BLOG TOUR Baby, One More Time by Camilla Isley

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

Blog Tour number 2 on this bumper day takes us to Camilla Isley’s Baby, One More Time!

Driven and smart, Marissa Mayer has worked her way to COO at a major Fintech startup as well as launching her own successful app on the side. Now what she wants more than anything is a baby. And having given up on love after her heart was broken by the boy next door, she’s prepared to do it alone.

Recently returning to New York from LA, Dr John Raikes is an expert in his field of neonatal medicine. But when John introduces himself as Marissa’s doctor, sparks fly, and not in a good way. Because Dr John Raikes is no stranger: he’s her teenage sweetheart all grown up.

Marissa knows she should keep John at arm’s length, lest she have her heart broken again… But there’s something about a man in a white coat. And with John determined to show Marissa he’s changed, can she keep saying no when her heart is saying yes?

A gorgeously funny enemies-to-lovers, second-chance rom com, perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Lynn Painter and Jo Watson.

Camilla Isley is fast becoming my favourite ‘enemies-to-lovers’ rom com writer! I am pleased to confirm that Baby, One More Time does not disappoint!

Marissa Mayer is a hard working, successful career woman – you could say that she has it all. Except that she doesn’t – yet. After having her heart broken by the boy next door she has little interest in being in relationship and falling in love, but she want a family of her own, and she is more than happy to tread that path alone.

Dr John Raikes is back in New York after years of living in LA. With a divorce behind him, and a young daughter in tow, he is ready to rebuild his life. What he doesn’t expect is to bump into the girl next door who he abandoned all those years ago. He certainly doesn’t expect to bump into her at work, and find her planning her future family.

This is a classic enemies-to-lovers novel. Marissa of course wants nothing to do with John after he broke her heart so badly. She has become such an independent woman, and incredibly successful in her career but she keeps her heart locked away so as never to hurt again as she did when John left her. Seeing him again brings back all the pain that she thought she had dismissed from her life. John however feels guilty for his treatment of Marissa and is keen to seek her forgiveness. Finding themselves thrown together in the most unexpected of ways, can they move beyond what happened to them in the past?

Marissa is such a great female character – the pain she feels after what John did to her is explicit, but her subsequent success is a positive force to read about. Whilst she has been keen to avoid relationships, it’s good to read about a female character who has used that pain to create a successful life for herself. She hasn’t spending the years moping, and for that I’m glad!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you – in fact I think you should grab a copy of this along with a couple from Camilla Isley’s back catalogue to see how an enemies-to-lovers novel should be written! So tuck yourself away, grab a glass of wine and lose yourself in Baby, One More Time!

Thank you to Camilla Isley, Boldwood Books 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 Link

My Book

Previously Reviewed Titles

Not in a Billion Years

Sweet Love and Country Roads (retitled Love to Hate You)

Home for Christmas

You May Kiss the Bridesmaid (retitled The Love Proposal)

From Thailand with Love

Author Bio

Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy and her first title for Boldwood, The Love Theorem, a Hollywood-meets-STEM romance, will be published in June 2023.

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BLOG TOUR Stand Up Guy by Nina Kaye

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

Today is a bumper day for blog tours! The first stop of the day is with Nina Kaye’s new novel, Stand Up Guy!

Dumped by Instagram post. Not a whiff of a social life. Can it get any worse?

After a string of failed relationships – romantic and platonic – Lea’s had enough of watching life happen without her. When she bumps into Shep, a comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in need of accommodation, it feels like destiny. And voilá – Lea now has a lodger and some company.
The two get on like a flat on fire, and Lea can’t resist falling for outgoing Shep. But she knows it’s a mistake that will cost her heart – he’s just another guy passing through, after all. And with Shep’s stand-up routine edging him closer to his big break, there’s no way he’ll stick around.
Love is no laughing matter as the Fringe draws to a close. Can Lea find the confidence to step up and confess her feelings to Shep? Will he want to stay?

