📖 Book Review ~ Ten Poems about Daffodils from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press
February 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the copy of this pamphlet 

  

The most famous flowers in poetry must surely be William Wordsworth’s Daffodils , expressing the surprise and delight of stumbling upon unexpected beauty.

And being beautiful is something that daffodils just can’t help… In this mini anthology we encounter a whole host of varieties, from “dainty white dancers” to “saffron flouncers”. Over and again the poems celebrate the flower’s gloriously jaunty yellow-ness, which seems to spell hope at a time when spring has barely got going – sometimes even in mid-winter 

“They wait for me

holding out the sun like a gold watch

against the shortest day…”

from ‘Winter Daffodils’ by Phoebe Hesketh

The poems are guaranteed to gladden the heart, encouraging us to pay attention to the everyday splendour of this much-loved herald of spring.

Selected and introduced by Di Slaney

Poems by Jason Allen-Paisant, Moyà Cannon, Gillian Clarke, Isobel Dixon, UA Fanthorpe, Phoebe Hesketh, Clinton Scollard, Favid Scott, Dorothy Wordsworth and William Wordsworth.

Cover Illustration by Jane Burn

📖 My Review

My heart gladdens in late winter/early spring when the daffodils start to appear. It is my favourite flower and whilst the season is in full bloom, I fill my house with vases of them. This delightful collection of ten daffodil inspired poems brings with it a hint of promise and a glimpse into the magical world of this most beautiful of flowers.

©️Jaffareadstoo

No anthology about daffodils would be complete without the most famous of poems ‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth and yet it was also rather special to see his sister Dorothy featured in her lovely poem

I Never Saw Daffodils so Beautiful 

“ I never saw daffodils so beautiful

They grew among the mossy stones -

About and about them..”

There is so much to enjoy in the simple beauty of a vase of golden yellow daffodils and this delightful poem by Isobel Dixon captured the essence so beautifully:

March

“ is the month of

daffodils

in jam jars 

on windowsills

slim shafts 

of home-sap

greening

our sight lines”

This mini anthology of Ten Poems about Daffodils is the perfect choice as we come out of the dark days of winter and inch our way towards spring. It would be a perfect gift instead of a card to anyone who has a spring birthday or just for the simple pleasure of reading some beautiful poems about daffodils in all their golden glory.

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

Website

📖 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

Instagram: @purplemermaid25

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📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Truth about Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent

Penguin
12 March 2026

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

 

If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.

Ruby Cooper and her sister, Erin, live an idyllic life in their close-knit church community in Boston. But when Ruby is sixteen, she is involved in an incident that causes her family’s world to implode.

Across decades, the fallout leaves a wake of destruction behind Ruby in Dublin and Erin in Boston.

Not that Ruby wants to think about the past.

But it can’t stay a secret forever.

📖 My Review.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave comes to mind when reading this complex story of toxic jealousy and the hopeless ruination of multiple lives. 

Ruby Cooper is just sixteen when an incident ruins her life and that of her family. What then follows are years of recrimination with Ruby at the centre of everything that goes wrong for the Cooper family. Moving seamlessly between life in Boston and Ireland and with vignettes from Ruby and her older sister Erin we start to get drawn into a tragic family drama which has so many twists, turns and elements of self destructive behaviour that it soon becomes difficult to reconcile just how toxic life can become when you lose hope and sanity. Cleverly written, as all this author’s novels undoubtedly are, this story has something of a different approach which is no less powerful than her previous stories.

The Truth about Ruby Cooper is an emotional, multilayered story with a depth of feeling which kept my attention throughout. There were times when I couldn’t believe that someone could act in such a destructive manner so as to cause immense psychological pain but such is the strength of the writing that I even started to feel moments of empathy with a character I came to loathe. Beautifully written from start to finish, I hung onto every word and closed the book with the satisfaction that comes from reading a good story, well told.

🫖 Best read with…a restorative cup of tea 

About the Author

Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in film, theatre and television. Her four novels - Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Skin Deep and Our Little Cruelties have each been Number One bestsellers and she has won four Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. She lives in Dublin.

Twitter #LizNugent #TheTruthAboutRubyCooper

Website

@PenguinUKBooks

📖 Book Review ~ The Wives of Henry VIII by Jessica Carey - Bunning

Pen and Sword
30 January 2026
My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

The Wives of Henry VIII:Rethinking the Stories behind the Symbols examines some of the small details about the six wives of Henry VIII that are often overlooked. This book is a revisionist close study that moves beyond the traditional narratives to present fresh, more nuanced perspectives. Focusing on significant moments and aspects that inform and showcase who these women were. Throughout these chapters, new research, fresh analysis, and remarkable discoveries come together to offer a deeper understanding of the women we know as the Six Wives of Henry VIII.

We begin with a re-evaluation of Catherine of Aragon’s name through the lens of her family history and how it shaped her life, followed by an analysis of Catherine’s financial situation after the annulment. 

Anne Boleyn is considered in relation to her role in the Chateau Vert pageant, followed by an analysis of her use of French and English gable hoods, which includes a discussion of an incredible, newly discovered contemporary image of Anne. 

Jane Seymour’s religion and unpopularity are each examined in turn to uncover fresh perspectives on Henry’s third queen. 

Anna of Cleves adaption to life in England is discussed, followed by her life and status under Edward VI and Mary I.

Katherine Howard’s performance of queenship is re-evaluated, as well as the connections between herself and her cousin, Anne Boleyn. 

Finally, apocryphal tales of Kateryn Parr’s rise to the throne are reassessed, followed by an examination of how close she came to arrest and execution.

📖 My Review..

The Six Wives of Henry VIII continue to be endlessly fascinating and even though we sometimes look at these marriages through the rosy glow of five hundred years we occasionally need to stop and consider the women behind the marriages and the legacy they each left behind. Whilst each of their turbulent marriages to this infamous King are well documented, this new accounts offers a different look at each of the wives and what defined them and highlights how they fit into history.

The wives are mentioned in chronological order with Catherine of Aragon coming first and finishing with that of Kateryn Parr’s story at the end of Henry’s lifetime. Each of the Queens are written about with a fine eye for detail and there is a strong sense the book has been well written and researched. The author writes well, describing the Tudor court and customs in enough detail to make the book readable without being too complicated. I love the colour of the book’s cover, the Tudor green, so associated with Henry’s court, along with the red and white roses, gives an authentic feel. The vibrancy of the cover would certainly make me pick the book up in a bookshop to have a closer look. Overall,  I found this to be an informative read with snippets of information I had forgotten or not known.

I am sure that The Wives of Henry VIII will appeal to anyone who enjoys Tudor history and who is interested in a different view on the lives of these six extraordinary women who played such an important role in Henry’s life and of the tragic consequences of their relationships with this irascible King of England.

🍷 Best read with…a goblet of strong red wine

About the Author 

Jessica Carey-Bunning is a Tudor historian and PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide. She fell in love with history after seeing a copy of the Magna Carta on a trip with her parents when she was five years old. Jessica began the Tudor Treasures website and Facebook page in 2022. She lives in Sydney with her husband, son, and cat. This book is the culmination of decades of passion and research.

📖 Blog Tour ~ Catherine : A Retelling of Wuthering Heights by Essie Fox

Orenda Books
12 February 2026

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Random Things Tours for the invitation to the blog tour

The greatest tragic love story ever told – but this time, Catherine tells it herself. In Catherine, Essie Fox breathes new life into Wuthering Heights, transforming a gothic masterpiece into a haunting confession of obsession, madness and love that even death cannot end.

With a nature as wild as the moors she loves to roam, Catherine Earnshaw grows up alongside Heathcliff, a foundling her father rescued from the streets of Liverpool. Their fierce, untamed bond deepens as they grow – until Mr Earnshaw’s death leaves Hindley, Catherine’s brutal brother, in control and Heathcliff reduced to servitude.

Desperate to protect him, Catherine turns to Edgar Linton, the handsome heir to Thrushcross Grange. She believes his wealth might free Heathcliff from cruelty – but her choice is fatally misunderstood, and their lives spiral into a storm of passion, jealousy and revenge.

Now, eighteen years later, Catherine rises from her grave to tell her story – and seek redemption.

📖 My Review..

Catherine is told from Catherine Earnshaw’s point of view, firstly as a child, then a young teenager on the cusp of womanhood and finally as a ghost following her untimely death.  Both Heathcliff and Catherine come forcefully to life and as we experience the intensity of their ill-fated relationship so we gain an insight into the unpredictable nature of their characters and the cause and effect of their upbringing at Wuthering Heights. 

