Book 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 . . .

Now she’s been invited to spend the summer in the shady lanes and sandy coves of Cornwall. It should be blissful.

There’s just one small snag: she’ll be staying with her former mother-in-law, Belinda.

And Flora discovers she’s not the only one invited when her ex-husband shows up out of the blue, complete with his new wife. So now there are two small snags.

Can Flora spend the summer playing happy families with the woman who stole her husband’s heart, and the mother-in-law who might have had a hand in it?

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

If you like Fern Britton, Katie Fforde and Sophie Kinsella, you’ll love this heartwarming read. 

A Cornish Summer is available in all formats now, you can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

A Cornish Summer is an entertaining and absorbing read which would be a great book to read on the beach this summer.

The author has done a fantastic job of setting the scene for this novel with Cornwall vividly brought to life so that the reader can really picture it in their minds. I loved the small details about the author includes like the busy high Street and packed pubs, which when showed from a residents point of view, shows a different view of Cornwall to what tourists would normally see.

There were some fabulous characters in this book who I loved reading about. The wonderful Roger who lives life to the max and is incredibly generous towards his community giving lots of his time and money to help improve it. In complete contrast to him is his mother in law Belinda who I loved to hate. She’s a very opinionated, snobby lady who likes to have things her way. I frequently found myself frustrated with her and on one occasion tutted out loud. I always think it shows a lot of skill from the author to make the reader have such a strong reaction to a character.

There are a few fox hunting scenes that might not be to everyone’s taste as it does give a blow by blow account of what a hunts like as the reader follows the characters as they participate in one. I didn’t feel that these were overly graphic but if you aren’t a fan you might want to skip these parts.

This is an easy, funny read that does cover a few serious themes like pollution which I thought made for a very interesting read. I enjoyed following the various themes in the book and felt very involved in the characters lives. I felt it was similar in style to Jilly Cooper so if you like her books then I think you’ll enjoy this one too.

Huge thanks to Sriya from Michael St Joseph’s for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

People often ask me if I always had a burning desire to be an author, and the honest answer is no, in fact it almost happened by accident.

I was working as a copy-writer in an ad agency and tired of writing blurb for soap powder, began writing a novel under the desk. I had no thought of publication, was just doing it to relieve the boredom, but I must say it was a bit of a shock when my boss walked in one day and said we’re not sure you’re entirely committed and gave me the sack!

Actually I think that galvanized me and I was determined to finish it. I did, but it took a while: I was working freelance, and then pregnant with my first child so it wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. When my son was born I discovered babies slept for great chunks of the day, so I revisited it, tapping it onto a computer my brother gave me. (The first draft was in long hand, I’m a complete Luddite by nature, and actually, still write my first draft into note books.)

My husband persuaded me to send it to an agent who took it – amazingly and then a few weeks later I had a publisher too. The Old Girl Network came out about a year later and the first time I saw it in a shop, I was so startled I ran out again! I’m convinced it was easier back then to get published, these days it’s far more competitive because there are so many girls doing it I’m glad I started early!

I’ve written a few more since then, but some things don’t change: I still get a thrill when I see them around. I hope you enjoy the books, I certainly have a lot of fun writing them.’

Catherine Alliott

Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for Second Skin by Sue Bentley today and I have a great extract to share with you.

Second Skin is available in ebook now for the fantastic price of £1.99. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

Before I share my extract with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

The moon was being devoured.

Estranged from birth and raised on tales of the great mountain castle of Idrith-Core, where her distant
father serves as Lord Commander and confidante of the King, Aledra Jewel-Wing was now going there to court.

As one of the Drakkoni, a race of powerful shape-shifters and conquerors of a wild land, she joins her
stepmother at the festival for all peoples. But when in attempting to save a life, Aledra shifts into her
Drakkoni Secondskin – her beautiful second soul: a giant flighted lizard with flaming breath – she breaks
an ancient oath, and the tremulous peace between the Drakkoni and Esrans is shattered.

Branded a fugitive, hunted by her father, and aided in escape by the master-mancer who raised her,
Aledra begins a journey for survival across a war-torn continent.

