Release date - 14th June 2017
Book length - 288 pages Publisher - www.legendtimesgroup.co.uk/legend-press Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK Following a sensational scandal at one of London's most desired post codes, Jane and Patrick decide to escape the gossip with a family holiday to Ibiza, their eight-year-old George in tow. Also on the island that week is a TV reality show involving an eccentric artist, a horny It Girl, a Brazilian soccer player, and a famous musician. As hapless celebrities are picked off one by one, Jane is desperate to be on the program, leaving childcare in the not so capable hands of a teenager. One lesbian escapade and an explosive row over hair removal later, the contestants of Ibiza or Bust leave the island with more than sand in places they never knew existed. MY REVIEW THE BRAZILIAN by Rosie Millard is a mad-cap, crazy, holiday adventure crammed full of quirky characters, hilarious drama, and sizzling attraction. The island of Ibiza becomes the focus of this motley crew of characters who are all there for different reasons. There are Jane and Patrick who are there for a family holiday even though they have both strayed, and they have brought a young neighbour to look after their young son George because a family holiday wouldn't be complete without staff. But they don't know that their employee for the holidays has also managed to sneak her boyfriend over to Ibiza without their knowledge. After all, she can't be expected to work all the time? The island is also the setting for a group of wannabe and washed up celebrities who are filming for a daytime reality tv show, Ibiza or Bust. But as tensions rise among the group will they crew be able to control their charges, and when everyone on the island collides, who knows what could happen? THE BRAZILIAN by Rosie Millard made me laugh out loud and I raced through this story to see out it would all turn out. The characters are refreshing and a little hysterical but it all adds to the drama, and there is certainly plenty of that. So if you are looking for a fun and entertaining story, THE BRAZILIAN by Rosie Millard is a must! Author Bio: I’m a journalist and author, Chair of Hull UK City of Culture 2017 and I am also the Deputy CEO for the Creative Industries Federation which is the independent national body for the arts and creative industries. I write for newspapers, and I do a bit of TV and radio. I’ve written a couple of non fiction books and a couple of novels, and I like running marathons. I’m a graduate of the University of Hull, the London College of Communication and the Courtauld Institute. I have been a Trustee of the Carnegie (UK) Foundation, Home Live Art and Modern Art Oxford. I have four children and live in London. For more information: Website - rosiemillard1.wordpress.com Twitter - twitter.com/Rosiemillard Facebook - www.facebook.com/RosieMillard1/ *I want to thank Imogen from Legend Press, and the author Rosie Millard, for the opportunity to review this novel.
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Release date - 21st September 2017
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - HQ Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK For readers who love issue-driven fiction, Melissa Hill has written a breakout novel exploring the "to vaccinate or not" debate and the tragic consequences of one mother's decision on another. Single mom Kate O'Donnell is living her worst nightmare. Her young daughter, Clara, who has a medical condition that doesn't allow her to be vaccinated, becomes critically ill when one of her classmates, Lauren-whose family chose not to vaccinate-contracts and spreads the virus. While Lauren has no trouble recovering from the disease, Clara's condition worsens. With time spent by her daughter's bedside, Kate loses her job and slides deeper into medical debt. But when another school parent points the blame at Lauren's mother, Lucy, and the media begins an attack, we see two very different views on parenting and how badly things can spin out of control when all either of these two women wanted was to keep their daughters safe. MY REVIEW KEEP HER SAFE by Melissa Hill is a powerful and emotional story centred on the divisive issue of childhood vaccination. Two mothers of two little girls have both made their own informed decisions centred around vaccination and decided against it - one because of a serious allergic reaction, and the other because of a personal belief of the dangers involved. But when both of these little girls contract measles, it will leave one of them fighting for their life. And as the medical bills pile up, this medical debate spills over into the courtroom and the media, where everyone has their own opinion. This novel will evoke a lot of emotion as two parents find themselves battling against each other. As someone who has vaccinated my own children, I didn't really know how I would feel reading this story, but my heart ached for these women who were doing their best for their children. Snippets from articles and comments from the public scattered throughout the story gave it a very realistic edge because, with such a polarising topic, everyone has an opinion that they are more than happy to share. But while this is a novel about vaccines with a court case at its centre, it is so much more - it is a story about motherhood and the unerring love that we, as parents, have for our children, and how we desperately want to do what is right for them, and it is a story about finding your strength and valuing friendship in a world that is so quick to judge. KEEP HER SAFE by Melissa Hill is different from her other novels but is no less engrossing or compelling, and as always I look forward to what this author has for us next. Definitely a five star read for me! Author Bio: Melissa Hill lives in County Wicklow with her husband and daughter. A USA Today and international No 1 bestseller, she is the author of 15 novels. A TV adaptation of A GIFT TO REMEMBER will be released as Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017 and SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY'S is currently in development with a major Hollywood studio. Melissa's books have been translated into 25 different languages including Bulgarian, German, Czech, Finnish, Latvian, Serbian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Brazilian, Thai and Chinese and have hit bestseller lists in multiple countries. The Italian edition of SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY'S, 'Un Regalo da Tiffany' spent eight weeks at No 1 in Italy, selling over 600,000 copies, making it one of the bestselling 2011 Italian books overall. Her writing combines all the warmth and humour of contemporary women's fiction with plots that keep readers guessing from page to page. For more information: Website - www.melissahill.ie Twitter - twitter.com/melissahillbks Facebook - www.facebook.com/melissahillbooks Instagram - www.instagram.com/melissahillbooks/ *I want to thank Anne Marie from Harper Collins Ireland, and the author Melissa Hill, for the opportunity to review this compelling novel. #Spotlight #Blogtour #Guestpost: Pleasing Mr Pepys by Deborah Swift @swiftstory @HFVBT @AccentPress28/9/2017 Release Date - September 28th 2017 Publisher - Accent Press Book length - 407 Pages Buy links - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Chapters ABOUT THE BOOK London 1667. Set in a London rising from the ruins of the Great Fire, Pleasing Mr Pepys is a vivid re-imagining of the events in Samuel Pepys’s Diary. Desperate to escape her domineering aunt, Deb Willet thinks the post of companion to well-respected Elisabeth Pepys is the answer to her prayers. But Samuel Pepys’s house is not as safe as it seems. An intelligent girl in Deb’s position has access to his government papers, and soon she becomes a target of flamboyant actress Abigail Williams, a spy for England’s enemies, the Dutch. Abigail is getting old and needs a younger accomplice. She blackmails Deb into stealing Pepys’s documents. Soon, the respectable life Deb longs for slides out of her grasp. Mr Pepys’s obsessive lust for his new maid increases precisely as Abigail and her sinister Dutch spymaster become more demanding. When Deb falls for handsome Jem Wells, a curate-in-training, she thinks things cannot possibly get worse. Until – not content with a few stolen papers – the Dutch want Mr Pepys’s Diary. “Swift brought Deborah Willet, the Pepyses, and the London of the 1660s to life in an exciting and sometimes touching way…I didn’t want to put it down, and found myself thinking about the story when I went about my day.” – Andrea Zuvich, Author of His Last Mistress “Deb Willet, Elizabeth Pepys’s maid and the object of Samuel Pepys’s attentions, is finally given centre-stage after 350 years, and her tale was worth waiting for. This is exceptional story-telling.” – L. C. Tyler “Laced with emotional intensity and drama, Pleasing Mr Pepys… (has) an intricate plot that features red herrings, unexpected twists, and surprises that will take readers on a very delightful ride.” – Arya Fomonyuy, Readers’ Favorite Author Bio: Deborah Swift is the author of three previous historical novels for adults, The Lady’s Slipper, The Gilded Lily, and A Divided Inheritance, all published by Macmillan/St Martin’s Press, as well as the Highway Trilogy for teens (and anyone young at heart!). Her first novel was shortlisted for the Impress prize for new novelists. She lives on the edge of the beautiful and literary English Lake District – a place made famous by the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. For more information, please visit Deborah Swift’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. I AM VERY LUCKY TO HAVE A FASCINATING GUESTPOST FROM DEBORAH SWIFT. READ ON TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE LURE OF THE 17TH CENTURY... Fire, Plague and Loose Morals - The Lure of the Seventeenth Century. By Deborah Swift When I was writing my first book, I had no idea I would become a historical novelist. I simply looked for a period that would give my story the most tension. Ten years on, and I’m still stuck in the 17th century. People often ask me why, when the Tudors, Plantagenets, or Medieval England are so popular. Well here’s what’s so great about the 17th Century. Civil War England went to war with itself, and in the process brother fought brother, and England almost tore itself apart. The army of the King, the Cavaliers, fought against Parliament and the Roundheads. Now wait a minute – the King is fighting Parliament? Yes, and that’s one reason why the period is so fascinating. It’s a time when the country is deciding how it should be governed, and whether or not the King has any divine right to rule. Which brings me to… Religious Sects Wikipedia lists 18 organised religious sects from this period – including the well-known ones such as Puritans and Quakers, to the strange-sounding Muggletonians, Socinians and Grindletonians. And in fact, this was just the thin end of the wedge – there were many other groups not listed who were developing their own religious codes of practice. And of course it was forbidden, and tantamount to treason, to be a Roman Catholic. Loose Morals Charles II had been in exile in France before returning to claim his sovereignty after the Puritan repression. He was renowned for his many mistresses, (at least fifteen, including the infamous Nell Gwyn) and his gang of lewd courtiers (The so-called Merry Gang). At court it was quite acceptable for Charles to openly leave his mistress’s rooms and then breakfast with the Queen. The rest of Britain was anxious to do the same. Fun to write about, though probably not to live through! Death and Disaster The 17th Century saw two of the greatest disasters to the great city of London. The Great Plague, which was immediately followed by the Great Fire. One destroyed London’s population – 200,000 dead in 1665 and 1666. The other destroyed its buildings - 13,200 houses and 87 churches, 88 if you include St Paul’s Cathedral. Witchcraft The 17th century saw the most famous trial for witchcraft in English history – that of the Pendle Witches, twelve women who were accused of consorting with the Devil. The case is well-documented, and needless to say, nine were condemned to death by hanging and the rest died in prison. Ideas of the supernatural permeated 17th century life, and were used to explain any disaster that wasn’t already explained by God’s punishment. Samuel Pepys Arguably the greatest diarist in the English Language, he gives us an insight into the ten years from 1660. The diary was first published in the 19th century and has since become the primary resource for the Restoration era. His combination of personal revelation and the documentation of great events are eye-popping and fascinating. I want to thank Amy from hfvirtualbooktours.com, and the author Deborah Swift, for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour, and for such an interesting guest post.
#Blogtour #Spotlight: Woman Enters Left by Jessica Brockmole @JABrockmole @PenguinRandom @hfvbt27/9/2017 Release date - 8th August 2017
Book length - 352 pages Buy Links - Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | iTunes | IndieBound | Kobo ABOUT THE BOOK A woman sets out on a cross-country road trip, unknowingly tracing in reverse the path her mother traveled thirty years before. In the 1950s, movie star Louise Wilde is caught between an unfulfilling acting career and a shaky marriage when she receives an out-of-the-blue phone call: She has inherited the estate of Florence “Florrie” Daniels, a Hollywood screenwriter she barely recalls meeting. Among Florrie’s possessions are several unproduced screenplays, personal journals, and—inexplicably—old photographs of Louise’s mother, Ethel. On an impulse, Louise leaves a film shoot in Las Vegas and sets off for her father’s house on the East Coast, hoping for answers about the curious inheritance and, perhaps, about her own troubled marriage. Nearly thirty years earlier, Florrie takes off on an adventure of her own, driving her Model T westward from New Jersey in pursuit of broader horizons. She has the promise of a Hollywood job and, in the passenger seat, Ethel, her best friend since childhood. Florrie will do anything for Ethel, who is desperate to reach Nevada in time to reconcile with her husband and reunite with her daughter. Ethel fears the loss of her marriage; Florrie, with long-held secrets confided only in her journal, fears its survival. In parallel tales, the three women—Louise, Florrie, Ethel—discover that not all journeys follow a map. As they rediscover their carefree selves on the road, they learn that sometimes the paths we follow are shaped more by our traveling companions than by our destinations. “Tender, touching, original, and rich with delicious period detail of Hollywood’s heyday—buckle up, because you’ll definitely want to go on a road trip after reading this delightful book!”—Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home Author Bio: Jessica Brockmole is the author of At the Edge of Summer, the internationally bestselling Letters from Skye, which was named one of the best books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly, and Something Worth Landing For, a novella featured in Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War. She lives in northern Indiana with her husband, two children, and far too many books. For more information, please visit Jessica Brockmole’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads. Release date - 18th September 2017 Book length - 400 pages Publisher - Avon Books Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK Christmas has arrived on the Cornish Isles of Scilly, bringing mistletoe, surprises and more than a sprinkle of romance . . . Fans of Poldark and Carole Matthews will love this brand-new festive read from the author of the bestselling Cornish Café series. For Maisie Samson, this Christmas is going to be different. After years working in a busy Cornish pub, she’s moved back to quiet Gull Island where she grew up, to help her parents run the family inn. But even though she can’t wait for the festive season to arrive, Maisie cannot shake the memories of what happened to her last Christmas – the day she lost everything. She keeps herself busy, setting up the tree and hanging mistletoe ready for her first proper family Christmas in years. Until a new arrival to the island walks into her bar and changes everything. Australian backpacker Patrick is looking for a job for the low season. When Maisie takes him on, she doesn’t expect him to last the week, but to her surprise Patrick is the perfect fit. Charming and handsome, could Maisie allow herself to hope that she and Patrick could be more than just colleagues? As Christmas approaches, Maisie finds herself dreading the spring, when Patrick is due to leave. With the help of a little Christmas magic, can Maisie get the happily ever after she always dreamed of? Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles is the first in a stunning new series from Phillipa Ashley. The perfect book to snuggle up with this Christmas. Author Bio: Phillipa Ashley is an award-winning author of 17 novels under three pen-names. Her best selling new Cornish Cafe series is available in e book and paperback now. The first in a brand new series - Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles: the Driftwood Inn was published on September 18th. She also writes the Oxford Blue series as Pippa Croft. For more information: Website - phillipa-ashley.com Twitter - twitter.com/PhillipaAshley Facebook - www.facebook.com/PhillipaAshleyAuthor/ Read on for a wonderful extract to whet your appetite... Extract
Who turned off the sun? Patrick McKinnon opened his eyes onto darkness and wondered where he was. Still in his flat in Melbourne? Had he woken up after another bender? Was he in bed with Tania? He reached out for her warm body. ‘Jesus!’ A drop of cold water hit him smack on the nose. Ah, now he remembered. It was Sunday morning. The roof of the tent glistened with condensation and another drop fell onto his face. The heavens had opened in the night and wind had started blowing in off the sea. Patrick had thought he’d wake up in three feet of water so he considered himself lucky that the tent, his sleeping bag and all his stuff was only damp, not soaked. He’d have to find somewhere to dry his clothes before he packed away and left Scilly or everything would be rank in no time. Patrick rubbed the rain off his nose with the back of his hand and unzipped the sleeping bag. Condensation had formed on the inside of the tent and there was a musty scent that made his nose twitch. Urgh. Was that him? It was no surprise he didn’t smell too great following a day spent playing rugby on the beach with a load of students from the Gull Island campsite, and a night spent under canvas in a one-man tent. That was his agenda for the next hour: a shower, probably a cold one, and then cook a fry-up with his newfound mates. They were fifteen years younger than him and although he’d played Aussie Rules and Rugby Union as a young man, last night’s game and a cramped night under damp canvas had left him stiff in all the wrong places. After he’d finished his drink outside the Driftwood the day before, he’d lingered for a while, reading a guidebook and hoping Maisie Samson would come out onto the terrace. He wasn’t quite sure what he’d say to her if she did. He was as surprised at seeing her behind the bar of the Driftwood as she was at seeing him. He’d recalled that she said she worked in a pub but he hadn’t deliberately sought her out, even though he’d wanted to after she’d run away from him on the beach on St Mary’s. He’d thought she was better off without him. He didn’t need any romantic entanglements while he was here. He guessed she hadn’t planned to kiss him; he certainly hadn’t expected it to happen. They were having a good time and she’d probably let her guard down because of the drinks she’d had. She certainly wasn’t anywhere near drunk though or he’d never have walked away with her that evening . . . He hadn’t expected that walk to lead to anything so when he’d taken her hand and she’d led him away for the kiss, everything had seemed completely natural. *I want to thank Sabah from Harper Collins, and the author Phillipa Ashley for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and the great extract. Don't forget to check out all of the other stops along the way - Happy Reading! #Review: A Christmas to Remember - An Anthology @LisaKleypas @Lorraine_Heath @meganf @VivLorret26/9/2017 Release date - 26th September 2017
Book length - 420 pages Publisher - Avon Books Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK Romance stars Lisa Kleypas, Lorraine Heath, Megan Frampton, and Vivienne Lorret prove in this collection of stories that love is the most magical during Christmas… I Will by Lisa Kleypas To be reinstated into his father’s will, Andrew, Lord Drake, must court a respectable woman-his friend’s spinster sister, Miss Caroline Hargreaves. After he blackmails Caroline into helping him, the charade begins-but is it really a charade once love takes hold of their hearts…? Deck the Halls With Love by Lorraine Heath Alistair Wakefield, the Marquess of Chetwyn, devastated Lady Meredith Hargreaves when he proposed to another. But when he becomes free to pursue her, it’s too late for she’s on her way to the altar….. As Christmas approaches, Chetwyn vows to lure Lady Meredith back into his arms. No Groom at the Inn by Megan Frampton James Archer detests his mother’s matchmaking ways. When ordered to attend a Christmastime house party filled with simpering maidens, he produces a fiancée-Lady Sophronia Bettesford. James and Sophronia pretend to be in love for one month. But their pact soon turns into love. The Duke’s Christmas Wish by Vivienne Lorret To the Duke of Vale, science solves everything-even marriage. When the impulsive Ivy Sutherland