Review of A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate by Linn B Halton - Five **


Blurb:

When destiny calls, you need to pick up …

On the surface, Kristi Danielson has it all. She’s lifestyle coach to the rich and famous, has a bestselling book to her name and is described by her fans as “the veritable Queen of how to lead a fulfilling life”.

But the harsh truth is that Kristi has never practiced what she preaches. Her home life is a mess, her relationship with artist boyfriend, Tom, not much better – and now she has to redeem herself before all is lost.
At her wit’s end, Kristi is driven to seek out the help of Patrick Blakeslee, a tarot card reader and psychic medium, in an attempt to make sense of the mounting panic she’s feeling.

But Patrick’s visits have an unexpected effect on Kristi, leaving her with more questions than answers – and a life-changing decision to make.

Review:

What an unusual book! Kristi embarks on a life changing journey. As a public figure giving out advice for life improvement to everyone, she realises that her life needs to change - she is empty and has no time for herself.

This has a knock on effect on everyone in her life. Tom, her longterm boyfriend is forced to assess his life away from Kristi's nurturing. Her cleaner gets help for her husband's perceived mental problems and Kirsti's family benefit from her new way of thinking.

And then there is Patrick - the psychic that Kristi turns to for help. His feelings start to get in the way and prevent him for helping her as much as he could. But maybe the feelings will help more?

The chapters are written from the points of view of Kristi, Tom & Patrick so you get to know the characters in a lot of depth.

Lovely romance, twists and turns and makes you think about your own life and if you're where you want to be. Fabulous book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the wonderful Choc Lit in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon UK - £1.99

Another book, another Blog Tour! This is for Rosa Temples' lovely book Single by Christmas - 
Four**


Blurb:

You’ve heard the saying, ‘opposites attract’ haven’t you? Well meet 27 year old Alex Marshall, a party girl with a penchant for free flowing Prosecco, and her devilishly handsome scientist boyfriend, Charlie, who loves jazz and dinner for two.

Alex and Charlie are together for 11 blissful months until Alex goes out of town and does something she will later regret. Was she drunk? You bet. Does she want Charlie to know? Well what do you think?

With the couple about to spend their first Christmas together will Charlie be the forgiving kind or will Alex be Single by Christmas?

This is a feel good, Christmas novel with very few mince pies, not much snow and absolutely no mistletoe – just a couple of best friends, a sociopathic nemesis and a lot of drinking.

Review:

This is very cleverly written. We meet Alex on Christmas Eve, awaiting her boyfriend Charlie. Will he turn up, or won't he?

We then go back to a month previously and see the workings (or lack of) in their relationship and all the things that lead up to Alex sitting in the churchyard, waiting.

I felt so sorry for Charlie. Alex put everything and everyone before him and yet he remained patient and loving until the straw that broke the camel's back arrived. I felt like shaking Alex and telling her to sort herself out!!

As the December days pass, Alex becomes more and more unreliable and finally we arrive at the churchyard on Christmas Eve. But the story doesn't end there. Now Alex has to get her act together. and change her habits. Can she? 

Wonderful read - families and friends are all well created and contribute to the overall story in a believable way. And very funny too!

Great Christmas book :)

Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rosa's  Links

Blog – Rosa Temple Writes: http://rosatemplewrites.blogspot.co.uk/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosaT_Author

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14071311.Rosa_Temple

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LY2MLIH

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY2MLIH

Google+ : google.com/

And there is a chance to win one of five copies of the 

ebook!!

The link is: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YWYxNzYzYmE5OTk3N2MxNjJlY2RmOWYxNjI4YjVkOjM=/?

And here I am, bringing up the rear on the Blog Tour for Sue Moorcroft's wonderful book!!

Review of The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft - Five **


Blurb:

Countdown to Christmas with your new must-have author, as you step into the wonderful world of bespoke hat-maker Ava Bliss…

For Ava Bliss, it’s going to be a Christmas to remember…

On a snowy December evening, Sam Jermyn steps into the life of bespoke hat maker Ava. Sparks fly, and not necessarily the good ones.

