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11
Jul
2017

#BookReview Two Nights by Kathy Reichs @KathyReichs @SimonSchusterCA

categories: 7/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: Two Nights

Author: Kathy Reichs

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Jul. 11, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada, Goodreads Giveaways

Book Rating: 7/10

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs steps beyond her classic Temperance Brennan series in a new standalone thriller featuring a smart, tough, talented heroine whose thirst for justice stems from her own dark past.

Meet Sunday Night, a woman with physical and psychological scars, and a killer instinct. . . .

Sunnie has spent years running from her past, burying secrets and building a life in which she needs no one and feels nothing. But a girl has gone missing, lost in the chaos of a bomb explosion, and the family needs Sunnie’s help.

Is the girl dead? Did someone take her? If she is out there, why doesn’t she want to be found? It’s time for Sunnie to face her own demons because they just might lead her to the truth about what really happened all those years ago.

Review:

Fast-paced, mysterious, and entertaining!

Two Nights is a suspenseful thriller that reminds us that terrorism can often be homegrown and emphasizes just how dangerous anger, hatred, and religious fanaticism can truly be.

The writing is clear and precise. The main character, Sunday Night, is tough, intelligent, and determined, and the supporting characters are an intriguing mix of ruthless, persistent zealots, and a charming, dependable brother.

I have to say that die-hard fans of the Temperance Brennan series may be a little disappointed in this latest outing by Reichs which doesn’t have the scientific jargon and forensic analysis we typically associate with her novels, but there’s no question that Reichs is a great writer and if you read Two Nights with an open mind you will recognize her trademark strong, flawed, female protagonist and straightforward style of writing that could definitely lead to another bestselling series for her.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Goodreads Giveaways for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. She is one of only fifty forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. A professor of anthropology at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Dr. Reichs is a native of Chicago, where she received her Ph.D. at Northwestern. She now divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal and is a frequent expert witness in criminal trials.

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10
Jul
2017

#BookReview Pounding Skin by L.A. Witt @GallagherWitt @StMartinsPress

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Title: Pounding Skin

Author: L.A. Witt

Series: Skin Deep Inc. #2

Published by: Swerve on Jul. 11, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 304

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Fighter pilot Jon Russell never sleeps with the same man twice. Known for his lack of shame when it comes to hooking up, Jon has no interest in commitment—even friends with benefits sounds like too much work.

Matt Huffman has slept with lots of women. He’s had loads of girlfriends. So why does the hot as hell pilot getting a tattoo as the result of a lost bet stop his breath? And how come he can’t stop thinking about him, even after he’s gone?

When Jon returns to Skin Deep the second time, he doesn’t want another tattoo. He wants to hook up with the gorgeous artist he spent hours agonizingly close to, and Matt wants to explore some curiosity about men. Fulfill the desire he can’t stop fantasizing over. And he wants to do it with Jon.

As their casual hook up becomes more than just skin deep, both Matt and Jon are faced with questions they don’t want to answer. Matt understands he’s bi—but are these feelings he has typical of hooking up with a man? Or is it only Jon that can make his heart pound? If Jon wanted nothing more than a fling, why does he find himself needing not just Matt’s body, but all of him? And can their relationship withstand the hardships that makes Jon avoid them in the first place?

The Skin Deep, Inc books can be read in any order—come enter a world where gorgeous tattoo artists and hot Navy men find passion, pleasure, and a happily ever after together.

Review:

Smouldering, fervent and sinfully sexy!

Pounding Skin is a provocative tale that mixes the sweet, modest, tattoo artist Matt who finds himself suddenly reevaluating his sexuality and the cocky, confident, fighter pilot Jon who is only looking for fun, excitement and a good time.

The characters are charming, handsome, and desirable. The writing is smooth and erotic. And the plot is a classic romantic love story about friendship, support, acceptance, family, commitment, and love with a side of red-hot chemistry and an abundance of scorching sex scenes.

Pounding Skin is definitely an entertaining, tantalizing read that does a good job at developing the relationship and the characters and not only gives us the happy-ever-after ending we look forward to and expect in this genre but a cover that is undeniably drool-worthy.

Pounding Skin is the second novel in the “Skin Deep Inc.” series and certainly one of my favourites from Witt so far. If you haven’t already had a chance to read my reviews for some of L.A. Witt’s other books/series be sure to check them out.

This book is available on June 11, 2017.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn't lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies.

She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don't tell Lauren. And definitely don't tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut...

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

09
Jul
2017

#BlogTour & #BookReview Court of Lions by Jane Johnson @JaneJohnsonBakr @HoZ_Books

categories: 7.5/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction

Title: Court of Lions

Author: Jane Johnson

Published by: Head of Zeus on Jul. 6, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 397

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Head of Zeus, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7.5/10

An epic saga of romance and redemption. Court of Lions brings one of the great turning points in history to life, through the stories of a modern woman and the last Moorish sultan of Granada.

Kate Fordham, escaping terrible trauma, has fled to the beautiful sunlit city of Granada, the ancient capital of the Moors in Spain, where she is scraping by with an unfulfilling job in a busy bar. One day in the glorious gardens of the Alhambra, once home to Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed, also known as Boabdil, Kate finds a scrap of paper hidden in one of the ancient walls. Upon it, in strange symbols, has been inscribed a message from another age. It has lain undiscovered since before the Fall of Granada in 1492, when the city was surrendered to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. Born of love, in a time of danger and desperation, the fragment will be the catalyst that changes Kate’s life forever.

Court of Lions brings one of the great turning-points in history to life, telling the stories of a modern woman and the last Moorish sultan of Granada, as they both move towards their cataclysmic destinies.

Review:

Absorbing and romantic!

This is a historical love letter to the city of Granada complete with incredibly intriguing and genuine details about The Granada War that took place in the late 1400s and included the rise and subsequent fall of Abu Abdullah Mohammed, the twenty-second and last Islamic ruler of this emirate.

The story is told from differing perspectives; Blessings, a young confident whose yearning and love for the young sultan never wavers; and Kate, a middle-aged woman who finds herself immersed in a mystery from the past while running in fear from her own. The prose is exceptionally descriptive. The characters are complex, fascinating, and sympathetic. And the plot uses a back and forth, past/present style that sweeps you along through the highs and lows of both Blessings and Kate’s life.

Once again, with this novel, Johnson has written a remarkably researched tale that effortlessly interweaves religious persecution, cultural discrimination, and violence with threads of passion, acceptance, devotion, support and the true power of love.

This novel is available now.

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

Thank you to Head of Zeus for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Jane Johnson

Jane Johnson is from Cornwall and has worked in the book industry for over 20 years, as a bookseller, publisher and writer. She is responsible for the publishing of many major authors, including George RR Martin.

In 2005 she was in Morocco researching the story of a distant family member who was abducted from a Cornish church in 1625 by Barbary pirates and sold into slavery in North Africa, when a near-fatal climbing incident caused her to rethink her future. She returned home, gave up her office job in London, and moved to Morocco. She married her own ‘Berber pirate’ and now they split their time between Cornwall and a village in the Anti-Atlas Mountains. She still works, remotely, as Fiction Publishing Director for HarperCollins.

Website | Blog | Twitter

08
Jul
2017

#BlogTour & #BookReview Every Secret Thing By Rachel Crowther @bookollective

categories: 7/10, Book Review, General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Title: Every Secret Thing

Author: Rachel Crowther

Published by: Bonnier Zaffre on Jun. 29, 2017

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Bookollective

Book Rating: 7/10

Can you ever bury the past?

She’d recognised in him something of herself: that sense of not belonging, of secrets fiercely kept . . .

Five friends, newly graduated, travel together to the Lake District. Young and ambitious, they little imagine the events that will overtake them that fateful summer, tearing their fragile group apart.

Twenty years later, they return to the same spot, summoned by a mysterious bequest. It’s not long before old friendships – and old romances – are re-kindled. But soon, too, rivalries begin to re-emerge and wounds are painfully reopened . . .

How long does it take for past sins to be forgiven? And can the things they destroy ever really be recovered?

Review:

Intense, sobering, and perceptive!

This is a character-driven novel that reminds us that life is precious and short and that everyone and everything that enters it shapes, defines, and influences us.

The writing is intelligent and descriptive. The characters are complex, secretive, and selfish. And the plot, although a little slow at times, is narrated from multiple perspectives and written in a past/present style that does a remarkable job of revealing all the personalities, motivations, and actions within it and finishes with a nice little twist.

This is ultimately a novel about life, friendship, secrets, manipulation, desire, jealousy, acceptance and forgiveness and has a very contemplative, moody feel. And although it is very clear from the onset that Crowther is a strong, literary writer I would have preferred the characters to have a few more redeeming qualities and be a little more likable.

This book is available now.

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

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

About Rachel Crowther

Rachel Crowther qualified as a doctor and worked in the NHS for twenty years before succumbing to a lifelong yearning to write fiction, previously indulged during successive bouts of maternity leave. She has an MA in Creative Writing with distinction from Oxford Brookes, and a string of prizes for her short fiction.

Her first novel, THE PARTRIDGE AND THE PELICAN, was published in 2011 and was a Tatler ‘sizzling summer read’. THE THINGS YOU DO FOR LOVE is published in August 2016 and has been called ‘a delight of a read’ by Fay Weldon, ‘the very best sort of fiction’ by Juliet Nicolson (A House Full of Daughters) and ‘a richly textured tale of life and love’ by Richard Mason (The Drowning People).

Rachel has five children, two mad dogs and an abiding passion for music, art, cooking and travel, both in Britain and further afield. She currently lives in Surrey.

Website | Goodreads

05
Jul
2017

#BookReview Among the Lemon Trees by Nadia Marks @Nadia_Marks @PGCBooks

categories: 7.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Title: Among the Lemon Trees

Author: Nadia Marks

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jun. 30, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 7.5/10

She had thought that they would be together forever, but Max’s betrayal leaves Anna questioning their marriage and fearing the future.

So when her elderly widowed father invites her to spend the summer with him on the small Aegean island of his birth, Anna agrees – unaware that a chance discovery is about to unleash a host of family secrets. Kept hidden for sixty years, they reveal a torrent of events, beginning in Greece at the beginning of the 20th century and ending in Naples at the close of the Second World War.

Confronted by their family’s long-buried truths, both father and daughter have their worlds turned upside down and Anna begins to realise that, if she is ever to heal the present, she must first understand the past . . .

Review:

Heartwarming, intriguing and touching!

Among the Lemon Trees is predominantly set on a small Aegean island in the Mediterranean and is the story of Anna, a middle-aged woman who decides to accompany her father home to Greece after her husband’s infidelity and finds herself not only engaging in some deep introspection about her own life but also uncovering some family mysteries and secrets that have remained buried for decades.

The writing is light and fluid. The characters are multi-faceted, gregarious, and forgiving. And the plot is written in a back and forth, past/present style that captivates and engages you as it sweeps you along through a tale of love, loss, family, war, betrayal, regret, deception and the true meaning of home.

Overall, Among the Lemon Trees is a nice, easy, enjoyable read about love in all it’s forms, passionate, unconditional, family, and friendship with a picturesque backdrop and an authentic feel that will certainly leave you daydreaming of sunshine, lazy days, and fresh olives.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Nadia Marks

Nadia Marks (ne Kitromilides,) was born in Cyprus, but grew up in London. An ex creative director and associate editor on a number of leading British women’s magazines, she is now a novelist and works as a freelance writer for several national and international publications. She has written for the Guardian, the Mail on Sunday, the Daily Express, the Independent, the Royal Photographic Society Journal, Psychologies, In Style magazine and others. For Europe and abroad she has contributed to Italian Vanity Fair, Brazilian Vogue, Greek and Australian Marie Claire, to the biggest Greek Sunday newspaper Vima, and the glossy Greek Cypriot lifestyle magazines Omikron and Must.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

04
Jul
2017

#BookReview Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips @GinPhillips17 @RandomHouseCA

categories: 7.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: Fierce Kingdom

Author: Gin Phillips

Published by: Random House Canada on Jul. 4, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 275

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Penguin Random House Canada, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7.5/10

An electrifying literary thriller introduces an unforgettable mother and son, whose simple trip to the zoo one afternoon is transformed into three hours of terror and survival after gunshots ring out. What would you do to protect the ones you love?

After school on a late October day, Joan has taken her four-year-old son, Lincoln, to one of his favourite places on earth: the zoo. Just before closing time, as they need to go home, she hears some loud pops like firecrackers. Not thinking much of it, they head for the exit…until Joan realizes the eerie human emptiness means danger, then sees the figure of a lone gunman. Without another thought, she scoops up her son and runs back into the zoo. And for the next three hours–the entire scope of the novel–she does anything she can to keep Lincoln safe.

Both pulse-pounding and emotionally satisfying, Fierce Kingdomis a thrill ride, but also an exploration of the very nature of motherhood itself, from its saving graces to its savage power. At heart it asks how you draw the line between survival and the duty to protect one another? Who would you die for?

Review:

Gripping, intense, and downright eerie!

This is an adrenaline-filled thriller that brings a mother’s worst nightmare to life and explores the anxiety and terror involved in protecting one’s child.

The characters are a mix of protective, determined and strong, and young, callous and ruthless. The writing is compelling and sharp. And the plot, which is told in real-time over a period of three hours is bursting with tension, angst, violence, fear, panic, instinct, and survival.

I have to say that overall this is an insightful, harrowing novel and even though I would have liked some of the subplots to be wrapped up just a little bit more it definitely kept me on tenterhooks from start to finish.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Gin Phillips

Gin Phillips is the author of five novels. Her debut novel, The Well and the Mine, was the winner of the 2009 Barnes & Noble Discover Award. Since then her work has been sold in 29 countries.

Born in Montgomery, Al., Gin graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in political journalism. She worked as a magazine writer for more than a decade, living in Ireland, New York, and Washington D.C., before eventually moving back to Alabama.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

03
Jul
2017

#BookReview Devastation Road by Jason Hewitt @JasonHewitt123 @littlebrown

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction

Title: Devastation Road

Author: Jason Hewitt

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Jul. 3, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Little Brown and Company, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

A deeply compelling and poignant story about the tragic lessons of war and the endurance of memory.

In the last months of World War II, a man wakes in a field in a country he does not know. Injured and with only flashes of memory coming back to him, he pulls himself to his feet and starts to walk, setting out on an extraordinary journey in search of his home, his past, and himself.

His name is Owen. A war he has only a vague recollection of joining is in its dying days, and as he tries to get back to England, he becomes caught up in the flood of rootless people pouring through Europe. Among them is a teenage boy, and together they form an unlikely alliance as they cross battle-worn Germany.

When they meet a troubled young woman, tempers flare and scars are revealed as Owen gathers up the shattered pieces of his life. No one is as he remembers, not even himself. How can he truly return home when he hardly recalls what home is?

Review:

Deeply moving, incredibly insightful, and hauntingly tragic!

This story is set in Europe near the end of WWII and follows one Englishman as he sets out on a journey to uncover the memories that seem buried just beyond his reach and the country he knows he calls home.

It is, ultimately, a story about war, loss, family, friendship, injustice, guilt, grief, love, courage, and survival.

The writing is direct and precise. The prose is stunningly vivid. The characters are strong, damaged, lonely, and real. And the plot is a heartrending tale that gives us a unique view into the struggles, hardships, and horrors felt by all during this heinous time in history.

This truly is a powerful story which will resonate with you long after you finish the final page and is a good reminder of some of the stories we don’t always hear but are devastating nevertheless.

This novel is available now.

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

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Little, Brown and Company, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Jason Hewitt

Jason Hewitt was born in Oxford and lives in London. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and English and an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University.

After completing his degree he spent a number of years working in a bookshop in Oxford before moving into the publishing industry.

His debut novel, The Dynamite Room, published in the UK & Commonwealth in 2014, and in the US/Canada in March 2015. It will also be translated into French in Autumn 2015. His new novel, Devastation Road, will publish in the UK this summer.

He is also a playwright and actor. His first full-length play, Claustrophobia, premiered at Edinburgh Fringe in August 2014 and was also previewed at the St James Theatre, London.

As an actor he has performed major roles in a number of plays including Pericles, A Christmas Carol, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, The Merchant of Venice and King Lear (directed by Sir Jonathan Miller).

Jason is currently writer-in-residence at Abingdon School, Oxfordshire.

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30
Jun
2017

#BookReview Meet Me at the Lighthouse by Mary Jayne Baker @MaryJayneBaker @HarperImpulse

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Title: Meet Me at the Lighthouse

Author: Mary Jayne Baker

Published by: HarperImpulse on Jun. 30, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 272

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HarperImpulse, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

‘The day I turned 28, I bought a lighthouse and met the love of my life’

Bobbie Hannigan’s life in a cottage by the sea with her dog and her twin sister is perfectly fine … until she decides the logical thing is to buy a lighthouse and open a music venue with Ross Mason, the first boy she ever kissed.

Bobbie tries to be professional with Ross, but the happily-ever-after they’re working toward is too good to resist. That is until someone from his past crawls back to cause trouble. Can Bobbie look past the secrets Ross has been keeping from her? Or will the boy, the lighthouse and the dream all slip away?

Escape to the Yorkshire coast this summer with this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from Mary Jayne Baker!

Review:

Charming, witty, sweet and romantic!

This is a heartwarming story about small-town living, first loves, family, friendship, community, dreams, goals, music and of course the passion and tiresome commitment involved in refurbishing a derelict lighthouse.

The writing is amusing and fluid. The plot is a highly entertaining journey filled with laughs, drama, chemistry, and second-chance love. And the characterization is spot on with a whole gang of fun, quirky, spirited, and endearing characters.

This is the second novel I’ve read by Baker and once again she’s proven she can write clever, lighthearted, laugh-out-loud funny stories with characters you won’t forget.

If you haven’t had a chance to read my review for Mary Jayne Baker’s other novel, The Honey Trap, 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.

Thank you to Mary Jayne Baker and HarperImpulse for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

About Mary Jayne Baker

Mary Jayne Baker grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country... and she's still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but eventually came back with her own romantic hero in tow to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them.

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27
Jun
2017

#BookReview The Child by Fiona Barton @figbarton @RandomHouseCA

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: The Child

Author: Fiona Barton

Published by: Penguin Books Canada on Jun. 27, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Penguin Random House Canada, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby?

As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss.

But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn—house by house—into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women—and torn between what she can and cannot tell…

Review:

Intriguing, disturbing, and gritty!

This is a character-driven psychological thriller that reminds us that secrets from the past often find their way to the surface no matter how well they are hidden or buried.

It is, ultimately, a story about abuse, neglect, manipulation, sexual deviance, deception, heartbreak, lies and familial dynamics.

The writing is suspenseful and twisty. The characters are multi-layered, flawed and vulnerable. And the plot, although a little slow in the first half of the novel is much more intense, emotional, mysterious and unpredictable in the second half of the novel and has an exceptional ending that is sure to not only satisfy but completely take you by surprise.

This is definitely a good sophomore novel for Barton with a lot of heartfelt drama, character development and multiple subplots that will keep you completely entertained, invested and engaged until the very end.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Fiona Barton

Fiona Barton's career has taken some surprising twists and turns over the years. She has been a journalist - senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at The Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the National Press Awards, gave up her job to volunteer in Sri Lanka and since 2008, has trained and worked with exiled and threatened journalists all over the world.
But through it all, a story was cooking in her head.

She lives with husband in south-west France, where she writes in bed, early in the morning when the only distraction is her cockerel, Sparky, crowing.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

23
Jun
2017

#BookReview The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square @MicheleGormanUK @HarperImpulse

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Title: The Second Chance Café in Carlton Square

Author: Lilly Bartlett

Series: Carlton Square #2

Published by: HarperImpulse on Jun. 23, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 243

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HarperImpulse, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

One chance isn’t always enough…
Everyone expects great things from Emma Billings, but when her future gets derailed by an unexpected turn of events, she realises that getting back on track means travelling in a different direction.

She finds that new path in the closed-down pub on Carlton Square. Summoning every ounce of ingenuity, and with the help of her friends and family, she opens the Second Chance Café. The charity training business is meant to keep vulnerable kids off the streets and (hopefully) away from the Metropolitan Police, and her new employees are full of ideas, enthusiasm … and trouble. They’ll need as much TLC as the customers they’re serving.

This ragtag group of chancers have to make a go of a business they know nothing about, and they do get some expert help from an Italian who’s in love with the espresso machine and a professional sandwich whisperer who reads auras, but not everyone is happy to see the café open. Their milk keeps disappearing and someone is cancelling the cake orders, but it’s when someone commits bloomicide on all their window boxes that Emma realises things are serious. Can the café survive when NIMBY neighbours and the rival café owner join forces to close them down? Or will Emma’s dreams fall as flat as the cakes they’re serving?

Review:

Humorous, heartwarming, and exceptionally captivating!

This is an amusing story that reminds us that everyone needs a place they can feel at home, a place where memories are created, strangers become friends, laughter never ends, and everyone knows your name.

The characters are genuine, funny, and appealing. The prose is polished, clear, and smooth. And the plot is a charming mix of new business woes, young motherhood struggles, familial support, competitive rivalry, marriage, friendship, and the importance of community.

This truly is a perfect summer read that’s entertaining, uplifting and proves that Lilly Bartlett (aka Michele Gorman) can write heartfelt, believable stories with intriguing, unique characters you can’t help but fall in love with.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Michele Gorman for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

About Lilly Bartlett

Lilly Bartlett’s cosy romcoms are full of warmth, quirky characters and guaranteed happily-ever-afters.

Lilly is the pen-name of Sunday Times and USA Today best-selling author, Michele Gorman, who writes best friend-girl power comedies under her own name.