General Fiction – Best Crime Books and More

Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond

Synopsis: A chance encounter in New York City. A great love story on the cusp of beginning. And then he was gone.

For Lara and her daughter Eliza, it has always been just the two of them. But when Eliza turns eighteen and wants to connect with her father, Lara is forced to admit a secret that she has been keeping from her daughter her whole life.

Eliza needs answers – and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store…

Anything Could Happen is a warm, wise, funny and uplifting novel about love, second chances and the unexpected and extraordinary paths life can take us down.

MY RATING: 4/5

MY REVIEW: I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the begining to the very last page. Lara is a single mother and her grown up daughter Eliza is soon to turn 18. What she didn’t account for was Eliza questioning more details on her birth Father. As far as Eliza is aware Steve is her Father and he is largely absent from her life. When Eliza gets a bombshell dropped regarding her real father it sets off a chain reaction and both her and Lara have no clue how things will turn out.

Now don’t get me wrong I have read this kind of story over the years in a variety of ways and there was absolutely nothing wrong with this story, but it’s just wasn’t a book that I was blown away with. That small niggle aside Lucy Diamond has a real knack with storytelling and I was absolutely compelled to find out what happens with both Lara and Eliza. I wasn’t overly keen on Eliza as a character which is unusual (normally I am a fan of characters LD creates) but the story and writing totally made the book worthwhile.

Overall a very enjoyable and escapist kind of read, and it’s made me ensure all my unread Lucy Diamond books get pushed further up the ‘to-read’ pile.

A Home at Cornflower Cottage by Tilly Tennant

61047827 Synopsis: Amelie has lived in Cornflower Cottage since she was born. She did her homework at the scrubbed kitchen table and helped her mum hang washing from the line on the old oak tree in the garden. And when her beloved parents died, Cornflower Cottage became Amelie’s armour against the world.

The trouble is that Cornflower Cottage is too big for just her. With a broken boiler and a leaking roof, Amelie knows she must do something to make ends meet. When she meets Xander, a scruffy, brown-eyed nature documentary maker living out of his backpack in a nearby hotel, Amelie rents him a room, hoping a lodger will solve her problems.

She soon realises that her troubles are only just beginning. Xander’s muddy clothes all over the cottage and early morning jaunts to photograph otters are going to take some getting used to. But when an argument turns into a heart-to-heart, she finds herself confessing how lonely she has been.

Before long, laughter echoes round the cosy farmhouse kitchen once more and sparks begin to fly. But when a face from Xander’s past appears at Cornflower Cottage Amelie’s happy home is shaken once more. Xander has changed Amelie’s quiet country life forever. Should she open her heart to someone who has hidden things from her? Or let him leave, and lose the love that makes her house a home?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: It’s been a fair while since I read a Tilly Tennant book and this one sounded up my street so I dove in. Amelie is living in her childhood home following the death of her parents. She is determined to never leave and is constantly struggling. Cornflower Cottage is her safe place and one that she is determined to keep. The problem is that the house is falling apart and her job doesn’t exactly pay tons so she decides to take drastic action.

At first Amelie decides to try the extra shifts at the local hotel she works in but it soon becomes apparent that isn’t going to cut it. That is until she meets Xander who is pretty much lodging at the hotel Amelie works in. Before she knows it she has offered Xander and his girlfriend lodging at her cottage. Her boyfriend Decker isn’t pleased to find that Amelie has rented out a room at the cottage but frankly I was glad as I couldn’t stand him. As a character he was just one big red flag!!! This was a nice feelgood and easy read which reminded me why I enjoy Tilly’s books. This was certainly a pleasure to read and I would reccomend it for sure.

The Mother of All Christmases by Milly Johnson

The Mother of All Christmase Synopsis: Eve Glace – co-owner of the theme park Winterworld – is having a baby and her due date is a perfectly timed 25th December. And she’s decided that she and her husband Jacques should renew their wedding vows with all the pomp that was missing the first time. But growing problems at Winterworld keep distracting them …

Annie Pandoro and her husband Joe own a small Christmas cracker factory, and are well set up and happy together despite life never blessing them with a much-wanted child. But when Annie finds that the changes happening to her body aren’t typical of the menopause but pregnancy, her joy is uncontainable.

Palma Collins has agreed to act as a surrogate, hoping the money will get her out of the gutter in which she finds herself. But when the couple she is helping split up, is she going to be left carrying a baby she never intended to keep?

