📖 Blog Tour ~ The Promise Tree by Elisabeth J Hobbes

One More Chapter
6 October 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

When does a story begin?

For Edwin Hope, it begins with a childhood dare and a forbidden tree. It begins with him falling … in more ways than one.

Called home from his studies by the grandfather who has always hated him, eighteen-year-old Edwin is once again trapped in a house that is colder than the winds whipping across the fields. Seeking sanctuary, he escapes into the untamed beauty of the Peaks and meets a woman who sparks an old memory. A memory of the sycamore that broke him, and the little girl who saved him.

Drusilla has had many acolytes over the centuries but none like Edwin. With the Great War looming and Edwin’s future uncertain, she knows the right thing to do is to set him free from her spell, but can she do so if it means breaking her own heart?

📖 My Review..

Historical fiction, with more than a hint of fantasy, forms the basis for this evocative story which introduces us to Edwin Hope whose early childhood, spent with his taciturn grandfather, was both unhappy and isolating. When Edwin was just seven years old, his grandfather, in a pique of rage, sends Edwin to live with distant relatives in Yorkshire, only to be allowed home when his education is completed. 

We pick up the story when Edwin, aged eighteen, has returned back to the place he once called home, the old resentments still fester and his grandfather is just as uncompromising in his attitude towards Edwin. The only comfort in this place of secrets is Edwin’s fascination for an old sycamore tree and the spiritual connection he feels towards this powerful symbol of nature and the female spirit who lives within its leaves and branches. 

Whilst The Promise Tree has a magical atmosphere there is also a realistic sense of history and I enjoyed how the author worked both into the story, making both elements totally believable. The story is nicely imaginative, with intricate detail so I felt like I was following in Edwin’s footsteps as he struggles to discover who he is and also to connect with his grandfather who only seems to see the worst in him. Covering the momentous years at the turn of the twentieth century, the rather dour nature of Edwin’s life is reiterated when the story takes us from the family owned textile mill in the north of England, to the horror of the battlefields of Europe during the First World War, but running throughout it all is Edwin’s gentle nature, his fascination for the woman he senses in the tree and his determination to put right the sins of the pst and also to finally understand his grandfather’s dislike of him.

Combining magical realism with history is a tricky concept to pull off so all credit to the author for making The Promise Tree such a fascinating story.

About the Author

Elisabeth’s writing career began in 2013 when she entered Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write contest and it turned out she could. She writes romantic Historical fiction as Elisabeth Hobbes and Historical folklore/fantasy inspired romance as Elisabeth J. Hobbes.

She teaches Primary school but would rather write full time because unlike five year olds her characters generally do what she tells them. She spends most of her spare time reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book.

She lives in Cheshire because the car broke down there in 1999 and she never left. Elisabeth has two almost grown kids, two cats, two dogs and a husband. The whole family are on the autistic spectrum and that probably includes the pets! She dreams of having a tidy house one day.

Twitter @ElisabethHobbes

Facebook Instagram

@0neMoreChapter

@rararesources

 

☼Summer Reading ~The Summer Wedding in Santorini by Samantha Parks

  

Destination ... GREECE ☼

One More Chapter
March 2023

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

Escape to the beautiful Greek island of Santorini for the wedding of the year…

Anna has the perfect life on the island of Santorini with her gorgeous vineyard-owning boyfriend Nikos, and she travels the world for work. So why does she feel that something is missing?

When Anna’s best friend Elena gets engaged, she should be celebrating with her, but instead it seems to cause cracks in her own relationship that she never saw coming.

Nikos is thrilled that Anna's career is going from strength to strength, but being without her so much has left him feeling disconnected in ways that could have devastating consequences for their future.

As celebrations get underway for the wedding of the summer, secrets will be revealed, and ultimatums will be given. In the end, Anna and Nikos must decide whether their love story can have the happy ever after they both desperately want…

My Review..

Anna travels the world photographing exotic locations for prestigious clients so when she returns to her summer house on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini she wants nothing more than to snuggle down with her handsome boyfriend, Nikos. However, all is not going well for them as Nikos is becoming increasingly resentful of Anna's constant absence in his life. The catalyst in their relationship comes when their close friends announce their engagement and start to plan for a spectacular wedding and invite Anna and Nikos to be their maid of honour and best man. With the cracks in their loving relationship growing ever wider both Anna and Nikos have some in depth soul searching before they discover what is really important in their relationship.

The Summer Wedding on Santorini is an enjoyable summer read which, of course, has the advantage of being set on the beautiful island of Santorini, a place of warmth and sunshine with spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The author does a great job of bringing the island, and its people, to life whilst at the same time giving us an in-depth look at the anguish which both Anna and Nikos go thorough in their search for love. The Summer Wedding in Santorini can be read as a stand alone story however, the characters can also be found in the previous book, The Summerhouse on Santorini..

A light and easy summer read, perfect for poolside or a lazy afternoon in the garden ☼

About the Author

Samantha Parks is the pen name of Sam Gale. Her pen name comes from her late grandmother Velma Hobbs nee Parks, who was one of Sam's greatest role models. Sam was born in North Carolina but now resides in Bournemouth, UK, with her husband Alex. She owns a successful marketing company and is enjoying her slow descent into "crazy plant lady" status.

Twitter @samanthajgale #theSummerWedding

@0neMoreChapter_

📖 Book Birthday Blitz ~ The Illicit Love of a Courtesan by Jane Lark

One More Chapter
2013

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to celebrate this book birthday

In the eyes of the ton, Ellen Harding lives a charmed life - she is the beautiful, exquisitely adorned mistress of Lord Gainsborough.

But on the inside, behind her glamorous façade, she is empty - a vessel - deaf to the voice of morality and blind to shame. Unable to escape the gilded cage she has been trapped within.

Kind, gentle Edward Marlow could prove to be her salvation... With one look he gives her hope. With one touch he sets her senses alight.

📖 My Review..

Today sees the tenth anniversary of the publication of this first book in the Marlow Intrigues series of regency romances which can all be read as standalones and yet there is also something of a theme to discover.

Ellen Harding is the rather beautiful mistress of the odious Duke of Gainsborough however, her life as a courtesan leaves her without emotion that is until she catches the eye of the dashingly handsome Edward Marlow and the course of both their lives changes forever. That there is more to discover about Ellen and Edward is obvious from the start and over the course of this intriguing story we get to know just what has brought them to this moment in time and their momentous meeting. 

Beautifully written and gloriously descriptive, we move from the tense atmosphere of a London gaming den, to the quiet interior of a gentleman's club and then to the rural splendour of a country estate, bringing the splendour and intrigue of this Regency world to life in authentic detail. The undeniable sexual attraction between Ellen and Edward absolutely sizzles on the page and whilst the story is unashamedly romantic, with some sensual encounters, there are also elements of danger and that is what makes this regency romance such an intriguing and passionate read.

This regency genre of romantic historical fiction is having something of a resurgence so if you enjoy passionate and sensual romances then The Illicit Love of a Courtesan is a good place to start with the added temptation of having eight books in the series to enjoy.

About the Author

Jane has been shortlisted for several industry awards. She is a Kindle bestselling author and a writer of compelling, passionate, and emotionally charged fiction. She loves writing intense relationships and is thrilled to hear readers say they have loved a book so much they have read it more than once.

Purchase Links

Available on Kindle Unlimited on Amazon

The Illicit Love of a Courtesan Book 1 

The Marlow Family Secret Full Series

Social Media Links 

Email janelarkauthor@gmal.com

Website https://www.janelark.co.uk/

Blog http://janelark.blog/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Janelarkauthor

Twitter https://twitter.com/JaneLark

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jane.lark/

📖 Book Review ~ Nobody Puts Romcoms in the Corner by Kathryn Freeman

 

One More Chapter
February 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Sally is a classic romantic and Harry is a classic cynic, but when a drunken bet leads the new flatmates to (badly) recreate ‘the lift’ from Dirty Dancing, and the video goes viral (#EpicRomcomReenactmentFailure), they both realise there’s potential financial benefit in blundering their way through the romcom lexicon for their suddenly vast social media following.

