Purchase Links UK / US Love Offline is available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited. It is also available to read for FREE in Prime Reading until late November. My thoughts: Nothing beats a good British rom-com, especially when you feel you can really relate to the main character! Emily Robinson is a thirty-five year old self-employed illustrator who is mostly working from home. Sadly, her last serious relationship ended in a heartbreak when she caught her ex Eric cheating on her with a younger girl. Now Eric's engagement is all over the social media and Emily is devastated. Emily's bestie Chloe is there for her with a generous portion of divine chocolate cake and carefully chosen words of advice: Emily must do herself a favour, put aside dating apps (a bit of general digital detox won't hurt) and start meeting new people in real life. Chloe says it takes about sixty days to fom a new habit, so she comes up with all sorts of fun activities to help Emily step out of her comfort zone. Off Emily goes on her quest for real love in the analogue world....But when she does meet her lovely Josh, they still have to overcome another challenge, that of trusting each other and not jumping to conclusions. Olivia Spring has created realistic, but also very entertaining characters. It isn't easy for introverts like Emily to put themselves on line and open up to new experiences. Or Kat, a single mum of three, who needs to plan and organise carefully her dating, knowing her children are her first and foremost priority. Everybody needs a bestie like Chloe, self-professed technophobe, always classy, even when she rushes off to sort Em's problem in a complete set of overnight hair-rollers. Love offline works for both types of romantics- those who believe in chance, lucky meet-cutes, and those who believe in creating opportunities to meet your soulmate, those who want to find somebody to click and feel comfortable with and those who know relationships need work, those who embrace our digital world with all its pros and cons, and those who prefer old-fashioned human touch. It's a quick and entertaining read with hilarious moments that will make you smile, but also will make you reflect. Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random resources for inviting me to participate in this tour and to the author for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. Author Bio –
Olivia Spring is a British, London-based writer of contemporary women's fiction, sexy chick lit and romantic comedy. Her uplifting debut novel 'The Middle-Aged Virgin', which was released in July 2018, deals with being newly single in your thirties and beyond, dating, relationships, love, sex and living life to the full. Olivia published three novels in 2019: 'Only When It's Love', 'Losing My Inhibitions' and 'Love Offline'. ‘The Middle-Aged Virgin in Italy’, the hotly anticipated sequel to ‘The Middle-Aged Virgin’ and Olivia’s fifth novel, was published in July 2020. When she's not writing, Olivia can be found making regular trips to Italy to indulge in pasta, pizza and gelato and of course, seeking inspiration for her next book! Social Media Links – https://twitter.com/ospringauthor https://www.facebook.com/ospringauthor/ https://www.instagram.com/ospringauthor/ http://www.oliviaspring.com/ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/olivia-spring #LoveOffline #Blog Tour #Book Review of You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Louise Marley @rararesources13/10/2020
Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for this lovely Christmas story. You Make It Feel Like Christmas The only thing preventing Beth’s perfect family Christmas? Her family! Television presenter Agatha Holly has built her career on telling viewers how to have the perfect Christmas. A Holly Jolly Christmas has been screened every December for twenty years and her entire family are involved, including her daughter Beth—the unwilling star of a thousand memes and gifs. But Beth has finally had enough of public ridicule. All she’s ever wanted is a traditional family Christmas away from the television cameras. If she can’t persuade her family to change, should she consider celebrating Christmas without them? Purchase Links Amazon UK / Amazon US My thoughts: Wow! This was such an enjoyable read! Just what the doctor prescribed on a rainy October day when it is definitely too early for putting up Christmas lights, but you already feel ready for holidays. Beth Holly grew up featured in countless Christmas memes thanks to their Mum's TV show, A Holly Jolly Christmas, and having mischiviously creative and undoubtfully bossy Lucy Holly for an older sister. Now Beth works in publishing and, although she believes in her authors, things might not be perfect on the bookselling front. Could a few quiet days help her reflect on what she is doing professionally and get over her nostalgia for her ex, Aidan Holly? Quiet might be a tall order, if her family is involved, but perhaps she can get away from them this year. Aidan and Nick Hall lost their parents in a car accident on an icy road to their family home Myra Abbey. Aidan took over their father's construction business and has earned millions with his hard work and determination, while Nick has become a fashion model. Now, at twenty-four, Nick still lives in their parents' medioeval home and does everything possible to keep it afloat, including floor repairs and fixing the roof. Do you know how much money these old homes eat away? Aodan does and