General Fiction – Page 4 – Best Crime Books and More

A New Happy Place by Ruth Hanna

51EgaF231NL Synopsis: How do you get your mojo back when you’ve got a broken heart?

Violet is a seamstress who has big dreams of designing her own wedding gowns and opening her own bridal shop. But things fall apart when she finds Philip, her boyfriend, in a compromising position with one of her colleagues.

Violets decides it is time to go back home to her eccentric mother and particular father, Fred. And after wallowing, Violet decides to re-evaluate her life, put the past behind her, and search for happiness.

She meets with old friends and builds an unlikely friendship with a group of zany women from her mother’s Zumba class.

With the help of her friends, old and new, Violet begins to rebuild her life. Then she meets the handsome Ben Matthews and there is instant chemistry. But with life throwing up yet more problems, their relationship is put to the test.

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: I picked this book up having no idea that I had never read this author before, I can assure you after finishing it Ruth Hanna is going straight up the list of authors to read in the future. Violet is our main character but her life literally falls apart when she finds her boyfriend in a compromising position. She decides to up sticks and go back to her parents Violet and Fred.

This book I read in just two sittings over two days and absolutely loved every page. I was truly disappointed when I had finished it. Violet and her parents are such great characters to read about and I loved the setting, where they lived along with all the other featuring characters. The crazy golden girls of the village at their Zumba class and then the wonderful Ben Matthews! This book was a sheer pleasure to read and I would highly recommend it, a true feel good read!

Happiness for Beginners by Carole Matthews

51FFIP5HAYL Synopsis: Molly Baker is living her best life.

Thirty-eight years old, she lives on the twenty-five-acre Hope Farm in Buckinghamshire, surrounded by (mostly) four-legged friends and rolling hills. There’s Anthony the anti-social sheep, Tina Turner the alpaca with attitude, and the definitely-not-miniature pig, Teacup.

Molly runs the farm as an alternative school for kids who haven’t thrived in mainstream education. It’s full on, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. So when the well-groomed Shelby Dacre turns up at Hope Farm asking to enrol his son Lucas, Molly isn’t fazed.

But Lucas is distant and soon Molly realises he might be more of a handful than she anticipated. And then there’s the added problem that his dad is distractingly handsome. Molly has her beloved farm to think of – could letting Lucas and Shelby in be a terrible mistake, or the start of something wonderful?

My Rating: 3/5

My Review: I have been reading Carole Matthews for over 20 years and rarely dislike a book she writes. I certainly didn’t dislike this book but it just wasn’t as good as some of her other books. The main character Molly just seemed a little flat and to be honest a little annoying. Shelby is the other main character and I didn’t feel like he was any more endearing. A well known actor with a son who he frankly couldn’t be bothered to look after. Therefore he drops him at Hope Farm where Molly runs the place with the help of her colleagues Bev and Alan.

The story was okay and it was certainly an easy read. However it was super predicatble and along with the fact I didn’t care for the characters meant I just wasn’t that bothered what happened. I finished it but being totally truthful it was just unmemorable and I couldn’t help but feel a little dissapointed.

500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan

Jenny Colgan Synopsis: Lissa loves her job as a nurse, but recently she’s been doing a better job of looking after other people than looking after herself. After a traumatic incident at work leaves her feeling overwhelmed, she agrees to swap lives with someone in a quiet village in Scotland.

Cormac is restless. Just out of the army, he’s desperately in need of distraction, and there’s precious little of it in Kirrinfief. Maybe three months in London is just what he needs.

As Lissa and Cormac warm to their new lives, emailing back and forth about anything and everything, finally things seem to be falling into place. But each of them feel there’s still a piece missing. What – or who – could it be?

My Rating:3/5

My Review: I am weirdly shocked by how indifferent I felt about this book. I am a HUGE fan of Jenny Colgan books and normally devour them but for some reason this one just didn’t hit the mark. There are a few books I think featuring this part of Scotland and from memory I enjoyed them but again they weren’t maybe favourites of hers that I recall. Lissa is the main character and she is a nurse who is involved in a traumatic incident at work. This is the catalyst for her being asked by her work to do a placement swap meaning she would swap homes and jobs with somebody up in Scotland.

