BLOG TOUR Life and Love at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke

February 3, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

I am very pleased to bring you my review of Life and Love at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke on day two of her fabulous blog tour!

With Mulberry Lane’s favourite pub, The Pig & Whistle undergoing renovation, proprietors Peggy and Able Ronoscki leave the chaos behind and head off on a trip of a lifetime to America. But disaster hits and Peggy finds herself in a critical condition in hospital.

Meanwhile, business is booming for young entrepreneurs Fay Ronoscki and Maggie Rowan with their new restaurant and catering empire. It seems neither has time for love.

But when fate throws a famous global singing sensation and glamourous racing car driver into the girls paths, falling in love with Jace and Greg seems beyond their control. Cupid has struck.

Life is made up of laughter, love and tears.

What is next for the folk of Mulberry Lane – can they find the happiness they all so crave?

Another passionate tearjerker from Rosie Clarke in the Mulberry Lane series.

Published only yesterday, I was so pleased to get my hands on an early copy of Life and Love at Mulberry Lane. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you will know what a fan I am of Rosie Clarkes Mulberry Lane series. Life and Love at Mulberry Lane is book 9 in the Mulberry Lane series, so we’ve had plenty of time to become acquainted with these wonderful characters. If you haven’t read anything from the Mulberry Lane series before, check out my reviews of the rest of this fabulous series;

The Girls of Mulberry Lane (Book 1)

A Wedding at Mulberry Lane (Book 2)

Mulberry Lane Babies (Book 3)

New Arrivals at Mulberry Lane (Book 4)

The Women of Mulberry Lane (Book 5)

A Reunion at Mulberry Lane (Book 6)

Stormy Days on Mulberry Lane (Book 7)

A New Dawn Over Mulberry Lane (Book 8)

Life and Love at Mulberry Lane finds us in 60s where the next generation in Mulberry Lane is seeking to create their own successes and carve out lives of their own. Penny and Able find themselves heading off the America, with Able keen to show Peggy where he is from, leaving behind Fay and Maggie to finish renovations on the Pig and Whistle whilst pushing their budding businesses forward in the hope of being successful in their own right. But when Peggy finds herself injured so far away from her beloved Mulberry Lane, and with businesses hitting stumbling blocks and love being in the air, life is never straight forward!

I chose to read The Girls of Mulberry Lane because of my love of WWII fiction, so I was dubious when Rosie Clarke started to extend the Mulberry Lane series beyond this timeframe. However now that we are 9 books in, I can confirm that I read these books for the characters. I have loved following them and their children as they navigate a post war London, and it’s so wonderful as you watch the children grow into adults and carve their own paths in the world. I am sure this series is heading towards it natural conclusion now, but I remain hopeful that we’ll get one more book to finish off their stories nicely.

I am more than happy to recommend Life and Love at Mulberry Lane, along with the rest of this wonderful series to you all. It’s full of love, life and drama, with characters that you can’t help but become attached too. It’s Friday, so grab yourself a takeaway, a glass of wine, and settle in for a weekend with Peggy Ronoscki and her friends on Mulberry Lane!

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Rosie Clarke and 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!

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Author Bio

Rosie Clarke is a #1 bestselling saga writer whose most recent books include The Shop Girls of Harpers and The Mulberry Lane series. She has written over 100 novels under different pseudonyms and is a RNA Award winner. She lives in Cambridgeshire.

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BLOG TOUR Daisy Does it Herself by Gracie Player

January 17, 2023January 16, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ 1 Comment

Today it is my stop on the fabulous blog tour for Daisy Does it Herself by Gracie Player.

Sometimes, the Last Place You Intended to Go is Exactly Where You Need to Be.

When 26-year-old Daisy’s life in London comes crashing down around her, the only thing she can think of is getting away – far away. That’s how she found herself stumbling off a train in England’s picturesque Peak District – 150 miles from home, with no idea why she’d gone there and even less idea how she intended to get home.

As Daisy explores the gorgeous village of Upper Finlay, she glimpses the possibility of a different life. The Derbyshire Dales offer up new friends, new opportunities, and a distractingly dishy object of attraction in the form of local bookstore owner Alex (and his bumbling Great Dane.) When Daisy discovers Alex’s business is in trouble she steps in to save the day.
But London’s Calling – literally. The life Daisy ran away from is calling her back. Why then, is she so reluctant to heed its call?

