BLOG TOUR: Best Summer Ever - Heidi Swain

Summer is in full swing when Daisy drives back into Wynmouth in her almost-clapped-out car, having left both her most recent job and the man her parents thought she was going to marry. Coming home could be just what she needs to move her life on.

At Wynbrook Manor, things are in disarray. Owner Algy isn’t getting any younger, and Daisy’s mum Janet, housekeeper at the manor, spends her days running around after him, while Daisy’s dad Robin, the gardener, has been let down by the person he had lined up to take care of the new cut-flower garden.

As Daisy tries to find her place at Wynbrook and in the village, she’s drawn to summer visitor Josh. But when he turns out to be not the person he appears to be, will the spark between them fizzle out? And with it, the chances of this turning into the best summer ever?

 

What did I think?

It wouldn't be Autumn, Winter, Spring or Summer without a Heidi Swain book and the Best Summer Ever is her latest novel that is jam-packed with sunshine and romance.  I'm a huge fan of Heidi Swain books so it will come as no surprise to say that I loved Best Summer Ever.  I'm planning to read it again already - that's how much I loved it!

Daisy is well-named as her dad is a gardener and Daisy has a love of flowers too.  Daisy's life hasn't exactly gone to plan as she sets off home to Norfolk after breaking up with her boyfriend Laurence.  What makes it even worse is that Daisy's parents loved Laurence but what Daisy seems to forget is that they love her more.

To lessen the blow of her surprise return to the parental abode, Daisy decides to pop into the local pub to ask for work but also to calm her nerves after almost running over an American tourist.  The tourist, Josh, provides the love interest but with secrets and misunderstandings aplenty there's very much a will they/won't they about this blossoming romance.

I absolutely adored this gorgeous book from start to finish.  Just looking at the beautiful cover brings a smile to my face as I recollect my virtual visit to the fictional seaside town of Wynmouth.  I love how Heidi Swain's books are all standalones but often see a return to some of her fictional towns and villages so fans of her books really feel as if they're visiting a favourite destination.

Best Summer Ever is the perfect feel-good book to warm your heart and banish the winter blues.  Make sure you don't miss this fabulous heartwarming romance that is worth every single one of the five stars I have awarded it.  Very highly recommended.

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

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BLOG TOUR: Meantime in Greenwich - Hannah Keens

Can an orphaned astrologer and a widowed astronomer put aside their differences to find love?

After Stella’s parents died, she spent her childhood in an orphanage so she fears loving anyone in case she loses them. Her only solace in life is astrology.

Benedict’s wife died in childbirth, so he raised his son alone. When he meets Stella, he is overwhelmed by guilt. And as a respected professor of astronomy, can he really allow himself to fall in love with an astrologer?

Find out whether love is written in the stars for Stella and Benedict in this English romantic comedy.

What did I think?

I absolutely adored Meantime in Greenwich from its clever play on words title to its charming and heartwarming storyline.  It's no secret that Hannah Keens is a pseudonym of Helen Steadman and as Helen is one of my favourite authors it's no surprise that this gorgeous book is going straight on to my favourites shelf.

I used to go to Greenwich a lot when I visited family in London so it was lovely to virtually revisit this part of London in the book as it was brought to life through the wonderfully vivid and descriptive writing.  If I thought the location was vivid, it pales in comparison to the characters who virtually pop from the page.  I loved Stella but it was her love interest Benedict's son Daniel who stole my heart.

So I mentioned the clever play on words in the title earlier and obviously the location is Greenwich (with Durham playing a small cameo) but the Meantime comes from the spat between astrology and astronomy.  Stella is an astrologer and, as her mother taught her, it keeps her mother's memory alive.  Stella meets astronomer Benedict when she attends his lecture about Saturn and they have an instant connection.  Benedict's snooty astronomy colleagues couldn't bear it if he dated an astrologer!

There is just so much to love about this book and it's perfect escapism to put a smile on your face at the end of the day.  It's fabulous feel-good fiction without being sugar-coated as the characters have their own past heartaches and challenges to overcome.  I warmed to the characters so much that I had a lump in my throat at the end and I'm missing them already.

Romantic, charming and uplifting, Meantime in Greenwich is a fabulous romantic comedy that warmed my heart and cheered my soul.  I will definitely be reading it again to brighten my day; it's like my own personal prescription from Dr Steadman.  Very highly recommended.

