It’s Monday (December 11, 2017)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate is a weekly post to share what you’ve recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this upcoming week.

 

What I Read Last Week:

 

Title: So Much Love

Author:  Rebecca Rosenblum

Immediate Thoughts: Moving story about survival and the true definition of living.

Rating: 7/10

Publication Date: March 14, 2017

 

 

Title: Dreaming of Florence

Author:  T.A. Williiams

Immediate Thoughts: Lovely story full of romance, good food and wonderful imagery.

Rating: 8.5/10

Publication Date: January 8, 2018

 

 

 

 

What I’m currently reading:

 

          
 

 

What I’m reading next:

 

                                 

 

Have you read any of my upcoming reads? What do you have coming up?

Happy Reading!

#BookReview #BlogTour Ours is the Winter by Laurie Ellingham @LaurieEllingham @HQDigitalUK @NeverlandBT

#BookReview #BlogTour Ours is the Winter by Laurie Ellingham @LaurieEllingham @HQDigitalUK @NeverlandBT

#BookReview #BlogTour Ours is the Winter by Laurie Ellingham @LaurieEllingham @HQDigitalUK @NeverlandBT Title: Ours Is the Winter

Author: Laurie Ellingham

Published by: HQ Digital on Nov. 17, 2017

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HQ Digital, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

Journeying across the Arctic, their pasts are about to catch up with them.

Erica, Molly and Noah are embarking on the challenge of a lifetime, driving Siberian huskies across the frozen wilderness of the Arctic. Cut off from the world and their loved ones and thrown together under gruelling conditions, it isn’t long before the cracks start to show.

Erica has it all. A loving husband, a successful career and the most adorable baby daughter. But Erica has been living a double life, and as she nears her fortieth birthday her lies threaten to come crashing down.

Molly was on her way to stardom. But when her brother died, so did her dreams of becoming an Olympic champion. Consumed by rage and grief, she has shut out everyone around her, but now she’s about to learn that comfort can come from the most unexpected places.

Noah has a darkness inside him and is hounded by nightmares from his past. Tortured, trapped and struggling to save his fractured relationship, he knows this journey is not going to help, but try telling his girlfriend that.

As their lives and lies become ever more entwined, it becomes clear that in the frozen wilds there is nowhere to hide.


Review:

Riveting, affecting, and atmospheric!

Ours is the Winter is an emotive, absorbing novel that takes us on a journey into the icy, cold, Arctic where friendships will be formed, love will be lost, past tragedies will haunt, and secrets will surface and bind people forever.

There are three main memorable characters in this novel. Erica, a career woman, struggling with the pressures of being a good mother, wife, and sister. Molly, a young woman, crippled with grief over the loss of her brother. And Noah, a man grappling with extreme guilt and a relationship in tatters.

The writing is eloquent and vivid. The plot is well crafted and uses a past/present style to create a little suspense and a lot of emotion as it unravels all the histories, personalities, and relationships within it. And the characterization is well done with a cast of characters that are troubled, scarred, and raw; a group of Huskies that are intelligent, athletic and lovable; and a setting, the arctic wilderness, that is a character itself with its harsh weather, isolation, and physical challenges.

Ours is the Winter is a clever, poignant novel that reminds us that survival of any form takes strength and courage and the greatest gift we can give ourselves and others is forgiveness.

This book is available now. 

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

 

 

Giveaway:

 

Prize: 1 signed paperback of Laurie’s previous book, “One Endless Summer”.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thank you to Laurie Ellingham, HQ Digital, and Neverland Blog Tours for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Laurie Ellingham

When I’m not running around after my two children, my husband, our Cockerpoo Rodney, or just plain running, I love nothing more than disappearing into the fictional world of my characters preferably with a large coffee and a Twix (or two) to hand.

When I am in the thick of a character crisis, I can often be seen walking around the village with my jumper on inside out and back to front, chatting (and occasionally laughing) away to myself.

I have a first class honours degree in psychology and a background in Public Relations, both of which help in everything I do.

#BookReview #BlogTour The Girl I Used To Know by Faith Hogan @GerHogan @Aria_Fiction

#BookReview #BlogTour The Girl I Used To Know by Faith Hogan @GerHogan @Aria_Fiction Title: The Girl I Used to Know

Author: Faith Hogan

Published by: Aria on Dec. 1, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 298

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Aria, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

A beautiful, emotive and spell-binding story of two women who find friendship and second chances when they least expect it. Perfect for the fans of Patricia Scanlan.

