Elaine Everest - Wartime at Woolworths blog tour!

A huge welcome to Elaine Everest who is joining me today to celebrate this weeks release of

Wartime at Woolworths!

Amazon.co.uk

‘I’m sorry, Maisie, but I’m putting my foot down over this. You’re not taking our daughter up to the East End of London and putting her in danger,’ David said, slamming his newspaper down by the side of his armchair. ‘I thought we’d already discussed this?’

Maisie sighed. She’d cooked her husband a decent meal, although the small piece of steak was as tough as old boots and could possibly have been horsemeat. She’d hoped that after a long day at his desk in London doing God knows what for the RAF she could put him in a good frame of mind before breaking her news.

‘I mean it, Maisie, so don’t look at me like that. I will not be changing my mind over this,’ David fumed.

‘But—’

David raised his hand. ‘I’ll not be swayed on this. What if there’s an air raid? Where will you go with a pram and a young baby? It’s sheer lunacy. I’m amazed you’re even considering taking our child into danger.’

‘I want her to meet my parents and for them ter know I’m happily married and settled,’ she said quietly, feeling the sting of tears threatening to fall. She wasn’t one for crying but David’s words had really hurt. She held her head high but her chin started to quiver uncontrollably. ‘I’m sorry you think so badly of me,’ she gulped before turning to walk away.

David leapt from his chair as he saw how distressed his wife was. ‘Oh my darling, please don’t cry,’ he said, pulling her into his arms. ‘I don’t wish to see either of you in danger. How do you think I’d feel if I waved you off only to hear that the Luftwaffe had taken you from me?’

He caressed her hair as she clung to him and sobbed. ‘I’m sorry, David. I’m a bloody fool,’ she said when at last she could speak. ‘I just had this longing to see my mum and show her our baby. I wanted to tell her how I’d made good . . . and I wanted her to say she’s proud of me.’

Wartime at Woolworths by Elaine Everest is published on 3^rd May by Pan Mac (available in paperback and ebook, price £6.99)

 Links:

Amazon

Facebook author page

Twitter: @ElaineEverest

Review: The Little Bakery on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry

Buy here from Amazon.co.uk

Prepare to fall in love with beautiful village of Burley Bridge.

Growing up in a quiet Yorkshire village, Roxanne couldn’t wait to escape and find her place in the world in London. As a high-powered fashion editor she lives a glamorous life of perennial singlehood – or so it seems to her sister Della. But when Roxanne gets her heart broken by a fashion photographer, she runs away, back to Della’s welcoming home above her bookshop in Burley Bridge.

But Burley Bridge, Roxanne discovers, is even quieter than she remembered. There’s nothing to do, so Roxanne agrees to walk Della’s dog Stanley. It’s on these walks that Roxanne makes a startling discovery: the people who live in Burley Bridge are, well, just people – different from the fashion set she’s used to, but kind and even interesting. Michael, a widower trying to make a go of a small bakery, particularly so. Little by little, cupcake by cupcake, Roxanne and Michael fall into a comforting friendship.

Could there be a life for Roxanne after all, in the place she’s spent 46 years trying to escape?

Roxanne Cartwright, fashion editor for a glossy London magazine appears to have a perfect life. If you fancy single(ish), child free and living in central London mixing with glamorous models and styling dazzling fashion shoots (you may guess this was once my dream...) but changes being implemented within the magazine by a know-nothing editor start to crumble Roxanne's perfect job and make her seek refuge with older sister, Della, who runs a cook book shop in her home town of Burley Bridge in rural Yorkshire. Somewhere that Roxanne had been trying to run from all her adult life.

We first met Roxanne, but mainly Della, in Berry's first book (one of my favourites, Fiona Gibson writes under Ellen Berry for these Burley Bridge novels). We didn't get to know too much about Roxanne but she did come across a bit selfish and caught up in her glamorous London life to help Della when their mother died. I must admit I wasn't keen on her character when we met her in The Little Bookshop on Rosemary Lane, but getting to know her properly I really did like her in this book.

So with her sabbatical in the country well underway she begins slowly to reacquaint herself with the village and the natives, and begins to realise they're not all Cath Kidston wellies and pots of homemade jam (although IMHO nothing is wrong with either of these), and friendships begin to blossom.

Her relationship slightly cool - on/off boyfriend Sean (a bit of a creep) plays on her mind a lot while in Burley, she knows something is amiss but still tries her hardest to make it work, so keeps the lovely Michael from the quaint and gorgeous sounding bakery at arms length when it's clear they both like each other, and the friendship that is sparked between Roxanne and Michael's teenage daughter, Ella is charming and probably my favourite aspect of the book.

The book itself is beautiful, the writing superb and the descriptions charming, how I'd love to live in Burley Bridge, I quite fancy opening up my own boutique there, or perhaps a chocolate shop? Anyway, I did love the book but it fell slightly away from getting 5* as I would have liked it to have been a little bit more about the bakery - which really did play quite a small part? I seemed to be waiting throughout a lot of the story, then realised by 90% it wasn't coming. But don't let this put you off unless you want a blow-by-blow account of how many cream horns Michael sells throughout the week, because it really is a lovely, charming, witty and well written book. I'd love to see, and am sure there will be, another Burley Bridge outing to come.

Review copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The Trouble With Words by Suzie Tullett - Blog Tour

Buy here at Amazon.co.uk

Annabel is desperate to have a baby – there’s just one problem. She’s single and after losing her husband in a hit and run accident, she’s just not ready for another relationship. 

Dan is on the hunt for the perfect woman but when his mother drops a bombshell, he starts to feel the pressure.

When Dan and Annabel’s worlds collide, both start to think that maybe they’ve found the solution to their problems. But things are about to get messy.

Can Dan and Annabel get what they want?

The story opens with Annabel breaking the news to her husband that is going to have a baby.

It's not the most conventional as it's at his graveside, and he's, well, dead. And another problem she has is at that moment she has not found someone to be the father.

I really felt for her as soon as I began reading and was drawn instantly to her character.

As the story progresses we meet Dan and his mum Gerry. She is desperate for Dan to find himself a wife and she needs to be sure it's the right woman for him, she has plenty of candidates lined up!

Dan and Annabel seem perfect for each other - if only they would realise it! With both of them having their own trials that seem more important than the dating game, things seem that they will pass them by, until fate intervenes...

There are some really sad, properly tear jerking moments throughout the book, all beautifully written and sincere enough to make you think you are in the room with the characters, to offset this there are plenty of laugh out loud moments to lighten the mood along the way.

The ending was poignant, satisfying and well written, as was the whole book. I find Tullett a master of writing believable dialogue that is read in your mind just as you would hear someone speaking it. The characters are well developed and seem to really grow in strength throughout the story, Gerry being my favourite - she definitely deserves Fictional Mother of the Year!

Congratulations to Tullett on providing another well written, perfectly researched and entertaining tale.

Many thanks to Bombshell Books for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:

Suzie Tullett is an author of contemporary humorous fiction and romantic comedy. She has a Masters Degree in Television & Radio Scriptwriting and worked as a scriptwriter before becoming a full-time novelist. Her motto is to 'live, laugh, love' and when she's not busy creating her own literary masterpieces, she usually has her head in someone else's.

Suzie lives in a tiny hamlet in the middle of the French countryside, along with her husband and two Greek rescue dogs.

My Facebook Author page https://www.facebook.com/Suzie-Tullett-Author-221204154583599/

Twitter @SuzieTullett

My website Suzie Tullett

Instagram suzie_tullett 

5* review - Comfort and Joy by Cathy Bramley

Available here at Amazon.co.uk

Curl up with this feel-good short story, full of romance, surprises and a sprinkling of Christmas magic…!

It’s been a busy year for Verity Bloom at the Plumberry School of Comfort Food, but Christmas Eve is finally here. With delicious treats all wrapped up and the ingredients packed away, Verity is looking forward to a relaxing few days with her new boyfriend.

Good food, family and friends – it’s a simple recipe for true comfort and joy, and all Verity’s friends in the village are full of excitement about the holidays too.

But the weather has other plans in store… Relentless rain leads to a power cut that spells disaster for many of Plumberry’s residents. It’s starting to look like this year’s celebrations could be a total washout.

With dreams of a perfect Christmas dashed, will the last of the festive cheer be swept away in the downpour? Or can the cookery school create a Christmas miracle for everyone Verity holds dear?

