Blog Tour – Heartache on West India Dock Road

“West India Dock Road is battered. It is ravaged. And yet still, it is standing. Still it keeps on keeping on.”

Despite being a lover of historical saga fiction, this third instalment of the series was my first visit to West India Dock Road. With well established, tight-knit characters who clearly have rich individual and collective histories, I felt as though I was arriving very late to a party which has been in full swing for a while. However, it’s a party that I’m definitely glad to be part of now.

My introduction to West India Dock Road came through the eyes of Ruth, a fellow newbie to the area, who received a heartfelt welcome which was as warm as Divya’s delicious cooking. Curling up in this Winter weather and entering Divya’s curry house, aka the epicentre of West India Dock Road, felt like being enveloped in a warm hug, and I could practically smell the delicious spices wafting out of the pages.

Although this book is an instalment of the West India Dock Road series, I was surprised that the first half of the plot takes place in Germany, paving the way for Ruth’s eventful journey to the East End. This was very much a pleasant surprise however, as this was a really gripping and, at times, genuinely emotional story that I couldn’t put down. It feels strange to say that such a tragic sequence of events was my favourite part of this book, but it was so thoughtfully written and filled with so many unexpected twists and turns that I couldn’t stop turning the pages and really felt as though I were a fly on the wall, experiencing these dramatic events in real time with the characters.

“Our narrow East End streets might be brutal but they are also full of community and camaraderie. “

After following Ruth’s incredible journey, I was relieved to arrive at West India Dock Road, although I was naïve to think that this meant the plot would become smooth sailing. This particular area of the East End may be a tight-knit community, the inhabitants of which care deeply about one another, but as with anywhere, prejudice and divide find ways to sneak into the cracks and put down their ugly roots.

“The world may be at war, but that doesn’t stop the hatred, the prejudice.”

I was shocked when some undertones of prejudice began bubbling up between members of this well-established community, even more so when they snowballed into outright division and hatred towards one another. However, without spoiling the plot for anyone who is yet to read this book, as Charity and Divya in particular both navigated these challenges, found their confidence and fiercely stood up for themselves (and those closest to them), I was practically punching the air in triumph by the time I turned the last page. I may be a newcomer to this series, but if there is one thing that was made abundantly clear to me, it’s that West India Dock Road has produced an array of headstrong, fiercely independent women who are never afraid to stand up for what is right; and I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for them next. Particularly, as this story ends with the return of someone who has clearly played an integral role in previous plots and, if suspicion serves me right, definitely has a bigger part to play as this story continues to unfold.

“They are quick to judge, and even quicker to gossip. They are brash. But they are also fiercely loyal. They care deeply and love wholeheartedly.”

Heartache on West India Dock Road

1941 – Amid the bombs falling over London’s East End, the residents of West India Dock Road endure wartime with courage, defiance and a good dose of humour.

From nights spent sheltering together in the Underground station to sharing gossip, pastimes and meals, they lean on each other as their world is turned upside down.

Since the bombing of her family’s boarding house, Charity has held her loved ones together, and now, with her heart set on becoming a ‘sugar girl’ working for Tate & Lyle, she’s determined to forge a new path, despite prejudice about her relationship with the Indian soldier she loves.

Her best friend Divya serves up warmth and spice in her beloved curry house, but is hiding a secret that grows more urgent with each passing day. What will happen when it is revealed?

Ruth is a newcomer, recently arrived from wartorn Europe and haunted by the atrocities she’s experienced. On West India Dock Road she finds not just refuge but an unlikely family.

As heartache affects them all and bonds are tested, can these three women find hope and happiness, even in the darkest of times?

Purchase Link –
https://mybook.to/HeartacheWestIndiaDock

Author Bio –

Renita d’Silva is an award-winning author of historical fiction, often set partly in India, where she is from.

Facebook: @RenitaDSilvaBooks

Twitter: @RenitaDSilva

Instagram: @Renita_dsilva

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

Bookbub profile: @RenitaDSilva

Review – A Christmas Caroline

“I didn’t buy into the whole abundant Christmas ethos that seemed to be perpetuated at this time of year. All cinnamon-scented and tinsel-trimmed tat and really just an excuse for people to spend money they could ill afford.”

Christmas, the cosiest and most wonderful time of the year. That is, unless you’re Caroline Scroggins – Martin Lewis meets the Grinch and ten times meaner. Holed up alone in her dark, damp little house, determined to beat this cost of living crisis, Caroline really thinks she has it all worked out; squeezing and squirrelling away every last penny for a long-anticipated rainy day. But ultimately, what good is sitting on a fortune if you have nobody to enjoy it with?

Christmas Eve may be the most magical night of the year, but, for grumpy old Scroggins, not for the reasons you might think. Bundled up in her freezing bed, she’s visited by a being she thought only existed in children’s stories. No, I’m not talking about jolly old Saint Nick (although she’d no doubt give him a piece of her mind), but the ghostly figure of her old friend Marlene, who comes baring a grave warning – if Caroline doesn’t see the error of her ways, she will soon meet the same terrible fate.

“The chilly air felt charged with energy. It was almost cracking.”

Of course, this is a tale as old as time. Well, as old as 1843 to be precise, but we still love to revisit it every year in its various formats (The Muppets version for me, every time), and its message remains as relevant and heart-warming as ever. The bare bones of the plot may be a well-told classic, but I thoroughly enjoyed K L Crear’s hilarious modern-day retelling. The garish innuendo throughout the story, combined with the razor-sharp wit of Caroline Scroggins had me laughing aloud as I turned the pages.

That said, the humour in no way overshadowed the overall meaning behind the story. The world of the first of the three ghosts, adorned with offensively bright multi-coloured foil decorations, clouded by cigarette smoke and Slade, is so perfectly nostalgic that it felt like a walk down my own memory lane. Reminiscing about Christmases past in one’s own childhood home conjures up a feeling of comfort warmer than any yuletide firesides, and the lessons Caroline takes from each of the three ghosts are beautifully moving, and perfectly balanced against her wicked sense of humour. But can she learn her lesson before it’s too late?

“When we look in the mirror, we all have demons staring back at us. But face those demons down and the world is yours for the taking.”

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this fresh take on a well-loved classic Christmas tale. And, with all due respect to Mr Dickens, what’s really missing from ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a sizzling romance and some expertly timed penis puns.

A Christmas Caroline

Caroline’s got frugality down to a fine art. She can make a tin of soup stretch for days, considers “reduced to clear” her love language, and thinks Christmas is just a daft excuse for people to throw their money away on tinsel trimmed tat.

But Christmas Eve night takes a turn when her best mate, Marlene, drops in for a chat. Lovely, right? Except Marlene’s been dead for seven years and she’s got a message for Caroline, she will be visited by three spirits and if she doesn’t pay attention, her future’s looking bleaker than the contents of her fridge freezer.

Caroline’s convinced she’s having a hallucination. Ghosts? Surely not! But as the night goes on, she starts to wonder if she might just learn something worth more than her latest discount voucher. And for someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, this might be the wake-up call she didn’t see coming.

Move over Ebenezer! This modern, laugh-out-loud retelling of the Dickens classic has a new Scrooge in town. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella.

Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Caroline-K-L-Crear-ebook/dp/B0DHS6QXMQ
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Caroline-K-L-Crear-ebook/dp/B0DHS6QXMQ

Author Bio –

Karen (K.L. Crear) is an author, over-sharer, and walking cautionary tale. Think: a sweary teenager trapped in the body of a menopausal woman who can’t sneeze without risking a wardrobe malfunction. You’re welcome.

Once upon a time, she worked in banking, the Civil Service, and property management, or as she likes to call it, The Beige Trilogy. She spent decades being respectable (ish), responsible (occasionally), and quietly losing the will to live. Then one day she found herself broke, baffled, and built entirely out of biscuit crumbs and unresolved trauma. So she did what any sensible woman would do, she wrote it all down and flogged it in paperback.

Karen has battled cancer twice, and her coping strategy was to laugh at wildly inappropriate moments and shout “F*ck off!” at inspirational quotes. Spoiler: it worked. Her sense of humour is deeply questionable, but it’s kept her just about sane through grief, illness, love, lies, and the time she gave herself food poisoning with a dodgy prawn ring from Iceland.

After years of procrastination (and one too many vinos), she finally swapped Pinot for a pen. She now writes jaw-dropping memoirs and hilarious women’s fiction about women who’ve had enough, snapped slightly, and are thriving in spite of it all, usually with a glass in hand, some top mates, and a solid alibi.

Her hobbies include eating anything wrapped in pastry, shouting at the Real Housewives (“She’s definitely had something done – she’s melting!”), and threatening to adopt an axolotl because they look so absurdly cheerful. She once turned down hugging a sloth in Mexico, it dangles upside down, pees on itself, and honestly felt like a warning from the future.

Karen lives in a sleepy Northern town with her long-suffering husband (he’s partially deaf, which helps) and their cat Pickle, who looks permanently disgusted with their life choices and the ongoing Dreamies rationing.

A portion of every book sale goes to Women’s Aid, Great Ormond Street, the Epilepsy Society, and Macmillan. because she knows what it’s like to need help. The world’s a shitshow, but we can all make a little difference in our own way.

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

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

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@klcrear_author

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/K-L-Crear/author/B0BTZ22HBD

Website: https://www.klcrear.com

Review – An Apple Butter Christmas

They say home is where the heart is, but in Diana Marchcroft’s case, home is where hers was shattered into tiny pieces. After dusting herself off and heading to the big city to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, a family emergency forces her to return back to her quaint hometown of Hartstone, where she is uncomfortably reunited with her ex and, in true small town style, his extended family. As if that weren’t enough, shortly after arriving to what was hoped to be a flying visit, Diana is horrified to discover that the future of her family’s beloved apple orchard hangs in the balance, after rising costs and declining health have forced her aunt to consider the lucrative sales pitch of a truly heinous estate agent.

