The Holiday Escape by Heidi Swain

About the Book

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…

Title: The Holiday Escape

Author: Heidi Swain

Publication Day: 25th April 2024

Published By: Simon & Schuster UK

Links:   UK:   Amazon    US:   Amazon

Our Review

I loved how this book starts with a huge glimpse into an important part of Ally's persona. When she goes on holiday she likes to be the person she wishes she was. So she creates a whole new life, new name, new job and everything, after all what does it matter she will never see these people again... or will she? 

Whilst on the way to Barcelona Ally gets chatting to a nun and a young man next to her called Logan. When asked her name she panics and gives her best friend Flora's name, she enjoys the holiday apart from feeling guilty for lying to the nun. As she and Logan become closer she realises that she is starting to have feelings for him and so stands him up on their last evening together.

When she arrives home at Kittiwake cove she tries to forget all about him but soon comes face to face with him again. He is not very impressed to find out she lied to him.

Ally is torn, she has always wanted to leave Kittiwake cove but can't after a promise she made to someone very special. The guilt of leaving her dad with such a heavy workload far outweighed her sense of adventure so that's where she stayed.

Ally's Dad's story was lovely and let's just say there was more than one happy ending in this book. As Ally and Logan begin to get closer again someone throws a spanner in the works but for Ally maybe the most surprising thing of all is what she actually wanted had been under her nose all along.

It was just joyful watching Ally's character develop over the book and to top it all a very satisfying ending all around.

Another classic Heidi Swain novel, bursting with a sense of adventure, community, friendship and love.

                                                                                    ***

Click below if you would like to read our review of Heidi's other standalone novel.

The Holiday Retreat

Sincerely

Book Angel x x 

About the Author

Heidi Swain is a Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author who writes feel good fiction for Simon and Schuster. She releases two books a year (early summer and winter) and the stories all have a strong sense of community, family and friendship. She is currently writing books set in three locations - the Fenland town of Wynbridge, Nightingale Square in Norwich and Wynmouth on the Norfolk coast, as well as summer standalone titles.

Heidi lives in beautiful west Norfolk. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside, collecting vintage paraphernalia and reading. Her tbr pile is always out of control!

Heidi loves to chat with her readers and you can get in touch via her website or on social media.

Date With Destiny by Lucy Vine

Ginny is about to turn 32. It’s a year she’s been thinking about for a long time. Sixteen years ago she crossed paths with a psychic who made some key predictions about her thirty-second year…

Three bad things: A heartbreak, a loss of independence, and a death.

Three good things: A life-changing trip, reconnecting with someone, and meeting her soulmate.

The issue is that Ginny is due to get married in a month… but it’s all nonsense, obviously. But when some of those pesky predictions start coming true she starts to wonder what might happen next…

Title: Date With Destiny

Author: Lucy Vine

Published By: Simon & Schuster UK

Publication Date: 9th May 2024

UK: Amazon      US:  Amazon

Our Review

Joyful, upbeat and lots of fun. 

I loved my Date with Destiny by Lucy Vine. 

Having met Lucy a couple of times I find that her bubbly personality and effervescence really spills over into her books. Her writing is skilful in that it has a raw and fearless quality about it and she makes no apologies for her characters’ flaws. 

I really enjoyed the premise of the book being the six predictions that Ginny had received sixteen years earlier and the fact that her friends won’t let her forget it. Ginny seems perfectly happy at the beginning of the book where we meet her at a hen do that she’s not really enjoying but then everything begins to go wrong for her and she finds herself with a lot of soul searching to do. 

With three handsome guys surrounding her she seems to be spoilt for choice but the truth is that the one she wants she can’t have so she has to work out how to survive on her own and with the help of her best friend Myfanwy she finds the courage to stand up for herself. 

This book made me laugh out loud in parts but I also found real empathy with Ginny, one because of how she needs a couple of days to recover after peopling, which I do too and two because of the lovely tenderness she felt for her auntie which really touched my heart especially when she wished she’d given her more time when she was younger. 

It’s a great feeling picking up a Lucy Vine book and know you’re going to be in for a wild ride.  