Amanda King and Tess Cuffe are strangers who share the same Georgian house, but their lives couldn’t be more different.

Amanda seems to have it all, absolute perfection. She projects all the accoutrements of a lady who lunches. Sadly, the reality is a soulless home, an unfaithful husband and a very lonely heart.

By comparison, in the basement flat, unwanted tenant Tess has spent a lifetime hiding and shutting her heart to love.

It takes a bossy doctor, a handsome gardener, a pushy teenager and an abandoned cat to show these two women that sometimes letting go is the first step to moving forward and new friendships can come from the most unlikely situations.


Review:

Uplifting, absorbing, and delightfully inspiring!

The Girl I Used To Know is a heartwarming story that immerses you in a tale about letting go of the past, embracing the future and discovering one’s true self at any age.

The prose is effortless and fluid. The plot is a wonderful blend of heart, humour, and hope. And the characterization is spot on with a memorable cast of characters, including two strong, determined, resilient women who learn through compassion and friendship how to move on, find true happiness and be unconditionally loved.

The Girl I Used To Know is, ultimately, a story about life, love, loss, dreams, heartache, infidelity, family, and romance. It is a beautifully written, beguiling novel by Hogan that highlights just how meaningful and powerful friendships can truly be.

This book is available now. 

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

     

 

 

Thank you to Faith Hogan and Aria Fiction for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Faith Hogan

Faith Hogan was born in Ireland. She gained an Honours Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree from University College, Galway. She has worked as a fashion model, an event’s organiser and in the intellectual disability and mental health sector.

She was a winner in the 2014 Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair – an international competition for emerging writers.

 

#BookReview #Excerpt #Giveaway So Over You by Kate Meader @KittyMeader @Pocket_Books

#BookReview #Excerpt #Giveaway So Over You by Kate Meader @KittyMeader @Pocket_Books Title: So Over You

Author: Kate Meader

Series: Chicago Rebels #2

Published by: Pocket Books on Dec. 19, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Pocket Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Three estranged sisters struggle to sustain their late father’s failing hockey franchise in Kate Meader’s SO OVER YOU, Book 2 in the new sizzling Chicago Rebels series. Middle sister Isobel is at a crossroads in her personal and professional lives. But both are about to get a significant boost with the addition of a domineering Russian powerhouse to the Rebels…

Isobel Chase knows hockey. She played NCAA, won silver at the Games, and made it thirty-seven minutes into the new National Women’s Hockey League before an injury sidelined her dreams. Those who can’t, coach, and a position as a skating consultant to her late father’s hockey franchise, the Chicago Rebels, seems like a perfect fit. Until she’s assigned her first job: the man who skated into her heart as a teen and relieved her of her pesky virginity. These days, left-winger Vadim Petrov is known as the Czar of Pleasure, a magnet for puck bunnies and the tabloids alike. But back then…let’s just say his inability to sink the puck left Isobel frustratingly scoreless.

Vadim has a first name that means “ruler,” and it doesn’t stop at his birth certificate. He dominates on the ice, the practice rink, and in the backseat of a limo. But a knee injury has produced a bad year, and bad years in the NHL don’t go unrewarded. His penance? To be traded to a troubled team where his personal coach is Isobel Chase, the woman who drove him wild years ago when they were hormonal teens. But apparently the feeling was not entirely mutual.

That Vadim might have failed to give Isobel the pleasure that was her right is intolerable, and he plans to make it up to her—one bone-melting orgasm at a time. After all, no player can perfect his game without a helluva lot of practice…


Review:

Sexy, steamy, and sweet!

So Over You is a sizzling second-chance romance that introduces us to the broody, stubborn, handsome Vadim and the feisty, driven, scarred Isobel as they each navigate the loss of a loved one, familial drama, career-altering injuries, undeniable chemistry and insatiable desire.

The writing is lighthearted and fun. The supporting characters are encouraging, loyal, and kind. And the plot, from start to finish, is filled to the brim with longing, lust, emotion, angst, witty banter, and tantalizing romance.

So Over You is the second novel in the Chicago Rebels series and another highly entertaining, thoroughly enjoyable sports romance by Meader who seems to have the formula for writing irresistible rom-coms down to a fine art.

