The Cornish Cream Tea Bus by Cressida McLaughlin (Romance, Contemporary, 10E/10E)

 August 2019, HarperCollins, 400 pages, Ebook, Review copy

Summary from HarperCollins

Baking fanatic, Charlie Quilter, inherits a vintage bus in her late uncle’s will and is keen to give it a new lease of life. Charlie thinks it will be the perfect mobile café for afternoon tea, so she heads to the picturesque Cornish village of Porthgolow, hoping for a new start. However, Daniel Harper, the owner of the posh spa up on the hill isn’t very pleased that her bus is parked outside his lovely hotel. Has Charlie’s Cornish dream developed a soggy bottom? Or can she convince Daniel that her bus could take them somewhere wonderful?

Nayu's thoughts

I adore cream teas. I love books which are about girls over 20 having a huge curve ball thrown at them, often in the shape of a cheating partner and getting sacked then having the opportunity to turn their life around in the form of a cafe or shop. I don't care how many similar stories there are in the world, I will read them all. A cafe on a bus is entirely new concept though and was a delight to read, even if it did make me crave sweet creamy treats (thanks Cressida!). 

I liked Charlie's 'can do' attitude despite some in her life worrying about how the experience will pan out. By some I mean those that know her. Daniel Harper does not know Charlie, and forms unacceptable views about her, as does the rest of the village. It took a long time for her to win over the hard-hearted souls who had reasons for being cranky towards Charlie, including Daniel, but they eventually realise what she is bringing to their community is in fact positive, despite some sabotage (I think I remember that). 

What shone through for me was how Charlie countered every hurdle with the bus and some help from new and old friends. She helps revive a community which is in danger of being forgotten. Sure her ideas are quite unpopular at first, and many are reluctant to help or give some of their time and expertise. But as with all great stories like this events occur that force people to do the right thing at the right time, eventually. Plus there is a lot of cake mentioned, so please if you read this have a tasty snack beside you. You will thank me later, trust me! 

Find out more on Cressida's website. 

Suggested read

If you like heartwarming tales try out some of Cressida's other books including The Canal Boat Cafe by Cressida McLaughlin, narrated by Jessica Ball (Audiobook, Contemporary, Romance, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

Blog Tour: A Map of the Sky by Claire Wong (Contemporary, 10/10E)

September 20th 2019, Lion Hudson, 240 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Summary from press release 

Kit doesn’t understand why his family has been uprooted to a remote coastal village in the North. Why did they leave so suddenly, and why has his Dad not joined them?

At Askfeld Farm Guesthouse he meets an eclectic group of new neighbours and forms an unlikely friendship with Beth, who suffers from a chronic illness he does not understand. Kit learns that Beth, who cannot leave the guesthouse, is trying to draw a map from memory that shows all her favourite childhood haunts. Kit makes it his quest to help her remember by visiting places for her and hopes to solve the problems of the other guests along the way. But becoming a hero like the ones in his favourite books is trickier than it seems, especially when Kit has failed to grasp so much of what is happening around him...

Can Kit work out that the person who really needs his help is much closer to home?

Nayu's thoughts

It wasn't actually Kit's adventures which intrigued me enough to read this novel for review, but Beth because she has a chronic illness. I have a permanent chronic illness so find any inclusion in novels has me intrigued. I like to know if that particular storyline feels accurate and real. Beth felt extremely real! I loved her interactions with Kit, how her illness was shown on her rubbish feeling days, how what she could do and say changed on how she felt. It couldn't have been written any better. I kept hoping she would have a good day, and I wanted to know exactly what she suffered from, but if memory serves correctly it never got a name.

Because of Beth I grew to love Kit, his mum and sister. I was convinced it was his mother who had the problem, that it wasn't a high drama reason that Kit thought of for why they had moved so suddenly, but was because his mum was sick or something. The truth which Beth had hinted at was a shock to me, although it then made sense and I berated myself for not thinking about it sooner. I was so wrapped up in Beth's story I forgot what Kit's main mystery was.

It was hard for Kit to suddenly move, to have no friends around and to have a mother still busy so he had to entertain himself. He finds a kindred spirit in Beth, they both love adventure, and she gives wise advise that didn't always make sense until later in the story. Kit has a kind heart, and by exploring for Beth he was kept quite busy, at times perhaps too busy to see what was in front of his eyes. The guests he helps are truly great characters, not always good but Kit with his mix of good intentions, moments of insight, and the exuberance of childhood helps the guests have a happy ending of their own. You will need tissues for one of them. I understood his frustration when the adults witheld information from him, I had the same feeling when I was younger.

