The Orange Grove

 

An unforgettable story of past love and family secrets, set in sunny Seville

Holly loves making marmalade. Now she has a chance to leave her stressful city job and pursue her dream - of returning to the Dorset landscape of her childhood to open Bitter Orange, a shop celebrating the fruit that first inspired her.

Holly's mother Ella has always loved Seville. So why is she reluctant to go back there with Holly to source products for the shop? What is she frightened of - and does it have anything to do with the old Spanish recipe for Seville orange and almond cake that Ella keeps hidden from her family? 

In Seville, where she was once forced to make the hardest decision of her life, Ella must finally face up to the past, while Holly meets someone who poses a threat to all her plans. Seville is a city full of sunshine and oranges. But it can also be bittersweet. Will love survive the secrets of the orange grove?

About the author

Rosanna Ley has worked as a creative writing tutor for over 15 years. Affiliated to several colleges and universities in England, she also runs her own writing courses in the UK and abroad. She has worked with community groups in therapeutic settings and completed an MA in creative writing for personal development in order to support this. Her writing holidays and retreats take place in stunning locations in Italy and Spain and whilst not teaching or writing she mentors and appraises the work of new writers. Rosanna has had numerous articles and short stories published in UK magazines, and 12 novels of contemporary fiction published in the U.K, Germany, Greece and the U.S.A under a pseudonym. Her books are inspired by the culture and landscapes of Italy, Sicily and the Canary Islands and feature strong female voices from the past and present, along with an intense undercurrent of mystery and romance. Rosanna spends some time every year travelling around Europe looking for writing inspiration and more tranquil settings for writing holidays. She loves cliff walking and her favourite writing place is somewhere with a sea view. When she is not travelling, Rosanna lives with her artist husband in a Victorian cottage in West Dorset by the sea. 

My Review

I was drawn into this book by the luscious descriptions of Seville and by the stories of Holly and her mother. Most people will associate Seville with the oranges grown there and they are the perfect symbol of the bitter-sweet theme that runs through the book. Rosanna Ley goes beneath the surface of Seville to areas that tourists are usually unfamiliar with such as the 'gypsy' quarter and the story is enhanced as a result.

It is a romantic setting yet not far beneath the surface lay secrets and threats. I could really imagine the gypsy music of this close-set community and loved the parallels between Holly and her mother. Holly's grandmother is a fabulous multi-dimensional character; her love for Holly shows through and now perhaps she is trying to make amends for her past behaviour that has led to a lifetime of secrets. 

If travel were possible, I'd be booking a flight to Seville right now.

The Love Island Bookshop

 

The Love Island Bookshop

A dream job, two handsome men, one destructive act. Will Freya’s opportunity of a lifetime end in tears?

When Freya leaves her publishing job in London to be a barefoot bookseller in the Maldives, it’s the push she needs to move on from her sadness and reignite her passion for life.

While resort owner Zander is charming, it’s handsome dive instructor Aaron who befriends her when she needs it most. But all is not what it seems and there’s trouble brewing in paradise.

Taking a chance on happiness is harder than she imagined. Can Freya let go of her heartache and allow herself to fall in love again?

Purchase Link - http://getbook.at/theloveislandbookshop

Author Bio – 

Kate Frost is the author of best-selling romantic escape novels (The Baobab Beach Retreat, A Starlit Summer, The Greek Heartand The Amsterdam Affair), character-driven women’s fiction (The Butterfly Storm series and Beneath the Apple Blossom), and Time Shifters, a time travel adventure trilogy for children. She has a MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, where she also taught lifewriting to creative writing undergraduates.

Kate lives in Bristol with her husband, young son, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Frodo. As well as writing novels, she’s also the Director of Storytale Festival, a new city-wide children’s book festival that she co-founded in Bristol in 2019 with the ethos of making books accessible to all and encouraging children and teens to read, write and be creative. Kate feels incredibly lucky to spend her days writing and being immersed in books. 

Social Media Links – 

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katefrostauthor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhcSLhVZrTwDq9OteyFmHA

Website: http://kate-frost.co.uk/

My Review

Many years ago I saw a job advertised to run an exclusive bookshop in the Maldives. From time to time I've often wondered what it would have been like if I'd had the courage to apply for it. Thanks to this wonderful book, I now know. Imagine a luxury resort and the freedom to curate your own selection of books. It sounds every bit as idyllic as I imagined. For Freya it's also a dream opportunity and when she meets fellow employee Aaron, it seems life is as perfect as it gets. However, lurking beneath the surface of this piece of paradise lurk secrets, deception and a thrist for revenge. Freya's dream job is about to become a nightmare. 