A feel-good, heartwarming romance for anyone desperate to break out of their shell and find their true self.

Lea lives in Edinburgh, a city known for its vibrant culture and its nurturing of talent at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. However she is not living the life that you might expect of a young woman in a city such as Edinburgh; instead of living life to the fullest surrounded by friends, Lea finds herself alone in her flat with no one to call on. A chance meeting on an day where Lea finally decides to take control of her life by venturing out into the Fringe finds her life changing in more ways than one.

Shep is a comedian who is trying his best to achieve his big break with his stand-up routine. He knows his observational comedy is good, but with so many others trying to achieve the same thing, and with a family who doesn’t support his endeavours, Shep is up against it and time is running out. When he finds himself without a place to stay before the Fringe Festival has ended, he finds himself having to consider the possibility that he will have to return home with his tail between his legs. His chance encounter with Lea however opens up possibilities for both of them.

Loneliness is a key theme that runs through this novel, and it really highlights how easy it is find yourself alone despite living in a city filled with people. Lea is purely a victim of circumstance, with her closest friends having their own busy lives, and her embarrassment over her situation only growing more, and therefore holding her back from creating new connections to fill the void in her life. Shep on the other had finds it easy to meet new people however the lack of support he receives from his family has an overwhelming impact on him in other ways. Shep and Lea really are two very different people on the surface, but this novel highlights that first impressions can so easily be wrong – sometimes all you need is someone, or something to bring you out of your shell and into the light.

There is of course an added sprinkling of romance in this novel which is always nice, but this story is most definitely centred around friendship; of course any good relationship is formed around a solid friendship but it also highlights the importance of platonic friendships, and how they really can lift a person.

I loved the setting in Edinburgh, it’s a city I definitely plan on visiting and Nina Kaye has only ensured that it has moved up my travel list more quickly! She really captures the vibrancy of the city, and advocates beautifully for a visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – I look forward to making it there for a visit soon!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all – it’s perfect for a stormy Sunday, or a sunny warm Saturday with a chilled glass of wine!

Thank you to Canelo, Nina Kaye 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

Nina Kaye is a contemporary romance author living in Edinburgh. She is author of three other books for Canelo – Take a Moment, One Night in Edinburgh, and Just Like That. She has previously been a contender for the RNA Joan Hessayson Award.

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BLOG TOUR Odd Mom Out by Sandy Day

January 12, 2024January 11, 2024 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of Odd Mom Out by Sandy Day.

Life just got life-y…

On the night that Trudy Asp discovers her ex is engaged to the same dental hygienist who’s been picking at her teeth for ten years, her daughter, Madison, suddenly announces that she too is getting married, in Europe.

Frumpy, floundering, and forced to live with her martini-swilling mother, Trudy is swamped by these revelations. And on top of it all, she’ll be wearing the second most scrutinized gown at the wedding.
Having packed on the pounds during the demise of her marriage, the idea of being eyeballed by her ex and his scrawny fiancée Zelda, is truly horrifying. To make matters worse, there’s the paralyzing fear of a transatlantic flight — something Trudy has avoided for decades.

When Zelda offers to stand in for her, Trudy is forced to confront the forces that stole her marriage and threaten to steal her daughter’s wedding too. With three months until the ceremony, Trudy must get to Europe, squeeze herself into a gown, and claim the role she wants more than anything: Mother-of-the-Bride.

Will this Odd Mom Out sink or swim? Or will she drown in a sea of humiliation?

When I heard about Odd Mom Out, I knew I wanted to read it – with such a relatable character and storyline, what was not to like!

Trudy Asp is our relatable Mum – a woman who finds herself back living with her mother after a brutal divorce, a daughter who is off travelling the world and regularly out of contact, and finally an ex husband who is marrying her dental hygienist. Add in a bakery business which is faced with a number of issues and Trudy most definitely does not find herself on top of the world.

