Giveaway: Win a Summer Read of your choice

I had planned to buy a few goodies to run a Summer bundle giveaway but sadly life has gotten in the way recently and it fell by the wayside. So instead I have decided to run a giveaway for you to choose a book yourself, either an eBook which can be gifted via Amazon, or paperback which I'll buy and either post to you myself or will order to be posted direct to you.

Below are a few of the recent summery books that have caught my eye which might appeal to you, or maybe you've got your eye on something else. 

The Beach Holiday by Isabelle Broom

A somebody. A nobody.
A love story waiting to be written . . .

All aspiring novelist Honor has ever wanted is to be successful. It's the only way she can impress the father who abandoned her, the boyfriend who gave up on her, and the nagging voice in her head that tells her she's not good enough.

Still, wanting to tell a story is not the same as having a story to tell, and Honor knows she needs to find a new source of inspiration.

When she's invited to spend a summer abroad in The Hamptons, Honor realises it could be the dream setting for a book, especially when a chance encounter provides her with the perfect leading man.

But blurring fact and fiction is a dangerous game, and Honor soon discovers that writing her way to success might come at the expense of her own happy ever after . . .

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Two exes. One pact.
Could this holiday change everything?

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world.

Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone.

But the cottage is for sale so this is the last time they'll all be here together. They can't bear to break their best friends' hearts so they'll fake it for one more week.

But how can you pretend to be in love - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?

Emma's Review: Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

She’s snowed in with the family. The only problem? They’re not her family.

A family gathering 
This Christmas the Miller siblings have one goal – to avoid their family’s well-meaning questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don’t intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention.

An uninvited guest 
Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone, and the prospect of losing her job – unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller. She’ll deliver her proposal to his family home in the Scottish Highlands and then leave. After all, she wouldn’t want to intrude on the Miller’s perfect family Christmas.

A Christmas to remember 
When Lucy appears on the Miller’s snow-covered doorstep, she is mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. But by the time the confusion is cleared up, a storm has hit and Lucy is stuck. As everyone settles in for a snowed-in Christmas, tensions bubble to the surface and suddenly Lucy finds herself facing a big family fallout with a family that isn’t hers…

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Festive Giveaway: Win an eBook of your choice from Kindle Monthly Deals

It's time for the final giveaway of 2022. As I couldn't afford to do 12 Days of Christmas due to the increased costs of postage etc, I have decided that I would use the Gift an eBook option on Amazon to offer multiple winners (will decide nearer the time how many winners I can afford to gift eBooks to - max £2 each) the chance to win an eBook of their choice from the current Amazon Kindle Deals. 

Sadly it's only possible to gift eBooks to residents in the same country therefore I'm afraid this giveaway is restricted to UK residents only. 

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, you can pick any you like from here. 

All Wrapped Up by Ally Bunbury

It's the time of year ... to run away from your life

Holly always seems to make the wrong decisions: her career in London is going nowhere, and she's ended up engaged to a man she doesn't love.

Which is why she decides that's all going to change - starting with calling off her engagement, six weeks before their Christmas Eve wedding.

Then Holly sees an ad for what could be her dream job: helping to declutter a remote country house back home in Ireland. It's her chance to avoid all talk of weddings and the trappings of her least favourite time of year.

But when Holly arrives at the beautiful but neglected Knockboden, she discovers that Serena Harpur, the glamorous owner, is planning on renting it out as a romantic honeymoon destination in a bid to avoid financial ruin.

With Serena's handsome but moody son hanging around, dead set against his mother's plan, Holly begins to wonder if she's made yet another bad decision.

Then Serena gets a phone call that looks set to change the fate of Knockboden. Will Holly realise that maybe she has found herself in exactly the right place, at the right time of year, for the first time ever?

Happy New Year by Malin Stehn

THIS NEW YEAR, OLD SECRETS WILL HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES . . .

As midnight approaches, old friends the Wiksells and the Anderssons raise their glasses in celebration.

Across town, their teenage children host their own party, finally free to let loose.

But the next morning, seventeen-year-old Jennifer Wiksell is missing.

The hours tick by.
The police get involved.
And no one knows who to trust.

Because these two families have a lot to hide.

And some will do anything to keep the truth from getting out . . .

Books Read: Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan

A marriage in the spotlight 
Joanna Whitman’s high-profile marriage held more secrets than she cares to remember, so when her ex-husband dies, she doesn't know what to feel. But when she discovers that he’s left behind a pregnant young woman, Joanna is forced to act. She knows exactly how brutal the spotlight on them both will be…unless she can find a way for them to disappear.

A beach house hideaway 
Ashley Blake is amazed when Joanna suggests they lie low at her beach house in her sleepy Californian hometown. Joanna should be hating her, not helping her. But alone and pregnant, Ashley needs all the support she can find.

A summer of new beginnings 
Joanna's only goal for the summer is privacy. All Ashley wants is space to plan for her and her baby's future. But when an old flame reappears, and secrets spill out under the hot summer sun, this unlikely friendship is put to the test…

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

On the First Day of Christmas...

How is it December already? The year has flown by and what a year it's been for me as I was dreading spending my 50th birthday alone during lockdown but despite this I was totally spoilt, working from home is likely to become a full-time option for me but sadly also a few health issues (nothing serious) have affected my concentration which has meant that I haven't reviewed anything on the blog for months. So thanks again to Emma for holding down the fort.   

Over the next 12 days I'm going to be sharing the book love with daily giveaways of 📚 and other book-themed prizes. Each giveaway will last two days and a winner will be selected at random and will win the prize I've allocated for that day (but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the days but as you'll also see there are more than 12 prizes so for a couple of days there will be a bookish bundle of a few of the non-book items 😉)

Books Read: A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie's whirlwind Christmas wedding. 