Extract:

After growing up on a remote farmstead Aledra is making her first visit to the famed castle she knows only by reputation. She’s a little spoiled, unworldly and has run wild on the farmstead. Her narrow views are those of her own race, the proud conquering Drakkoni. It’s a culture shock to see such a diversity of people. She is enjoying the spectacle, unaware that disaster and tragedy is about to befall her…

The clamour of voices, screeches and flashes of light roused Young-Lady Aledra Jewel-Wing from her doze. To her surprise, night had fallen. It was full-black inside the carriage, but with a faint glow of movement across the oiled window covering. Their carriage’s iron clad wheels were rumbling over an even surface and she could feel none of the jolting or stone-crunch that had made the journey such a misery. Unfastening the covering, she looked out of the side window. They were crossing a wooden drawbridge. In the wind torn flare of pitchlights, she could make out a patchwork of colour and seething movement. So many people! Some walking on foot, others in wagons and handcarts, and still others walking beside avian-drawn carts. Rubbing the journey dust from her eyes, Aledra blinked up at a towering archway flanked by huge gates. Above the archway and to either side, was an immense bulk of glossy-black stone. Vertical walls soared upwards, blotting out the stars. Idrith-Core — focus of many bedtime stories during her childhood. Larger and more imposing than she had ever imagined. The journey from the farmstead in the dry river valley, which had taken four times longer than expected, seemed a small price to pay. Never mind that a rock fall had taken them many days out of their way and they had narrowly avoided being set upon by one of the hostile tribes who stubbornly — and in her opinion, stupidly — resisted every effort to civilise them. Or that every dip and lurch over rocky track, ditch and muddy trail, had added another bruise to her aching body. Soon she would be soaking away her pains in one of the castle’s famed hot springs. Her spirits rose, as she recalled that she would not have to face the return journey. Not if all went to plan. A soft snore rose from the woman swathed in veils who was sitting opposite. Aledra decided to let her stepmother sleep on. She was enjoying the novelty of so many new sights and wanted to savour them without distraction. There was plenty of time for a closer look as their carriage crawled and stopped, stopped and crawled, hampered by the crush of travellers.
Leaning forward, she studied the crowd. She saw dark and light-skinned tribal folk, dressed in close-fitting garments of woven grass. Others, chest-bare and wearing leggings and waist-cloths, walked on stilts. Smaller, delicate folk swept past; quicklithe creatures, with beads woven into quill-like hair. She waved at a handcart filled with a family group that had honey-dark skins and straight brown hair. The children waved back, smiling to show blackened, filed teeth. Voices in many accents rang out, mixing with the bellows of beasts and jangling of harnesses.
Aledra noticed a group of men with shaven-heads, wearing necklaces and ear plugs of carved shell. Their fish-skin tunics and packs gleamed with tiny rainbows. She had seen drawings of them in the instruction books Sar Rowan brought to the farmstead. These were folk from the independent tribes who lived in the land of the great lakes, to the mid-west of Esra. Generally natives who did not belong to the United Races Alliance kept to themselves. But festivals provided good opportunities for everyone to trade, arrange marriages and strengthen family ties…

About The Author:

Sue lives in a house surrounded by a wildlife hedge so she can pretend she lives in the countryside. She enjoys reading, walking, cinema, researching her books, and painting and printmaking, when she’s not writing — which isn’t very often!

Sue’s latest book, Second Skin, will be out 18th July 2019. 

Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for The Shadow Man by Mark Brownless today and I have a great guest post to share with you.

The Shadow Man is available in ebook and paperback now, you can purchase your copy of this via the link below.

Before I share my guest post with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

None of us could remember why we drifted apart – we were always so close at school but then… you know. That was thirty years ago, and I hadn’t thought of my school friends in all that time – it was like I’d been made to forget.

And then the dreams started. Dreams that I knew I’d had before. Horrific dreams of fear and fire and death. Dreams of the Shadow Man, a ghostly urban legend who seemed to hang over my home village like an evil spirit. I’d begun to remember, my memories of back then becoming two-dimensional – a lie to mask what really happened – and I knew we’d have to go back. Back to Janey, because she never left.

What did happen to us back then, and do we really want to know? And what about the supernatural horror lurking in the shadows – could we face the Shadow Man again?

Guest Post:

Blog article – Belonging and extract from The Shadow Man, by Mark Brownless.

It’s all Bruce Sprinsteen’s fault. Because in amongst Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, Born to Run and all his other huge anthems, one of my favourites is My Hometown. And whilst my hometown was actually a little village, NOT a town as my editor pointed out, it resonated when I was writing my new novel, The Shadow Man. So much so that belonging, and the idea of what it means to call somewhere ‘home’ became a key theme in the book. I spent eighteen years calling that little village my home. It’s just a function of geography of course – your family happen to live in a certain place and it is where you identify as your home from thereon in. I knew most of the people in my village, and a lot of the populace would’ve either known me or my family, or at least recognised me as familiar when my friends and I rode around the place on our bikes.
‘Marauding around as if we owned the place,’ as I say in the book.
And for those 18 years or so it was home.

But it’s like when you move house, leaving all those memories of life and love behind and move into a new place, paint a few rooms, hang some pictures on the walls and set your bedroom furniture out so it looks exactly like your bedroom should. After how long is that ‘home’ – a few weeks, a month or two maybe at the most – and suddenly the old place isn’t home anymore and here is where you belong.
So if home and belonging are purely related to the place and the people, then can we ever claim anywhere as home or say that we belong anywhere? Perhaps it’s only when we become synonymous with somewhere that we can truly say that’s where we belong – like 221B Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes or The Queen and Buck House. So for how long must you live somewhere before it genuinely is synonymous with you – truly your hometown? Thirty years? Fifty maybe? Maybe you need to have generations of your family living there – preferably in the same house – for that place and that town to be associated with you. Your histories becoming intertwined.
That’s my way of introducing this extract from The Shadow Man where the main character, Philippa narrating the story in first person, reflects on this subject, and the vengeful spirit they are investigating.

‘It made me think, what is thirty years in the overall history of a place? I grew up here, spent my formative years here, strutted around as a teenager in my home villagehere because I really did feel like I owned the place, and vied for territory with a gang of boys who were doing the same.
Vied for territory with a gang of boys.
Why did that suddenly spring to mind, and why did it trigger something? My spider sense was tingling just thinking of it. What did it mean? Whatever, it was beyond the reach of my sub-conscious, and a new layer for another day perhaps.
This is my home village. The place that I’d called home – and still did sometimes. But then is it? I wondered if I could actually call it that? I’d lived there for eighteen years, sure, but in the lifespan of a village that had been around for hundreds of years, it was nothing. And that was nearly thirty years ago. After leaving home for good, I only returned periodically, for weekend visits – hardly anyone who lived here now would remember me. There’d be even fewer in another ten years. So now I’m a stranger here, as any of the residents of the new houses that had sprung up around the pond would attest if they were twitching their curtains as I stood outside a house I used to know, eyeing me warily until I moved on or drove away.
It’s like I’d never existed.
No legacy here, no history, no nothing.
I was a blip in the timeline, a minor biological load and then gone. Could anyone truly regard a place as their home? Or were we all just passing through? I suppose that if generations of your family had lived somewhere, and had become entrenched within the folklore – the story of the place and the family becoming completely entwined – then maybe that could be regarded as your home.
And how long would that last when you and your kin were gone? A generation? Two?
But what if your attachment to a place was so strong, through a story, an act or an injustice, that you couldn’t leave. That If the bond was so indefatigable that you found a way to exist beyond your bag of watery cells, to transcend the human condition and sidestep death itself – your memory and your spirit intertwining to keep you here forever. What if that was what we were up against.?’

So in the book, the idea is that The Shadow Man, a vengeful spirit that hangs over the village has more of a claim to describing the place as their hometown than any of the women in the story who have moved on. In the real world, I suppose, this idea of placing our loyalty to bricks and mortar is misplaced when, in fact, we don’t belong anywhere at all, only to each other.

About The Author:

Mark Brownless lives and works in Carmarthen, West Wales. He has been putting ideas on paper for some years now but only when the idea for THE HAND OF AN ANGEL came to him in the autumn of 2015 did he know he might be able to write a book. Mark likes to write about ordinary people being placed in extraordinary circumstances, is fascinated by unexplained phenomena, and enjoys merging thriller, science fiction and horror. 
Mark’s new novel, The Shadow Man is a terrifying horror thriller imagining what would happen if you found out the memories of your childhood were untrue, and that something sinister was lurking behind the facade of your life. Could you face what had happened back then? Could you face The Shadow Man.
Mark is also fascinated by myths and legends such as those of Robin Hood and King Arthur. This has culminated in the release of his short story series, Locksley, a Robin Hood story.

Book Synopsis:

Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper to get the life you want . . .

Abby Hamilton’s world has turned upside down in a matter of months – it seems that change is definitely in the air. But moving into Willow Court might just be the fresh start and happy distraction she needed.

Meeting her intriguing new neighbours helps push Abby out of her comfort zone. Then she finds an overgrown patch of garden in desperate need of love and time – something Abby has in spades! Throwing herself into bringing the garden back to life, Abby discovers that new beginnings can come from the most surprising places…

An uplifting, feel-good novel, perfect for fans of Holly Hepburn, Heidi Swain and Isabelle Broom.

The Garden On Holly Street is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Garden On Holly Street is a delightful, feel good read about friendship and starting again which was very enjoyable.

In this book we follow Abby as she breaks up with her boyfriend, loses her job and moved into Holly House for a new start. Things don’t go smoothly though as she soon meets her new neighbour, the cantankerous and unpleasant Fred, who seems determined to make her life a misery despite Abby’s best efforts. In an effort to cheer herself up and have something to do Abby turns her attention to doing up the garden.

This is where the book kicks off for me and I loved the fabulous descriptions of the neglected garden coming to life again. I love the idea of having a project like a garden or a house that you can completely redo to how you’d like it. I therefore thoroughly enjoyed experiencing it through Abby and seeing what type of things she put in there. It sounded so beautiful at the end that I felt quite jealous, particularly as it sounded like a great reading spot.

This was an absorbing, easy read which was perfect to enjoy in the garden with a nice cool drink. I so enjoyed reading about Abby’s new start and seeing how changed things were for her at the end if the book. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m excited to read more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Alex from Orion for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Megan Attley is the pseudonym of a bestselling and prolific women’s fiction writer. She lives in South Wales with her husband, two children and three crazy (but beautiful) dogs.

Book Synopsis:

The cast of the runaway bestseller, The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, are back – including Rosa, Josh, Mary, Jacob, Sheila, new mum Titch and, last but by no means least, Hot, the adorable dachshund.

Newly wed, and with her inherited corner shop successfully up and running, Rosa Smith seems to have all that anyone could wish for. But the course of true love never did run smooth and Rosa’s suspicions that her husband is having an affair have dire consequences.

Reaching rock bottom before she can climb back up to the top, fragile Rosa is forced to face her fears, addiction and jealousy head on.

With a selection of meddling locals still at large, a mystery fire and Titch’s frantic search for the real father of her sick baby, the second book in this enchanting series will take you on a further unpredictable journey of self-discovery.

Meet Me In Cockleberry Bay is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

This was an entertaining, easy read which would be great for enjoying in the sun this summer. I was a huge fan of the first book in this series so I jumped at the chance to read and review this book. It was very nice to revisit Cockleberry Bay and the characters again with it feeling like I never left.

The author tackles quite a few serious topics which made for very interesting reading. I think it would have been very easy to make this a light, fluffy book but instead the author tackles alcoholism and mental health issues which are two quite taboo subjects. These are both handled very sensitively and I enjoyed watching the storylines involving them develop.

There are some fabulous characters in this book which were very well developed and ended up seeming like old friends by the end. There is a great variety of characters that all have different plotlines running alongside each other which ensured there was lots of interesting things going on. My favourite characters had to be the four legged ones that the author included who made me laugh with their antics. Their plotline was one of my favourite in the book and helped bring some light relief from the more serious themes.