When Trudy’s daughter Madison announces that she is getting married, and she’s getting married in Croatia, Trudy finds herself faced with a whole slew of new problems. A severe fear of flying along with the acute realisation that she will be Mother of the Bride – Trudy has three months to find herself and take back her life!

This was a very relatable story about a woman who finds herself at a crossroads in her life…she can either continue as she is, or she can make some changes and face her fears. Naturally Trudy’s story is not plain sailing (and quite frankly it would be a dull read if it was!), which is what really adds to this story. It’s an easy read, but it’s full of heart, angst and friendship. I actually really enjoyed the fact that this novel is not a romance – it is all about a Mum’s journey to carve out her place in the world in the face of a number of life changes.

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all. So grab yourself a hot chocolate, a blanket and cosy up this weekend with a copy of Odd Mom Out!

Thank you to Sandy Day 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 US

Amazon UK

Author Bio

Sandy Day is a recovering chatterbox and writer of riveting slice-of-life poetry, memoir, and fiction. She has authored five books to date, with two in the works. A graduate of Glendon College, she studied creative writing under Michael Ondaatje and bp nichol. A lover of cheese, coffee shops, and illustrations, she lives on the shore of Lake Simcoe in Georgina, Ontario, Canada. You can find and follow her on Substack and sandyday.ca – it rhymes!

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Book Review: The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley

September 11, 2023September 11, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

It is my pleasure to bring you my review of The People on Platform 5 by Clare Dooley.

If you’ve followed my blog for a while you will know that I loved The Authenticity Project, so I knew that I had to read The People on Platform 5.

The People on Platform 5 is set around a number of characters, but it starts with Iona, an eccentric writer in her late 50s who loves to help people both through her column and in real life. The unspoken rule on any British train is that you do not talk to anyone and you certainly don’t make eye contact – strangers should always remain strangers. Yet Iona finds herself becoming part of the lives of her fellow commuters – unlikely (and in some cases unwanted!) friendships are formed in the unlikeliest of places.

Piers is a man in finance who is used to showing off his wealth in a selfish, pompous way. However what he doesn’t show is the unhappiness he feels in his career, or the past that he is trying to escape.

Sanjay is a nurse with anxiety, and a crush on his fellow commuter Emma.

Emmie is in marketing and has a boyfriend who adores her – adores her in a way that means he needs to know where she is, what she’s doing and tries to control the direction her life is taking.

Martha is a teenage girl who gets the train to school. She finds her life crumbling around her after she makes the mistake of sending a photograph…

David is the wildly forgettable solicitor who is close to losing his marriage.

This is a novel that very much focusses on characters, and that is something that Clare Pooley does very well. Each character is very well rounded, and you can’t help but want them to succeed in life despite their flaws. Iona is the ultimate eccentric woman, a trailblazer who deserves a life full of friendship, love and joy. I couldn’t help but be drawn in by these characters, and I am sure you will be too.

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all, it’s full of relatable characters just trying to find their path in life – so as the Autumn evenings draw in, grab yourself a blanket, a glass of wine and a copy of The People on Platform 5.

BLOG TOUR Not in a Billion Years by Camilla Isley

September 6, 2023September 5, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ 1 Comment

Today it is my pleasure to help kick off the fabulous blog tour for Camilla Isley’s latest novel, Not in a Billion Years.

Bestselling Camilla Isley returns with this gorgeously funny enemies-to-lovers rom com, perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Lynn Painter and Jo Watson.

She’s a self-made fitness sensation. He’s a billionaire mogul. They’re sworn enemies and rivals… aren’t they?

Blake Avery knows all about hard work. She’s gone from making videos in her teenage bedroom to founding a booming fitness business and opening a state-of-the-art Manhattan gym. Now she’s on the cusp of realizing her wildest dreams, and she’s not going to let anyone stand in her way.

Certainly not man-of-the-hour Gabriel Mercer. He might be one of the biggest names in the fitness world and set women’s pulses soaring more than a grueling HIIT workout, but he grew up in a billionaire dynasty and had everything handed to him – or so Blake thinks.

But when Blake publicly criticizes Gabriel, she sparks a feud that neither entrepreneur is willing to back down from. And in an industry that seems determined to keep pushing them together, can Blake hold on to her grudge? Or will she finally warm up to Gabriel’s charm?

I am always very happy to discover that Camilla Isley is releasing a new novel – they are always full of heart, with a great ‘will they won’t they’ storyline and some serious romance. I am pleased to confirm that Not in a Billion Years does not disappoint!

Blake Avery is a self made woman. She has been creating her own brand since the tender age of 16, and finally she has made it, with the bricks and mortar (also known as a state-of-the-art gym!) to prove it. She has no intention of letting some billionaire in the fitness world who has been handed everything on a plate hold her back or stop her progress. When she publicly criticises said billionaire, she inadvertently finds herself starting a feud!

Gabriel Mercer is the hot shot billionaire in question. Devastatingly handsome and wildly successful, he is very upset to find out that the owner of a new fitness centre has called him out for being handed his success on a plate by his wealthy family. He can’t help himself as he finds himself marching down to this new fitness centre to have it out with the unknown Blake Avery in person. Imagine his surprise when he find out she’s a very attractive young woman!

Blake and Gabriel are both great characters, and perfect for a ‘will they won’t they’ novel. They are attractive and successful in their own right which I find makes for a great story. Blake is self assured, and confident in her own abilities, as well as the brand that she has created from nothing in her teenage bedroom. Her success is all her own, and she certainly did not need a man to get her to where she is. Obviously she has some past relationship trauma (who doesn’t!) but everything she has, she created herself. Throw in the very attractive, intelligent Gabriel, and you have two characters that you can’t help but root for!

I am more than happy to recommend this to you all – it’s a fab novel, and perfect for these warm September days. So grab yourself a glass of wine, and cosy up with these novels whilst enjoying this later summer sunshine!

Thank you to Camilla Isley, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and providing me with a copy of this novel. My review and opinions are my own.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Apple Books

Author Bio

Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy.

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BLOG TOUR What Would Jane Austen Do? by Linda Corbett

June 24, 2023June 22, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of What Would Jane Austen Do? by Linda Corbett on day one of her fabulous blog tour!

It’s a truth often acknowledged that when a journalist and Jane Austen fan girl ends up living next door to a cynical but handsome crime writer, romantic sparks will fly!

When Maddy Shaw is told her Dear Jane column has been cancelled she has no choice but to look outside of London’s rental market. That is until she’s left an idyllic country home by the black sheep of the family, long-not-so-lost Cousin Nigel.

But of course there’s a stipulation… and not only is Maddy made chair of the committee for the annual village literary festival, she also has to put up with bestselling crime author –and romance sceptic – Cameron Massey as her new neighbour.

When Maddy challenges Cameron to write romantic fiction, which he claims is so easy to do, sparks fly both on and off the page…

Pride & Prejudice just so happens to be my favourite book, so I am always keen to read books that incorporate Jane Austen, whether that be subtly or not! As she very clearly appears in the title of Linda Corbetts new novel, I really could not resist!

Our heroine, Maddy Shaw, finds herself jobless when her Dear Jane column is unceremoniously cancelled. Just as she is filled with despair at the thought of both job and house hunting (due to now being priced out of the London property market), she finds herself within reaching distance of a very generous inheritance from her fathers long lost cousin Nigel. The black sheep of the family, Nigel is nothing more than a whispered rumour, so when Maddy finds herself on the doorstep of a beautiful country home, she is more than a little intrigued. With the stipulation that she must inhabit the house for 12 months before she can officially take ownership, Maddy finds herself in a small village, miles from the city, and in the centre of the local community. Throw in a handsome but somewhat grumpy crime author, and you have the ingredients for an excellent novel!