Daisy’s got a decision to make: Will she play it safe, and return to what she knew? Or is she brave enough to take a leap of faith and create a bold, new life for herself in the last place she’d ever expected?

Daisy Does it Herself is a sweet, uplifting romantic comedy about the power of self-confidence, friendship and of course love! Fans of warm and witty romantic comedies with a guaranteed happily-ever-after will be entranced.

I am a big fan of romance novels set in bookstores, so I knew I was onto a winner when Daisy Does it Herself popped up. Daisy finds herself in the awful position of being jobless and potentially boyfriend less all in the same day. In shock at how her day has turned out, she gets on a train – and doesn’t get off! Finding herself in the beautiful Peak District, she finds herself stuck with no way home. When she comes across the local bookstore in the quaint village of Upper Finlay, Daisy finds herself a refuge. With a place to stay, and a job in the bookstore, Daisy sets herself a timeframe to work out what she wants from her relationship, as well as what she can achieve in her professional life. With the very handsome bookstore owner literally right downstairs, and new friends being made, Daisy finds herself with some very tough decisions to make!

This is such a lovely, easy read novel. The relationship between Daisy and her boyfriend Phil is worrying and the relationship between Daisy and her mother is almost as bad, so watching her escape them and working out what she wants on her own is quite frankly, refreshing. The added bonus is that she has to make all these decisions whilst surrounded by books! There are worse places to be! This is the perfect light read for a rainy (or snowy if the weather forecasts are to be believed!) Sunday afternoon! So get that fire roaring, grab yourself a hot chocolate* (*feel free to replace this with a glass of wine if you’re not doing dry January!) and settle in with this lovely novel – its the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon!

Thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources and TRMBooks 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.

Purchase Links

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Author Bio

Gracie is the author of the romantic fiction novel Daisy Does it Herself.

Gracie loves to create strong, quirky heroines and hopes to introduce you to your latest book-boyfriend crush.

She makes her home in the stunning Peak District in Derbyshire. Where she lives with her partner — amid ongoing negotiations over the size of her book collection and whose job it is to take out the bins!

Social Media Links

Twitter

Goodreads

Website

BLOG TOUR The Christmas Trip by Sandy Barker

November 15, 2022 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ 1 Comment

I am so pleased to bring you my review of The Christmas Trip by Sandy Barker as part of her fabulous blog tour – its officially Christmas novel season!

Another year has passed and it’s Christmas again. This year best friends Chloe, Jules and Lucy are all loved up but living worlds apart.

Chloe is madly in love with her celebrity beau, Archer, but after a whirlwind year in Hollywood’s limelight, she’s desperate to get away and spend some quality time together.

Jules loves her Melbourne life – and gorgeous winemaker Matt – but a crowded flat share has her longing for a place of her own.

Meantime, Lucy is stuck in a long distance relationship, jetting back and forth between Colorado and London to see Will.

When Archer’s plan to whisk Chloe to Paris goes awry, he surprises her by bringing her friends together for a Christmas to remember…

The Christmas Swap was a standout Christmas novel for me back in 2020, so imagine my excitement when I discovered The Christmas Trip was on its way! I always love a novel that revisits beloved characters, and The Christmas Trip is no exception!

After finding love following the big Christmas swap, Chloe, Jules and Lucy find themselves one year later, living their new realities with Archer, Matt and Will. With big moves, and plenty of travelling, the three of them are looking forward to spending Christmas with their beaus and finally relaxing after what has been a very full on year.

Chloe’s life has changed beyond all recognition as she finds herself living the Hollywood lifestyle with her famous actor boyfriend Archer. After a very fast paced, hectic year, all they want is a relaxing break in Paris – until a volcanic eruption halts all air traffic over Europe.

Jules made the move to Melbourne from Colorado and she couldn’t be happier with her life and with Matt. However she’s finding her flat share a little crowded and craves her own living space.

Lucy is struggling. Whilst she adores her boyfriend Will, the long distance relationship is tough, especially when she seems to be the only one doing any travelling.

When Chloe and Archer’s plans for Paris fall through, he surprises her by bringing her friends to Hawaii so that they can finally enjoy a Christmas all together in the place where they met so many years ago.