that is why he would like to sell it to hotel developers making Nick and their staff ( the housekeeper Ophelia and her daughter Chloe) homeless. He is on his way to tell them the big news, notwithstanding the upcoming holidays. Can he get more Scrooge-like? Chloe has a great solution: help him get back together with his lovely ex-girlfriend Beth who is incidentally looking for a hotel to stay in over Christmas. Could they perhaps pass the Abbey for a charming, albeit quirky, five-star-hotel? If you think, you know where it is going, you haven't counted in a few other factors...Such as Lucy and Agatha Holly. Anyway, it is much better to discover the story as you read it. It is a perfect Christmas story where the main characters discover what really makes you feel the holidays have arrived. Is it the decorations, carefully wrapped and kept for generations, the dinner, the film (if you've been reading my latest spree of Christmas reviews, you know in my family It's a Wonderful Life makes its appearance every year), mistletoe...? No, it's people, of course! Heart-warming, sweet, and immensely entertaining, this book should definitely be made into a Hallmark movie. As it is, it totally deserves five-stars for readability and fun factor. If you are into family-oriented Christamas romances, pick it up, I'm sure it won't disappoint you. Thank you to Rachel, the author and the publisher for the gifted copy provided in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. About Louise Marley Louise Marley writes murder mysteries and romantic comedies. She is lucky enough to live in a village where there is a famous library and TWO ruined castles. (Her husband still thinks they moved there by accident). Her first published novel was Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, which was a finalist in Poolbeg's 'Write a Bestseller' competition. She has also written articles for the Irish press and short stories for women's magazines such as Take a Break and My Weekly. Previously, Louise worked as a civilian administrative officer for the police. Louise's books have spent a total of 7 months in the Amazon Top 100 (UK). Three of her books have been #1 bestsellers in Romantic Suspense and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes was #1 in Romance. Social Media Links Website / Amazon Author Page (UK) / Amazon Author Page (USA) Twitter / Blog / Facebook / Facebook (author) / Instagram / Goodreads / Pinterest Thank you for stopping by and reading this review! Have a wonderful Tuesday!
If you would like to know what other bloggers thought of You Make Me Feel Like Christmas, here is the full blog tour schedule: Book Blitz: Prescription for a Lonely Heart by Rosalie Jardin (Sept 21-25) @Xpresso Book Tours23/9/2020
Book & Author Details: Prescription for a Lonely Heart by Rosalie Jardin Publication date: September 21st 2020 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance Synopsis: “If we’re both still single when we’re thirty, we’ll marry each other . . .” The marriage pact was made during a lazy day at the beach, half in jest, and seemingly forgotten by the boy who started it. But ten years later, Kay hadn’t forgotten. She’s still shy and introverted, not interested in relationships. So when Adrian reappears in her life—two years early—and asks her to marry him now, she surprises herself by agreeing. So now she must deal with her mother’s disapproval, his brother’s hostility, and a load of self-doubt. Can she forge a real relationship with Adrian? Has he really changed from a ladies man to someone she can trust? Will she be able to let go of everything she’s ever thought she wanted and reach out to grab a new future? Prescription for a Lonely Heart is the first book on the "Hearts in Glencoe City" series. This friends-to-lovers standalone romance features a marriage pact, a calm-but-sassy heroine, a himbo with a heart, and a HEA guaranteed. Goodreads / Amazon AUTHOR BIO:
Rosalie Jardin is the pen name an American-born author living in British Columbia. Writing has been a passion since she was five, beginning with telling stories- which often got her in trouble with her teachers because they kept catching her writing instead of doing her schoolwork. Rosalie considers herself to be living the glamorous geek mom life and channels that energy into her writings and her debut novel. Her characters rumble around in her head, demanding to have their stories told and, like any good author, she is just doing what she’s told. Author links Website / Facebook / Twitter GIVEAWAY Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
Book & Author Details: Title: Love is a Battlefield (Seven Brides for Seven Mothers #1) Author: Whitney Dineen Publication date: September 15th 2020 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance Synopsis: Who doesn’t want their mom to play Cupid? Addison Cooper had planned on an all-expense paid vacation to the Cayman Islands to celebrate her most recent business success. Instead, she’s trekking to the outback of Oregon to help a friend of her mother’s. Reclusive novelist Brogan Cavanaugh’s new thriller just hit the New York Times Best Seller list. To reward himself, he was planning to spend the summer at his family’s fishing cabin until his mom unexpectedly calls in a favor. Even though moms Libby and Ruby have been best friends since they were college roommates, Addison and Brogan have barely spent time in each other’s company. And when they did, things didn’t go well. How will they react when they start to suspect their interfering mothers are setting them up? Find out in this deliciously funny rom-com about mothers who really do know best and the children who don’t know they need them. Goodreads Purchase About the author: Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order. Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables. Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017. Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016. Finalist RONE Awards, 2016. Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017. Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017 Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017 Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Instagram / Facebook I'm a big fan of Sophie Ranald. Her books are entertaining, romantic and impossible to put down once you start reading them. They also have very relatable realistic protagonists you can't help but root for. Alice Carlisle is about to complete her lawyer training and has already been promised a job in an important law corporation. She also has a great family, best friend, and above all, her own Mr Right, who happens to work in the same company. Jo understands and accepts Alice like nobody else. Everything is going really well for Alice, but it only takes one day for her perfect life to change. Alice loses her job through no fault of her own, but she can't help feeling she's let everyone down. Now Joe and Alice might not be able to pay the bills or live in the flat they've liked so much. Alice stumbles into a temporary job in a local pub which might help her weather the storm. Joe aslo has a solution. His ex-girlfriend Zoe, who they recently met accidentally, is going to move in with Joe and Alice and help with the rent. Seems like a great idea. If only Alice didn't feel Zoe might still have feelings for Joe... Alice is such a sweet character. She tries to be fair and give everybody a chance. At the end of the day, the only person she is hard on is herself. She even sees the situation from Zoe's point of view and tries to understand her feelings. There's a lot of emphasis on trust, communication and being faithful (including emotionally). I felt the book dealt really well with the issue of drawing and crossing (or not crossing) lines between being friendly and something more than that. Perhaps, Zoe's character isn't as well-developed, but I was too focused on Alice's story to mind that. Apart from relationship issues, there are other serious and important topics in the story. Not least of which is the matter of sexual harrassment at work that partly explains Alice's insecurities and perhaps even the way she felt about her job. My heart went to Alice when she finally talked about the sexual assault she experienced and its consequences. Overall, this is extremely engaging and entertaining book and I'm really grateful for having been given a chance to read it. Sophie Ranald is my auto-buy author who I can rely on for a great story with unique, but relatable characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for my place on the tour for this wonderfully entertaining romantic comedy. Synopsis: What if wishes really could come true? When Jinnie Cooper is dumped by her fiancé, and exiled to a job in an antiques shop in a sleepy Scottish village, little does she know a battered old lamp is about to shake up her life. Genie Dhassim grants wishes. But he also wants a few of his own to come true. Letting him explore the outside world proves nerve-wracking as Dhassim has an uncanny knack of putting his pointy-slippered foot in it. As Jinnie grows closer to her employer Sam, Dhassim discovers his time on earth is running out. Can both Jinnie and Dhassim find true happiness? Or are those wishes that cannot be granted? Purchase Links Amazon UK / Amazon US My thoughts: This was such a great modern retelling of the old genie fairy-tale: funny, magical, and wonderfully romantic! First of all, let me say, this was my first book written by Audrey Davis, and definitely won't be the last. She has a great sense of humour and we all need a bit of that these days. We meet Jinnie Cooper, the kind and selfless protagonist of the book, as she moves in her new shoe-box flat in Cranley, a little village just outside Edinburgh. Jinnie's fiance Mark decided to break off their engagement, saying he isn't attracted to her any more, so now Jinnie is jobless and in dire need of a new start in her life. Cranley is all she can afford, but little does Jinnie know how welcoming the inhabitants of Cranley are going to be and how many great friendships she is going to make. Very soon Audrey finds herself doing not one, but two part-time jobs. One of which is in an old antiques shop where she picks an old oil lamp in desperate need of a bit of loving care. Yes, the inevitable happens and Jinnie's life complicates immensely by the appearance of a feisty genie called Dhassim. I loved the fabulous character cast Audrey Davies created in this book. Your heart will go to Jinnie who needs to understand herself and her own wishes a bit better. I loved the descriptions of her family, but my favourite character in the book is definitely Wilma, Audrey's eighty-six year old grandmother, and her quirky mix of interests that include tea leaf reading and Twitter. Then there is a whole lot of the village inhabitants: lonely baker Jo with a heart of gold, the local pub owner Ken whose wife of thirty odd years has the early onset Alzheimer's disease, Angela, a single mother and a recovering alcoholic and Sam, a divorcee with