Category: General Fiction

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.

DINNER PARTY BY TRACY BLOOM

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Synopsis: Never has an unexpected guest caused such chaos!
 
Three couples take it in turns to host a monthly dinner party.
Beth, Sarah and Marie have been friends forever. Now they are grown up, with busy lives, busy husbands, busy kids… but they still find time to meet up over dinner once a month. A cosy, comfortable gathering of happy couples – or so they thought.
 
Until one night, someone brings along a last-minute guest whose wife has just left him.
Simon is standing on the doorstep in floods of tears. While the women do their best to console him, their husbands feel the need to mark their territory.
 
And as Simon becomes more involved with the group, his presence changes everything these three couples thought they knew about each other, leading to a final dinner party that no-one will ever forget.
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: I tried reading this book a couple of times and couldn’t get into it and have finally got back around to trying again. The story is based around three couples who have a dinner club going. Beth and Chris, Sarah and Tony and finally Duncan and Marie. The three couple take it in turns to host a dinner party but when Chris decides to invite a friend Simon who is newly separated to one of their dinner parties things start to get interesting.
 
The overall story and writing was easy to read and flowed well. Each chapter and character revealing more and more about them all as individuals as well as couples. There were some funny moments but generally this was just a book that was okay in my opinion. Some of the characters just really irritated me and I couldn’t get my head around not liking them which made it hard to have an opinion about what happened to them. Not a terrible book but not amazing either!

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE BY PAIGE TOON

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Synopsis: HOW DO YOU FIND WHERE YOU’RE GOING, IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE FROM?
 
Angie has always wanted to travel. But at twenty-seven, she has barely stepped outside the small mining town where she was born. Instead, she discovers the world through stories told to her by passing travellers, dreaming that one day she’ll see it all for herself.
 
When her grandmother passes away, leaving Angie with no remaining family, she is ready to start her own adventures. Then she finds a letter revealing the address of the father she never knew, and realises instantly where her journey must begin: Italy.
 
As Angie sets out to find the truth – about her family, her past and who she really is – will mysterious and reckless Italian Alessandro help guide the way?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: It’s been way too long since I read a PT book so I am playing catch up and the synopsis of this caught my eye. Angie lives in Australia and has big dreams of travelling the world. Sadly she is actually pretty sheltered and spends her time caring for her Grandmother. When her Grandmother passes away Angie is given a huge opportunity and she is determined to take the chance with both hands. Angie is unravelling elements to her life and additional family she knew nothing about so her first port of call is Italy.
 
PT has a wonderful knack of being so beautifully descriptive with places that you are transported for the ride too as a reader. Angie is a lovely character and as she discovers parts of herself and her life she knew nothing about you can see her growing as a person before your very eyes. Having read a fair few heavy crime thrillers lately this was a fabulous read that really took me out of the depressing dark places of those kind of books and took me on holiday! I managed to knock this book out in two sittings as it was so enjoyable. Going back to tried and tested authors that you know and love is a lovely feeling when you need a certain kind of book for your mood. A real pick me up book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

COMING HOME TO GLENDALE HALL BY VICTORIA WALTERS (GLENDALE #1)

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Synopsis: Beth Williams hasn’t been home for ten years. After falling pregnant at sixteen, she ran away from her family and the imposing Scottish estate where she grew up, working hard to build a life for herself and daughter Isabelle – but now she’s returning to Glendale Hall.
As Beth tries to mend her broken family ties, and fights to bring the community of Glendale back together, she realises that the story she has told herself for a decade might well be a very different one from the truth. Even though she ran from Glendale it has never left her heart. And, she soon realises, neither has Drew – Beth’s first love.
Will Beth be able to forgive her mother and grandmother (and herself) for what happened ten years ago? What will Drew say when he discovers the secret she’s been keeping from him for so long? Can a festive trail bring the village back together?
Will returning to Glendale bring back the old magic that she’s been missing – or will Beth be forced to run away from it all over again?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: Beth is our lead character for this book by Victoria Walters (my first book by this author) and we see her making her way back home to Glendale Hall in Scotland. She is with her daughter Isabelle and is only making the trip at the insistence of her Father as her Grandmother is terminally ill. With the weather in the UK currently turning more and more gloomy this sort of setting was perfect to get me in the (dare I say it) Christmas mood. It is clear from the outset that Beth’s family are very fractured however it takes some time to unwind all of the dark secrets that people were holding on to.
 