Cormac is the person Lissa ends up swapping with and as Lissa moves to the small village up in Scotland, Cormac makes his way to London. Don’t get me wrong the story was okay and I didn’t dislike this book but it just didn’t feel like JC other books. It didn’t flow as well and frankly I didn’t really care what happened to the characters. I am struggling to find many positives within this as it just felt the opposite of everything I normally feel when I read one of her books. I can only hope this was just one of those books I didn’t gel with and the next one returns to her usual kind of book that I love

One Night on Ice by Mandy Baggot

Synopsis: When routine-driven box office assistant, Samantha Smith, meets the stars of Skating on Broadway her life is turned upside down.

Immediately attracted to lead skater, Jimmy Lloyd, Samantha does her best to deny her feelings. But when all you can do is burst out laughing and hyperventilate every time you’re under pressure, keeping things under wraps is a hard task.

When the future of her beloved Civic Hall is threatened, Samantha must rise to the challenge to ensure its survival. Constantly scrutinised and criticised by her zany sister Cleo and her brogue-wearing boyfriend Jeremy, can Samantha save her job, save the Civic Hall and stop her panic attacks just long enough to give away her heart?

My Rating: 4/5

My Review: I really enjoy Mandy Baggot books and realised it had been way too long so I picked up this one as it was from back in 2019. I have read a fair few crime and thrillers so I needed something a little more light hearted. Samantha Smith is a pretty neurotic, socially challenged and complex character but for some reason one I liked a lot almost from the get go. She works as a box-office assistant for the Civic Hall and takes her job very seriously (like she does with most of her life).

The Civic Centre is hosting a show with the celebrity lead skater Jimmy Lloyd. Of course Samantha’s interests only seem to stretch as far as her beloved job so when their is the threat of the Centre closing she goes to pieces. The other character in this story other than Sam and Jimmy is Sam’s sister Cleo. Cleo is everything that Sam isn’t and is actually a decent balancing character for the book.

This isn’t one of my absolute favoruites by this author but was certainly a really good book that I thoroughloy enjoyed. It’s light-hearted and funny and such an easy read. I have yet to be dissapointed by any of Mandy Baggot’s and this is no exception.

Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen by Tilly Tennant

Cathys Christmas Kitchen Synopsis: As the snow flutters down in the little village of Linnetford, escape to a cosy farmhouse kitchen, scented with the rich aromas of fruitcake and gingerbread, where a love of baking is about to unite two lonely hearts…

Cathy cooked at her mother’s side her whole life and could bake a fairy cake before she could ride a bike. Now she is facing her first Christmas without her beloved mother, she’s determined to use her memories for something positive. She decides to organise a weekly cooking class, sharing her mother’s precious recipes with other lonely souls.

There’s just one small spanner in the works: teenager Tansy, who attends Cathy’s classes even though she’s rude to everyone there and seems to hate every minute. Cathy is poised to ask Tansy to leave, but her uncle, physiotherapist Matt, begs her to give the teenager another chance. And Cathy can’t resist Matt’s sparkling hazel eyes and incredibly kind heart… Continue reading “Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen by Tilly Tennant”

A Wedding at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry

51ECsq-5CQL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_ Synopsis: Escape to Everdene Sands, where the sun is shining – but is the tide about to turn?

Robyn and Jake are planning their dream wedding at the family beach hut in Devon. A picnic by the turquoise waves, endless sparkling rosé and dancing barefoot on the golden sand . . .

But Robyn is more unsettled than excited. She can’t stop thinking about the box she was given on her eighteenth birthday, and the secrets it contains. Will opening it reveal the truth about her history – and break the hearts of the people she loves most?

As the big day arrives, can everyone let go of the past and step into a bright new future?

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: I haven’t read a VH book in way too long so scoured through my Kindle as I knew I had some unread ones and started this little gem. I have read the other Beach Hut Books and loved them all so was really hoping that this would be just as good. Thankfully it was all that and more!

