So today is my stop on the Forever at Conwenna Cove blog tour!  I have been a fan of Darcie Boleyn’s for a while, so was very pleased to be able to read and review this novel as part of her blog tour.

‘If you have never read a book by Darcie Boleyn you are definitely missing out.’ Rae Reads

Following heartbreak, Zoe Russell found a haven in Conwenna Cove. As the owner of the village diner and a volunteer for the local greyhound sanctuary, she’s happy with her peaceful life.

Local surfer Nate Bryson plans to leave Conwenna and see the world. He wants to shake off his reputation as a ladies man and start again somewhere new. Before departing, Nate decides to raise funds for the dog rescue home as a way of giving back to the community.

When Nate approaches Zoe to help with the charity event she sees there’s more to him than meets the eye. Nate can’t believe he’s failed to notice the kind and beautiful woman right before him. But can two such different people ever be together, especially if one of them is determined to leave?

Perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Phillipa Ashley and Sarah Bennett.

Firstly, I was so pleased to find myself back at Conwenna Cove.  I must confess to not having read Summer at Conwenna Cove (it’s still on my TBR list – oops!) but I have read Christmas at Conwenna Cove (feel free to check out my review) and I loved it.  I am a village girl, and Conwenna Cove has the same feel to it as my own beloved village.  It has a community that knows one another, helps each other, celebrates together and generally just supports each other.  This makes a winning combination in a novel, and it’s particularly good in a series such as this.  Throughout the series various characters pop up that you really want to know more about, so its lovely when you get that opportunity.  Forever at Conwenna Cove is no exception to this.

Zoe Russell is the sea-fearing owner of the village diner, and a woman who tends to keep to herself despite having such an open and welcoming business.  The hurt of her past stops her from making connections with people that she would clearly benefit from, but she is eager to protect herself from any further pain.

Nate Bryson could not be more different.  He is a local surfer who loves the sea, loves people and loves his close family and friends.  He has two aims: to run an amazing fundraising event for the local greyhound rescue home, and to finally travel, experiencing the world before he settles down.

Zoe and Nate find themselves working together as Nate throws himself into the planning of his big fundraising event, bringing together local businesses and the wider community.  Despite being wildly different people, Zoe and Nate must find a way to work together successfully, with hopefully a little fun and romance thrown in for good measure!

This is such a lovely romance.  Zoe has a past that she must learn to accept and move on from whilst Nate must juggle his work, love-life and family at an important time for them all.  I really enjoyed following how they dealt with their issues whilst learning more about each other and forming a beautiful friendship.  This is a perfect novel to read with a glass of wine, preferably on a beach over what will (hopefully) be a glorious bank holiday weekend.  So go and grab yourself a copy!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to Darcie Boleyn, Canelo and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Title: Forever at Conwenna Cove

Author Name: Darcie Boleyn 

Previous Books (if applicable): A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas, Summer at Conwenna Cove, Christmas at Conwenna Cove and Love at the Italian Lake

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release Date: 23rd April 2017

Publisher: Canelo 

Links to Book: 

Amazon (UK)

Kobo (UK)

Google Books (UK)

Apple Books (UK)

Author Bio:
Darcie Boleyn has a huge heart and is a real softy. She never fails to cry at books and movies, whether ending is happy or not. Darcie is in possession of an overactive imagination that often keeps her awake at night. Darcie fell in love in New York, got married in the snow, rescues uncoordinated greyhounds and can usually be found reading or typing away on her laptop.

Author Social Media Links:  

Website: https://darcieboleyn.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @DarcieBoleyn

So today is day that Sunshine and Secrets stops by at Chapter and Cake on its Blog Tour!

Title: Sunshine & Secrets

Author Name: Daisy James

Previous Books (if applicable): N/A

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Release Date: 19th March 2018

Publisher: Canelo 

When newly heartbroken, michelin-starred chef Millie Harper is offered a job overseeing the setup of The Paradise Cookery School she jumps at the opportunity. Leaving London and her memories of heartbreak behind she hops on a plane to the hilltop cocoa plantation in St Lucia.

But this beautiful island break might be more work than she’d expected….  With only two weeks to have the kitchen installed, cocoa pods going missing from the plantation and the notoriously relaxed island workmen to contend with, she’s going to need some help. Gruff but charming estate manager Zach Baxter, is only too happy to offer his opinions. As the two clash heads can they remain focussed on the job in hand and get the cookery school finished in time?

I do love a good location in a novel, and that is exactly what enticed me to want to read this book.  St Lucia is the most luscious of back drops for this story, and it provides exactly the kind of escapism that both Millie Harper and the reader need.  Set on a hilltop cocoa plantation, you can imagine the greenery, the warmth and you can almost smell that amazing aroma that you only find on a Caribbean island following the afternoon rainfall.  Daisy James captures all of this perfectly, and it really does add to the story.