I love learning about guest houses/hotels, and I got to learn a fair bit from this book. I truly feel there is something for every reader to like about the book, regardless of which character you love the most (Beth) or hated (Kit's father for not being around to help his mother). Kit's sister was intriguing, I hated how fixated she was on work and being top of the class. I have been in her shoes and I totally burnt out because of it and had to suspend my university degree because of it. I wanted her to lighten up, to relax and appreciate the beauty of where she currently lived, as Kit did with his exploration. The end is heartwarming and I have high hopes for her future self esteem. This is definitely one for the reread shelf, and Claire knows I want a sequel! Whether one will happen is a different matter, but I am hopeful.

Find out more on Claire's website and follow her on Twitter.

Suggested read

 For a family based novel full of unexpected twists check out The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse, narrated by Amanda Prowse (Contemporary, Audiobook, 10E/10E)

A Gift From the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson (Romance, Contemporary, 10E/10E)

 

October 2018, HarperCollins, 401 pages, Ebook, Review copy from NetGalley

Summary from HarperCollins

Christmas has never been Katie Seddon’s favourite time of year. Whilst everyone else shares memories of families coming together and festive number ones, the soundtrack to Katie’s childhood wasn’t quite so merry.

But since she moved to the village of Budbury on the gorgeous Dorset coast, Katie and her baby son have found a new family. A family who have been brought together by life’s unexpected roads and the healing magic of a slice of cake and a cupful of kindess at the Comfort Food Café

.

This year, Katie’s new friends are determined to give her a Christmas to remember, and with a gorgeous newcomer in town, Katie’s Christmas wish for a happy home for her son might just come true.

Nayu's thoughts

It has taken me a while to read this book because I already had some of the books in the series, so decided to read them all so I was all caught up on people and events at the charming cafe by the sea which heals hearts and builds castle strong friendships to all who enter its doors. It turns out I managed to read the last two books, including the one in this review, in the wrong order, but that didn't matter. 

It's the kind of series that you won't want to end - there's another book that's come out this year, alhough I haven't read it yet. Each book takes on a different character as the protagonist, leading me to learn more about their personality and lives that I'd often glimpsed at in previous books. I can't pick a favourite character because they are all fun! 

Cherie and Laura's meddling magic works it way on Katie who is understandably protective of her young son Saul, and sometimes reluctant to join in the craziness of the cafe community. She learns a big lesson of letting people into her life, taking chances in love which she has avoided for a while, but romance comes knocking and not even she can avoid it, any more than she can avoid the yummy food the cafe workers cook up for her. 

Saul is a cute boy, he has much fun with a cafe customer who has dementia and another one who is in her 9th decade, which gives Katie a break and a chance to figure out what she wants in life. She also has to deal with her parents, whose issues cause her to make a momentous life decision which puts much happiness in her future.

Find out more on Debbie's website.

Suggested read

For another feel good read check out The Summer We Danced by Fiona Harper (Romance, Contemporary fiction, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

The Age of Misadventure by Judy Leigh (Contemporary fiction, 10E/10E)

It's not a relaxing tale...

 February 2019, Avon, 400 pages, Ebook, Review copy 

Summary from HarperCollins

You’re never too old to live dangerously… 

The gloriously funny new novel from the author of A Grand Old Time.

All Georgie Turner wants is to keep her family together. But with her daughter growing up fast, her sister married to a man Georgie hates, and their aging aunt getting more and more outrageous, nothing’s simple.

So when her brother-in-law makes his biggest mistake yet, Georgie sees the chance to reunite the ladies in her life. And after a little persuasion, three generations of Turner women head off on a very unusual road trip. Georgie’s confident that some sun, sea and a bottle or two of prosecco will make this an adventure they’ll never forget.

What could possibly go wrong?

Nayu's thoughts

I picked this out for review because it sounded a laugh - it certainly was that, and so much more. There's thrills, laughs, tears (yes from me in the odd place), fear, tension, and loads of other emotions that I fear will be a repeat of the ones I've already mentioned. I felt sorry for Bonnie because she didn't know what her husband was really like, although she was under his spell quite a bit which caused Georgie no end of frustration. I'd hoped that side of the story would provide me with tense moments, what I got was absolutely wonderful! 

I loved that even during the most fearful of moments, humour was never far away, especially where it concerned Georgie's aunt who is in a league of her own. Georgie is a bit on the live dangerously/disobey orders that could save her life kind of girl, not that I could blame her because the situation was insane, but I did want to hit her over the head a few times because of her stupidity. If you are told to stay hidden you stay hidden! Initially I thought the road trip was for fun rather than the dangerous turn that it took, but there was plenty of laughs to be had in all the danger that rained down on Georgie and her family. 