Glendale Hall and the village it is set in sound both beautiful and magical. The characters that are introduced all played their part on making this book feel very homely. Beth manages to catch up with her school friend Heather along with Sally who works at the Hall and has done all through Beth’s childhood. I don’t want to elaborate too much more on the storyline as that would spoil it for other people. What I did love was the sense of community, friendship and love that this book portrayed and I absolutely loved it. No sooner had I finished the last page I had downloaded the second book set in the same place! Hooray! A fabulous book especially for the dreary winter months and I absolutely loved it! I am so pleased to add another fabulous author to my list of must reads!

MOONLIGHT OVER MUDDLEFORD COVE BY KIM NASH

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Synopsis: When thirty-four-year-old Nellie Wagstaff loses her job and discovers her fiancé is a cheating scumbag, she feels like her world has come crashing down. And that’s before the solicitor’s letter, informing her of her Aunty Lil‘s death.
 
Heartbroken, Nellie escapes to the beautiful seaside town of Muddleford in Dorset, where she discovers she’s inherited her aunt’s beach house, along with a gorgeous beach hut just for starters and finally meets the mysterious Norman who stole her Aunty Lil’s heart. Childhood memories of Muddleford come flooding back: long hot summers, the sea glistening beyond the sandy cove… and a stolen kiss with a boy called Jack.
 
Jack, now a devilishly handsome vet, has the local pet owners swooning over him, and as Nellie and he become close once more, and she gets used to gossiping with the locals and sipping wine at her beach hut with sand between her toes, she’s sure she can feel sparks flying once more. But just as she thinks she might be able to open her heart again, her newest frenemy, the glamorous Natalia, tells her a secret about Jack that changes everything.
 
Nellie will never know why her mother and aunt parted ways. She’ll sell the house, forget about Jack, and get back to real life. Because there’s nothing for her in Muddleford… is there?
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: Seeing as I read a lot of crime, thriller and mystery books I love to break it up with a good romantic or funny book, and when I realised I had the new Kim Nash book on my Kindle I was thrilled. A little bit of escapism was just what I needed. However I didn’t realise how much I would love this book. Nellie Wagstaff in the first chapter seems a little bit of a pushover if I’m being honest. However after the first few chapters I just fell in love with her. Nellie starts the day by having a job, a boyfriend, a wedding to plan and a house she shares with that boyfriend Callum. By the end of the day she has lost her job and her boyfriend and has no idea what to do. Her best friend Shivani (who I absolutely adored) is the one person who has her back while she wallows in her extremely bad fortune and figures out what she needs to do next.
 
When she receives a letter from a solicitor informing her of the death of her Auntie Lil she is in shock, however decides to go down to Dorest to speak with the solicitors. When she realises that her Auntie Lil has left her estate solely to Nellie she is in shock. She has to decide where her life goes from here and whether she decides to stay in a place she loved as a child and maybe get back in touch with her oldest friend from childhood.
 
This story is like a hot cup of tea and cake on a miserable and rainy day. I absolutely loved everything about it. The characters, the setting (Muddleford Cove sounds amazing), the story and everything in-between. Kim Nash is fast becoming the author in this genre I turn to, on the miserable days I need cheering up. Thoroughly recommend this book and this author if you love this genre.

CHASING THE ITALIAN DREAM BY JO THOMAS

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Synopsis: A summer escape she’ll never forget . . .
 
Lucia has worked hard as a lawyer in Wales, aiming for a big promotion she hopes will shortly come her way. Finally taking a well-earned break at her grandparents’ house in southern Italy, the sunshine, lemon trees and her nonna’s mouth-watering cooking make her instantly feel at home.
 
But she’s shocked to learn that her grandfather is retiring from the beloved family pizzeria and will need to sell. Lucia can’t bear the thought of the place changing hands – especially when she discovers her not-quite-ex-husband Giacomo wants to take it over!
 
Then bad news from home forces Lucia to re-evaluate what she wants from life. Is this her chance to carry on the family tradition and finally follow her dreams?
 
Kat’s Rating: 4/5
 
Kat’s Review: Jo Thomas is certainly becoming one my favourite easy to read and pure escapism type of author. This latest book I have read of hers is no different. With the weather turning to Autumn here in the UK at the moment it was the perfect time to pull out a book with a cover as inviting as this one.
 
