One Greek Summer Wedding – Mandy Baggot

I was thrilled to have been gifted the chance to review the latest book from Mandy Baggot, ‘One Greek Summer Wedding’. Spring in the UK seems to be struggling to assert itself this year, so what better than a literary trip to some Mediterranean sunshine, to perk oneself up.

Our Heroine, Cara and her Aunt Margot, work in the luggage industry and are road testing their new shrinkable suitcase, that holds a ton of luggage and then shrinks down to a cabin bag size! The mechanics hadn’t yet been perfected so I hope it made it to their destination hu! I must confess to a sense of relief when the ‘Maxi-Go’ case arrived at the ladies’ Corfu hotel in one piece; I hadn’t been able to get the image of their belonging being strewn across luggage carousels and all over the airport! Cara does seem to be surrounded by rather ‘colourful’ characters in her life, ranging from her reasonably normal Aunt Margot, to her distinctly ‘off centre’ parents, AKA Nettlewood Aurora and Briarbanks Wisteria! Unfortunately there did seem to be some kind of frisson of unease between Cara’s Mother and her Aunt; Cara must have found her parents such horribly hard work. Margot does however seem a great companion though; full of fun – but why did she move Cara into her own hotel room? What on earth was going on? I guess it could serve both the ladies interests, though.

Akis, with his ‘magical’ laugh, seemed to have had just as whacky an upbringing as Cara, and I really felt for him – how unwelcoming his own Mother was towards him. She seemed more concerned with keeping up the right appearance than anything else! I was just looking forward to his path crossing with Cara’s at his Brother’s wedding, which Cara and her Gran had been Invited to. Looking at Stakis’ Mother’s erratic behaviour, I just hoped that the travelling pair really had been invited to the upcoming nuptials; Margot certainly seemed most lackadaisical (I was very pleased with my use of that word, and then saw it was used in the text!) about it all! Anastasia, Akis’ Sister could have been considered the most welcoming member of the wedding family members – but did she have an ulterior motive in being nice to Cara? She certainly seemed to have no qualms about plying her with alcohol! I preferred to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that Anastasia was pleased to have someone at the wedding around the same age as her! Akis’ Gran,Irini was a great character, certain to have been fun whilst the grandchildren were growing up, and long afterwards. Nothing says fun, quite like having a full-size, live donkey in the house!

Milo. ‘The Groom’. A sensitive soul, and has been, all of his life. Akis seems to look out for Milo i n a fetchingly caring way.

There are giggles aplenty throughout this book, but the incident that made me laugh most, was Akis’ reaction upon realising that he was performing in his stage show, in front of his Sister-in-law’s hen party, including his Mother, who was still hellbent on him joining the Priesthood! It was all starting to feel a little as though it had the potential for a pier head farce! This incident was closely followed by Cara’s embarrassed reaction upon realising the fact that she had unwittingly tried to confess her sins to Akis, while he was doing an unintentional impression of a priest, and the signal mix up at the show! The funniest moment for me though (at a very serious moment) was the idea of Pig the donkey sitting on a chair in the kitchen!

On a more serious note, we know that Akis lost a finger in a childhood accident, but one does wonder whether or not he had and facial injury too, that has left him so self conscious that he feels the need to wear a mask on his face? Regardless, the irony was not lost on me – that despite his Mother’s overwhelming desire for him to chose the Priesthood as his ultimate career path, Akis has ended up in a ‘Hen’ show, dressed as a priest throughout! Could the family curse, that Sofia wanted to mitigate by Akis becoming a priest, be a real thing? Everything certainly seemed to be going wrong in the build up to the wedding!

What had happened in Moldova, such that Cara couldn’t leave her Grandmother at the Hen night, and get herself back to their hotel? It seemed more than thd loss of Seb? We know it was something to do with Cara singing, but we are initially a little scant on detail. As for when the truth comes out as to why Cara is at the wedding………..it seemed like she was well and truly set up!

Can Raj help with the future of the Maxi-Go, even if he’s not going to be at the wedding, or will all Margot’s scheming name be in vane? Margot seems to be an ace manipulator, but can anything good ever come out of it?

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Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/OneGreekSummersocial

Maggie in the Middle – Debbie Viggiano

I have enjoyed all the previous books from Debbie Viggiano that I have read, so I was looking forward to reading and reviewing this new offering, and catching up with the eclectic residents of Little Waterlow. Without fail, they provide me with just the right mix of emotions – a bit of romance, an element of mystery and a bit of a giggle! Indeed my favourite line in this book and indeed of all was ‘A woman couldn’t kiss a bloody carrot without it becoming a newsflash’. You had to be there!!! As for fretting about your arthritis mid sex scene……..

