The Cinnamon Bun Book Store By Laurie Gilmore

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store By Laurie Gilmore

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can’t understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just need someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he’s been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Dream Harbour Series and is centred around Hazel and her bookshop. Hazel feels as though she is a nobody, she does not have an exciting life, nothing is happening for her and she just feels down. Until secrets codes keep popping up in her bookstore but who is leaving her the clues to a better life? she also has the hots for Noah who is a local but she thinks he would never even look at her. Little does she know she is wrong big time, as the pair start working on who is leaving the clues will pair see more than meets the eye? It was a great second book in the series. I like that this one was set in a book shop, and that we catch up with characters from the previous book. You can read these books as a standalone but I would recommend reading them all because why not. This one is quite spicy with what happens through the story. Dream Harbour is definitely a place I can imagine going to, it seems like a lovely place.

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The Pumpkin Spice Café By Laurie Gilmore

The Pumpkin Spice Café By Laurie Gilmore

When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…

My Thoughts:

This is the first book in the Dream Harbour Series. In this story we follow Jeanie and how she is starting a new chapter in her life running her aunts Pumpkin Spice Café. But not everyone is happy that she is there and things start happening at the café that Jeanie does not like but is determined to make a go of things. Logan is a local and finds himself drawn to Jeanie and the both of them try to solve the puzzle but will they get more than they were bargained for. It was a nice easy read, you kind of can guess what will happen but it did not really matter when you just want to escape from the world for a bit. I like the fact that this is a series so we can catch up with all the great bunch of characters that are in this book. It is quite a nice and gentle cosy read that I really enjoyed.

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A Gift for Dying By M. J. Arlidge

A Gift for Dying By M. J. Arlidge

Nothing surprises Adam Brandt anymore. As a forensic psychologist, he’s seen and heard everything.

That is, until he meets Kassie.

Because she claims to have a terrible gift – with one look into your eyes, she can see when and how you will die.

Adam doesn’t believe her, obviously.

But then a serial killer starts wreaking havoc across the city, and only Kassie seems to know where he’ll strike next.

Against all his intuition, Adam starts to believe her.

He just doesn’t realise how dangerous this trust might be . . .

My Thoughts:

Kassie has a gift but it is not one she would ever want. She has a power that when she looks into your eyes she can she when and how you will die. But no one believes her. When she has to see a psychologist called Adam, he does not believe her either, but he wants to get into her head to understand what is going on in there. When a serial killer is on the loose, Kassie is the only one that can help the police with their enquires, but this is a dangerous game to play. I normally like all of M. J’s books but this one I felt a little odd and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. I found it quite a slow start and I didn’t feel connected to the characters. I am glad I finished it though.

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The Wrong Child By M. J. Arlidge and Julia Crouch

The Wrong Child By M. J. Arlidge and Julia Crouch

When 3-month-old Max is abducted, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare. Devastated mum Sarah only took her eyes off him for a second, but that doesn’t stop her guilt. Even husband Jake can’t hide his anger that their little boy went missing on her watch.

By contrast there are smiles and celebration at a caravan park in Lincolnshire, as baby Blaze is introduced to the Star family. Jenna and Gary are delighted with the new addition to their family. He is their fourth child and a real object of delight to their eldest – fifteen-year-old Willow – who once again will raise the child.

But trouble is brewing for the Star family. Willow is concerned by the desperate online appeals from Sarah and Jake, baby Max has neonatal diabetes and without regular treatment will die. As baby “Blaze” becomes seriously ill, Willow makes a shocking discovery. What is the truth about her family? And how far will they go to hide their deadly secret?

My Thoughts:

M. J. Arlidge is one of my favourite authors of all time, so I could not wait to read this one that he has collaborated with another author. I always wonder if the story will be any good when two authors collaborate but it worked perfectly. Sarah and Jake are married and have kids, but when one fateful day their three month is kidnapped, they cannot believe what is happening. The story opens up more about Sarah and how she is feeling after giving birth to him, and this questions Jakes mind and also other people about what really happened to their son. The story is split into two so we also see a family that live on a caravan park and do what they have to do to make ends meet. How both stories are connected is heartbreaking on both sides. Will the baby ever get back to his real parents? I devoured this story in a day, it was very addictive and the chapters are short which makes you want to read more. I loved it.



