's Review: Christmas at Liberty's by Fiona Ford

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

September, 1941: Mary arrives in war-torn London nursing a broken heart and a painful secret.

When she is offered her dream post as an assistant in the fabric department at Liberty store, she knows this is the fresh start she needs. Amid the store’s vibrant prints and sumptuous interiors, Mary finds a new family who can help her to heal.

But not everyone will give Mary such a warm welcome, and the trauma of her past will soon catch up with her.

As Mary and the Liberty Girls endure the heartache and uncertainty of war, it will take a steady heart to keep the magic of Christmas alive.

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Emma's Review: The Quality Street Girls by Penny Thorpe

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

At sixteen years old, Irene ‘Reenie’ Calder is leaving school with little in the way of qualifications. She is delighted to land a seasonal job at Mackintosh’s Quality Street factory. Reenie feels like a kid let loose in a sweet shop, but trouble seems to follow her around and it isn’t long before she falls foul of the strict rules.

Diana Moore runs the Toffee Penny line and has worked hard to secure her position. Beautiful and smart, the other girls in the factory are in awe of her, but Diana has a dark secret which if exposed, could cost her not only her job at the factory but her reputation as well.

When a terrible accident puts supply of Quality Street at risk, Reenie has a chance to prove herself. The shops are full of Quality Street lovers who have saved up all year for their must-have Christmas treat. Reenie and Diana know that everything rests on them, if they are to give everyone a Christmas to remember…

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Books Read: The Good Teacher by Rachel Sargeant

Some people deserve to be taught a lesson…

Even the good have to die.
A beloved teacher is murdered and left in a ditch beside a country lane. His wife is found beaten and gagged in their suburban home.

Even the best schools have secrets.
New detective Pippa Adams learns that the teacher ran a homework club for vulnerable pupils. But what did he really teach them?

Even the perfect family has something to hide.
When Pippa scratches the surface of the school community, she meets families who’ve learned a shattering lesson. And finally uncovers the good teacher’s darkest secrets…

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle

Emma's Review: A Winter Beneath the Stars by Jo Thomas

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Halley has been running from her problems for years.

On a courier trip to Tallfors, deep in Swedish Lapland, everything is going to plan. Halley has her bag, with two precious wedding rings inside for delivery... until she doesn't.

The only way to save the wedding is to team up with mysterious reindeer herder Bjorn, the one person who can lead her across the snowy tundra to be reunited with her bag.

On a journey of a lifetime beneath the stars, with only the reindeer and a bad-tempered stranger for company beside the fire, Halley realises that she will need to confront her past heartaches in order to let the warmth of love in once more...

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Emma's Review: 25 Days 'til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

Reviewed by Emma Crowley 

Christmas is a time to get together...

Kate Thompson used to love Christmas. But that was before her husband went away with the army and didn't come home. Now she can hardly stand the festive season.

But Kate knows there is more to life than this, and her son Jack needs a Christmas to remember. What she needs is a Christmas miracle, and if there isn't one on its way, she'll just have to make her own.

So begins Kate's advent countdown to the best Christmas ever. She has it all planned out, but you can't plan for the unexpected, and when her life starts to unravel can her friends and the community around her help her save Christmas for all of them...?

Amazon Affiliate Link: Kindle  

Debut Spotlight: G D Sanders

Today is eBook publication day for The Taken Girls and it's my absolute pleasure to be kicking off the blog tour by shining the spotlight on debut author G D Sanders with a guest post about his path to becoming a published novelist.

G D Sanders has previously worked in academia. He is now retired and enjoys writing contemporary crime fiction, as it allows much more creativity than writing scientific research articles. He is based in London. The Taken Girls is his first novel.

I had a manuscript, I found an agent and we got a two-book deal. It happened overnight, didn’t it? Not quite.