Our heroine, Maggie seems a wonderful woman. In the first chapter her relationship with her Husband was a standout feature, as was Maggie’s love for her family, despite the way some of them treated her. I empathised with Maggie over the topic of arranging care for her elderly parents, and despaired for her, because of the way that her Father truly believed that Maggie’s work was so less important than her Sister’s.

Maggie is pretty much a saint, dealing with everything going on in her life, from her Mother’s dementia, to her Father’s increasing frailty, and it doesn’t help that her Father keeps things from her. Maggie’s Sister would also do well to help out from time to time too! At times one may be unsure as to whether to laugh or cry at a situation, but with Maggie’s Mother, there was no doubt – Maggie was being put into a heartbreaking, and frankly untenable situation, with which I’m sure many readers may empathise. Debbie Viggiano’s writing was such that I felt as though I was there and it was my Mother. Freya, Maggie’s Sister seem to manage to successfully distance herself from all the awful behaviour, hiding behind the shield of work, as if she were the only one that worked! Irritatingly, regardless of the situation, she always had to get in the last word! She seemed to need a big dose of the reality of the family situation, and a reminder of her share in the responsibilities – but was there more to her obnoxious behaviour than meets the eye?

Bess was a new addition to Maggie’s life; certain to reciprocate Maggie’s feelings of love, without answering back. You can’t beat the unconditional love of an animal. Dylan and Maggie seemed to get on famously on their dog walk, and it transpired that they had more than the desire to adopt a dog, in common; both have experience of parents in need of care. Dylan certainly seemed like a decent chap, and proved it with the way he behaved towards his Sister-in-Law…..talking of whom…..Jill seemed a bit of a ‘bunny boiler’ .

I was fuming on Maggie’s behalf, when her Father implored her not to interfere in their lives! Oh the irony of it, with all that Maggie did for her parents! They would soon be pretty lost without her help and wouldn’t be able to rely on getting any help from Freya, Maggie’s Sister. Dealing with this kind of awful behaviour in such a dignified manner, highlighted what a genuinely special woman Maggie was, whilst illustrating the kind of things that some people have to tolerate in real life, day in, day out! What a sobering thought! Maggie’s Dad was a nightmare to take out, but was he starting to suffer from dementia, or using his age to try and get away with behaving outrageously? He was most definitely on the wrong side of P.C!

I loved the idea of Maggie moving into Catkin Cottage….but even more I loved the way that Catkin Cottage was building up quite a repertoire of alumni tenants from Debbie Viggiano’s books. I implore you to read this book for yourself, in order to discover the magic of Little Waterlow for yourself.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maggie-Middle-poignant-moving-romantic-ebook/dp/B0CXQ4WQK4

THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP BY THE SEA by Eliza J Scott

My immediate thoughts upon reading this book, were of the pleasure I got from the description of Florrie’s cycle to work in its onomatopoeic glory; I could really picture her journey, and the pleasure that she got from it, despite the weather! Just as well really, as it would do us no good as a nation, were we to only profess our happiness when the weather was perfect! Our author made Micklewick Bay sound so inviting; so much so, that I was disappointed to discover that the location exits purely in the mind of Eliza J Scott. Having grown up in a seaside town, I certainly share Florrie and Mr Harte’s shared love of being by the sea. A family health scare for Florrie however, seemed to have made her naturally close to her Home Town.

Florrie seemed happy with her lot in life, but was that about to change after she met the enigmatic stranger before starting work? Just who was he, and more importantly, how did he know Florrie’s name? Is all as well as it seems? Can she work together with her boss’s nephew to help revive the bookshop she loves so much?

You will of course need to read this page turner for yourself, to find out.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Bookshop-Sea-heartwarming-page-turner-ebook/dp/B0CW1NJVBP

The French Cookery School – Caroline James

I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to read and review The French Cookery School – the latest book from Caroline James. If past books are anything to go by, this book will be a recipe full of eclectic characters and fun, with a cornucopia of different emotions on the side. Not being ageist, but was it a coincidence that not a single dietary requirement had been declared amongst our aspiring middle aged chefs?

One Exclusive French cookery course, and a diverse group of participants, each with their own agenda for attending. What a wonderful canvas upon which to bring together a group of disparate people, as one. The arrival of a selection of individuals and the leaving of a pack of friends.

Waltho: I was immediately drawn to our hero, Waltho, although my heart broke for him, at the loss of his partner Lauren, with whom he had initially embarked on his French adventure. I was particularly broken at Waltho looking at how he had brought the wood of his table back to life, by working lovingly on it and opining about it being a shame that giving so much love to Lauren hadn’t had the same affect. I was really struck by this beautiful, poignant writing from our author, Caroline James. If success were to be measured equitably by the amount of love and effort put in, Waltho’s French cookery school undoubtedly couldn’t fail to be a hit!

The advertisement for the French Cookery School, sounded utterly amazing and my first thought was to sign myself up! One reality check later and I am fully immersed in the story of those fortunate enough to be booked onto the French break. La Maison du Paradis sounded utterly heavenly and I found myself enchanted not just by the beautiful grounds, but by the mesmerising interiors too.

Meanwhile I found myself hoping that Waltho would banish his inner demons and release his artistic prowess once again; his talent had lain dormant, since the death of his Wife. Despite his worries, he is a kind, astute man. An example is how he understood Caroline’s needs – to basically eat more – before she did. Not only did he recognise her needs, but he acted upon them – presenting her with the most delicicious juicy fruit, as a kind of fait accompli that she couldn’t refuse.

Caroline. Her imminent ex husband sounded, to be frank, like a complete and utter arse and I felt that she deserved every second of her week away, having spent her adult life trying to live up to what her Husband thought a wife should be! I confess to feeling so sad, when Caroline sucked on a jelly baby, as it was her first sweet for forty years! Crikey! As for her losing weight being a condition of her Husband marrying her………well, words fail me! ‘The last thing I need, as well as a child, is an overweight wife on my arm.’  – what a brutal thing to say; what an awful man! What a vile misogynistic t@#t! The sooner Caroline can prioritise the divorce, the better! No wonder she has a big fat chip on her shoulder! This woman has been missing out on life and needs to learn to start over!

The Caroline/Francesca dynamic really tickled me at first – the way that Francesca kept on just turning up at inopportune moments, but Caroline’s issues with Fran started to feel more serious. My dear grandmother would have said that Caroline would be wishing Francesca ‘up the cat’s a**e! The trouble is, I fear the class is too small for Caroline to get away with avoiding her exasperator! However, Caroline is an inveterate snob. She claimed to have been on a diet ‘her whole life’. How sad! I bet she also has a latent dislike of fat people, despite at times giving off the vibes of someone who has a big fat secret past! Caroline’s suspicious behaviour around food, gave me the idea for a great diet – The Olive Diet. Eat nothing else; in my opinion, they are so darned revolting, that you couldn’t fail to lose weight! In all seriousness though, when you are worried about eating a whole bowl of tomatoes……you really do have an awful problem with food.

Francesca. Loud, brash – as different from Caroline as you could possibly get. An inauspicious first meeting with Caroline, but hopefully the pair can overcome their differences and get along together – maybe even become friends. Regardless of what Caroline sees as Fran’s social faux pas, I was left in no doubt, fairly early on, that Fran could list being kind as one of her top attributes. Is she more affluent than Caroline might suspect though? After all, she does carry a posh leather bag around! Undoubtedly Fran is as far removed from the elegant Angelique, as humanly possible.

I really felt for Fran, in that she was only attending the course to try and realise her a husband’s dreams. I don’t think that she would want to do the course for herself. I found Sid’s behaviour a little too controlling for my liking, to be honest – or should I give him the benefit of the doubt and attribute his behaviour to being ‘of a certain age’. Regardless it does seem a tad optimistic to be hoping to open a fine dining restaurant, off the back of a one week French cookery course, even if the course is facilitated by a renowned TV chef.

I feel there may be more to Fran than initially meets the eye; is she really as bold, confident and gregarious as she initially seems, or are her clothes and makeup intricate masks, behind which the ‘real’, unconfident Fran can hide? Fran’s multi-faceted approach to life is reflected in the things she says. I found myself often wondering at the veracity of what she said. An example was when she was joking with Daniel about wanting a cast iron guarantee that she will be able to reproduce his dishes; but is she joshing?

I really did feel for Fran, when she was chastised for not finishing her sauce – she had only failed to finish, because she had been helping a rather sweaty Ahmed.

Fran is a kind woman and would do anything to help another. We should all try and be more like Fran; the world would indeed be a better place.

Daniel. Chef. A man of indeterminate age, but probably 50+.