Times are tough for Ava – she’s struggling to make ends meet, her ex-boyfriend is a bully, and worst of all, it’s nearly Christmas.

So when Sam commissions Ava to make a hat for someone special, she makes a promise that will change her life. She just doesn’t know it yet…

Curl up with this gorgeous, festive read – the perfect treat for fans of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley.

Review:

I always look forward to Sue's new books and this one is a real winner! Her research is meticulous and I learned so much about millinery, file sharing and, Revenge Porn - together with the laws around it.

Ava is a struggling couture milliner and lives with her best friend Izz. Izz works for a high tech promotion firm, together with Tod, the other friend of the trio. Christmas is looming and office parties are in full swing. Ava doesn't do Christmas as her parents were dedicated professionals who always worked over Christmas and had taught her to be self sufficient.

This backfires on her when she becomes incapable of asking for, or accepting help in any shape or form. Sam comes into the picture, but Izz has a huge crush on him, so Ava tried to ignore her increasing feelings towards him.

This is a book chock full of relationships - mother/son, father/daughter, friends and boy/girl. It's about learning about other people and helping them - even when they don't think they want their help. It's about betrayal, real and perceived - and forgiveness. Ava's ex is the villain of the piece and how all her friends - and her father - come together to help her is wonderfully heart-warming.

It left a smile on my face and a love for all the characters (except one!)

The perfect Christmas book!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon UK - £0.99

My turn for the Blog Tour for Sarah Morgan's new book!!!

Review of Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan - Five **


Blurb:

Sometimes love needs a Christmas Miracle…

Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. Even if she is spending it alone housesitting a spectacular Fifth Avenue apartment. What she didn’t expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous–and mysterious–owner.

Bestselling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife’s death looming, he’s isolated himself in his penthouse with only his grief for company. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings…This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?

Review:

Oh how I love this series!! I thought Sarah couldn't better the Snow Crystal trilogy but I was wrong!! (If you haven't read those - what are you waiting for??)

This book is the story for the third friend Eva and her relationship with Lucas Blade the writer. Because they spend so much time alone, the characters are deeper in this book and we get to know them really well. It was a great idea to cast Eva as Lucas' muse!

Since it was a Sarah Morgan book, I guessed there would be a happy ending, but you're kept guessing almost to the end. The swings and roundabouts of their developing feelings are perfect. 

And then I discovered, to my joy, that there are more books coming in this series! Whoopee!! (And they can all be read as standalones).

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon UK - £4.99

Blog Tour:

Review of Never Again by Nicky Clifford - Four **


Blurb:

Mountains, Mystery, Romance: Can you run from your past?

Harriet Anderson’s life is spiralling out of control. Unused to such mayhem, she ditches her high-powered job to take refuge in the Swiss Alps where she meets Philippe Smith, a crime writer with a dark and shadowy past. Thrown together by chance, is their fate intertwined? Will the karma and romance of the mountains and the quaintness of the Alps soothe their troubled souls?

Or will their rocky paths create avalanches that cannot be avoided...

Review:

This is a fantastic debut novel from Nicky Clifford. It has everything - murky pasts, dodgy exes, lovely characters (especially Elspeth), beautiful scenery and a cute kid!

After a turbulent time in the UK, Harriet escaped to work in a hotel in the Alps over the summer. There she meets the mysterious Phillippe and sparks fly. But there is so much more to this book. The characters are particularly well drawn and the plot has everything! Just when you think things will work out, they fly apart again!

It really does have everything and I look forward to Nicky's next book!

Amazon UK - £2.29

Blog Tour dates:

Review of Christmas at the Cornish Cafe by Phillipa Ashley - Five **


Blurb:

The festive, feel-good follow-up to Summer at the Cornish Cafe.

Christmas will be slightly less turbulent than summer, won’t it? Demi certainly hopes so.

