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Book length - 250 pages Publisher - Self-Published BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Brooke for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK When nurse Sage Nichols loses her favorite patient, she’s shocked to find out she’s inherited a bed and breakfast in a town she didn’t know existed. She travels to Aspen Cove intending to sell so she can hurry back to her life in Denver. Little does she know, she’s about to find everything she ever needed in the tiny mountain town with a big heart. For the first time, Sage finds herself in a place where caring for your neighbor is a way of life, and in her case, her new neighbor is the man of her dreams. Cannon Bishop learned long ago that hope is a dangerous thing. Closed off from the world after a family tragedy, Cannon settles for a life as the owner of Aspen Cove’s only pub and the son to the town drunk. When Sage Nichols arrives, she brings with her the possibility that he could have so much more, if he could open his heart. Both Sage and Cannon struggle with loneliness and loss. As Sage steps in to save Cannon’s father from himself, Cannon’s walls come down and suddenly he sees a brighter future of healing, hope, and peace…if only she will stay. MY REVIEW This was my first time reading Kelly Collins and I'm so glad this series was brought to my attention because ONE HUNDRED REASONS is absolutely fantastic! Sage Nichols is heartbroken when her elderly patient, Bea, passes away. Sage loves being a nurse but watching all those that she has cared for leave, is really taking a toll on her. So when she discovers that Bea has left her a B&B in her will, Sage plans to go and see the place and then sell it as soon as she can. But when she travels up to Aspen Cove, it doesn't exactly go to plan. She makes a new friend, deals with a very handsome albeit rude man called Cannon, and gets a broken nose, and that's just on day one. Add in a beautiful and rustic cabin by the lake, the local drunk, some very vocal guests, and a man that gets under her skin like no one has ever done before, and Sage must make some difficult decisions. Can she leave her old life behind and find a happier life here in Aspen Cove like Bea wanted? Or will she end up with a broken heart? The setting is beautifully depicted in this story and I could picture Aspen Cove perfectly in my mind, but it is the richness of the characters that really made this romance special. Sage is so caring and compassionate but working as a nurse was slowly destroying her, and Bea recognised this and wanted to make her life better. But Sage is not a pushover and I loved her feisty and determined side too. Cannon has gone through a lot in his life and it was lovely to see him slowly open up and be vulnerable with Sage. The community of Aspen Cove is everything you could wish for and more (I would move there in the morning!), and getting to know all of the other characters has left me very excited to read the rest of this series! ONE HUNDRED REASONS by Kelly Collins is the kind of romance that gets under your skin and warm your heart in every possible way. A superb romance from start to finish. AUTHOR BIO Kelly Collins is an international bestselling author of over two dozen novels. Her two most popular series, The Aspen Cove Romance Series and The Second Chance Series feature irresistibly hot small-town heroes and sassy quick-witted heroines who find love in unlikely places. When not reading or writing romances, Kelly can be found walking the Colorado trails with her friends, sitting in front of her favorite slot machine in Cripple Creek, or sneaking into her favorite donut shop. For the latest news, follow here: Website - www.authorkellycollins.com Twitter - twitter.com/kcollinsauthor Facebook - www.facebook.com/authorkelleycollins Instagram - www.instagram.com/authorkellycollins/
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Release date - 16th June 2020
Book length - 288 pages Publisher - Harlequin BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Rachel from www.rachelsrandomresources.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review via Netgalley. Further on there is a chance to win an e-copy of this book for yourself - good luck! ABOUT THIS BOOK Marriage... To the highest bidder Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid Owen Wolfe since he's returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family's jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems, like her impending arranged marriage. Until Owen makes her father a counteroffer for her hand. Is Owen purely after her society connections, or dare Lydia hope that the charming stable boy she once loved is still within her ruthless, wealthy new husband? MY REVIEW One of the best historical romances that I have ever read, THE SCOUNDREL'S BARTERED BRIDE by Virginia Heath is a must-read for all romance fans. Lady Lydia Barton has loved before many years ago but she was duped by the young Owen Wolfe who stole from her family and broke her heart. Now he is back and as handsome and charismatic as ever but with a hard edge, and she hates the fact that her heart still skips a little when she is near him. But that is of no consequence as Lydia is being bartered off in marriage to an old and lascivious lech so that her feckless father and beloved brother can save their estate. How will she ever bear it? But when Owen unexpectedly offers more for her hand in marriage, Lydia finds herself married to the man who broke her heart and he is still maintaining his innocence. Could she possibly be mistaken about what happened in the past? Owen may tell others that marrying Lydia will open up new doors for his successful business but deep down he knows that he has never gotten over what happened between them, and how she betrayed him when he needed her the most. But as he gets to know the woman that Lydia has become, he is in danger of losing himself completely and he cannot let that happen, not when she still believes him to be a monster. With stunning characters that I completely fell in love with, excellent historical detail, and sizzling tension that will make your heart beat faster, THE SCOUNDREL'S BARTERED BRIDE by Virginia Heath is the kind of story that sucks you in instantly and I didn't come up for air until I had read the last word. Lydia is a little naive but that is realistic, and I loved her sense of openness and willingness to look beyond society and all of its rules. Owen is a wonderful main character who has suffered greatly and it was magnificent to watch him open himself up to Lydia and achieve everything he has ever wanted from his life against those who tried to take it all away from him. THE SCOUNDREL'S BARTERED BRIDE has everything you could want in an excellent romance and I cannot wait to read more from Virginia Heath who has fast become one of my favourite authors in this genre. AUTHOR BIO When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Eighteen books later, it still takes her forever to fall asleep. For all the latest news, follow here: Website - www.virginiaheathromance.com Twitter - twitter.com/VirginiaHeath_ Facebook - www.facebook.com/virginiaheathauthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/virginiaheathwrites/ Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride (Open INT) Enter via Rafflecopter below for your chance to win! *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize. 
 Release date - 25th June 2020 Book length - 400 pages Publisher - Sphere BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk www.waterstones.com US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Millie from www.littlebrown.co.uk for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Jodie Jackson is all at sea, in every sense. On a ferry bound for the Isle of Wight, she's leaving her London life, her career, and her husband behind. She'd like a chance to turn back the clocks, but she'll settle for some peace and quiet on her brother Bill's beautifully renovated houseboat, Sunny Days. But from the moment Jodie steps aboard her new home, it's clear she'll struggle to keep herself to herself. If it isn't Marilyn, who cleans for Bill and is under strict instructions to look after Jodie, then it's Ned, the noisy sculptor on the next-door houseboat. Ned's wood carving is hard on the ears, but it's made up for by the fact that he's rather easy on the eyes. Bustled out of the boat by Marilyn and encouraged to explore with Ned, Jodie soon delights in her newfound freedom. But out of mind isn't out of sight, and when her old life comes knocking Jodie is forced to face reality. Will she answer the call or choose a life filled with Sunny Days and Sea Breezes? MY REVIEW SUNNY DAYS & SEA BREEZES by Carole Matthews is an emotional story about life and what happens when your future changes unexpectedly in ways you could never imagine. Jodie Jackson needs to escape and her big brother's houseboat on the Isle of Wight is the perfect hideout. Here she hopes to slow down and come to terms with everything that has happened in her life, and putting some distance between herself and her husband is a must right now. Jodie craves solitude but she had never met anyone like Marilyn before, and Marilyn is determined to help Jodie be happy again. Along with some other quirky characters and a very handsome and endearing next-door neighbour, could Jodie figure out what she wants from the future while coming to terms with the past? Or will the past always pull you back in? Engaging from the beginning, I felt instantly connected to Jodie and longed for her to open up about her heartache, and when she did, let's just say I had a good cry. As Jodie became stronger and started to focus on herself and how she was feeling, I longed for her to find happiness in herself and her future. The setting is beautiful and I fell in love with the houseboat - I definitely would love to stay one and have it on my bucket list! There were some surprises along the way which I enjoyed, and I read this book in one evening because I simply couldn't put it down. SUNNY DAYS & SEA BREEZES by Carole Matthews is a moving story about heartache and hope, and I cannot wait to read more from one of my favourite authors. AUTHOR BIO Carole Matthews is the Sunday Times bestselling author of thirty-two novels, including the Top Ten bestsellers Let's Meet on Platform 8, A Whiff of Scandal, For Better, For Worse, A Minor Indiscretion, With or Without You, The Cake Shop in the Garden, Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses, A Cottage by the Sea, The Chocolate Lovers' Club, The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas, The Chocolate Lovers' Wedding, Million Love Songs and her current novel, Christmas Cakes & Mistletoe Nights. Carole has also been awarded the RNA Outstanding Achievement Award. Her novels dazzle and delight readers all over the world. For all the latest news, follow here: Website - www.carolematthews.com Twitter - twitter.com/carolematthews Facebook - www.facebook.com/CaroleMatthewsBooks Instagram - www.instagram.com/matthews.carole/   Release date - 11th June 2020
Book length - 352 pages Publisher - Constable BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank www.littlebrown.co.uk and www.plunkettpr.com for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK THE PERFECT LIFE Doctor Luke Forde has the perfect life. A respected heart surgeon, he has a rewarding job, a successful wife, and a daughter, Nina. From their beautiful house overlooking Carberry Lough in County Clare, they present a portrait of family bliss. But over the course of a weekend, Luke's life spirals into chaos. A GUILTY SECRET It begins with the word 'GUILTY' painted on his boathouse one morning. Then he spots a chilling notice in the local newspaper. When this is followed by the delivery of a small coffin-shaped package, Luke is terrified. Someone knows the dark secret he is hiding. And someone is out to get him. SOMEBODY WANTS REVENGE Luke begins to be plagued by horrifying anonymous messages, and it transpires that it's not only Luke the sender is intending to harm. With strange things happening in the operating theatre, Alison's political ambitions straining their marriage, and Nina's behaviour sparking all sorts of trouble, Luke turns to therapist Terence Black. Is the therapist the only one that can save Luke and his family from the horrendous secrets of the past? MY REVIEW A compelling psychological thriller that will get under your skin instantly, GUILTY by Siobhán MacDonald is one of the best books I have read this year. Doctor Luke Forde has a perfect life - a successful politician for a wife, a beautiful teenage daughter whom he is very close to, and a career as a paediatric heart surgeon which fulfils him in so many ways. He prides himself on being honest and capable but when he sees the word 'Guilty' spray-painted on his boat-shed wall, his wonderful world slowly begins to disintegrate, and this is just the beginning. As more threats are issued, Luke is forced to face the past but as the truth emerges, will those you seek revenge stop at nothing to take away all that matters to him? With palpable tension on each page, GUILTY is the kind of story that you instantly jump into and cannot wait to finish. The characters aren't particularly likeable but they are believable and as I began to see that looks are often deceiving, I felt gripped to uncover just what Luke was hiding and who was coming after him and his family. The shadier side of politics is another element of this thriller which worked really well for me and I enjoy a thriller where there are plenty of possible suspects - it makes it more interesting when you're trying to figure out the truth. A fresh and dynamic story from start to finish, GUILTY by Siobhán MacDonald is a story that goes above and beyond, and I cannot wait to read more from this talented author. AUTHOR BIO Siobhan MacDonald was born in Cork in the Republic of Ireland. She studied engineering at University College Galway and pursued a successful career writing for the technology sector in Scotland for ten years, then in France before returning to Ireland. Growing up in a large Irish family, there was a premium attached to being able to tell a good story. Siobhan's mother taught speech and drama and was a proficient storyteller herself, a talent she encouraged in all her children. After many years writing short stories and articles, Siobhan published her first novel Twister River in 2016. Siobhan followed this up with her second novel, The Blue Pool. Twisted River won an Earphone AudioFile award in 2016 and The Blue Pool has been a top #10 bestseller in the Australian Kindle chart. Guilty is her first novel for Constable, Little, Brown. Siobhan lives in Limerick, Ireland with her husband and two sons. To keep up-to-date with this author, please follow here: Website - www.siobhanmacdonald.com Twitter - twitter.com/SiobhanMMacD  Release date - 11th June 2020 Book length - 401 pages Publisher - Avon BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Ellie from www.avonbooks.co.uk for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review via Netgalley. ABOUT THIS BOOK Summer in Cornwall is the perfect time for a fresh start… Seven years ago, Marina Hudson’s husband was lost at sea. She vowed to love him forever – but when kind-hearted Lachlan arrives in Porthmellow, should she deny herself another chance at happiness? Tiff Trescott was living life to the full as a journalist in London – until her boyfriend’s betrayal brought it all crashing down. Fleeing to her cousin Marina’s cottage, Tiff feels like a fish out of water. And when brooding local Dirk wins a day with her in a charity auction, she’s thrown headfirst into Cornish life. This summer promises new beginnings for both Tiff and Marina. But are they too good to be true? MY REVIEW It is always a joy to dive into one of Phillipa Ashley's wonderful stories where community spirit and inner strength always shine through, and A PERFECT CORNISH ESCAPE is no exception. Seven years ago Marina lost her husband, Nate, when he disappeared at sea. It was the hardest loss that she has ever had to endure and while their marriage hadn't been perfect, Marina loved Nate and grieved deeply for him. But setting up the Wave Watchers lookout had given her purpose and strength and she was determined to stop other families suffer in the same way that she had. She would always love Nate but she knew that she was ready to move into her future and when she befriends a new resident in the village who also has a tragic past, there is a gentle connection there that makes Marina look forward to what could be, for the first time in a very long time. Meanwhile, Tiff, Marina's cousin, has arrived in the village to escape her humiliation. After being duped by someone she thought she loved, losing her career, and being black-listed, spending some time at the coast with her beloved cousin doesn't seem like a bad idea. Marina has gone through a lot after losing Nate, even though Tiff had never liked him for the way he treated Marina, and Tiff was hopeful that maybe she could nudge Marina into moving on. What Tiff didn't expect was a handsome, brooding, next-door-neighbour who lit her soul on fire. But Tiff knows that love never works out and she isn't going to stay in Cornwall forever, but what's the harm with a little fling? But as the past comes back to haunt everyone, can this small community rally around when it is needed the most and can love overcome even the most surmountable of odds? With a beautiful setting and a community that you will fall head over heels in love with, A PERFECT CORNISH ESCAPE by Phillipa Ashley is everything you could possibly want in a novel and more. While Marina and Tiff are both so opposite, they are both completely loveable and I desperately wanted them to find the strength to take a chance and be happy. There is drama, twists, kindness, and friendship brimming in these pages, and I could not put this book down once I turned the first page. An excellent novel by an excellent writer, I can't wait for more! AUTHOR BIO Phillipa Ashley writes warm, funny romantic fiction for a variety of world-famous international publishers. After studying English at Oxford, she worked as a copywriter and journalist. Her first novel, Decent Exposure, won the RNA New Writers Award and was made into a TV movie called 12 Men of Christmas starring Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Hopkins. As Pippa Croft, she also wrote the Oxford Blue series – The First Time We Met, The Second Time I Saw You and Third Time Lucky. Phillipa lives in a Staffordshire village and has an engineer husband and scientist daughter who indulge her arty whims. She runs a holiday-let business in the Lake District, but a big part of her heart belongs to Cornwall. She visits the county several times a year for ‘research purposes’, an arduous task that involves sampling cream teas, swimming in wild Cornish coves and following actors around film shoots in a camper van. To keep up-to-date with this author, follow here: Website - phillipa-ashley.com/books/ Twitter - twitter.com/PhillipaAshley Facebook - www.facebook.com/PhillipaAshleyAuthor Instagram - www.instagram.com/phillipa.ashleyauthor/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT SOME OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!  #BookReview: The Heart of Summer by Felicity Hayes-McCoy @fhayesmccoy @HachetteIre #TheHeartOfSummer15/6/2020  Available Now
Book length - 392 pages Publisher - Hachette Books Ireland BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com Ireland - www.gutterbookshop.com I want to thank www.hachettebooksireland.ie for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK It's summer in Finfarran on the west coast of Ireland. Librarian Hanna Casey is looking forward to al fresco lunches with friends, and balmy evenings with her boyfriend Brian in their stunning new home in the beautiful Hag's Glen. With family drama and a painful divorce behind her, Hanna is browsing romantic holiday brochures and making plans with Brian for the future. Then, unexpectedly, Brian's adult son moves in with them, and Hanna re-encounters Amy, one of three girls with whom she shared a London flat in her twenties. And all of a sudden, Hanna begins to question her apparently perfect life. When Amy suggests a visit to London's bright lights and a flatmates' reunion, Hanna accepts. But, while it might be a short hop to England, somehow she feels like she's leaving Brian too far behind. And when Hanna is given a new opportunity, the chance to be more than a local librarian who's settled back into the little rural community where she grew up, she realises she has tough choices to face... MY REVIEW A gentle and enjoyable read, THE HEART OF SUMMER by Felicity Hayes-McCoy is the perfect book to curl up with in the garden and get lost in for a few hours. Summer has arrived in the little town of Finfarran and with it, changes are coming. Hanna Casey has a job that she enjoys, even if it wasn't always her dream, her boyfriend Brian, that she has moved in with who loves her, and her daughter who seems to be happy for the first time in a long time. If her mother drives her mad sometimes and the locals stick their noses into her business on the odd occasion, it's a small price to pay for living in such a beautiful, peaceful place away from her hurtful past. But when Brian's grown-up son comes to stay and she has the chance to go to London for a reunion with her old flatmates, Hanna jumps at the chance. She needs some time to figure things out and maybe some things need to change. Meanwhile, things continue in the village with unexpected business opportunities taking centre stage, some surprising news for one couple, and plenty of ups and downs for the villagers that feel like family. THE HEART OF SUMMER by Felicity Hayes-McCoy is the kind of story that you just fall into and while this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone story - but why have one good book when you could have more! The characters are relatable, especially Hanna's relationship with her mother, and I loved getting to know the other characters in the community. There is laughter, tears, misunderstandings, and guilt, and so much more hiding amongst these pages, and I highly recommend THE HEART OF SUMMER to fiction fans everywhere. AUTHOR BIO Felicity Hayes-McCoy, author of the best-selling Finfarran series, was born in Dublin, Ireland. She studied literature at UCD before moving to England in the 1970s to train as an actress. Her work as a writer ranges from TV and radio drama and documentary, to screenplays, music theatre, memoir and children's books. Her Finfarran novels are widely read on both sides of the Atlantic, and in Australia, and have been translated into six languages. She and her husband, opera director Wilf Judd, live in the West Kerry Gaeltacht and in Bermondsey, London. To keep up-to-date with this author, follow here: Website - felicityhayes-mccoy.blogspot.com Twitter - twitter.com/fhayesmccoy Facebook - www.facebook.com/fhayesmccoy/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/felicityhayesmccoy/  Available Now
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - Mills & Boon BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Samantha at www.harlequin.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review via Netgalley. I'm also lucky enough to have an extract for you all to enjoy too. Happy reading!! ABOUT THIS BOOK Every prince has his secrets. And she’s determined to unravel his… Every dashing young man in London’s ton is vying for Lady Caroline Hawke’s hand—except one. The handsome, delectable, rogue, Prince Leopold of Alucia can’t quite remember who Caroline is and the insult is not to be tolerated. So Caroline does what any clever, resourceful lady of means would do to make sure a prince remembers her: sees that amusingly risqué morsels about Leo’s reputation are printed in a ladies’ gossip gazette…all the while secretly setting her cap for the rakish royal. Someone has been painting Leo as a blackguard, but who? Socially, it could ruin him. More important, it jeopardises his investigation into a contemptible scheme that reaches the highest levels of government in London. Now Leo needs Lady Caroline’s help to regain access to society. But this charming prince is about to discover that enlisting the deceptively sweet and sexy Lady Caroline might just cost him his heart, his soul and both their reputations… MY REVIEW A romance that will make you laugh and keep you on your toes, A ROYAL KISS AND TELL by Julia London is enjoyable from beginning to end. Lady Caroline Hawke has watched her best friend find true love and happiness and cannot help but want that for herself. The handsome, yet bothersome, Prince Leopold stirs something within her but he seems oblivious to her in every way. Well, two can play at that game, and Caroline is determined to make him take notice, and she has just the plan to do it before he disappears from her life forever. Leo has always been the spare son, good for nothing but carousing and being free. But with his older brother happily married, the focus is now on him and he is being married off for political gain. But when he is informed about an evil plot involving many trusted people in the palace, will Leo be able to find the courage to uncover the truth, regardless of the consequences? And will he be able to ignore the beautiful, yet infuriating Lady Hawke, whose smile he cannot seem to forget? With plenty of twists and turns, laughs and longing looks, A ROYAL KISS AND TELL by Julia London is the second book in this enchanting historical romance series. Caroline is a very unique character - confident, sassy, outspoken, and content in who she really is regardless of what society says - and likeable from the beginning. She is the opposite of Leo who lives rigidly by protocol but underneath his hard exterior is a vulnerable man who has never really known where he belonged. A ROYAL KISS AND TELL has everything you could possibly want - danger, sinister plots, gossip, ballrooms, romance, and everything in between - and I look forward to the next book in this series. This book is sure to be a huge hit with all historical romance fans. EXTRACT Since the day of Eliza’s betrothal to Prince Sebastian, Caroline had also assumed, quite incorrectly, that she would be the principal bridesmaid. After all, she and Eliza and Hollis had been entwined in one another’s lives since they were very little girls. “I am content with flower girls, honestly,” Eliza said. “I’d be content with a very simple affair. I was content with the civil ceremony. But Queen Daria prefers otherwise.” “Naturally, she does. This is the wedding where you will be seen by all the people you will rule one day.” Eliza snorted. “I will not rule, Caroline. I’ll be fortunate if I can find my husband in this massive place.” She’d gestured to the decorative walls around them. It was not an exaggeration—Constantine Palace appeared to be bigger than even Buckingham. “Let me be the maid of honor,” Caroline had begged her. “I am much better equipped to see to your train than Hollis is.” “I beg your pardon! I am her sister,” Hollis reminded Caroline. “The train is thirty feet, Hollis. How will you ever manage? You’ve scarcely managed your own train since we’ve been in Alucia. And my gown should be seen. I spared no expense for it.” Eliza and Hollis looked at Caroline. “I mean, of course, after your gown is seen.” The sisters continued to stare at her. Caroline shrugged a very tiny bit. “Obviously,” she added. “I rather thought that’s what you meant,” Eliza said charitably. The three of them had gleefully adopted the Alucian style of dress since arriving a month ago in Helenamar. The English style of dress—full skirts, high necks and long sleeves—was hot and heavy. They’d admired the beautiful Alucian gowns that fit the curves of a woman’s body, with the long flowing sleeves, and, most of all, the elaborately embroidered trains…until they discovered that the unusually long trains were a bit of a bother to wear. “I will manage,” Hollis had insisted. “No one has come to this wedding to see your gown, Caro.” “Well, obviously, Hollis, they haven’t. But they will be delighted all the same, won’t they? And by the bye, there’s no law that says the attendant of honor must be one’s sister.” “There is no law, but she is my sister and she will be the attendant of honor,” Eliza said. “And besides, if you were to stand with me, I’d fret the entire ceremony that you were too enthralled with Leo to even notice my train.” She’d arched a golden brow directly at Caroline. As if Caroline had done something wrong. She most certainly had not. “Leo? Is that what we’re calling him now?” she drawled. Leo was Prince Sebastian’s younger brother. His Royal Highness Prince Leopold. Prince Leopold, as everyone knew, had spent the last several years in England, “attending” Cambridge, which meant, in reality, that he spent more time at soirees and gentlemen’s clubs and hunting lodges than studying. Caroline had encountered him last summer in Chichester at a country house party. They’d engaged in a charming little exchange that Caroline recalled perfectly, word for word. Prince Leopold, on the other hand, remembered it not at all. Worse, he didn’t seem to remember her. The archbishop’s voice suddenly rose into a chant of some sort, drawing Caroline’s attention back to the ceremony. Oh dear, she was thinking about Prince Leopold again when she should be watching her best friend marry a prince. At that moment, Eliza slipped her hand into Prince Sebastian’s hand and held on tightly as the archbishop asked her to repeat after him in English. To love, to honor, to protect and defend. So romantic. Caroline glanced to her right. She was seated next to her brother, the baron Beckett Hawke. He was older than her by half a dozen years and had been her guardian since she was eight and he was fourteen. She leaned against him. “Isn’t she lovely?” she whispered. “Ssh.” “I think she is lovelier than even Queen Victoria on her wedding day,” Caroline whispered. “Her gown is beautiful. It was my idea to use the gold and silver thread on the train.” Beck pretended not to have heard a word. “Do you know, I think I could have made that train.” Her brother put his hand on Caroline’s knee and squeezed as he turned his pale green eyes to hers. He frowned darkly. Caroline pushed his hand away and glanced around her. It was massive, this Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Painted ceilings soared overhead with visions of angels and other godly images. All the fixtures were gold plated, particularly the pulpit, which looked more like a monument than a stand for the Bible. There was so much stained glass that the morning light fractured across Eliza’s long train, turning it into a moving rainbow as sunlight shimmered through the panes. Every seat in the massive cathedral was taken, filled with beautiful people of varying skin tones and colorful costumes and glittering jewels. They had come far and wide, Caroline understood, from countries she’d never even heard of. In a cove above the altar, a choir of young men and boys sang the hymns that had accompanied Eliza down the center aisle to meet her prince. It had sounded as if the heavens had parted and the angels were singing for this bride. The ceremony, almost an hour of it now, was filled with a lot of pomp and circumstance. Caroline wasn’t entirely certain what was happening, as the ceremony was conducted in Latin and Alucian and, for the parts Eliza had to say, in English. It seemed to her that Eliza and Sebastian were up and down quite a lot, one minute on their knees with their heads bowed, and standing the next, staring starry-eyed at each other. There was a somber moment when Eliza was directed down onto her knees alone. It looked as if she were knighted or anointed in some way, and when it was done, the archbishop put his hand to her head, the king and queen stood, and then Prince Sebastian lifted her up and pinned a gorgeous sapphire-and-gold brooch to her breast. “She’s a real princess now,” Caroline whispered to Beck. Predictably, he ignored her. Eliza looked like a princess, too, and Caroline wished Eliza’s father, Justice Tricklebank, could be here. Alas, his advanced age and blindness had made it impossible for him to attend. There had been a smaller, private ceremony in England—the first civil union—before Sebastian had returned to Alucia. That ceremony, which her father had attended, had been necessitated by the fact that Eliza and Sebastian could not seem to keep their hands from each other for as much as a few hours. There was another civil union once Eliza had arrived in Alucia so there would be no question of impropriety, as the heat between Eliza and her prince had only grown. It was embarrassing, really. But neither ceremony had been anything like this. This was a pageant, a feast for the eyes and hearts of romantics everywhere. Caroline’s mind drifted, and she wondered if all these people would be at the ball tonight. She hoped so. She had a beautiful blue Alucian gown trimmed in gold that was astoundingly beautiful. She’d made the train herself. The ball would be her moment to shine…next to Eliza, of course. Yesterday, Eliza had nervously counted out the heads of state that would attend the wedding and the ball and had turned a bit pale as the number mounted. Caroline’s pulse had leapt with delight. “I can’t bear it!” Eliza had exclaimed, unnerved by the number of dignitaries, of the many kings and queens. “What if I say something wrong? You know how I am. Have you any idea how many gifts we’ve received? Am I to remember them all? I’ve never seen so many gold chalices and silver platters and fine porcelain in all my life! What if I trip? What if I spill something on my gown?” “My advice, darling, is not to fill your plate to overflowing,” Hollis had said absently. She was bent over her paper, making notes for the periodical she published, the Honeycutt’s Gazette of Fashion and Domesticity for Ladies. The twice-monthly gazette covered such topics as the latest fashions, domesticity and health advice, and—the most interesting part—the most tantalizing on-dits swirling about London’s high society. Hollis could hardly keep up with the ravenous demand for society news now. She was planning to publish a gazette that would be twice the length of her normal offering with all the news of the royal wedding the moment she returned to London. She’d been busily dispatching letters to her manservant, Donovan, for safekeeping throughout the month they’d been in Alucia. She was so preoccupied that her advice, while offered freely, was not offered with much thought, and Eliza took exception. “I beg your pardon! I’ve hardly eaten a thing since I’ve arrived in Alucia. At every meal the queen looks at me as if she disapproves of everything I do! I’m afraid to do anything, much less eat,” Eliza complained. “They’ll all be looking at me. They’ll be waiting for me to do something wrong, or speculating if I’m already carrying the heir. You cannot imagine how much interest there is in my ability to bear an heir.” “Well, of course!” Caroline said cheerfully. “You’ll have to be a broodmare, darling, but after you’ve given them what they want, you may live in conjugal bliss for the rest of your days surrounded by wealth and privilege and many, many servants.” “They won’t all be looking at you, Eliza. At least half the room will be looking at your handsome husband,” Hollis had said with a wink. Caroline was once again jolted back into the present when the archbishop lifted a heavy jeweled chalice above the heads of Eliza and Prince Sebastian. Surely that meant they were nearly done? Prince Sebastian took Eliza’s hand, and they turned away from the archbishop, facing the guests with ridiculously happy grins on their faces. They were married! Hollis turned, too, and even from where Caroline sat, she could see Hollis’s dark blue eyes shining with tears of joy. The guests rose to their feet as the prince and his bride began their procession away from the altar. Rose petals rained down on the couple and their guests from above. The little flower girls fluttered around behind Eliza like butterflies, flanking her train as they followed the couple down the aisle. Prince Leopold offered his arm to Hollis, and she beamed up at him. Caroline felt left out. Hollis and Eliza were near and dear to her heart, the closest thing to sisters she’d ever had, and she longed to be with them now. Eliza and Prince Sebastian floated past Caroline and Beck without any acknowledgment of them. That was to be expected—the two of them looked absolutely besotted. They were so enthralled with each other, in fact, that Caroline fretted they’d walk into any one of the marble columns that lined their path. Oh, but she was envious, filled to the very brim with envy. In England, she rarely gave marriage any thought except on those occasions Beck complained she ought to settle on someone, anyone, and relieve him of his duty. But he didn’t really mind his duty, his protestations notwithstanding. Caroline rather suspected he liked having her underfoot. So she flitted from one party to the next, happy to enjoy the attentions of the many gentlemen who crossed her path, happy with her freedom to do as she pleased. But looking at Eliza, Caroline realized that she did indeed want one day to be in love with a man who would be as devoted to her as Prince Sebastian was to his bride. She wanted to feel everything Eliza was feeling, to understand just how that sort of love changed a person. Prince Leopold and Hollis passed by Caroline and Beck. Hollis’s face was streaked with happy tears. Prince Leopold happened to look to the guests as they passed, a polite smile on his face. His gaze locked on Caroline’s—well, not locked, really, as much as it skimmed over her—but nevertheless, she smiled broadly. She began to lift a hand but was suddenly jostled with an elbow to her ribs. She jerked a wide-eyed gaze to her brother. “Stop gawking,” he whispered. “You’ll snap your neck, craning it like that.” Caroline haughtily touched a curl at her neck. Beck turned his attention to the procession. The king and queen were passing them now. Beck leaned toward her and whispered, “He’s a prince, Caro, and you are just an English girl. You’re indulging in fairy tales again. I can see it plainly on your face.” Just an English girl? She very much would have liked to kick Beck like she used to do when she was just a wee English girl. “Better to dream in fairy tales than not dream at all.” Beck rolled his eyes. He stood dispassionately as the archbishop and his altar boys followed the king and queen. Just an English girl, indeed. AUTHOR BIO Julia London is a NYT, USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance. She is a six-time finalist for the RITA Award of excellence in romantic fiction, and the recipient of RT Bookclub's Best Historical Novel. For more information: Website - julialondon.com Twitter - www.twitter.com/JuliaFLondon Facebook - www.facebook.com/JuliaLondon Instagram - www.instagram.com/julia_f_london/  Release date - 4th June 2020
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - Hachette Ireland BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Hachette Ireland for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK When Emily's heart is broken by the love of her life, she never imagined that she would find herself running a small restaurant in the converted hat shop her grandmother left to her. The Food of Love offers diners more than just a home-cooked meal -- and even though Emily has sworn off romance forever, it doesn't stop her hoping for happiness for her regulars, like widowed Bill who hides a troubling secret, single mum Heather who ran away from home when she was sixteen, and gentle Astrid whose past is darker than any of her friends could know. Then, out of the blue, Emily receives a letter from her ex. He's returning home to Ireland and wants to see her. Soon Emily has some tough decisions to make. Will she choose the life she could have had, or the one she has ended up in? Is she brave enough to give love a second chance - and wise enough to figure out where it's truly to be found? MY REVIEW Roisin Meaney's books always feel like a warm hug after a long, hard day, and THE RESTAURANT is no different. Emily has tried to move on after getting dumped at the altar by the man she had planned her future with. After losing her beloved gran, she took a chance and opened a unique restaurant in what used to be her grandmother's small hat shop, and to her surprise, it proved to be popular. Now, Emily looks forward to seeing new customers mixing with her regulars who have become more like family - Heather who left behind a world of wealth to follow her heart; Astrid who has a traumatic past that nobody knows anything about; and Bill who is struggling with his only daughter and the world she has entered. Each of them finds peace, friendship, and possibly more because of the special place that Emily has created for them all. But when Emily's ex returns to Ireland and into her life again, will she trust him with her heart again and give up everything she knows for a chance at a different future? Emotionally-charged with characters that feel like family, THE RESTAURANT by Roisin Meaney leaves no stone unturned in this compelling story of life's highs and lows, and the strength that people can draw from other people and from within themselves. Astrid was by far my favourite - strong, determined, and brave beyond words. But I loved all of these characters and the way their lives intertwined at the right moments. The setting of the restaurant was excellent and while there are many sensitive topics broached in this novel, they are all handled in an honest and tender way that worked well in getting the impact across to readers. THE RESTAURANT by Roisin Meaney is a fantastic book written by a superb Irish author and I look forward to the next book already. AUTHOR BIO Roisin Meaney was born in Listowel, Co Kerry, She has lived in the US, Canada, Africa and Europe but is now based in Limerick, Ireland. This Number One bestselling author is a consistent presence on the Irish bestseller list and she is the author of fifteen novels including three stand alone novels set in the fictional island off the west coast of Ireland: One Summer, After the Wedding and I'll Be Home for Christmas. Her other bestsellers include: The Last Week of May, The People Next Door, Half Seven on a Thursday, Love in the Making, The Things We Do For Love, Something in Common, Two Fridays in April, The Reunion and The Anniversary. She has also written books for children. For more information: Website - roisinmeaney.com Twitter - twitter.com/roisinmeaney Facbook - www.facebook.com/roisinmeaneywriter/ |
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