Now, as Harry and Sally bring major romcom moments to new life – including recreating that classic diner scene – their faking it turns to making…out and suddenly they’re living a real life romcom of their own! But like all the greatest love stories, the road to happily ever after is paved with unexpected challenges for this hero and heroine.

📖 My Review..

Anyone who loves romcom movies will be delighted with this latest book from Kathryn Freeman as not only does it do a sterling job of reminding us about all those iconic classic scenes from romantic movies we have known and loved in the past but it also introduces us to two lovely characters. Sally and Harry first meet as flat mates when their drunken attempt to recreate the classic lift scene from Dirty Dancing becomes a TikTok sensation. With an eye for earning a bit of extra money various other classic scenes are attempted with unexpected consequences.

As always the story sparkles with wit and undeniable charm and whilst it's not all plain sailing for our romantic heroes there is something rather whimsical about the story which really appealed to me. I loved getting to know both Sally and Harry, they are both delightful characters. Sally with her head firmly in the clouds waiting for her Mr Right to appear whilst Harry, more pragmatic and down to earth, isn't really sure what love is all about however, over the course of this lovely story we see both characters really start to blossom.

Delightful from start to finish Nobody Puts Romcoms in the Corner was the right book at the right time for me and I devoured it in one romcom infused sitting.

About the Author

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to write a book. It may have had something to do with my obsession with reading romance. Real life interfered and I headed off in a different direction – into the world of science, becoming a pharmacist before joining the pharmaceutical industry. I did end up writing, but it was about disease and medicines. Decades later, I’m finally doing what I always wanted to do.

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

Twitter @kathrynfreeman1 #NobodyPutsRomcomsInTheCorner

@0neMoreChapter

Website

📖 Blog Tour ~ Daughters of Paris by Elisabeth Hobbes (and Giveaway)

 

One More Chapter
4 August

My thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the tour

A promise that binds them together. A war that pulls them apart.

Childhood companions Fleur and Colette make a vow, under the trailing ivy of their secret garden, that they will be secret sisters forever. But as they grow up, the promises of childhood are put to the ultimate test. For Colette is the daughter of the house, and her life is all jazz clubs, silk dresses and chilled champagne, while Fleur is the orphan niece of the housekeeper and doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere.

Years later, in 1939, life as they know it will never be the same. As the German tanks roll in and Paris becomes an occupied city, the promise they made as children will have consequences they could never have imagined.

📖 My Review

Whilst Colette Nadon and Fleur Bonnivard grow up in the same household in Paris their lives couldn't be more different. Colette, the daughter of the house is spoiled and pampered, whilst Fleur, being the orphaned niece of the housekeeper, is more used to life below stairs. However, despite their different social standing the girls become friends, playing games and sharing secrets that is until, Colette leaves for England leaving Fleur to create a new life for herself. 

Years later as Europe is on the cusp on war and with the German occupation of Paris not far away, Colette returns, hugging her secrets close. Fleur and Colette soon realise that their secure way of life has disappeared and living in an occupied city has many challenges and hidden dangers. With their own individual problems to work through the women discover that there is an ever present need for watchfulness.The lack of food is a constant problem and yet, both women rise above the challenges and do what they can for the war effort. Both Fleur and Colette are strong characters, with distinct personalities, and observing them grow and develop over the course of the story is what makes this such an enjoyable read.

Daughters of Paris is well written historical fiction which looks at the challenge of the lives of women during the German occupation of Paris. 

📖 Best read with.. a hot tisane of lemon verbena

About the Author

Elisabeth began writing in secret, but when she came third in Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest in 2013, she was offered a two-book contract, and consequently had to admit why the house was such a tip. Elisabeth’s historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon and One More Chapter span the Middle Ages to the Second World War and have been Amazon bestsellers and award shortlisted

Elisabeth is a primary school teacher but she’d rather be writing full time because unlike five-year-olds, her characters generally do what she tells them. When she isn’t writing, she spends most of her spare time reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book.