She and Cal are keeping their fledgling relationship under wraps for now. But then Kit Bannen, a hunky, blond – and somewhat mysterious – writer arrives at Kilhallon Resort, and not everyone is charmed. Cal is sure that Kit is hiding something. But is he the only one guarding a secret?

Demi is busy baking festive treats for the newly opened Demelza’s cafe, but when Cal’s ex Isla arrives to shoot scenes for her new drama, Demi can’t help but worry that things aren’t quite over between them. Kit flirts with both women, fuelling Cal’s suspicions that Kit has hidden motives for staying on at Kilhallon. Then Cal has to go to London, leaving Demi and Kit to decorate the cafe for Christmas . . . all by themselves.

A storm is brewing in more ways than one. As surprises unfold and truths are uncovered, can Demi and Cal finally open up to each other about their feelings?

This second novel in the bestselling Cornish Cafe series is the perfect book to curl up with this Christmas.

Review:

This book was an absolute joy! The on/off romance between Cal & Demi continues but there are many spanners in the works in this book!

A new character, Kit Bannen, causes mayhem - jealousy and then an absolute bombshell! We have storms - literally and figuratively for both the town, Cal & Demi. I can't say too much without giving the plot away!

The characters are wonderfully drawn and deep - I'm amazed how much depth Phillipa can give them in a book! The scenery, as always is described perfectly and makes me want to jump on the next train to Cornwall!

And, if you follow the book carefully - you may just discover an amazing vet called......Annie Cooper ;) 

Really lovely book - thank you to NetGalley & the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Can't wait for the next one!

Amazon UK - £1.99

Review of Christmas at Eternity Springs by Emily March - Four **


Blurb:

For fans of Debbie Macomber, Robyn Carr, Barbara Freethy and Susan Mallery. Christmas In Eternity Springs is the gorgeously heartwarming twelfth novel in New York Times bestselling author Emily March's warm and uplifting romance series about a small town with a big heart.

After a devastating betrayal, Claire Branham packs up her life, along with a twenty-million-dollar secret, and moves to Eternity Springs. Opening a specialty shop - Forever Christmas - and embarking on a romance with the town's sexy new handyman, Claire's heart begins to heal. Until her past comes knocking...

Jax Lancaster abandoned his career in the Navy after his ex-wife's death to give his young son the one thing he wants: a life in Eternity Springs. He just never expected a second chance at love with a fascinating woman for whom Christmas has become a business. But when the truth about Claire threatens their newfound happiness, can Jax prove to her that in Eternity Springs, the spirit of Christmas is real...and will last a lifetime?

Escape to Eternity Springs, a little piece of heaven in the Colorado Rockies, with the other books in the series, Angel's Rest, Hummingbird Lake, Heartache Falls, Mistletoe Mine, Lover's Leap, Nightingale Way, Reflection Point, Miracle Road, Dreamweaver Trail, Teardrop Lane,Heartsong Cottage and Reunion Pass.

Review:

I love American books about small towns and this is an absolute delight! It is the 12th in a series about the town of Eternity Springs and, as I've not read of the others, I can safely say it can be read as a stand-alone! 

It is the story of 3 damaged people, Claire, Jax and his lovely son Nicholas. It is about facing one's fears, trust and above all, love and healing.

Occasionally I felt it might have been a bit long winded - but that may well have been my impatience for something to happen between Claire & Jax!

If you're a fan of Nancy Naigle and Nora Roberts then this book is for you!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon UK - £3.99

Amazon US - $4.99 

Review of One Christmas in Paris by Mandy Baggot - Five **


Blurb:

How many croissants does it take to mend a broken heart?

Ava and her best friend Debs arrive in Paris just as the snow starts to fall. The Eiffel Tower glitters gold, but all Ava can think about is Leo, her no-good, cheating ex.

Debs is on a mission to make Ava smile again, and as they tour the Christmas markets, and eat their body weight in pain-au-chocolat, Ava remembers there’s more to life than men... Until they cross paths with sizzling hot, oh-so-mysterious photographer Julien, with his French accent and hazelnut eyes that seem to see right inside her.

