Today it is my stop on the blog tour for New Arrivals at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke.

1943 Mulberry Lane, London.  In the midst of another bleak winter, life is hard for the residents of The Lane.

When Rose Merchant arrives at Mulberry Lane, she is carrying a secret that haunts her.  How can she tell her landlady, and the Lanes’ matriarch Peggy Ashley that she is the daughter of a murderer?  As Rose learns that she is amongst friends she gradually learns to trust and even to love.

But when Peggy’s estranged husband Laurie returns home for good, both Rose and Peggy’s lives are once again turned upside down.

Can they both find their way through the heartache to find happiness?

I was so excited to be invited to read New Arrivals at Mulberry Lane and participate in the blog tour, by Victoria Joss at Aria.  I have been following Rosie Clarke’s Mulberry Lane series since the beginning.  If you’re not already aware of Rosie’s Clarke’s Mulberry Lane series, then please find below my previous reviews;

The Girls of Mulberry Lane

A Wedding at Mulberry Lane

Mulberry Lane Babies

I hate to be predictable but I love historical novels set during WWII!  More than that though, I love the characters that Rosie Clarke has created within this series of novels.  Peggy Ashley leads a group of strong women who in the face of adversity work hard to keep their families safe, whilst cementing the independence that they have come to rely on while their men are away fighting for their country.  New Arrivals at Mulberry Lane introduces us to a new character, Rose Merchant, who joins the Lanes, alone and lost.  Alone and lost until she meets Peggy that is!  She was a subtle character introduced to an already strong group of female characters and I feel that she really added to the dynamics of the Lanes.  Our old favourites also returned in this novel; Maureen, Ellie and Anne.  In addition, some of the men are starting to trickle back from the their war efforts; Gordon, who is tragically injured, and Laurie, who has been discharged from his secret wartime work under a dark cloud.  Their return changes things for women on the Lanes, and not always in a positive way

New Arrivals in Mulberry Lane can be read as a standalone novel, but I would much rather recommend that you read all four novels in this series.  I am already looking forward to reading book five in this series!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to Victoria Joss at Aria, and to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

Rosie is happily married and lives in a quiet village in East Anglia.  Writing books is a passion for Rosie, she also likes to read, watch good films and enjoys holidays in the sunshine.  She loves shoes and adores animals, especially squirrels and dogs.

Follow Rosie

Twitter handle: @AnneHerries

Facebook: @RosieClarke

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat by Angela Britnell.

What if you had nowhere to call home for Christmas?

When Fee Winters books a winter break at the remote Black Cherry Retreat in the small town of Pine Ridge, Tennessee, it’s with the idea that the peace and quiet will help her recuperate from her hectic life as a photographer.

But what she didn’t bank on was meeting Tom Chambers and his huge, interfering yet lovable family.  With them, could Fee finally experience the warmth and support that’s been missing from her own life – and maybe even find a place to call home in time for Christmas.

Fee Winters finds herself at the Black Cherry Retreat, where she is seeking quiet time to be alone in order to recuperate from a trauma she experienced whilst working as a photographer in war zones. She does not come from a large, supportive family and therefore relies on herself to fix her own problems.

Tom Chambers is the owner of the Black Cherry Retreat, a man also seeking solace at his quiet retreat. He is equally recovering from trauma in his life, shutting himself off from everyone but his family.

Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat follows both Fee and Tom as they find in each other something that neither realised was missing from their lives. Both are pushed outside of their comfort zones as they begin the slow recovery process, helping each other with a little romance thrown in for good measure!

I really enjoyed Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat, both Fee and Tom are well rounded characters, with interesting back stories. I enjoyed watching them evolve as they both attempt to recover from their individual traumas, helping each other and falling in love along the way.

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Author Bio

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee.  A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels.  After more than three decades of marriage to her American husband she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.  Over the last twelve years she’s been multi-published and sold over 25 novels.  She also writes short stories for women’s magazines.  She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers.