A family secret, a mysterious legacy, and a journey that will change everything…
 
When Isla, a 65-year-old grandmother, is left nothing but an old painting in her mother’s will, while her sisters and aunt inherit the estate, she is devastated. Close to retirement, getting ready to live on her own terms, the last thing she expects at this time of her life is such turmoil. So, to find an explanation for her mother’s rejection, she embarks on a road-trip.
 
But, right at the last moment, she’s forced to take her sullen – and, in her view, impossible – 14-year-old granddaughter Charlie with her. Cramped together in Isla’s car with her smelly old dog, these ill-assorted travelling companions set off to uncover some shattering and life-changing family truths at the same time as learning to love each other…

My Thoughts:

The cover is so pretty, it reminds me of lazy Summer days and being out on walks in the fresh air. This book is set in the UK but we also see the book go back in time to Paris in the 1950’s. Family, secrets and love and loss are all a big part of how this story is told, really well thought and told characters that really bring the story to life. It is so much more than what the story is really about. Isla is about to take her 14 year old granddaughter on a road trip, but will a 14 year old really want to cooperate with her 65 year old gran? What will they uncover when they embark on this trip of a lifetime?

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

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One magical night in Venice, Didi fell in love. But it ended – and he left without even saying goodbye.

Now, thirteen years on, Shay Mason is back.

The old spark is still there, but Didi’s determined to ignore it. As manager of a stunning Cotswolds hotel, she’s happy at last, and soon to be married. Anyway, Shay isn’t staying. He’s made a promise to his father. He’s going to keep it. And then he’ll be gone.

But Shay’s return stirs up long-forgotten emotions, and the scandal that led him to leave raises its head once again. It’s time for buried secrets to come to light. And it seems that this was someone’s intention all along . . .

My Thoughts:

I was excited to read this book by Jill Mansell as she is one of my favourite authors, I just find her books are easy going and perfect escapism. Didi is soon to be married but when an old flame Shay turns up unexpectedly her feelings all come back from the past, and so does his. But what made him back then leave so suddenly, will Didi ever find out? what will it mean for her now? Lots of secrets are uncovered and emotions are high in this gripping and satisfying read. It is a feel good story that will make you crave reading another Jill Mansell book.

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

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1944, in the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa, as the Allied troops advance and bombs fall around them, two strangers meet and share an extraordinary evening together.

Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier, Evelyn Skinner is a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy. She has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the wreckage and relive memories of the time she encountered EM Forster and had her heart stolen by an Italian maid in a particular Florentine room with a view.

These two unlikely people find kindred spirits in each other and Evelyn’s talk of truth and beauty plants a seed in Ulysses’ mind that will shape the trajectory of his life – and of those who love him – for the next four decades.

My Thoughts:

After reading this book I can’t wait to delve into more of Sarah’s books. I found this story fascinating and even more so by the way Sarah is a great storyteller. It is a moving and poignant story that explores love in it’s many forms. I wanted to cherish the words longer than I needed too just because it is such a rich story which is set in the 1940’s. A British Soldier and a art historian meet, will romance blossom? what will happen to both of them especially at this moment in time. A beautifully told story that you will just want to cherish.

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

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Emma Patrick’s life is spiralling out of control. On the cusp of her 50th birthday, she suddenly realises that she doesn’t have many meaningful relationships in her life. She’s single, successful, living alone and thinks she’s loving it, but being so focussed on work and always online means she’s lost any real connection to people.

When Emma gets a call to say her ageing father is becoming increasingly confused, she decides that she should go back home to the countryside to spend some time with him. But returning to Little Bramble, the village she grew up in, after all these years, is filled with complications of its own and people she’d rather avoid.

As Emma starts to settle in to her childhood home, she finds herself loving village life – much to her surprise. When the opportunity to get involved in the running of the summer fete comes her way, before she knows it she’s embracing jam making, cake baking and bunting. And with romance brewing, Emma begins to doubt the glamorous life in London that she worked so hard to build . . .

My Thoughts:

This book made me dream of the warmer weather and being outside more with the sun on your face. Emma’s story is a relatable one whatever age you are. She thinks she is happy, she isn’t tied down to any one, she has a good job, but she is missing something. When her dad becomes unwell, she decides to go and spend time with him in the Village she grew up in. Can she find the missing part she desperately needs? there is a whole load of romance, cakes and a Village community coming together. Will Emma get her happy ever after? I really enjoyed reading Emma’s story, it is heartfelt and uplifting when we all need a bit of escapism.

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

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On the cruise ship circuit, Sebastian McKenzie is a star. A brilliant pianist and singer, he entertains the wealthy guests every night in the piano bars and restaurants of the world’s leading cruise liners. But he never stays with the same ship for long. And some of the other entertainers have nicknamed him the Grim Reaper, because whenever Sebastian is on board, people go missing.

After escaping from prison, Josef Werner is driven to a safe hideout in the Didim area of Turkey. He sets up his base in the beautiful bay of Akbuk, and buys two isolated villas high on a hill overlooking the bay. But Werner has been followed by a private eye named Cortez, and the premises are bugged.

Max Cutler is an All-American boy: tall, blond and handsome, with a sharp wit and a keen eye for female company. A stand-out student at law school, he is immediately recruited into the Secret Service, to protect America’s interests overseas. Max is in Europe, breaking up a violent counterfeiting ring in Germany, when he hears that his baby sister Elisa has disappeared from a cruise ship in Alaska.

My Thoughts:

I loved the sound of the plot line for this book, it is set on a cruise ship, people start to go missing but what is happening to them? there is all these different characters some with shady pasts that you wouldn’t want to meet on a dark night and others that have secrets, you never really know anyone. It is about three different men who cross into different countries, but their stories are intertwined throughout the book. I liked how the book flowed through out, I was never really sure what was going to happen which I liked and I found the ending brought everything together nicely.

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

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