When your heart belongs in two places, can you ever truly find home?

Brooklyn, New York,
Bea has grown up in the heart of the Irish community, always hearing stories of home. When she discovers a letter from her younger self, written years before, it sends her deep into her own family history.

Kilmore Quay, Ireland.
Years earlier, Lucy Mernagh leaves her much-loved home and family in search of the New York dream. The Big Apple is a world away from the quiet village she grew up in, and the longing for home aches within her.

When Bea uncovers a shocking secret, it takes her back across the water to Kilmore Quay, where – finally – long-buried truths will come to light. But fate has one last twist in store…

My Thoughts:

This was such a great read with a fantastic plot line, the characters to me felt as though I knew them and they were believable. I was hooked from the first chapter and when I was not reading it, I was thinking about the story and the characters. It was such a moving story that you will need some tissues especially for the last few chapters. This is my first book by Carmel and it certainly will not be my last. I loved it. A book that will stay with you for a very long time.

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

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A Double Murder
The naked corpses of Aylmer and Mary Younis are discovered in their home. The only clues are a note written in blood and an eerie report of two spectral figures departing the crime scene. Officer Jill Ferriter is charged with investigating the murders while her colleague Alex Cupidi is on leave, recovering from post-traumatic stress.

AN ELABORATE SCAM

The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala, resulting in the loss of all their savings. What is more disturbing is that Cupidi and Ferriter’s disgraced former colleague and friend Bill South is also on the list of investors and the Younis’s were not the only losers.

AN UNLIKELY KILLER

Despite being in counselling and receiving official warnings to stay away from police work Cupidi finds herself dragged into the case and begins to trawl among the secrets and lies that are held in the fishing community of Folkestone. Desperate to exonerate South she finds herself murderously compromised when personal relationships cloud her judgement.

My Thoughts:

This is the fourth book in the DS Alexandra Cupidi Investigations and all of these books can be read as a standalone, I am going to be read the other books in this series though so I can get to know the characters better. It had a great pace that kept me hooked the whole way through, it was thrilling with all the twists that came out of nowhere, the story was a good one and I enjoyed reading about the background topic. I look forward to reading the other books now.

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

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Flowers and chocolates are all very well, but nothing could possibly mean more to your beloved than telling them, in a language they’ll understand: YOU’RE MY LOBSTER.

With prompts to fill out, this personalisable gift book gives you the space to reminisce about: your first meeting and impressions, all the quirks you’ve grown to love, the things you have in common and your greatest differences, and much more. Complete with the best romantic quotes from your favourite films and TV shows, it is the ultimate gift for your soulmate.

My Thoughts:

This is such a fun and sweet book where you can keep both your memories from your first kiss to your fist date and so forth. It is a nice compacted size and the illustrations are just wonderful. So it is a great gift for Valentines or an anniversary, you can fill it out or you both could do it together. It is a truly magical way of showing your partner how much you care. It also has funny quotes in it too, ones that will make you smile or laugh. I love it and I cannot wait to start filling mine in. A wonderful gift for someone you love very much.

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

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When Olivia Tennyson – or Ollie to her friends – was sixteen, she wrote a Dream List of all the things she wanted for her life, including a happy marriage and a family. But at twenty-nine, Ollie is single, living at home with her over-protective and manipulative mother, and is feeling like her dreams are getting further out of reach.

It’s time for a change. 

It’s time to take matters into her own hands. 

Without telling her mum, or more importantly, asking her permission, Ollie finds the perfect place to start her new life. End Cottage has a duck-egg blue front door, a garden that leads to acres of forest, and definitely counts as her dream home.

Now all Ollie has to do is complete the rest of her list and find out who she really is, before she can imagine any romance coming into her life. After all, how is she going to find her dream man in the middle of a forest… 

My Thoughts:

This was the perfect read for me, it had everything I wanted in it, great characters, a fantastic and uplifting and moving story line. Ollie is a teenager when she writes her Dream List of what she wants to have and do with her life when she is older, fast forward several years later and she is unhappy. She has no one to come home to apart from her way too protective parents that just do her head in. She wants to break free so she decides to go for it and change her life for the better. Once she has grabbed the bull by the horns she decides to complete her Dream List but will the other things fall in to place and will see find her happy ever after? I really felt a connection with Ollie and wanted her to achieve her dreams, I was rooting for her all the way. It was such a joy to read and I would rate it higher than five stars, and recommend it to everyone.

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

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At the age of twenty-three, teaching assistant Blair Coal knows there’s more to love than her last emotionally toxic relationship. This becomes more evident each time she sees firefighter Tyler Stoan.

It sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale romance, right?

The only problem is—both Blair and Tyler are in a coma, and they’ve only met in their dreams.

When Blair wakes with a vivid recollection of the man she’s infatuated with, she begins her search to find him against the advice of those closest to her.

Will Blair find Tyler? And if she does, who will she discover?

As relationships unfold, Blair’s past and present collide, adding tension to her already perplexed mind, and she finds herself at a crossroad.

Though true love seems within reach for Blair, fate may have something else in store for her.

After all, life hardly ever turns out the way we think it will.

My Thoughts:

This book is in my top ten favourite books of this year, it was an incredible story that takes you on a journey into two people’s lives that have only met in a dream, sounds strange but by god does it work in this book. Blair was in a coma after being in an accident, when she wakes she remembers this guy in her dreams and knows she must find him, but will his family get in the way of her finding out if this is true love or not? she can still hear things that he says to her now and she knows she must find a way to be with him and help him, as he is still in a coma. There are parts where I had tears in my eyes for Blair and one where you wont want to put it down. I read this book in a day and still feeling the after effects of it. A superb story with raw emotion.