Parklife by Lucy Nichol

Parklife by Lucy Nichol

It’s 1996. Emma’s been rejected by the man she loves and sacked from the job she hates but desperately needs. Feeling like she’s hit a new low, she finds herself serving ice-cream and phoney smiles at the local park.

Best mate Dave’s loved up, and her dad’s finally emerging from years of unemployment and a deep depression. Everyone’s life is on the up while Emma’s plummeting towards rock bottom.

Every day she gives a free ‘99 to the lonely old man who sits on the park bench and reminds herself that life could be much worse.

But soon, even sprinkles and monkey’s blood can’t hide the truth. She’s in deep trouble and losing sight of the edge. Who will help her up when she falls?

My Thoughts:

This is the follow up to The Twenty Seven Club but can also be read as a standalone. It is the 90’s and Emma is not having the best of times, she has lost her man, her job and feels like giving up until she finds a job selling ice cream. Emma life is not how she expected to end up, she wants more for herself but can she shake of that feeling that something bad is going to happen? It was a good story to follow on from The Twenty seven club, full of great music and sensitive topics, Lucy the author has written this book well. And the ice cream part made me hungry.

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Leave the Girls Behind By Jacqueline Bublitz

Leave the Girls Behind By Jacqueline Bublitz

We assume we can spot a psychopath from across the room…

Nineteen years ago, Ruth-Anne Baker’s childhood friend was murdered by convicted killer, Ethan Oswald. With Oswald dead and the case closed, everybody tells Ruth it’s time to move on – but she believes there is more to the story.

And only the wilfully ignorant or easily duped would fall for their charms.

When another young girl goes missing from their small town, Ruth becomes convinced that Oswald had an accomplice, someone the police overlooked.

If no one has told you this yet – it’s not quite that simple.

So begins a journey that will draw Ruth across continents and perilously close to three women, each connected to Oswald in a different way. The deeper she delves, the more she suspects one of them knows the truth. About her childhood friend. About the missing girl. And, perhaps most dangerously of all, about Ruth herself…

My Thoughts:

This story is about Ruth and how a tragedy many years ago, is still affecting her day to day life now. As a child her best friend was murdered, Ruth finds out that her friends murderer is now dead but Ruth cannot leave it, when Ruth sees the news and a girl has gone missing in the same circumstances as her friend, she wonders if something is not right and it is bringing back lots of memories about that fateful day many years ago. It was a slow burner of a read, which does get better, it shows how a terrible tragedy can affect a persons life many years later and how it can change that persons life indefinitely. I found it a read that I did not know what to expect and what would happen in the end. It was a creepy and unnerving read.

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

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Someone To Blame By J.J. Green

Someone To Blame By J.J. Green

Shay Dunne is a poison pen. Not that she wants to be one. But a recent tragedy in her life has left her hell-bent on dishing out some punishment to the two people she blames. Sending them a letter containing a vague accusation will do the trick.

Only the letters set in motion a series of unintended consequences, and Shay soon discovers that in the close-knit Irish village she calls home, a community still reeling from Covid, there are sinister secrets everywhere.

My Thoughts:

When the reading the blurb of this book, I thought it sounded good, I don’t think I have ever read a poison pen story. This one is centred around Shay who has gone through a lot and wants to punish the people that have left her in this mess. But when Shay sends the poison pen letters little does she realise how much it will blow up in her face and the backlash will be even worse. Was it really the right way to go about things? I felt as though it was a great story from the first chapter, it had me hooked on the journey Shay was going to take to get revenge. I didn’t personally agree with her writing the letters but I understand how she was feeling after everything that had gone on with her. The story builds up as you go through the book and then gently unpeels like an onion. There is depth to this story that goes deep, I found it a fascinating and powerful read that I would recommend.

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

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Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency By Josie Lloyd

Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency By Josie Lloyd

Alice Beeton never meant to wind up single and childless on the wrong side of fifty. Like her distant relative Mrs Beeton – yes, that Mrs Beeton – she had hoped to have her own spic-and-span household by now. In reality, she lives in an immaculate but dingy basement flat in a rather shabby block in Kensington with Agatha, her fiercely intelligent, if rather over-territorial, corgi-Jack Russell cross.

Now Alice runs the Good Household Management Agency, providing discreet domestic staff to extravagant townhouses and sprawling country piles. So when Camille Messent calls in urgent need of a new housekeeper, Miss Beeton sends out new hire Enya. She’s rather forward but she does come with impeccable references and is fluent en français.