I loved the storyline and the easygoing style means the book was finished all too soon. Really great sense of place and another location to add to my dream list.

Going Greek

 Sun, sea and a sizzling romance… the perfect holiday, right? Wrong.

After a work party gone disastrously wrong, Samantha suddenly finds herself jobless and jilted. So when her sister invites Sam to stay at her little whitewashed farmhouse on a Greek island, Sam leaps at the chance to escape. Before long, she’s trundling up the cobbled driveway, almost colliding with sexy neighbour Spyros.

It isn’t all sunshine and smiles though. For every afternoon spent lounging by the pool, cocktail in hand, there is a morning spent adjusting to life with boisterous six-year-old nieces. When Spyros invites Sam to explore the island with him she’s tempted, but with his carefree, live-for-the-moment attitude, he couldn’t be more different to Sam with her five-year plans and high-maintenance hair. One drink, as friends, couldn’t hurt though? Over glasses of fruity Greek wine and honey-sweet baklava, can he – and the other charming locals – help city girl Sam to appreciate the simple pleasures the Greek life has to offer?

Just as Sam is considering ditching her designer gear for good though, she runs in to an old flame from home, and suddenly her London life comes hurtling back. Can her smooth-talking ex convince Sam to return to the concrete jungle, or will the lessons she’s learned from her Greek escape persuade her to stay?

A fun, fabulous and completely laugh-out-loud summer read 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://twitter.com/suerobertsautho

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3bFSHt2

Apple: https://apple.co/3bI9LhZ

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2ScJhOB

Google: https://bit.ly/37YjSNW

My Review

In this book the author nails what it is that I personally love about Greece; the laid back lifestyle, the simplicity of a byegone age and the friendliness of the locals. When Samantha arrives with her city heels, it takes a while for the magic of Greece to work on her but slowly and surely it does. I love the sense of place, the characters, especially the twins, and the storyline. This is probably my favourite book by Sue Roberts. 

The Boardwalk by the sea - Spring Siren

 

Spring Siren

Pull on your sunglasses, spring is here!

When Finn Gallichan, the new man in artist, Jools Jones’ life leaves the boardwalk to go travelling for several months, she’s not too worried. She has her paintings to work on as well as keeping busy helping her grandmother run the only second-hand bookshop in the village. She’s happy to wait for Finn’s return to pick up where they left off their relationship. That is, until she decides to secretly help a new customer trace a copy of a book he wrote years before and meets his grandson, Marius Arnesen, a glass artist who, fascinated by her paintings, asks her to take part in an art exhibition. 

When she begins to suspect that Finn isn’t quite the person she had hoped and Marius steps up to save someone close to her, she wonders if maybe she’s made the wrong decision…

Purchase Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spring-Siren-Book-Boardwalk-Sea-ebook/dp/B08V7GKDTG/

US -  https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Siren-Book-Boardwalk-Sea-ebook/dp/B08V7GKDTG/

Author Bio  

Georgina Troy is a pseudonym of author Deborah Carr, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Poppy Field, Broken Faces and the Mrs Boots series.

She was a finalist in the Contemporary Romance Category of the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards 2016 (RoNAs) with A Jersey Kiss, book 1 in her Jersey Scene series.

Georgina lives on the island of Jersey with her husband and three rescue dogs and is 1/3 of The Blonde Plotters.

Social Media Links – 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeorginaTroy

Instagram: @AJerseyWriter

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/georginatroy/

Website: https://deborahcarr.org/

My Review

This might be the last of the friends' stories but it might also just happen to be my favourite so far. I love the delicious descriptions of the Boardwalk, brought so vividly to life by the author. Of course, the fact that a lot of the action centres around a bookshop is another bonus and the search for a missing book is the icing on the cake. A worthy end to the series.

Under the Italian sun

Under The Italian Sun

The #1 bestseller is back with an uplifting, escapist read that will brighten the gloomiest day!

A warm, sun-baked terrace.

The rustle of verdant green vines.

The sun slowly dipping behind the Umbrian mountains.

And the chink of wine glasses as the first cork of the evening is popped…

Welcome to Italy. A place that holds the answer to Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers’ many questions. Not least, how she ended up with such a mouthful of a name.

When Zia discovers that her mother wasn’t who she thought she was, she realises the time has come to search out the Italian family she’s never known.

However, as she delves into the secrets of her past, she doesn’t bargain on having to think about her future too. But with local vineyard owner, Piero, living next door, Zia knows she has a serious distraction who may prove difficult to ignore…

This summer, join Zia as she sets out to uncover her past. But can she find the future she’s always dreamed of along the way?