Annie, Palma and Eve all meet at the ‘Christmas Pudding Club’, a new directive started by a forward-thinking young doctor to help mums-to-be mingle and share their pregnancy journeys. Will this group help each other to find love, contentment and peace as Christmas approaches?

My Rating: 3/5

My Review: It’s been quite some time since I have read a Milly Johnson book and needed a break from the crime so picked this one up and was looking forward to it. I have to be completely honest and say I wasn’t blown away by this particular book which is a shame as I have absolutely loved some of her other books.

This book is based on three women brought together by their membership of the Christmas Pudding Club (a club for women expecting a baby around Christmas). Eve Glace, Annie Pandoro and Palma Collins are the three characters who we get meet and delve into their lives. The first few chpaters for some reason felt a little hard going with the introduction of the people in these womens lives. Once I got to grips with everybody the story certainly flowed but I couldn’t really get into the storyline and I actually don’t know why.

The story overall was okay but for some reason I couldn’t quite gel with it and didn’t much care what happened to the characters. I think I may well have dulled certain senses in my brain by reading too much crime fiction. I will no doubt return to this author at a later date….

Finding Family at The Cornish Cove by Kim Nash

Finding Family Cornish Cove Synopsis: Family is everything…

For years, Gemma has been running her late mother’s café with devotion, and when an opportunity comes to buy out her next-door neighbour and expand, she jumps at the chance.

She knows she will do her mother proud – keep her legacy going strong – but deep down she knows there’s still something missing.

But sometimes family are those you choose, or those who choose you! With a growing community of supporters cheering Gemma on, will she really spend the rest of her life alone? And with some new faces at her blossoming bistro, perhaps romance may also be on the cards?

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: Urghhh I wish I could just continuously read about this village and never stop it just lifts my spirits every time I read a book by Kim Nash! Her last book introduced us to Meredith who impulsively brought a lighthouse in Driftwood Bay in Cornwall. That first book not only introduced us to Meredith and Clem (the guy that renovated the lighthouse for her), but to other villagers and one of those was Gemma.

Gemma is the main focus of this book but even from the beginning I loved the fact we got updates on all the other characters living in Driftwood Bay. Gemma owns a cafe which was once owned by her Mother and she has the opportunity to expand. It’s a big leap but one she is willing to take. She didn’t quite bank on the issues she would run into when trying to get her dream to reality. There uis a newbie in town, Jude Adams and his daughter Occy ends up working for Gemma. Occy was a brilliant character and one that I warmed to instantly.

We get to learn a lot more about Gemma’s own life and her close relationship with her sister Lucy, who runs the local B&B with her husband. This book truly was an absolute gem. I read it in one day and around two sittings and rarely stopped for breath. An utterly enchanting read and I am absolutely gutted that I have to wait to read the next one. If you need a big fat hug and a feel good read this is the one for you!

Hopeful Hearts at Cornish Cove by Kim Nash

Hopeful Hearts Synopsis:

A perfect new start in Cornwall…

Meredith’s life is at a standstill. She’s stuck in a dead-end job, approaching fifty, and her dating life is a string of disasters. But one evening, while browsing the internet, she sees an ad for a lighthouse, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she makes a ridiculous bid for it.

With the help of local handyman Clem, she sets about renovating. And as they work together, a bond begins to form. But when Meredith finds out that Clem is keeping a secret from her, it changes everything. Will they find a way to build something more meaningful together?

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: I am primarly a crime and thriller reader but I adore this genre as its more escapist and light hearted and although I don’t read this genre often I certainly have my favourites and go-to authors. For more than 25 years I have relied upon authors such as Carol Matthews, Jill Mansell and more recently authors such as Paige Toon and Jo Thomas. However, Kim Nash is now pretty much the top of that list now. Her books are guaranteed feel good reads and somehow I ending up falling in love with the places she writes about and the people living there. Hopeful Hearts is absolutely no different.

Meredith is your average and ordinary woman but as she approaches fifty she makes one rather rash and impulsive decision which sort of changes everything for her. She brought a lighthouse without even seeing it and it means a move down to Cornwall. First off I really loved Meredith, I think as a fourty something woman I am sick of reading about women in their twenties! It is so refreshing to see women my own sort of age as the lead in a book. Meredith is very likeable but as soon as she moves down to Cornwall you just know she has made a mistake.