Ava can’t ignore the intense chemistry between them, but she can’t help but feel he’s hiding something. Her fingers have been burned before and she can’t forget it, especially when her ex, Leo, starts texting again. Can Ava really trust Julien – and what exactly is his secret?

Will Ava go home with a broken heart, or will she find true love in Paris?

Join Ava and Julien in the most romantic city in the world this Christmas, as they discover the importance of being true to themselves, and learn how to follow their hearts.

One Christmas in Paris is a gorgeous, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy – perfect for fans of Jane Costello, Miranda Dickinson and Lucy Diamond.

Review:

I've read several Christmas books this year - ok - quite a lot! Some were good. some were very good and one or two were absolutely amazing.....and this is one of them!

Set in Paris (as you may have guessed from the title!) and featuring Ava and her friend Debs. Debs is on a mission to cheer Ava up following her break up from her cheating ex Leo. Ava is determined not to find romance in the most romantic city in the world at Christmas. Then she meets Julien. And he is one sexy beast!

Of course the path of true love never runs smooth, even in Paris and there are several bumps in the road that they have to get over.

Funny, Christmassy, very romantic and one of my favourite Christmas books ever! Thank you Mandy!

Thanks to Bookouture & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon UK - £1.99

Amazon US - $2.99

Review of The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight by Christina Courtenay - Five **


Blurb:

"As the velvet cloak of moonlight settled over the ruined towers of Raglan Castle, the shadows beneath them stirred ..."

When newly widowed Tess visits Raglan Castle, she experiences an extraordinary vision that transports her to seventeenth-century Wales and a castle on the brink of a siege.



Even when Tess leaves Raglan to return to Merrick Court, her late husband’s home, the strange dreams continue as her life becomes increasingly intertwined with the past. And when the new owner of the estate arrives - New Zealander Josh Owens - the parallels become even more obvious.



But perhaps the visions aren’t just trying to tell their own story, maybe they’re also giving a warning …

Review:

One of my favourite genres is timeshift and this is an amazing example of it. Usually only 1 person experiences it, but in this case 2 people do - Tess and Josh. Tess actually experiences the siege of Raglan Castle in the Civil War, and Josh can see spirits from the time..

Wonderfully romantic and incredibly evocative of the period. I was transported to a world of fear and danger where even your friends and family could not be trusted. 

The modern day story was equally complex and I enjoyed the way the story developed around who was going to end up owning/living in Merrick Court. Great characters in both time periods and I adored the title!!

Thanks to Choc Lit & NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon UK - £2.99

Amazon US - $2.99

Review of the Belle Haven Unicorn series by Kathleen Phythian - 5**


Blurb:

To dreamers everywhere. 

To those who believe in magic and know how to allow your imagination to take you to wonderful lands where everything is possible. 

To a place where wizards sit with unicorns and grey herons and dangle their feet in the lake of charms listening to the mellifluous song of the phoenix bird, while the visiting cows cook picnic food on a griddle near the candy-floss tree. 

Just close by is the mystical grove in the magic forest where fairies guard a treasure trove and meditate for hours in their enchanted trees. 

If you are lucky you might get to see the caterpillars doing their nails and the ostrich putting on her lipstick, pink of course! Welcome to the enchanted world of life on Belles Haven.

Review:

I don't usually review children's books (my son is 25 and we are long past those days!) but when Kathleen asked me to look at her books, I happily accepted.

And I am so glad I did! I sat down and read the whole lot back to back! What an absolutely wonderful world she has created. The poetry is simple but beautiful - easily understood by children - and the drawings are sublime!

Belles Haven is the most magical place and the unicorns and the other creatures are adorable. I so wish this series had been around 20 years' ago!

Each book stands alone but I think any child would love the whole series as a real boost to reading/pre-reading. I'm going to buy them for a friend's daughter for Christmas - Ruby needs to be read!!

Thank you Kathleen for allowing me to dip into this magical world!

Amazon UK