What’s in a name? Daniel’s posh moniker, ‘Daniel Douglas de Beers’ certainly sounds the part, together with his general demeanour, belying his real reason for teaching the course – earning money to pay off his massive gambling debt. Sadly gambling seemed to fulfil a desire in Daniel that nothing else could; a terrible, compelling itch that only his nemesis could scratch. I relished the romance of the idea of a dashing young chef who has reinvented his whole being, wanting to share his passion for food with a group of eager students; I searched for my ‘emerging wet from the lake moment’ – but ultimately it really did seem to be all about the money. Daniel needn’t worry if nobody loves him – he loves himself enough to compensate handsomely, and is always ready to throw a sultry pose for the camera! Was Daniel overly mean to Fran, or was it just that he was so keen for all his participants to get the most possible out of his course?

Daniel has a little bit of an ego problem. When told he looks a bit like Elvis, he goes to great pain to explain that he is the alter ego the younger version of the pop legend. He seems able to turn on the charm at the flick of a switch, and I’m guessing that he could win prizes for the number of different products in his bathroom cupboard! What about Sally? Does he really like her or is he leading her along? I would like it if Sally could bring out the better parts of him.

Ahmed: A dentist by profession, he seems inherently jumpy and nervous – but what a sweetheart – especially for a dentist! A. An you can re.ynon.

Bridgette: A recurring character from ’The Cruise’, a previous book by Caroline James. What a treat to come across her again. Now widowed though, she is, quite frankly, at a bit of a loose end. Could it be that she is, in fact, depressed? (Note to self, to stop trying to diagnose characters in books)!

Bridgette’s confidence seems to have been destroyed, since she has seen too many friends die; she is at an awful age. Can her cookery class alumni help to restore her confidence; her ‘Joie de vivre’? It’s too soon for her to stop living her best life. It sounds crass, but maybe the company of new friends, some good food and a blast of sunshine can ameliorate her mood?

The Twins: Retired nurses who pretty much keep to themselves but when the chips are down, they come to the fore!

Sally: A journalist on a ‘freebie’. Hoping to erase the memories of a past relationship. She loves her sports car Romeo, and he never lets her down! Will Daniel let her down, or will she not give him the chance to do so. Can she tame the errant chef?

Tomas: He is passionate about the food he produces and the pleasure it gives. He seems to have no interest in the limelight; a lovely man, the polar opposite of Daniel.

What an interesting group of people. When it really mattered however, the group showed that they could work together as one, facilitated by Waltho and his own unique talent for glueing people together.

The cookery class was almost a metaphor for cooking an amazing meal:

• Take a group of different people (ingredients).
• Prepare and process those ingredients.
• Amazing output; the ingredients have all changed for the better.

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/TFCSr

Making Memories at the Cornish Cove – Kim Nash

Having thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in Kim Nash’s Cornish Cove series, I was thrilled to be gifted the opportunity to read and review this latest instalment, and to be able to catch up with some much loved characters from Driftwood Bayand hear their stories.

I was delighted that Meredith was in this book, but wondered why her Mother, Lydia, wasn’t ready to share the contents of the box her ex Husband had sent her. Its symbolism in relation to the present was most certainly not lost on me. My curiosity was most certainly piqued though, in that it wasn’t really just a case of Lydia not wanting to show Meredith the box, but more a case of Lydia actively hiding said box and its contents from Meredith. I could certainly see Lydia’s temporary next door neighbour, Dianne, sniffing out that there was something going on, and not stopping until she discovered the details in all their juiciness. Unfortunately the box wasn’t the only thing that Lydia was keeping from Meredith. Her ex husband, Peter, did sound quite lovely so I must admit to a piquing of my curiosity, as to why the pair had ever split up. He certainly seems in touch with his sensitive side. Saying that though, Peter had been Lydia’s fifth Husband, so could she in some way be quite attached to the idea of being divorced? Who knows! My musings are mere speculation, but we may find out some more of the juicy details.