She was born and raised in York but now lives in Cheshire because her car broke down there in 1999 and she never left.

Twitter @ElisabethHobbes #DaughtersOfParis

Amazon UK

Facebook

Bookbub

@rararesources

Giveaway to win a signed copy of Daughters of Paris by Elisabeth J Hobbes ( UK only)

*Terms and Conditions–UK entries welcome.Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.Any personald ata given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ An Island of Secrets by Eva Glyn

 

One More Chapter
20 April 2022

My thanks to the publisher and to Rachel's Random Resources
for my copy of the book and the invitation to the blog tour

Seventy-five years ago, British SOE spy Guy Barclay was forced to leave behind the woman he loved in war-ravaged Yugoslavia.

…This is now

As ninety-three-year-old Guy’s days draw to a close, he asks his granddaughter, Leo Holmes, to go looking for answers. Given that her marriage has imploded and her City job is on the verge of killing her, Leo agrees and rents a house on the island of Vis, where her grandfather was stationed in the Second World War.

But as Leo’s search takes her down unexpected roads – and into the path of a gorgeous local, Andrej Pintaric – she begins to wonder if this journey down memory lane might yield unexpected results for more than just her beloved grandfather...

📖 My Review...

Leo Holmes is facing a crossroads in both her personal and professional life, her marriage is over and her high flying job in the city is draining her of energy. Guy Barclay, Leo's elderly grandfather, is becoming increasingly frailer by the day and Leo, with time on her hands, agrees to go to Vis, an island in Croatia, where seventy-five years ago, her grandfather spent time during the latter years of WW2. Her grandfather's quest to right the wrongs of the past is the focus of the story, and flipping expertly between two time frames, both Guy's story in the past and Leo's story in 2014 come forcefully to life.

An Island of Secrets brings this beautiful part of the world to life in a really meaningful way, and in following in her grandfather's footsteps Leo discovers that there is much to learn about the past, especially Guy's role as a SOE during this crucial, and particularly, challenging time in the war. The story is so beautifully descriptive that the place, and the people, in both the past and present time frames come alive as the tiny island streets around Komiža harbour once again feel the patter of feet and the strident clammer of voices. 

The shadow of the past is never forgotten and this is made all the more poignant by following what happened, not just on the island in 1943 but also to the woman who captured Guy's heart so many years ago. Although the book is very much about the past, there is also meaningful time spent in the present and Leo's burgeoning relationship with a local man, Andrej Pintaric, who not only helps her to discover the events of the past, but his warmth and encouragement also gives the story a wonderful, romantic edge. 

Beautifully written, emotional and with a real sense of history coming alive, An Island of Secrets is one of those rather special stories which stays in your heart long after the last page is turned.

 

🍴 Best read with...sardines and bread, washed down with a glass of Rakija

About the Author

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Her last holiday before lockdown was a trip to Croatia, and the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life had proved invaluable. 

Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and has been lucky enough to have been married to the love of her life for twenty-five years. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Twitter @JaneCable

Instagram @evaglynauthor

Bookbub @EvaGlyn  

Facebook @EvaGlynAuthor 

@0neMoreChapter_

@rarraresources

Purchase Link 

📖 Book review ~ A Scottish Highland Surprise by Julie Shackman

One More Chapter
20 April 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

When wedding planner Sophie Harkness refuses to move a friend’s wedding to accommodate a spoilt bridezilla, she finds herself out of a job. That is until she discovers her late grandma has purchased a local shop for her in the pretty Scottish town of Briar Glen.

Surprised and delighted, Sophie opens her own porcelain shop in honour of her grandmother. But when an unusual tea set is left with Sophie, along with a mysterious letter, she can’t help but be intrigued by the story behind the antique.

And when the handsome but aloof art critic Xander North comes knocking on her door, Sophie is about to find out the true colourful past of her latest treasure.

📖 My Review...

