*BLOG TOUR* A Remedy in Time by Jennifer Macaire

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of A Remedy in Time by Jennifer Macaire as part of her wonderful blog tour.

To save the future, she must turn to the past . . .

San Francisco, Year 3377. A deadly virus has taken the world by storm. Scientists are desperately working to develop a vaccine. And Robin Johnson – genius, high-functioning, and perhaps a little bit single-minded – is delighted. Because, to cure the disease, she’s given the chance to travel back in time.

But when Robin arrives at the last Ice Age hoping to stop the virus at its source, she finds more there than she bargained for. And just as her own chilly exterior is beginning to thaw, she realises it’s not only sabre-toothed tigers that are in danger of extinction . . .

So before I even comment on the novel, I think we should all take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous cover! Wow! I really love it, it really captures the essence of the book.

This is not a novel I would ordinarily have chosen to read, but sometimes its nice to read something outside of your usual genres. A Remedy in Time centres around Robin, a woman who is highly intelligent but with a murky past. In fact, she remembers almost nothing about her childhood. In the year 3377 this makes her a dangerous woman in society, but her intelligence and subsequent work on the much needed vaccine for the fatal strain of typhus that is currently affecting the planet all work in her favour. She should never have been considered for a time travel mission, but her expertise are deemed essential in finding a cure for the disease that is destroying humanity, and halting the movement of people between Earth and Mars.

Jake is one of Robin’s closest friends, and the son of Dr Powell, Robin’s mentor. They can’t seem to stay away from each other, despite Jake being in an on/off relationship with Helen. Jake is also less than keen on Robin time travelling. Whilst time travelling is now used regularly, Robin is due to go back 12,000 years which is at the absolute limit of the time travelling capabilities.

As I’m sure you can imagine, Robin’s journey does not go smoothly. It is full of danger and mystery, as well as pre-historic beasts that Robin (and we as the reader) could only ever imagine. Pre-historic natural history is really brought to life in this novel in such a unique way, and I actually really enjoyed it! It was completely different to any novels I’ve read before, but it was really nice to escape to such a different landscape. So if you’re looking for something a bit different, this could be the book for you. There’s plenty of danger, there’s some twists and turns, and there’s a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure! So maybe go and grab yourself a copy of A Remedy in Time and immerse yourself in the pre-historic timeline!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Headline

Author Bio

Jennifer Macaire lives in France with her husband, three children, & various dogs & horses. She loves chocolate, biking, & reading. She grew up in upstate New York, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. She graduated from St. Peter and Paul high school in St. Thomas and moved to NYC where she modeled for five years for Elite. She went to France and met her husband at the polo club. All that is true. But she mostly likes to make up stories.

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*BLOG TOUR* The Little Swiss Ski Chalet by Julie Caplin

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of The Little Swiss Ski Chalet by Julie Caplin as part of her fabulous blog tour.

The Little Swiss Ski Chalet

It’s time to pack your bags and head to the breathtaking, snow-covered peaks of the Swiss Alps for velvety hot chocolates, delicious cheeses and a gorgeous love story…

Food technician Minna has always believed that chocolate will solve everything – and it’s just what she needs when her latest relationship mishap goes viral!

So with her bags packed and a new determination to sort her life out, Minna decides to drown her sorrows with the best hot chocolate in the world at her godmother’s cosy Swiss chalet. Chocolate: yes. Romance: no. Until she has a run in on an Alpine train with a mysterious but oh-so-gorgeous stranger…

The Little Swiss Ski Chalet follows Mina, a food technician whose job it is to design ready made meals. Her enthusiasm and passion is often ignored however, with many of her ideas being pushed to one side by her employer. When her relationship breaks down in a rather spectacular (and eventually, very public manner) she realises that she needs to get away – working alongside her ex is far too painful. With a little encouragement she finds herself packing her bags and heading off to Switzerland to visit her Godmother at her cozy Swiss ski chalet. The lure of Swiss chocolate is strong, and she finds her passion for food reignited…along with her passion for a mysterious stranger she meets on the train!

Does serendipity exist? Does love at first sight (or first kiss) exist? You will have to grab yourself a copy of The Little Swiss Ski Chalet to find out what happens to Mina, Luke, Amelie and Johannes!

The Little Swiss Ski Chalet is such a sweet, romantic read. Mina is a great character; she’s flawed of course, but she’s not afraid of hard work to get what she wants. She’s just spent too long not knowing what she really wanted. Escaping to Switzerland finally gives her some perspective and it enables her to explore her passions whilst reconnecting with her beloved Godmother Amelie. The Swiss setting is an added bonus – Julie Caplin really captures the landscape within her words, making it so easy as a reader to imagine Mina’s surroundings. It’s definitely made me want to visit Switzerland, and maybe even give skiing a go!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all. Its a light, easy read full of romance, chocolate and good food. What more can you want?! So grab yourself a hot chocolate and settle under a blanket to read this book on this chilly, lockdown Sunday!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you to Julie Caplin and Rachel at Rachels Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Link

Amazon UK

Author Bio

Julie Caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it. 

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for her Romantic Escapes series which have been translated into fifteen different languages.

The first book in the seven strong series, The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

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*BLOG TOUR* The Lake House by Christie Barlow

It is my pleasure to bring you my review for The Lake House by Christie Barlow as part of her fabulous blog tour!

There’s a newcomer to the village of Heartcross and she’s never been more in need of a friend. 

Ella is ready to start afresh ––and that could mean there’s love on the horizon in the form of the gorgeous Roman, the local water taxi driver. Every day Roman is there to ferry Ella to the restaurant on the other side of the lake and every night he makes sure she gets home safe. But Roman has secrets of his own…

Can the Love Heart Lane community offer Ella a chance of a new life? Or will the ghosts of her past catch up with her?

I am so excited to talk to you today about the next instalment in Christie Barlow’s Love Heart Lane series, The Lake House. If you would like to re-familiarise yourself with the other novels in this series, then please check out my reviews below;

*BLOG TOUR* Love Heart Lane by Christie Barlow

Foxglove Farm – I’m ashamed to say I haven’t read it yet. I own it, I just haven’t got round to it!!

*BLOG TOUR* Clover Cottage by Christie Barlow

*BLOG TOUR* Starcross Manor by Christie Barlow

The Lake House is book 5 in this wonderful series (and I’m thrilled to say that book 6, Primrose Park is due out in April 2021 so not long to wait!)

Ella has not had a good time. After losing her parents, she thought that she had found someone who could support her through her grief. Instead he betrays her in the worst possible way. After struggling alone for 6 months, her friend Callie finally persuades her to leave her home and join her in Heartcross, offering her the love and support she so desperately needs. Heartcross offers her the new start she needs; a new home, new friends and maybe even a new romance!

I love returning to Heartcross, it is such a lovely tightknit, supportive community and it is so easy to immerse yourself in it. As our real world continues to fight the challenges thrown up by a pandemic, it is such a delight to be able to lose yourself in such a wonderful place. As I’ve said many times before, I love getting involved in a book series because I love to revisit places. I like to see characters we have met before and find out where they are now. But what makes The Lake House stand apart from rest is that this time our central character is Ella, an outsider. Having a character join the village and see it with fresh eyes really does give a new perspective. Ella’s heartbreak is very real, but it’s inspiring to watch as she attempts to rebuild her life back up with nothing but her new found community. In the times that we currently live in, there is a lot we could learn from a place like Heartcross, fictional or not.

It would be remiss of me to not mention two other characters who I feel really help the book ‘pop’. Roman is the local water taxi driver, and he is of course suitably handsome (love interest alert!!). Naturally there is some mystery surrounding him, which doesn’t always tally up with the warm, giving character that he is portrayed as. As we learn more about him though, it becomes very clear that everyone has their secrets and their struggles, even if they have a smile on their face.

Finally, I cannot end my review without mentioning Dolores…what a legend! I can only hope to have lead a life as colourful as hers when I reach her advanced years, and she just goes to prove that it’s never too late when it comes to love!

For me, the sign of a good book is one that is talked about. I introduced my two sisters to the Love Heart Lane series during lockdown number 1 (I know, I hate that the lockdown now have numbers!) and they have loved them. So much so that they have both been sat waiting for The Lake House to be released (I may or may not have mentioned to them how lucky I was to get an early copy!). If you find a book that you enjoy, then tell your friends. Now, more than ever, we all need a little lighthearted relief and books most definitely offer us that.

So, grab yourself a bar of chocolate, a glass of wine and snuggle up on your sofa with a copy of The Lake House – you won’t regret it!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Bio

Christie Barlow is the author of ten bestselling romantic comedies including A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, Love Heart Lane and Clover Cottage. She lives in a ramshackle cottage in a quaint village in the heart of Staffordshire with her four children and two dogs. 

Her writing career has come as a lovely surprise when Christie decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. Christie’s dream was to become a writer and the book she wrote to prove a point went on to become a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.

When Christie isn’t writing she enjoys playing the piano, is a keen gardener and loves to paint and upcycle furniture.

Christie is an ambassador for the @ZuriProject alongside Patron of the charity, Emmerdale’s Bhasker Patel. They raise money and awareness for communities in Uganda.

Christie loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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