#Bookreview #Rachelsrandomresources Starting over at Crafty Bee Barn by Margaret Amatt @AmattAuthor

Buy HERE ! (And honestly do!!)
What they say:

From the sting of heartbreak to the buzz of love

Luckless Lilah Clarke needs a big break, but getting caught wrecking a stall at the Glenbriar Fair was not what she had in mind – especially when the man who catches her is as hot as a summer’s day and sends her heart racing.

Charity campaigner Aidan McBride has returned to Glenbriar after a long absence to discover the love of his life dating his cousin, his cottage in tatters, and his beloved bees gone. When he catches Lilah destroying his mum’s stall and discovers the reason, he sees something in her he can’t explain – or resist.

Feeling sorry for her, he offers her a job, and she reluctantly accepts. What other options does she have? Now, it isn’t just Aidan’s new bees that are buzzing. Lilah dreams of Aidan being hers, but for someone with a background like hers, he’s well out of her reach.

Still stung by the loss of his ex, Aidan struggles with his ever-growing attraction to Lilah. But if he doesn’t spit out exactly how he feels about her before her past catches up with her, he stands to lose the real love of his life.

♥ ♥ ♥

♥ Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn is the seventh book in The Glenbriar Series, but can be read on its own as a standalone.

The Review: I’ll admit I generally buy on the basis of a book cover. If they’re pretty and tell me it’s going to be a warm, feel good read, I’m generally in. Add to this an author that I’ve savoured the books of and I’m in twice as quickly, and thrown on the words ‘craft’ and ‘bee’ and … (I think you’ll get where I’m going here!!!)

I ADORED everything about this book! From the opening, where we see a derelict ruin of a cottage and find out that someone who was away for a time has returned, to the drama that takes place (at a market no less!) and I was so in!

I loved everything about this book, the characters, who had so many assumptions made about them- strong yet soft Lilah, whose family name has made everyone avoid her and write her off, and Aidan, who has had to deal with a lot but has landed back to so much more!

The side characters, both positive and negative ones, were so well done, the settings as beautiful and vivid as is possible, coupled with the inner workings of a more nature friendly way of life- it all took my breath away. Special mention for the romance, which made this a book to take time over, and just savour.

(By the way I had read other books of Ms. Amatt, but not in order so this is fine to be read as a standalone. Saying that I’ll definitely be going back for more!)

Thanks so (so!) much to the author and Rachel’s Random Resources for allowing me to take part in this blog tour.

Rating: a million out of five! (Five!)

About the author

Hello!

I’m Margaret, author of the Scottish Island Escapes and Glenbriar series.

Writing books is my passion and when I’m not doing that, I’m often eating chocolate, walking and taking photographs in the hills around Highland Perthshire, where I live with my family in a little house close to the woods. From my window, I often see red squirrels, deer and other tremendously Scottish wildlife… Though not normally haggises or even men in kilts!

It’s my pleasure to bring you the Scottish Island Escapes series and The Glenbriar Series. I hope you love reading the stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

I have a newsletter sign up at: margaretamatt.com if you want to get in touch or be the first to know about new releases!

Thank you to everyone who buys my books, it brings me a little bit of joy every day to know readers are enjoying them.

Author Links:

 Website 

 Facebook 

Twitter

#Bookreview The Trip by Phoebe Morgan #netgalley @Phoebe_A_Morgan

What they say:

Four friends on the holiday of a lifetime. Until a vicious murder shatters their paradise.

Four friends who’d do anything for each other, until now.

Only one of them committed a crime.

But all four know how to keep a secret.

And they’re all guilty of something…

The Review: I knew that this was going to be right up my street from the second I read the blurb and oh my wordy word was it!(yes is the answer, just in case😉)

This is the story of four friends, two couples, who are heading off on holiday to Thailand. I was thrilled that we got a pov from most (one isn’t covered) and was sucked in almost immediately to their different personalities, secrets and problems.

From the off the settings were so perfectly done, with even the plane ride having issues and making me so nervous (I am so glad I didn’t read this on a plane!)

And that was what this book was, making you wonder what is going to happen, and when, a slow burn but with enough worrying incidents and the introduction of a character to mix it all up! I loved how the author would separate the characters and kill you with nerves but that ultimately and at times they were at least aware that something was wrong- nothing bugs me more than one person going through everything alone!!

All in all I adored this book and am absolutely wrecked from having to stay up to finish it. The characters, the twists, the setting, all of it really! I loved the twist in this one, I’ll admit the final final twist (last page twist is what I call them!) wasn’t for me, but aside from that just perfect. Fab fab book. Beyond recommended!

