Summer season on the seafront

Summer Season on the Seafront

The Greenley Players are back practicing their Shakespeare and, as usual, things aren't going to plan.

Sarah Powell is fed up with her sad single status and when her estranged father walks back into her life things get even worse. Can dishy doctor Finn MacDonald mend her broken heart and help her figure things out?

TV star, Nate Hardy's career is going from strength to strength until his performance is interrupted and he has to flee the West End to hide away in Greenley. Will he ever get his career back on track or will Sarah and the rest of Greenley's madcap residents capture his heart forever? 

Purchase Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Season-Seafront-Katie-Ginger-ebook/dp/B07KQQ6856

US - https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Season-Seafront-Katie-Ginger-ebook/dp/B07KQQ6856

Author Bio 

KATIE GINGERlives in the South East of England, by the sea, and apart from holidays to very hot places where you can sit by a pool and drink cocktails as big your head, she wouldn't really want to be anywhere else. Summer Season on the Seafront is Katie's second novel. Her debut novel The Little Theatre on the Seafront was shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year award. She is also the author of some cosy mystery short stories. Katie loves making her characters either fall in love, or killing them off - it depends on her mood! 

When she's not writing, Katie spends her time drinking gin, or with her husband, trying to keep alive her two children: Ellie, who believes everything in life should be done as a musical number from a West End show; and Sam, who is basically a monkey with a boy's face. And there's also their adorable King Charles Spaniel, Wotsit (yes, he is named after the crisps!). 

For more about Katie you can visit her website: www.keginger.com, find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatieGAuthor, or follow her on Twitter: @KatieGAuthor

My Review

I loved this book. Speaking as a member of our local amateur dramatic society, Katie Ginger has got this book spot on. If you add in a dishy doctor and a TV star on the run with some over the top characters this book is engaging from the start. The seaside setting is so realistic I think I want to live there. An easy to read book that is just perfect for a little bit of summer indulgence. 

Dead Inside

Kept me hooked … excellent pace and a very satisfying ending’ Angela Marsons

‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole

'A brilliant debut – gritty, dark and chilling. Noelle Holten knows her stuff’ Mel Sherratt

A dark and gripping debut crime novel – the first in a stunning new series – from a huge new talent.

The killer is just getting started…

When three wife beaters are themselves found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood – who is connected to all three victims – is hiding a dark secret. Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered.

And he is Lucy’s husband.

Now the police are running out of time, but can Maggie really believe her friend Lucy is a cold-blooded killer?

Author Bio:

 

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and a regular reviewer on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast. Noelle worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years,

covering a variety of cases including those involving serious domestic abuse. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle's hobbies include reading, author-stalking and sharing the booklove via her blog. 
Dead Inside is her debut novel with Killer Reads/Harper Collins UK and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.

My Review

This is a gritty portrayal of domestic abuse, the author drawing on her years of experience in the Probation Service. To anyone who thinks domestic abuse doesn't happen to educated, employed women holding down challenging jobs then this book shows it can and does happen to anyone from all walks of life. Lucy Sherwood is the last person you would think of as a victim yet she has her own reasons for not leaving her husband. The pace is just right, allowing us to empathise and then in the next chapter wonder if she is actually a murderer. This is a well-written psychological thriller that a seasoned author would be proud of - hard to believe this is a debut novel.

Links:

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

Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18489795.Noelle_Holten

Blog: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk

Instagram: @crimebookjunkie  

Bold Lies

Book Blurb: An investigation leads Kelly back to her former command… and the ex who betrayed her

A brutal murder in the Lake District.

A double assassination in a secret lab in London’s west end.

Seemingly unconnected, unexpected links between the gruesome crimes emerge and it’s up to DI Kelly Porter to follow the trail – all the way to the capital.

Back amongst old colleagues and forced to work alongside her calculating ex, DCI Matt Carter, Kelly must untangle a web of deceit that stretches into the highest echelons of power. A place where secrets and lies are currency and no obstacle is insurmountable.

About the author

Rachel Lynch grew up in Cumbria and the lakes and fells are never far away from her. London pulled her away to teach History and marry an Army Officer, whom she followed around the globe for thirteen years.

A change of career after children led to personal training and sports therapy, but writing was always the overwhelming force driving the future. The human capacity for compassion as well as its descent into the brutal and murky world of crime are fundamental to her work.