By no stretch of the imagination is this a comfortable tale and there’s certainly no guarantee of a happy ever after ending but the sheer lyricism of the writing brings the whole of this tragic story to life. It compares really well with Emily Brontë’s original and offers a different perspective and one which is no less powerful than the 1847 classic. This retelling encapsulates the very essence of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw’s fateful relationship, a relationship which was tormented and filled with passionate intensity which spiralled into a dark and dangerous world of sadness, grief and desperate obsession.

There’s a certain amount of trepidation in reading a retelling of a much loved classic however, if anyone can retell Cathy and Heathcliff’s story, and do the book justice, it is Essie Fox whose work I love to read. As I settled down on a rather grey, wintery afternoon, so the stark beauty of this timeless story began to take shape and I was back on the high moors with Cathy and Heathcliff as they whisper together in the shadow of Penistone Crags, leaving their tokens in the Fairy Cave and dreaming of an uncertain future.

🍳 Best read with…Nelly Dean’s buttered eggs..

About the Author

Essie Fox is the Sunday Times bestselling author of seven historical novels, including The Somnambulist, shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and The Fascination, an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Her work has twice been selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month, most recently for her gothic mystery Dangerous. She appears regularly at literary festivals and cultural institutions and is the host of the podcast Talking the Gothic. She lives in Windsor.

X@essiefox #Catherine

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📖 Book Review ~ The New Neighbour by Valerie Keogh

Boldwood Books
2 March 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the copy of the book 

 

A quiet street holds deadly secrets...

Chloe Tomson wants a quiet life. A new home, a new street, and no more drama - she’s had more than her share. But the moment she steps in to help her elderly neighbour during a violent altercation, the peace she craves begins to crumble.

The street seems friendly at first. Until the questions start. Who exactly is Chloe? Why did she move here? And what really happened in the house she lives in before she arrived?

As some neighbours become friends and others become enemies, it isn’t always certain which is which. Because Chloe isn’t the only neighbour keeping secrets…and someone knows the truth about her past. Someone who wants her gone.

But as whispers turn to threats, Chloe realises she’s been here before. And last time, not everyone made it out alive…

📖 My Review..

Chloe Tomson is newly moved into the area and has good reasons for keeping a low profile. She has little enthusiasm for making friends with her new neighbours however, when Tilly, her elderly neighbour, is caught up in a violent argument, Chloe steps forward to help, with devastating consequences. What should have been a quiet place to live soon becomes riddled with problems and as Chloe’s story is revealed so we start to understand why she acts in the way that does. Always distrustful, always wary, always convinced that someone wishes her harm, Chloe soon get under your skin and even though there were times when I almost disliked her, such is the power of the writing that I really wanted her to get her life back in track.

The New Neighbour is another cracking good read from this talented author who knows how to keep the momentum of the story alive whilst at the same time keeping control of a narrative which twists and turns and throws up so many surprises I am constantly on the edge of my seat wondering whatever is going to happen next. As always, I race through these books in one sitting. Each one reads as a complete standalone and every one of her novels, so far, have taken me by surprise and leave me, at the end of the story, already looking forward to the next one.

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.

​

Twitter @ValerieKeogh1 #The New Neighbour

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Three Witches by Elena Collins

Boldwood
2 March 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

Now: When Ruthie gets the part of one of Macbeth’s famous three witches she can’t wait to get started. Inspired by the beauty of the film’s Scottish locations and the camaraderie of the cast and crew, she can leave behind the expectations of her family and her lacklustre love life, at least for now. But as echoes from the past begin whispering in Ruthie’s ear and a restless spirit draws her further into its centuries-old secrets, it soon becomes clear that only she can uncover the truth of a terrible injustice.

1050 Scotland: Isobel and her two sisters have learnt about healing from their loving mother Sidheag, and she in turn has kept them safe. But without the protection of their late father, Sidheag knows that her daughters must find husbands or their futures are at risk.

Isobel believes in love over duty and when she catches sight of King Macbeth’s stepson Lulach she can picture a happiness she had hardly dare imagine. But as heir to a Scottish throne that is drenched in blood, Lulach’s destiny is to be a warrior. When Isobel’s actions leave her and her sisters vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft there may be nothing that can keep the three women safe, not even the great Macbeth himself.

As the calls from the past grow ever louder, Ruthie has no choice. Macbeth’s witches have a story that needs to be told and the truth can no longer stay hidden…

📖 My Review..