This is the second book in the series and while I think it could be read as a standalone it’s probably best to read them in order so you know a bit more about the characters history. I hope this isn’t the last we’ll hear from Cockleberry Bay and I look forward to what the author comes up with next.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Award winning author Nicola May writes what she calls chick lit with a kick!

The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay held the #1 spot on Kindle Store for over a month in 2019 and it’s sequel Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay can be pre-ordered right here! Publication date July 5, 2019. The 3rd book in the series will be available December 2019.

The School Gates & Christmas Yves won awards for Best Author Published reads at the Festival of Romance in 2012 and 2014 respectively. Let Love Win was also nominated in 2013.

Love Me Tinder was ebook of the week in The Sun newspaper.

Nicola likes watching films that involve a lot of swooning and eating cream teas.

For more details about her books go to http://www.nicolamay.com

Book Synopsis:

Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage secures her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community. However, Naoko has fallen for an American sailor and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations. 

America, present day. Tori Kovač, caring for her dying father, finds a letter containing a shocking revelation. Setting out to learn the truth, Tori’s journey leads her to a remote seaside village in Japan where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption. 

Inspired by true stories, The Woman in the White Kimono illuminates a searing portrait of one woman torn between her culture and her heart, and another woman on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

The Woman In The White Kimono is available in ebook and hardcover now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Woman In The White Kimono is one of the most powerful and moving books I’ve read for a long time.

Even though I’ve read a lot of books based in the second world war I haven’t read many detailing what happened after the war ended, especially in Japan. I therefore found the setting of this book absolutely fascinating, especially the culture clash between the Japanese and American soldiers. It was very interesting to learn more about the Japanese culture and traditions of that time.

Naoko was an amazing character who I loved reading about. She’s a very strong woman, in a time when woman weren’t expected to be. I found I really admired the strength and resilience that she shows when put in a very difficult situation. I felt a lot of sympathy for her and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to her.

This was a beautifully written book with the author managing to vividly describe post war Japan so that the reader actually feels like they are there experiencing everything alongside the characters. This also makes the events in the book seem much more hard hitting and emotional as it feels like you know the people that it’s happening to. It’s quite a hard book to put down as it’s so easy to get absorbed into the story and everything that’s happening. This the author’s first historical novel and I hope she writes more very soon.

Huge thanks to Lucy from Legend Press for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Ana John’s studied broadcast journalism and worked over twenty-years in the creative arts field, as both a creative director and business owner, before turning her hand to fiction. THE WOMAN in the WHITE KIMONO, a BBC Radio2 Book Club pick, is her first historical fiction.

https://www.anajohns.com/https://www.facebook.com/AnaJohnsAuthor/

Book Synopsis:

‘He said he didn’t remember killing them…’

As a series of rolling blackouts plunge the city into darkness, Detective Aidan Waits sits on an abandoned hospital ward, watching a mass murderer slowly die. Transferred from his usual night shift duties and onto protective custody, he has just one job…

To extract the location of Martin Wick’s final victim before the notorious mass murderer passes away.

Wick has spent over a decade in prison, in near-total silence, having confessed to an unspeakable crime that shocked the nation and earned him the nickname of TheSleepwalker.

But when a daring premeditated attack leaves one police officer dead and another one fighting for his life, Wick’s whispered last words will send Waits on a journey into the heart of darkness…

Manipulated by a reticent psychopath from his past, and under investigation from his new partner, Detective Constable Naomi Black, Waits realises too late that a remorseless contract killer is at work.

Can Aidan Waits solve his last case before fleeing justice?

Or will his name be next on the hit list?

The Sleepwalker is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Sleepwalker is another dark, gripping read from one of my all time favourite thriller writers. There is lots going on in this exciting read as we once again follow Aidan as he is manipulated by his boss into another difficult situation. Along with trying to solve who killed Wick, the truth behind the Moore’s murders all those years ago, he also has to deal with a threat on his life and a new partner. All this combined makes for a thoroughly gripping and enjoyable read that I seriously couldn’t put down.