Torn between her desire to escape the unresolved past with her ex, Alex, and her motivation to save the landmark Marchcroft Orchard, Diana rallies her old friends who are all prepared to do whatever it takes to have the most prosperous Christmas season yet and save the orchard, one delicious jar of apple butter at a time. Despite endless obstacles, from snowstorms to the villainous Meredith who will stop at nothing in pursuit of her selfish plan to profit from selling the orchard to a big developer, Diana and her team pull together and manage not only to save the orchard from closure, but develop a plan to future-proof it, just in time for Christmas.

“As her pen flew across the page, she reconnected with the town that she loved.”

Despite the best efforts of her loyal friends and family, it seems that Diana’s heart can’t be so easily fixed as the orchard’s business plans. Having to face Alex, and the constant reminder of what went wrong between them, has Diana really questioning whether she can ever truly be happy in Hartstone. However, the town’s very own little Christmas fairy (and my favourite character), six-year-old Phoebe, knows that anything is possible at Christmas and when the grown-ups can’t get it right, she steps in with her own clever plan that forces Diana and Alex to address what happened between them once and for all.

“You need to be here in Hartstone. This is where you belong.”

Hartstone is so quaint and cosy that it would be warm and welcoming in any season, but at Christmas; dusted with snow and decked in twinkly lights, it’s absolutely magical. Turning the pages of ‘An Apple Butter Christmas’ made me feel like I was stepping inside to a roaring fire on a Winter’s night; and is the perfect stocking filler for anyone in need of some cosy escapism this Christmas!

“Hartstone during the Christmas season was Hartstone at its best.”

An Apple Butter Christmas

From the USA Today Best-Selling Author Terry Lynn Thomas
An Apple Butter Christmas
A Heartwarming Small-Town Christmas Romance

Coming home for Christmas was supposed to be temporary—until love, legacy, and one unforgettable orchard changed everything.

Welcome to Hartstone, where the snow is deep, the secrets are deeper, and love might just get a second chance under the twinkling lights of the town Christmas tree.

Diana Marchcroft didn’t plan on returning to Hartstone, but when her beloved aunt is injured, Diana leaves the city behind to help save her family’s struggling apple orchard. What she doesn’t expect? The fight of a lifetime and the survival of her family’s heritage. The orchard is at risk of being developed into an exclusive golf course and destination wedding venue.

Alex Kelley thought he’d buried his feelings for Diana after their relationship ended abruptly on the night he planned to propose. When he unexpectedly bumps into her, he realizes that some embers never go out.

With the town busy with visitors for the annual Apple Butter Festival, Diana and Alex discover that sometimes Christmas miracles come wrapped in second chances.

If you love:

• Cozy snow-covered small towns
• Second-chance love stories
• Orchard festivals and secret kisses under the stars
• Family, friendship, and a sprinkle of holiday magic

…then curl up with An Apple Butter Christmas, a feel-good romance that will warm your heart like a mug of hot cider on a winter’s night.

Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Butter-Christmas-Hartstone-Romance-ebook/dp/B0FNKNM4D8
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-Butter-Christmas-Hartstone-Romance-ebook/dp/B0FNKNM4D8

Author Bio – Terry Lynn Thomas is a USA Today best-selling author who writes contemporary legal thrillers and historical mysteries set in World War II. Her debut cozy Christmas romance, Apple Butter Christmas, will release in November of 2025. Her stories are known for their strong female protagonists and the emotional connection between her characters.

When she isn’t writing, Terry Lynn likes to watch British mysteries, read books about found family and friendship, paint, garden, and take long walks with her husband and dogs.

Social Media Links –(1) Facebook

Review – Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel

“Stepping forward, stepping back, who cares, as long as you’re dancing together in the right direction.”

Well, I’m back at the Seaview Hotel for the fourth time. Breathing in the sea air, feeling the breeze on my face and tucking into one of the hotel’s award winning breakfasts (I wish). At this point in the ‘Helen Dexter’ series, it really does feel like catching up with old friends from the moment I turn the first page. As noted by one of the (many) eccentric guests, the Seaview itself feels so calming, and its landlady Helen feels so restful. That is, until one of the guests doesn’t return.

Of course, Scarborough’s (albeit fictional) police detectives are once again barking up the wrong tree when it comes to catching the killer, so it falls to Helen and her trusty greyhound Suki to catch the killer before they strike again. As if poor Helen didn’t have enough on her plate with running the Seaview, the insufferable Miriam lands unexpectedly with suitcases in hand, her closest confidante-come-chef Jean has her head turned by a complete scallywag and Helen’s own relationship with the lovely Jimmy reaches an uncomfortable, and most untimely, ultimatum. Can Helen solve the murder, and matters of her heart, before it’s too late?