Now to the story itself. Millie Harper is heartbroken, and despite being a Michelin-starred chef, she finds herself working in a little patisserie in London as she tries to forget her heartache.  When the opportunity arises to oversee the set up of The Paradise Cookery School, a new cookery school being set up by the celebrity cookery book writer Claudia Croft, Millie jumps at the chance to leave behind her those painful memories, if only for a couple of weeks.

The two weeks that follow involve sun, rain, some very relaxed workmen, a lot of cooking and the mystery of cocoa pods disappearing from the plantation. Millie finds herself working far harder than she expected whilst trying to ensure that The Paradise Cookery School is in a position to be the roaring success she knows it can be. Plus, what would a novel set in such a beautiful location be if there wasn’t a hint of romance thrown in for good measure?  With both Zach, the estate manager of the plantation and the handsome Marc capturing Millies attention, could there be romance on the cards for her?

I really enjoyed Sunshine and Secrets.  There was beautiful scenery, a great main character that was definitely relatable and just enough intrigue and mystery to make you want to keep reading.  It is the perfect story to read whilst laying on a warm beach, or cuddled up under a blanket whilst its snowing outside, imagining the warm St Lucian sun on your face.  I highly recommend this novel if you’re looking for a little escapism as it will draw you in and get you dreaming of balmy days in St Lucia.  I will definitely be reading the next instalment in this series, Confetti and Confusion, as soon as I can get a copy!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to Daisy James, Canelo and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.  Thank you also to Canelo for providing me with the opportunity to be part of this Blog Tour!

Author Bio: 

Daisy James is a Yorkshire girl transplanted to the north east of England. She loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. When not scribbling away in her summerhouse, she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something pink and fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea – china plates and teacups are a must.

Author Social Media Links

Twitter: @daisyjamesbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daisyjamesbooks/

So my first blog tour of 2018 (and first book review blog actually!) is dedicated to Jane Lambert’s novel The Start of Something Wonderful!

It’s never too late to follow your dreams…

Forty-year-old air stewardess, Emily Forsyth, thought she had everything a woman could wish for: a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, a designer wardrobe and a dishy pilot boyfriend. Until he breaks up with her…

Catapulted into a mid-life crisis she wishes she’d had earlier, she decides to turn her life upside-down, quitting her job and instead beginning to chase her long-held dreams of becoming an actress!

Leaving the skies behind her, Emily heads for the bright lights of London’s West End – but is it too late to reach for the stars? (Thanks Netgalley)

Emily is a glamorous 40 year old air stewardess who has everything – a beautiful home, an amazing lifestyle, a wardrobe any woman would be jealous of and a rather lovely pilot boyfriend.  What more could she possibly want?  Unfortunately she is forced to seriously consider this when that lovely pilot boyfriend blindsides her and dumps her.

At 40 years old she expected to be married with children.  Instead, she finds herself single and at a crossroads in her life.  What does she really want?  Whilst dealing with her heartbreak Emily thinks back over the dreams she has had that have passed her by as she has got on with her life.  She realises that what she has in front of her is a world of opportunity, and the possibility of reclaiming those dreams for herself.  So she quits her job, joins an acting class and seeks to become the actress that she never thought she would be.

Firstly I loved that this novel wasn’t about some twenty-something beautiful young woman who has life handed to her on a plate.  Emily is relatable because she is a normal woman who has dreams, just like the rest of us, that often get pushed to one side due to the bills we have to pay as well as the influence of our friends and family.  Finding herself at a crossroads in her life, I found myself rooting for her as she decided to completely change her life in pursuit of a dream she thought was long forgotten.

I liked the fact that acting wasn’t easy for her, and that she didn’t just walk into major acting roles.  She has to work at it (sometimes whilst scrubbing toilets in her spare time!) in order to gain her next role, not even knowing if that acting role would enable her to pay her bills.  The portrayal of this is important in this novel, and makes it all the more relatable because life and dreams are not easy, there are always obstacles thrown in our way.

The interactions between Emily, Luigi and everyone at Il Mulino are really lovely and were a highlight for me.  It really is a family run restaurant, a family that wholeheartedly embraces and supports Emily as she pushes forward to forge a career in an incredibly difficult business.  My only disappointment surrounding Il Mulino was the relationship between Emily and Francesco.  I do love a bit of romance in my novels, and whilst I wanted to see Emily grab some romantic happiness I also did not want to see her acting dreams oppressed by the addition of a relationship.  I am pleased to confirm that this did not happen, however I never really felt invested in the relationship between Emily and Francesco.  Instead, I found myself anticipating things going wrong between them.  Maybe it was the regular distance between them, or maybe it was the fact that I just wanted to see Emily succeed in her acting career without any distractions, but this was one relationship that I just struggled to relate to.

Do not let my analysis of this one relationship put you off though.  Beyond this, I really enjoyed following Emily’s story as she dealt with the ups and downs of such a significant life change.  It really does leave you feeing that anything is possible if you really are willing to work for it.  If you are looking for an inspiring novel about female determination, this is a novel for you!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to Netgalley, Jane Lambert and HQ Digital for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Check out Jane’s lovely book trailer here and if you look carefully you may spot a cheeky mention of Chapter and Cake in the end credits!

As you all know, I read The Girls of Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke recently and I loved it, so jumped at the chance to read A Wedding at Mulberry Lane and be a part of this blog tour!  WWII fiction, particularly focused on the plight of women at that time, is a personal favourite of mine.  It really highlights the strength of women in times of adversity.

Love, marriage, birth, death and betrayal in the East End of London make up life in Mulberry Lane. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Cathy Sharp and Donna Douglas.

Maureen Jackson knew life as a trainee nurse wouldn’t be easy, but she didn’t expect her hospital to be badly bombed on her first shift. Plus Maureen still has her family and friends in Mulberry Lane to keep her busy – she’s needed as much there as she is by her patients.

Running the pub on the corner of Mulberry Lane, Peggy Ashley is used to taking in all sorts of waifs and strays. But the arrival of a dashing American captain has got tongues wagging about Mulberry Lane’s favourite landlady…

Janet Ashley’s husband is back from the frontline. Which is more than so many of the wives of Mulberry Lane. But her beloved Mike is a completely different man from the one she fell in love with – and what’s more he doesn’t remember her, or their young daughter. How do you cope when your darling husband is a virtual stranger?

As WW2 continues around them, the women of Mulberry Lane know that community spirit and friendship is the key to surviving the Blitz. (Thanks Netgalley)

A Wedding at Mulberry Lane is the second in the Mulberry Lane series by Rosie Clarke, and it really was lovely to catch up with Maureen, Peggy, and Janet again.  When I read The Girls of Mulberry Lane I had been disappointed about the way it ended due to the number of loose ends it left – thankfully Rosie put me right on Twitter and let me know that the next book in the series would be out on the 1st December!

So back to the book in question…A Wedding at Mulberry Lane see’s us return to London to find out how Peggy, her daughter Janet and their friend Maureen are coping with what life, love and war are throwing at them.

Maureen has left Mulberry Lane (and her ungrateful father) behind her as she starts her nurse training.  She is determined to assist in the war effort by caring for those injured in the war whilst fighting for love – the love of her childhood sweetheart Rory, but also the love of her friends as the bombs continue to rain down across England, putting everyone she loves in harms way.

Peggy loves her life as landlady of the Pig & Whistle in Mulberry Lane.  Despite shortages and rations, her pub remain the hub of the lane, a place where the local residents feel safe but also a place where celebrations happen – celebrations of love and life.  Whilst caring for her customers, Peggy is left dealing with her own demons…the discovery of her husbands secrets, but also the arrival of a rather handsome American soldier.

Janet is delighted to have her beloved husband Mike home from the war, but what she discovers is that war can really change a man.  Along with their young daughter, Janet finds herself fighting for a man who doesn’t remember either of them, whilst he struggles to deal with his injuries.

I am a big fan of the characters in these Mulberry Lane novels.  Peggy, Janet and Maureen are all strong females who are forced to fight for love and life at a time when death and destruction were so prevalent.  Whilst the three of them are fictional characters, the setting they find themselves in is anything but fictional.  London during the Blitz was a dark and dangerous place to be, where death could find you even if you weren’t a soldier fighting at the front.  Despite the nightly air raids, the unexploded hidden bombs and the total destruction of homes and livelihoods, Londoners were forced to go on, day in and day out as they waited for news of their loved ones, ever hopeful that their friends and family would make it home safely.  The role of women during this time was so important as they held together their families and worked hard to keep businesses afloat.  Rosie Clarke captures all of this within these novels, and I cannot wait for the third instalment in this series to find out where the war takes these strong, hard-working women.

Thank you to Rosie Clarke, Aria and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my review, and for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour.

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Author bio

Rosie Clarke was born in Swindon, but moved to Ely in Cambridgeshire at the age of nine. She started writing in 1976, combining this with helping her husband run his antiques shop. In 2004, Rosie was the well-deserved winner of the RNA Romance Award and the Betty Neels Trophy. Rosie also writes as Anne Herries and Cathy Sharp. Find out more at her website: http://www.rosieclarke.co.uk

Links to buy

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2um5o8l

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2zYLGC4

iBooks: http://apple.co/2zrPwnR