BLOG TOUR: The Perfect Christmas Village - Bella Osborne

When Christmas-hating Sam moves to Holly Cross, he thinks he's found the perfect home, until he discovers that, each year, Holly Cross transforms into the most Christmassy village in the whole country...

Blythe is just one sale away from being Real Estate Agent of the Month, so she twists the truth to sell a home to city boy Sam, who is looking for the perfect house in the perfect location. Little does he know he's just bought a cottage in the middle of the most Christmassy village in the country. And if there's one thing Sam loathes, it's Christmas.

Sam's arrival puts Holly Cross's chance to win the title of Britain's Most Perfect Christmas Village now in jeopardy, and the villagers are soon up in arms. Meanwhile, Sam is in his own personal hell surrounded by fairy lights and everyone is looking to Blythe to fix things.

But as the festive season looms, maybe there's more than just Christmas in Holly Cross for Sam to fall in love with...

 

What did I think?

I didn't think it was possible to feel festive in October but The Perfect Christmas Village is so full of Christmas spirit that it was impossible to resist (virtually) joining in and I absolutely adored this wonderful book.

Blythe doesn't make the best first impression on me, although she has her reasons for being so competitive at work, and everyone knows that you take what an estate agent says with a pinch of salt.  So Sam only has himself to blame when he finds himself living in the most Christmassy village in Britain, as he really should have done his due diligence before signing on the dotted line.

I know some people can't understand other people who don't like Christmas but it's usually for a very good, and very personal, reason.  Blythe really annoyed me when she kept pushing Sam and making fun of him although she does redeem herself in the most heartwarming way that had me reaching for my tissues to dry my tears.

The community spirit of Holly Cross leaps out of the page and envelops the reader in a huge hug.  I felt as if I was part of this wonderful community and I really cared about what happened to them.  I also loved Turpin the cat and his ability to find new hiding positions - I think he is quite like Sam and just wants to hide away from the community Christmas spirit.

Fabulously festive and wonderfully uplifting, The Perfect Christmas Village is a delightful feelgood novel that completely warmed my heart.  I simply can't recommend it highly enough and I am already planning to visit Holly Cross again next year.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Amazon UK

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About the author:

Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. Since then she’s written nine best-selling romantic comedies, two best-selling bookclub reads and won the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year Award. 

Bella's stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She lives in Warwickshire, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. When not writing Bella is usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.

For more about Bella, visit her website at www.bellaosborne.com or follow her on social media.

Social Media Links – 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/osborne_bella  

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

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bellaosborneauthor/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@bellaosborneauthor 

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BLOG TOUR: Homecoming - Isabel Ashdown

Welcome to The Starlings... sun, sea and neighbours to die for.

Security, a sparkling sea view and the best kind of neighbours - The Starlings gated community has it all. Here, doors are left open, children run free, and at the heart of it all is the entrepreneurial Gold Family, who first dreamed up this aspirational vision of 'Dorset's Safest Community'. To the outside world the popular family appears glitteringly blessed... until an idyllic party takes a dark turn and one of their number is found slumped at the foot of the clocktower. Who knows what really happened? And what answers are harboured within the old building, the former Highcap Mother and Baby Home?'

A mesmerising, character-rich thriller with a long-buried secret vibrating at its core: this is Isabel Ashdown at her heart-stopping best, for readers who enjoyed Big Little Lies, Dr Foster or Little Fires Everywhere.

 

What did I think?

Isabel Ashdown is an author whose books I always enjoy and her latest novel, Homecoming, is no exception.  The format of the book creates unbelievable suspense with a short, disturbing present day prologue before the story takes the reader back to one year ago.  

The Gold Family are very well named; they seem to have the Midas touch.  Katrin, her husband Bill and brother-in-law Hugo are property developers who have renovated an old workhouse that later became a mother and baby home.  The Starlings is named after the birds that nest in the clocktower, but its previous incarnation as Highcap House still has secrets held within its walls...and it looks like someone will kill to keep them buried.

I'm not going to mention any more about the story as it could spoil it for other readers.  Needless to say, with so many secrets I was suspicious of all the characters and thought I had guessed all of the secrets but I was completely wrong.  I love being wrong about a book as it means it has been written so skilfully that it misdirects me completely, which is exactly what Isabel Ashdown does so very cleverly in Homecoming.

Hauntingly atmospheric, Homecoming has a simultaneously idyllic and sinister setting as past and present events collide and secrets that span decades are about to be revealed.  I read Homecoming with a constant feeling of unease and I loved every minute of it. 

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord - The Secret Landlord

Get ready to learn what really happens behind closed doors.

Landlords have become one of the most hated groups in society. Parasites, they’re often called. And there’s a lot of them. The Treasury estimates there are almost 2.6 million landlords in the UK with around 5.45 million rental properties.

But the real life of a professional landlord is very different to what most people think. From burglaries and break-ins to drug raids, police warrants, crazy tenant antics, bailiffs, squatters, lawsuits, wrecked properties, interfering council officers, game-playing freeholders to moments of heartfelt joy and happiness, the life of a landlord is never dull. Especially when the government keeps moving the goalposts.

This explosive front line exposé blows the lid off what it’s really like to be a landlord and the shocking reality of renting out a property. Hovering close to a nervous breakdown and likely suffering PTSD, The Secret Landlord exposes truths rarely shared. Stories that will grip you, move you and smack you in the face.

This is the truth, the other side of the door.

What did I think?

What a complete eye-opener!  I really enjoyed reading Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord.  It's written in diary format, which I often feel guilty about reading, but the voice of the Secret Landlord really stands out and I felt like I had her approval to read her honest account of some very busy and tiring days.

My heart really went out to the Secret Landlord, being on call 24/7/365 and I could have cried when reading about the wrecked properties.  I felt the frustration with the council housing department and the inability to take even a single day off without hassle.  It's not all doom and gloom though as there are plenty of funny moments; I laughed out loud when the Secret Landlord cleared up after a hoarder and went for a bone crunching Thai massage.  

I did briefly consider renting my property when house prices fell during the 2008 recession but, after seeing how tenants treated the rental property next door with total disregard, I thought it would be more hassle than it was worth.  Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord certainly proves me right and makes me so glad that I'm not a landlord.  

Honest, humourous and horrifying, Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord is a superb read whether you're a landlord, a tenant or a nosy neighbour.  I sometimes forgot it was actually non-fiction as it's a highly addictive book and I couldn't put it down; I'm sure there are many more stories that the Secret Landlord can share with us and I do hope that there are more books to follow.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

The Secret Landlord has been renting, refurbishing and selling properties across the UK for almost two decades. An award winning landlord, as judged by the National Landlords Association, The Secret Landlord has provided accommodation for hundreds of tenants from all walks of life. 

Social Media Links – 

Website: www.thesecretlandlord.com

Twitter: @landlord_secret

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