First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret about their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland.

Rosie’s older sister Katie is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself. If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans…

Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiance but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived – how can she tell them she's not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget.

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

Festive Giveaway: Win a copy of A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

Today it's my stop on the A Wedding in December blog tour for which I was originally just going to be hosting a review but sadly due to life being a little manic at the moment I only finished reading the book yesterday and haven't yet had a chance to put my thoughts into a review. So rather than rush it I've decided to run a giveaway this morning, as I received a paperback copy from the publisher after I'd already bought the eBook which I read for the review, and will write my review later this afternoon/evening when I get home.

In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie's whirlwind Christmas wedding. 

First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret about their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland.

Blogiversary Giveaway: Take your pick from a selection of Women's Fiction Books

Today it's time for the other TBR giveaway, the chance for the winner to select one of the books currently languishing in my review piles that realistically I'm unlikely to read anytime soon. If you missed Monday's giveaway post explaining what the TBR giveaways are about, you can read it here.

The broad genre I'm using today is Women's Fiction as I have a mixture of books that cover Contemporary fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance or Saga and I think in the selection of books below these are widely covered. As mentioned previously these are either duplicate copies where I already have a proof copy or eBook to review or have been received out of the blue and I'm unlikely to be reading for review in the near future.

Giveaway: Win a copy of One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan & bundle of bookish/Easter goodies

Sadly I am having to cut back on running regular giveaways on the blog this year due to the increased cost of postage as well as financially not being in a position to buy as many books or items for prizes.  Instead I will run a bookish bundle giveaway whenever I can afford to do one, and will do occasional giveaways for eBooks which I can gift from Amazon, but I couldn't let Easter pass without doing a giveaway 😉

As you can see from the photos above there's quite a selection of treats to be won, a copy of One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan and a few other goodies. 

One charming bookshop, two unlikely friends, and a summer in Paris that will change their lives forever…

Grace can’t believe it when her husband of twenty-five years announces he doesn’t want to join her on their anniversary trip to Paris – instead, he wants a divorce. Reeling from the shock, Grace makes the bold decision to go on this holiday of a lifetime alone.

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?

Books Read: 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 . . .

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

Books Read: How to Keep a Secret by Sarah Morgan

Three generations of Stewart women, all with secrets to keep…

Matriarch Nancy knows she hasn't been the best mother but how can she ever tell her daughters the reason why? Lauren and Jenna are as close as two sisters can be and they made a pact years ago to keep a devastating secret from their mother – but is it time to come clean? Lauren's teenage daughter Mackenzie masks her own pain by keeping her mother at a distance. Her mother, aunt and grandmother keep trying to reach her but will it take a stranger to show her the true meaning of family?

When life changes in an instant, the Stewart women are thrown together for a summer and suddenly they must relearn how to be a family. And whilst unravelling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, it could also be their finest moment . . .

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

Books Read: Sarah Morgan - First Time in Forever

Happily-Ever-After isn’t on Emily Donovan’s agenda…

Emily’s been too swept up in a challenging year of firsts, from becoming a stand-in mum to her niece Lizzy to moving to remote but beautiful Puffin Island, to think about love. 

But that’s before charismatic local yacht club owner Ryan Cooper kisses her… 

Ryan knows Emily has a complicated past that she’s struggling to face. So he makes it his mission to help her unwind and enjoy the chemistry they share. 

Can the welcoming community of Puffin Island work their magic on Emily and get her to take her biggest leap of trust yet —putting her heart in someone else’s hands?

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Flash Giveaway: Win these Snow Crystal trilogy books by Sarah Morgan

In the spirit of Christmas I have decided to host an extra giveaway for existing followers (blog, Twitter or FB page) to win my paperback copies of the three books in the Snow Crystal trilogy by Sarah Morgan, Sleigh Bells in the Snow (read once), Suddenly Last Summer (bought secondhand) and Maybe this Christmas (new) as I also have all 3 books as eBooks :-)

Once upon a time Kayla loved Christmas

Now she’s more dedicated to her job than decking the halls, and can’t wait for the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ to be over.

Until she arrives at the enchanting Snow Crystal ski resort, determined to win gorgeous owner Jackson as a marketing client.

But wooing Jackson professionally quickly turns personal as they spend flirty festive nights in this glittering winter wonderland.

With snowflakes swirling and sleigh bells ringing…could Jackson be the one to make Kayla fall back under the Christmas spell?

Countdown to Christmas Day 20: My Favourite Christmas Book(s) by Liz Harris

Something a little different for you tonight as part of an extra Countdown to Christmas feature, author Liz Harris is here to talk about Christmas books.

When I told Shaz that I’d like to write about a Christmas book for her blog I’d intended to write about that definite Christmas novella, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, published 1843 (useful quiz knowledge!). But when it came to it, I had second thoughts. I decided that most people already knew the story of Scrooge, and it would be much more fun to find a novel that was new to me, and perhaps to Shaz’s readers, too.

So, interpreting ‘Christmas book’ to mean book set at Christmas, I began to search for a contemporary novel with a story line that was tied up with Christmas.

What I wanted: a romance; a Christmas setting; a fairly modern tone; strong characters; a 
story line that made me want to turn the page.

Books Read: Sarah Morgan - Once Upon a Christmas

What's your number one Christmas wish? 

Bryony’s daughter has put a dad on her Christmas list. That leaves Bryony with one month to find the perfect man, so this year she’s wishing for a miracle! 

While she’s looking for love, her best friend Helen is doing the opposite. Her Christmas wish is to forget all about the white dress hanging in her wardrobe – and her faithless rat of a fiancé. 

Helen and Bryony’s festive cheer definitely needs a boost, so it’s lucky that once upon a Christmas, wishes really do come true…