Friday, 31 July 2026

The Nile cruise

 



The Nile Cruise

Sail down The Nile this summer on a voyage of discovery…and just a little bit of mystery!

Will an adventure sailing The River Nile turn the tide for Hattie?

Hattie Mulberry is exhausted. Worn out from the demands of everyone around her, she’s long overdue a break. So, she decides to take a holiday – the adventure of a lifetime, following in the footsteps of her literary hero, Agatha Christie.

Before Hattie knows it, she’s embarking on a glamorous Nile cruise. Not only a voyage steeped in history and world-famous sights, but one where the passengers are almost as fascinating as the views from her luxurious cabin…

As the eclectic band of travellers journey between ancient temples and legendary tombs, guided by handsome Egyptologist Sam, secrets surface, desires awaken, and tensions simmer beneath the Egyptian sun.

Will the magic of moonlit nights on the Nile bring romance and renewal? Or will the infamous curse of Tutankhamun cast a shadow when least expected?

A gloriously escapist read full of sun, secrets and romance, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Judy Leigh.

 

Purchase Link

https://geni.us/TNCK   The Nile Cruise

Author Bio –  



Caroline James is the celebrated author of later-life fiction, including THE CRUISE, the #1 best-seller that has captivated cruise ship passengers worldwide, earning its reputation as Girl Power for the Over-Sixties! Her eagerly anticipated follow-up cruise novels, include THE CRUISE CLUB, and THE ARCTIC CRUISE both hitting the Amazon Top 100 Kindle charts.

Caroline’s vibrant storytelling stems from her colourful career. Before becoming a full-time writer, she carved out a fascinating path in the hospitality industry, owning a charming country house hotel and a lively pub. As a media agent, she worked closely with celebrity chefs, giving her an insider’s perspective on the glitz, glamour, and grit of the culinary world. When she finally turned her focus to writing, she discovered her true calling, penning best-selling novels that have garnered her legions of fans.

When she’s not writing, Caroline enjoys tranquil walks with Fred, her Westie, and writing and plotting her next novels in her Scottish retreat. As a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the SoA, ARRA, and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists, Caroline is a passionate advocate for the written word and a champion of life-long creativity

Books by Caroline James:

 

The Nile Cruise

The Arctic Cruise

Atticus Arnott’s Great Adventure

The Cruise Club

The French Cookery School

The Cruise

The Spa Break

Hattie Goes to Hollywood

Boomerville at Ballymegille

The Best Boomerville Hotel

Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me

Coffee Tea the Chef & Me

Coffee Tea the Caribbean & Me

Jungle Rock

 

 

Social Media Links – 

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @CarolineJames12

Facebook: Caroline James Author

Insta: Caroline James Author


My Review


I have long wished to visit Egypt and the Pyramids but circumstances have dictated otherwise. This book has just rekindled that desire and a river cruise sounds perfect. Hattie is such a character that you can't help liking her and the Agatha Christie connection is inspired. Some of the other characters are less likeable but without giving anything away, let's just say they get want they deserve. The ending comes together perfectly to leave the reader satisfied that justice has been done but be prepared for a few laughs along the way. A wonderful escape and pure inspiration.


Postcards from Sicily

 


Postcards from Sicily

A cosy story about mother-daughter relationships and starting over in life, set in a luxurious Italian spa resort

Olivia swore she would never grow up to be like her mother, who fled to Sicily to be with her lover when Olivia was a teenager. But now in her thirties, the spark in Olivia’s marriage has been extinguished for years, she’s hopelessly pining over her attractive business partner, Markus, and her own teenage daughter barely speaks to her.  

So when her estranged mother offers to pay for an eight-week trip to a luxurious wellness centre in Italy, Olivia reluctantly accepts. A break will be good for her. For everyone. There’s just one catch... Susan is staying in the adjoining room.  

Fuelled by gorgeous weather, good food and even better wine, can the two women overcome their history and form the mother-daughter bond that Olivia always dreamed of? Or is it too late for second chances?

Purchase Link - https://amzn.eu/d/0hQwJJHG



Author Bio – Nancy Barone grew up in Canada, but at the age of 12 her family moved to Italy. Catapulted into a world where her only contact with the English language was her old Judy Blume books, Nancy became an avid reader and a die-hard romantic. Nancy stayed in Italy and, despite being surrounded by handsome Italian men, she married an even more handsome Brit. They now live in Sicily where she teaches English.

Social Media Links – https://www.instagram.com/writernancybarone/ https://x.com/NancyNBW


My Review

Nancy Barone explores the mother-daughter relationship, as well as the themes of rejection and forgiveness, all against a wonderful backdrop of Sicily. As Olivia finds out more about her mother's past, she is forced to question her own present, especially her relationship with Marcus and with her daughter. I enjoyed watching both Olivia and her mother gain in insight, while crossing my fingers that they would have a second chance. Nancy's marvellous description of the Sicilian location has now moved it nearer the top of my 'to visit' list.