“She’d come this far, and she was determined not to leave without discovering the truth.”

We’re four instalments into the Helen Dexter series now, so as I’ve said it does feel like catching up with old friends when Helen, Jean and Sally are all chatting away in the apartment of the Seaview. However, it’s a testament to Glenda Young’s fantastic writing and gripping plotlines that this instalment really had me questioning what I thought I knew about all of the main characters, even Helen herself. I found myself practically shouting at the pages at times, particularly as Helen and Jean navigated their respective matters of their hearts; which just shows the care and attention which Glenda Young pours into creating these characters who are so multi-layered that they can still surprise familiar readers when we’re four novels in. Without spoiling anything for those who are yet to read ‘Deadly Dancing’, if there is one thing I will take away from this book, it’s to never trust a man in Cuban heels.

As always, it wouldn’t be a stay at the Seaview Hotel without a gaggle of quirky guests. Just when I think I’ve seen it all at the Seaview, Glenda Young introduces a motley crew of ballroom dancers, all with their own individual rich personal histories, many of which threaten to spill over into the present day as they all prepare for a ballroom dancing competition in Scarborough. I will admit that I’m not a ‘Strictly’ fan, and know absolutely nothing about dancing, but as always these characters and their respective plotlines are so well-written, with such attention to detail that I found myself totally engrossed in the glittering world of ballroom dance, and all the drama it entails.

“Suddenly, everything began to make sense. It was as if a fog had lifted”.

We may be four books into this series, but once again the plot had me guessing until the very end, and I’m four for four with not being able to work out who the killer was. But, I will overlook this as it’s a sign of Glenda Young’s excellent writing that she, and her characters, are always one step ahead of the reader. Again, without wanting to spoil anything for those who are yet to read this book, the ending was everything I’d hoped for and more – all ends tied up, characters making the right steps on their individual journeys but, as always, just a tiny hint of intrigue at the end which has truly piqued my interest for book five, so I will definitely be checking into the Seaview again!

Blog Tour – Changing Seasons for the Country Nurse

“This was her safe haven, her shelter from the storm, and right now, she felt as if she wanted to stay forever.”

I love Autumn. Crunchy leaves, bonfires, layering up with big woolly hats and scarves; nothing could be cosier. That is, until I entered the kitchen of Ingleside Surgery. As Nurse Lara Flynn would enter the old stone cottage and sit down for a pot of tea by the warm aga, surrounded by the tightly knit (albeit slightly eclectic) group of doctors, nurses, and of course Mrs H the housekeeper, it felt like the literary equivalent of being snuggled up in a warm, fuzzy blanket.

That being said, the picturesque village of Ingleside is anything but sleepy. I may be a newcomer, as ‘Changing Seasons’ was the first of the ‘Country Nurse’ series I’ve read, but even from the first few pages it was abundantly clear that drama was bubbling away across every corner of Ingleside and, at times, boiling over entirely. So, whilst it was the warm draw of a quaint Autumnal village that initially drew me to this story, it was the drama, tension and a plot with more twists and turns than Lara’s bicycle route past the saw mill, that kept me furiously turning the pages in a desperate need to find out what happened next.

“I know I’ll have a tough fight on my hands, but, with you lot behind me, it feels easier.”

Following Lara and Marion on their rounds across Ingleside, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the individual characters, their families and their individual stories, all of which are so unique and carefully crafted through Kate Eastham’s fantastic writing. Balancing the complex range of human emotion which underpins the medical profession, against the wider context of 1936, especially that which would encapsulate a relatively isolated and insular village of that time, can’t have been an easy task. However, Kate Eastham balanced this perfectly. My personal favourite character was Dr Bingham; the somewhat erratic and, at times, slightly scary, senior doctor. His development from the tough, no-nonsense boss to the warm, supportive almost father figure of Ingleside Surgery was a joy to read; particularly his wonderfully compassionate approach to a heart-breaking case of post-natal mental illness. In short, we all need a boss like Dr Bingham.

All in all, despite being new to the ‘Country Nurse’ series, I am now absolutely hooked. ‘Changing Seasons’ had me genuinely laughing, crying and feeling every emotion in between as I moved through the exciting yet heart-warming plot. I absolutely loved getting to know this unique mix of characters, and can hardly wait to find out what life has in store for them next.

“She felt boosted by the wonder of it all and, as she turned her face to the pale sun, she knew it would take a drastic happening to keep her from this place.”

Get your copy here – https://mybook.to/ChangingSeasons

Changing Seasons for the Country Nurse

In the quiet Lancashire countryside of 1936, city-trained nurse Lara Flynn must contend with far more than muddy lanes and boisterous farm dogs. Still recovering from a past trauma and an ill-fated love affair, she’s determined to prove herself as a capable district nurse and midwife to a community that doesn’t easily welcome outsiders.

As autumn sets in, Lara becomes a trusted presence at Ingleside Surgery – soothing frightened patients, forming a close bond with her spirited colleague Marion and earning the grudging respect of the erratic but brilliant senior doctor. But behind the laughter and team spirit, shadows loom. There’s loss, secrets buried deep in the hearts of her new friends and a face from her past that threatens everything Lara’s tried to leave behind.

When tragedy strikes a patient – a younger mother with four small children – Lara’s personal strength is tested like never before. Can she dig deep to find hope and healing, not just for those she cares for, but also for herself?

Changing Seasons for the Country Nurse describes the quiet heroism of a woman making a difference, one visit at a time. It’s the perfect read for fans of Call the Midwife and All Creatures Great and Small as well as Donna Douglas and Jean Fullerton.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/ChangingSeasons

Author Bio –

Kate Eastham is the author of heartbreaking wartime historical fiction. Before this, she was a trained nurse and midwife, and spent 20 years working in palliative care. During this time she had the privilege of listening to stories from patients of all ages and backgrounds, many of whom were veterans of the world wars.

Social Media Links

Twitter: @eastham_kate

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-eastham

Review – Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls

“Mr Jack’s going to make an important announcement that will affect the future of the factory – and all of our lives.”

The toffee factory girls are back! The war might be raging on, but it’s no match for their courage and determination. By 1916, and Hetty, Elsie and Anne’s jobs at Mr Jack’s toffee factory in Chester-Le-Street may be more settled, but their home and romantic lives are anything but. Then, just as work seems to be the one stable element of their lives, Mr Jack makes an announcement which throws everything into question. And with sugar rationing crippling the nation, will the factory survive the uncertainty ahead?

As with all of Glenda Young’s fantastic sagas, the main thing which had me itching to know what comes next for our toffee factory girls is the (seemingly) unbreakable bond between Hetty, Elsie and Anne. If there’s one thing Glenda knows how to perfect, it’s writing powerhouse female leads, and the combination of these three heroines had me hooked on the ‘Toffee Factory Girls’ saga from the first instalment. However, as life continues to throw unexpected twists and turns their way, and secrets from their respective pasts threaten to boil over to the present, the bond between these three women is tested to the very limit. Without spoiling anything for those who haven’t yet read ‘Secrets’, I was absolutely rage-turning the pages as it seemed, at points, that the girls might drift apart irreconcilably in light of the huge plot twists which were pushing them in different directions. However, we can all relate to the idea of life getting in the way of our friendships, and I can only imagine how that would have been to experience within the wider throes of war, to say nothing of that huge, age-old and ever looming threat to female friendships – men.

“It felt as if the ground had shifted beneath her feet, but instead of being shaken, she felt very happy indeed.”

To match three such headstrong women, of course readers would never settle for some boring old doormats who fall in step behind them; our girls need male leads who can match their complexity, without overshadowing them. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but once again, Glenda smashed it. I was so pleased to see the return of Dirk and Mr Jack; of course less so to meet Frankie again, but then all great heroes (or in this case heroines) need an equally matched villain, and I continue to thoroughly enjoy the slow burn of sweet, dependable Stan in the background. Although, I’m not sure if I was getting caught up in the suspicion and paranoia of wartime, or if it was just Glenda Young’s great plot development (probably the latter), but I definitely had my guard up around Dirk and Mr Jack this time – something which I never would have expected from the first ‘Toffee Factory Girls’ book. It’s a testament to the great storytelling and plot twists however, that this instalment had me really questioning two such seemingly great and dependable characters which I was already familiar with.

“There’s only one woman I love. With you by my side, we’ll get through this damn war.”

However, as the old saying goes, it all comes out in the wash, and most of our toffee factory girls’ secrets (and those of their respective men) come out in the end, but as always, Glenda Young leaves her readers wanting more. Again, without spoiling anything for those who are yet to read this book, the end was a perfect blend of celebration, resolve and the reunion of our girls, but left me absolutely itching to know what happens next – particularly around whether Anne’s secret will remain out of sight and out of mind. Personally, I’ll be keeping one eye on that sneaky mother in law. But whatever happens next, I know Glenda Young will continue serve intrigue, heartbreak and heroism by the gallon, and if our toffee factory girls face it together, then nothing is unachievable.

“I’ll always stand by you. No matter what happens from now on, we’re a team, all three of us.”

Blog Tour – If The Ring Fits

New York – a city moving so fast that, as Rowena finds, you can wake up in the morning as single as a Pringle, only to be engaged and pregnant before you leave the office. Oh, and unemployed as well, but two out of three isn’t bad, surely?

As a software engineer, Rowena is used to taking a step back and pausing to find the logical solution to life’s problems. However, when investment banker (and total stranger) Adrian pops the question through a toilet door on what was shaping up to be the worst day of her life, she learns that sometimes, all you can do is close your eyes, go with your gut and hope for the best.

