☀️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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📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ 757 by MJ Porter

Boldwood 
22 July 2026

House of Mercia 

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

This is Mercia. The year is 757. 

A king will fall. A king will rise. 

But first, civil war will rage.

King Æthelbald's forty-year vice-like rule over Mercia has been rigid. But he lacks a legitimate heir despite his insatiable bedchamber antics.

Offa must stand hostage to his family’s good behaviour, when his father missteps in removing his mother from Æthelbald’s bed. Shockingly, his younger sister now replaces her.

But the king isn’t finished with his denigration of Offa’s noble House. When his parents are traitorously killed, Offa’s resentment grows, compounded by the ridicule heaped on him by King Æthelbald’s oathsworn warriors.

With the king’s health deteriorating, the matter of the succession becomes paramount. There are plenty who share a claim to the kingship.Discord threatens to fracture the mighty realm, and those with sword and shield, seax and spear are prepared to risk it all to be the future king of Mercia.

📖 My Review..

Enter the dark ages at your peril and immerse yourself in the England of AD 757 when into the lion’s den court of King Æthelbald comes teenage Offa who, together with his family, is subjected to the aging King’s wrath. Taken hostage, Offa is subjected to systematic humiliation and never ending misery however, over time Offa infiltrates into the kings elite guard of warriors. With daily combat training, with seax and shield, Offa must quietly bide his time until his ordeal is over and he can be restored to his Mercian lands.

As with any new series there is a certain amount of scene setting and we have main characters to get to know which I think the author brings to life with a skilful eye for traits and personality quirks which will be developed more fully as the series progresses. I had to concentrate on people, there are lots of them, and all seem to clamour for attention however, I followed the story with great interest, learning more about this dark time in history which, I have to confess, I knew very little about. In 757 we land directly in a country at war with itself, tribes fight for supremacy in situations where brute force succeeds over diplomacy. Political shenanigans are never far away, with gritty and realistic battle scenes which leave nothing to the imagination, gory and gruesome in places, this is the dark ages in all its demanding glory.

Cleverly written by an author who brings history alive in well researched detail, the story introduces us to the scrabble of 8th century politics and to the emergence of Offa of Mercia. It’s a powerfully immersive story which abounds with intrigue and danger and which transports us back to a dark time when the manifestation of power was forged on the turn of a well-honed seax.

About the Author

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. They were raised in the shadow of a building that they believed housed the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia – so their writing destiny was set.

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☀️ Summer Reads ~ When You Looked Away by S M Govett

Penguin
Michael Joseph
9 July 2026

DI Helen Stratton #2

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

 

Laura is ready to start a new chapter. Between her messy divorce with her ex-husband, and moving in with her new fiancé, her son Benjy and her successful writing career have been her only constants.

Until that fateful day. The afternoon starts like any other. Laura collects Benjy from school, then heads upstairs to write.

It’s not until the sun is setting that she realises the house is quiet. Too quiet.

It’s not until she sees the footprints in the garden that she knows something is terribly wrong.

One set is undeniably Benjy’s. It’s the other set that strikes fear in her heart – those of an adult.

Someone who took her son, right from under her nose…

DI Stratton is called to investigate. She must trust no one - and suspect everyone. Even Laura.

After all, doesn't her latest story follow a boy the same age as Benjy? One that takes a devastating turn.

☀️ My Review..

When You Looked Away hits the ground running with the tragic discovery that Laura Forrester’s eleven year old son Benjy is missing from home and with no signs of any disturbance in the house, the front door still locked, Laura heads out into the garden where she discovers two sets of footprints leading into the woods and with it comes the realisation that Benjy has left the house with someone. What then follows is a complex investigation and as DI Helen Stratton and her team of detectives start to unpick the less than obvious clues, so a twisty domestic drama starts to unfold.

What I enjoy about these crime novels is the believability of the characters especially DI Stratton who is both prickly and feisty in equal measure, she can be sharp and snarky and yet seems to get the job done without ruffling too many feathers. Intricately written, there’s a few clever twists I didn’t see coming and even though I thought I had the perpetrator sussed, there were so many red herrings that I was never quite convinced my theories were correct. The ending, when it comes, is entirely convincing and I’m pleased to discover that the story points in the direction of another DI Stratton story, hopefully, sometime soon.

There’s nothing better than settling down on a summer’s afternoon to read the latest crime thriller from this talented writer. To be back in the company of DI Helen Stratton in this second book in the series is a real delight. 

About the Author

S.M. Govett read Law at Trinity College, Oxford, before qualifying as a solicitor in the City. After realising that didn't suit her, she started tutoring before turning her hand to writing, which she discovered was her true calling. She has since authored several bestselling YA novels, including The Territory trilogy and We Go On Forever. She also co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film, T.I.M., which was the no. 1 film on Netflix upon release. Believe is her debut adult thriller.

She currently lives in London with her husband and three children.

X @sarahgovett #WhenYouLookedAway

X @MichaelJBooks

☀️Summer Read ~ The Outsider by Valerie Keogh

Boldwood
8 July 2026
Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

 

Joyce Doyle has spent her whole life being invisible… 

She struggles to be noticed by her successful family and, at work, she’s the one people forget in meetings. Quiet. Polite. Easily overlooked. So when her handsome colleague Ben takes an interest in her, she’s flattered, charmed… fooled.

Distraught by his cruel rejection, she waits for her revenge. And when she sees Ben’s interactions in a private work group chat, Joyce realises she’s got the perfect opportunity to make him pay for what he did. She reveals the contents of the chat – with all its cruel jokes, vicious gossip and racist language – to their bosses. But it quickly becomes clear that speaking out has made her more of a target than those she sought to expose.

Humiliated and ostracised, Joyce retreats to an isolated cottage, determined to rebuild herself and make those who hurt her pay. But then, as a violent storm cuts her off from the outside world, Joyce begins to realise something unsettling. That she isn’t alone.

Does Ben knows where she is?

Has he come to make Joyce pay too?

Maybe she wasn’t as invisible as she’d thought…

📖 My Review..

Revenge is a dish best served cold but when Joyce Doyle reports three of her work colleagues for inappropriate WhatsApp messages she certainly starts to feel the heat. However, Joyce is determined to seek the utmost revenge on Ben Williams, who once humiliated her after a supposedly intimate evening together, bringing him down is Joyce’s main focus. 

What then follows is a convoluted story which sees Joyce placed in the most incredible danger and along with a setting which radiates pure terror there is never a dull moment. The action takes us from the cold and clinical setting of an open plan office environment, to the wilds of Devon and a remote cottage which is surrounded by danger. The cat and mouse action of those who would seek to do Joyce harm makes the story into a compelling page turner.

As always, with the author’s work, the pace is fast and furious and once started I found that I really couldn’t put the story down. Ok, sometimes I had to suspend belief a little, as Joyce seems to veer from one scary disaster to another but overall the story kept me turning the pages towards the satisfying twist which comes towards the end. Another fab read from this talented writer and an engrossing summer read to while away the hours in an airport lounge, by a swimming pool or a quiet afternoon in the garden.

About the Author

Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound. She originally comes from Dublin but now lives in Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years. Her first thriller for Boldwood was published in August 2022.

​

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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

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📖 Book Review ~ Ten Poems about Cathedrals from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press
May 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this pamphlet 

 

Cathedrals are monumental buildings, often standing in the heart of our cities like a timeless centre of gravity. They can be seen from far away – from trains and motorways – competing on the skyline with office blocks and other modern constructions. Even in our more secular era, cathedrals carry a grandeur that gives us pause for thought. Perhaps this is because we know that they have probably taken longer to build than a human lifetime.

These wonderfully varied poems celebrate the majesty and meaning of all sorts of cathedrals. We encounter York Minster, St Davids and St Paul’s during the blitz. We experience their rather solemn silence and the beauty of stained glass:

“Let your eyes walk
Through a glass garden –
All of these colours
Are born from one light.”

from ‘Rules for Visiting a Cathedral’ by Andrew Rudd

The poems will delight anyone who loves cathedrals for their beauty, their history or for the sense of peace we can feel when we go inside.

Poems by Carole Bromley, Gillian Clarke, Elizabeth Gibson, Malcolm Guite, Keith Jarrett, Richard Jones, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Ormond, Kate Rhodes and Andrew Rudd.

Cover illustration by Sarah Kirby.

📖 My Review..

I love a good cathedral and we are blessed to have some beauties in this country, sharing their majesty and sense of history over centuries. Whether soaring high above the skyline of our cities or tucked away in quiet countryside there is something timeless and elegant about these wonderful buildings where peace and quiet from the hurly-burly of life can be found. 

“Sixty-five per cent

Said they made a special trip,

Travelled long distances 

In search of history and calm”

From ‘Reasons to Visit a Cathedral’ by Kate Rhodes

This mini anthology of Ten poems about Cathedrals reminds us of their steadfastness, their allure and their quiet dignity, whether from a religious perspective or of simple cultural curiosity we can each take something positive from the experience of sharing space with all those who have gone before and those who are yet to come.

“They climbed on sketchy ladders towards God

With winch and pulley hoisted hewn rock into heaven,

Inhabited sky with hammers, defied gravity,

Deified stone, took up God’s house to meet him”.

From ‘Cathedral Builders, by John Ormond 

The first cathedral I remember visiting was on a primary school trip to York Minster where I stood in awe looking up at the sheer size of the Rose Window, so much bigger than me, and the most recent was on a trip north when we took in the quiet beauty, that is Carlisle Cathedral.

With its stunning cover, and swooping end papers, Ten Poems about Cathedrals is a nostalgic trip into our past and would be the perfect gift instead of a card  for anyone who loves cathedrals, history or the quiet constancy of these serene reminders of our shared past.

Star Ceiling
Carlisle Cathedral
©️ Jaffareadstoo

About the Publisher 

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle 

Blue Sky @candlestickpress.bsky.social