I really liked the main character Aidan and felt a lot of sympathy for him. I liked the fact he’s slightly damaged and a difficult character as it made for a refreshing change to the normal polished characters that you get in crime books. A lot of the hatred towards him seemed a bit unfair to me and made sure I was firmly on his side throughout the book. I enjoyed going on a journey with him as he tries to solve the case and wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to him.

This is an incredibly fast paced, absorbing read that I read in two days which is no mean feat with three kids. There was always something happening to keep my attention and some of the situations Aidan finds himself in are truly nail biting which meant I couldn’t stop reading until he was safe again. The ending was shocking and took me completely by surprise which I always love.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Alison Barrow for my copy of this book. If I could have given it more than five stars I would have as I so enjoyed this book!

About The Author:

Joseph Knox was born and raised in and around Stoke-On-Trent and Manchester, where he worked in bars and bookshops before moving to London. He runs, writes and reads compulsively.

Sirens, his debut novel, was a Sunday Times bestseller, and his work has now been translated into 18 languages. 

The Sleepwalker, his third novel, will be released in July, 2019.

Book Synopsis:

Six months ago, Helle Madsen would have described herself as normal. Now she no longer knows if that terms applies, not after her entire life has been turned upside down by the reappearance of not one, but two, men from her very, very distant past.

Helle Madsen never believed in mumbo-jumbo stuff like reincarnation—until she came face to face with Jason Morris, a man who purportedly had spent fifty lives looking for her. Coping with being reunited with the lover from her ancient past was one thing. Having Sam Woolf, her vindictive nemesis from that same ancient past join the party was a bit too much. Suddenly, Helle finds herself the reluctant heroine of a far-flung, time-transcending epic story, one in which pain and loss seem to play a very big part.

This time round, Jason and Helle are determined to make it to the happily ever after. Unfortunately, Sam Woolf will stop at nothing to crush them. That ride into the golden sunset seems awfully far away at times…

Smoke In Her Eyes is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Smoke In Her Eyes is an hugely entertaining and gripping read which is rather steamy in places!

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of reincarnation so the blurb for this book really appealed to me. What I liked most about this book was the concept that even if you did get the chance to redo your life things might not necessarily be better. I thought this made the story seem very realistic and has kept me thinking about it long after I’ve finished reading.

The love story between Helle and Jason was great to read about and I found that I really enjoyed watching it develop. Again the author has created an intriguing idea that even if you are meant to be together it doesn’t mean that the relationship will be perfect. I also liked that the book wasn’t based on a simple mishap or miscommunication but was more complicated than that which made the story really interesting.

The plot moves at a great pace and there is always lots going on to keep the reader interested. Some of the love scenes between Helle and Jason were rather steamy which I wasn’t expecting and while it didn’t bother me, if you aren’t into that sort of thing you might wish to give this book a miss. This is the second book in the series but I feel it could easily be read as a standalone, like I have, as anything you need to know is explained.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. I’ll look forward to reading the next in the series!

About The Author:

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveller. As such a profession does not exist, she settled for second best and became a financial professional with two absorbing interests, namely history and writing. These days, Anna combines an exciting day-job with a large family and her writing endeavours. Plus she always finds the time to try out new recipes, chase down obscure rose bushes and initiate a home renovation scheme or two.

Her most recent release, A Torch in His Heart, is a step out of her comfort zone. Having previously published historical fiction & historical romance, with this first book about Jason and Helle Anna offers a dark and titillating contemporary romance, complete with a time-slip angle and hot & steamy scenes. 

Her first series, The Graham Saga, is set in 17th century Scotland and Virginia/Maryland. It tells the story of Matthew and Alex, two people who should never have met – not when she was born three hundred years after him. With this heady blend of time-travel, romance, adventure, high drama and historical accuracy, Anna hopes to entertain and captivate, and is more than thrilled when readers tell her just how much they love her books and her characters. There are nine books in the series so far, but Anna is considering adding one or two more…

Her second series is set in the 1320s and features Adam de Guirande, his wife Kit, and their adventures and misfortunes in connection with Roger Mortimer’s rise to power. The King’s Greatest Enemy is a series where passion and drama play out against a complex political situation, where today’s traitor may be tomorrow’s hero, and the Wheel of Fortune never stops rolling. 