It was interesting to read that Lydia likes being around people who don’t know about her past; is it really that salubrious? What we learned about her early years with Meredith though, was utterly heartbreaking. Personally, I take great comfort from being around people who have known me for years! It was great to see the lovely Martin back again, but I was astonished by his comment about some people not wanting to live near the sea. I was as baffled by this as Martin, as I love living near the sea. Just because I share Lydia’s views on the Floridian sea, it doesn’t mean that I don’t love our coastline. When it came to health, I really felt for Lydia and hoped that the old adage about me news being good news, was going to ring true for her. Nancy was a wonderful character; I adored her tangible relationship with the books in her shop. Those books genuinely seemed to be bringing an unadulterated joy to Nancy’s existence; forgetting that she is ‘just’ a character in a book, Kim Nash’s writing brought Nancy to life for me, and I felt as though a little of her joy rubbed off on not just Lydia, but on me too. Talking of joy, I was pleased to see Lydia grasp the mettle of joy and start a list of things that are joyous to her. Is Drftwood Bay a generally joyous place? It most certainly seems to being peoples ‘inner hugger’ to the core! I loved the sentiment of Celia’s parting toast – for people to live their best lives – and I felt as though Driftwood Bay was the very place to do just that.

Martin seemed really quite keen on Lydia, at times seeming to follow her around a bit like a lovelorn puppy. I liked both Martin and Lydia, but their love lives really were the polar opposite. Martin on the one hand, wonderfully devoted to his late Wife both when she was alive and after her passing away – and Lydia, having been through at least 5 Husbands. I say at least 5, because while we know that Peter was Husband number five, it is unclear as to whether other not Lydia was married after Peter at all. I could forgive Lydia a couple of Husbands, but once you get to at least number five, it feels as though some kind of behaviour could be at play. I may be totally wrong, and if so I apologise to Lydia! There I go again! Kim Nash’s writing is such that I genuinely start to feel as though these characters are my friends, in the unique way that Kim brings these personalities to life. This may explain why I so felt for Lydia, when we learn the story of why she no longer dances, having loved to dance as a young woman. Pass the tissue box please……..quickly…..! Martin seemed a wonderful, person to spend time with and I felt as though his occupation – reusing and upcycling things almost seemed brought to life, with how he was delving into Lydia’s past life and bringing life to her former passion – dancing. Martin spoke of bringing people cherished items back to life and that was exactly what he was doing with Lydia – bringing her back to life. I looked forward to following their burgeoning friendship, but also hoped that all was well between Lydia’s Daughter Meredith and her partner Clem (Martin’s Son).

I loved Lydia’s burdening sense of joy and the way it was seeming to permeate through the residents of the cove. Perhaps we should all make an effort to sit down at some point every day, and think about the things that bring us joy. I completely understood and shared Lydia’s love of new stationery! Which is marginally more joyous, completely filling a trusted old notebook, or starting a new untouched treasure?

This book brought to the fore a range of emotions, but I wasn’t sure about how I felt at Vi having a wonderful day out at a funeral! At first it made me laugh, especially at the thought of her ‘fleecing’ the buffet, but it kind of stuck in my mind like a literary version of an ear worm (a word worm?) – It preyed on my mind and in the end I felt rather sad about it! As for Vi posting parcels in the dog poo bin……! You can say what you like about Vi, but in my opinion, she sums up how you want to behave……to be, once you get to a certain age! More thinking about you and what you want… how you want to act…..what you want to wear; less worrying about what others might think! On a side note though – why is Vi behaving in such a cagey manner lately?

Will the neighbours work out what is going in with Vi, and doesLydia still have a chance to take part in the dancing competition? To find out the answers to these questions, and more, you will need to read this great book for yourself.

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/memoriescornishsocial

Summer Sundays at Primrose Hall – Jill Steeples

I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review the latest book in Jill Steeples Primrose Hall series – Summer Sundays at Primrose Hill. The title augured well on two fronts:

1. The opportunity to catch up with some preloved characters for the series and

2. The promise of a hint of summer!

It was really heartwarming to start the book with Rex and Ronnie, and I hoped they would return before the end of the book! I empathised with Sophie, and had the utmost respect for Greta, for helping her. Tom is an interesting, if complicated character. I did hold out great hopes for him and Sophie, if they could both leave their respective pasts behind. I got the impression that they both liked each other very much, but were both wary of pushing too much, in view of each others respective pasts. At times I felt like banging their head together, in an attempt to make them communicate properly with each other! Talking of pasts, I vehemently hoped that Sophie’s ex, Kyle would be able to leave Sophie in peace, even if he had cut down on his drinking, which had been largely instrumental in their original split. All the while, Tom continued to thrive within his ‘new’ family.

Our main heroine, Pia, continues to shine off the pages – if that’s possible. She is such a kind hearted, wholesome character and a great match for the enigmatic Jackson. If one could capture Pia’s goodness and sweet hearted nature somehow and can it, to distribute to others, then the world would undoubtedly be a better place.