Inspired by the Scottish Play, this fascinating dual time / time slip novel takes us right back to the time of Macbeth’s three witches and gives us the tragic story of Isobel Druimeinach and her sisters, Ysenda and Merraid who lived in eleventh century Scotland and whose destiny was forged and immortalised in Shakespeare’s ill-fated play. Running alongside is the present day interpretation of a documentary being filmed in the beautiful Scottish landscape and of the actors who were charged with bringing history, and the witches, to life.

The story is so beautifully atmospheric that as I read about Isobel and her sisters, so the jealousy and superstition of the people started to swirl around me and I found that I was whisked back to a dark and dangerous time in Scottish history. Time became suspended and I was back in 11th century Moray watching as Isobel made her potions and danced with her sisters. Likewise the modern day story is equally fascinating and Ruthie’s involvement, as one of the witches, becomes all the more powerful as she becomes ever closer to discovering the truth about Isobel.

I’ve absolutely loved reading The Three Witches and flew through the story in a couple of days. Each of the time narratives is compelling, and with neither one trying to outshine the other, I was soon as comfortable in 1050 with Isobel as I was with Ruthie in the present day, both are strong female characters who deserve to have their stories heard. With each successive story this author seems to go from strength to strength with The Three Witches being the best yet.

🥣Best read with…freshly made brose and soft white bannocks

About the Author

Elena Collins is the pseudonym for Judy Leigh, the million-selling author of Five French Hens , The Old Girls' Network and The Silver Haired Sisterhood. Judy writes uplifting novels in the 'second chances' and ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. Elena Collins' novels are historical/ dual timelines. In 2025, her novel The Wicked Lady received the RNA award in this category. Judy has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

​Follow Elena Collins

Facebook: @judyleighuk

Twitter: @JudyLeighWriter

Instagram: @judyrleigh

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Strawberry House by Rachel Burton

Boldwood
4 March 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour 

1938: For Camilla Kerrigan, life at her family's Oxford manor is a delicate balancing act – between duty to her family and a yearning for something more. When her brother Anthony returns for the summer, bringing with him a new friend, Camilla recognises a kindred spirit. Like her, Henry is thoughtful, restless and uncertain of his future.

But the arrival of four strangers – among them a gifted artist determined to paint Camilla’s sister Mabel – soon shatters the fragile peace of the manor. In the shimmering heat, desires are stirred and one impulsive act will set in motion a tragedy that echoes for decades.

1952: Haunted by war and the memory of that long-ago summer, the last thing Henry wants is to return to Montagu Manor. But when a photograph arrives, showing the painting he thought destroyed – the portrait that ruined so many lives – he is drawn back into the past.

Now, Henry and Camilla must face the secrets that shaped them, and the love that refuses to fade.

One unforgettable summer. One devastating secret. A love that time could not erase.

📖 My Review..

When a set of artists arrive at Montagu Manor in 1938 their presence not only disturbs the equilibrium of the house but they also become involved in a huge scandal which will reverberate down through the years. At the centre of the story is Camilla Kerrigan who lives, with her family, at Montagu Manor and whose history is entwined with the fabric of the house and its connection to the artist, William Morris. 

Beautifully written, with a compelling dual time narrative, the story starts just as the country is on the cusp of war which not only brings a time of great change but there are also some big decisions which have to be made. This is portrayed well in the indecisive nature of some of the central characters particularly in light of what happens once their all too brief sojourn at Montagu Manor is over. Divided into two distinct time frames, I found that I was equally at home in the 1930’s getting to know the characters as I was in 1952 when we are drawn back to Montagu Manor to discover more of its secrets.

As the history of The Strawberry House is gradually revealed so a story of family drama, long buried secrets and the hope of second chances is finally revealed.

🫖Best read with.. large pot of tea and slices of cake

About the Author

Rachel Burton is the bestselling author of historical timeslip novels and romantic comedies. Rachel was born in Cambridge and studied Classics and English Literature before starting a career in law. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband, a variety of cats and far too many books.

​Follow Rachel Burton

Facebook: @RachelBurton74

Twitter: @RachelBWriter

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📖 Favourite Read of the Month ~ The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall

Harper Collins UK
Harper Fiction
12 February 2026

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

 

Cambridge, 1942

Twins Tessa and Theo had always shared everything – until the summer Tessa spent studying in France. She hasn’t been the same since. But before Theo can find out why, he is recruited by the RAF and disappears into the skies.