“I’m a coder after all – debugging is my specialty. But this glitch in my life’s program feels impossible to untangle.”

So, Adrian needs a fake fiancée to impress his boss, and Rowena just found herself to be unemployed and unexpectedly pregnant; it’s the perfect solution to both of their problems. Hell, if Britney can be married for 55 hours, and there’s a whole reality TV show centred around marrying total strangers, is it such a ridiculous idea to have an engagement of convenience to a stranger you met in a toilet? As a top investment banker, Adrian has negotiated way more complicated situations than this; so with a contract drawn up, Rowena quickly moves in to his incredible penthouse and begins an Oscar-worthy performance as his doting wife-to-be. However, despite Rowena’s logical approach and Adrian’s expertise in drawing up loophole-proof contracts, there is one crucial detail they both forgot to consider – what happens if somebody catches feelings?

“Funny how things can be both perfect and completely off at the same time.”

That being said, although there is enough romance in this story to warm even the coldest cynic, it is far from a predictable cheese-fest. The plot was so well written and took me in so many different directions, keeping me guessing until the very last page, that it was the furthest thing from cheesy. In fact, it was practically vegan. Not only was the chemistry between the main characters absolutely electric, and their ‘will they/won’t they’ narrative had me frantically turning the pages in a desperate need to know what happens next, but the depth of emotion behind the characters and their individual stories had me genuinely moved to tears by the end. Camilla Isley’s writing is just fantastic, and there were so many amazing lines I would love to share, but this blog would be far too long and I would hate to spoil it for anyone yet to read this book. That being said, without giving any spoilers, I could not end this review without giving credit to her incredibly written depiction of postnatal depression. It’s weaved so sensitively into the otherwise joyous and romantic plot, and perfectly highlights the complex ripple effect it stirs up for everyone it touches.

“The joyful, competent mother I imagined myself being seems like a distant mirage, slipping further out of my reach with each passing day. In her place is a stranger – overwhelmed, uncertain and utterly lost.”

All in all, ‘If The Ring Fits’ is the perfect January pick-me-up to lose yourself in. It had me laughing and crying in equal measure, and I’m already pre-ordering more copies to gift to all the readers in my life!

“As the plane lifts off, soaring up into the endless blue sky, I can’t shake the feeling that everything is about to change. And I’m not sure I’m ready for it.”

If The Ring Fits

When Life Gives You Lemons, Fake an Engagement

When investment banker Adrian and software engineer Rowena started the day, they didn’t expect to end it engaged! But Adrian has invented a fake fiancée to impress his CEO, regretting the lie almost immediately, and now he is in hot water. Meanwhile, Rowena’s career has just gone up in flames, leaving her unemployed, unexpectedly expecting with no father in the picture, and short of options. When fate throws these two hot messes into a meet-cute of epic proportions, it’s a match made in rock-bottom heaven. They say love is blind, and with nothing to lose, Adrian gets down on one knee… and Rowena says yes!

The rules of engagement are simple:

Pretend to be madly in love

Keep their real lives separate

Absolutely, positively do NOT catch feelings

However, faking it is harder than they thought, especially when every overnight stay comes with only one bed and zero personal space—blurring that imaginary line between ‘just business’ and ‘definitely personal.’

Soon, their carefully constructed charade starts to feel alarmingly… real. Can Adrian and Rowena stick to their engagement pact, or will their fake relationship graduate to something authentically messy, complicated, and wonderful?

Find out in this hilarious, heartwarming tale of two strangers who said “I do” before they even said “Hello.” Because sometimes, the worst day of your life just might lead to the best mistake you’ll ever make.

If the Ring Fits is an age gap, marriage of convenience rom-com with a multi-millionaire MMC and a STEM FMC perfect for fans of Lynn Painter, Sarah Adams and Fallon Ballard**

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/IfTheRingFits

Author Bio –

Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy and her first title for Boldwood, The Love Theorem, a Hollywood-meets-STEM romance, will be published in June 2023.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @CamillaIsley

Twitter: @CamillaIsley

Instagram: @CamillaIsley

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

Bookbub profile: @CamillaIsley

Review – Rodasauri the Dinosaur’s Trip to London

It may still be October, but for those of us who are already sweating over the Christmas shopping, particularly for small people whose fleeting interests seem to change all the time, thankfully we can look no further than ‘Rodasauri the Dinosaur’s Trip to London’. The perfect stocking filler – a charming festive tale about an adventurous dinosaur who travels to London by skiing and, with the help of some kind new friends, learns all about Christmas; and even meets Santa!