I loved Jackson, despite his occasional brusqueness, but I did feel for Pia when Jackson was basically asking her to keep pretty big secrets from his absent parents. I just hoped that they could survive everything that life seemed to be throwing at them at the moment. Jackson’s arrival at the car show certainly garnered a giggle from me – although I did understand Pia’s concerns.i just hoped this wouldn’t come between the pair. Pia would never be able to change stubborn Jackson – and would it be right to even try?

I shared Pia’s wariness of motorcycling. It’s a testament to Jill Steeples writing, but I did feel overly anxious on the day that baby Willow was born and Jackson was out on his bike – especially when Pia had seen an emergency ambulance while at the hospital. I guess it was the bad weather that was fuelling my fears, and I just had to keep reminding myself that despite Jill’s convincing writing, these characters are not real!

Katy was a new character, for whom I felt a great deal of warmth. It seemed to me as though her character was a representation of all those parents out there, who whilst they love their families dearly, occasionally crave a bit of time to themselves, without being interrupted by a partner or their children. A little much needed ‘me time’ never did anyone any harm, and actually helps when dealing with day to day life.

Will too many secrets threaten the happiness of the family? Will Jackson and Pia remain strong throughout Jackson’s recovery? You will of course need to read this great book for yourself, in order to find out.

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/sunnysundayssocial

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop – Rebecca Raisin

I must confess to being thrilled at having been gifted the opportunity, to holiday vicariously, through Rebecca Rasin’s new book, ‘Summer at the Santorini bookshop’. What better chance to soak in the sights and sounds of beautiful Santorini, without leaving the house!

It sounded to me as though our daydreaming Heroine, Evie, had the best job in the entire world – being paid to sit and read books, deciding if any warranted being made into a movie! I did find myself hating Evie’s boss, Hank though – in that he made Evie question her own ability. Surely Evie was better off not working for that rat, now that he as an ex boss!? It certainly will be interesting to see, once Evie is packed off to Greece on Granny-sitting’ duty, whether her Gran really is behaving out of order, or whether the family are jumping to conclusions and over reacting. I know which outcome I would bet on! Evie’s choice of reading, Gerald Darrell’s ‘My Family and Other Animals’, certainly seemed inordinately appropriate!

This book made me laugh in places, but I was particularly amused at Evie’s pontification as to whether or not the young man ‘Gran’ was arguing with might be her new husband or not! My amusement came from the fact that Evie was considering that her Gran might be able to hook up with such a young man, while Evie herself struggled! Also just the thought of peanut butter and a ‘glaringly unseduced’ Georgio now causes me to have to suppress the giggles! As for mistaking Evie’s ‘sexy’ voice, for an asthma attack…………! Transversely, Gran’s plan for Evie to help stall her financial woes sounded like a disaster, guaranteed to cause pain to all involved, devoid of laughs.

Divine. A word I am going to use twice. The bookshop sounded utterly divine; just the place to while away a few hours, under the auspice of shopping. Georgios – I can think of no other word to sum up his gorgeous good looks and apparently endearing manner, than divine. Quite simply divine! Oh the double divine hours I could spend with the divine Georgios, in the divine bookshop! Even the dogs love Georgios, so he must be a decent chap! I liked the idea of being able to inhale the wonderful sounding pastries Georgios had brought with him – but then couldn’t help but imagine the ethereal, almost heady effect of being able to inhale Georgios, the bookshop and the loukoumades all in one breath!

Poignant. The air was thick with poignancy after Gran announced that after 9 marriages, she had found the place she wanted to stay! This was her explanation for overspending – she wanted the bookshop to be the perfect place to live out her days and a haven for bibliophiles. I wanted to stay there too – testament to Rebecca Raisin’s superlative writing, in making the shop sound like such an amazing hideaway.

Compassionate. I like the way that the author highlighted the ongoing problems of street dogs on the Greek Islands. Gran was amazing, if not somewhat impulsive, in adopting 6 such mutts; however I did think that although this is a work of fiction, it could well have some impact on the real world outcome for these kinds dogs and their many friends.

Passionate. Both Gran and Evie are passionate about books, and Gran is passionate about making a go of her life in Santorini, to the extent that she has even given up her New York apartment and had her precious book collection shipped over. I felt as though Gran believed in happy relationships – she loved having a man about the house – and she can hardly be blamed for all her previous husbands shuffling off their relative mortal coils, Put simply, is she in love with the idea of being in love?

Relentless. Life had been fairly relentless on Gran, having got through far more Husbands than is usual. I did so feel for her though when the gossip wagon launched itself in order to bring ‘intel’ on her latest Husband, who was meant to be working on an off sea oil rig. I did so hope that the rumours about him being seen flashing wads of cash around in a casino were unfounded – on two counts. Firstly Gran felt settled for the first time in her life and truly believed that her new Husband was working on the oil rigs to help repay her debts. Secondly Gran needed Konstantine’s salary in her hand, paying off debts, rather than being waved around anywhere, but especially not at a casino! Please let there be smoke without fire for once and let this just be malicious gossip! It is again a nod to Rebecca Raisin’s fabulous writing, that I find myself caring so passionately about these characters. I had best pinch myself, in order to remind myself that I am reading a fantastic, fabulously written book, and these people are not real!

Memorable. I like that Evie has so many memories of time spent with Gran – most of them seemingly happy memories. The relationship they have reminds me of the happy times I spent with my Grandmother. It felt great that the pair were making yet more memories, albeit in Europe. I sincerely hoped that this aura – a seemingly impenetrable bubble of happiness – was not about to be burst. At Gran’s age, you need to be making as many happy memories as possible; there is no room for anything less than happy!

Empathetic. Georgios was an interesting, compelling character, far from the stereotypical slot that Evie seems to have allotted him. How wonderful that he ‘gets’ what our intrepid heroines have done, in terms of the shop – although it is far more than ‘just’ a shop. Stuff the pretend dating – Georgio seemed the perfect match for Evie, with them even working in the same industry. I just hoped that they would both realise how perfectly aligned they are before it’s too late and things have been said that cannot be unsaid. I prayed they would have no misunderstandings in their relationship, if it moved from a ‘pretend’ coupling, to something real.

Whilst I was reading, I kept on coming up with questions; I had to read on, in order to find out the answers!

• Is Gran coping, or is she putting on an elaborate front?
• Can one woman genuinely (and legally) be widowed quite as many times as Gran?
• Is there something to the mysterious note that Evie finds?
• Why does the man with the donkey keep visiting the book store?
• Where exactly is the anomalous Konstantine?
• When will Evie admit that she genuinely likes Georgio?
• Does Georgio really like Evie, or could he have been goaded into trying to find out more about Evie and Gran by Yannis (Georgio’s Grandfather and Gran’s landlord)?
• Is Evie suffering from an overactive imagination, when it comes to Gran’s new cement path in the garden?
• Where is Houdini stashing the cash?

If you want to meet these eclectic characters and find out the answers to these questions and more, then you will need to read this sunbuster for yourself.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Santorini-Bookshop-heart-warming-laugh-out-loud-ebook/dp/B0CMC6WCTF/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3HYLH5NUNQ816&keywords=rebecca+raisin+kindle&qid=1699319211&sprefix=rebecca+raisin+kind,aps,304&sr=8-4&fbclid=IwAR3mAoWJ2URaIB8GeLft7j9xm5GtLPGhKoHnWO1mAbfF5DKznkfkCxDSW_Y_aem_AWszVeiukVt6Xlat4BZkxOpoXb3GNyAuC5GWCek6trrNGUbqN9Y9_9UcyN6PRnqWGe6n7HNhzkV8QOzi4g0wtGrl

Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn – Margaret Amatt

Luckless Lilah Clarke needs a big break, but getting caught wrecking a stall at the GlenbriarFair was not what she had in mind –especially when the man who catches her is as hot as a summer’s day and sends her heart racing.Charity campaigner Aidan McBride has returned to Glenbriar after a long absence to discover the love of his life dating hiscousin, his cottage in tatters, and his beloved bees gone. When he catches Lilah destroying his mum’s stall and discovers the reason, he sees something in her he can’t explain –or resist.Feeling sorry for her, he offers her a job, and she reluctantly accepts. What other options does she have? Now, it isn’t just Aidan’s new bees that are buzzing. Lilah dreams of Aidan being hers, but for someone with a background like hers, he’s well out of her reach.Still stung by the loss of his ex, Aidan struggles with his ever-growing attraction to Lilah. But if he doesn’t spit out exactly how he feels about her before her past catches up with her, he stands to lose the real love of his life.

Purchase Link –https://mybook.to/craftybee

It was with great enthusiasm that I picked up this book from a new (to me) author, to read and review. I saw that this was book 7 in the Glenbriar series, but that the book could be enjoyed either as part of the series, or as a standalone book.

