Tuesday 26 July 2022

Just one day - Summer



 Just One Day – Summer

'Gorgeous, glorious and uplifting. A delight to read.' (Christie Barlow)

List-juggling, business-owner mum-of-three Louisa is reeling after a tragedy, as well as learning how to cope after a life-changing revelation. With oil worker husband Ronnie possibly being able to move onshore, she hopes he can help her manage the burden.
But the secrets she keeps are causing her headaches and she's unsure if her ability to make good decisions has deserted her. All she seems to do is upset those around her.
With Louisa's to-do list gathering pace at an incredible speed, will she manage to provide a stable home for them all, embrace her new normal as well as rebuild their life from what's left?
And if she gets what she has always wanted, will it match up to her expectations?

For fans of Milly Johnson, Sarah Morgan and Heidi Swain.

Purchase link - https://books2read.com/u/3yKNa6

Author Bio – 



Susan Buchanan lives in Scotland with her husband, their two young children and a crazy Labrador called Benji. She has been reading since the age of four and had to get an adult library pass early as she had read the entire children’s section by the age of ten. 

Susan writes contemporary fiction, often set in Scotland, usually featuring travel, food or Christmas. When not working, writing, or caring for her two delightful cherubs, Susan loves reading (obviously), the theatre, quiz shows and eating out – not necessarily in that order!

 

Social Media Links – Website – www.susanbuchananauthor.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Susan_Buchanan

Facebook – www.facebook.com/susan.buchanan.author

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/AuthorSusanBuchanan/

Giveaway to Win a Signed copy of  Just One Day – Summer (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK 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/33c69494514/?

My Review

This is the third book in the series and it was lovely to catch up with Louisa and her journey. Her story puts into perspective the lives of many of us, juggling work and family and trying for that all important work-life balance. As Louisa’s 'to do' list gets longer, her life becomes even more complicated with an unexpected discovery. Will her husband Ronnie feel the same though and can they put the past behind them? I'm really looking forward to the final instalment.





Wednesday 20 July 2022

The last restaurant in Paris

 Book: The Last Restaurant in Paris




Author: Lily Graham 
Pub Day: July 18th 2022 

Buy Links: 

https://geni.us/B09XR387ZFcover


Audible:

UK: http://ow.ly/oz1z50JRgm0

US: http://ow.ly/ILTv50JRglX


Listen here: http://ow.ly/n8Bi50JRglY


About the Book: 

Paris 1944. To save her people, she served the enemy.

In enemy-occupied Paris, as the locals go to bed starving and defeated by the war, music and laughter spills through the door of a little restaurant, crowded with German soldiers. The owner 
Marianne moves on weary feet between its packed tables, carrying plates of steaming, wholesome food for the enemy officers. Her smile is bright and sparkling, her welcome cordial. Nobody would guess the hatred she hides in her heart.

That night, the restaurant closes its doors for the final time. In the morning, the windows are scratched with the words ‘traitor and murderer’. And Marianne has disappeared without a trace…

Years later, Marianne’s granddaughter 
Sabine stands under the faded green awning, a heavy brass key in her hand, staring at the restaurant left to her by the grandmother she never met. Sabine has so many questions about herself. Perhaps here she can find answers, but she knows she isn’t welcome. Marianne was hated by the locals and when Sabine discovers they blamed her for the terrible tragedy that haunts the pretty restaurant, she is ready to abandon her dark legacy.

But when she finds a passport in a hidden compartment in the water-stained walls, with a picture of a woman who looks like her grandmother but has a different name, she knows there must be more to Marianne’s story. As she digs into the past, she starts to wonder: was her grandmother a heroine, not a traitor? What happened to her after the tragic night when she fled from her restaurant? And will the answer change her own life forever?

A haunting and compelling story of love, strength, and sacrifice in Nazi-occupied Paris as one brave young woman risks everything to save the lives of those around her. Fans of The NightingaleThe Paris Library and The Alice Network will lose their hearts to The Last Restaurant in Paris.


Author Bio



Lily Graham is the author of the bestselling, The Child of Auschwitz, The Paris Secret and The Island Villa, among others. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, including French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Turkish.

She grew up in South Africa, and was a journalist for a decade before giving it up to write fiction full time. Her first three novels were lighter, women's fiction, but when she wrote The Island Villa, a story about a secret Jewish community living on the tiny island of Formentera during the Spanish Inquisition, she switched to historical fiction and hasn't quite looked back since.

She lives now in the Suffolk coast with her husband and English bulldog, Fudge. Her latest book, The Flight of Swallows, set in Denmark and Sweden, will be out in January 2021.


Social Media
Bookouture Email  Sign Up:  https://www.bookouture.com/lily-graham

My Review

An absolutely gripping dual timeline set in present day Paris and in 1944. I loved watching Sabine try to unravel her grandmother's past. Of course, as she discovers Marianne's secrets, so does the reader. The story of the price one woman will pay for revenge is heartbreaking but is Marianne a heroine or a traitor? The ending will have you gasping and make sure you have plenty of hankies.




Sunday 10 July 2022

An Italian dream

 An Italian Dream

Follow your heart and then your dreams…


Best friends since childhood, Fern Chambers and Stella Shaw have been through everything together and are at a crossroads in their lives.

Carefree Stella has a monumental secret and put upon Fern’s happy life is not all it seems.

With their 40th birthdays approaching, a luxury holiday to the island of Capri is a chance for them to reconnect, let their hair down and celebrate in style. But untold truths and frustration bubble beneath the surface, turning what should be a holiday of a lifetime into an opportunity to make life-changing decisions.

Far from home, where anything feels possible, secrets are revealed, heartache is shared, love discovered and new friendships forged.

Will their Italian dream turn into a nightmare or lead to newfound happiness?

Purchase Link –  https://amzn.to/3OU7RwU

Author Bio – 



Kate Frost is the author of several bestselling romantic escape novels including The Greek Heart, and The Love Island Bookshop. She lives in Bristol and is the Director of  Storytale Festival, a book festival for children and teens she co-founded in 2019. 

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/katefrostauthor

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

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

My review

What a fabulous setting for a book and so well described that by the end I felt as if I knew my way around Capri. Of course, that now means another location to add to my bucket list.

I loved the two main characters and their shared history. Stella, it seems has a secret that she hasn't shared with anyone yet there is a second secret that threatens their friendship. A beautiful story of friendship and the power of women. This book will go on my favourites list.