Jodie Simpson’s life is falling apart.

She’s been dumped by her girlfriend, Gemma, lost her job and is about to be kicked out of her flat. When she mistakenly opens a letter addressed to Gemma and finds a job offer to work at the Highland Cookery School, she makes a momentary decision that will change her life forever.

Jodie heads to the Scottish Highlands to begin her new job – as Gemma. But it all starts to work a little too well, and she finds herself loving her new life at the cookery school. As the snow starts to settle and the festive magic cast its spell, she finds herself falling for Pavel, the estate caretaker.

But Jodie cannot keep up her fake identity forever and a storm is brewing.

If she tells the truth, will she lose the new life she has built for herself, and the man who might just be The One?

My Thoughts:

This is book two in The Highland Cookery School Series and can be read as a standalone as I have done. I love a book that combines romance and cooking. Jodie is not having the best of luck recently, everything seems to be going wrong so when she gets mistaken for her ex girlfriend she goes along with it. A new job but she has to pretend she is her ex, can’t be that hard right? Jodie does not really realise what the job entails but she might as well try it out. Can she find her happiness? I liked how simple but courageous the story line was, I was really rooting for Jodie though I don’t think I would of been as brave as her to up sticks and start a new life. It was a nice read to escape with.

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

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Whitley Johnson’s dream summer of shopping, partying and tanning on the beach has just turned into a nightmare. Because Dad didn’t tell her he doesn’t live by the beach anymore, or that he’s no longer a bachelor. He’s picked up and moved to a tiny, lame town called Hamilton and gotten himself a fiance. A fiance whose son just happens to be what’s-his-name from last week’s drunken graduation party one night stand. Just freakin’ great.
As if the summer couldn’t get worse, Dad seems to forget Whitley’s even there. She doesn’t fit in with his perfect new country club family, and Whitley does what any kid lucky enough to go all summer unsupervised does: she parties. Hard.
So hard that she doesn’t even notice the good things right under her nose: a younger future step-sister who is just about the only person she’s ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn’t ‘do friends’) and a smoking hot, sweet guy who isn’t her step brother (yet) and who actually seems to care for her. It will take all three of them to convince her that they’re not phoneys, and to get Whitley to get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

My Thoughts:

I have only just realised that this is book 3 of 4 in the Hamilton High Series but I think you can read as a standalone like I have done. It was an easy read about Whitley who is a teenage girl who dreams of spending the summer being carefree alongside her dad but what she does not know is her dad has been hiding the fact he is engaged and living elsewhere. Whitley has a lot of catching up to do and also to meet her new family which involves a boy that she has slept with not so long ago. Awkward. This is not how she planned her summer around, but she will have to get used to it. It was an ok story, I can see teenagers liking it. It tackles a subject that some teens may be going through so hopefully it helps them realises that they are not alone. I don’t think I would be reading any of the other books in the series though.

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I never anticipated Charlie Florek. But Charlie Florek changed my life.
Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s Nan always says. And it’s true. It’s where Alice took that photo, the one that catapulted her career.
But when Nan falls, Alice puts down her camera and heads back to Barry’s Bay. No camera. No deadlines. Quiet… until he shows up.
Charlie Florek. He was nineteen when she accidentally photographed him. Now he’s back – taller, hotter, and somehow even more unforgettable.
Sun-soaked days, slow-burning nights – and when Charlie looks at her like that, Alice starts to wonder if her heart’s in danger.
She’s spent her life seeing others. But no one’s ever truly seen her…until now.
Return to the world of EVERY SUMMER AFTER, but this time it’s Charlie’s turn to fall in love…

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Carley and I found it a pleasant enough read. It is all about Alice and what happens when she returns to the lake to help look after her nan. Whilst returning there, she sees someone she has not seen for a very long time but has he changed? Alice starts to have feelings all over again for him but will they be reciprocated? It was an easy summer read, I thought it was a predictable story line but one I did enjoy. There was just something giving some cute cosy vibes.

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I thought he was the man of my dreams. He may just be my worst nightmare.

After years of struggling, I never expected someone like Evan Sinclair to walk into my life.

Confident, charming, and well-dressed, I couldn’t believe it when he asked me – a waitress at a diner – to go out with him.

He swept me off my feet, offering me a life I never imagined – a luxurious apartment, new clothes, a world beyond my wildest dreams. For the first time in years, I thought I was finally happy.

But as our relationship deepens, things start to change. Evan’s love comes with strings attached: unspoken rules, decisions made for me, and a creeping sense of control. The more I try to hold on to this perfect life, the more I feel like I’m losing myself.

Evan won’t talk about his past. His temper flares if I even ask about it. And when I find out the reason why, I wonder if I’ve made a terrible mistake.

I thought this new life was everything I wanted. Now, I’m scared I won’t be able to get out before it’s too late.

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Rowen and I cannot wait to read more by her. I liked how the story unfolded and it kept me hooked the whole way through. The characters were all believable and I was unsure of Evan right from the start. I felt as though I did not know who to trust and both Evan and his mother Vivian were both suspicious in my eyes. I could not predict what the outcome would be and the twist near the end made me gasp out loud. It was mysterious, suspenseful and slightly eerie to read. It was an easy read that you won’t want to put down. It was a fantastic thriller that will make you want to read more by Rowen. I cannot wait to read more of her books now.

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

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Maggie should be living life to the full. She should be travelling the world, jumping out of planes, skiing in the mountains. Everything she dreamed of doing. But a year ago she fell ill and needed a heart transplant, losing all her confidence. This new heart is a gift, and Maggie believes that the best way to honour it is to be careful, cautious, safe.

Then something impossible happens. Maggie wakes up one morning in a flat that’s not her own, in pyjamas that aren’t her own and when she looks in the mirror – she sees another woman’s face looking back at her. Somehow, magically, Maggie has been given another chance at life, and another chance at love…

But can you truly follow your heart if it belonged to someone else first?

My Thoughts:

A year ago Maggie had to have a heart transplant after falling very ill, now a year on she is half the person she used to be and is not living her life how she should. Maggie is very precious about her new heart and you can understand why but I really wanted to see Maggie blossom and achieve new things but when something totally unexpectedly happens Maggie realises you only get one chance to be happy and this is her moment to shine. It was lovely to see Maggie’s journey on her self discovery and how much she experimented when she knew she could. A lovely story to escape with. It was a bit of a tearjerker too. It showed warmth and that if your in the same situation that if you put your mind to it you can achieve incredible things.

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

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Alex has perfected the art of dodging responsibility during her almost 40 years ― until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down.

She’s inherited a crumbling sheep farm in deepest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all.

Now, her closest companion is a grumpy Welsh terrier, she’s speed-reading An Idiot’s Guide to Farming, and her arrival has set the village gossip mill spinning. With the farm near collapse and its community now relying on her, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance. Then she can finally get back to the carefree life she thought she wanted.

But as secrets surface, Alex finds her heart pulling her in a direction she never saw coming.

Will she pack her bags – or has she landed exactly where she’s meant to be?

My Thoughts:

When you see a book written by a well known celebrity, I am always unsure if it will be any good or not, but I have liked Clare Balding a lot over the years and knew it would be about animals too so just could not resist and I was pleasantly surprised. It was brilliant. Not being funny but Clare really knows her stuff, Alex has been inherited a farm in Wales but she does not really know why her. So she goes there to find out more and the reality of it all shocks her, the place is a mess and needs a lot of money poured into, and bills need paying asap. There is always a nasty person that will try and do something unkind and Clare has got this character Layton to a T. It was brimming full of warmth and comfort and the gorgeous animals made it feel so homely. I cannot wait to see what Clare writes about next, because this one was a stunner. I would highly recommend.

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

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Thea Ashcombe, a fiercely independent single mum, is about to face her toughest challenge yet: Christmas on a shoestring. As the festive season looms, Thea’s feeling a little like their old family Christmas tree – tired and lacking in sparkle!

Nick Saint, the quiet and devoted farm shop manager in the idyllic village of Lower Brambleton, has secretly liked Thea for years. Trapped in the friend zone since high school, he’s given up hope of Thea seeing him as anything more than reliable ‘Saint’ Nick…

But when Thea steps into Nick’s world to help at the bustling farm shop, something unexpected happens. Suddenly, her sensible head is spinning with a schoolgirl crush she never saw coming! Is it just the enchanting glow of Christmas, the twinkling lights playing tricks on her mind?

As they work side-by-side preparing for the magical Christmas market, and as Nick’s thoughtful gestures – like a perfectly fresh Christmas tree appearing at her door – begin to melt her defences, Thea starts to wonder – maybe all she really needs for Christmas… is Nick!

My Thoughts:

This is book two in the Brambleton Series but can be read as a standalone which I have done. It was a lovely little story to curl up with, the characters really bought the story alive. Thea is a single parent and is having a lot of problems with money and with Christmas coming up she knows it is going to get expensive so when the farm shop manager gives her a second job she welcomes the extra money it will provide for her family and also she may get a bit of happiness in the way of falling for him. The story has relatable and shows every day struggles that single parents go through. I love how Thea turned her life around with the help of Nick. It was a wonderful story to relax with and I look forward to reading more books by Fay.

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

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Violet Winters is starting her first week of nights and she is petrified. She’s a straight-A student, but practising medicine on real people is another matter entirely. Seems like being a straight-talker can get you in hot water when it comes to patient care… With no one special to spend Christmas with, she signs herself up for the holiday night shift. How much damage could she possibly do?

Dr Gus Jovic, on the other hand, is universally popular, famously unflappable in a crisis and appears to charm patients with ease. But Violet can’t help but wonder … how come Mr Perfect is avoiding a Christmas at home too?

My Thoughts:

I always love reading a book that is a bit different. Two doctors working a night shift, we get to hear about the patients they see but also each others side of the story. Each chapter is either Violet or Gus, and we see how their stories intertwine. I loved the first half of this book, it was a compelling read and you could feel excitement for Violet in your bones. However I felt as though the second half was lack lustre and did not really go anywhere, it was a shame really as it had good potential. I liked both characters and I liked how it was set around the hospital but it really slowed down too much for me on the second half.

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

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One call changes everything.

When Isla Joyson receives a desperate call from a nun about an impending drug shipment, she sees a chance to break the story of the year. The Sister insists she can’t go to the police and begs for Isla’s help … Then the line is cut.

The next day, the nun’s body is pulled from the Thames River.

Pursuing both justice and the story, Isla’s investigation leads from the cloistered order harboring dark secrets to the highest echelons of British society. When Isla crosses paths with a powerful duke intent on solving this murder without her, the stakes escalate, threatening to destroy both her career and her relationship with the man she loves.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Isla Joyson Series and as much as I enjoyed the first book, I found this one even better. We catch up with Isla as she navigates her way in her journalism job. This time she gets a phone call about a drug shipment that is going to be happening soon, Isla wants to be the first to plug the story but then tragedy strikes when the phone caller ends up dead, is it safe for Isla to continue, to be honest not much will stand in Isla’s way but she does have to be very careful as she does not know what this will lead to. I thought the first paragraph hooked me in straight away and I could not wait to settle in and read more. It was fast paced and gripping, the characters were all round good. I love Isla’s way about her she is full of determination and strength and such a strong independent woman. This book can be read as a standalone but I would suggest reading the first book as it is really good. I was very impressed with this book.

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

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