Once she arrives a whole manner of things of happen from having a disagreement with a local as soon as she gets there to realising she has to work on this lighthouse from top to bottom. The characters that make appearances throughout this book from Clem who ends up renovating the lighthouse with Meredith, to Lucy and Gemma, to Violet….all the locals make an appearance and they all form part of this amazing story set in Driftwood Bay.

I was completely engrossed with the story and characters and soon realised that I had read the book in a day and a half and felt bereft. Thankfully I had book two ready to go also set in Driftwood Bay and featuring characters we have already met (thank goodness). I really can’t explain why but these books are a sheer joy to read and just have that magic touch which enable you as the reader to completely lose yourself. I absolutely LOVED this book and would highly reccomend it to anybody.

THE MINUTE I SAW YOU BY PAIGE TOON

41fGhhExpvL Synopsis: Attraction is easy… Falling in love can be hard

When Hannah meets Sonny, she’s irresistibly drawn to him: he’s sexy and confident, but only in town on holiday. That’s fine with Hannah – she doesn’t do long-term relationships. And luckily for her, neither does Sonny. But before they can even so much as kiss, Sonny receives some shocking news and commits to making serious life changes – ones that can’t and won’t include romance.

With even a short fling now off the cards, Hannah and Sonny settle for being friends. But as summer hots up and their chemistry shows no signs of cooling, they start to question their reasons for shutting each other out.

Are they both too broken to find love? And if they tear down the walls between them, will they still like what’s on the other side?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I generally really enjoy Paige Toon books and this one was no different, however the subject matter within the storyline was very sensitive but was dealt with incredibly well by the author. Hannah is house sitting for her uncle and also looking after his dog Bertie. She has a job working at the opticians in town which she thoroughly enjoys. However, when she meets Sonny she has instant chemistry with him. However, it becomes clear pretty quickly that both Hannah and Sonny each have their demons to deal with.

The reason behind Hannah’s reluctance for a relationship was very unexpected and was not something I can recall reading in a fictional book before and this made it all the more enjoyable to read about. I don’t want to say too much more for fear of spoling the plot. In addition to Hannah, Sonny is also reluctant to engage in any kind of relationship due to his past. The nice thing about this book is how each character’s past is revealed. It’s done very slowly and with compassion by the author. I felt like this had an overall different feel to other Paige Toon books I have read but it wasn’t any less enjoyable.

A CORNISH SUMMER BY CATHERINE ALLIOTT

Synopsis: Flora’s been in love with her husband for twenty years. The trouble is, he’s been married to someone else for the past fifteen . . .

A summer on Cornwall’s sandy beaches sounds like the perfect getaway.

Except Flora finds she’ll be spending it with her former scheming mother-in-law, ex-husband and his new wife . . .

Can she survive the summer playing happy families?

Could a holiday romance help her finally get over her him?

And will stumbling on the family secret change her mind about them all?

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: It’s been quite some time since I have read a Catherine Alliott book but decided to give this one a go. The basic premise doesn’t need repeating as the synopsis says it all, however this book is what I would describe as a slow burner. There are a lot of characters and it takes some time to wrap your head around all of them and what part they play.

The storyline and writing was okay but nothing that blew me away but it was reasonably enjoyable. I think the sheer volume of characters at the beginning put me off a little and although I completed the book for some reason it felt like a little bit of a chore. I finished this and didn’t feel compelled to write a review which left me conluding this as a middle of the of rating.

SNOWFLAKES OVER MUDDLEFORD COVE BY KIM NASH

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Synopsis: Love is in the air and the festive season is just around the corner at the seaside town of Muddleford.

Nellie is happily settled in her gorgeous clifftop home. Her favourite evenings are those spent at her beach hut, cozying up under a blanket with her fiancé.

There’s nothing quite like spending time together under the twinkly stars – complete with a delicious hot chocolate and her dog Norman sprawled on their feet.

But she can’t help feeling that there’s still something missing.

When Nellie meets Esme, a mysterious visitor to Muddleford, the pair of them come up with a plan to raise money for the local animal shelter, leading to the grand finale – a Christmas Ball.

But Esme’s keeping a secret about Nellie’s past that promises to throw her whole world upside down.

Will this be Nellie’s perfect Christmas for the first time in forever? Or will it turn into her worst nightmare – one that she’ll never forget?