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Lucy Vine is a writer, editor and columnist. She's the best selling author of Hot Mess (2017), What Fresh Hell (2018), Are We Nearly There Yet? (2019), Bad Choices (2021), Seven Exes (2023) and Date With Destiny (2024)

Making Memories at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash

 

It’s never too late…

After five husbands and five broken hearts, Lydia feels like she’s always been chasing something. But now she’s found her purpose, and having moved to Driftwood Bay to spend more time with her daughter Meredith, she’s happier than ever. 

But there’s still life in these old bones yet! With her newfound sense of identity, she’s keen to re-explore the things that made her happy as a younger person. Lydia’s passion was dancing – she used to compete in her younger years, and there’s no place she’s more at home than on the dancefloor. 

So when widower and antiques restorer Martin tells her about a big dance competition, she’s ready and raring to bring more joy into her life. But while making memories with Martin, the more she realises that both of their hearts need restoring too...

An utterly gorgeous romantic read set by the beautiful Cornish coast, perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley and Heidi Swain

Title: Making Memories at the Cornish Cove

Author: Kim Nash

Published By: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 17th April

Links:   UK: Amazon       US: Amazon

Our Review

This is the third book in the Cornish Cove series and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back to Driftwood Bay and to see how Meredith and Clem were getting on after getting together in Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove which is the first book of the series.

Making memories at the Cornish Cove tells the story of Meredith’s mum Lydia who had arrived in Driftwood Bay after leaving her fifth husband. Meredith and Lydia hadn’t had much of a relationship when she was growing up and Lydia hoped to grow closer to her daughter over time. 

When Lydia receives a box of her belongings from her ex she is surprised to find something that meant so much to her when she was younger but she had given up all hope of ever being able to fulfill the dream of her youth. However when she meets Clem’s dad Martin he gives her a glimpse of what her future could look like. Their friendship grows as they find a mutual interest in reviving old items whether that be toys or clothes and you could really sense the satisfaction they got from restoring things that meant a lot to other people. 

Lydia soon becomes an integral part of Driftwood Bay as she makes new friendships and her relationship with Meredith grows stronger by the day. When it looks as though an injury scuppers her chance to indulge her childhood dream, Meredith comes to the rescue and there is a really touching moment between Mother and Daughter which took me by surprise and brought tears to my eyes. 

Lydia is a fantastic older protagonist who's had a wonderful life and shows that it doesn't matter how old you are, it's never too late to follow your dreams and Martin sounds like a gorgeous silver fox with a twinkle in his eye.

Driftwood Bay is the perfect place to live with a community of friends who help each other out when the road ahead gets tough and there’s lots of sexy men who live there. 

Another lovely heartwarming novel to escape into as you drift away to Driftwood Bay. 

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and has wanted to write books since she was a little girl. The Cornish Cove series is set in the fictional seaside village of Driftwood Bay in Cornwall and is published by Boldwood Books. Book 3 in the series, Making Memories at the Cornish Cove will be published on 17th April 2024.

She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and is a book blogger.

When she's not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog at Cannock Chase, reading, binge-watching box sets on the TV, and dreaming of living by the sea! She's also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Staffordshire and organises local and national reader/author events.

#TeamBATC2024Showcase

It's hard to believe but it was nine years ago that I went to my first ever Team Books and the City do and where I met both Milly Johnson and Heidi Swain for the first time, I remember it was called a Spring Blogger evening and I'd never blogged in my life but that night when I got home my daughter helped me set up a blog and since then I've never looked back. I've got the fabulous SJ Virtue to thank for all those brilliant events and really for all the lovely blogger and authors and general book loving people I've met since then who have now become great friends and it's always a pleasure to catch up with them.

The  #TeamBATC2024Showcase was just as spectacular with thirteen authors and over 100 guests including 70 who were there on zoom. The evening started with quick hellos to some of the fabulous friends I've met over the years and then we get to help ourselves to the incredible stash of books on a table which was also laden with food and drinks including some delicious book themed cupcakes. I would have taken a photo but my cupcake disappeared in seconds and was totally delish.