When Sophie Harkness resigns from her role as wedding planner at the prestigious Castle Marrion she follows her heart and opens a crockery shop in the small Scottish town of Briar Glen. Sophie's love of fine porcelain comes from her maternal grandmother who also had a love for teapots, cups and saucers, so when an unusual antique tea set is left at Sophie's shop, it sparks an interest in the past and the need to get to the heart of a mystery.

I enjoyed this feel-good story, I mean what's not to like about a story filled with beautiful items of crockery and with an enigmatic arts expert who makes Sophie's heart flutter, Xander North definitely adds that element of will, they won't they to the story. I liked how the author brought the strands of the past into the main body of the story especially learning more about Sophie's grandmother and of the sad secrets of the antique tea set which added a nice touch of both history and mystery.

A Scottish Highland Surprise is a gentle story which has all the right elements to entertain and brighten up a dull afternoon.

🍵Best read with...tea from a porcelain cup and saucer.  

About the Author

Julie Shackman trained as a journalist and studied Media & Communication before turning her hand to women's fiction. She lives in Scotland with her husband and two teenage sons.

Twitter @G13Julie

@0neMoreChapter

📖 Hist Fic Saturday ~ The People's Princess by Flora Harding

 

On Hist Fic Saturday

Lets go back to...1981

One More Chapter
31 March 2022

Thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Buckingham Palace, 1981

Her engagement to Prince Charles is a dream come true for Lady Diana Spencer but marrying the heir to the throne is not all that it seems. Alone and bored in the palace, she resents the stuffy courtiers who are intent on instructing her about her new role as Princess of Wales…

But when she discovers a diary written in the 1800s by Princess Charlotte of Wales, a young woman born into a gilded cage so like herself, Diana is drawn into the story of Charlotte’s reckless love affairs and fraught relationship with her father, the Prince Regent.

As she reads the diary, Diana can see many parallels with her own life and future as Princess of Wales.

The story allows a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life in the palace, the tensions in Diana’s relationship with the royal family during the engagement, and the wedding itself.

📖 My Review...

It still takes me by surprise to realise that the era of the Princess of Wales is now being written about in historical fiction but then the fascination we have for Diana will never go away. You only have to look at the popular TV dramas, and movies, which continue to speculate about Diana, Princess of Wales.

The People's Princess brings Diana Spencer to life in 1981, just after her engagement to Prince Charles, when she is a lost and lonely figure rattling around the great empty space of Buckingham Palace. Desperate to alleviate her boredom, Diana is intrigued by a portrait she sees on a corridor in Buckingham Palace and wants to know more about Princess Charlotte of Wales, another tragic princess who died at a young age. Intertwining Diana's story as she awaits her wedding with that of Princess Charlotte adds a nice dual time element to the story.

I enjoyed the story, it's a light and easy read, with well researched historical detail to keep alive the authenticity of the story. The author captures well the mood of both historical periods and brings these two tragic, and charismatic, young women to life.

🍜Best Read with...a bowl of cornflakes..

About the Author

Flora Harding began writing over 30 years ago to fund a PhD on the disposal of waste in Elizabethan York, and has juggled fact and fiction ever since. Under various pseudonyms she has written more than 75 novels, histories and other forms of non-fiction and continues to be fascinated by the relationship between the past and the present, whatever she happens to be writing. Flora still lives in York with the city walls and the Minster at the end of her street, and is a freelance project editor as well as an author. Much as she loves the historic city, she yearns too for open horizons, and is a keen walker, preferably in wild, open spaces.

Twitter @AuthorFlora

@OneMoreChapter_

@HarperCollins

📖 Blog Tour ~ Love in a Time of War by Adrienne Chinn

One More Chapter
25 February 2022

The Fry Sisters #1

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book
and to Rachel's random Resources for my invitation to the blog tour

Three sisters

The Great War

The end of innocence…

In 1913, in a quiet corner of London, the three Fry sisters are coming of age, dreaming of all the possibilities the bright future offers. But when war erupts their innocence is shattered and a new era of uncertainty begins.

Cecelia loves Max but his soldier’s uniform is German, not British, and suddenly the one man she loves is the one man she can’t have.