The first time I remember writing something to entertain, I was in the 5th form. It was early February, a chemistry practical class, and I was caught talking to a friend about what I intended to do for the 14th. My punishment was to produce two sides on Saint Valentine’s Day. I spent a morning in the local library reading about the mating habits of various animals and discovered that the mating act is more prolonged in the English frog than in the French species. This stimulated an essay on the looser mating habits of frogs across the channel. 

Many years later, I wrote a comedy sketch based on the moment when two AM radio presenters confused the then Pope with two of the Beatles. It’s probably still in the bottom draw where it languished because I had no idea what to do with it. With a keener commercial eye, I switched back to amorous themes and wrote two episodes of a TV sitcom based on Lonely Hearts ads and posted them to a major television company. The Head of Comedy invited me in for a chat and explained why he could not commission a series. To soften the blow, he told me he was the man who had turned down Fawlty Towers.

Emma's Review: The Shop Girls of Lark Lane by Pam Howes

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

The war is over, but there’s heartbreak ahead…

Liverpool, 1945. As the war draws to a close, Alice and Terry Lomax are building a new life with their young daughter Cathy. After years away fighting, Terry is a stranger to his daughter and must work hard to win her trust and love.

Alice and old friend Sadie work in the haberdashery of Lewis’s department store, where bomb damage scars the walls and rationing is still in force. Yet Lewis’s remains open, a sign of strength in the midst of Liverpool’s post-war ruins.

Though memories of those lost in the war are fresh, Alice and Sadie look forward to the future. But then a tragic accident leaves Alice a widow, and the father of Sadie’s child – a man she hoped never to see again – is back in Liverpool…

With Alice struggling to start again alone, and Sadie desperate to protect her son, can these two shop girls overcome their troubles and keep their hopes alive – even with all the odds against them?

Amazon Affiliate Link: Kindle

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a Gingerbread Man Bookbandz

It's the final day of the 12 Days of Festive Giveaways but I'm spoiling you with this absolutely gorgeous Gingerbread Man BookBandz.  I am a huge fan of these elasticated bookmarks that are all handmade to order by Karen, and have quite a selection of them myself that I use on my books... with one of these on your book there's no danger of losing your place if you accidentally drop it!

Emma's Review: The Secret Vow by Natalie Meg Evans

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Katya – young, beautiful and impoverished – arrives in Paris, hoping to begin a new life. She leaves behind a terrible secret, and her survival in this strange and beautiful new city depends on nobody ever discovering who – and what – she is.

Immediately, Katya is swept up in the city’s glamour – particularly the boutiques on the main boulevard, where glittering gowns are hand-sewn for an exclusive clientele. Dare Katya dream that she may someday wear – or even design – one of these dazzling creations? It feels like an impossible wish, until she meets businessman Harry Morten.

Tall, handsome and well-connected, Harry could give Katya everything she wants and more… but at what price? And should she break the vow she’s made and trust him with her secret when her very survival could be at stake?

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12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a 'When in Doubt Check it Out' tote bag

This year's Festive celebrations are almost over but there are still a couple of gorgeous prizes left to be won.  If you're a regular follower of the blog you'll know that I love tote bags so I'm always looking for bargains for presents for friends and family or to stockpile for giveaway prizes, so when I saw this 'When in Doubt Check it Out' tote bag from Gibbs Smith on offer I couldn't resist buying it 😉

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a copy of A Miracle on Hope Street by Emma Heatherington & Nessie bookmark

I had already decided to do a giveaway for a copy of A Miracle on Hope Street by Emma Heatherington, which I'd also hoped to review but sadly reading time has been lacking this week so will review hopefully next week, as part of the 12 Days of Festive Giveaways when I saw this novelty Loch Ness monster bookmark that I knew would be a perfect accompaniment to the book.

Can a single act of kindness change a life forever?

To many people, Ruth Ryans has everything: the perfect job, a beautiful home and a loving family. But as Christmas approaches, Ruth feels lonelier than ever.

Then Ruth meets Michael. A man who she showed kindness to during his darkest moment. That one single act, his miracle, helped change his life forever.