I really felt for Aiden, getting back to his cottage after having been away for thirteen months, only to find it in a right old state! May I be so bold as to suggest a deliberate ploy on the part of his Mother, to compel him to stay at her place? One thing is for certain though – he wouldn’t want to be living in the house with his Girlfriend, who, (while he was away) seems to have ‘gifted’ him the surprise of having become engaged to his cousin – although she hasn’t actually told him this, having merely left Him to find this out via third parties! What I couldn’t quite get over, I must admit, is the way that when Finlay (cousin) and Elise (ex) bumped into Aiden, they acted as though nothing had happened! One thing I learned fairly early on in this book though, was that our hero, Aiden, was a thoroughly decent chap. A good egg. Despite some of her family members, Lilah seemed a similarly decent sort.

Despite the obvious neglect, Woodend Cottage did sound as though it could actually be rather delightful, with its orchards and buzzing (in the future, hopefully) bee hives and I did actually wish for a moment, that this book had pictures, in order to not have to draw so heavily on my imagination as to what the much loved home looked like.

Lilah and Aiden seemed to have the same incapacitating affect on each other, whilst being simultaneously oblivious of each others thoughts! They seemed from such different backgrounds, yet astonishingly perfect for each other and I just hoped that they would both realise this sooner rather than later, with the minimum amount of interference from anyone else!

There was no escaping the feel the feel-good vibes of this story. Feel-good, with a generous helping of (showing my age here….) Pretty Woman. Once I had got my nose past the first chapter, I struggled to put the book down, and ended up reading all night! I didn’t just read this book, I devoured it greedily, rarely coming up for air! A few hours of heartwarming escapism made me feel better then a night’s sleep, and I found myself desperate to read the other books in this series.

Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn – Margaret Amatt

Luckless Lilah Clarke needs a big break, but getting caught wrecking a stall at the GlenbriarFair was not what she had in mind –especially when the man who catches her is as hot as a summer’s day and sends her heart racing.Charity campaigner Aidan McBride has returned to Glenbriar after a long absence to discover the love of his life dating hiscousin, his cottage in tatters, and his beloved bees gone. When he catches Lilah destroying his mum’s stall and discovers the reason, he sees something in her he can’t explain –or resist.Feeling sorry for her, he offers her a job, and she reluctantly accepts. What other options does she have? Now, it isn’t just Aidan’s new bees that are buzzing. Lilah dreams of Aidan being hers, but for someone with a background like hers, he’s well out of her reach.Still stung by the loss of his ex, Aidan struggles with his ever-growing attraction to Lilah. But if he doesn’t spit out exactly how he feels about her before her past catches up with her, he stands to lose the real love of his life.

Purchase Link –https://mybook.to/craftybee

It was with great enthusiasm that I picked up this book from a new (to me) author, to read and review. I saw that this was book 7 in the Glenbriar series, but that the book could be enjoyed either as part of the series, or as a standalone book.

I really felt for Aiden, getting back to his cottage after having been away for thirteen months, only to find it in a right old state! May I be so bold as to suggest a deliberate ploy on the part of his Mother, to compel him to stay at her place? One thing is for certain though – he wouldn’t want to be living in the house with his Girlfriend, who, (while he was away) seems to have ‘gifted’ him the surprise of having become engaged to his cousin – although she hasn’t actually told him this, having merely left Him to find this out via third parties! What I couldn’t quite get over, I must admit, is the way that when Finlay (cousin) and Elise (ex) bumped into Aiden, they acted as though nothing had happened! One thing I learned fairly early on in this book though, was that our hero, Aiden, was a thoroughly decent chap. A good egg. Despite some of her family members, Lilah seemed a similarly decent sort.

Despite the obvious neglect, Woodend Cottage did sound as though it could actually be rather delightful, with its orchards and buzzing (in the future, hopefully) bee hives and I did actually wish for a moment, that this book had pictures, in order to not have to draw so heavily on my imagination as to what the much loved home looked like.

Lilah and Aiden seemed to have the same incapacitating affect on each other, whilst being simultaneously oblivious of each others thoughts! They seemed from such different backgrounds, yet astonishingly perfect for each other and I just hoped that they would both realise this sooner rather than later, with the minimum amount of interference from anyone else!

There was no escaping the feel the feel-good vibes of this story. Feel-good, with a generous helping of (showing my age here….) Pretty Woman. Once I had got my nose past the first chapter, I struggled to put the book down, and ended up reading all night! I didn’t just read this book, I devoured it greedily, rarely coming up for air! A few hours of heartwarming escapism made me feel better then a night’s sleep, and I found myself desperate to read the other books in this series.