I love a good revisit novel – getting the ‘happy ever after’ ending in a romance novel is always great, but we don’t always get the chance to find out what happens next. We all know that ‘happy ever after’ isn’t something that comes easily so actually seeing the bumps in the road after a couple gets together, and seeing how they deal with them serves to make the characters more realistic.

Chloe, Jules and Lucy all have such different stories and relationships, which is what really helps makes this series all the more engaging. They are most definitely not the same, and nor do they try to be. It feels like we’re getting three stories for the price of one, something that I definitely won’t complain about! I like them all as characters, and I feel that they are all relatable and believable. Throw in the beauty of Hawaii and you are onto a winner! Whilst, like Lucy, I was a little disappointed with the lack of snow (I did rather love the Colorado setting in The Christmas Swap), the description of Hawaii definitely left me wanting to visit. It’s just a shame that its unlikely I’ll be seeing Hawaii from a Billionaires mansion!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all. Whilst you could read The Christmas Trip as a standalone, I’m not sure why you would want to – so grab yourself a copy of The Christmas Swap (feel free to check out my review!) and get yourself into the Christmas spirit by reading these two novels back to back! Immerse yourself into the lives of 3 very different best friends, and enjoy their journeys to find love, and what happens next!

Thank you to Sandy Barker and Rachel from 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

Author Bio

Sandy is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list, and many of her travel adventures have found homes in her novels. She’s also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob.

Sandy lives in Melbourne Australia with her partner, Ben, who she met while travelling in Greece. Their real-life love story inspired Sandy’s debut novel One Summer in Santorini, the first in the Holiday Romance series with One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins.

The series continues in That Night in Paris and A Sunset in Sydney and there are two more to come in 2022. Her standalone novel The Christmas Swap celebrates her favourite time of the year, and next up is The Dating Game, a laugh-out-loud romcom set in the world of Reality TV.

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BLOG TOUR Just Say Yes by Maxine Morrey

November 8, 2022November 7, 2022 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

I am very excited to bring you my review of Just Say Yes by Maxine Morrey, on day one of her fabulous blog tour and publication day!

Wedding planner Madeline lives in a picture-perfect thatched cottage, in a picture-perfect English country village.
There’s only one problem – dream cottages take a lot of work, and with a leaking roof, and not enough money to pay for it, what Maddie needs now is a big wedding to plan.

So she’s delighted when she takes on the wedding of Californian heiress Peyton, to all-round good guy Patrick. She’s less delighted to find out that she’s going to have help – from the admittedly gorgeous, but equally maddening, tall, dark and handsome best man Lorcan.

The wedding is set to take place in a castle in rural Ireland, and so, in no time, Maddie and Lorcan are on their way to Ballalee. Life hasn’t always been easy for Maddie, and work has become her refuge. But soon the warmth and humour of Lorcan’s Irish family and friends start to chip away at Maddie’s walls. And as the big day approaches, it might be time for Maddie to focus less on her clients’ love life and more on her own…

I’m always excited when I find out Maxine Morrey is releasing a new novel – she hasn’t written anything that I haven’t loved yet! I am pleased to confirm that I was not disappointed with Just Say Yes!

Madeline is a wedding planner, with a business that has really suffered thanks to the recent global pandemic. Money is tight, so she really needs her business to start taking off again if she doesn’t want to find herself swimming in her cottage every time it rains! Maddie is ecstatic when she finds herself planning a wedding for American heiress Peyton to her beloved Irish fiancé Patrick. When she finds out that the best man Lorcan is on hand to help, she’s less than impressed. She needs this wedding to be a huge success, and the last thing she needs is the distraction of a tall, dark and handsome irishman.

With the wedding set to take place in Ireland, Maddie finds herself in the small village of Ballelee with Lorcan. After spending so much time alone, Maddie finds herself drawn into the warmth of a tight knit village – maybe she really does need more in her life than just her work.

This is such a great novel – Maddie is a great character. She is a strong, ambitious woman despite the trauma that she hides. She has built up her own business, and she has created the life that she lives. All of this has made her a little isolated though, most definitely not helped by the pandemic.

Lorcan is the tall, dark and handsome – what’s not to like? To make him even better, he is kind, caring and all about his family and friends. He’s the man I am more than happy dreaming about, and he makes the perfect leading man!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel – it’s a great light hearted romance with some wonderful characters. I loved the Irish setting too, it really made me want to visit Ireland as soon as possible! So if this sounds like your kind of book, then I recommend that you immediately grab yourself a copy and curl up with a lovely chilled glass of wine! Once you’ve finished Just Say Yes, I highly recommend that you go and visit Maxine’s back catalogue – check out my blog for my many reviews of her wonderful novels!

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

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Author Bio

Maxine Morrey is a bestselling romantic comedy author with twelve books to her name including #NoFilter and Things Are Looking Up. She lives in Dorset.

Social Media Links

BLOG TOUR Hideaway in Iceland by Victoria Walker

November 3, 2022 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ 1 Comment

Today it is my stop on the fabulous blog tour for Hideaway in Iceland by Victoria Walker!

PR executive Anna Mortimer has clinched the deal of a lifetime for the hottest celebrity couple to have their wedding covered by a glossy magazine, but when things don’t go to plan and she loses her job, will a well-timed invitation to visit Reykjavik be the perfect distraction while she decides what to do next?

Ned Nokes has just left the safety of the biggest boy band in history to go it alone. With the eyes of the world on him, he escapes to Iceland in search of solitude. He makes friends with people who don’t know who he is but after a lifetime in the spotlight, can he trust anyone who isn’t on his payroll?

Visit Iceland at its most beautiful as autumn turns to winter and find out whether the magic that helped Anna’s friend Rachel find her happy ever after, is still there…

I was very excited to get my hands on this novel, after previously reading Snug in Iceland which I loved! Despite not yet making it to Iceland in real life, immersing myself in Hideaway in Iceland felt like I really was revisiting Reykjavik!

It was lovely to catch up with Rachel and Jonas, as it’s always lovely to find out what happens to characters after a story ends. However it was also nice to finally be introduced to Rachel’s friend Anna and find out what her story is.

When Anna finds herself jobless without any prospects in London, she finally takes the plunge and heads to Iceland to catch up with Rachel who has embarked on a new life in Reykjavik with her beloved Jonas.

Ned Nokes was a member of one of the biggest boy bands in the world. He is desperately trying to find himself outside of the confines of his group, but with the paparazzi and media always on his tail, he really needs to find somewhere in the world that he can get lost. After settling on Reykjavik, he finds himself able to be himself. No one recognises him as Ned Nokes, famous singer so he finds himself able to relax and work out exactly what kind of music he wants to make for himself.

Naturally Ned and Anna meet in the beautiful setting that is Iceland. What I really enjoyed though is not just that this is a love story – it’s also a story about two individuals who are attempting to forge their own paths in life. They don’t need each other, but the support they have for one another is really wonderful to follow. They are both equals in the story, and whilst the path of their relationship is definitely not smooth, you can’t help but root for them!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel – the setting is stunning and the characters are sweet, loving and ambitious – what’s not to like?! So grab yourself a glass of wine and a blanket, and curl up with this lovely novel!

Thank you to Victoria Walker and 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.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Bio

Victoria Walker has been writing romantic fiction since a visit to Iceland in 2014 inspired her first novel. As well as writing, she spends her free time dressmaking, knitting and reading an inordinate amount of contemporary romance, occasionally punctuated by the odd psychological thriller and saga.

In the past she has worked as a cinema projectionist, a knitting and sewing tutor and has owned a yarn store, all things which will no doubt appear in her books if they haven’t already.

Victoria lives in the Malvern Hills with her husband and occasionally her two adult children.

Social Media Links

Twitter

Instagram

Website

BLOG TOUR You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey

June 19, 2022 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

Today it is my stop on the blog tour for You Only Live Once by the fabulous Maxine Morrey!

When Lily’s husband dies, she moves to the edge of a tiny village, settling into a solitary life, her only real company her brother and his family. A quiet life becomes her safe space, with no risk of getting hurt.
When her brother offers her spare room to his oldest friend, Jack, Lily’s reluctant – but knowing how much she owes her family, can’t say no.
A lodger takes some getting used to but to her surprise, Lily begins to enjoy Jack’s company. Slowly but surely, Jack encourages Lily to step outside her comfort zone.
But taking risks means facing the consequences, and telling people how she really feels, means Lily might have to face losing them. But as the saying goes – you only live once – and being brave could mean Lily gets a second chance at love…

I always find it exciting when Maxine Morrey has a new book due for release, and You Only Live Once was no exception to that rule!

We are introduced to Lily, a reclusive, widowed writer who has achieved amazing success with her novels. She is close to her brother and his family, but beyond that she barely leaves her home. She has struggled with the grief of losing her beloved husband for so long, that she has been determined to protect herself from any further heartache.

When her brothers best friend returns to the village, Lily finds herself with an unexpected new lodger. Jack knows and understand Lily’s reluctance to have him in her safe space, but as they settle into an unlikely routine, they find themselves becoming more and more comfortable in each others company.

Lily and Jack are both such lovely characters, it was easy to fall into their story. Lily’s grief and the ease with which she withdrew from society was both heart wrenching and understandable. Her fear of loss is something that most of us can relate to. Her brother and sister-in-law clearly adored her, but didn’t know how to pull her out of her safe space back into the real world. Enter Jack: The incredibly handsome landscape gardener with his own family issues. When pushed together they find themselves able to help each other in ways they didn’t realise they even needed help with.

I loved this novel. It was so easy to immerse myself in it completely – I was invested in all the characters, the small village setting was perfect with some lovely glamorous socialising thrown in for good measure! I am more than happy to recommend this novel, so go grab yourself a copy (and when you’re finished go to Maxine’s back catalogue – there’s not a single bad novel in there!).

Star Rating

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Maxine Morrey and 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.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Author Bio

Maxine Morrey is a bestselling romantic comedy author with twelve books to her name including #NoFilter and Things Are Looking Up. She lives in Dorset.

Social Media Links

BLOG TOUR Sweet Love and Country Roads by Camilla Isley

June 5, 2022 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

Sweet Love and Country Roads
Falling for the wrong cowboy never felt so good . . .
Samantha Baker is a high-flying movie producer living in New York City. She loves her shoes, drinking cosmopolitans, and wouldn’t trade the comforts of city life for anything in the world. But when her job is put on the line, Samantha has no other choice than to move to the middle of nowhere to straighten out the filming of her latest romantic comedy blockbuster.
Her new country home has no Starbucks, no Pilates, and the one pub in town has never heard of appletinis—only serves beer and whiskey neat. On the plus side, the views are scenic. And not just for the aerial shots, as the local eye-candy provides a welcome distraction.
At least until Samantha discovers a native cowboy, Travis Hunt, is the source of all her troubles…
And the battle begins.
Each has something the other wants, but as Samantha and Travis go head to head, they might discover the endgame has changed. When hate turns to heat, all becomes fair in love and war for these two sworn enemies who’ve been playing a game of hearts.
But will a roll in the hay be enough to make Samantha decide there’s no sex in the city and convert to country living?

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of Sweet Love and Country Roads by Camilla Isley on the penultimate day of her fabulous blog tour!

I was excited to grab myself a copy of Camilla Isley’s latest offering, Sweet Love and Country Roads, and I am pleased to confirm that I was not left disappointed!

Samantha is a career driven, city loving, movie producer who finds herself heading out to the middle of nowhere when her current movie finds itself stalling, facing lengthy and costly delays. With a stubborn small town mayor to contend with, Samantha finds herself stuck exactly where she doesn’t want to be.

Travis Hunt is a small town cowboy born and bred. Handsome and caring, both about his family and his hometown, he’s difficult to ignore. Looks however can be deceiving, and there is more to this small town cowboy than meets the eye. When Travis and Samantha meet sparks fly – keeping it professional could prove to be difficult, but with Samantha counting down to her big city return, could anything really happen between them?

I love small town romances, and Sweet Love and Country Roads is no exception to this. Camilla Isley knows how to write a good romance, she builds up the tension beautifully – falling in love is never easy and she really highlights both the good and the bad. I really enjoyed the small town setting, the movie set backdrop and of course, the very attractive leading man, Travis.

I am more than happy to recommend Sweet Love and Country Roads to you if like me, you love a good will they/won’t they romance set in small town America. You won’t be disappointed!

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

Purchase Links

Author Bio

Camilla is an engineer who left science behind to enter the whimsical realm of romantic fiction.

She writes contemporary rom-coms. Her characters have big hearts, might be a little stubborn at times, and love to banter with each other. Every story she pens has a guaranteed HEA that will make your heart beat faster. Unless you’re a vampire, of course.

Camilla is a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

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BLOG TOUR Victory Bells for the Harper Girls by Rosie Clarke

May 4, 2022 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of Victory Bells for the Harpers Girls by Rosie Clarke.