Her daughter helped Georgie a lot, although in places I thought could be a bit more thankful for what Georgie did, and that Georgie was only trying to keep her safe, but equally I thought Georgie needed to let her daughter do her own thing, even if she thought it wasn't a good idea for her. I lo

I wish so much there will be another book about this family, because their dynamic is pure joy to read, and I didn't want the book to end. Highly recommend it, but make sure you have a few hours free to read it in one sitting so you can find out what happens at the end!  

Find out more on Julie's website.

Suggested read 

For another family themed read check out the antics of two sisters in It Started With A Tweet by Anna Bell (Romance, Contemporary, NetGalley, 10E/10E) 

Blog Tour: Olga's Egg by Sophie Law (Thriller, 9/10E)

If only this were a real Faberge egg

October 2018, Clink Street Publishing, 314 pages, Ebook, Review copy

Summary from Clink Street Publishing

When Fabergé specialist Assia Wynfield learns of the discovery of a long-lost Fabergé egg made for the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, daughter of the last Tsar of Russia,

she appears to be the only person with misgivings. On travelling to St. Petersburg to see the egg, Assia moves among Russia’s new rich but finds herself pulled back into a family past she would rather forget.

With news that a friend is missing, Assia starts to dig deeper. But does she really want the answers to the questions she is asking?

Nayu's thoughts

I all but squealed with delight when I read the synopsis for Sophie's novel. Ever since I can remember (which with a very faulty memory may have been when I was in my early teens) I've loved Faberge eggs. 

Love the dusky pink body of the egg with the delicate flowers.

There's something about these stunning designs made by Faberge for the last Emperor and Empress of Russia that are eye catching. Honestly speaking they could be made of poor materials and I'd still love them: I love how enamel looks with gold and various gems including diamonds. The intricacy of some of the pieces is astounding - the eggs all had surprises, some could be found using keys, some even moved. 

Bright red and not pictured bright blue enamel is the most striking of the Faberge eggs in terms of colour. I like the simplicity of the hidden flower (can't remember if there's something inside the petals).

 When I was younger I believed that one guy (Faberge) made the eggs (and other creations, eggs weren't the sole artwork). Now I know that Faberge had staff to help with his work, however he was still in charge and I'm assuming did a lot of the work. Imagine getting one of these as a present! 

In addition to loving Faberge eggs, as a girl I loved the story of the Romonovs, the last Emperor and Empress. I liked to image that one of the princesses, Anastasia, did indeed survive the mass murder of her family which brought an end to their reign. Even Disney created a story where that was true, although in the end Anastasia chooses to lead a simpler life. 

Cover for the Disney film

 This book, as you can tell from the title, is all about Olga. Olga was one of Anastasia's older sisters, also the namesake of the protagonist's mother. Assia, named after Anastasia, is someone who I quickly wanted to cheer up. She feels to blame for the accident that killed her mother, even though it wasn't her fault. Her twin sister, Tanya, is hardly Assia's friend for most of the book, but when it counts the most she is there to help her sister. 

 

It was so frustrating when the point of view changed because all I wanted to focus on was Assia. However, I didn't skip the non-Assia sections (a bad habit of mine if the characters are male) because I knew they were important to the story. I didn't know how important until big plot twists made those switches in perspective necessary to understand the full story. There are fictional snippets about Princess Olga (although she was called a Grand Duchess more than Princess) which I lapped up, imaging the doomed teen royal writing the notes while under house arrest (well, at one point the family weren't allowed out at all). 

My degree was in Ancient History, so I tend to get excited over artifacts, and love characters that deal with the past like Assia does through the Faberge collection. Every meeting she went to, public or private, I felt like I was getting an insight Assia's professional life which seems so cool. The way she inspects the eggs in the book felt like the same passion that I have when seeing something that I find extra cute, pouring over it and being captivated by the object so much she forgets the world around her. Show me a pot fragment and I'm very happy!

Admittedly I had expected there to be more thriller aspects from the synopsis: there was a slight hint at menace, and Assia did have a threat made, but it never really went any further than that, which is why the book didn't quite get the highest grade. I love a good thriller, but equally I loved Assia's tale. She learnt new things about her mother, she finds a way to break through her twin's hard exterior (who faked being sisterly when out in public). Assia meets two women, one who treated her harshly then was nice and proved to be exactly what Assia needed at that moment in time to help her grief, and other was mostly nice with a harsh side that wasn't Assia's fault. Both these women stood out to me, each entwined in Assia's life through the link of Assia's mother Olga and that of the Grand Duchess Olga. 