a very complicated relationship with his ex-wife. In short, there are plenty of serious issues the characters have to deal with. There's a great sense of community that permeates this lighthearted modern take on the genie story. I was impressed by the kindness the people of Cranley show to each other in this magical story. All characters are likeable (with the exception of Jinnie's ex, of course!). There might be space for a sequel (or two) set in this friendly little village. A Wish for Jinnie is light-hearted, humorous story that will entertain you and make you think about showing kindness to people around you. Thank you to the author and Rachel from Rachel's Random resources for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion. About the author: Audrey Davis is a Scottish-born former journalist, now resident in Switzerland. Her newspaper career saw her cover events in Northern Ireland and the Falkland Islands, as well as working for a London-based movie magazine writing reviews and carrying out interviews. She self-published her debut romantic comedy novel A Clean Sweep in June 2017, following an online Open University course in Writing Fiction. Audrey followed up with a short, darker prequel A Clean Break before beginning work on a rom-com novella trilogy with a ghostly twist – The Haunting of Hattie Hastings. Again, reviews across the board were excellent, and it was combined into a standalone novel in November 2018. A Wish For Jinnie is her third standalone novel. Apart from writing, Audrey enjoys travel and spends a lot of time in Edinburgh. She is an avid cook, watcher of scary movies and reluctant gym-goer. twitter / facebook / instagram / website Thank you for stopping by! I hope you pick your copy of this great rom-com and enjoy reading it.
If you would like to check out other bloggers' reviews, here is the full schedule of the book tour: Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o' joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose. Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff - thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny. But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshall. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty - and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown - without falling head over high heels in love . . . or worse? (From the book blurb) My thoughts: A Bad Day for Sunshine is the first book in Darynda Jones's Sunshine Vicram series, set in a small town of Del Sol, New Mexico. Fast-paced, entertaining, full of laugh-out-loud witty comebacks and Darynda's trademark quirky characters, thebook is fun,fun,fun to read from the beginning to the end. If anything, it grew on me as I kept reading and getting to know better Sunshine, her family, friends and enemies. Sunshine Vicaram unexpectedly (for her) wins the post of sheriff in her home town of Del Sol without any recollection of having entered the election. Clearly, her parents had something to do with it, but Sun is a bit reluctant to look into this particular mystery. She is more than qualifed to do a great job in this position, having a degree in Criminal Justice and a stellar career in Santa Fe Police Department. Most of the book covers Sunshine's first day at work,parallel to her 14-year-old daughter Auri's firstday at Del Sol High. Fifteen years ago Sunshine fled Del Sol following a traumatic abduction which landedher in hospital in a coma. She doesn't remember much of her ordealorthe month prior to theevents, but Sun has never stopped investigating her own case without much success so far. It seems that the worst crime she will have to deal with is the disappearance of a locally famous roosterPuff Daddy, when the news of a teenage girl missing turns everything upside down and the clock countdown to save her life begins. Sunshine is such a likeable character! Darynda Jones has a very peculiar, quite snarky sense of humour, but you can't deny that Sunshine's witty retorts and chapter sub-headings/ fictional notices on Del Sol's various businesses are absolutely hilarious. There's much more to Sun than that- she is strong, independent, a caring mother and a loyal friend. Loved her bestie-Chief Deputy Quincy Cooper and, of course, Aurora Dawn Vicram a.k.a. Auri a.k.a. bean sprout. If you were (or still are!) a fan of Gilmore Girls, you know the formula- a single mother doing her best to raise a super smart, cool teenager. Auri's efforts in investigating Sybil's case will prove indispensable in solving the case. Did I mention the romantic tension between Levi Ravinder, Sunshine's old (and current) crush? Levi's a classic boy from the wrong side of the tracks who's been trying to make his semi-criminal family walk on straight and narrow. There's also a very handsome US Marshal in the town, trying to capture a fugitive (another entertaining plotline with a great twist in the end). This was one of the most enjoyable reads for quite a long time. There is a thin line between being sassy and trying too hard, and I have to say Darynda Jones manages to stay on the right side. There is a great balance of funny and touching and funny again. Sunshine' is vulnerable, strong and capable at the same time, doted with great empathy and an infallible gut instinct, and yet she works hard to do her homework and follow through on every single lead. All of this being a (very) single mother of a teenager which is an art in itself. Can't wait to read the next book in the series! |
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