I was so pleased to be back in the village of Plumberry and it was extra special to celebrate Christmas with them, and what a Christmas it was!

Everyone's plans were affected as a huge rainfall fell in and around Plumberry, making travel impossible and unsafe. There was huge disappointment and none more so than when the power was interrupted meaning no one in Plumberry was to be fed and watered.

Verity and Tom are looking forward to a quiet Christmas, their first together, but Verity is feeling a little melancholy as she misses her family and the hustle and bustle of a normal family Christmas. 

Who will step in and save Christmas for the residents of Plumberry? Maybe Santa Claus himself?

How wonderful to sink into a Cathy Bramley book filled with humour and warmth at Christmas time - Comfort and Joy indeed. It is a wonderful treat if you have read The Plumberry School of Comfort Food but will be equally as enjoyable as a standalone read.

I made me feel squishy, warm and ready to face the festive season with cheer!

5* Review - Found by Elle Field (Arielle Lockley series) GIVEAWAY

Available here from Amazon.co.uk

 Available here from Amazon.com

Goodreads link

"How did people even come up with the idea of these dizzying skyscrapers, let alone work out how to make them possible? Whoever built the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, their legacy will live on forever. What sort of a difference will I ever make?"

Who knew one flight could change everything? When Arielle Lockley stepped on the plane at Heathrow, she never realised how different her life would be when she touched down in New York City. Now she’s dealing with that aftermath, as well as trying to find common ground with Etta, her new and unexpected business partner.

But, trying to sort out business in London whilst her fiancé, Piers, recovers from surgery in New York, is starting to take its toll on their relationship. Can Arielle and Etta work together to continue Felicity’s legacy without destroying it, and will Arielle and Piers even make it down the aisle to say "I do"?

Find out whether Arielle gets her happily ever after in the final part of the warm and wonderful Arielle Lockley series.

I have adored the Arielle Lockley series since first reading Kept, therefore it is with a heavy heart that I am actually reviewing the final book in Arielle's journey.

We join Arielle where we last left her, getting off the plane to Piers in New York after being called to say he was undergoing lifesaving surgery. As soon as Arielle's phone boots back up in the airport she receives dreadful news of her own though and has to face some devastating news.

Thankfully (as you will already gather) this is not about Piers, and he is waiting - albeit gravely ill in hospital for her. As he recovers he starts to feel like without work, which is deemed far too stressful in his condition, he is losing his identity which puts a huge strain on their relationship - along with the fact that they are meant to be planning a wedding and Piers is still too ill to fly back to Britain.

Back in Blighty Arielle's best friend, and as she describes him 'brother from another mother (and father)', Obelix, has news of his own, it pleases him but leaves Arielle suspicious and she is determined not to see him made a fool of.

Things aren't any better for Etta Millhouse either as her drug problem is nowhere near coming under control, and events take a turn that leaves Arielle in an incredibly sticky position, and one that she'd do anything to avoid being in.

We finally get to find out if Arielle and Piers make it down the aisle in Found, and discover if they get their happy ever after. 

I love these characters and have always had a soft spot for Arielle - even at times when she has made bad decisions that have left me shouting into my Kindle, and certain situations made me do that in this book. If she'd have listened to me early on in the book I could have made life a lot easier for her...

I loved the ending, although bittersweet for me as I'd have loved Field to squeeze in another book or two from Arielle, it was brilliant. I was pleased with the way things turned out but would have liked to see a happier ending for Etta who I went from viscerally hating to feeling extremely sorry for!

Well done, Elle on creating a wonderful world of fashion, fun, love and humour that has kept me hooked since first reading Arielle's story. I loved her progression from spoilt 'it' girl to sassy business woman who manages to build an equal relationship with love of her life, Piers.

There were some really sad, poignant moments along the way and a lot of laughs.

Arielle...I salute you and your snappy dressing wonderfulness! 

Many thanks to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Giveaway:

To celebrate the publication of Found, Elle is running a giveaway. Prizes are an Amazon voucher, paperback copies of B-Side and Found, plus a handmade necklace from Vaux Street (x2).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author profile:

Elle Field writes coming of age romantic comedies, and is the author of the Arielle Lockley series and Geli Voyante’s Hot or Not. She grew up in Yorkshire, then moved to Scotland to study International Relations and Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews.

Elle now lives in London with her boyfriend and their cat. She’s a massive fan of sunshine, giraffes, The Killers, Audrey Hepburn movies, playing Scrabble, musicals and tea. Oh, and reading, of course!

You can buy Elle’s books here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00CHIC1GE

The Plumberry School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley - 5* Review!

Buy HERE from Amazon.co.uk

Buy HERE from Amazon.com

Verity Bloom hasn't been interested in cooking anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.

But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks' time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she's home.

But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?

We're first introduced to Verity Bloom at quite a low point in her life. Double crossed, cheated on, rejected and a chance of something good in her life snuffed out before it began. A poignant walk with her deceased best friend's family made her assess her life and realise she needed to focus, but she had no idea what to focus on, until a chance phone call took her to the Yorkshire village of Plumberry and her best friend Mimi's mother's new cooking school. Verity wasn't sure about the whole cooking thing, as her love of creating food died with Mimi, but she knew she could handle the marketing - as long as she didn't have to step in to the kitchen.

I loved to watch Verity begin to come 'back to life' and loved to see the newly opened Plumberry School of Comfort Food begin to come in to full swing as the classes get underway. Head Chef, Tom, has to try and check his teaching methods as it's more Gordon Ramsey than Cook With Mother, not quite the ethos that Gloria was looking for...and Verity along with kitchen assistant Pixie (sh has to be one of my favourite characters!) has to be on hand with tissues for the more sensitive trainees; but when a catastrophe hits the village as a reality show comes to promote the school, they all pull together to try and make the event successful.

There are twists, turns and tragedies along the way, and everything is handled with Bramley's warm wit and beautiful descriptions. The characters in this book have been my favourite of hers so far, I would struggle to find a favourite as they really pull you into their world, making you care for them from the very beginning. 

I adored the ending and the decision that Verity made (even though it was touch and go and I was undecided for a while!) and loved the fact that all was tied up nicely with an epilogue. However, I'd love to see a Christmas at the Plumberry School of Comfort Food! My favourite 'Cathy' yet and a huge 5*!

Cover reveal - Found by Elle Field (Book 3 in the Arielle Lockley series)

Today I am super happy to introduce Found by the wonderful Elle Field. Found is book three in the Arielle Lockley series and will hit your shelves on August 9th...

UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Found-Arielle-Lockley-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01FG38NKE

US link: https://www.amazon.com/Found-Arielle-Lockley-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01FG38NKE

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25483958-found

One death. Two weddings. Three months in New York City.

Who knew one flight could change everything? When Arielle Lockley stepped on the plane at Heathrow, she never realised how different her life would be when she touched down in New York. Now she's dealing with that aftermath, as well as trying to find common ground with Etta, her new and unwanted business partner.

But, trying to sort out her shop in London whilst Piers is stuck in New York is starting to take its toll on their relationship, and Arielle isn't the only one with an important decision to make... Can Arielle and Etta continue Felicity's legacy without destroying it, and will Arielle and Piers manage to make it down the aisle to say "I do"?

Find out what happens in the final part of the warm and wonderful Arielle Lockley series - out this August.

Find out a bit more about Elle's other books here: Elle Field's Arielle Lockley series

5* review & Giveaway - The Woolworths Girls by Elaine Everest

Buy HERE from Amazon.co.uk

It's 1938 and as the threat of war hangs over the country, Sarah Caselton is preparing for her new job at Woolworths. Before long, she forms a tight bond with two of her colleagues: the glamorous Maisie and shy Freda. The trio couldn't be more different, but they immediately form a close-knit friendship, sharing their hopes and dreams for the future.

Sarah soon falls into the rhythm of her new position, enjoying the social events hosted by Woolies and her blossoming romance with young assistant manager, Alan. But with the threat of war clouding the horizon, the young men and women of Woolworths realize that there are bigger battles ahead. It's a dangerous time for the nation, and an even more perilous time to fall in love . . .

It's been a while since I've read a book in this genre and I absolutely loved it. A gentle, beautifully narrated story of love and friendship in wartime England - along with the much loved and greatly missed institution that was Woolworths.

