Love on Location

 Love On Location

Can movie magic lead to a real-life romance?

When Laurel Martin is hired to rewrite the script for a new timeslip blockbuster, she expects the historical advisor hired by the studio to be an elderly academic who won't interfere too much with her writing. But when she meets Professor Jason Harding, a young and unexpectedly handsome archaeologist who has some ideas of his own about the script, she realises the job isn't going to be as simple as she first thought.

As their work takes them from arguing over historical details in a cramped London office to discovering the hidden beauties of a Greek island, Laurel and Jason's relationship starts to echo the romance of their script.

But with Laurel's actor ex-boyfriend making trouble at home, and constant issues with the volatile director, will Laurel and Jason ever be able to write the happy ending for their own story?

Purchase Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Location-irresistibly-romantic-sunshine-ebook/dp/B0932K3V24

US - https://www.amazon.com/Love-Location-irresistibly-romantic-sunshine-ebook/dp/B0932K3V24

Author Bio – 

Lynne Shelby writes contemporary women's fiction/romance. Her debut novel, 'French Kissing' won the Accent Press and Woman magazine Writing Competition. She has done a variety of jobs from stable girl to child actor's chaperone to legal administrator, but now writes full time. She lives in London with her husband, and has three adult children who live nearby.

Social Media Links – 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LynneShelbyWriter

Twitter: @LynneB1

Instagram: lynneshelbywriter

Website: www.lynneshelby.com

 

My Review

I knew from the blurb that I would love this book as it features scriptwriting, an idyllic Greek island and snippets of ancient Greek history. Laurel and Jason are well drawn characters and the location is described so well  It was easy to imagine the two villas and the beach. Of course there has to be an impediment to true love and in Laurel's case it's her two-timing boyfriend Conor. The sub-plot is neatly interwoven and complements the main story perfectly. I also enjoying learning about want goes on behind a shoot. Really enjoyed my Greek 'fix'which could only have been bettered by being able to read it in Greece.

The Little Blue Door

Can a lost past lead to a beautiful future?

About the book

In the post-pandemic world Melodie feels lost and alone, desperate to find something to remind her of her previous life. She sets out on a trip to Corfu to reconnect with happier times, only to be haunted by memories and events from the past.

While travelling Melodie meets an intriguing and handsome man who has the potential to change her future. However, will the young girl from the plane with piercing green eyes be the one to open the door to Melodie’s fate?

Book information

Publication Date 28 June 2021

ISBN 978-1-80042-095-3

Dimensions 198 x 129mm

Extent 222 pages

RRP £8.99

BIC FRD

Rights Worldwide

Ebook .epub

Bookseller and library discounts available

Published by SilverWood Books

Available to order from Ingram Books

and Central Books

Facebook facebook.com/silverwoodbooks

Twitter @SilverWoodBooks

Instagram @silverwood_books

About the author

Francesca Catlow loves to travel. Born and raised in the heart of Suffolk, Catlow has travelled extensively in Europe with her French husband and, more recently, their two young children. Of all the places she’s been it is the Greek islands that have captured
her heart. She visits as often as family commitments allow.

She has previously written plays alongside being a lyricist and performer. This book is the first in a series. To stay up to date please visit www.francescacatlow.co.uk.

My Review

As a lover of all things Greek, I was drawn to this book by the blurb and the gorgeous cover. Be prepared to be swept along to Corfu as Melodie tries to recall happier times. The themes of loss, death, family relationships lift this book above the average beach read yet will still appeal to fans who love a slow-burn romance as they are dealt with very sensitively.

The storyline starts of slow and culminates in a memorable twist that is worth waiting for. The characters are well-developed and I loved Anton's daughter who is particularly well portrayed as a minor character. This book is an amazing debut and I am grateful to have been able to escape to my beloved Greece for a few hours at least. I am really looking forward to the next in the series.

www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk

Beyond the Olive Grove

The place seemed utterly still, the only sound was the wind rustling high in the pines above. Standing there, realizing she didn’t even know which house had belonged to her grandmother, Ava wondered just how crazy and desperate she’d been to come all this way with no hope or plan.

When Ava arrives in Greece, it’s with a heart that’s shattered into a thousand pieces. But as she pulls up in a tiny village nestled on a cliff above the glittering Ionian Sea, and steps out in front of a tumbledown house that once belonged to her grandmother Sophia, everything changes.

At first Ava almost wants to laugh at this bizarre inheritance—a home that has been uninhabited since the Second World War—that appears as close to collapse as she herself feels. But with nowhere left to run to, her only choice is to start putting the house together again.

What Ava doesn’t expect is for pieces of her grandmother’s story to emerge, as a local survivor from the war begins to share her secrets. Ava can’t help but be drawn to Sophia’s hidden past… even though the truth could change her own life forever.

Because Sophia’s story is one of devastating choices she had to make during the Nazi invasion of her beloved country. It’s a story of bravery, betrayal and tragedy. But most of all, it is a story about love…

An utterly unforgettable story of two remarkable women who find the strength to persevere against all odds and find hope, courage and light in the darkness. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls and Victoria Hislop’s The Island.

Previously published as The Other Side of the Bridge by Katharine Swartz.

Author Bio:

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

https://www.kate-hewitt.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/katehewitt1/

https://twitter.com/author_kate

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3lxtcQh

My Review

Sometimes a dual narrative has the reader leaning more towards one story than the other. in 'Beyond the Olive Grove' I loved how Ava's and Sophia's stories intertwined. Equally gripping, they had me turning the pages and the resolution was well thought out.

There are some lovely descriptionsthat immediately took me back to little Greek villages that have bypassed mass tourism. The subject matter is delicately handled and the two stories are successfullly brought together at the end. A great read.

Greece Actually

Take one sea-view villa, add two dates with a Greek God, a few glasses of wine, a dash of accidental nudity, and a heavy dose of sunshine. Recipe for a perfect getaway… or an absolute disaster?

Small, shy, safe. That’s how Becky lives ever since her last romantic calamity landed her in hospital. Her comfort zone is as confining as her tiny bank balance, and fiercely guarded by her totally over-the-top mum. But the news that her ex is back sniffing round is the final straw. In a very un-Becky move, she packs her bags for the Greek island of Skiathos. Maybe the setting of her favourite ABBA movie will be just the break from reality Becky needs…

Stepping aboard the Mamma Mia! boat tour, Becky leaves her fear in the port as she sings… out loud… in public, and cries Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! to everything the Greek life has to offer. She befriends locals young, old, and absolutely perfect (hello, sizzling hot restaurant-owner Kyros!), dines on freshly baked bread drizzled in golden olive oil on a starlit date, and walks barefoot along silky sandy beaches.

When Kyros asks her to stay longer, Becky is stunned. Could she really create a new life for herself here, and trust her heart with this smooth-talking charmer? But just as she’s thinking about putting down roots, her troublesome ex makes a dramatic return, begging for her back. Will she go back to playing it safe, or will she take a chance on Greece and embrace her true dancing queen?

An absolutely laugh-out-loud summer rom-com guaranteed to give you THAT holiday feeling! Perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella.

Author Bio:

Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.

She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.

The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!

https://www.instagram.com/suerobertsauthor/

https://twitter.com/suerobertsautho

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/2TU8eQb

Apple: https://apple.co/2T44H10

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2T2Ikch

Google: https://bit.ly/3yEkcwJ

My Review

Everything a book needs for that summer escape. There's Skiathos, sunny skies, silky sands and a gorgeous Greek man - what more could you ask? This light-hearted rom-com will magic you away and have you looking to put the 'Mamma mia' island at the top of your bucket list. 

Skiathos and Skorpelos were already on my list but with travel still difficult, Sue Roberts allowed me to visit vicariously. 

Her previous self

 

Her Previous Self

Two women, living two hundred years apart but closer than sisters.

Mary, miserable in her  marriage to Thomas Carre, a merchant and privateer and living in the newly-built family mansion in Georgian Guernsey.

Lucy, separated from her husband after a tragic loss and now acting as an unwilling sitter for her elderly grandfather, Gregory Carre, who has inherited the same mansion.

Lucy is haunted by Mary’s continued presence in the house and finds herself being pulled more and more back in time. How is it possible for her to live as Mary? To experience scenes from her tragic life? Lucy is forced to come to terms with Mary’s grief as well as her own. 