 


Sunday, 14 June 2026

The time of my life

 



The Time of My Life

How far would you go to change your life?

When Eliza Woods sees an advertisement for someone’s whole life for sale – their house, car, all their belongings, even their clothes and cat – not to mention a trial-run in their job and an introduction to their friends… she decides it’s fate.

Grabbing a different life with both hands is exactly what she needs. Even if 26-year-old Carrie’s wildly-social life and job in a bar couldn’t be more different from Eliza’s quieter existence.

As for Carrie, she’s heading off to Greece, desperate to run away from everything she’s familiar with in England. The two women message each other after the deal has gone through, with Eliza excited to go for cocktails with Carrie’s friends before her first shift at her new job.

What Carrie doesn’t tell her is why she put her life up for sale. And what Eliza doesn’t tell Carrie is that she’s about to turn 75. And that isn’t her only secret…

Don’t miss this absolutely brilliant, escapist read. Available now!

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/TheTimeofMyLife

The Time of My Life Is currently available for only 99p! 

 

Author Bio – 





Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK. She studied German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has travelled widely.

Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines. She is represented by Darley Anderson Agency & Associates. In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category. In 2020 one of her novels won the RNA's Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award. Currently Samantha writes uplifting, emotional women's fiction for Boldwood Books. She seeks to raise a smile, and make a reader feel they are not alone with the challenges of life. 

 

Social Media Links –  X – https://x.com/SamTongeWriter

Instagram – samanthatongeauthor 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaTongeAuthor



Saturday, 2 May 2026

Murder in Rome






The BRAND NEW instalment in the bestselling, beloved Armstrong & Oscar Cozy Mystery series! 

A road leading to Rome

Former DCI Dan Armstrong has been living and working in Florence for nearly three years—yet somehow, Rome has always eluded him. That is, until glamorous TV celebrity Tamsin Goodfaith turns up with a request he can’t refuse: investigate her uncle’s suspicious death in the Eternal City.

Murder at the castle

Philip Hastings was a billionaire financier, found dead at his magnificent—if slightly spooky—medieval castle in the Roman hills. Dan and his faithful canine companion, Oscar, soon find themselves surrounded by luxury, secrets and more suspects than sightseeing opportunities.

This time it's personal

But when a second murder follows close behind, the case turns dangerously personal. With whispers of ghosts and crumbling alibis, Dan and Oscar must sniff out the truth before he becomes the next victim. Harder to crack than castle walls—and harder still than stopping Oscar from stealing snacks—this Roman holiday is anything but relaxing. 

 

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/MurderInRome




Author Bio – I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I studied languages at Nottingham University a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to work in Italy for seven years. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only thirteen years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

I started off writing romances but after 28 of them, I knew I wanted to try something different, and so the first of the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mysteries, Murder in Tuscany, was born three years ago. I’ve been having a lot of fun ever since getting to know the dynamic duo (and introducing them to people all over the world). These books are cosy crime [a genre I didn't even know existed when I started writing them). They are murder mysteries, but not gory, over-violent stuff, but stories designed to exercise the brain of the reader and to put a smile on their face. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations all over my beloved Italy.

Social Media Links –

Website: www.tawilliamsbooks.com

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawilliamsbooks

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



My review


Another excellent addition to the series. This time the story takes place in the Roman hills, which make me want to visit more than ever. As usual Dan is aided and abetted by his canine friend, Oscar, who once again comes to the rescue.

This Agatha Christies style story has all the suspects confined to the stately home as Dan sets about trying to solve a potential murder. However, as the body count begins to increase, he will have to work quickly before he also finds himself on the killer's list.

Great characters, great location, great escapist read.








Monday, 27 April 2026

The hotel by the sea



The Hotel by the Sea

Pack your bags and get ready to fall in love with The Hotel by the Sea—your next romantic getaway awaits!

Rebecca needs to escape. After making a complete fool of herself watching the man she's secretly loved for years run off with someone else—she jumps at a temporary job at the family-run Quinta do Mar hotel. Sun, sea, and a fresh start sound perfect.

What she doesn't expect is Felipe Rebelo.

Charming, infuriatingly confident, and always ready with a flirty quip, Felipe seems to have life sorted. But beneath his carefree exterior lies a man carrying the weight of his entire family. The last thing he needs is another responsibility. Especially one who challenges him at every turn, makes him laugh, and is dangerously easy to fall for…

Escape to Portugal's stunning Algarve coast in this uplifting summer romance about finding yourself, choosing happiness, and discovering that love isn't about being needed—it's about being seen.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hotel-Sea-Charming-Family-Run-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B0FSBMPXZX/

https://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Sea-Charming-Family-Run-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B0FSBMPXZX/

A note from Julie Caplin

“My books are definitely not created by AI - apologies for the very human error that crept into the first few pages during the production process. I’m very sorry but as we’re all human, mistakes can happen. I’m sad but but there are worse things in life. “

About Julie Caplin




Jules Wake aka Julie Caplin is an internationally bestselling author with over 2 million sales over twenty five books including the highly successful Romantic Escape series which has been translated into over 24 languages. Her books have topped the charts in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Iceland, Italy, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

After reading English at university, Jules Wake worked in PR where she honed her fiction writing skills on press releases and swanned around Europe taking journalists on gastronomic press trips. These visits inspired the locations of many of her books. She’s now a full-time author and what better job is there than making stuff up! It certainly beats housework.