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a pair of Glass Cabochon Books Stud Earrings

When I spotted these Books stud earrings whilst browsing the internet for book-related gifts I couldn't resist buying a pair to give away as part of the 12 Days of Festive Giveaways.  And now that they've arrived they're even nicer than I imagined and even came with a spare pair of butterfly backs so that you've a choice of what type of backs you want to wear with the earrings.   

According to the specifications on the website these earrings are 10mm glass cabochon, silver alloy metal (nickel free) stud earrings.

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a Festive eBook of your choice from Amazon UK

Amazon UK have finally added the give ebook as a gift option which means that I can now run giveaways for ebooks which will save me a few pennies in postage.  Sadly there is still restrictions in place meaning the eBooks can only be gifted to residents in the UK so for any International winners who use Amazon UK I would have to send a gift card instead.

I have decided to trial the gift an eBook this weekend by running to win a festive eBook of their choice.  As it's Christmas and I want to share the book love, I will choose three winners so will have to set an eBook price limit of £2 as there are multiple winners.  Below are some of the fantastic Christmas eBooks that are currently on offer from 99p to consider but you don't have to pick one of these.

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

It’s not what’s under the Christmas tree, but who’s around it that matters most.

All Suzanne McBride wants for Christmas is her three daughters happy and at home. But when sisters Posy, Hannah and Beth return to their family home in the Scottish Highlands, old tensions and buried secrets start bubbling to the surface.

Suzanne is determined to create the perfect family Christmas, but the McBrides must all face the past and address some home truths before they can celebrate together . . .

After the Snow by Susannah Constantine

Christmas morning, 1969.

All eleven-year-old Esme Munroe wants for Christmas is for her mother to be on one of her ‘good’ days – and, secretly, for a velvet riding hat. So when she finds an assortment of wet towels and dirty plates in her stocking, she’s just relieved Father Christmas remembered to stop at The Lodge this year.

But later that day Esme’s mother disappears in the heavy snow. Even more mysteriously, only the Earl of Culcairn seems to know where she might have gone. Torn between protecting her mother and uncovering the secrets tumbling out of Culcairn Castle’s ornate closets, Esme realises that life will never be the same again after the snow…

Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights by Carole Matthews

Fay and Danny are madly in love and it's all Fay's ever dreamed of. But she left everything - including the delightful cake shop she used to run - to be with Danny on his cosy canal boat The Dreamcatcher. And as she soon finds out, making delicious cakes on the water isn't always smooth sailing!

Then Fay gets a call that sends her back to where it all began; back to where she first met Danny, back to her friends and the Cake Shop in the Garden. Even as Fay happily returns to dry land and her passion for baking, she knows it will be hard being away from Danny, especially with Christmas round the corner. But their relationship is strong enough to survive . . . isn't it?

Can Fay really get everything she ever wanted in Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights?

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a Reading Journal

It's day 7 of the 12 Days of Festive Giveaways and today you can win this Reading Journal which is handy to keep track of the books you have read or want to read.  The journal consists of 3 sections:

• Index (4 pages) - Table gives space for you to add your book and categories (Title, Author, Genre)
• Wishlist (3 pages) - Table gives space for you to add your wish list books 
• Review (100 pages) - Space to record Title, Author, Date Started & Date Finished, Rating, Review, Quote and One Book One Reason

Review & Giveaway: Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

It's Christmas, and the Birch family is gathering for the first time in years.

Olivia, the eldest daughter, has returned from treating an epidemic abroad and must go into quarantine for seven days. Her mother has decided it's the perfect opportunity to spend some 'special time' together. Her youngest sister wholeheartedly disagrees. Her father isn't allowed an opinion.

When no one can leave the house, seven days for the Birches feels like an eternity.

Especially when they're all harbouring secrets. One of whom is about to come knocking at their door...