But in the early hours of New Year’s Day, Alice is rudely awakened with the news that Enya has been found dead. As the intriguing, if somewhat scruffy, Detective Rigby struggles to drum up an adequate investigation and the wealthy family and their party guests close rank, Miss Beeton takes it upon herself to solve the crime…

My Thoughts:

I loved the cover of this book, to me it looks like a cosy murder mystery and I could not wait to snuggle up and start reading. The story is about Alice Beeton, she runs an agency where her staff go into rich people’s houses and clean for them. But when Alice employs a new member of staff Enya. Little does Alice know she will be getting a phone call to say Enya has ended up dead after Alice had sent her off to clean a house. Alice is determined to set out and find out what happened to Enya. With Alice’s side kick by her side Agatha who is her dog can the pair solve the crime? This is what I call a cosy murder mystery at it’s best, I loved all the characters and the story made me feel all warm inside. I really hope Alice’s story continues into another book as it would be most delightful to catch up with her again.

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

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The Twenty Seven Club by Lucy Nichol

The Twenty Seven Club by Lucy Nichol

It’s 1994. The music industry is mourning Kurt Cobain, Right Said Fred have re-emerged as an ‘ironic’ pop act and John Major is the country’s prime minister. Nothing is as it should be.

Emma is hurtling towards her 27th birthday, riddled with anxiety that her idols Joplin, Hendrix and Morrison all died aged 27, and now Kurt Cobain has gone too. Will Emma be next to join The Twenty Seven Club?

Emma, a rock music fan from Hull, with a penchant for a flaming Drambuie and a line of coke with her best mate Dave down The Angel, is troubled. Trev, her whippet, has IBS, and her job ordering bathroom supplies at the local caravan company is far from challenging. So when her dad, Tel, informs her that her music idol, Kurt Cobain has killed himself aged 27, Emma is consumed with anxiety.

Why have so many legendary musicians gone aged 27? Is there a link between the members of the so-called Twenty Seven Club? Is this why her mum had an affair and left them? And could Emma be about to join The Twenty Seven Club too?

My Thoughts:

Set in the 90’s, where the music scene is pumping, the main character is Emma and she is worried that with her upcoming twenty seven birthday will she end up like all the great musicians that did not live past that age? Emma has a lot going on in her life right now and has terrible anxiety about things to come but will her life change for the better once her birthday is over. I have not read any of Lucy’s books before but I really liked the sound of this one. The story brought back a lot of memories about that era with the music side of things. You almost feel as though you want to read the book whilst listening to some of the music mentioned. There is a dark side to this story concerning Emma and some of her thought processes, I loved all the characters and I thought the story line was great.

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

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The Christmas Cottage By Sarah Morgan

The Christmas Cottage By Sarah Morgan

Will this Christmas finally bring comfort and joy?

A PAINFUL SECRET

Imogen loves her job as an events organiser, and her colleagues are in awe of her. But Imogen isn’t the person she pretends to be, and she’s hiding painful truths about her past. But as long as she can keep on top of her work, Imogen can put everything else to one side.

AN ACT OF KINDNESS

And then Imogen makes a catastrophic mistake at work, and finally realises it’s time to reset. When her favourite client, Dorothy, invites her to spend Christmas with her and her family, in her cottage in the Cotswolds, it sounds like the perfect way for Imogen to take stock.

FINDING HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS

Imogen soon settles into idyllic cottage life, especially with the prospect of a new romance on the horizon … but when long-buried secrets and unwanted faces from the past resurface, Imogen’s new peace is threatened. Will Imogen end up alone this Christmas, or can she find it in her heart to forgive and move on?

My Thoughts:

I do love a Sarah Morgan read, especially a Christmas one. There is just something so magical when Sarah whisks you away with another one of her fabulous stories. This was no exception and a brilliant read to get me into the festive mood. Imogen is in a right old mess, she loves her job but she has been telling a few white lies to her colleagues but only to make herself look better and not as boring as she thinks everyone would think she is. When something really bad happens at work, Imogen needs to get away and what more is the perfect place than a cottage in the Cotswolds. How she comes to staying there, you will need to read it but it is such a lovely festive read, I liked Imogen from the start and I really felt for her and was hoping good things were to come from her. When everything comes crashing down has Imogen got the strength to get back up. Such a cosy and warming read.

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

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