The more enmeshed she becomes the more anxious Lucy is to discover the truth. Why is Mary still restless? What caused her mysterious disappearance two hundred years ago? 

And can Lucy move on from her own loss to find happiness again?

Purchase Links 

UK - – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Previous-Self-Guernsey-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B096G8ZH7K

US - https://www.amazon.com/Previous-Self-Guernsey-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B096G8ZH7K

Author Bio –  

Anne Allen lives in Devon but originates from Rugby. Finding early on in life that she loved the sea she spent most of her adult years moving from one coast to another. Her happiest time was spent in Guernsey where she lived for nearly 14 years and her books are all set on that beautiful island. Until recently Anne was a psychotherapist but has now retired to write full time. So far she has published Dangerous Waters, Finding Mother, Guernsey Retreat, The Family Divided, Echoes of Time, The Betrayal, The Inheritance and Her Previous Self, forming the Guernsey Novels series. The books focus on love, mystery, drama and relationships. In her spare time she dabbles in art and very occasionally housework.

 

Social Media Links – Twitter   https://twitter.com/AnneAllen21

Facebook: Personal https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050552948453

Author Page: / https://www.facebook.com/Anne-Allen-Author-176883759173475

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anneallen21anon/

 

Giveaway to Win 1 x Paperback Copy of Her Previous Self (UK winner) or e-copy for an international winner.

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494434/?

My Review

I love dual timeline stories and this time slip mystery is very cleverly done via a painting. The book deals with loss and grief and the relationship between the two women living two hundred years apart will pull on your heartstrings. There are light-hearted moments too and I loved how Lucy began to bond with her grandfather. Of course, Anne Allen paints a wonderful picture of the Guernsey scenery as Lucy meets some of the characters from previous books. Just as the painting begins to haunt Lucy, this book will haunt the reader just a little too. A wonderful series.

Escape to the Hummingbird Hotel

 

Escape to the Hummingbird Hotel

Welcome to the Hummingbird Hotel!

When florist-to-the-stars Abbie Coleman catches a glimpse of her boyfriend through the window of Tiffany’s, she couldn’t be more excited. Keen to share her happiness, she organises a huge surprise party for all their family and friends… except things don’t quite work out as she expected, and instead of planning a flower-filled wedding, she finds herself single, and fired from a job she loves.

Desperate to escape her heartbreak, she jets off to her aunt’s quirky Hummingbird Hotel on the gorgeous island of Corfu. Little did she know that instead of spending her time lounging by the pool, drinking cocktails, and soaking up the sun, she’d be stepping into the role of the island’s newest hotelier.

The arrival of unexpected guests sends Abbie into a tailspin of panic, and she’s forced to turn to snippy, but charismatic, vineyard owner-turned-chef, Nikos Angelopoulos, for help. Why does the kitchen fill with smoke whenever she makes coffee? Why is there a naked man swimming in the pool? And why do the hotel’s toiletries turn their guests’ hair pink?

Despite all the chaos, the Hummingbird Hotel works its magic on Abbie, and she finds herself with a decision to make. Will she return home to the drizzly grey skies of London? Or will she take a leap of faith and embrace the new opportunities that little corner of paradise has to offer, and maybe, just maybe, discover a sprinkle of romance along the way?

Purchase Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08Z4B93HL

US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z4B93HL

About Daisy James

​

Daisy James loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She especially likes to create sunshine-filled settings in exotic locations - the Caribbean, Tuscany, Cornwall, Provence - so she can spend her time envisioning her characters enjoying the fabulous scenery and sampling the local food and drink.

When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea - china plates and teacups are a must.

Daisy would love to hear from readers via her Facebook page or you can follow her on Twitter @daisyjamesbooks or on Instagram @booksdaisyjames.

My Review

Daisy James has a lovely easy to read style that will transport you to sunshine-filled Corfu. Add in a struggling hotel, a few giggles, and a taciturn chef next door and you have a winner. This is the perfect-pick-me up when we can't travel. Not quite Greece, but the next best thing. Unfortunately I don't have a naked man in my pool. Nor a pool. Sigh.