If you haven’t had a chance to read my review of the first novel in the series, Irresistible You, be sure to check it out here:

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                            

 

 

 

Excerpt:

He leaned in again, smelling of fame, privilege, and raw sex appeal. Discomfort at his proximity edged out the hormonal sparks dancing through her body.

“Does Moretti know that we have history? That you are the last person I wish to work with?”

Before she could respond, someone squealed, “Vadim!” A blond, skinny, buxom someone, who now wrapped herself around Vadim in a very possessive manner. “You said you’d be back with a dwinkie!”

A dwinkie?

Drawing back, Vadim circled the squealer’s waist and pulled her into his hard body. “Kotyonok, I did not mean to be so long.” He dropped a kiss on her lips, needing to bend considerably because she was just so darn petite! Not like big-boned Isobel, who could have eaten this chick and her five supermodel Playmates for a midmorning snack. A group of them stood off to the side, clearly waiting for the signal to start the orgy. And Vadim clearly wanted to give it, except he had to deal with the annoying six-foot fly in the sex ointment.

Why did the lumberjack hotties always go for twigs instead of branches? Did it make them feel more virile to screw a pocket-sized Barbie?

Yep, feeling like a schlub.

But he didn’t need to know that. All he needed to know was that she had the power to return him to competitive ice. This was her best shot at making a difference and getting the Rebels to a coveted play-off spot. Vadim Petrov and his butt-hurt feelings would not stand in her way.

“Do you need to talk about it, Russian?”

She infused as much derision into the question as possible, so that the idea of “talking about it” made him sound a touch less than manly. Big, bad, brick-house Russians didn’t need to talk about the women who done them wrong.

“There is nothing to talk about,” he uttered in that voice that used to send Siberian shivers down her back. Now? Nothing more than a Muscovian flurry.

“Excellent!” Superscary cheerful face. “Regular practice is tomorrow at ten, so I’ll see you on the ice at 9 a.m. Don’t be late.”

Pretty happy with her exit line, she walked away.

Far too easy.

A brute hand curled around hers and pulled her to the other side of the bar, out of the sight line of most of the VIP room. She found her back against a wall—literally and figuratively—as 230 pounds of Slavic muscle loomed over her.

He still held her hand.

If she weren’t so annoyed, she’d think it was kind of nice.

She yanked it away. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Who am I?” he boomed, and she prayed it was rhetorical. Unfortunately, no. “I am Vadim Petrov. Leading goal scorer for my first two years in the NHL. Winner of both the Kontinental and the Gagarin Cups. A man not to be trifled with. And you are, who, exactly? The daughter of a hockey great who was not so great when it came to running a team. The woman who can no longer play yet thinks she can offer ‘tips’ to me. To me! You may have pedigree, Isobel, but there is nothing I can learn from you.”

This arrogant, douchewaffle piece of shit!

 

 

Giveaway:

Kate Meader will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card during release week.

To enter, please go here!

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Pocket Books, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate Meader

Originally from Ireland, Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron, a fire hose, or a hockey stick, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines (and heroes) who can match their men quip for quip.

#BookReview Gilding The Lily by Justine John @JustineCJohn

#BookReview Gilding The Lily by Justine John @JustineCJohn Title: Gilding the Lily

Author: Justine John

Published by: Justine John on Nov. 25, 2016

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 244

Format: Paperback

Source: Justine John

Book Rating: 8/10

A gripping mystery of jealousy, murder and lies.

An invitation to her estranged, wealthy father’s surprise 75th birthday party in New York sees London-based Amelia and her husband, Jack, set off across the pond to meet a whole new world of family politics.

Amelia, now a successful businesswoman, has guiltily never liked her father’s women, but does her upmost to give his new socialite partner, Evelyn, the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just all get along? But there’s something very dark, determined and dangerous about her…

When Amelia’s father, Roger, becomes ill, Jack grows suspicious that there is more to it. Amelia understands why, but no one else will believe them. They travel back to America to piece together the puzzle, but when Roger goes missing, the couple are driven to their wit’s end. It takes a DEA officer and a secret assassin to bring them any answers. The ruthless truth is something no one expected…


Review:

Compelling, dark, and menacing!

Gilding The Lily is a character-driven novel that delves into the complicated, entangled relationship between family members and reminds us just how deceiving appearances can often be.

The writing is taut and twisty. The characters are determined, troubled, and secretive. And the plot, told predominately from two perspectives, subtly unfolds all the personalities, motivations, and actions within it to create a tense, suspenseful, cautious tale.

Gilding The Lily, at its core, is a novel about family, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, and murder. It’s an intriguing debut for John, and I look forward to reading what she comes up with next.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy now from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                            

 

 

Thank you to Justine John for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Justine John

Justine John became a full-time writer in her late forties, after a successfully running various businesses in London. Her first novel, Gilding The Lily, is a domestic noir suspense story. Animal lover Justine lives in the beautiful Surrey Hills with her husband, rides her two horses and walks her Dalmatians daily.

 

#BookReview #GuestPost Winter at Cedarwood Lodge by Rebecca Raisin @jaxandwillsmum @HQDigitalUK

#BookReview #GuestPost Winter at Cedarwood Lodge by Rebecca Raisin @jaxandwillsmum @HQDigitalUK

#BookReview #GuestPost Winter at Cedarwood Lodge by Rebecca Raisin @jaxandwillsmum @HQDigitalUK Title: Winter At Cedarwood Lodge

Author: Rebecca Raisin

Series: At Cedarwood Lodge #4

Published by: HQ Digital on Dec. 1, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 403

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HQ Digital, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

This winter it’s time to fall in love at Cedarwood Lodge…

After years of dreaming, Clio Winters is finally fulfilling her childhood dream of renovating the gorgeous old Cedarwood Lodge in Evergreen and turning it into the perfect destination for celebrations, weddings and extravagant birthday parties. The huge property used to be a bustling holiday camp, now Clio wants to bring it back to its halcyon days – which will be a lot of hard work!

Returning back to the small town of her youth she’s glad to have one of her best friends still around to lean on, Micah who is just as solid as he used to be. But with her own secrets pushing her to run from her glamorous life in New York, she’ll have to tread carefully, especially when the far-too-handsome-for-his-own-good contractor, Kai, shows up on her doorstep…

Sure she’s here in Evergreen to change her life, but there is no way she’s falling in love!

Previously published as three novellas; Celebrations & Confetti, Brides & Bouquets, and Midnight & Mistletoe and now Includes bonus material!


Review:

Absorbing, enchanting, and sugary sweet!

In this latest compilation, Winter at Cedarwood Lodge, Raisin sweeps us away to a wintery paradise where the snow is falling, the accommodations are rustic, the food is scrumptious, and love is in the air.

The prose is light, atmospheric, and well turned. The characters are unique, flawed, and multi-layered. And the story is a compelling tale full of tender moments, humorous hijinks, self-discovery, friendship, family, community, happiness, love, a little mystery, and a whole lot of Christmas cheer!

Overall, Winter at Cedarwood Lodge is a charming holiday treat that’s perfect for a chilly afternoon curled up in front of the fire with a steaming mug of hot chocolate!

If you haven’t had a chance to read my review of The Little Antique Shop Under the Eiffel Tower by Rebecca Raisin be sure to check it out here:

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                   

For more information about the Tour Schedule click Here

 

 

And now Rebecca Raisin with:

Twenty things to do this Christmas

When I wrote Winter at Cedarwood Lodge, the whole premise behind the lodge was that it be a place to go where you switch off phones and computers and go back to a simpler way of living where you’re not always contactable 24/7. The idea appeals to me so much, especially around holiday time when you just need to recharge and forgot about work and schedules for a little while.

But what to do if you’re not scrolling through Facebook…?

  1. Write a letter to a stranger. Make them smile!
  2. Invite that neighbor over for dinner, the one who waves but always seems to be alone.
  3. Bake! Lots of cookies, ice them, dust them, eat them!
  4. Get crafty, upcycle something!
  5. Start the New Year fresh!
  6. Plant a herb garden. Big or small, inside or outside!
  7. Cuddle a cat or dog! Visit your local rescue center and ask about spending some time with those adorable fur babies for an hour or two.
  8. Move your furniture around. A change is as good as a holiday or so the saying goes…
  9. Build a snowman, or a sand castle! You are never too old, I don’t care what age you are!
  10. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a long time and arrange a coffee date.
  11. Make pasta from scratch.
  12. Write a poem or haiku.
  13. Paint your nails.
  14. Make a face mask from natural items in your pantry.
  15. Put fresh sheets on your bed.
  16. Read a book you’ve given up on before and see if anything has changed.
  17. Send a postcard and say wish you were here.
  18. Jump in a puddle.
  19. Compliment someone you don’t know.
  20. Go for a bike ride or a walk.

What else would you add to the list? I hope you have a fabulous festive season and have time to switch off and do something relaxing that you haven’t done for a while.

All the best,

Bec xx

 

Thank you to Rebecca Raisin for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review and for participating on my blog today. It’s an honour!

 

About Rebecca Raisin

Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been published in various short story anthologies and in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on writing romance. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships, and most importantly believe in true love.

 

It’s Monday (December 4, 2017)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate is a weekly post to share what you’ve recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this upcoming week.

 

What I Read Last Week:

 

Title: Now That You Mention It

Author:  Kristan Higgins

Immediate Thoughts: A contemporary romance novel with a lot of grit and loads of heart!

Rating: 10/10

Publication Date: December 26, 2017

 

 

Title: City of Spies

Author:  Sorayya Khan

Immediate Thoughts: Intriguing story about life in Islamabad during the late 1970s!

Rating: 8.5/10

Publication Date: September 19, 2017

 

 

                     

 

What I’m currently reading:

 

       
 

 

What I’m reading next:

 

                                                      

 

Have you read any of my upcoming reads? What do you have coming up?

Happy Reading!

#BookReview #BlogTour and a Sixpence for Luck by Lilac Mills @LilacMills @NeverlandBT

#BookReview #BlogTour and a Sixpence for Luck by Lilac Mills @LilacMills @NeverlandBT

#BookReview #BlogTour and a Sixpence for Luck by Lilac Mills @LilacMills @NeverlandBT Title: And a Sixpence for Luck

Author: Lilac Mills

Published by: Lilac Tree Books on Sep. 30, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 270

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Neverland Blog Tours

Book Rating: 8/10

Daisy Jones has hit rock bottom. Or so she believes.

A cheating boyfriend, trouble at work, having to move back in with her mother, and being forced to compare her brother’s loved-up, newly-wed status and brand-new shiny house with her own dire lack of prospects, isn’t what she imagined her life was going to be like at thirty. To top it all off, Christmas is just around the corner!

Daisy, bless her, thinks things can’t possibly get any worse, but when her ancient great-grandmother persuades her to plant a silver sixpence in the Christmas pud for luck, Daisy is about to discover that they most definitely can.


Review:

Entertaining, heartening, and splendidly merry!

and a Sixpence for Luck is a sweet, holiday read that takes us on a tour of Daisy’s life as she meanders through all sorts of highs and lows, from losing her job, home and long-time love to forging new friendships and finding true love.

It is ultimately a story about friendship, family, self-discovery, and happiness.

The prose is light and fluid. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are unique, quirky, and lovable. And the plot is flirty, fun and full of tricky situations, zany mishaps, awkward moments, delicious chemistry, and heartfelt emotion.

Overall, and a Sixpence for Luck is a delightfully, jolly novel by Mills that will have you smiling from the very first page to the irresistible happy-ever-after ending.

 

This book is available now. 

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

 

 

Giveaway:

 

Signed copy of the book and a silver sixpence necklace (International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thank you to Lilac Mills and Neverland Blog Tours for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lilac Mills

Lilac spends all her time writing, or reading, or thinking about writing or reading, often to the detriment of her day job, her family, and the housework. She apologises to her employer and her loved ones, but the house will simply have to deal with it!

She calls Worcester home, though she would prefer to call somewhere hot and sunny home, somewhere with a beach and cocktails and endless opportunities for snoozing in the sun…

When she isn’t hunched over a computer or dreaming about foreign shores, she enjoys creating strange, inedible dishes in the kitchen, accusing her daughter of stealing (she meant to say “borrowing”) her clothes, and fighting with her husband over whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher.

 

#BookReview The Secret Life of Alfred Nightingale by Rebecca Stonehill @bexstonehill

#BookReview The Secret Life of Alfred Nightingale by Rebecca Stonehill @bexstonehill Title: The Secret Life of Alfred Nightingale

Author: Rebecca Stonehill

Published by: Sunbird Press on Oct. 29, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 298

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Rebecca Stonehill

Book Rating: 9/10

A compelling page turner of a buried past resurfacing, set against a backdrop of the 1960’s youth culture and war-torn Crete.

1967. Handsome but troubled, Jim is almost 18 and he lives and breathes girls, trad jazz, Eel Pie Island and his best friend, Charles. One night, he hears rumours of a community of young people living in caves in Matala, Crete. Determined to escape his odious, bully of a father and repressed mother, Jim hitchhikes through Europe down to Matala. At first, it’s the paradise he dreamt it would be. But as things start to go wrong and his very notion of self unravels, the last thing Jim expects is for this journey of hundreds of miles to set in motion a passage of healing which will lead him back to the person he hates most in the world: his father.

Taking in the counter-culture of the 1960’s, the clash of relationships between the WW2 generation and their children, the baby boomers, this is a novel about secrets from the past finally surfacing, the healing of trauma and the power of forgiveness.

A captivating story that will mesmerise fans of Lucinda Riley, Dinah Jefferies and Tracy Rees.


Review:

Atmospheric, insightful, and profoundly moving!

The Secret Life of Alfred Nightingale is predominantly set on the island of Crete during both the 1960s and WWII and is told from two perspectives; Jim, a young man who travels to Matala to live for the moment and be free from his stifling home life and strained relationship with his father; and Alfred, a young man embarking on a journey of survival in a time of utter devastation and destruction.

The prose is expressive, vivid, and eloquent. The characters are multi-faceted, genuine, and sympathetic. And the plot is a sweeping saga filled with life, loss, familial dynamics, secrets, determination, self-discovery, loneliness, friendship, war, survival, forgiveness, and love.

The Secret Life of Alfred Nightingale is truly a wonderfully written, poignant novel by Stonehill that does an exceptional job of blending historical facts, remarkable characterization, and heartfelt fiction into an incredibly moving story that reminds us that life is very precious and often all too short.

If you haven’t read my review of Stonehill’s previous novel, The Girl and the Sunbird, one of my favourite novels of all time, be sure to check it out here:

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

 

 

Thank you to Rebecca Stonehill for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It’s always an honour!

 

About Rebecca Stonehill

Rebecca Stonehill is from London but currently lives in Nairobi with her husband and three young children where she set up Magic Pencil, an initiative to give children greater access to creative writing and poetry. She has had numerous short stories published over the years, for example in Vintage Script, What the Dickens magazine, Ariadne’s Thread and Prole Books but The Poet’s Wife (Bookouture) is her first full-length novel, set in Granada during the Spanish Civil war and Franco’s dictatorship. Her second novel, The Girl and the Sunbird, was published by Bookouture in June 2016.

 

#BookReview Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan @SarahMorgan_ @HarlequinBooks

#BookReview Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan @SarahMorgan_ @HarlequinBooks Title: Moonlight Over Manhattan (From Manhattan With Love)

Author: Sarah Morgan

Series: From Manhattan with Love #6

Published by: Harlequin Books on Nov. 28, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Harlequin Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

She’ll risk everything for her own Christmas miracle…

Determined to conquer a lifetime of shyness, Harriet Knight challenges herself to do one thing a day in December that scares her, including celebrating Christmas without her family. But when dog walker Harriet meets her newest client, exuberant spaniel Madi, she adds an extra challenge to her list–dealing with Madi’s temporary dog sitter, gruff doctor Ethan Black, and their very unexpected chemistry.

Ethan thought he was used to chaos, until he met Madi–how can one tiny dog cause such mayhem? To Ethan, the solution is simple–he will pay Harriet to share his New York apartment and provide twenty-four-hour care. But there’s nothing simple about how Harriet makes him feel.

Ethan’s kisses make Harriet shine brighter than the stars over moonlit Manhattan. But when his dog-sitting duties are over and Harriet returns to her own home, will she dare to take the biggest challenge of all–letting Ethan know he has her heart for life, not just for Christmas?


Review:

Vivacious, uplifting, and downright swoon-worthy!

Moonlight Over Manhattan, the latest novel in the From Manhattan with Love series, is a delightful, character-driven rom-com set in the snowy streets of New York City that introduces us to the sweet, devoted, caring Harriet and the organized, dependable, stoic Ethan as they discover that everything they need and want they may just find in each other.

The prose is witty and crisp. The characters, including the supporting characters, are engaging, fun-loving, and affable. And the plot is a truly festive treat with lots of heart, humour, soul-searching, heat, spirit, and chemistry.

Moonlight Over Manhattan is undeniably another bestseller for Morgan. It’s enchanting, effortless, and the perfect holiday read.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                            

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Harlequin Books, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sarah Morgan

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She is a 3 time winner of the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America and has been nominated five times. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn’t reading or writing she loves being outdoors.