Can the Harpers Girls look forward to some happy times as a new dawn rises over London?
Sally Harper is busy juggling running London’s Oxford Street Store Harpers and looking after her beautiful new-born daughter, whilst husband Ben is overseas on another dangerous mission, this time to rescue a friend in need.
Young Becky Stockbridge finds herself in a difficult situation which could bring shame to her and her family. Will Becky, with the help of her friends find her happy ever after and keep her secret?
Marion Jackson is blessed with a son as she eagerly awaits the return of her husband Reggie. But all is not right when Reggie returns. Is Marion strong enough to save her family from yet another crisis?
As the war clouds retreat and the victory bells ring, tears and joy mingle with those of sadness as the world counts the true toll of war and celebrates peace.

Victory Bells for the Harpers Girls is the sixth book in the Welcome to Harpers Emporium series, and is set towards the end of World War One. Rosie Clarke knows how to write wartime fiction, so I knew I’d be in for a treat! Sally Harper, Becky Stockbridge and Marion Jackson are the main characters of our story, all of whom have men fighting in the Great War. With the war finally coming to a close and all families rocked by its effects, these women from Harpers Emporium lean on each other for support as they learn to live with the aftermath of such a devastating time in history. Sally Harper runs Harpers Emporium alongside her husband Ben. With Ben being required to carry out important war work, Sally finds herself caring for her newborn daughter, supporting her friends whilst also seeking stock to ensure Harpers Emporium can continue on as the successful store it is known to be, despite the war causing significant issues. With Harpers Emporium being such a lifeline for so many people, she knows how important it is to ensure it’s future beyond the war.

Victory Bells for the Harpers Girls is yet another excellent example of Rosie Clarke’s ability to create wonderful female friendships during times of hardship. I love her Mulberry Lane series, and the Welcome to Harpers Emporium series is no different. The love and support these women have for each other is admirable, and it really highlights how women together were able to keep the country running in the absence of their beloved men who were away for fighting for their freedom. It also really highlights the strength of these women as they fought for their families as their men began to return home, or in the worst cases, never returned home.

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all. It is a lovely example of historical fiction, and really shows womens efforts both during and after the war.

Thank you to Rosie Clarke and 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.

Purchase Links

Amazon

Author Bio

Rosie Clarke is a #1 bestselling saga writer whose most recent books include The Shop Girls of Harpers and The Mulberry Lane series. She has written over 100 novels under different pseudonyms and is a RNA Award winner. She lives in Cambridgeshire.

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BLOG BLITZ The Island in Bramble Bay by Victoria Walker

April 23, 2022 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of The Island in Bramble Bay by Victoria Walker, on publication day no less, so there’s no excuse not to go and grab yourself a copy!

Welcome to Bramble Island! Find breezy, sunshine-filled days, shaded woodlands, glittering sea and a summer of love…
Maggie Cassidy is the new park manager of Bramble Island in Dorset. A job on an island where she is the only year-round inhabitant is the perfect fresh start for her. But when she’s torn between the job she came to do and the island she has grown to love, can she hang on to her perfect new life without compromising her dreams?
Charlie Mackenzie is the forester on Bramble Island. He is a loner full of secrets, burnt out by the life he left behind in San Francisco. When his past catches up with him can he finally face what he has spent three years running from without jeopardising everything that healed him?
Bramble Island lulls them both into an idyllic existence but when the outside world bangs on their door, is history about to repeat itself for both of them?

Maggie is pleased to have secured herself a new job as the park manager on Bramble Island; a remote island where she is the only permanent resident! After holding down a high powered job that ultimately caused the demise of her relationship she is keen for a reset and Bramble Island seems like the place to do it.

Charlie is the volunteer forester on Bramble Island. Like Maggie, he has found Bramble Island to be an escape from the outside world after having his heart broken and walking away from his life in America.

With both Maggie and Charlie running away from their lives to Bramble Island, and with so few people on the island, it doesn’t take long for them to find each other and forge a meaningful friendship in their idyllic surroundings. But can that friendship survive when their previous lives suddenly come looking for them?

I really enjoyed this novel. Maggie and Charlie are great characters, who are both seeking some peace after a few years of turbulence. Charlie is definitely in hiding, but his reasons for this become clear as the story unfolds. Whilst I don’t believe Maggie is hiding from real life, she is a character who is able to recognise their flaws and mistakes, whilst she tries to learn from them. They are both well rounded, believable characters who just add to the richness of the story.