makes him question all of his data, he realizes that he’s overlooked a vital component in his search for the perfect match: love. MY REVIEW A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER: AN ANTHOLOGY is a wonderful collection of four sizzlingly sexy regency tales that will warm you up on these chilly evenings. From rakes of the highest order who need a convenient lady to pose as their intended, lords who are desperate for a second chance with the woman of their dreams, men who do not want to be shackled down by a wife, to those who believe science will give them the answers they seek, these short stories have something for everyone. Now, I myself am not a huge lover of short stories as I usually feel that something is missing and the drama just ends too quickly, but I am delighted to say that with this collection, each story feels like it is a novel in its own right and I finished each story completely satisfied with how it all turned out. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the settings, and I particularly enjoyed the female leads in this collection as they were strong, independent, and determined to make up their own minds about their future. If I had to pick a favourite it would have to be I Will by Lisa Kleypas, but the other three tales are fantastic too! A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER: AN ANTHOLOGY will transport you back in time and shower you with romance and the Christmas spirit, and I highly recommend it to all historical romance fans. For more information: Website - www.lisakleypas.com www.lorraineheath.com meganframpton.com vivlorret.net Twitter - twitter.com/LisaKleypas twitter.com/Lorraine_Heath twitter.com/meganf twitter.com/VivLorret Facebook - www.facebook.com/LisaKleypas/ www.facebook.com/LorraineHeathBooks www.facebook.com/meganframptonbooks www.facebook.com/vivienne.lorret Instagram - www.instagram.com/lisakleypas/ www.instagram.com/LorraineHeathAuthor/ www.instagram.com/meganframptonbooks/ *I want to thank Pamela from Harper Collins, and the authors, for the opportunity to review this book from Edelweiss. Release date - 3rd October 2017
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - William Morrow Books Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Chapters | IndieBound | Kobo ABOUT THE BOOK New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor has joined with Heather Webb to create this unforgettably romantic novel of the Great War. August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris. But as history tells us, it all happened so differently… Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene? Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him… MY REVIEW Have you ever read a story that just spoke to your soul and made you feel every emotion possible? Well, LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is that book for me this year. Beautiful, evocative, and a masterpiece of writing, this is so much more than a good story and should belong on everyone's bookshelves. It is Christmas time in 1968 and a frail old man is determined to have one last Christmas in Paris before his time ends. Armed with a special collection of letters that span from the beginning of World War One to the end of it, this man's story unfolds before our eyes as we get to watch love, hardship, grief, and friendship, shine through the darkness of that time. Each letter gives us an insight into the different characters of Evie, Thomas, Will, and Alice and it was very emotional to recognise that the terrifying and harrowing conditions that existed back then were sadly not fiction but all-too-real. But throughout all of their ups and downs, there is always a beacon of hope glowing away among their words and the possibility that love and laughter will be theirs once again. LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb made me smile, make me weep, and made me thankful for all those men and women who sacrificed their lives. I could not put this book down and my face was a puffy mess by the time that I was finished, but it was so worth it, as this novel is so special. LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS highlights the strength and love of the human spirit and I know it is a book that I will re-read for many years to come. Author Bios: HEATHER WEBB is the author of historical novels Becoming Josephine and Rodin’s Lover, and the anthology Fall of Poppies, which have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Elle, France Magazine, and more, as well as received national starred reviews. RODIN’S LOVER was a Goodreads Top Pick in 2015. Up and coming, Last Christmas in Paris, an epistolary love story set during WWI will release October 3, 2017, and The Phantom’s Apprentice, a re-imagining of the Gothic classic Phantom of the Opera from Christine Daae’s point of view releases February 6, 2018. To date, her novels have sold in ten countries. Heather is also a professional freelance editor, foodie, and travel fiend. HAZEL GAYNOR is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Memory of Violets and The Girl Who Came Home, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Her third novel The Girl from the Savoy was an Irish Times and Globe & Mail Canada bestseller, and was shortlisted for the BGE Irish Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year. The Cottingley Secret and Last Christmas in Paris will be published in 2017. Hazel was selected by US Library Journal as one of ‘Ten Big Breakout Authors’ for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages. Originally from Yorkshire, England, Hazel now lives in Ireland. For more information: Website - www.hazelgaynor.com www.heatherwebbauthor.com Twitter - twitter.com/HazelGaynor twitter.com/msheatherwebb Facebook - www.facebook.com/hazelgaynorbooks/ www.facebook.com/msheatherwebb/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/hazelgaynor/ www.instagram.com/msheatherwebb/ *I want to thank Amy from hfvirtualbooktours.com, and the authors Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb, for the opportunity to review this beautiful book and take part in this blog tour. Release date - 24th September 2017
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - www.bombshellbooks.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK “I would rather love passionately for an hour than benignly for a lifetime.” In a house full of history and secrets, the past will not stay where it belongs… Lou has always loved Hill House, the derelict manor on the abandoned land near her home. As a child, the tragic history of its owners, the Mandevilles, inspired her dream to become a history teacher. But in her late twenties, and working in a shop to pay off student debts, life is passing her by. That changes when a family disaster sends Lou’s life into a downward spiral and she seeks comfort in the ruined corridors of Hill House. The house transforms around her and Lou is transported back to Christmas 1913. Convinced she has been in an accident and is in a coma, Lou immerses herself in her Edwardian dream. With the Mandevilles oblivious to her true identity, Lou becomes their houseguest and befriends the eldest son, Captain Thomas Mandeville, a man she knows is destined to die in the First World War. Lou feels more at home in the past than the present and when she realises the experience is real she sets out to do everything in her power to save her new friends. Lou passes between 1913 and 2013, unearthing plots of murder and blackmail, which she must stop no matter the cost. On her quest to save the Mandevilles by saving Thomas, Lou will face the hardest decision of her life. She will learn that love cannot be separated by a century. MY REVIEW I didn't really know what to expect when I started to read A TIME TO CHANGE by Callie Langridge. I love historical and contemporary fiction but time-lapse novels are always a little hit or miss for me, so I was wary going into this story. Well, my reservations were certainly groundless as this beautiful story of love, family, and sacrifice, completely took my breath away from beginning to end. Lou remembers roaming the ground of the abandoned Hill House estate when she was a little girl and it had always given her a feeling of comfort and familiarity. So when a tragic accident rips her world apart, Lou flees to the desolate house to try and figure out what on earth she is going to do next. But when she suddenly finds herself transported to 1913 and the Mandeville family, Lou falls in love with so much from the past where she finally feels welcome. But knowing how this family's future plays out, Lou will travel between past and present to try and protect everyone that she loves. With danger, secrets, and the whisper of love at every turn, will Lou be able to make the impossible choices to save those that need her most? Excellently paced with loveable and dynamic characters, A TIME TO CHANGE by Callie Langridge effortlessly transported me back to a time when Hill House was in its prime as the author paints a picture that will run through your mind like a movie as you read. Lou is such a raw and caring character and watching her try to fix past and present to protect those that she loves, was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. A TIME TO CHANGE by Callie Langridge is so much more than a good story - it is an emotional story of family, grief, belonging, and recognising that the real power of love is so much stronger than any of us could truly believe. This book is a compelling read and I highly recommend it!!! Author Bio: Callie was born and brought up in Berkshire. After a brief teenage spell in the depths of Lancashire, she moved back to London. Having left school at 16, she studied drama before embarking on a career in marketing. This saw her work in music marketing in the heady days of Britpop in the late ‘90s. She unleashed her creativity in the design of window displays and marketing campaigns for the leading music retailer. More recently she has followed her passion for social history and currently works in marketing for a national historical institution, promoting projects and running events. On hitting her thirtieth birthday, she decided finally to take her A levels and gained A’s in English Literature and Language, and Film Studies – not bad when working full time – and this spurred her on to take the first of many creative writing course. A few years later and she has had a number of short stories published and plays performed at theatres and venues across London. Callie lives in London with her long-term partner and an ever-growing collection of antique curiosities. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/clangridgewrite *I want to thank Sarah at Bombshell Books, and the author Callie Langridge, for the opportunity to review this book and take part in this blog tour. Don't forget to check out all of the other stops along the way!! |
WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
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