As an avid romance fan, she’s written in several genres including historical romantic fiction, contemporary women’s romance fiction and romantic comedy.

Follow Julie Caplin


https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor/

Instagram @juliecaplinauthor


My review

Having read this lovely, escapist book, I now have a new place at the top of my 'to visit' list. Julie Caplin brings Portugal to life as Rebecca starts a new job in a hotel there. I loved the family connections and with a dashing romantic hero to boot, what's not to love?

Of course, it's not all plain sailing as Rebecca has her own reasons for fleeing to Portugal but when she meets Felipe, she has a life changing decision to make.

Great characters, lovely descriptions of Portugal, a great escapist read.


 


Friday, 10 April 2026

Summer Ever After

 



Summer Ever After

Forty-year-old Faye Lawson is falling back in love with life at last. Finally divorced from her cheating husband, she has turned her back on the UK and has been living the Greek dream in Corfu managing a beautiful traditional boutique hotel.

For Kostas Petsas, twenty-something ex-professional basketball player, life as he has always known it is over. Having to take early-retirement because of injury, he’s at a loss as to what to do next. But when a piece of land in Corfu comes on the market, it seems this might be the perfect fit. There’s just a couple of things in the way… an area of natural beauty and… a little hotel on the beach.

Kostas has never met any woman like Faye before – she doesn’t behave around him how women usually do, and, when conflict starts to surface, it seems they can’t see eye-to-eye on anything. Or perhaps, when things get body-to-body, both of them begin to wonder if it can turn into heart-to-heart.

Escape to the beautiful island of Corfu with Mandy Baggot - queen of Greek summer romance!

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/SummerEverAfterSocial

 

Author Bio – 




Mandy Baggot is a bestselling romance writer who loves giving readers that happy-ever-after. From sunshine romantic comedies set in Greece, to cosy curl-up winter reads, she's bringing gorgeous heroes and strong heroines readers can relate to. Mandy splits her time between Salisbury, Wiltshire and Corfu, Greece and has a passion for books, food, racehorses and all things Greek!

 

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: @MandyBaggotAuthor

Twitter: @MandyBaggot

Instagram: @MandyBaggot

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MandyBaggotNews

Bookbub profile: @MandyBaggot

My review

Mandy Baggot has a knack for creating characters that the reader feels they have known all their life. This is true in the case of Faye, with whom I could immediately identify. The background characters are equally well drawn as is the stunning Corfiot location. If you add in a strong, romantic, Greek hero and a major conflict, there is very little missing; except that I should be reading it on a Greek beach instead of over a damp weekend in the UK.




Sunday, 5 April 2026

The Islander’s Daughter

 



The Islander's Daughter

When Trisha receives a mysterious letter to her Liverpool home, it opens a decades’ old mystery, drawing her back into her family’s forgotten past, the horrors of war, and a small island off the coast of Greece…

Eighty years earlier, on the island of Milos, Dora is dreaming of a better life, free from the oppression of the occupying army and, closer to home, the brutal rule of her father, an infamous horse breeder.

Then a German cargo ship is bombed in the harbour, killing dozens of the men on board. The islanders trawl the waters for spoilage from the wreckage – finding among the debris a badly injured man, who may just hold the awful truth about what happened.

Dora soon finds this man under her care, and it changes her life forever, introducing her to the possibility of love and freedom for the first time… But Dora cannot know, as she nurses the stranger back to health, that her actions will have devastating consequences for her beloved island. Consequences that will last for generations…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/islandersdaughter

Author Bio – 




Born on the Wirral, Patricia Wilson is the author of emotional, escapist historical fiction set in the Greek Islands, including the Sunday Times bestseller Villa of Secrets. She has had seven bestsellers, and her books have been published worldwide and in thirteen languages. She is dyslexic, and fell in love with writing thanks to modern technology.


Social Media Links 

Facebook: @PatriciaWilsonAuthor

Twitter: @pmwilson_author

Instagram: @pmwilson.author

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/PatriciaWilsonNews 

My review

I love history almost as much as I love Greece, so this book ticked two important boxes for me. Set on the island of Milos during the Occupation we learn about Dora's life at the hands of her father. She can either do her duty and marry the man her father has chosen for her or risk everything and follow her heart. Either choice will have severe repercussions, not just for Dora but for the inhabitants of the island.

This is not a dual timeline as such, since the contemporary action is only at the beginning and end of the book, which means the historical aspect is uninterrupted. I would, however, have liked to know more about Trisha, as to be honest, I was so engrossed in the historical story that by the end I had almost forgotten who she was.

An engaging read, perfect for lovers of history and of Greece.