Bramble Island is the ideal setting for this novel. You can really imagine the trees and the isolation of the island but also the peacefulness of it, particularly after the ferry takes away the remaining tourists at the end of the day. Its a place I would most definitely like to visit and explore, and it provides the perfect backdrop for the story.

I am more than happy to recommend The Island in Bramble Bay – its warm, full of love with characters who are able to grow at their own pace. I really enjoy Victoria Walkers writing (check out my review of Snug in Iceland if you haven’t already!), so I am already looking forward to her next offering!

Thank you to Victoria Walker and 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.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Bio

In the past she has worked as a cinema projectionist, a knitting and sewing tutor and has owned a yarn store, all things which will no doubt appear in her books if they haven’t already.

Victoria lives in the Malvern Hills with her husband and two teenage children.

Social Media Links

Twitter

Instagram

BLOG TOUR Jeannie’s War by Carol MacLean

March 25, 2022 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

It is my pleasure to bring you my review of Jeannie’s War by Carol MacLean on day 2 of her fabulous blog tour!

War changed her country, but it couldn’t change her spirit
Glasgow, 1939
Despite being shy and reserved, Jeannie Dougal finds herself newly engaged to handsome soldier, Arthur Dunn, the day war is announced. Jeannie accepts, even if she is unsure if a girl from the tenements will fit in with Arthur’s comfortable, middle-class background. But as WW2 takes its toll on the world, her wedding must wait…
As she sets off to work at a munitions factory she meets Eileen, Janet and Annie. As her new friends bond together in war work, sharing their stories of romance, Jeannie is grateful to be settled with Arthur, even if he is set in his ways.
Until she meets charming Canadian soldier, Bill, and realises she has found a spark she was always missing. But how can Jeannie tell Arthur? And is she strong enough to fight her own battle, with the country already at war…?
An emotional and romantic family saga set in WW2 Scotland and the start of a captivating new series. Fans of Call the Midwife and Katie Flynn won’t be able to put this down.

Jeannie’s War focusses on Jeannie Dougal, a young shy woman living in Glasgow as war is declared in 1939. If you’ve followed my blog for a while you will know that this novel is right up my street – historical fiction that follows women in war is always a winner for me!

Against the advice of her handsome soldier fiancee Arthur, Jeannie goes to work at the munitions factory where she makes new friends in Eileen, Janet and Annie. The four women couldn’t be more different yet they find themselves forging a strong friendship as the war starts to pick up and Glasgow really starts to feel its effects.

This novel follows Jeannie as she navigates her relationship with Arthur who has a very set idea of what their marriage will be like. Watching Jeannie’s character develop from one of a meek, almost trodden down women into a more independent, strong woman who battles for what she wants from life as the bombs start to fall around her is rather inspiring. As the days where a woman was expected to be a good wife, keeping their husband happy become numbered, Jeannie and her friends find themselves with a newfound freedom and many more options available to them.

It was interesting to read a WWII novel set outside of London, as it really highlighted the important war work that took place all over Great Britain as the Allies fought for control. So many of these novels are set in London which I love, but it was nice to branch out geographically. The descriptions of Glasgow are vivid, and Carol MacLean really does set the scene beautifully. This novel is filled with love and friendship, but also heartache as the war is truly brought to life.

I loved this novel, and am more than happy to recommend it to you all. Jeannie’s War is book 1 in The Kiltie Street Girls series, so I can’t wait for the next one to learn a little more about this Glaswegian community during such a difficult time.

Thank you to Carol MacLean and 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.

Purchase Links

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Kobo

Author Bio

Carol MacLean lives in the Glasgow area. She began by writing pocket novels, having 18 published before deciding to write an historical saga. She enjoys weaving social history into fiction and imagining how life must have been for ordinary people living through different times.

When she’s not writing, Carol can be found visiting museums or walking around the city looking for traces of old Glasgow to inspire her next novel.

Carol is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
She has written 18 pocket novels published by DC Thomson and Linford Romance Series (Ulverscroft).

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Chapter and Cake

Blog Tour

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BLOG TOUR Sweet Love and Country Roads by Camilla Isley

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BLOG BLITZ The Island in Bramble Bay by Victoria Walker

BLOG TOUR Jeannie’s War by Carol MacLean