Once we had settled down we were introduced to all of the authors and they each described their book and then read a chapter from it. There was alot of intrigue as we were left hanging at the end of every chapter we heard knowing that we just wanted more. Some of the readings had us all in stitches as did SJ when she told us what she thought of Poldark's headwear...

It was such a lovely, fun and bubbly atmosphere and I was glad my husband met me afterwards to help me carry my books home.

Lovely Heidi Swain signing my book sample

From left to right, 

Dawn Crooks, Isabelle Broom, Me and Maureen Stapleton

I will do my best to link to every book that was discussed on the night and I would just like to say another huge thank you to Sara-Jade Virtue and the whole of the Books and the City Team for all their hard work and suffice to say we are in for another amazing year of books from S & S.

***********

Alina Khawaja  

Beverly Kendall                                       

              

Eva Verde                                                

Heidi Swain

Helen Fisher

Holly Hepburn

Julie Haworth

Laura Wood

Lauren Bravo

Lucy Vine

Rachel Hore

Rebecca Ryan

Sharon Gosling

Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson

Please take care of my baby. But don't try to find me. You'll put him in danger. x

Profiler and therapist Kez Lanyon is shocked when she finds a baby on the backseat of her car, with an unsigned note asking her to take care of him.

Kez has a pretty good idea who the mother is - Brandee, a popular social media star with a troubled background, who once lived in Kez's house.

Brandee recently dropped out of the limelight and if the internet rumours are true, Kez knows Brandee's life is in danger.

Kez is torn. Should she simply take care of the baby as she's been asked, or should she risk her whole family by using contacts from her previous job to save this young woman?

Time is running out for Brandee. Can Kez find her before it's too late?

                                                                        *****

Title:  Every Smile You Fake

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Published By:  Headline Review

Publication Date:  15th February 2024

Links:  UK:   Amazon    US:   Amazon

WHSmith

Waterstones

                                                                       *****

Our Review

This book is completely unique in the clever way that it’s written and covers so many issues which interlock with each other. 

It’s so topical and highlights many of the negative effects that social media has had on society and the world around us. It shows how the internet has aided and abetted racism, sexism and misogyny and the detrimental affect that has on society and families. It’s actually terrifying how our young people can be manipulated into thinking whatever the heads of these organisations want them to think due to their unfettered access to them. 

The book begins with two points of view, Brandee with two e’s is an influencer, a young woman who was exploited by her mum as a child because her mum put every aspect of her life on the internet for likes. 

Kes is Brandee’s boyfriend’s step mum. Her background is extremely interesting, she is a trained profiler and can read people from their body language. 

The timeline goes from present to the past where Kes's life unfolds. For example in the past her job as a therapist is plodding along nicely until one particular couple come to her for marriage guidance and she recognises the husband from years before. Her life changes significantly from that point and she goes on to have a lovely family. 

But when Brandee leaves her baby in Kes’s car and goes missing, Kes tries to do as Brandee asks by not looking for her but eventually finds herself racing against the clock to find her again and her whole life begins to implode as her past catches up with her. 

Full of shocks and surprises, this raw, emotive and chilling book was another hard hitting, psychologically thrilling page turner from Dorothy Koomson which will have you outraged and desperate to know what will happen next. I guarantee you will be thinking about the issues raised in this book for a long time after you’ve finished. 

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Dorothy Koomson is the award-winning author of 15 novels and has been making up stories since she was 13 when she used to share her stories with her convent school friends. Her published titles include: Tell Me Your Secret, The Brighton Mermaid, The Friend, When I Was Invisible, That Girl From Nowhere, The Flavours of Love, The Woman He Loved Before, Goodnight, Beautiful and The Chocolate Run.

Dorothy’s first novel, The Cupid Effect, was published in 2003 (when she was quite a bit older than 13). Her third book, My Best Friend’s Girl, was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads of 2006 and went on to sell over 500,000 copies. While her fourth novel, Marshmallows For Breakfast, has sold in excess of 250,000 copies. Dorothy’s books, The Ice Cream Girls and The Rose Petal Beach were both shortlisted for the popular fiction category of the British Book Awards in 2010 and 2013, respectively.

