Will love bloom on the little Cornish Isles?

Jess has lived at the idyllic flower farm on the Isles of Scilly her whole life, but when her boyfriend Adam leaves without explanation, Jess discovers that even her little slice of Cornish heaven can be lonely.

For the first time in Will’s life, he’s met someone he can’t stop thinking about. But nothing is simple when the woman of your dreams is working for you.

Gaby is running away from painful memories, and where could be more perfect than a remote island off the Cornish coast? But to put the past behind her, she must keep moving … however much she might want to stay.

My Thoughts:

The story is set on the Isles of Scilly where Jess and her brother run the flower farm. When they advertise for a new member of staff Gaby is in desperate need of getting away from her current life and this is the ideal place to do it. But what she has not got in mind is to fall for her boss. Jess has her own problems away from the flower farm, the man she thought she was going to spend her life with has upped sticks and run off, but why? You can not go wrong with a book by Phillipa, I loved the setting and it was unique reading about a flower farm but also interesting at the same time. I loved all the characters through their highs and lows, I have just realised this is part of a series so will have to catch up with the other ones, as I feel as though I have made new friends. I loved the ending.

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A friendly reunion…
After ten years, Sarah and her husband Roshan are looking forward to catching up with their closest school friends. So when one of them invites the group to spend a week in a beautiful converted church, they eagerly accept.

A vision of fear…
Very quickly though, Sarah becomes unsettled. She is frightened by the church’s creepy surroundings, and she thinks she might be seeing ghosts. Even more disturbing, a masked woman is committing armed robberies in the area – and the police can’t catch her.

A terrifying secret…
As Sarah and the others begin to have more frightening visions, the armed woman strikes again. The group of friends begin to wonder just what they’ve got themselves into…

My Thoughts:

When several friends get together after many years, they know that each of them has changed in many ways. They are spending a week together in a church. A church means a graveyard and suspicious things happening to all of them. All the friends are freaked out and something big is about to happen. It was a good story but as much as I have enjoyed Lisa’s previous books, this one just was not as good. I found it quite predictable and impractical. I also felt as though there was too much going on. It could of been such a great read too.

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When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.  

But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no WiFi.

Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.

Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…

My Thoughts:

I love escaping the real world with a book by Holly and this was the perfect excuse to snuggle up and escape into Daisies world for a bit. Daisy has had to move back to her family home as her mother is not well. She has up sticks with her two kids but no one is that happy to leave behind their lives. There is a lot more going on at her family home than she can ever imagine but she is determined to get things fixed and things with her mother are strained. As Daisy and her sons adapt to their new lives will Daisy uncover a long kept secret that no one could ever imagined. I liked how the story flowed, I liked Daisy and wanted her to have a happy life. She is a tough one and is a great mum. I liked reading about the updating she does to the house and how she overcomes hurdles. She is one strong powerful woman even if she feels as though she is failing some of the time. It was a great and easy read to get lost into.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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THE PERFECT DAY FOR A HIKE

Seeking the escape of a lifetime, four friends hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild – nothing between them and the mountain peak but forest, sea and sharp blue sky.

THE PERFECT PLACE TO DISAPPEAR

But there’s a darker side to the wilderness. A woman went missing here one year ago. Now the friends are hiking into the heart of the mystery. And waiting on the trail is someone who’d do anything to keep their secrets buried – and to stop the group walking away alive . . .

My Thoughts:

I love a Lucy Clarke book, there is just something chilling and gripping that I can never wait to get my teeth stuck into. This story is about four friends that have a pact that ever year one of them gets to pick a holiday for them all to go on. This time it is going to Norway to hike the Blafjell mountain but none of the others are prepared for what is to come. When the friends hear that a woman went missing on these mountains it sends shivers down their spine and puts doubts into their heads, but they would never realise at the beginning what would happen at the very end. I liked how each chapter is a different person so you get everyone’s perspective on the situations that arise. Also that the chapters are short so you feel as though you need to read on. I found the story gripping with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing, I would never of expected the outcome. I finished this book in two days and didn’t want to put it down. It was fantastic.

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Every single one of Elise Ngo’s close girlfriends—Rebecca, Jesse, and Beth—is getting married within the same few months, and every single one of them has asked her to be both bridesmaid and florist. Though it’s a lot for her to juggle, the work and exposure is a boon to her struggling flower shop.

The stakes are high at Rebecca’s high-profile wedding, where the guests are mostly political connections of Rebecca’s parents. Desperate for the event to go off without a hitch, Elise enlists the help of an outside caterer who turns out to be Ben Yu, Rebecca’s elusive younger brother.

Though Ben is prickly and aloof, he offers Elise much needed business designing flowers for his mom’s campaign fundraisers and Elise begins to see there’s more to Ben than his gruff and handsome exterior. But their romance takes off as the political campaign ramps up, complicating their relationship with unforeseen consequences. Now always-the-bridesmaid Elise must fight for what she wants to finally get her own happily ever after. 

