📖 Book Review ~ The Midwife by the Sea by Jo Bartlett

Boldwood
4 August 2026

Thanks to the publisher for the copy of this book 

When midwife Hope Masterson arrives in Cornwall to start her dream job by the sea, she’s ready for a fresh start and a chance to make a real difference to the lives of the women and babies she cares for.

Working between St Piran’s hospital and the community midwifery unit of Port Agnes, Hope quickly finds herself drawn into the lives of her patients and colleagues. From dramatic deliveries and joyous newborns to heartbreaking struggles with infertility, she is on hand to share in all the hopes, worries and incredible love that motherhood can bring.

But Hope is carrying a secret that could change everything – and she faces an impossible dilemma.

Should she reveal the truth and shatter the lives of those around her, or protect the fragile happiness of the family she’s only just found?

As friendships deepen, romance blooms and emotions run high, Hope must decide whether some secrets are better left untold… and what it truly means to belong.

📖 My Review..

Those readers who are familiar with this author’s work will be aware of her two bestselling series of novels based in Cornwall. Firstly, the midwives of Port Agnes in The Cornish Midwives and secondly, the medics of St Piran’s in The Cornish County Hospital. The Midwife by the Sea works a standalone and effectively bridges the gap between the two and brings a heartwarming story about Hope Masterson who arrives in Cornwall to work as a midwife at Port Agnes and also with the community midwifery team at St Piran’s hospital.

It’s such a delight to be back in Cornwall with familiar characters and whilst Hope’s addition is new she soon becomes integrated into the story arc. I enjoyed observing her dilemma as she searches for answers from her past and followed, with interest, the emotional upheaval her arrival had on other much loved characters. The author, as always, tackles some really difficult issues, especially the hospital scenes which are detailed with sensitivity and a warm understanding of human nature. Covering adoption, infertility, trauma and emotional pain the story certainly packs a punch but does so with a lovely light touch and some really special moments. 

The Midwife by the Sea is a lovely heartwarming story about the bond of family, friendship and second chances.

About the Author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast.

Twitter /  X  @J_B_Writer #TheMidwifeByTheSea

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☀️ Summer Reads ~ Blue Skies Ahead by Jessica Redland

It’s that time of year again when I choose books which would make the perfect holiday reading. The stories which are easy enough to pick up and put down and which lend themselves, both by plot and characters, to lazy afternoons in the sunshine.

I’ll be sharing a few of the books which I think are perfect escapism summer reading. 

Look for #SummerReads

Leaving behind everything she thought she knew, Grace arrives at Hazelwick Farm with her teenage daughter, Maddie, and her mother, Frances, ready to build a new life together.

Grace has dreamt of fresh air, open skies and days filled with taking care of the animals while building a family business together. But starting over isn’t as simple as she hoped.

Maddie has barely spoken to her since the divorce from her father and Grace doesn’t know how to fix what she doesn’t fully understand. Between strained silences at home, and the demands of getting the farm ready to open for business, Grace begins to wonder if she’s made a mistake.

Yet life at Hazelwick Farm has its surprises. Grace keeps crossing paths with handsome tenant, Caleb, whether she means to or not. Could this unexpected connection be the start of something she never saw coming?

☀️My Review..

What a pleasure it’s been to spend time at Hazelwick Farm, getting to know Grace, her daughter Maddie and her mother Frances, three generations of women who take a chance on finding a new way of life in the beautiful Northumberland countryside. Life hasn’t been easy for either Grace or Maddie and there are challenges along the way for both of them but gradually the peace of the countryside and their shared venture of creating an Animal Encounter experience at the once neglected Hazelwick Farm begins to heal their pain.

I found much to enjoy in this gentle story which doesn’t shy away from important issues but does so with a lovely light touch and this author’s unique trademark of making the ordinary into the extraordinary. I know that lots of research goes into bringing a book to fruition and this really pays off as I feel like I have spent the last two days on the farm. I’ve enjoyed learning alongside Grace, Francis and Maddie, delighting in their shared happiness whilst at the same time becoming invested in their problems especially the initial difficult relationship between Maddie and Grace which is explored in a sympathetic and realistic way.