Even if your little one isn’t dinosaur mad, Rodasauri’s exciting adventures will still go down an absolute storm. The illustrations are captivating, with such a festive warmth that the pages are almost glowing – my little boy was absolutely transfixed looking at the beautiful Christmassy scenes. The language used strikes the perfect balance between being easily understandable for toddlers who are being read to, whilst having enough of a challenge that older children can enjoy reading it independently. And with wholesome messages about friendship, family and opening our hearts (and homes) to new friends at Christmas, this will quickly become a firm favourite which is enjoyed for years to come. Reading ‘Rodasuari the Dinosaur’s Trip to London’ will certainly become one of our annual Christmas traditions, and its magic can be summarised with my 3-year-old’s single word review as we turned the final page: “AGAIN!”

Purchase Links

https://amzn.eu/d/7cNZahq

https://amzn.eu/d/fRgIVoO

Rodasauri the Diplodocus has always dreamed of experiencing a proper London Christmas. On his way to find this land of sparkling decorations, he meets the generous Father Christmas who helps him get to London, taking him on a tour of all the wonderful and diverse Christmas treats that London has to offer. What Rodasauri finds is a place of love and friendship, filled with many different people—and now a dinosaur! —who all join together to celebrate the spirit of Christmas.

Author Bio –

Lainey Dee was born in Birmingham UK. She has always been passionate about caring for children and made this her career.

Lainey is an accredited nanny and holds the NNEB certificate. She has worked both in children’s nurseries and as a private nanny.

Her inspiration to write ‘Rodasauri the Dinosaur’s Trip to London‘ came while caring for Thomas and Rose, age five, who have a huge dinosaur collection and can remember and pronounce all of the difficult names.

Lainey lives in a house built in the 1930s and decorated in that style of period. She enjoys museums, walking, visiting National Trust properties and theatre shows.

Blog Tour – Winter Snowfall at Elder Fell Farm

“Secrets. So many secrets in the cottage this Christmastime.”

Christmas. Whether you love it or loathe it, the festive period always seems to uncover secrets, no matter how hard we try to suppress them in favour of creating a picture-perfect yuletide celebration. And what better place to host an idyllic Christmas than a snow-dusted Elder Fell Farm? Nestled in the Lake District, in a cottage which was so cosy I could almost hear the fire crackling and smell the cocoa wafting out of the pages. I might be new to the Edler Fell Farm trilogy, but the setting is so perfect that I could immediately see how Matt and Amy fell in love with it (and each other), in the previous instalment.

But of course, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a few familial hiccups, and having one’s plans for a perfect festive season derailed by overbearing in-laws, is a pain which is universally acknowledged. As traditional as turkey, interfering mothers-in-law are always on the Christmas bingo card. However, a testament to Liz Taylorson’s writing, is that although Diane is every bit the classic monster-in-law who I was willing to be covered by an avalanche from her first introduction, as the story progressed, the complex personal histories of each character snowballed along and by the end I was actually rooting for her. Okay that might be a bit of a stretch, but the rich character development did have me seeing things in a different light as the plot unfolded via several unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the last pages.

I may be new to the Elder Fell Farm novels, but the depth of each character and the breath-taking setting had me feeling like I was at home catching up with old friends before I’d even finished the first chapter. Not least because, as the mother of a similarly rogue little boy, Harry immediately jumped out as my favourite character. It’s always funnier when it’s not happening to you in the moment, but I really felt like I was standing there with Amy, willing the ground to swallow us up (and trying not to laugh literally out loud), right alongside her many, many times throughout this story.

“It might not be perfect, but it was their family Christmas.”

We all love a classic Christmas romance, and whilst ‘Winter Snowfall at Elder Fell Farm’ has warming festivity and romance by the bucket load, an element of this novel which I particularly loved, was the allusion of a ghost story. When done just right, the thought of a chilly spectre lingering in the background of the remote, snow-covered cottage is the holly berry on top of an already intriguing Christmas story.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Elder Fell Farm, and it has certainly ignited my festive spirit. I may have come for the warming comfort of a classic Christmas romance, but what made me stay was the gripping plot that had me frantically turning the pages to find out what happened next, captivating characters who had me both laughing and crying throughout each twist and turn, and the lure of a mysterious ghost story that kept me guessing even after I closed the final page. Christmas might have brought an end to one element of Matt and Amy’s story, but with a New Year comes new beginnings, and I can’t wait to find out what Liz Taylorson has in store for them next.

Purchase Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winter-Snowfall-Elder-Fell-Farm-ebook/dp/B0DCKFMPHY

Winter Snowfall at Elder Fell Farm

A simple Christmas just got complicated …

Amy’s in love. She’s looking forward to spending her first Christmas together, as a blended family, with Matt and their two sons, Harry and Oliver. What could be more perfect than a romantic escape to the remote and beautiful Lake District farm where Matt and Amy met?

However, an unexpected and difficult guest threatens to disrupt the festivities, and undermine her relationship with Matt. With Harry and Oliver around to create mayhem, and a snowstorm closing in, it seems that nothing is going to be romantic about Christmas at Elder Fell Farm.

Can their relationship weather the storm?

Author Bio –

Liz has always surrounded herself with books.