If you want to know more about Anna, why not visit her website, https://www.annabelfrage.com

Book Synopsis:

When life hands you lemons … is it ever too late for a second chance?

Zelda’s impulsive nature has got her precisely nowhere up until now. A fresh start in a beautiful hilltop town in Sicily looking for new residents, together with her best friend Lennie, could be just what she needs. And who better to settle down with than the person who knows her best?

But the sun-filled skies and sparkling seas can’t hide the shadow hanging over Citta d’Ora, which means not everyone is pleased to see their arrival. The dreams Zelda and her fellow new residents had of setting up a new life might be slipping away. But a friendship with restauranteur Luca could be about to unlock the possibilities that lie in the local lemon groves. And there’s a wedding on the horizon that might be just what the town needs to turn it around…

Could a summer in Sicily help Zelda learn to trust her instinct and follow her heart?

The Lemon Grove Summer is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only£1.99 but you can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Lemon Grove Summer is another stunning summer read from Jo Thomas. The thing I always love about this author is her vivid descriptions of the countries her books are set in, which allows the reader to live precariously through the characters and feels like you are on holiday with them. This book was no different and I greedily drank in all the wonderful scenery, food and culture of Italy. I felt I could almost feel the sun on my face and taste the scrumptious food which always adds to my enjoyment of a book.

There is lots going on to keep the reader’s attention and I found I enjoyed watching everything developing. I think it’s fair to say that Zelda and Lennie’s Italian dream gets off to a bit of a rocky start especially as one of the wealthiest man in the village doesn’t take kindly to a bit of competition, turning the whole village against them. The developing romance between Zelda and Luca provide a fun element to the story which was great to see developing and provided some of the funniest parts of the book for me.

This was a hugely entertaining, fun read for me and I quickly raced through the book in a few afternoons in our sunny garden. There is a great feel good quality to this book which made me feel very happy whilst reading and has made me very keen to visit Italy in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Anna from Headline for my copy of this book. If you are looking for a fun, entertaining summer read them you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, first for BBC Radio 5, before moving on to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show. In 2013 Jo won the RNA Katie Fforde Bursary. Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller in ebook and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best Ebook Award. Jo lives in the Vale of Glamorgan with her husband and three children.

Book Synopsis:

Hannah, Cate and Lissa are young, vibrant and inseparable. Living on the edge of a common in East London, their shared world is ablaze with art and activism, romance and revelry – and the promise of everything to come. They are electric. They are the best of friends.

Ten years on, they are not where they hoped to be. Amidst flailing careers and faltering marriages, each hungers for what the others have. And each wrestles with the same question: what does it take to lead a meaningful life? 

The most razor-sharp and heartbreaking novel of the year, EXPECTATIONis a novel about finding your way: as a mother, a daughter, a wife, a rebel. 

Expectations is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

Expectations was a fantastic, atmospheric and emotional read that will stay with me for long time. I felt very sad when I finished this book and left the characters behind which is always a sign of a great book.

The author does a great job of setting the scene so that the reader feels that they are actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. This also increases the emotional impact of the story as you feel so involved in what’s happening that it feels like it’s actually happening to you.

The characters are all wonderful creations that are well developed throughout the book. I found I enjoyed getting to know them and to follow their lives from school through to adulthood. The author has managed to perfectly convey what friendships can be like with our ever changing lives and how important they can be to us. I felt that I knew the girls personally by the end of the book as I had gone on a massive journey with them all.

This book had a lovely pace to it and there is lots going on to keep the reader firmly absorbed in the story. I quickly became immersed in the girls lives and I wanted to keep reading to see how everything would end for them.

This the third book by this author and a journey away from historical fiction as this one is mainly based in the modern day. I’m a big fan of this author and am excited to see what she writes next.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Alison Barrow for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

ANNA HOPE studied at Oxford University and RADA. She is the acclaimed author of Wake and The Ballroom. Her contemporary fiction debut, Expectation, explores themes of love, lust, motherhood, and feminism, while asking the greater question of what defines a generation. She lives in Sussex with her husband and young daughter.