Jessie enlists in the army as a nurse and finally finds the adventure she’s craved when she’s sent to Gallipoli and Egypt, but it comes with an unimaginable cost.

Etta elopes to Capri with her Italian love, Carlo, but though her growing bump is real, her marriage certificate is a lie.

As the three sisters embark on journeys they never could have imagined, their mother Christina worries about the harsh new realities they face, and what their exposure to the wider world means for the secrets she’s been keeping...

📖 My Review…

As the story opens, sisters, Cecilia, Jessie and Etta Fry live quietly at the romantically named Clover Bar, in London with their parents, but this is 1913 and the country is on the cusp of war. Each sister will come of age during this time and each will have a very different experience of finding love in a time of war. During this period of great change, the sisters find themselves in exceptional circumstances, each caught up in the war in different countries, and with different expectations.

I enjoyed getting to know Celie, Jessie and Etta, their individual stories are done with a fine eye for historical detail, bringing both time and place to life. There is much to consider, especially the impact of war, the rise of the suffrage movement and the role of the army nurses working in challenging war zones. Whilst I enjoyed getting to know the sisters and became involved in their lives, I also found the parents of the girls, Gerald and Christina, to be just as interesting, especially as, bubbling beneath the surface, are secrets involving Christina, going back to the 1890s. The story does switch timelines to include details of what has gone before which adds a different dimension to the story.

Love in a Time of War is a beautifully detailed, sensitively written, and emotional story about finding love in a time of war. As this is the first book in a proposed trilogy about the Fry sisters there is certain amount of scene setting which, undoubtedly, gets the series off to an interesting start.

Best Read with... a bowl of rich, Italian pasta and a glass of  sweet lemonade

About the Author

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. When not up a ladder or at the computer writing, she often can be found rummaging through flea markets or haggling in the Marrakech souk. Her second novel, The English Wife -- a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland -- was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter from Morocco, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Her latest novel, Love in a Time of War, set during WWI, is the first in a series of three books based around the changing lives of three English sisters and their half-Italian mother, with a timeslip to 1890s Capri and London.

Twitter  @adriennechinn #LoveInATimeOfWar

Facebook

Instagram

Purchase link

@0neMoreChapter

@rararesources

📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page

One More Chapter
28 February 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Cleaner Janice knows that it is in people’s stories that you really get to know them. From recently-widowed Fiona and her son Adam; to opera-singing Geordie; and the awful Mrs ‘YeahYeahYeah’ and her fox terrier, Decius, Janice has a unique insight into the community around her.

When Janice starts cleaning for Mrs B – a shrewd and tricksy woman in her nineties – she finally meets someone who wants to hear her story. But Janice is clear: she is the keeper of stories, she doesn’t have a story to tell. At least, not one she can share.

Mrs B is no fool and knows there is more to Janice than meets the eye. What is she hiding? After all, doesn’t everyone have a story to tell?

📖 My Review ...

Those who get to know Janice love her but some, it must be said, take advantage of her good nature and willingness to go the extra mile and although in her husband's words, Janice is 'just a cleaner' she really is worth her weight in gold. Some of her clients leave much to be desired in terms of bad manners and obnoxiousness, especially Mrs ‘YeahYeahYeah’ whose only saving grace is that she owns a delightful little dog called Decious, who really does, in his own inimitable style, take centre stage more than once. 

Janice loves nothing more that trying to discover what makes people tick and loves finding out their individual stories so when she is asked to clean for the eccentric Mrs B, Janice realises that there is more to this bad-tempered nonagenarian than first appears. Gradually over the space of this lovely story we discover more about Mrs B whilst at the same time watch how Janice starts to be transformed.

Beautifully written The Keeper of Stories quickly becomes an engaging read which made me laugh out loud in places and cry gentle tears in others. The characterisation is really quite special, with people who you love from the start, but also with those, naming no names, you are glad to see get their comeuppance. You can't help but warm to Janice, she's a real unsung heroine who never feels that she is special and yet, she is more than worthy of having the starring role in this lovely story.