Rating:5:5

@Coverreveal Meet You In The Summer by Jodie Homer #isleofskye #fairypools #fairymyth #maxwellandlucy #poppythedog #romance #summerromance #bodyswap #fisherman #meetyouinthesummer #booktwitter #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #booktiktok Meet You In The Summer by Jodie Homer @umbrellacafe

Sunday morning, and what a fab day for a cover reveal! I am lucky enough to have read this book, super lucky in fact as Jodie’s books are some of my favourites, there’s always a magical element but nicely put in with just the most vibrant yet swoony rom commy love stories! This book wowed me, the comedy, the romance, the how-are-they-going-to-get-out-of-this element! I ate it up and absolutely enjoyed every second! But, sorry, I’m going on too much (I’m really not, it’s that good!!!)

What they say: Lucy and Maxwell share the perfect first date, agreeing to let destiny unfold without further contact. Six months later, recovering from an accident, Lucy travels to the Isle of Skye for her sister’s wedding.

As they find themselves entwined in an unexpected adventure during a swim in the enchanting fairy pools, Lucy and Maxwell swap bodies. Now, they must navigate the challenges of living each other’s lives while Lucy prepares for Emilia’s wedding.

Will they get their own lives back and will Lucy finally recall the romance she once shared with Maxwell on that unforgettable first date?

And now (skips along excitedly … )

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Isn’t that a stunner? And it really is that good a book too! Enjoy!!

Preorder here

#BookReview Love Letters on Hazel Lane by Jennifer Page @AriaFiction

What they say:

Scrabble fan Jo always seems to pick the wrong guys. Now she’s moved to the Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick, and decided to give dating one last chance. This time, there’s a catch: she will only date men whose names would score highly in her beloved word game. 

After Tarquin (16 points) proves just as disappointing as the rest, she meets low-scoring local doctor Ras (3 points). Her rules mean she can’t date him – but when he asks her to organise a Scrabble festival with him, she can’t say no.

As the event draws nearer and Jo and Ras grow closer, will Jo ignore her rule and let true love blossom over the triple letter scores?

The Review: There are times you hear certain people gushing about books and you find yourself sitting up a little bit straighter and thinking ‘ooh I’ve got to get to this one!’

I had started The Little Board Game Cafe by this author some time ago and due to me leaving my Kindle out in the rain overnight (fyi it doesn’t kill your Kindle but my god it messes you about a lot!!) horrifically I didn’t get back to it (I will obviously!). Then I heard more gushing from the people about bookland, this time about Jennifer Paige’s second book and so I sat down one night with it, really looking forward to something vivid and sparkly.

Oh my days, what a book! The second I met Jo and was introduced to her extraordinary way of thinking- how she loved scrabble so much that she would randomly calculate word scores for exceptional word, unusual, special words that sometimes made you feel like you were watching an episode of QI! (I might bring it to your attention that I do enjoy scrabble but my vocabulary disintegrates the second I start playing! It is great for getting kids away from screens though!)

But, sorry, where was I? Yes, Jo, bruised emotionally after a relationship with He Who thinks He is The greatest (my name for him!), heads out dating and decides to choose men on the basis of the score of their name! All doesn’t quite go to plan though …

A smart, vivid, vibrant, warm, beautiful, romantic, emotional book that had me curled up on the couch seeking out every- single- word. Wow. Just wow. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.
Rating: 5/5

#bookreview Spellbound by Gretchen Rue @AriaFiction @HoZ_Books

What They Say:

Since moving to Raven Creek, Phoebe Winchester has had a lot on her plate. 

She’s renovating the Victorian manor she inherited from her Aunt Eudora, running a tea shop (and secret magical apothecary), and learning to be a witch. But when she discovers a dead body at an estate sale, and suspicion falls on her, even Phoebe wonders if this is simply too much.

Forced to take action to clear her name, Phoebe enlists Rich Lofting, handsome private detective and childhood friend, to assist with her investigation, all while sorting out her unresolved feelings for him.

Is there something more sinister lurking in the shadows of this small tight-knit town? And does Phoebe really want to find out?

The Review: I will begin with my only bugbear- this book is the second in a series. I didn’t know! And the worse thing is the other book by of this fab series was on my Kindle! Saying that I will be going straight back to read!

I loved this book! It brings together everything you need from a paranormal cozy, dead body found, multiple suspects, a tea room with magical herbal mixes, a town busybody … with a nice array of characters, some genuinely really well done red herrings where my opinion changed on what had happened this random person found dead, with some great magic (I would have loved even more!). This book ticked every box for me, with the fact that it’s on the shorter side making it one of those books you simultaneously raced through and savoured. A sparkling, fantastically magical read, that I’d definitely recommend and can’t wait to go back to the other!! More Gretchen Rue please, and Aria/Head of Zeus- ye are playing a blinder!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Rating: 5/5

#bookreview The Only Exception by Claire Huston @ClaraVal

What they say:

Lucinda Green knows something is missing from her life. But what? Her catering business is enjoying modest success and she loves her cosy house, even if she does have to share it with her irritating ex-fiancé.