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a 'My Weekend is all Booked' Tote Bag

Who doesn't love a tote bag?  I've lost count of the number I have that I've picked up on my travels, received as presents or bought myself.  So for the 5th day of 12 Days of Festive Giveaways I'm giving followers of the blog the chance to win this canvas My Weekend is All Booked tote bag 😍 

Books Read: The Thing About Clare by Imogen Clark

A dying wish. A devastating secret. Should the truth really stay buried?

The four Bliss siblings have a loving but complicated bond, but when their mother, Dorothy, dies seemingly without a will, this relationship is put to the test. As the mourning siblings try to make sense of the situation, one of them is caught with a secret: before she died, Dorothy entrusted her favourite daughter with her will and a letter—and told her to destroy them both.

Of course it was Anna their mother turned to for this mission. Miriam, the eldest, is far too sensible; Sebastian, the baby, too sensitive; and Clare, the middle child, has always been too rebellious to rely on, and long ago cut herself out of her siblings’ lives.

But what Anna finds in the documents could change everything. Do the other siblings not deserve to know what it is about them that their mother was so desperate to hide? And if it is revealed, will the Bliss family ever be the same again?

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a Quirky Bookmark

I can't believe it's Day 4 of the 12 Days of Festive Giveaways celebrations already and today I have something a little different for you.  I couldn't resist this quirky bookmark when I was browsing for ideas for giveaway prizes as wanted something not too expensive to buy but also light to post, and who doesn't love a bookmark.  I have many in all shapes and sizes 😍

Made from soft PVC, this bookmark is in the shape of a cut-out of a man.  Lie him down flat on your page with his feet sticking out to save your place as demonstrated in the One Perfect Christmas and other stories book (which is also a current giveaway prize although you'll have to be quick as entries to that giveaway close at midnight tonight).

*Terms and Conditions* – As with all giveaways on the blog the giveaway is open to existing followers, enter via Rafflecopter form below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by email and/or Twitter. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties and will be deleted once receipt of the prize has been confirmed. NB. Please do not add details of this giveaway to other sites without my permission. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway All Amazon UK book titles in bold are Affiliate links which will earn me a few pence if anyone clicks through and makes a purchase - any money earned will go towards buying books or gifts for giveaways. 

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a copy of A Very Murderous Christmas (short story collection)

Day 3 of my 12 Days of Festive Giveaways brings you the chance to win a copy of this classic crime short story collection A Very Murderous Christmas featuring stories from Margery Allingham, Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr, Anthony Horowitz, G. K. Chesterton, Nicholas Blake, Ruth Rendell, Colin Dexter, Gladys Mitchell, John Mortimer and Edward Hoch.

The Christmas season is one of comfort and joy, sparkling lights and steam rising from cups of mulled wine at frosty carol services. A season of goodwill to all men, as families and friends come together to forget their differences and celebrate the year together.

12 Days of Festive Giveaways: Win a Christmas Bookworm keyring from Yoshi

It's Day 2 of 12 Days of Festive Giveaways and today you can win this gorgeous Christmas Bookworm red leather keyring from Yoshi 😍  It's all Milly Johnson's fault that I've become addicted to this site as saw it mentioned in one of her newsletters and since then I've been a fan.  I have treated myself to the coral bookworm academy card holder and coral bookworm baxter purse as an early Christmas/Birthday present 😉

Review & Giveaway: One Perfect Christmas and other stories by Paige Toon

One year after movie star Joseph Strike swept schoolteacher Alice off her feet, they are spending Christmas together in snowy Cambridge. But despite the romantic setting Alice can't help but question whether life in the spotlight is really what she wants. 

Will a Christmas provide some perspective? Or will the life she’d be leaving behind be too much to lose?

In this irresistible collection, bestselling author Paige Toon reunites a much-loved cast from across her fifteen novels, including Johnny Be Good, The One We Fell In Love With and Thirteen Weddings. Fall in love with nine witty and heartfelt romantic stories, published in print for the very first time.

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback