Weave Your Magic (Molland Sisters Book 1) - Caroline Hogg

Temperance Molland doesn’t want much. Just true love. Fed up with rubbish first dates, she drunkenly dreams up the perfect love story – unaware that combining moonlight, expired rum and her witchy DNA will start all kinds of trouble…

The next day Temperance wakes up to a stinking hangover and a worse premonition: something dangerous is headed to their village. When she runs into Abel Gulliver, she can’t believe her eyes: her childhood best friend, her first love, the boy who broke her heart 12 years ago. Whatever curse she's triggered has dragged Abel back home against his will and she’s going to have to keep him there until she figures it all out.

And it’s not enough to be plagued by visions of purple lightning and burning wildflowers, now property developers are after their cosy corner of the South Coast. With her sister Suse using magic to see off the fat cats, it’s up to Temperance to keep Abel safe. If only she could work out what was so terrible about their first kiss, all those years ago, that means he can’t look her in the eye. To her, it was spellbinding…

A gorgeous and spicy romantic comedy with a witchy twist, perfect for fans of Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood, The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling and the movie Practical Magic.

 

What did I think?

It was an absolute pleasure to read Weave Your Magic and, as it's the first book in the series, I am delighted that it's not the last we will hear from the Molland sisters.

Temperence and Susie run a second-hand shop in Devon and they have a magical gift that enables them to read the memories attached to clothes.  This is such a lovely idea but it also has a dark side as not all memories are happy.  Temperence knows all about that because she picked up her best friend's hoodie after their teenage kiss and experienced Abel's hurtful feelings.

Abel is definitely the one that got away for Temperence and now he's back.  The sexual chemistry between them sizzles off the page but Temperence knows how Abel really feels and his actions confirm that.   It's a brilliant will they/won't they hook and there's certainly magic (and a dangerous curse) in the air.

I really loved this book; it's funny, magical and filled with danger.  My eyes were glued to the page from start to finish and I couldn't read fast enough to find out how it would all end but I also didn't want the book to finish as I was loving it so much.  What a great dilemma to have when reading!

Weave Your Magic is a fabulous magical romcom novel from Caroline Hogg.  I can't wait to read more and will definitely be adding Find Your Magic to my TBR. 

I received a digital ARC from the author and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Clockmaker - Roxan Burley

When Elenora Grey inherits her late aunt’s flower shop in the sleepy Devon town of Totnes, she hopes for nothing more than a quiet fresh start. But Time & Thyme is no ordinary florist. Beneath the ticking clock of East Gate Arch, strange things begin to stir — flowers bloom out of season, a cash register writes its own orders, and upstairs, behind a locked door, is a man who shouldn’t exist.

He calls himself the clockmaker. Calm, unreadable, and impossibly out of time, he knows more about the shop — and Elenora’s past — than he ever admits. As Elenora rebuilds her life from the ashes of fear and regret, she’s drawn into a world where grief takes root and time itself can heal… or haunt.

Tender, atmospheric, and quietly magical, The Clockmaker is a story about second chances, the ghosts we carry, and the courage it takes to let time move forward again.

 

What did I think?

The Clockmaker is a wonderful novella that is quick and easy to read.  It may be a short book with just 57 pages but it is incredibly poignant and heartwarming.

It's such a lovely story of a niece inheriting her aunt's flower shop and Elenora feels as if her aunt is still there when strange things start to happen.  It's a bit like an Enid Blyton book for adults with a magical cash register and a mysterious tenant in an upstairs room.

I can't really say much more about the book without spoiling it for others but it is definitely well worth a read.  I loved it and would recommend it if you're looking for a quick and poignant read.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the Love Books Tours Bookstagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Snow Love Lost (Marram Bay Book 2) - Portia MacIntosh

Ivy, the owner of a year-round festive store, loves Christmas. When her mother passed away, Ivy vowed to take over her mother’s store and keep the Christmas spirit alive in the idyllic seaside town of Marram Bay, and she’s been running the place single-handedly ever since.

The only thing missing in Ivy's life is a dash of romance – something her twin sister, Holly, will not let her forget.

As Christmas approaches, an enigmatic businessman moves to town, threatening to bulldoze her beloved shop to make way for a holiday complex. Ivy must fight to save the store. But could this intriguing newcomer be hiding a softer side, one that just might grant all her holiday wishes?

 

What did I think?

I don't know how I haven't discovered Portia MacIntosh until now but I'm so pleased that I have as I absolutely loved Snow Love Lost.  It's the republished second book in the Marram Bay series but it can definitely be read as a standalone, although (like me) you will be adding the other two books (and more of Portia's) to your wishlist. 

The prologue is set in 1998 and introduces us to fraternal twins Holly and Ivy who couldn't be more different; for one thing, Holly dislikes Christmas and Ivy loves it.  It's a bit difficult to escape the festive period as their mum owns a shop called Christmas Every Day in the picturesque seaside town of Marram Bay.

Fast forward to the present day and Ivy is running the shop after buying out Holly's share when their mum passed away.  It is clear that this is more than a shop to Ivy as it's almost as if it holds some of her mum's spirit so she is prepared to fight with all she has to save the shop, despite dwindling sales and the landlord selling the building.

There is an amazing enemies to lovers trope when Seb walks into the shop one day with no intention to buy anything festive, but rather the whole building.  Ivy could maybe handle a new landlord but Seb doesn't want the building, he wants the land and his bulldozers are revving their engines.  Ivy would hate him if only he wasn't so hot!

Enemies to lovers comes hand in hand with a 'will they/won't they' vibe and I adored every second of it.  I completely fell in love with the characters and I think I must've had something in my eye at the end as my eyes were a little moist to say the least.

Funny, flirty and incredibly heartwarming, Snow Love Lost is a lovely read filled with heart and a sprinkling of Christmas pixie dust.  You've got a new fan right here, Portia MacIntosh!

I received a gifted paperback from the publisher that I chose to read; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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PUBLICATION DAY BLITZ: The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures Part One: Starting Over - Holly Hepburn

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Holly Hepburn a fabulous publication day!  Today doesn't just mark the publication of a new book, it's also the start of a brand new series and I think it sounds absolutely brilliant.  It's set in York which is one of my favourite places to visit and I also love Egyptian artefacts which are mentioned in the book so I really can't wait to read it.  If you're as eager to read it as me, I'm delighted to be able to share the first two chapters of The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures Part One: Starting Over.  Scroll down to pay a visit to York and have a little browse inside the Ever After Emporium.

When Hope loses her husband, she fears her happiest days are behind her. With her only connection to London broken, she moves home to York to be near her family and to begin to build a new life.  

 

Taking a job at the antique shop she has always admired, she finds herself crossing paths with two very different men. Will, who has recently become the guardian to his niece after the tragic death of his parents. And Ciaran, who she enlists to help solve the mystery of an Egyptian antique. Two men who represent two different happy endings.

 

But can Hope trust herself to choose the right man? And will that bring her everything she really needs?

Purchase link:

Amazon UK

Click HERE to read the first two chapters of The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures Part One: Starting Over.

Doesn't it sound great?  You will definitely want to buy a copy after reading the first two chapters so here's that purchase link again: Amazon UK

The Second Chance Shoe Shop - Marcie Steele

All Riley Flynn wants is to meet someone who makes her happy. But attracting the right kind of man is not easy, and with her heart still hurting from her last break-up, Riley believes she’ll never find love again. 

A year ago, Sadie Stewart’s whole world was shattered when her husband, Ross, died. She has struggled to keep herself together for the sake of their young daughter, but with the anniversary of his death approaching, Sadie finds herself overwhelmed by grief. 

Sadie and Riley work at Chandlers shoe shop, in the charming town of Hedworth. But when Chandlers is threatened with closure, the friends are confronted with the loss of not only their jobs, but also their support network - the glue that holds them together when they are close to breaking. 

As they put together a plan to save their beloved shop, Sadie realises that she might just be learning to live again. Could it be that new beginnings are just round the corner? The campaign also finds Riley unexpectedly crossing paths with charming photographer, Ethan. Maybe her second chance at love is right under her feet … 

What did I think?

A book about a shoe-shop was always going to be a winner for us girls and there's no one better to write it than Marcie Steele aka Mel Sherratt.  I have absolutely adored her two prior books; Stirred With Love and That's What Friends Are For but what was so special about this book was that it felt like meeting old friends.  With little mentions to the Coffee Stop from Stirred With Love and the market girls from That's What Friends Are For, I really felt like I was a part of Hedworth life.

Riley is manager of the local shoe shop, which seems a little bit old fashioned and stuck in its ways.  Riley and her team of Dan and Sadie work really well together and try to come up with ideas to save the shop.  At the same time, all 3 are struggling with personal issues and find themselves single again - Riley and Dan have just gone through breakups and Sadie is grieving for her husband, Ross. I thought Sadie's bereavement in particular was handled brilliantly - her struggle to keep her chin up for her daughter, Esther, whilst also keeping one eye on the calendar as the anniversary of Ross' death approached.

Riley was an instantly likeable character; from our very introduction to her we can see that she is unlucky in love.  Through no fault of her own she fell for the wrong man and understandably is reluctant to trust anyone again.  When a new man enters her life, will she get the luck that she deserves?

I really liked the social media story within this book.  We see how quickly a story can spread and how dangerous social media can be when only one side of a story is shown.  Social media is great for getting news out there and the #shoelove competition highlights this but on the flip side of the coin are the Twitter trolls.  It really gave an insight into how damaging a negative comment on social media can be when it is picked up and goes viral.

I really love Marcie Steele books; they are excellent books to read both curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of cocoa or sitting in the sun with a glass of wine.  They are deeper and warmer than just chick-lit and I look forward to reading many more from Marcie Steele.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Bookouture, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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