My Review


This is the fifth book in the series and every bit as good if not better than the previous books. Kelly's relationship with Ted is moving forward but it is her relationship with her boyfriend that is under threat when Kelly encounters her ex Matt. The story shifts between the Lakes and London and we see both through Kelly's eyes as she is forced to work with Matt in order to solve a double murder in a London lab. The story is intricately plotted and kept me reading well into the early hours - the kind of thriller to really make you think.

Our last goodbye

Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson

AMZ: https://geni.us/B07P97111JSocial

Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/yyhd24s8

Apple Books: https://tinyurl.com/y5g7woto

Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/y6lba3rr

A heart-wrenching, poignant and totally unforgettable tale of a young woman who must finally face up to the secret she has hidden for a lifetime. A beautiful World War Two novel for fans of Wives of War, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe, that will have you reaching for the Kleenex.

1943, England: On a foggy night during the blackout, twenty-five-year-old May Robinson’s mother is tragically killed. Heartbroken, May isn’t sure she has the strength to harbour the secret she has kept for so many years – a secret her mother devoted her life to hiding, that would tear their broken family even further apart.

Vowing to make her mother proud, May trains to be a nurse at Edgemoor General hospital in South Shields, against a backdrop of wailing air-raid sirens and the eternal drone of enemy planes. Tending to wounded, ashen-faced soldiers, fighting to save lives, May is immediately drawn to kind-hearted Richard Bentley, who works tirelessly alongside her. He has sparkling brown eyes, and makes her laugh.

In the darkest of days, amongst death and despair, May and Richard are beacons of hope for one another. But why isn’t he fighting in the war like thousands of other brave young men?

May knows how she longs to escape her own past, and her mother’s. In this perilous time of such uncertainty, she finds herself asking – how well do they really know each other? And when the shocking truth of May’s secret comes to light, just as the war comes too close to home, can their love survive the impossible?

About the author 

Shirley Dickson is the author of The Orphan Sisters, her debut novel. 
She lives under the big skies of Northumberland with her husband, family and lucky black cat. 
She wrote her first short story at the age of ten for a magazine competition. She didn't win but was hooked on writing for a lifetime. 
For many years she wrote poetry and short stories and got many rejection slips. 
Shirley decided to get serious about writing novels when she retired. 
She signed with Bookouture in 2018 for a two-book deal. She has written two stirring World War Two historical novels.
Shirley says she is a prime example of 'never give up on your dream.' 
Follow Shirley on her Facebook 'Shirley Dickson Author' page.

Follow Shirley on Twitter - ‘ShirleyDWriter'

My Review

Shirley's first book was the story of Etty and her sister who were abandoned in an orphanage (The Orphan Sisters) and this book tells the story of their friend May. From the outset, we know this will be an emotional journey as may's mother is killed in a tragic accident on the way home one night. From then on, May has to deal not only with losing her mother but also her home. The secret she's been keeping from everyone also threatens any future relationships, yet it is her best friend Etty who keeps her grounded and ironically has a secret of her own that will damage their friendship. As May starts her nursing training, she is attracted to Richard yet it would seem that he also has secrets. This book takes the reader on a roller-coaster of emotions, its attention to detail and setting pulling the reader in. If you love historical sagas set during WW2, this will be just up your street.

Dreaming of Rome

Rome is where the heart is… The heartwarming read of the summer

Jo has had enough of handsome men. After a painful break-up, she’s decided she doesn’t believe in love.

Then, while on a professional trip to the magical city of Rome, she meets Corrado, a scientist and her brother-in-law to be, who doesn’t believe in love either. To him, it’s just a biochemical reaction. So what’s the problem?

Well, he’s gorgeous for a start, as well as charming, generous, intelligent and attentive, and she feels herself immediately falling for him, despite her new outlook.

The majesty of the Eternal City brings them ever closer together. But is their relationship doomed, or will love conquer all?

Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure, Dreaming of Rome is a joyous and uplifting read from T.A. Williams, perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Tilly Tennant and Jenny Oliver

                                                                              
                                                                             

T.A. Williams lives in Devon with his Italian wife. He was born in England of a Scottish mother and Welsh father. After a degree in modern languages at Nottingham University, he lived and worked in Switzerland, France and Italy, before returning to run one of the best-known language schools in the UK. He’s taught Arab princes, Brazilian beauty queens and Italian billionaires. He speaks a number of languages and has travelled extensively. He has eaten snake, still-alive fish, and alligator. A Spanish dog, a Russian bug and a Korean parasite have done their best to eat him in return. His hobby is long-distance cycling, but his passion is writing.

My Review

Every book by this author is a dream to read. The easy-going style immediately transports the reader to another world with lavish descriptions of the local food and scenery. Although romance is at the heart of each book, there is also the romance of the country, the language and the different culture. With both our heroine and hero having sworn off love, the reader can see that they are instantly drawn to each other even if they are both in denial. With their careers taking them in different directions and the potential problems of being in-laws should it all go wrong, it's hard to see how these two can find true love. Just when things get a little intense, there is a jolt of humour to lift the mood. Will Rome be the home of love for these two? You'll have to read it to find out.

A bakery at the little duck pond cafe

                                                                                                 

                                                                                                

A Bakery at the Little Duck Pond Cafe

Ellie’s dreams of opening a bakery in Sunnybrook are finally coming true and best friends Fen and Jaz are happily rallying round, helping her to plan a fabulous grand opening day. Everything in their garden seems to be rosy – until the arrival of a newcomer brings chaos to the village and tests relationships to the limit. Can the bakery succeed in the face of such upheaval? And more importantly, can firm friendships survive?

Pre-order Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bakery-Little-Duck-Pond-Cafe-ebook/dp/B07MLF2N6T

US- https://www.amazon.com/Bakery-Little-Duck-Pond-Cafe-ebook/dp/B07MLF2N6T

Author Bio

Rosie Green has been scribbling stories ever since she was little. Back then they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ‘the baddies’. Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger involved at all, unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.

Rosie’s brand new series of novellas is centred on life in a village café. Confetti at the Little Duck Pond Cafe will be the sixth in the series

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988

Breaking News - Coming Soon – Confetti at the Little Duck Pond Café 

With Ellie and Zak’s Big Day on the horizon, the sun is shining brightly on the Little Duck Pond Café community. But as dark clouds begin to roll in, threatening more than one close relationship, will the wedding of the year take place at all?  

Follow Rosie Green on Amazon to hear when its published and available for purchase - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosie-Green/e/B07CZYV7DW

My review

I loved meeting up with the characters from the little cafe and the little bakery. This time it's new character Kate, or rather Katja, whose story unfolds. Pitted against the glamourous but intimidating  Madison, Kate has to fight not only for her job but also for love. These are super, multi-dimensional characters with baggage, whose secrets and fears are revealed only at the end. Kate's grandmother is pretty brilliant too. Throw in a circus background, lots of lovely food and a gorgeous puppy and you have a memorable and engaging story.

The Abandoned Daughter

                                                                               

The Abandoned Daughter by Mary Wood is the second book in The Girls Who Went To War series.

Voluntary nurse Ella is haunted by the soldiers' cries she hears on the battlefields of Dieppe. But that’s not the only thing that haunts her. When her dear friend Jim breaks her trust, Ella is left bruised and heartbroken. Over the years, her friendships have been pulled apart at the seams by the effects of war. Now, more than ever, she feels so alone. 

At a military hospital in France, Ella befriends Connie and Paddy. Slowly she begins to heal, and finds comfort in the arms of a French officer called Paulo – could he be her salvation?

With the end of the war on the horizon, surely things have to get better? Ella grew up not knowing her real family but a clue leads her in their direction. What did happen to Ella’s parents, and why is she so desperate to find out?

The Abandoned Daughter by Mary Wood is the second book in The Girls Who Went To War trilogy.

Mary lives in Blackpool and enjoys researching the history of her home town, coming up with some surprising facts and excited to uncover material for future books. 

Born the 13th child of 15 children, Mary experienced life at the raw end. Though she says of her childhood that though poor they were happy and were rich in love. 

Mary writes full time now having ended her 9 - 5 working life in the Probation Service. This experience gave the grittiness she brings to her writing as Mary says she feels compelled to tell it how it is. 

Website

https://www.authormarywood.com

Twitter

Authormary

My Review

This is Ella's story, one of three friends we met in 'The forgotten daughter'. From the start, we see that Ella has to deal with the effects that being a volunteer during the war has on her and her friends as well as the personal consequences of what Jim does to her. As always, this is a true- to- life, gritty story that holds no punches - it is hard to imagine how much suffering one person can endure. This book draws you into Ella's circle as one by one her friends and family are taken from her or use her badly. Having to rely only upon herself, we see her inner strength as she deals with each misfortune that life throws at her. There is light at the end of the tunnel and told in Mary Wood's inimitable style, the reader is there beside Ella all the way.