Whatever’s making her unsettled and edgy, Lucinda’s certain that a lack of romance isn’t the problem. How could it be when she doesn’t believe in true love?

But Lucinda’s beliefs are shaken by a series of electric encounters with Alex Fraser, a newly notorious actor who gradually proves himself to be infuriatingly funny and smart, as well as handsome.

Not that any of that matters. Because Lucinda doesn’t believe in all that ‘The One’ nonsense. That’s the rule.

But doesn’t every rule have an exception?

The Review: One of the very first blogs I fell in love with was a blog named Art and Soul. Not only did it contain musings on books that were more eloquent, educational in terms of how they were written, how honest they were, they were also fun and vibrant and vivid somehow too! With this is mind when I heard Claire, one of the loveliest people in bookland, was an author too (and a baker- wait until you see some of her stuff!!), I jumped in, knowing her books could only be en pointe, and I was not disappointed!

The review: We meet Lucinda and Alex, two strangers, in the most exceptional (see what I did there?!) of circumstances. I remember years ago in a writing workshop the fab crime writer Louise Philips said about how you can classify people into how they’d react if they were stuck in a lift. In this situation one rises to the occasion, the other zones out until they’re pushed to action (horrendously the person zoning out until someone woke them up would be me!)

We already have an idea of Lucinda, but as we met Alex I felt for him, panic attacks but not sharing them with his girlfriend, both of them existing in a bubble of the glitz of the entertainment business. It was well done how Alex and Lucinda were reunited, and made me nod as we came to realise how Lucinda was very much not a believer in love as we untangled Alex’s ways too.

This book was gorgeously done. The vividness of the scenes- how you saw everything unfold as if in a film, the unpicking of their personalities so you were so invested, with some funny bits I really appreciated and of course that beautiful romance that I just fell deeply for! A fab book that is so recommended!

Rating: 5/5

#Coverreveal Careful What You Witch For by Emma Jackson @esjackson1

It’s grey and wet here and so it’s the absolutely perfect for a cover reveal, but not just that- it’s cover reveal for the amazing Emma Jackson, author of the amazing Witch You Weren’t Here! I’m lucky enough to have read an early copy of this and it blew me away. A must for all witchy cozy fans- can’t recommend enough!!! But I digress …

What they say:

Becca Ashworth’s family is in trouble and with their magical legacy under threat, it puts their small village of Biddicote at risk too. So going against the witching tenets to summon an ancestor for help seems like a small price to pay to fix the problem…at first.

Connor Lynch is the Witches Council’s secret weapon and he’s just been deployed to find out exactly what the Ashworths are up to. But how he ends up posing as Becca’s fake husband at a magical inn in Cornwall as they hunt down a magical artefact is just as perplexing as the cheerful witch herself.

When their attraction for each other grows, Becca and Connor question everything they have been taught – and soon the missing artefact isn’t the only thing they are searching for. As love collides with duty, it’s clear that sometimes you need to be careful what you witch for…

Amazon UK

The Reveal …

Well? Isn’t that a stunner?A beautiful book, inside and out!! Out October!

#Coverreveal Murder at the Pirate Festival by Abigail Yardimci @AbigailYardimci

Squee!! Another day, another gorgeous cover reveal!! Again from an author whose books I’ve devoured, books very different to anything I’ve read, romances that were something akin to Eat, Pray, Love, stunningly beautiful.

And so onto this, a total genre hop, it looks like, and something I can’t wait to check out!

What they say:

One dead pirate girl. Thousands of eye-patched witnesses. A whole Devonshire town struggling to believe it was murder.

Teenager Paulie Trinket dreams of popularity. After she witnesses something at Berryport’s annual Pirate Festival that could prove local golden girl, Tanya Withers, was murdered, she sees a chance to achieve her dream.

But making herself heard in this small harbour town isn’t easy. When Paulie discovers Berryport’s only detective has retired, she decides to investigate herself. Soon Tanya’s tycoon boyfriend starts acting shady, and Paulie’s offbeat inquiry style lands her a whole new circle of friends she didn’t even ask for.

With a college counsellor hounding her about her ADHD, sudden interest from Hollywood movie-makers, and the threat of her aunt’s bakery business going under, genuine friendship feels more unreachable than ever. Will uncovering the truth about Tanya really be worth it? Or could Paulie’s chance at happiness disappear like a pirate ship lost on a stormy sea?

​Can solving a murder change your life?

​How one teenager’s dreams of popularity rely on solving a murder of swashbuckling proportions.

A totally unputdownable cosy mystery with Devonshire pirate festival vibes

​Murder at the Pirate Festival is the first book in the Berryport Mysteries.

Don’t miss this fun and captivating cozy page-turner. If you loved ‘The Agathas’ by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson, you’ll adore Paulie’s swashbuckling adventure in the Devonshire town of Berryport.

Buy Murder at the Pirate Festival and unlock Berryport’s mysteries today!

​And definitely do go buy! Can’t wait for this! Time to let you see the cover so …

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… (suspense;))

Oops, no, sorry, going to tell you about the author first!

About the author

Abigail Yardimci is an author of feel-good contemporary fiction as well as cosy murder mystery. She enjoys creating down-to-earth characters and scratching the surface of her own everyday life to find the underlying magic that connects us all.

Abigail is a neurodiverse Geordie girl living by the sea in Devon with her Turkish husband and two terrifying kids. She gets her kicks through mindful parenting styles, creative living and chocolate.

Email: info@abigailyardimci.com

Web: www.abigailyardimci.com

FB: AbigailYardimci

Insta: @abigailyardimciauthor

X: @AbigailYardimci

TikTok: @abigailyardimci_author

Now!

Isn’t that fab looking?! Seriously cannot wait!!!

The book will be released on Thursday 2nd May 2024 and is available for pre-order now!

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#Coverreveal The Car Share by Lucy Mitchell @LucyMitchAuth

What an evening to reveal a fab cover from one of the sparkliest rom com writers out there!!!

What they say: Embark on a heart-warming romantic journey in this delightful comedy that proves it doesn’t matter where you’re going—it’s who you have beside you on the way . . .

After Lia’s old car breathes its last, the single mum must reluctantly take the bus to work . . . and face unwarranted attention from a troublesome teenager. It’s all too much to take—she’s been depressed since her fiancé’s death and even quit her beloved women’s football team. But it’s Happy Car Sharers to the rescue after her friends get her set up on the app.

Mateo, meanwhile, has recently moved to town, and his long walk to the train station is a literal pain due to an ankle injury. Soon he and Lia are riding each morning with a charmingly bossy driver and a rotation of colorful fellow passengers.

It’s not love at first sight. Technically it’s not even first sight: they’ve seen each other before at the nursing home where both their fathers live and Mateo plays piano for the residents. But with each trip they get to know each other better . . . and the more they know, the more they find to like.

With both of them consumed by personal losses and pressing family responsibilities—and another man getting in the way—can romance lie on the road ahead for these commuting companions?

The Car Share is a humorous exploration of love, loss, and the unexpected detours that lead us to where we truly belong.

Amazon UK
Oh my wow, now doesn’t that sound and look so fab?! Can’t wait!!

The Teacher’s Secret by Lauren North @bookouture

The Review:

On a sunny Friday afternoon, beloved teacher Mrs. Walker and her eight-year-old son wave goodbye to their friends in the school playground. But they never make it home…

It’s only been a week, but the bright little faces at the picture-perfect school I’ve stepped into have captured my heart. Their big doe eyes, their paint-covered fingers and clinging hugs. They’ve been through so much, with their favourite teacher and classmate still missing…

I’m doing all I can to help them adjust, but I can’t avoid the swirling rumours that say Cate Walker’s charismatic husband, Oliver – our headteacher – is involved in her disappearance. The thought makes me shudder. But the more I find out about Cate, the more I wonder if she was also hiding a terrible secret…

I’m determined to uncover the truth about what really happened. I have to protect these other innocent children from the same fate – it’s my duty as their teacher.

That is, until an anonymous note turns up threatening me if I don’t stop looking. Until my home is broken into while I sleep.

I know the longer I stay here, the more danger I’m in.

But whoever’s trying to scare me doesn’t know who I am – or why I’m really here.

Or just how far I’ll go to protect the people I love…

The Review: Another day, another ‘no I can’t go to sleep until I’ve figured out the ending’ book! This is the story of Lexi, who has just arrived as a substitute teacher at a prestigious school, and Oliver, the headteacher, who’s wife and child are gone missing.

There are a range of characters, some very bitter and negative indeed, and the fab setting of the school as we alternate between the two characters, the author cleverly not letting us know if this is a murder mystery or a missing person case.

I was well and truly hooked with this book, and enjoyed both the slow burn and the breadcrumbs laid. I’ll admit I hated the ending, but that was because my crazy brain had decided what I wanted to happen (I know- I write rom com. I have no right to decide what I want a thriller writer to do!!!)

All in all a very satisfying book and I’ll be going back to read some of the author’s other books! Thanks for the early copy from the publisher and Netgalley.
Rating: 5/5