Determined to carve her own path, Tessa joins the clandestine Special Operations Executive, slipping into the shadows of occupied France. It will be dangerous work, but France is the home of her greatest love – and her darkest secret. Tessa has many reasons for wanting to return.

Two years later, only one of them comes home.

📖My Review..

Twins Tessa and Theo have always had a special relationship but this close knit bond is about to be altered by the outbreak of war. In 1942 Theo joins the RAF whilst Tessa is secretly recruited to the clandestine Special Operations Executive and posted to occupied France.  Over the next two years their lives become greatly different, each facing their own challenges, with secrets which will last a lifetime..

Told in very distinct parts, we follow Tessa’s eventful time in France, the difficulties she encounters in the shadowy world of undercover operations and her constant fear that danger and discovery were never very far away. Likewise, we sense Theo’s own personal turmoil as he manoeuvres his Spitfire towards the landing beaches of Normandy and his constant quest to discover more about those who were lost. Years later, and bringing together the jigsaw puzzle pieces of Tessa’s war is Edie, a young PhD student whose fierce determination to know more about the women who were recruited by the Special Operations Executive finally brings together the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Beautifully, and compassionately written, and based on true wartime accounts about the women who had been sent behind enemy lines, The Shock of the Light is a powerful and memorable story and one that kept me reading long into the night. It is a story which will stay with me for a long time and for that reason I am making this my Favourite Read of Month for February.

☕️ Best read with… a pot of strong coffee and an assortment of rich cream cakes 🍰

About the Author

Lori Inglis Hall was born and raised in Leicestershire, and now lives with her family in East Sussex. THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHT is her first novel. She holds an MA in History and she currently works in the archives of World War 2 photographer Lee Miller.

#LoriInglisHall #TheShockOfTheLight

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📖 Publication Day ~ The Girl with the Suitcase by Lesley Pearse

Penguin
Paperback 26 February 2026

My thanks to the publisher and EDPR for the copy of this book

 

London, 1941

When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn’t be more different. 

Elizabeth is beautiful and charming, about to set off on a dazzling adventure to Ireland where she’s inherited a grand house. 

Mary, shy and meek, has nothing to look forward to but the dreary life of a maid in Hampstead.

But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary’s life is suddenly changed forever. 

After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth’s money and tickets to Ireland inside.

This is Mary’s chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.

Will she take it and what could go wrong?

📖My Review..

A chance meeting with a total stranger alters the course of Mary’s life forever and with the unexpected chance of a completely fresh start, Mary grabs the opportunity to move away from her life of drudgery and hardship. Set against the backdrop of WW2 we travel between war torn London, rural Ireland and affluent Bristol in a story which tugs away at the heartstrings with a remarkable young woman who takes whatever life throws at her and does so with that innate steadfastness of all those who’s survived wartime.

Beautifully written as only this author can, it is very easy to be drawn into the world which she recreates so sensitively. I loved Mary’s character, she’s such a strong person and yet it’s also the other characters who bring the story to life, especially Kathleen in Ireland and Rose in Bristol. A story of strong women  who support Mary in everything she does. At its heart are a couple of empathic love interests, good and kind men who take away Mary’s doubts about the shadows of her past with an indifferent mother and an abusive stepfather.

The Girl with the Suitcase is the author’s 33rd novel and is another lovely story from this sensitive and considerate writer. 

☕️ Best Read with…a pot of tea and poached eggs on toast

About the Author

Lesley Pearse is a global No.1 bestseller with fans across the world and sales of over 10 million copies of her books to date. One of the nation’s best-loved storytellers – a Lesley Pearse book is sold every 4 minutes in the UK – Lesley is a master of the gripping story line, always introducing her readers to characters that are impossible to forget. Although there is no set formula or easily defined genre for a Lesley Pearse novel, strong heroines and jeopardy are pervasive, and she always engages the reader completely. 

Told with Lesley's trademark warmth, wit and poignancy The Long and Winding Road is the extraordinary story of a remarkable woman fighting against the odds to achieve her dreams and finally winning.

Lesley lives in Torquay where she enjoys walking on the beach with her grandchildren. A fantastic speaker and committed and passionate fundraiser for the NSPCC, Lesley is a much sought after guest at literary lunches, library events and festivals up and down the country.

