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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An unexpected love story of magical moments, Christmas surprises and life-affirming decisions – Lexie Byrne is back!

And life is wonderful, thank you very much. She has met The One, is still watching Dirty Dancing on repeat, and everything is perfect.

Or is it?

FaceTiming and flying visits aren’t quite the happily ever after Lexie pictured. With her best friend Annemarie nagging her that she deserves more than a part-time lover with an ever-present ex-wife in his life, Lexie can’t help wondering if life is as wonderful as she’s telling herself it is.

Will a surprise trip for Christmas bring the magic back to her relationship? In the city of her dreams, a miracle might just be round the corner . . .

My Thoughts:

This is part of the Lexie Byrne Series and my first book in the Series. They can be read as a standalone too. Lexie Byrne is back and aged 41 1/4 and everything is perfect, she has a man, and it is coming up to the best time of the year Christmas. But is it really all hunky dory? Lexie’s best friend doesn’t seem to think so, which puts ideas and doubts into Lexie’s head. Is Lexie’s man really who he says he is? is he really that committed to her? we will find out in this story full of miscommunication, family and friends wrapped up around Christmas time.

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

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Well dear reader, this is the book for you. Strap in as Astrologer B.J. Lovegood takes you on a journey through the galaxy where you’ll learn how to dodge red flags and avoid dating disasters.

Never Shag a Scorpio is an amorous adventure through the zodiac. Funny, smutty and embarrassingly accurate, it will teach you how to lure a Leo, turn on a Taurus and impress a Pisces’ parents.

Complete with full romantic profiles for each star sign and hilarious and handy listicles such as ‘Top 5 places to have sex with a Sagittarius’ and ‘A Taurus’s top 5 breakup songs’, this book is your go-to guide to navigating the steamy side of astrology.

My Thoughts:

I won a copy of this book and . It is a small book but has lots packed in to it. I am not really one for star signs but I actually found it insightful. It guides you through dating and what your star signs mean and who is good for you, it is funny and a bit cringe at times but it is a little light relief which I needed. I liked how the book is set out with the images of the phone and so forth, it keeps the reader intrigued and interested. It is a great read.

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Your estate agent calls.

She’s running late and needs you to show a man around your home.

You let him in and begin the tour.

But something about him feels wrong. . .

You ask him to leave and he refuses.

Then he tells you something about you. Something inconceivable.

And then you realize. . .

He doesn’t want your house. He wants YOU.

My Thoughts:

I loved the sound of this book, I had heard so much about it so I couldn’t wait to read it. When your trying to sell your house but the estate agent says she is going to be late and could you show a potential buyer around. You would never expect how this would pan out. The man wont let you leave and then he says something that shocks you to the core. I liked how short the chapters were so you felt as though you had to keep reading on. It had me on edge who this man was and why he was there, the whole story I felt off and I knew something major was coming, I felt as though the first half of the book was edge of the seat stuff but then it tailed off and It got less interesting for me. I liked it though.

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When Ashley Smith – a bright-eyed but lonely American studying in London – is invited to spend Christmas with her classmate’s family at their Cotswolds manor house, it seems like a perfect country idyll.

And for Ashley – who records it all in her diary – there’s the added romantic potential of her friend’s twin brother, Adam, who she thinks could be her wildest dream come true.

But is there something strange about the old house, both stately and rundown? What could the motives of the mysterious Chapman family be? And what holiday horrors might be lying in wait?

My Thoughts:

This is my second read by Peter Swanson and I was excited to start reading. This is a short story but my god it packs a punch. Ashley gets invited to stay with one of her class mates Emma for Christmas in Emma’s family manor house in the Cotswolds. Whilst Ashley is there she starts writing a diary to document what would of been a lonely Christmas by herself if Emma had not invited her. But things are not all as it seems and people may have some hidden agendas. I couldn’t believe the outcome of this story, it shocked me. There were many gasps and oh my god’s as I couldn’t believe how good a short story read was. I read it in a couple of hours and really felt the chills reading it.

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Johnny Kavanagh has everything going for him. On the rugby pitch, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Primed for stardom, he’s heading straight for the top. Nothing can possibly get in his way, right? Not even the shy new girl at Tommen College. The one with the sad eyes and hidden bruises. The one that distracts him like no one ever has.

Life has never been easy for Shannon Lynch. Bullied and tortured, she arrives at Tommen College mid-way through the school year praying for a fresh start and desperate to shake off the demons that plague her. On her very first day at the prestigious private school, she comes into contact with the notorious Johnny Kavanagh. Thrown through a hoop over her feelings for him, and desperate to keep a low-profile, Shannon finds herself once again the target of bullies as she forms a fragile alliance with rugby’s rising star.

Falling into a complicated friendship and grappling with their undeniable chemistry, Johnny and Shannon could never have foreseen the obstacles that will threaten their blossoming relationship . . .

My Thoughts:

This is book one in the Boys of Tommen Series, and it seemed like my kind of read. There has been a lot of hype around this book and I wanted to experience it for myself. It is all about Shannon and Johnny who come from different backgrounds but can see the potential in each other. It was a slow burning love story that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. The ending finishes abruptly as you would have to follow on with book two. I started off reading this book and thinking yes this is a great read but towards the middle it didn’t grab my attention anymore and I just got bored with it. I felt as though there was something missing. It is a chunky book to read too with around 900 pages so watch your wrists when holding this book.

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

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This Christmas, the hunters become the hunted…

When four trail hunters go missing in the fells of Cumbria on Christmas Eve, the race is on to find them before nightfall – when the temperature plummets.

After hours of searching, the first body is found… Not frozen in the snow, but brutally murdered and bearing a warning:the real hunt has begun.

As a snowstorm descends, three lives hang in the balance. But can the killer be caught before the trail goes cold?

My Thoughts:

If you have not read any of the books in the DI James Walker Series then you are really missing out, each book can be read as a standalone but I would highly recommend reading them all as they are absolutely brilliant. This is book four in the Series and just as good if not better than the last ones. The setting made it feel even more eerie and grim, I could feel the chill against my skin, the characters all were good in their own right, the pace was slow at the beginning but in a good way as it built the story up to feel even more unpredictable. It was such a great story and I don’t want this series to end.

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

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Carmen is at a loose end. Her gorgeous bookshop is the filming site of a cheesy Christmas movie, she’s been ousted from her sister’s house, and the love of her life has just flown thousands of miles away. It’s threatening to be a very unjolly Christmas indeed!

But when the elderly owner of the shop comes to Carmen with a Christmas wish that threatens to never come true, Carmen knows she must buckle down to get the funds to save not only his trip, but the shop itself. While fending off a shady tatt-selling businessman, Carmen discovers wonders to the shop she could have never imagined, and opens a labyrinth of bookish backrooms for the customers to get lost in.

With her deadline looming, it might take more than a fresh coat of paint to solve Carmen’s problems. But with the help of their neighbours, her nieces and nephew, and a very distractingly cute male nanny, Carmen might just pull her greatest magic trick yet…

My Thoughts:

This was such a lovely and warming Christmas read that really gets you in the mood for Christmas. It is set in a bookshop and you can just feel the magic come alive as Carmen brings the bookshop alive. There are some heart warming moments and some interesting characters to enjoy. Being the sequel to The Christmas Bookshop I was looking forward to reacquainting myself with everyone and meeting new characters too. It certainly didn’t disappoint and I felt swept up in the truly magical story.

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

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