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

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Etta Wilson has vowed to make a change. At five foot three and a size twenty, she’s had enough. Honestly, this has absolutely nothing to do with seeing her ex, Robert Ward, strolling around town, smitten with a new slim girlfriend.

So, Etta’s chucked the calorific cakes, thrown the takeaway in the bin and committed to cardio. She’s got nothing to lose – well apart from a lot of weight – but how hard can that be?

Nearly impossible, it turns out. Etta soon realises she can’t do this alone. Thanks to her colleagues at the Elm Lodge Care Home, she won’t have to. With their help, will Etta reach her goals? Or does a moment on the lips really mean a lifetime on the hips?

My Thoughts:

This was such a nice story that will have you in stitches, it is definitely the best medicine if you are feeling down. I could empathise and relate to the characters, who were all great by the way. There are lots of one liners that hade me roaring with laughter. Many people struggle with their weight and I am one of them, so I feel as though this book proves that you are not alone on this journey of self discovery, it has made me feel motivated to get myself some help and prove to myself I can do this. I really hope it helps other people that are struggling. I found it such a heart warming story that I would highly recommend.

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

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When her husband Harry walks out after just six months, a girls’ weekend away with two friends seems like just what Sam needs.

But they aren’t even halfway to their destination when things start to go wrong: car trouble that just happens to leave them stranded in the town where Harry lives.

And that’s only the beginning.

Because there are three things Sam doesn’t yet know:

One of her friends is lying about what happened.
One is lying about who she is.
And one of them will never make it home . . .

My Thoughts:

This was such a brilliant constructed thriller about three friends that embark on a getaway but things start happening and things that do not feel right, one of them won’t be leaving but who and why? It was a nail biting and twist turning thriller that kept me awake till the early hours of the morning. Each chapter is a different person so we get all different perspectives which made the book even more brilliant, I found the story eerie and creepy and one that I raced through. It had a great pace to it and the ending blew me away. I will definitely be wanting to read more by Leah.

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

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Check out my twitter @bookbloghannah for a giveaway to win a copy of this book

Travel agent, Hester Monday, has been keeping a secret …

Thanks to her fear of flying, she hasn’t been on a plane in years. Now Hester wants to make a good impression on her newest client, Jake Oakenfield, who was heroically injured saving an old lady, and is now laid up in a luxury hotel.

For Jake, unable to return to New York, binge watching Netflix just won’t do. He wants Hester to invent the ultimate escape and re-create her most magical holidays abroad from the confines of his hotel room.

As their perfect mini-breaks around the globe take on a life of their own, Hester wonders if her world of make-believe is all starting to feel just a little too real…

My Thoughts:

I loved the idea of this story, it was original and a fresh idea. After an accident where Jake has to be laid up for a while, he sinks into a low mood and cannot see anyway out, until his sister brings in Hester to arrange a holiday for him but he wants to get out of his hotel room now, he is not a good patient, so Hester comes up with a unique way of sending him across the world without him going anywhere. I loved the story line and where it leaded, it was a uplifting and romantic story with some wonderful characters including Hester, she seemed like such a lovely woman, always putting people before herself. I want to read it again now to bring me some warmth and joy.

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

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It’s time for Ellie to return home and rediscover the past she left behind… After a tough break-up, Ellie returns to the only place she’s ever really felt at home – the coastal town of Sanderson Bay. A year later, she’s living her dream, brewing delicious artisan teas and selling them at her very own cafe.

And when the mysterious and brooding Ben walks into her tearoom, Ellie finally dares to dream of true love. But then her ex shows up in the Bay, and just as Ellie discovers some tragic truths about her family’s past, she learns Ben might be hiding an unwelcome secret of his own… Can Ellie let go of her past and brave a future with Ben?

My Thoughts:

This was a lovely calming read that has me more aware of the different teas that are on offer some of them sounded delicious, though I would love to go and visit Ellie’s place as it sounds a relaxing and tranquil place. It was a comforting read that involves a tearoom with other things which to me just sounds wonderful. I got caught up in the story and wanted Ellie to be happy again but will Ben be the one for her or will she never find love again? It is such a sweet and romantic story that I was sad when it finished.

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England 1835. Eliza Acton is a poet who dreams of seeing her words in print. But when she takes her new manuscript to a publisher, she’s told that ‘poetry is not the business of a lady’. Instead, they want her to write a cookery book. England is awash with exciting new ingredients, from spices to exotic fruits. That’s what readers really want from women. 
 
Eliza leaves the offices appalled. But when her father is forced to flee the country for bankruptcy, she has no choice but to consider the proposal. Never having cooked before in her life, she is determined to learn and to discover, if she can, the poetry in recipe writing. To assist her, she hires seventeen-year-old Ann Kirby, the impoverished daughter of a war-crippled father and a mother with dementia. 
 
Over the course of ten years, Eliza and Ann developed an unusual friendship – one that crossed social classes and divides – and, together, they broke the mould of traditional cookbooks and changed the course of cookery writing forever. 

My Thoughts:

I found this a very interesting and knowledgeable read, one that took me on a journey of food. It is 1835 in England, Eliza is a poet and would love to have her poems published but when she takes them to a publisher, they don’t want her to write poetry, they want her to write a cookery book. She doesn’t want to do this but when her circumstances change she has to. Eliza cannot cook so when she employs Ann, she doesn’t look back. It was a very interesting read to learn all about how to set up a cookbook back in the day and also what kinds of foods Eliza was dealing with. The research along with the food is rich and delightful and the recipes seem to come alive across the pages. A wonderful read and one I would certainly recommend if you are a foodie like me.

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

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