Robyn and Jake are excited at their upcoming wedding and are busy planning for the big day. However, Robyn has to unravel the secrets of her past without upsetting her family and she decides to ask advice from her friend Gwen (who I LOVE and I totally think should have her own book!).

All of the various family members make an appearance and elements of their own lives are revealed and interweaved within Robyn and Jake’s story. This book I read in just two sittings over one day and was so dissapointed I read it so quickly.

Although there are bittersweet moments in the book this was absolutely captivating from start to finish and I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t reccomend this book highly enough and think it is a must read for anyone who enjoys this genre.

The Waffle House on The Pier by Tilly Tennant

Synopsis: Run away to Sea Salt Bay, where the sand is warm and soft, the sea is a perfect blue, and a candy-coloured waffle house is about to change Sadie’s life…

For as long as she can remember, Sadie’sgrandparents have run the waffle house on the pier at Sea Salt Bay. With its pretty painted chairs, sweet smells, and the warm advice of her beloved grandparents, the waffle house is like a second home

But when Sadie’s grandfather dies, leaving her grandmother without an anchor, Sadie must make a difficult decision. She quits her job and moves back home, determined to keep things going. The trouble is, she knows nothing about running a business, and learning at a million miles an hour with a shop full of hungry people isn’t easy. When she nearly burns the waffle house down, she has to admit she needs to get some help. Continue reading “The Waffle House on The Pier by Tilly Tennant”

Sunny Days and Sea Breezes by Carole Matthews

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Synopsis: Jodie Jackson is all at sea, in every sense.

On a ferry bound for the Isle of Wight, she’s leaving her London life, her career, and her husband behind. She’d like a chance to turn back the clocks, but she’ll settle for some peace and quiet on her brother Bill’s beautifully renovated houseboat, Sunny DaysBut from the moment Jodie steps aboard her new home, it’s clear she’ll struggle to keep herself to herself.

Jodie soon delights in her newfound freedom. But out of mind isn’t out of sight, and when her old life comes knocking Jodie is forced to face reality. Will she answer the call or choose a life filled with Sunny Days and Sea Breezes?

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: My god, even after the years she has spent writing Carole Matthews just has that something special. Jodie is a character that I liked immediately and at the very early stages all we know is she is going to the Isle of Wight to spend some time alone. She is lucky enough to not only work for her brother, but to be able to stay at his recently renovated houseboat named Sunny Days.

Once there her wish to be left alone is completely ignored…enter Marilyn…the second star of this book! She is a cleaner her brther has employed and she is one woman positivity showboat. Jodie is reluctantly forced to explore life on the island by Marilyn and makes friends along the way invluding her neighbour Ned, the beach statueman George and Ida the owner of the beach cafe.

The story is wonderful and frankly made me want to pack a bag and jump on a ferry. This book was an absolute delight to read andI was truly dissapointed to finish it. I would love to see another book set here in the future!

The Wish by Alex Brown

Synopsis The touching and emotional new novel from the No.1 bestselling author of The Great Christmas Knit-Off and The Secret of Orchard Cottage

Sam Morgan knows he messed up with his wife Chrissie and daughter Holly – he wasn’t there when they needed him most, but now he’ll do anything to put his family back together again. Until then, he’s back living in the picture-postcard village of Tindledale.

Jude Darling is coming home for good this time. She’s taking over the antique shop in Tindledale, the place where she grew up and she’s going to make sure she’s there for her friend, Chrissie, and Goddaughter, Holly. They certainly need her right now. Continue reading “The Wish by Alex Brown”

Kate and Clara’s Curious Cornish Craft Shop by Ali McNamara

51E3N22BwLL._SY346_ Synopsis: Kate thinks all her wishes have come true when she opens her own little craft shop in the idyllic harbour town of St Felix.

But she soon finds a mystery lingers in her new shop – a sixty-year-old love story told through beautiful paintings and intricate embroideries.

Jack, the owner of the nearby art shop, volunteers to help Kate unravel the mystery, but in doing so they realise their own lives share some uncanny similarities with Clara and Arty, their 1950s counterparts . . .

My Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Kate and Clara’s Curious Cornish Craft Shop by Ali McNamara”