Lucia our main character is an Italian and Welsh girl who gave it all up in Italy and stayed in Wales to pursue her own career in law. When she leaves her job for her annual visit back to Italy to see family she is excited to catch up with her Grandparents. What she hadn’t planned on was arriving to find that the family business was being sold as her Grandfather plans his retirement.
 
As with other Jo Thomas novels she actually takes you to the place. Her beautiful descriptions literally transport me to the destination of choice and I feel like I am sitting front row watching all the characters. Lucia is a likeable character (but not one of my favorite’s JT has created) along with plenty of others including Lucia’s estranged husband Giacomo.
 
The plot wasn’t particularly surprising but that made it no less enjoyable and I look forward to reading any other books of hers I have yet to read. A definite recommendation from me!

CORNISH CLOUDS AND SILVER LINING SKIES BY ALI MCNAMARA

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Synopsis: Sky monitors her life like she does the weather, carefully and with a scientific eye. So, when she misses out on her dream job abroad and finds herself with no choice but to take a position on a tidal island off the Cornish harbour town of St Felix instead, she feels completely at sea. Worse still, she has to work alongside TV weatherman Sonny Samuels, who barely knows his storms from his tsunamis.
 
It doesn’t take long for Sky to become enchanted by the strange weather patterns over St Felix. Sonny is convinced they link to local folklore, but Sky knows her science too well to fall for that. Until she meets Walter, a local weather watcher with no qualifications beyond a lifetime of experience and Sky is forced to question everything she thought she knew about the weather, herself… and Sonny.
 
Kat’s Rating: 5/5
 
Kat’s Review: I absolutely love Ali McNamara books and was thrilled that I loved this one as much as I have loved most of her other books. Sky is a meteorologist who has been send to work in St Felix on Aurora Island. She gets there and expects to be working with just Talia a trainee but soon realises that the famous TV weatherman Sonny Samuels is also there for the duration. I read this book in literally two sittings and absolutely loved every bit of it. We get to see Sky slowly reveal her reasons for her mysterious symptoms surrounding her health. As Sky takes the journey we also get to see her develop a friendship with Sonny which started out as the complete opposite. I loved being back in St Felix with new characters as well as some older ones making appearances. There is a wonderfully magic way that Ali McNamara incorporates sensitive topics into beautiful storylines and this book is a wonderful read that I would have no hesitation in recommending.

RETREAT TO THE SPANISH SUN BY JO THOMAS

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Synopsis: Eliza has a full house! When her three children grew up and moved out, she downsized to a smaller property… but now they’re all back. Every room in the house is taken and Eliza finds herself sharing her bed with her eldest daughter and her daughter’s pug. Combined with the online course she’s trying to finish, plus her job to fit in, there just isn’t the peace and quiet that Eliza needs.
 
So when an ad pops up on her laptop saying ‘house-sitters wanted’, Eliza can’t resist the chance to escape. She ends up moving to a rural finca in southern Spain, looking after the owner’s Iberico pigs, learning about secret gastronomic societies… and finding a new zest for life and love along the way.
 
Kat’s Rating: 3/5
 
Kat’s Review: Eliza is a mum with three grown up children, however Eliza has had enough and needs a break from real life. She decides on a whim to sign up to be a house-sitter and as luck would have it somebody is in need of a house-sitter for a farmhouse in Spain. Eliza packs up her things and leaves her adult children to it, determined to make the most of the few weeks of peace enabling her to finish an online course she is currently working on.
 
When she arrives to the house, the owner is somewhat abrupt but Eliza sees him off and is left in charge of the beautiful house and two dogs. Eliza is a nice enough character to read about, and I have certainly enjoyed all the Jo Thomas books I have read before this one. However, for some reason there was an element of disbelief to this story. Don’t get me wrong it didn’t make the book any less enjoyable it just didn’t quite live up to her other books I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.
 
There are a few funny moments as Eliza manages to get herself into quite a predicament whilst doing something as simple as house sitting. Stolen prized hams, ex-pat Spanish language classes and tapas bars make for some amusing scenes and likeable additional characters. This was still a reasonably enjoyable book that is perfect getaway material, maybe just not quite as enjoyable as some of her other books.