Wise, wonderful and warm-hearted, I am delighted to have The Keeper of Stories as my Featured Book of the Month in March.

Best read with...a pot of tea and some fancy cakes

About the Author

After studying history at university, Sally Page moved to London to work in advertising. In her spare time she studied floristry at night school and eventually opened her own flower shop.Sally combines her love of history and writing with her abiding interest in the stories people have to tell. Sally now lives in Dorset and The Keeper of Stories is her debut novel.

Twitter @SallyPageBooks #TheKeeperofStories

@0nemoreChapter_ @HarperCollins

📖 Book Review ~ The Woman at No.13 by C K Williams

One More Chapter
2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

She told you her secret. Now she’s dead and it’s your fault…

As the local doctor, Kate O'Leary has the respect of her community, after all she's helped generations of those in need.

But then a teenage patient is murdered. And her blood is found in Kate's house.

Her neighbours turn against her and rumours start to spread. Alone and under arrest, Kate turns to the one person who can help. But she knows that even an official verdict can mean nothing if those looking for revenge find you guilty.

Kate knows she's not a killer. But if it's not her, then who? And finding the truth might be the only way to stay alive..

📖 My Review..

When we first meet her, local GP Kate O' Leary has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of  a teenage girl whose body has been found in horrific circumstances. Whilst Kate protests her innocence there are people in the small Irish village  of  Annacairn who assume that she is guilty and set about trying to prove it. With limited friends Kate is at the mercy of a group of vigilantes who are determined to wreck revenge.

With wide ranging themes covering abortion, LGBTQ, loneliness, and fatal attraction there is more than enough to keep in the story bubbling along although there were times when I felt the dialogue was a little bit awkward and I had to suspend belief on more than one occasion, but hey, this is fiction and overall the book kept my attention.

The Woman at No.13 is a suspenseful thriller with an array of characters who, whilst largely unlikable, do give the story a dark and, quite sinister, edginess.

Best read with ...A knickerbocker glory with crystallized pecans

About the Author

C K Williams has lived in the United States, Canada, Australia and Paris and is a regular visitor to the UK. When not teaching creative writing at Bonn University, Williams loves to cook (and bake). More often that not, you will be able to find Williams on a train flitting to and fro in Europe or the United Kingdom, realising that she had once again forgotten to bring lunch, and proceeding to buy all the croissants that live in Bruxelles Midi.

Twitter @0neMoreChapter_ #TheWomanatNo13

Website

  

📖 Tea for Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot

One More Chapter
30 January 2022

Little Cornish Kitchen #2

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

St Aidan: a cosy Cornish village where friendships are made for life and it’s always cocktail hour somewhere…

The Little Cornish Kitchen is going on tour!

When internet sensation ‘Cressida Cupcake’ has a soggy bottomed TV fiasco and faces bake-off backlash she jumps at the chance to spend some time hiding out in St Aidan, dog sitting for her brother.

Picturesque Seaspray Cottage is meant to be Cressy Hobson’s port in the storm but with her blog sponsors having fled and her book deal gone sideways her funds are running low and she’s forced to turn to the locals for help. Soon her quiet weeks in Cornwall are filled with chasing sheep, saving the local retirement village, taking The Little Cornish Kitchen into people’s homes for baking nights…and keeping vigilant guard against romance.

The one and only time Cressy lost her head to love was over a decade ago while in St Aidan, and she won’t be making the same mistake again – a feat easier said than done when Ross Bradbury looks even better a decade on…and every step she takes seems to put him in her path!

📖 My Review... 

Each book in this entertaining series reads easily as a standalone story and Tea for Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen continues with the delicious Cornish theme in a story which grabs your attention from the start.

When celebrity baker 'Cressida Cupcake' faces a TV disaster she flees to St Aidan, the picturesque village in Cornwall where she grew up, place of safety and where she now hides herself away ostensibly to look after her brother's dog but it's also a time to nurse her wounded pride. As her sponsor pulls out, and with funds low, Cressy needs find something to do, but everything she does seems to bring her back in contact with Ross Bradbury and it is their shared history which adds a touch of will they, won't they romance to this lovely light-hearted story. The supporting characters who flit into and out of the story are an absolute delight, especially the residents of the care home who have such fun baking along with Cressy, and the delightful Diesel and Pancake who made me smile.