Beautifully written, with an abundance of gorgeous animals and some really special characters this lovely opening book brings this new series to life. Reading Blue Skies Ahead is like being wrapped in a warm hug and I’m especially delighted that this is just the start of the adventure. 

About the Author

Jessica Redland is the million-copy bestselling author of novels, including the Hedgehog Hollow and Escape to the Lakes series. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough and the Lake District, she writes uplifting women’s fiction of love, friendship and community. Blue Skies Ahead is her thirtieth novel.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: @jessicaredlandauthor

Twitter: @JessicaRedland

Instagram: @jessicaredlandauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JessicaRedlandNews

☀️Summer Reads ~ A Proposal in Provence by Alison Roberts

It’s that time of year again when I choose books which would make the perfect holiday reading. The stories which are easy enough to pick up and put down and which lend themselves, both by plot and characters, to lazy afternoons in the sunshine.

I’ll be sharing a few of the books which I think are perfect escapism summer reading. 

Look for #SummerReads

Boldwood
26 July 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

In Provence’s golden heat, even guarded hearts surrender.

Tilly is an expert in love—just not her own. As the owner of A Promise in Provence, she creates exquisite marriage proposals for clients chasing happily-ever-afters in sun-drenched Provence. And along the way allows herself one dangerous indulgence: imagining what it might feel like to be loved that way herself.

But when Tilly arrives to meet her latest client, intensely private businessman Angus, it’s already a disaster. Angus is alone. There is no fiancée and no longer a proposal to plan. Instead of wasting the trip, Angus asks Tilly to show him the sights. With one strict condition: no mention of romance.

But Provence has other plans. Between vineyard lunches, sunlit chaos, and Tilly’s relentless optimism clashing with Angus’s careful restraint, attraction becomes impossible to ignore. As the lines between client and companion blur, they begin to wonder if love is easiest to find in the last place either of them expected.

☀️ My Review..

Tilly’s fledging business, A Promise in Provence, aims to deliver the perfect backdrop for a romantic marriage proposal and when she is contacted by Scottish businessman Angus McCleod she is determined to make sure everything goes exactly as arranged. However, when Angus arrives at the airport without his fiancée, Tilly is met with a man who has no romance in his soul, and is completely taken by surprise when Angus asks that the planned trip should still go ahead with Tilly as his guide but with absolutely no mention of romance.

What then follows is a wonderful trip around the beautiful region of Provence, which reads like a beautifully put together travelogue, complete with lavender fields and the most glorious descriptions of cosy French villages with beautiful scenery and stunning history. However, this is not just a love story to Provence, it’s also unashamedly romantic, with a story which melted my heart, whether it was sipping wine with Tilly and Angus in secluded vineyards, or floating through the sky in a hot air balloon, the story oozes romance in bucketfuls. 

A Proposal in Provence is a beautifully described and wonderfully written love story about taking a chance on love when the right person comes along. It’s the perfect read for a lovely summer’s day.

About the Author

Alison Roberts is the author of over one hundred romance novels, joining Boldwood to write ‘wish you were here’ fiction set in the South of France.

☀️Summer Reads ~ The Greek Guesthouse by Michelle Vernal

It’s that time of year again when I choose books which would make the perfect holiday reading. The stories which are easy enough to pick up and put down and which lend themselves, both by plot and characters, to lazy afternoons in the sunshine.

I’ll be sharing a few of the books which I think are perfect escapism summer reading. 

Look for #Summer Reads

Bookouture
23 July 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Dropping my suitcase at my feet, I stare up at the Greek guesthouse with its faded blue shutters, clambering purple bougainvillea and wrought-iron balconies spilling pink and red geraniums. I haven’t felt truly at home anywhere since I lost my sister. But maybe Eleni’s is different. I have a feeling that anything is possible here…

Annie always has a plan, always knows where her life is headed. But this summer, heartbroken after her sister’s death, she just feels untethered and alone. An invitation to stay at her old friend Kassia’s family guesthouse on the island of Crete comes at the perfect time – an excuse to get on a plane and leave her crumbling life behind for a few weeks.

Before she even finishes unpacking, Annie is wrapped up in the noisy warmth of Kassia’s chaotic, loving family. She soon finds herself cooking with Kassia’s mother, playing with the children under the orange trees… and meeting Kassia’s handsome brother-in-law Alexandros over dinner. Romance is the last thing on her mind, but the night she spends with him, swimming by moonlight and gazing at the stars in the lavender-scented air, heals something in her that she didn’t know was broken.

This was only supposed to be a temporary stay, but the longer Annie spends on Crete, the more she feels that this magical place might hold the key to her future. And as this life-changing summer draws to a close, can she leave her old plans behind her and find the courage to let her life make a map all of its own?

☀️ My Review

Even though Annie Rivers has a reasonable life with her fiancé in New Zealand she knows, since the loss of her beloved sister, that she just hasn’t been truly settled. So, still grieving her loss, Annie makes the spontaneous decision to make a new start and heads for the beautiful Greek island of Crete where she starts afresh with friends who soon become as close as family. With the Bikakis family, at their beautiful guesthouse, Annie finds a new sense of purpose and a freedom she didn’t know she needed until she discovered it in the glorious beauty of the island.

This is such a beautifully put together summer story, filled with family and friends, glorious blue skies and sumptuous Greek food, it made me quite nostalgic for the sights, sounds and lavender scented aromas of a Greek island summer. I loved getting to know the Bikakis family, from the matriarchal mama, so stern but with a heart of gold, the tiny children Mateos and Nickolaos, their lovely mama Kassia and of course the deliciously handsome Alexandros, all combine to form a single summer of Greek perfection in a delightfully immersive read which made me smile from start to finish.

About the Author

Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.

Website

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☀️Summer Reads ~ Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft

It’s that time of year again when I choose books which would make the perfect holiday reading. The stories which are easy enough to pick up and put down and which lend themselves, both by plot and characters, to lazy afternoons in the sunshine. 

I’ll be sharing a few of the books which I think are perfect escapism for summer reading. 

Look for #summerReads

Renegade Books
2 July 202

The Italian Legacy Book #1

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book 

Two sisters she's never met…

A first love who's impossible to forget...

For Jade, life in Lake Como is la dolce vita. Until her beloved grandmother passes, leaving Jade not just the family's bustling guesthouse to run, but two life-changing secrets to confront...

The pensione hasn't just been left to Jade, it's also been inherited by her sisters - who she had no idea existed. As Erin and Rosalie arrive in Italy, Jade is forced to face the heart-wrenching prospect of sharing her last remaining tie to the woman who raised her.

Jade is desperately trying to hold on to the past, but there's one person she would prefer to leave firmly behind: her first love, Leo. He's back in the city that is filled with the memories they once made together. But as Jade fights to take control of her future and her heart, why do all cobbled roads lead back to Leo?

☀️My Review..

When Jade’s beloved grandmother passes away she is faced with the momentous discovery that she has two younger sisters who she knew absolutely nothing about and not only that but also Erin and Rosalie have inherited a share in the cosy Italian guesthouse which has been home to Jade all her life. Faced with such life changing uncertainty poor Jade has more than enough to worry about however, with an enviable stoicism, and with the occasional nudge, from her friends, she eventually comes round to the idea that she must learn to change and adapt to her new circumstances.

Beautifully written, and wonderfully descriptive, the area around Lake Como comes vibrantly to life, so much so, I feel like I have been on holiday, staying in the rather marvellous Pensióne Three Sisters which is situated in the old part of Como. It’s been such a pleasure to get know not only Jade but also the other lovely characters who have made this story such a joy to read. The place, the people, the atmosphere are all brought to life with such lovely detail that it’s difficult not to fall in love with everything as her friends pull together to help Jade when she feels that her life, as she knew it, is unraveling. Special mention must also go to the rather delicious Leo, Jade’s first love and now suddenly back at his parent’s hotel in Como after an absence of sixteen years.

Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse is an absolute joy from start to finish and is the most perfect summer read. I was sorry when the story ended, but reassured that the second book in this delightful new trilogy will be published in November. Can’t wait.. 😄 

About the Author

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada, Germany and Italy. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, two HOLT Medallions and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

Website: www.suemoorcroft.com

#SecretsOfTheItalianGuesthouse

Facebook author page SueMoorcroftAuthor

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☀️ Summer Reads ~ Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

 It’s that time of year again when I choose books which would make the perfect holiday reading. The stories which are easy enough to pick up and put down and which lend themselves, both by plot and characters, to lazy afternoons in the sunshine.

I’ll be sharing a few of the books which I think are perfect escapism summer reading. 

Look for #SummerReads

Michael Joseph
7 May 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the copy of the book

Two best friends. Seven days in paradise. One last chance to fall in love, or fall apart...

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight. They’ve always clashed and come back together—it’s what they do. Until now. On the eve of her wedding, Frankie doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

As she loses hope, in walks George. For one glorious evening, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note behind.

Crushed and confused, Frankie only wants to wallow. But George has a different idea. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. 

Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

📖 My Review..

Frankie is celebrating the build up to her marriage to Nate and yet is desperately awaiting the arrival of her best man. George has been her best friend since they bonded as children when George came to live with his grandmother. Through good times, and bad, George and Frankie have been each other’s comfort but it’s only when Frankie’s fiancé unexpectedly jilts her on the very eve of their wedding that Frankie is forced to confront just what is going on in her life and how important George really is to her.

Unashamedly romantic, this best friends-to-lovers genre is done with the ease of a writer who knows how to blend her characters so that they gel together beautifully in an emotional love story. However, their togetherness journey is not all hearts and flowers and Frankie and George have a way to go before their feelings explode but when they do they set the book alight with a sizzling passion and a genuine feeling of two hearts, at last, colliding.

Our Perfect Storm brought the beauty of the natural world, especially the observations about Right Whales , which I’d never heard of before, and introduced me to the glorious West Coast of Vancouver Island in Bristol Columbia. So evocative are the descriptions that I felt like I was surfing in Tofino with Frankie and George. I devoured Our Perfect Storm in a couple of sultry, hot days and so for that reason I am sure this will make a perfect summer read ☀️📖 .

About the Author

Carley Fortune is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After, Meet Me at the Lake, This Summer Will Be Different, and One Golden Summer and One Perfect Storm. She is also an award -winning Canadian journalist who has worked as an editor for Refinery29, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and Toronto Life. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons.

Website

X@CarleyFortune #OurPerfrctStorm

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☀️ Summer Reads ~ The Glass Key by Amanda Geard

It’s that time of year again when I choose books which would make the perfect holiday reading. The stories which are easy enough to pick up and put down and which lend themselves, both by plot and characters, to lazy afternoons in the sunshine.

I’ll be sharing a few of the books which I think are perfect escapism summer reading. 

Look for #SummerReads

Headline
18 June 2026

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

In Ireland, Maggie has grown up hearing her mother tell her the bedtime story of The Glass Key. It's a Nordic fairytale passed down by Maggie's grandmother Anna Swan, who mysteriously left her home one stormy night years ago, never to return. Now Maggie's grandfather has died and going through his things, Maggie is shocked to discover a faded wartime letter, asking him to take in a baby. In that moment she realises that Anna Swan was a woman of many secrets.

Only by travelling to Norway and discovering the story of four brave young women whose lives were forever changed by the occupation of their tiny islands, can Maggie uncover the shocking truth about her family - and finally unlock the mystery of the glass key...

☀️ My Review..

The German occupation of Norway during WW2 is a subject I knew absolutely nothing about and so to have such a descriptive story, about a group of heroic young women who lived on this remote Norwegian archipelago, has been a real treat. 

Following her grandfather’s death Maggie returns to Hellebore House in County Kerry only to be confronted by a family secret which has been hidden for years. Determined to discover the truth about her maternal grandmother Maggie’s quest leads her to Norway and the remote archipelago north of the Arctic Circle where Anna Carlsen once lived. With a fascinating glimpse into life on the islands during the German occupation a complex family drama of hidden secrets, tragedy and betrayal emerges.

Beautifully written and teeming with an emotional depth, this is one of those stories which takes you by the hand into a long forgotten world where danger was never far away and as Maggie starts to uncover more about her family history so the ties which bind her to the past become even stronger. Moving effortlessly between the war years, and 2005, we gradually learn more about life under German occupation and of the perils that living under the shadow of oppression brought to the islanders. 

Emotional and engrossing from start to finish, The Glass Key is a story which lives on long after the last page is turned and for that reason I think it would make a perfect, immersive summer read.

About the Author

Born in Australia, Amanda Geard has lived all over the world, from a houseboat in London to a tiny island in Norway before settling in County Kerry in Ireland. Her debut novel The Midnight House was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection and her novels have been translated into multiple languages.

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@headlinepg 

#TheGlassKey

📖 Favourite Read of the Month ~ The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

Penguin
21 May 2026
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book 

 

In 1933 Oxford, Mississippi, Prohibition is on the wane, and the Great Depression is tightening its grip. Poor and rich folks alike have fallen on hard times, even as the old social order remains. For women on the margins, the options are few and the price of dignity and self-determination is unbearably high.

Eleven-year-old Meg, one of the unadoptable “big girls” at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford on a mission to ask her social-climbing sister to help the struggling family she’s left behind. And Charlie is a woman with a past, running low on luck but driven by fire, fury, and grit. When their fates converge, they come up with an audacious plan to take back control of their lives. Together, they form an unlikely sisterhood—but in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife, women’s freedom is fragile, and making an enemy can have dire consequences, will the price they pay for their outrageous risk-taking be too high.

📖My Review..

Oxford, Mississippi in 1934 is suffering from the consequences of the Great Depression, times are hard and money is scarce. Birdie Calhoun leaves her home to travel to Oxford in order to ask her sister, Frances, who has married into a wealthy family, for a cash handout which will make life a little easier for her mother and grandmother back home. On arrival Birdie finds her sister’s life far from perfect but determined to get what she came for, Birdie immerses herself in Oxford life and it is there where she comes into contact with eleven year old Meg who has been placed in the local orphanage. This eventful meeting will change the course of both Birdie and Meg’s life along with the lives of several other women who enter into the story.

The Calamity Club is a long book, coming in at over 600 pages, and yet I found the story flowed beautifully. It draws you into the lives of others, with characters you soon become emotionally attached to, especially Birdie and Meg, who I loved. Some of it is unbearably sad and yet there were also parts, particularly with the good time girls at the dance club, which made me laugh out loud. Small town America during the years of the depression is highlighted with a real sense of being in the moment, the poverty of some juxtaposed against the wealth of others is heartbreaking and the consequences of losing everything features large. It’s also about sisterhood and friendship, of women standing up for each other and of the resilience of fighting back when the odds were stacked against them. 

The story unfolds almost cinematically and I can well imagine this being snapped up for movie rights, it would make a cracking good film, just as it’s a cracking good read and so, for this reason, I am delighted to make The Calamity Club my Favourite Read of the Month for June.

About the Author

Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Help. She lives in Mississippi and New York City.