My Thoughts:

Elise has a lot going on at the moment all her friends are getting married which is good but they all want her to be involved in their weddings. It is a lot for her to take on especially as she is trying to run a business that is not doing well. When she hires someone to help her she doesn’t realise it would be Ben who is good looking but not very approachable, when Elise gets to know him more she realises there is more than meets the eye. You can never predict your future but can Elise finally get her happy after. I enjoyed the concept of this story, it is a romantic comedy that you will love. I liked the characters and there are some funny parts to this story. I think there is many Elise’s out there and Julie has done well to write sympathetically.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met-and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

My Thoughts:

When Elsie meets Ben she doesn’t know what her life will entail, they instantly connect and they know they want to spend the rest of their lives together. They get married and are living happily until something dreadful happens and Elsie cannot believe what she is hearing from the police that have just turned up at her door. There are even more complications when she meets his family who know nothing about her. This is a story about love and loss, it was such a sad story and I really felt for Elsie. I felt it was a story that was quite intense to read about, as it was a tragic storyline. It is one of those books that you probably don’t truly understand unless you have been through it or something similar yourself. It was ok.

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Drawing on the author’s decades of experience as a psychologist, trainer and advocate for women, this small but perfectly formed, pocket-sized book contains bite-sized snippets of insight and inspiration on communication, relationships, work, body image, overwhelm, emotional trials and more.

Pop it in your bag or nightstand and draw on it to boost your self-belief, awareness, energy and assertiveness each day – or gift it to friends and family to help them confront life’s everyday challenges.

My Thoughts:

This is a book for women to give them inspirational Wisdom every day of the year. It is a small and compact book that you can keep anywhere and whenever you may need it, it will be there with you. You don’t have to follow the numbers, I like to flick through and pick a quote and I really do feel as though it uplifts my day. If I am feeling anxious or stressed, I just pick up the book and read one of the quotes. It is a very good book for yourself or for a friend.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Here are a few ideas to get someone for Christmas that loves puzzle books or colouring in. Just something a little different but such a great gift.

The Cat Lovers Puzzle Book, The Gardening Puzzle Book and The Train Lovers Puzzle Book

I love how these puzzle books are unique and different. They all relate to whatever the title is on the front and are packed with loads of different kinds of puzzles including wordsearches, suduko and spot the difference plus tons of more puzzles to get the brain working. They are a lovely gift of just for yourself.

The Conspiracy Theorists Puzzle and Activity Book

This is a great book for anyone who loves conspiracy theories and loves a challenge, this is different to the puzzle books as this one includes brain teasers and working out different mysteries. Anyone who loves a good puzzle would be great for.

Manifest Your Destiny and The Crystal Colouring Book

These are such lovely colouring books, they make a perfect gift for someone, when you just need a but of quiet time or time out to relax, these are perfect for these times of the day. lovely big prints but also some more intricate designs, be proud of finishing a page as it will look wonderful.

Some great gift ideas or just a treat for yourself. Enjoy.

Chef Charlie Hunter’s arrival in the beautiful Chilterns is the fulfilment of a long-held dream: to open her own restaurant in an idyllic countryside location. The Old Forge sits on the village green (complete with duck pond and flint-faced houses) and seems just the place for the high-quality cooking she wants to be known for.

But instead of rural peace and a chance to lick her wounds, Charlie finds something ugly stirring under the chocolate box perfection. When a prominent local builder is found dead in suspicious circumstances, Charlie the outsider becomes a suspect. And the only way to clear her name seems to be to find out who the real killer is.

Luckily she has allies: her student waitress, a kitchen porter making up in muscles what he lacks in brain and a briskly efficient clairvoyant. Using all the craft Charlie’s learned in kitchens – discipline, timing, preparation and grim determination – she will be as relentless in her quest to bring a murderer to justice as she is in creating the perfect meal.

My Thoughts:
The story is about Charlie who decides to open up her own restaurant in the countryside. But she does not know anyone and no one knows her, how will the locals react to a newcomer setting up shop in their village? But when someone is murdered the finger is pointed at Charlie, how can she prove her innocence? Charlie sets out on a journey of discovery to find out who the real killer is before anyone else gets murdered. I liked the idea of the story and I felt as though it had a good flow to it. I would not recommend reading on a empty stomach as all the food descriptions made my tummy rumble and sounded absolutely delicious. I liked the mystery of it all and was not sure what the conclusion would be. An enjoyable and cosy read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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THE PERFECT OFFER

When struggling influencer couple Adele and Jack post a crowdfunding video online, they’re amazed when a mysterious benefactor offers to buy them a crumbling French chateau. It’s the lifeline they need to leave all their troubles behind.

THE PERFECT DREAM

For Adele, it’s a dream come true. She will post videos of the renovation as thousands of online subscribers follow their journey. But the chateau is not all it seems and the local community is far from welcoming.

THE PERFECT NIGHTMARE

Then Adele’s videos suddenly stop. Her sister Erin visits to make sure she’s OK, but the couple have vanished. Between the obsession of Adele’s fans and the claustrophobic secrecy of the nearby town, Erin must unravel the shocking truth behind the couple’s disappearance . . .

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Ruth and I wasn’t sure what to expect, it sounded like my kind of read. It is all about two influencers who are struggling to get big in the influencing world until a mystery person offers them something they could not ever refuse, they think this is it and choose to accept the offer. Basically the mystery person buys them a French chateau but it needs a lot of work doing to it. They think the renovation work will draw thousands into their channel and they are so happy it will be tough but they know they can do it together. But when their videos stop abruptly, a family member goes out to see what is going on and is truly shocked by what she discovers, where have they gone? I liked the idea of the story and I think it was a captivating read, there are a few twists and turns and I never expected the outcome. It was a good read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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