The Cornish setting, the fun loving characters, and Cressida's delicious baking, all combine to make Tea for Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen such a pleasure to read.

Best Read with...Cressy's Custard Cream Blondies and a glass of sparkling Prosecco

About the Author

Jane Linfoot is a best selling author, who lives in a cottage, up the steepest hill in Derbyshire, with her family, their pets, and an astonishing number of spiders. Although she loves seeing cow noses over the garden wall, she’s happy she can walk to a supermarket. Jane grew up in North Yorkshire where she spent a lot of her childhood avoiding horizontal gales blowing off the sea, and wrote her first book by accident, while working as an architect, and renovating country houses. While she loves to write feel good books that let readers escape, she’s always surprised to hear her stories make people laugh, admits to (occasionally) crying as she writes, and credits her characters for creating their own story lines. Jane’s garden would be less brambly if she wasn’t on Facebook and Twitter so often. On days when she wants to be really scared, she rides a tandem. She has lots of Pinterest boards relating to her novels.

Twitter @janelinfoot #TeaForTwoAtTheLittleCornishKitchen

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Daughter of the Sea by Elisabeth J Hobbes ( Giveaway)

 

Thrilled to join in with the blog tour today

One More Chapter
20 December 2021

My thanks to the publishers and to Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

On a windswept British coastline the tide deposits an unexpected gift…

It was the cry that she first noticed, the plaintive wail that called to her over the crash of winter waves. Wrapped only in a sealskin, the baby girl looks up at Effie and instantly captures her heart. She meant only to temporarily foster the young orphan but when news reaches Effie that her husband has been lost at sea, and months pass without anyone claiming the infant, she embraces her new family – her son Jack and her adopted daughter Morna.

Effie has always been an outcast in her village, the only granddaughter of a woman people whisper is a witch, so she’s used to a solitary existence. But when Midsummer arrives so too does a man claiming to be Morna’s father. There’s no denying Lachlan is the girl’s kin and so Effie is surprised when he asks her to continue looking after his daughter, mysteriously refusing to explain why. She agrees, but when he returns six months hence she pushes him for answers. And Lachlan tells a story she never anticipated … one of selkies, legend, and the power of the sea...

📖 My Review..

When Effie discovers a tiny baby floating in the sea, it changes her life forever, for even though Effie only means to foster the child alongside her own son no-one in the small Yorkshire fishing village comes forward to claim the tiny girl.  Effie takes the baby into her heart, generously sharing her life in the small cottage above the sea, soon becoming fiercely protective of both her children. 

This is a lovely, light romance which caught my attention from the start. Daughter of the Sea moves effortlessly carrying the essence of the story with a lovely light touch, flickering into and out of a fantasy world of legend, myth and folklore which is so often caught up in the stories of mysterious folk from the sea. I enjoyed Effie's dilemma as she learns more about Morna and also discovers the secrets of the mysteriously handsome man who turns up on Midsummer Eve and who steals his way into her heart changing her life forever. It's charmingly written with an authenticity which brings this sleepy Yorkshire village alive especially as its people are slightly mistrustful of anything out of the ordinary, and who judge Effie for being a widow with strong opinions. 

The story takes us on a lovely journey of discovery especially when Effie discovers the true nature of the tiny girl she calls Morna. Heartfelt, emotional and unashamedly romantic, reading Daughter of the Sea is just what I needed to take me out of the lull after Christmas.

Best read with ...a glass of sloe gin and fish, fresh from the sea...

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About the Author

Elisabeth’s writing career began when she finished in third place in Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest in 2013. She was offered a two-book contract and consequently had to admit secret writing was why the house was such a tip. She is the author of numerous historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon covering the Medieval period to Victorian England, and a Second World War romantic historical with One More Chapter. She lives in Cheshire because the car broke down there in 1999 and she never left.

 Twitter @ElisabethHobbes

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