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

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About the author:

Hannah Keens is a contemporary English novelist. She writes sweet romantic comedies that will leave you with a smile in your heart. Welcome to a world of love, laughter and happily ever after.

Website: https://hannahkeens.com/ 

Author note from book: https://hannahkeens.com/visit-mysteries-in-covent-garden

Twitter: https://x.com/HannahKeens 

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

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BLOG TOUR: Home For Christmas - Heidi Swain

Bella is living her best life in Wynbridge, with her beloved Spaniel, Tink. She’s found a way to keep the house she inherited from her grandparents while expanding her dream business – Away With the Fairies – and she’s ecstatic that Christmas is on the horizon!

 

In fact, everything is perfect until family friend, Catherine Connelly asks Bella if she’d be willing to rent part of the house to freelance author, Jude who is researching the history of the Connelly Clan and Wynthorpe Hall ahead of turning his findings into a book. The plan had been for Jude to stay at the hall, but he can’t cope with the chaos and Bella reluctantly agrees to open her door to him.

 

Initially, the pair clash but then friendlier feelings begin to grow and Bella finds herself wondering if Jude could become more than just another guest before it’s time for him to leave. That is, until he announces he has no time for Christmas!

 

With her favourite time of the year suddenly in jeopardy, will Bella ever feel like she’s home for Christmas?

 

What did I think?

It's not Christmas without a Heidi Swain novel to read and Home For Christmas is fabulously festive and hugely entertaining.  The joy of Heidi Swain novels is that new fans can pick up any of her books and enjoy them but for anyone who has read Heidi's books before you will recognise some characters and welcome them like old friends.

The quaint fictional village of Wynbridge is the setting for this book, as it has been for several other standalone novels, and I've virtually visited so often I feel like I almost know my way around this picturesque little village.  This is Bella's story and it's a bit of an understatement to say that Bella loves Christmas.

Bella's plans for Christmas this year are thwarted when she agrees to take in a temporary lodger, Jude, who is writing a book on Wynthorpe Hall.  Not only does Bella have to move all her stuff to the upstairs flat, but Jude doesn't even seem grateful and then he says he doesn't like Christmas.  You can just imagine Bella's horror!

People can have very valid reasons for disliking the most wonderful time of the year so I think it's always important to be sensitive around such matters and it's good to see that Bella doesn't force the issue with Jude.  I adored Bella's enthusiasm for Christmas and pretty much any festivity where she has the excuse to dress up both herself and her dog Tink.

As time goes on, Jude starts to defrost and Bella realises she has feelings for him but she's so intent on not getting her heart broken that she doesn't grab on to the wonderful chance of love that is right in front of her.  Can Jude change Bella's mind about love and can Bella change Jude's mind about Christmas?  You'll just have to read the book to find out!

Home For Christmas is an absolutely lovely book that is fabulously festive and incredibly romantic.  I simply adored it and I plan to read it again when the lights on my Christmas tree are twinkling.  Heidi Swain puts the 'Happy' in 'Happy Christmas' and can melt even the frostiest heart with this wonderfully heartwarming book.  Very highly recommended - make sure you put this one on your Christmas list!

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Holiday Escape - Heidi Swain

Her dream holiday is his everyday life. His dream holiday is her normal life. What happens when they collide?

 

Ally and her dad, Geoff, run the family business, a creative retreat, from their home Hollyhock Cottage in picturesque Kittiwake Cove. They give their guests their dream break, but Ally hankers after glamourous city living, fancy restaurants and art galleries.

Ally’s survival strategy is to escape out of season, take a break abroad and pretend to be the person she always imagined she would be. She meets Logan while she’s away and he turns out to be exactly the kind of distraction she’s looking for.

With her spirits restored, Ally returns home, picks up the reins again and sets her sights on another successful season, but when Logan unexpectedly arrives on the scene, she soon realises she’s in for a summer that’s going to be far from straightforward…

 

A story about bringing a holiday home – and what happens when what goes on on holiday comes back to bite you…

 

What did I think?

I absolutely adored Heidi Swain's new novel, The Holiday Escape and I felt bereft when my virtual visit to Kittiwake Cove came to an end.  Although, as with all Heidi Swain books, I left Kittiwake Cove with a warm glow in my heart and a huge smile on my face.

Ally appears to be living her dream life, running the family business with her dad, but staying in Kittiwake Cove wasn't part of her life plan.  Torn between familial duty and her own happiness, Ally comes up with a compromise: she will take an annual short break from her real life and live the dream life she thought she would be living.