Sometimes you have to go back to go forward.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I read Moonlight over Muddleford Cove and absolutely fell in love with the lead character Nellie along with other characters that lived in this beautiful place. When I saw that this was a follow on I made it a priority read and I am SO glad that I did. What I would say is that if you haven’t read the first book and want to then maybe don’t read the reviews for this book as they will unwillingly give away what has previously happened!

Nellie is now happily settled in Muddleford with her fiancé Jack and her dog Norman, so life is good. She is hoping that her and Jack can start a family but things don’t seem to be happening and this causes her a lot of stress. Luckily for Nellie she gets a visit from good friend Shivani and this certainly livens things up! Shivani is a character I absolutely love and think she needs her own bit of spotlight (maybe in the next book Kim???). The ladies at the WI also get a look in, along with the new young and sexy vicar Kenny so characters are again plentiful and I loved them all.

In addition a new girl Esme starts work at the dog animal shelter where Nellie works but it’s clear from the get go that Esme is hiding something. This book was even better than the first and I was once again a little heartbroken that it had finished. This book ticks all the boxes for me and I am desperately hoping this isn’t the last we see of Muddleford. I would highly recommend the first book as well as this one, you wont be disappointed!

THE CHRISTMAS WISH BY LINDSEY KELK

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Synopsis: Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker is hoping that a family Christmas – countryside, a mountain of food and festive films – will salve the sting of her career hanging by a thread and her heart being trampled on. Because everyone else has their life sorted: even Dev, her boy-next-door crush, is now a tall, dark and handsome stranger with a fiancée. She can’t help wishing her future was clearer.

Then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas day all over again. Like Groundhog Day but with turkey. And family arguments. On repeat.

As she figures out how to escape her own particular Christmas hell, Dev is the one bright spot. He might be all grown-up but underneath he’s just as kind and funny as she remembers.

Maybe, just maybe, her heart can be mended after all.

But how do you fall in love with someone who can’t remember you from one day to the next?

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: Over the years I have really enjoyed Lindsey Kelk books and was looking forward to this Christmas themed one. Gwen Baker is on her way to her Mum and Dad’s house along with her cousin Manny. Her life has gone a little bit pear shaped and she hopes that the Chritsmas break will get her mind into the right place and help her figure things out. At first the chapters ease you in and introduce to her very funny family and I was certainly enjoying it. However when Christmas Day goes terribly wrong it left you wondering what Boxing Day would bring. However when Gwen wakes up she is stuck on a Groundhog day situation and has to relive Christmas Day over and over again.

At first this seemed endearing and quirky, however this soon wore off for me and I found myself getting a little annoyed with it all. The story and writing was as ever brilliant but for me this whole Groundhog day situation just wore a little thin and I found myself wishing I had finished the book. It certainly isn’t a bad book, it’s just not my cup of tea and I will look forward to the next Lindsey Kelk book I read back in her usual style.

THEN SHE WAS GONE BY LISA JEWELL

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Synopsis: She was fifteen, her mother’s golden girl.

She had her whole life ahead of her.

And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.

Ten years on, Laurel has never given up hope of finding Ellie. And then she meets a charming and charismatic stranger who sweeps her off her feet.

But what really takes her breath away is when she meets his nine-year-old daughter.

Because his daughter is the image of Ellie.

Now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.

What really happened to Ellie? And who still has secrets to hide?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: My aim this year was to read some of the books that have been on my Kindle for ages and this one stood out. Released in 2017 it was time I gave it a try and with such good reviews I had high hopes. The story starts by introducing us to Laurel who is after ten years of her daughter going missing desperately stuck in her own grief. Laurel’s daughter Ellie had gone missing ten years prior just before her exams and Laurel still had no answers. Her remaining daughter and Son struggle to maintain a good relationship with Laurel along with her ex-husband Paul. However, she finally begins the journey of moving on once she thinks she has some answers. That is when she meets Floyd who sweeps her off her feet.

The first thing I will say and the reason that I didn’t rate this a 5 star read was that both Floyd and his daughter Poppy gave me serious ick vibes! To the point it left a sour taste in my mouth reading about them. Don’t get me wrong it’s a serious show of just how talented Lisa Jewell is as an author, but it still left me with a bad feeling. The story unfolds as we find out more about Ellie and the lead up to her disappearance. We also get to see Laurel’s relationship with Floyd progress and with it relevant parts of the story are revealed. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it reminded me of how much I enjoy this author’s books. I can see why it was a bestseller and am pleased I made the time to read it.