Twitter @LesleyPearse #LoveLesley #TheGirlWithTheSuitcase

X @michaeljbooks @ed_pr @PenguinUKBooks

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ I’ll Be Watching You by Deborah Masson

Random House
Transworld
26 February 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

He sees everything.

As a CCTV operator, Casey can monitor the streets of Aberdeen and keep people safe, all from the comfort of his chair.

He knows your secrets.

You are one of his favourite people to follow. He keeps an eye on you even in your most private moments, when you think you’re alone.

But now he wants more.

There's a reason he’s learnt your routine like the back of his hand. Casey wants revenge. And when you know as much as he does, it’s easy to take advantage…

📖My Review..

Casey works as a CCTV operator, hidden away behind the scenes in Aberdeen city centre, keeping people safe and watching their movements as they go about their business. After a troubled childhood, Casey needs to be in control, he is good at watching, and waiting, and underneath the general facade of his troubled personality is a person with dangerous scores to settle. 

Deeply unsettling at times, I followed the story with interest, not always sure of the direction of where the story was going but so compelling was the writing that I was determined to stay with it and my goodness what an exciting ride it became as the story really started to bite. I was left completely engrossed in the plot, the writing and the way in which this fascinating story of revenge and retribution unfolded.

Packed with tension, jeopardy and real sense of horror I’ll Be Watching You is a really cleverly put together thriller. It kept me so much on the edge of my seat that I read the book in one sitting. It’s definitely a story which will stay with me for a quite a while.

☕️Best Read with..A strong coffee and a plate of shortbread biscuits.

About the Author

Deborah Masson was born and bred in Aberdeen, Scotland. Always restless and fighting against being a responsible adult, she worked in several jobs including secretarial, marketing, reporting for the city's freebie newspaper and a stint as a postie – to name but a few. 

Through it all, she always read crime fiction and, when motherhood finally settled her into being an adult (maybe even a responsible one) she turned her hand to writing what she loved. Deborah started with short stories and flash fiction whilst her daughter napped and, when she later welcomed her son into the world, she decided to challenge her writing further through online courses with Professional Writing Academy and Faber Academy, where she wrote her award-winning debut novel Hold Your Tongue, the first in the DI Eve Hunter series. I’ll be Watching You is her first standalone thriller.

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📖 Book Review ~ A Most Unsuitable Suitor by Emma Orchard

Boldwood Books
28 February 2026

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

 

She must marry for her family’s future. He must never marry at all.

Spring, 1805. Nineteen-year-old Allegra Constantine is under pressure to choose a husband, but none of her suitors inspire her. Lord Milton is respectable but passionless, Sir Harry is charming but witless, and the dangerously handsome Mr Englishby has designs she cannot trust. The only man who truly interests her is Max Severin – cynical, scandal-shadowed, and not at all a suitable prospect.

But when a stolen kiss ignites a fire between them, Allegra realises she is in more danger from her heart than from society’s gossip. Because Max carries a secret so perilous, it could ruin them both. And when long-buried truths about Allegra’s family and Max’s past come to light, the consequences threaten more than her reputation. Torn between duty and desire, Allegra must choose: a safe, sensible marriage… or risking scandal, ruin, and her very future for the only man she has ever truly loved.

📖 My Review..

Allegra Constantine realises, for the sake of her family, that she must marry however, her current suitors do not inspire her to romantic thoughts of love but ever pragmatic, Allegra realises that love has nothing do do with her need to find an eligible marriage partner. And yet when she encounters the enigmatic Max Severin at the various social soirees Allegra is intrigued by his dark good looks, his air of detachment and his apparent cynicism of the social niceties. 

There is much to enjoy in this deliciously passionate Regency romance, both Allegra and Max have their secrets and watching these unfold, together with their burgeoning, and at times, illicit relationship made me smile. The story is beautifully written in the style which this talented author has made her own and there's enough intrigue, innuendo and passion to ignite the pages and a real revelation I didn't see coming but which seemed entirely plausible.

A Most Unsuitable Suitor is another hugely entertaining and enjoyable Regency romance from one of my favourite writers of this genre.

It is published by Boldwood on the 28th February.

Best read with..a glass of sweet lemonade

About the Author

Emma Orchard grew up in Salford and was given tickets to the grown-up library at the age of 11 because she’d read all the children’s books and the librarians were sick of the sight of her. She became obsessed with Georgette Heyer and hasn’t stopped reading her novels since. She studied English Literature at university and went on to work at Mills & Boon and behind the scenes in television and in publishing.

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