On one such trip, Ally meets Logan in Barcelona and has the most amazing time until it's time to return home.  The last person Ally expects to see turning up to rent her holiday cottage is Logan and she has some explaining to do.  

Oh I just loved this whole book from start to finish.  Ally's lovely relationship with her dad and her longstanding friendship with Flora bring a smile to my face just thinking about them now.  There is so much going on in the book to keep the reader entertained and there's a real rollercoaster of emotions to experience throughout the story.  I loved every single character and I even loved the return of Terrible Tara, Flora's old nemesis.

Entertaining, charming and so incredibly heartwarming, pack your virtual bag and head off to Kittiwake Cove for a few days.  You're guaranteed to enjoy your trip as much as I did.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Token - Beverley Kendall

Kennedy Mitchell is brilliant, beautiful and tired of being the only Black woman in the room.

Two years ago, she was plucked from reception for a seat at the boardroom table in the name of “representation”. Rather than play along, she and her best friend founded Token, a boutique PR agency that helps diversity-challenged companies and celebrities. With famous people getting into reputation-damaging controversies, Token is in high demand and business is booming, but when her ex shows up needing help repairing his reputation, things get even more complicated and soon Kennedy finds herself drawn into a PR scandal of her own.

 

What did I think?

Token is a book that I have not been able to stop thinking about, long after I read the final page.  It highlights and explores so many different prejudices that I found both shocking and sobering.

Kennedy is the right sex and colour required to secure a new client for the company where she is working as a temporary receptionist.  The ruse works and the company have their important new client but, what is most shocking, is that I can totally see companies doing this.  This devious trickery gives Kennedy the idea for a new business where she can help companies to diversify or at least give the illusion of doing so.

Although I questioned the ethics of her business model, I absolutely loved Kennedy Mitchell; she has really had to work hard to get where she is but whilst she may be a successful businesswoman she is not quite so successful in love.  I think her own prejudices about herself hold her back from revealing her true feelings to the man she loves.

I was hooked from the very first page and I just knew that I was going to love the strong and sassy main character of Kennedy.  There are lots of serious thought-provoking subjects to ponder and reflect on later as well as some steamy sex scenes that had me reaching to turn down the thermostat.  

Token is a fresh, modern and powerful novel that completely captivated me from start to finish.  I am 100% invested in the characters and can't wait for Beverley Kendall's next novel after reading the sneaky peek at the end of the book.  An important and highly recommended read.

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

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BLOG TOUR: The Cornish Hideaway - Jennifer Bibby

A beautiful village. An artist who’s lost her spark. And a community who help her find it again.

All Freya has ever wanted to do is paint. So when she fails her Master’s Degree in Art, on the same day that her boyfriend decides he needs a ‘more serious’ partner, to Freya it feels like the end of the world.

 

Luckily, she has a saviour in the shape of best friend Lola, who invites her to the sleepy Cornish village of Polcarrow, to work in her café. With nothing keeping her in London, Freya jumps at the chance of a summer by the sea.

 

Freya needs time to focus on herself. But then dark and mysterious biker Angelo blows into town on a stormy afternoon, with his own artistic dreams and a secretive past, and Freya’s plans of a romance-free summer fly straight out of the window…

Heart-warming, heartfelt and romantic, The Cornish Hideaway is a novel of community, friendship and learning to love again, for fans of Jenny Colgan, Cathy Bramley and Heidi Swain.

 

What did I think?

Now and again you can judge a book by its cover and Jennifer Bibby's debut, The Cornish Hideaway, is as sweet and charming as the beautiful cover suggests.  I enjoyed my virtual visit to the sleepy town of Polcarrow; the only downside of a virtual visit is that I didn't get the chance to try any of Lola's mouthwatering culinary creations.

Freya is such a lovely character and she is dealt such a bad hand at the start of the novel when she fails her degree and gets dumped.  So, Freya heads off to Cornwall to lick her wounds and to help her friend Lola in her café.  The last things on Freya's mind are art and romance but Lola's tarot cards tell a different story...and then a mysterious, handsome stranger turns up at the door.

The book has quite a gentle pace, like waves lapping the Cornish shore, but the characters' storylines keep the reader interested as we see them develop and unfurl like flowers facing the sun.  There's maybe more than one budding romance on the cards too.

The Cornish Hideaway is a lovely debut novel and it would be a perfect holiday read while you warm your toes by the pool and enjoy a virtual visit to Cornwall.

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

My rating:

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