I really enjoyed What Would Jane Austen Do? – Maddy was a great character, who whilst nervous, eventually throws herself into her new life. She is faced with more than a few challenges, namely the annual village literary festival, but she faces them head on. Cameron Massey is our handsome crime writer with a small case of writers block and a past that has left him closed off to others. With the mystery of cousin Nigel to solve, and a community who aren’t quite sure where to hold Maddy at arms length or embrace her into the fold, there is plenty happening to keep a reader intrigued! It is an easy read, and an enjoyable one.

I am more than happy to recommend this to you all – grab yourself a chilled glass of wine and pull up a chair in the sunshine whilst you enjoy this lovely novel! Its 99p on the Kindle at the moment, so what is stopping you?!

Thank you to Linda Corbett 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

Linda Corbett lives in Surrey with her husband Andrew and three permanently hungry guinea pigs. As well as being an author, Linda is a member and former Treasurer of Shine Surrey – a volunteer-led charity that supports individuals and families living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. For many years she also wrote a regular column for Link, a disability magazine, illustrating the humorous aspects of life with a complex disability, and she is a passionate advocate of disability representation in fiction. When not writing, Linda can be found papercrafting, gardening, or cuddling guinea pigs. What Would Jane Austen Do? is her second published novel.

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Book Review: The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

April 11, 2023April 9, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

I am very pleased to bring you my review of The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale.

Do you remember when you believed in magic?

An enchanting, magical novel set in a mysterious toyshop – perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and Stephanie Garber’s Caraval by way of Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist

It is 1917, and while war wages across Europe, in the heart of London, there is a place of hope and enchantment.

The Emporium sells toys that capture the imagination of children and adults alike: patchwork dogs that seem alive, toy boxes that are bigger on the inside, soldiers that can fight battles of their own. Into this family business comes young Cathy Wray, running away from a shameful past. The Emporium takes her in, makes her one of its own.

But Cathy is about to discover that the Emporium has secrets of its own…

Well this is a novel like nothing else I have ever read!

Cathy Wray is a young woman with a secret. When she finds herself having to run away from her home and everything that she knows, she finds herself following an advert to a mysterious toy shop in London. It is here that she makes herself a new home, despite the shop only being open during the Christmas season. It is also here that she finds herself making a new family whilst discovering a multitude of secrets.

Papa Jack started The Emporium as a way to escape his past and protect his two sons. The magic he brings to his toys is truly unbelievable. And yet all you want to do is believe. But setting such a high standard can only bring a competitiveness between his sons that he would never have imagined.

What a magical novel! I was hooked from the beginning…stories of patchwork dogs that are so lifelike, and toy soldiers that can wage a war are fantastical, whilst also containing the human element. A real life war, a young women escaping a future that she has no control over – it contains a little something for everyone.

I really enjoyed this novel, and once I had finished it I could not quite understand why I had put off reading it for so long. It was whimsical whilst also being emotional. The magical elements force you to look back at your own childhood whilst wishing The Emporium had existed for us all.

I am more than happy to recommend this novel – there are dark elements to it, but you can’t help but be enchanted by The Emporium and its inhabitants.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All views and opinions are my own.

Book Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

April 9, 2023April 8, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ 1 Comment

I am so excited to bring you my review of this fabulous novel, Book Lovers by Emily Henry.

Nora is a cut-throat literary agent at the top of her game. Her whole life is books.

Charlie is an editor with a gift for creating bestsellers. And he’s Nora’s work nemesis.

Nora has been through enough break-ups to know she’s the one men date before finding their happy-ever-after. To prevent another dating dud, Nora’s sister has persuaded her to swap her city desk for a month’s holiday in Sunshine Falls.

It’s a small town straight out of a romance novel, but instead of meeting sexy lumberjacks, handsome doctors or cute bartenders, Nora keeps bumping into…Charlie.

She’s no heroine. He’s no hero. So can they take a page out of an entirely different book?

Brimming with witty banter, characters you can’t help but fall for and off-the-charts chemistry, BOOK LOVERS is Emily Henry’s best novel yet.

I feel like I barely need to talk about this book – it was the summer book of 2022 and quite rightly so! I am wildly late in providing you with my thoughts (because i’d like to think that you have already read it), but I’m here to give you my opinion nonetheless! If you’ve followed me for a while you will know that I read and loved Beach Read, so it was only natural that I would pick up Book Lovers. I am pleased to confirm that I was not disappointed!

Nora is a literary agent whose whole life revolves around books. Whilst being a literary agent may not have been her top choice of job, she is good at it. She has always needed stability in her life, and her job provides her with that. With her dating life being a bit of a bust, she has always found solace in her work.

Charlie is an editor who is renowned for the best sellers he creates. However following his first meeting with Nora it is clear that they would never get on, either personally or professionally!

When Nora and Charlie both find themselves unexpectedly in the small town of Sunshine Falls, they must find a way to get along because there is no way of avoiding each other in such a small town!

What a great book – Emily Henry has such a way with characters, as is evident in Book Lovers. Nora on first appearance may appear quite cold and calculating, but she is in fact a wonderful, well rounded character who loves her sister Libby fiercely. After a number of heartbreaks, she is clearly just trying to save herself from a broken heart by putting up walls to everyone but Libby. With Charlie, it is clear that you cannot judge a book by its cover. One bad day, one bad meeting, does not mean that you know him as a man. He attempts to hide his stresses and has the world upon his shoulders.

This is very much a character led novel, but the stereotypical small town setting works perfectly. I cannot recommend this novel enough – its an enemies to lovers novel that will be tough to beat!

Purchase Links

Support your local independent bookstores where possible – if you don’t have one then please feel free to support mine! Maldon Books

Amazon UK

Book Review: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

March 28, 2023March 27, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ Leave a comment

I am very pleased to bring you my review of Reminders of Him – I’ve finally read some Colleen Hoover!

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

So after being told multiple times that I needed to read something from Colleen Hoovers vast catalogue of novels, I finally gave in and picked up Reminders of Him. I then promptly put it on my to be read pile, because every time I read the synopsis it made feel a little too depressed. However I am pleased to say that after some sisterly nagging, I did indeed pick it back up and I am so pleased that I did! What an emotional rollercoaster of a novel!

Kenna Rowan is a young woman who has spent five years paying for her actions that resulted in tragedy. The ultimate price though, was the removal of her daughter after giving birth in prison. Desperate to atone for her mistakes and be reunited with her daughter, she finds herself back in her hometown. But with no one willing to hear her out, she finds herself isolated with no one to turn to.

Ledger Ward is the devastatingly handsome local bar owner who is drawn to Kenna without really understanding why. His intense need to protect her however could mean that he loses everything and everyone he knows.

This novel really does have all the ups and downs! I would have liked to have seen a little more of how Kenna’s experiences of prison affected her returning to normal life, but that is the only negative I can think of. This is obviously a romance novel, but it is also the story of a young woman looking for redemption without making any excuses for her actions. She may struggle to deal with those actions and how they tragically impacted others, but there are no attempts to gloss over them or run away. She faces them head on with integrity, making this an emotional read. Ledger is also a very lovely addition to the novel (who doesn’t want to read about a handsome man who just wants to care for and protect a woman?!).

I can confirm that I will be reading more of Colleen Hoover as a result – I am therefore more than happy to recommend this novel to you all. Grab a glass of wine, a box of tissues (you’ll need them) and find yourself a quiet spot to enjoy Reminders of Him – you won’t regret it.

Purchase Links

If you’ve got a local independent bookstore, head there in the first instance! If not, then I’ve provided a purchase link below.

Amazon UK

BLOG TOUR Life and Love at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke

February 3, 2023 ~ ChapterAndCake ~ 1 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!

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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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