As a child, she was always to be found with her head in one and she treasures a bookcase full of her childhood favourites to this day. She went on to work in a library, cataloguing early printed books – but as most of the books turned out to be volumes of sermons, she wasn’t tempted to read them all. She now works as an administrator for her local parish church and is a little more attentive when it comes to sermons.

Her childhood dream of being an author came true with her first published novel The Little Church by the Sea (there are several others in a shoebox under the bed.) It’s the story of a lonely vicar whose vicarage falls off a cliff. Liz hastens to point out that this was written before she was employed by the church! Winter Snowfall at Elder Fell Farm is the second of a trilogy of novels set in the Lake District. After that, she’s thinking it might be time to write another book about a vicar – featuring a hard-working and incredibly efficient parish administrator, of course.

In what remains of her free time Liz is an avid reader, a keen theatre goer, and is also half of the team behind 376 miles, a slightly quirky blog about travelling Britain and watching football. You’ll find it at https://376miles.substack.com and it’s free.

https://www.facebook.com/TaylorsonLiz

http://www.liztaylorson.com

Threads @taylorsonl

Blog Tour – The Seaside Girls Under Fire

“‘You’d be surprised what wins a war, girls. Courage, bravery, fearlessness. Morale.'”

Cleethorpes, September 1940. Not a place I have previously visited, physically or figuratively, having not been familiar with the ‘Seaside Girls’ saga until this instalment. However, despite Jessie, Ginny and Frances being well established friends, each with their own intricate back-stories, by the time I had finished the first chapters, I felt they had very much welcomed me into their gang.

I love saga novels, although in such a well-established genre it must be really difficult to find ways to keep the stories fresh. Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Tracy Baines. We saga readers have seen brave women rising to all sorts of challenges in the midst of warfare, but I’ll be honest, I was intrigued to learn more about the experiences of performers during this time period. Singing, dancing and acting might not typically be seen as dangerous or particularly scary professions (unless you’re a massive introvert like me), but having to keep singing, quite literally keeping calm and carrying on, whilst bombs rain down outside the theatre walls, certainly isn’t for the faint hearted. Lucky for us (and London’s West End), Jessie is anything but.

“Sometimes it was hard to tell who were friends, and who were enemies. Sometimes they might be one and the same.”

Even though I was new to this saga, all of the characters had such rich histories and unique details that I instantly felt as though I’d known them for years. Although having said that, the complexity of all the characters certainly keeps the reader on their toes. I would reach a point of thinking I had the plot all worked out, but the author kept dropping little crumbs of mystery like Hansel and Gretel, which kept me guessing until the very end. Whilst all the characters are fantastic in their own way, I had a very love-hate relationship with Adele, who was, dare I say it, possibly my favourite? We’ve all met a version of Adele in some form, and of course we all hate them from the word ‘go’, but it’s a testament to Tracy Baines’ storytelling that I quickly became curious to know more about her journey to the stage, and was intrigued to peel back the layers of her personality whilst trying to anticipate what decision she might make next.

Similarly, Billy is such a well-established ‘baddie’ (albeit a charming one), that even as someone meeting these characters for the first time, I got the measure of him pretty quickly, or so I thought. Without spoiling anything for those who haven’t finished it yet, I must say I love a redemption arc, especially one which was so surprising to me as a newbie, that I can only imagine how much of a twist this will have come as for existing fans of this series. It must be so difficult for authors to keep plots fresh and the readers on their toes, when you have such a well-established story and characters your readers are so familiar with, but that is definitely not the case in this series. I might have been late to the ‘Seaside Girls’ party, but the rich characters and exciting plots which made this instalment un-put-down-able, have me absolutely hooked, and I can’t wait to find out what where life takes Jessie, Ginny and Frances next time.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/underfiresocial

Author Bio –

Tracy Baines is the bestselling saga writer of The Seaside Girls series. She was born and brought up in Cleethorpes and spent her early years in the theatre world which inspired her writing.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @TracyBaines

Twitter: @tracyfbaines

Instagram: @TracyBainesAuthor

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

Bookbub profile: @tracyfbaines

Will the war put a stop to the Seaside Girls?

It’s all change for the Seaside Girls…Singer Jessie Delaney has finally got her big break in London’s West End and is determined to make the most of her golden opportunity, even with the start of the Blitz.

Lonely, and lacking the guidance of friends and family, Jessie hopes that seasoned performer Adele Bailey will help her find her feet. But, when fame beckons friendships are tested and loyalties are divided.

Ginny Thompson returns home to Sheffield to care for her sick but abusive father. Will she survive the wrath of her father and the blitz and return to her passion of entertaining the troops on the stage?

Meanwhile, back in Cleethorpes Frances Randolph is busy running the Palace Theatre whilst her husband serves his King and Country wondering if her life in the spotlight is over forever.

Will Jessie make the right choices as she navigates her way to the top – and can Ginny and Frances find their way back to the limelight?