Forgery in the art world is nothing new. I don't follow art that closely, but I'm aware forgeries can be really expensive. I liked the way forgery is addressed in this book, and would have liked to have seen the repercussions of the story's end played out a bit more. But what's most important is not the Faberge egg, but Assia's transition from refusing to forgive herself for her mother's death to returning to her Roman Catholic faith (which I find fascinating, even though I'm Muslim rather than Catholic) after meeting one of the two women I like, and making peace with herself. Her mother Olga had been determined to raise her twin girls as Russian, even though they were half-Russian because of their English father. 

I'm a firm believer that religion is important to life, no matter what the belief system is. I was saddened when Assia discovered a key church was closed: where I live there's an Anglican church, a Methodist church, and there used to be a Roman Catholic church which had an imposing building. I never went inside (when I was little I was Church of England Christian), but it felt so sad when it ceased functioning as a church because Roman Catholic churches have a tendency to be elaborate in decoration. Plus it meant that any Roman Catholics had to travel elsewhere, which in a way is what an acquaintance of the Grand Duchess Olga had to do when politics got troublesome. Even Assia had to travel to flee danger, something the royal Olga couldn't do. The act of some objects being hidden in others that were in plain sight but hid their secret for many years is a plot element I enjoy.

This is definitely a story for my reread shelf, because it stokes my imagined view of the last Russian royals and what life is for a curator of historical artifacts

Suggested read

An author I like has actually written a novel about the Romanovs, with a brilliant if slightly annoying ending: The Rasputin Dagger by Theresa Breslin (Young Adult, Historical, 10E/10E)

The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland (Contemporary fiction, 10E/10E)

 April 2018, Zaffre, 432 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Summary from Zaffre

Ailsa Rae is learning how to live.

She's only a few months past the heart transplant that – just in time – saved her life. Life should be a joyful adventure. But . . .

Her relationship with her mother is at breaking point and she wants to find her father. Have her friends left her behind? She's felt so helpless for so long that she's let polls on her blog make her decisions for her. She barely knows where to start on her own.

Then there's Lennox. Her best friend and one time lover. He was sick too. He didn't make it. And now she's supposed to face all of this without him.

But her new heart is a bold heart.
 

She just needs to learn to listen to it . . .

Nayu's thoughts

I've always been intrigued by how transplant patients feel about their new organ(s), mostly because I watch the BBC drama Holby which has them, plus I've seen a few on hospital shows so reviewing this was an obvious choice for me. I liked how Ailsa delved back into her pre-transplant days which are emotional and perfectly capture the trials of living with a limited amount of energy. I loved the part where she talks about working out if she had the energy to do something and whether it was worth making herself a bit worse because I do this many times a day as part of my own non-transplant needing condition. 

I liked how her friend didn't have a successful transplant in the sense that all sides of transplants were addressed. There's the obvious change of having a chance at life which Ailsa has to get her head around, the grief and guilt of knowing someone didn't make it when she did, and the perhaps unthought of relationship change obetween Ailsa and her mum which brought more heartache then either of them expected. 

Seb's presence brought Ailsa a new perspective on life along with a lot of laughs and a few tears, it was a sweet relationship that Ailsa cohldn't have had before her transplant, and at times struggled with because of the negative aspects from being with someone the public see as a celebrity. The fact that Ailsa blogged was fun to read because I also blog, although I felt sad that she relied so much on other people's views of what she should do in life. I wished she had more self-confidence to make both big and small choices on her own without public opinion, but she slowly learns that through the mistakes she makes and advice her friends give. 

It's always good to remember that there people in worse situations that you, that ill and/or dying  people can have a bizarre sense of humor, and that everyone is trying to find their way in a complex world that Aisla can explore more fully with her new heart. 

Note: only by putting this post together have I just found out the reason why everything is so realistic is because Stephanie has dealt with cancer herself. Google her name to find information on this including a Youtube interview/clip thingymajig. 

Be sure to keep up to date with Stephanie on Twitter.

Suggested read

I've got two reads for you: another that touches on cancer is The Sisters Club by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, 9/10E)

and for a true tale of fighting cancer with all the highs and lows check out Tea and Chemo by Jackie Buxton (Non-Fiction, Memoir, 9/10E, short 'n' sweet review) 

The Little Cafe in Copenhagen by Julie Caplin (Romance, Contemporary, 10E/10E)

 February 2018, HarperImpulse, 416 pages, Ebook, Review copy 

Summary from HarperCollins

Welcome to the little cafe in Copenhagen where the smell of cinnamon fills the air, the hot chocolate is as smooth as silk and romance is just around the corner…

Publicist Kate Sinclair’s life in London is everything she thought she wanted: success, glamour and a charming boyfriend. Until that boyfriend goes behind her back and snatches a much sought-after promotion from her.Heartbroken and questioning everything, Kate needs to escape.

From candles and cosy nights in to romantic late-night walks through the beautiful cobbled streets of Copenhagen, Kate discovers how to live life the Danish way’. Can the secrets of hygge and happiness lead her to her own happily-ever-after?

Nayu's thoughts

 Like Kate I had no clue what Hygge was, or how to spell it. She soon learns how deceptively simple the Danish concept is, it's not merely putting a candle out but choosing items that have a deep meaning for you, which obviously differs from person to person. Kate is given a unique opportunity that changes her life in previously unimagined way. I liked watching her own concept of hygge grow by living among the Danish (whose delicious pastries I believe originate from a different country) and getting to know the lovely Eva who becomes a very good friend, equal to the other friendships Kate has. 

Kate's personal transformation helps her grasp the unpleasant reality in a few sectors of her life, helping her make positive changes that were hard at first but become easier. There is the usual misunderstanding between her and her main love interest which was mega frustrating to read because I knew how wrong they had each judged a certain situation. People can be such idiots! I don't recall any books set in Copenhagen, so it was fun to explore it through Kate's adventure since I know nothing about the city where hygge is a key element. It sounds a pretty place that I'd consider visiting one day. There was a nice surprise at the end which isn't a spoiler-there's a book 2 which focuses on Sophie, a character who I warmed to quickly and look forward to learning more about. 

 Keep up to date with Julie on Twitter.

Suggested read 

Another sweet romance can be found in the country (not a foreign country) in Vets at Green Hope by Sheila Norton (Romance, Contemporary, 10E/10E) 

It Started With A Tweet by Anna Bell (Romance, Contemporary, NetGalley, 10E/10E)

Love this bright cover!

28th December 2017, Zaffre, 416 pages, Paperback, Review copy from NetGalley 

 Book Summary 

Daisy Hobson lives her whole life online. A marketing manager by day, she tweets her friends, instagrams every meal and arranges (frankly, appalling) dates on Tinder. But when her social media obsession causes her to make a catastrophic mistake at work, Daisy finds her life going into free-fall . . .

Her sister Rosie thinks she has the answer to all of Daisy's problems - a digital detox in a remote cottage in Cumbria, that she just happens to need help doing up. Soon, too, Daisy finds herself with two welcome distractions: sexy French exchange-help Jean-Marie, and Jack, the brusque and rugged man-next-door, who keeps accidentally rescuing her.

But can Daisy, a London girl, ever really settle into life in a tiny, isolated village? And, more importantly, can she survive without her phone? 

Nayu's thoughts

I think many readers will be able to relate with the horror of sending something online to many people instead of the intended recipient by accident, which made Daisy's life an utter mess. Putting aside my thoughts she shouldn't have even been doing what she did, I did feel sorry for her after the incident. Yes she probably deserved to lose her job for her transgression, she wasn't acting appropriately. I thought her career was doomed, and so did she, but thankfuly by the end of the book I learn this isn't the case. 

I thought her cousin's idea of digital detox was good, although I was a bit open mouthed by the drastic way Rosie temporarily got rid of Daisy's phone, and the full story behind the detox, but loved her contagious enthusiasm (to me and others but not Daisy) for her new project. Daisy is certainly addicted to technology, her withdrawal symptoms push her to do things that were slightly illegal, that put her in literal danger, but in the end served how she can live with less media more easily than she thought. She benefited tremendously from the break, even if at first her lodgings were rustic and the villagers were rather frosty towards her. 

Rosie's mistake regarding Alexi was one that I was horrified at, and it was kind of Daisy to stick around so Rosie wouldn't have any unnecessary and untrue rumours spread about her, which with her current marriage status would have been a disaster. Her gung -ho attitude meant Daisy endured a few mishaps from the 'make do' with rustic objects for a shower, and a few other incidents which provided Jack reasons to rescue her, which made their traditional form of communication sweet. 

There are the usual misunderstandings between all the characters, memorable village personalities (you'll know what I mean when you reach the popcorn scene). Both Daisy, Rosie, Jack and Alexi all have lessons to learn, but I think my favourite character has to be Rosie for her grand ambition, the way she deals with a supremely technology deprived crabby Daisy, how she keeps going no matter the opposition against her plan including her loved ones. I promise everyone has a good ending, except for the lewd farmer who is a creep! 

Find out more on Anna's website. 

Suggested read

Another romance book with cranky characters is Vets at Green Hope by Sheila Norton (Romance, Contemporary, 10E/10E)