 

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Under-Italian-Sun-Sue-Moorcroft-ebook/dp/B08L5RPD2W

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/under-the-italian-sun

Apple: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/under-the-italian-sun/id1545319265

W H Smith: https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/under-the-italian-sun/sue-moorcroft/paperback/9780008393021.html

Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/under-the-italian-sun/9780008393021

Author Bio –  

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author and has reached the #1 spot on Kindle UK. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award and the Katie Fforde Bursary. Published by HarperCollins in the UK, US and Canada and by other publishers around the world.

Social Media Links –  
Website [www.suemoorcroft.com]

Blog [http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com]

Facebook profile [Sue.Moorcroft.3]

Facebook author page [https://www.facebook.com/SueMoorcroftAuthor

Twitter  [@suemoorcroft]

Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/suemoorcroftauthor/] @SueMoorcroftAuthor

LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/suemoorcroft]

 

My Review

Really enjoyed my trip to Italy. The descriptions of the Italian scenery, not to mention the food and drink, immediately transported me to sunnier climes. The story is one of my favourites by the author, pulling the reader in and wondering how it will all turn out for Zia. The characters spring from the page and with a bit of mystery and romance for good measure, this book ticks all the boxes. The only problem now is I ache to visit these places and keep adding to my bucket list.

Secrets of the jam factory girls

 

Secrets of the Jam Factory Girls

 

  A heartwarming saga about female friendship from the bestselling author of The Jam Factory Girls.

 

Secrets of the Jam Factory Girls is a moving saga novel of friendship set in the heart of pre-WWI London from bestselling author, Mary Wood.

 

Elsie’s worked her way up at Swift’s Jam Factory from the shop floor to the top, and now it’s her time to shine. But when she’s involved in an incident involving her half-sister Millie’s new husband, she is forced to keep it secret – the truth could threaten their sisterly bond.

 

Dot is dogged by fear, coming to terms with her mother’s rejection of her. She should be enjoying the happiness she craves with her beloved Cess; instead, she’s trapped in an asylum, haunted by the horrifying cries of inmates. All she wants is to get married, but what chance is there for her if she’s locked away?

 

Millie is trying to build a life with her new husband. But the man she loves is not all he seems . . .

 

Can the Jam Factory girls create the future they all deserve?

 

 About the author

Born the thirteenth child of fifteen to a middle-class mother and an East End barrow boy, Mary Wood’s family were poor, but rich in love. Mary raised four children and has numerous grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An avid reader, she first put pen to paper in 1989, and is now a full-time novelist. She is the best-selling author of numerous books, including The Abandoned Daughter and The Brave Daughters.

Website

https://www.authormarywood.com

Twitter

Authormary 

My Review

Mary Wood always manages to delight the reader, even though the journey towards a happy ending is fraught with obstacles. Her mix of gritty realism and optimism is a winner. This sequel to 'The jam factory girls' tells us more about the relationship between Millie and Elsie, half-sisters who are from completely different worlds. It makes for painful reading at times so make sure you have a tissue handy as you wait to see how the girls survive in a patriarcal society. Mary's historical research and attention to detail immediatly engage the reader in the time and place. Another winner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lost Sister

 

The Lost Sister

Three sisters. Three ships. One heartbreaking story.

1911. As Emma packs her trunk to join the ocean liner Olympic as a stewardess, she dreams of earning enough to provide a better life for both her sisters. With their photograph tucked away in her luggage, she promises to be back soon – hoping that sickly Lily will keep healthy, and wild Ruby will behave. But neither life at sea nor on land is predictable, and soon the three sisters’ lives are all changed irrevocably…

Now. When Harriet finds her late grandmother’s travelling trunk in the attic, she’s shocked to discover a photo of three sisters inside – her grandmother only ever mentioned one sister, who died tragically young. Who is the other sister, and what happened to her? Harriet’s questions lead her to the story of three sister ships, Olympic, Titanic and Britannic, and a shattering revelation about three sisters torn apart…

Purchase Links 

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08WK5H329/     

US -  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08WK5H329/

Author Bio – 

Kathleen McGurl lives in Christchurch, UK, with her husband. She has two sons who have both now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has published several novels with HQ and self-published another. She has also sold dozens of short stories to women's magazines, and written three How To books for writers. After a long career in the IT industry she became a full time writer in 2019. When she's not writing, she's often out running, slowly.

Social Media Links – 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathMcGurl  @KathMcGurl

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

Website: https://kathleenmcgurl.com/

My Review

One of my favourite novels by Kath Mcgurl. Lovely attention to detail and the perfect symetry of the three sisters and the three sister ships. The quest to find out what happened to the mysterious third sister is cleverly done and kept me turning the pages. All in all a delightful story full of mystery and intrigue. Can thoroughly recommend.