Website

Instagram @KathrynStockettAuthor

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☀️Summer Reads ~ A Nantucket Fling by Kathryn Freeman

It’s that time of year again when I choose books which would make perfect holiday reading. The stories which are easy enough to pick up and put down and which lend themselves, both by plot and characters, to lazy afternoons in the sunshine.

 Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing a few of the books which I think are perfect escapism for summer reading.

Look for #SummerReads

Harper Collins
One More Chapter
9 June 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Can love begin when the summer ends?

Dragged to the charming island of Nantucket for her niece’s wedding celebrations, finance hotshot Olivia plans a week of spreadsheets and sunscreen – until she meets Connor: ten years younger, impossibly charming, and a single dad with a playboy past.

Unable to deny their beachside chemistry, Olivia and Connor dive into a carefree romance with a built-in expiry date…

But as the Nantucket sunshine starts to fade and real life resumes, will this just be a postcard-perfect fling – or the start of something more..

☀️ My Review..

When career-focused Olivia arrives on the beautiful New England island of Nantucket for her niece’s hen week, and wedding, she is certainly not looking for romance, instead she is entirely focused on gaining a promotion at work and this time away from her office is nothing more than an inconvenience for her. However, putting that on one side, she is ill-prepared for the punch of desire she feels for the very handsome, and much younger, Connor, who is working at the hotel as a chef and barman. 

What then follows isn’t a typical holiday romance, for a start there’s an age difference which Olivia finds difficult to rationalise and even whilst Connor offers her a sizzling opportunity to have a sexy and uncomplicated fling, she still finds lots of reasons why she shouldn’t consider having her head turned by a man ten years her junior. I enjoyed this light hearted summer romance and whilst it also considers some serious topics it doesn’t take itself too seriously and though I would have liked to have spent more time in New England I understand why the narrative had to move back to the UK in order to have the characters progress in their will they, won’t they relationship. I enjoyed observing both Connor and Olivia, especially Connor in his role as a single dad, however, it took me a while longer to warm to Olivia who is a bit prickly but as her story progressed she became much more likeable.

A Nantucket Fling does what this author does best, it’s a lighthearted, sexy, summer read which is perfect escapism for a long, hot afternoon in the sunshine.

Best read with …one of Connor’s delicious cocktails 🍸 

About the Author

A former pharmacist, Kathryn now writes romantic comedies. Feel good books that are sexy and sweet, funny yet heart-warming. Mr Right Across the Street won the RNA Award for Romantic Comedy in 2022.

With a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), the romance in her own life is all in her head. Then again, his unstinting support of her career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.

Twitter: @kathrynfreeman1

Facebook: facebook.com/kathrynfreeman

Instagram: kathryn.freeman_author

Website: http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café by Jessica Redland

 

Boldwood Books
3 April 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the book
and to Rachel’s Random for the invitation to the blog tour

Sometimes all your hopes and dreams really do come true… 

Life at the Chocolate Pot Café has never been sweeter for Tara Porter. Nestled on Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay, her café is thriving, her friendships are close, her foster parents are back where they belong—and she’s finally let herself fall in love with artist Jed Ferguson.

For Jed, returning from Australia feels like coming home in every sense. His teenage daughters have settled, his gallery opening is a success, and with Tara by his side, the future looks full of promise.

But the past can’t stay at bay forever.

When Tara’s estranged foster sister reappears, old wounds resurface. And when Jed is reunited with twelve year old Aaron - a boy he once believed was his son - secrets unravel and loyalties are tested.

Now Tara and Jed must decide whether facing the past will shatter everything they’ve built—or hope it gives them the strength and courage to dream again.

📖 My Review…

It’s always a real pleasure to spend time in Whitsborough Bay with the inhabitants who make this fictional place such a joy. This story focuses on Tara Porter who runs the Chocolate Pot Cafe, on Castle Street, and whose personal relationship with Jed Ferguson, who owns the nearby art gallery, is going from strength to strength. However, Jed’s complicated family life shakes things up a little especially with the arrival of his ex-wife from Australia and the challenge of some complicated family problems to work through. Tara must also face some personal issues of her own which the author handles with her usual skill for tackling difficult subjects in a sensitive way.

As with all her novels, this talented author brings the place and the people alive with lovely attention to detail and a real sense of warmth and friendship. For those readers familiar with this series both Tara and Jed’s characters first appeared in a previous story Starry Skies over the Chocolate Pot Café but since the author gives enough of the back story it’s easy to read this continuation without too much confusion and it works well as a standalone story.

Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café is another lovely story from this talented writer who brings love, friendship and family to life in such an enjoyable way.

About the Author

Jessica Redland is the million-copy bestselling author of novels, including the Hedgehog Hollow and Escape to the Lakes series. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough and the Lake District, she writes uplifting women’s fiction of love, friendship and community.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: @jessicaredlandauthor

Twitter: @JessicaRedland

Instagram: @jessicaredlandauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JessicaRedlandNews

Bookbub profile: @jessicaredlandwriter

📖 Book Review ~ The Boleyn Curse by Alexandra Walsh

Boldwood Books
15 March 2026

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

The court of young King Henry VIII seethes with secrets and scandals, but every ambition has its price. Elizabeth Boleyn, loyal wife to Thomas Boleyn  and devoted mother to Anne, Mary and George, believes she can navigate the shifting tides of court life. But when she catches the eye of the lascivious king, Elizabeth is drawn into a perilous game and the cost of her defiance will echo through the generations.

In present day Hampshire, Tabitha Mundy has found a haven in Cerensthorpe Abbey. Since the death of her husband, her work as archivist for the abbey’s owner, Edith Swanne, has been her refuge. When her research uncovers hidden clues rumoured to lead to a lost manuscript of The Canterbury Tales and a connection to the Boleyn family, Edith is eager to investigate. With the help of Gulliver, Edith’s enigmatic nephew, Tabitha begins to decipher the riddles and before long a mystical thread binds Elizabeth and Tabitha across the ages – two women destined to protect the truth.

As Henry’s vengeance consumes Elizabeth, she sets his treachery down in writing, determined her voice will not be silenced. But another man’s secrets mean that Elizabeth’s tale has been hidden. Can Tabitha finally unlock the mysteries of the past or will the Boleyn Curse haunt Cerensthorpe Abbey.

📖 My Review..

In the present day, Tabitha Mundy takes up the role of archivist at the beautiful Cerensthorpe Abbey where together with members of the family she attempts to piece together intricate, and at times macabre, clues which will hopefully lead to the discovery of a long lost manuscript. However, the search is complicated and throws up more questions than it does answers. 

Back in Tudor Times the Abbey once belonged to Elizabeth Boleyn, wife to Henry VIII’s trusted ambassador, Thomas Boleyn, and mother of Mary, Anne and George. It details Elizabeth’s complicated relationship with King Henry VIII and poses the question whether Elizabeth and Henry were ever intimately acquainted. The Tudor element is particularly well done and offers an imagined glimpse into what life could have been like with an irascible King, who hated being thwarted, and of a beautiful woman who wanted her family’s story to be told.

It has been a real pleasure to read this rather unusual slant on the usual Boleyn story. The clever time slip element allows a strong sense of history and combining it with a modern day mystery about the search for a lost copy of The Canterbury Tales gives the author room to manoeuvre through time with seamless effect.

🍷Best read with..a glass of good red wine

About the Author

Alexandra Walsh is the bestselling author of dual timeline historical mysteries, previously published by Sapere. Her books range from the fifteenth century to the Victorian era and are inspired by the hidden voices of women that have been lost over the centuries. Formerly a journalist, writing for national newspapers, magazines and TV, her first book for Boldwood will be published in Spring 2023.

Twitter: @purplemermaid25 #TheBoleynCurse

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