Dorothy’s novels have been translated into over 30 languages, and a TV adaptation loosely based on The Ice Cream Girls was shown on ITV1 in 2013. After briefly living in Australia, Dorothy now lives in Brighton.

In 2019 Dorothy was awarded the Image Award by The Black British Business Awards to celebrate and honour her achievements.

For more information on Dorothy Koomson visit www.dorothykoomson.co.uk

The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson

 

What if you could write your own perfect storyline...?

The heart-warming, feelgood novel from the much-loved Sunday Times bestselling author, Milly Johnson

Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job – until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris – until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing – there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself – as the ­fictional Sabrina Anderson.

But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it’s a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have.

But what if this new life could belong to her after all?

Title: The Happiest Ever After

Author: Milly Johnson

Published By: Simon & Schuster UK

Publication Date: 15th Feb 2024

Links: UK:   Amazon       US:   Amazon

Waterstones

WHSmith

                                                                         **********

Our Review 

Do you ever get that feeling where you think, I wish I'd thought of that? Well that was my first thought on hearing what Milly Johnson's brand new book, The Happiest Ever After was about. The concept is absolutely brilliant and especially as I now write books myself, I could really relate to it. Even when I read the first couple of lines I was struck by the unique quality of the writing. I honestly think that Milly's writing will be studied by her local university one day and I think she deserves to have a statue of herself in Barnsley where they must be so proud of her.

Polly Potter has a miserable life, her partner shows her no respect, he's cheated on her before and keeps dumping that workbag in the middle of the floor which was peeing me off alot and I could really feel for her there. Also although she is fantastic at her job, her boss is an idiot who takes credit for all her hard work. Talking of hard work, Her husband's sister is a real pushy pain as well who has chosen a horrible dress for her to wear as her bridesmaid. The only things keeping Polly's head above the water are her best mate at work, her partner's son Will whom she loves and her secret hobby. Polly sneaks off to evening classes to do her creative writing course and she's writing a novel. Her protagonist Sabrina is in control of her life and has everything that Polly has ever wanted.

When Polly can take it no more she leaves Chris, heads to the seaside, leaving no forwarding address but after an unfortunate incident she wakes up in hospital with no belongings and memory loss. The only thing she can remember is that her name is Sabrina. See what I mean about a brilliant concept?

Sabrina's world then opens up to a whole new community and she is taken in by a lovely lady called Marielle but due to something that happened in the past, some of Marielle's friends and family don't take to Sabrina. 

I loved Sabrina's journey especially the blank page that was her future that she was able to write for herself. It was heart-breaking as bits and pieces of her life came back to her including traumatic and devastating events and some of the confusion between Sabrina's past and Polly's meant that Sabrina had even more heartbreak to contend with when reality hit home and she had to grieve again.

One good thing about Sabrina's new life was meeting the gorgeous Italian Chef, Teddy who owned his own restaurant which served delectable meals. But when she begins to fall for him I was so hoping for a happy ending at that point but unfortunately everything is upended again when her ex comes looking for her.

This book has shot to the top of my fave Milly Johnson books, they're always jam packed with fantastic story within a story scenarios so there's never a chance to get bored when reading one. I loved Polly/ Sabrina and not sure when I last rooted for a heroine more. I so wanted her to have a happy ending and hers wasn't just happy but powerful too. Another exciting, heart-breaking, evocative masterpiece from Milly Johnson.

As if all this wasn't enough, I was absolutely blown away to see my name in the acknowledgements, of my favourite author. Can you believe that? Thanks so much Milly and please never give up writing.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She is the author of 20 novels, 4 short story ebooks, a book of poetry and a Quick Reads Novella ('The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe') and was an erstwhile leading copywriter for the greetings card industry. She is also a poem and joke-writer, a newspaper columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016, the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015, the Romantic Novelist Association Outstanding Achievement award in 2020, the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2021 and the Richard Whiteley Award for Inspiration to the County of Yorkshire in 2022.

She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.

Her 20th novel 'Together, Again' was published in paperback on 2nd March 2023 and is about three estranged sisters convening after the death of their mother in order to arrange her funeral. Freed from the shadow of the overbearing Eleanor Vamplew, the three women come to realise that they have more in common than they could ever have realised.

Milly's website is www.millyjohnson.co.uk. She is on Twitter as @millyjohnson, Instagram as @themillyjohnson, TikTok as @millyjohnsonauthor and has a Facebook page @MillyJohnsonAuthor. She also has a monthly newsletter www.millyjohnson.co.uk/newsletter with exclusive, news, offers and competitions.

Finding Family at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash

 

Family is everything…

For years, Gemma has been running her late mother’s café with devotion, and when an opportunity comes to buy out her next-door neighbour and expand, she jumps at the chance.

She knows she will do her mother proud – keep her legacy going strong – but deep down she knows there’s still something missing.

But sometimes family are those you choose, or those who choose you! With a growing community of supporters cheering Gemma on, will she really spend the rest of her life alone?

And with some new faces at her blossoming bistro, perhaps romance may also be on the cards?

Praise for the Cornish Cove series:

‘Romantic, lovely and moving, a book that left me with a heart full of hope and a face full of smiles.’ Milly Johnson, author of Together Again

‘I absolutely adored it! Hopeful and heartwarming… A 5-star romantic read.’ Sandy Barker, author of Match Me If You Can

'I LOVED it! Gorgeously written with characters you can't help but adore...' Holly Martin, author of The Holiday Cottage by the Sea

'What a sweet summery read and escape to a gorgeous community by the sea... An absolute reading treat.' Sue Moorcroft, author of An Italian Island Summer

Title: Finding Family at the Cornish Cove

Author: Kim Nash

Published By: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 3rd October 2023

Links:  UK: Amazon     US:   Amazon

Waterstones

Our Review

I have read all of Kim Nash’s books and loved every single one but I have to say that this one is my absolute favourite. Kim hasn't just found her writing voice, I would say she well and truly owns it and it's been an absolute pleasure to be a part of Kim's journey and watch her thrive as a writer and see her make her dreams come true.

This book is about Gemma whom I’ve met before in Kim’s previous book Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove which you really should read because it features a lighthouse and another gorgeous couple. 

Gemma is renovating the cafe that she inherited from her late mum and whilst sorting out the building regs she has to allow a fireman in to do a check on the building. Jude (the sexy fireman) is extremely easy on the eye and has not long moved to the area with his teenage daughter Occy. 

Gemma takes a chance on Occy by offering her a job in the cafe and a wonderful relationship is formed. 

Gemma finds herself struggling emotionally when she finds something out about her sister which is particularly heartbreaking for her but she finds that her feelings are conflicted. 

I really loved watching the relationship unfold with Gemma and Occy and Gemma and Jude, swit swoo the hunky fireman. It was also lovely to see the effect that Gemma had on Occy and Jude’s relationship too because whilst they got on most of the time, sometimes they didn’t understand each other and Gemma helped to bridge that gap. 

After sorting through some complications from both Jude and Gemma’s past, including unearthing  secrets that affected both Gemma and her sister, I’m pleased to say there was a gorgeous happy ever after. 

What I found very enriching about this story was Gemma’s love for her late mum and how she was still able to find guidance from her throughout the story in sayings her mum had and in actions that she had done in their lives. I found this to be very close to my heart and it gave me all the feels. 

I can’t wait for Kim’s next book which I’m hoping is also based in Driftwood Bay. 

A multi dimensional love story filled with family, forgiveness and second chances, and did I mention a gorgeous fireman? 

Sincerely

Annette Hannah

About the Author

Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and has wanted to write books since she was a little girl. The Cornish Cove series is set in the fictional seaside village of Driftwood Bay in Cornwall and is published by Boldwood Books. 

She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and is a book blogger. 

When she's not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog at Cannock Chase, reading, binge-watching box sets on the TV, and dreaming of living by the sea! She's also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Staffordshire and organises local and national reader/author events.

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