Sarah, Maisie and Freda: three girls from different walks of life all in their own way escaping from some aspect of their lives and hoping to find solace in the camaraderie of the working life of being a Woolies Girl. Firstly, their boss, 'Bossy Billington' seems a fierce and unlikeable character, looking down somewhat on brassier yet glamorous character, Maisie, but during the story reveals a much softer and vulnerable side, making her I think my favourite character in the book. Ruby Castelton - Sarah's nan is another wonderful character - the epitome of family matriarch in this troubled time in history and someone you would most definitely want on your side in a crisis.

I loved the vivid descriptions of this time period and often felt I was reading more of a memoir, it felt very realistic. I followed the ups and downs of life with the girls avidly, rooting for all to end well for them, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending where slightly predictable, was satisfying and in no way disappointing.

This is a wonderful nostalgic read from start to end that evoked memories of my childhood (albeit not in the time period which the book is set...!) taking my pocket money to Woolies on a Saturday morning to buy sweets and records!

Well worth reading...

Many thanks to Sophie at EDPR for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Giveaway!!

I am giving away a paperback copy of Elaine Everest's The Woolworths Girls - just comment below (or on my Facebook page) and tell me your fondest memories of Woolworths!

UK only please...

5* review: After the Lie by Kerry Fisher

Available to preorder/buy from Amazon.co.uk

A perfect wife. A perfect life. A dangerous secret ... 

Lydia counts herself lucky. She’s married to a decent man, Mark, who she still loves and even though her teenagers test her patience she’s pretty proud of them. She knows she’s fortunate. She’s grateful. Especially when her mum, who, unlike Mark, knows what happened in her past, constantly reminds her how different things could have been … 

Because the truth is that Mark has no idea who he is really married to – Lydia has been living a lie for years. She did something terrible when she was young, that forced her family to start a new life elsewhere, and she can’t let Mark and the children find out about it. So when Sean, the person who knows all of Lydia’s dark little secrets, turns up at the school gates, his presence threatens to blow Lydia’s life apart. 

What is Lydia’s terrible truth? Once the secret is out, you can’t put it back … 

A powerful and heartbreaking story, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain 

Lydia is a mother in her early forties, successful business woman and supportive wife. They live in Surrey in a nice house and the children go to an expensive private school, she has the perfect life?

She floats along like the swan and is paddling like fury underneath, especially when Sean moves to the area - the man that could blow apart her life by revealing something they did as teenagers that could have been reasonably innocuous but changed the course of Lydia's family's lives forever. And it is something that Lydia's husband and children know nothing about.

While reading this wonderful book I got so involved that when an integral part of the story came up I actually dropped a swear word when realising that Lydia's life was about the unravel and felt her panic as though it was inside me.

Fisher hooks you firmly into the character's lives with her perceptive wit and perfect descriptions of normal family life with teenagers. Experiencing the fears of the social media generation where a photograph can travel hundreds of miles around thousands of people in minutes and will be there forever and explores the minefield that is teenage relationships.

I loved her writing style back with The Island Escape last summer and it has only got better.

I adored and empathised with Lydia's character, loved her supportive husband Mark and wanted to batter her interfering, judgemental mother who I softened a little towards by the end of the book, and a huge mention to her wonderful father who would clearly do anything to protect his daughter.

This is a fantastic book to get your teeth into, I read this in two long sittings I was so gripped.

A huge...

5* review: The Little Shop of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan

Buy HERE from Amazon.co.uk

Given a back-room computer job when the beloved Birmingham library she works in turns into a downsized retail complex, Nina misses her old role terribly - dealing with people, greeting her regulars, making sure everyone gets the right books for their needs. Then a new business nobody else wants catches her eye: owning a tiny little bookshop bus up in the Scottish highlands. No computers. Shortages. Out all hours in the freezing cold; driving with a tiny stock of books... not to mention how the little community is going to take to her, particularly when she stalls the bus on a level crossing...

I knew I would never find another Jenny Colgan book that I loved more than The Little Beach Street Bakery. I was wrong! I adored the latest offering from Colgan, the warmth, the characters, the humour...the subject (a bookshop - what's not to love?). I simply could not get enough of the wonderful highland setting and Nina's life.

Nina is in my opinion a wonderful character, she's hard working, clever, caring and conscientious - so when she lost her job in the library which is being converted into some new fangled media hub which Nina's regulars would never attend, she was devastated, but knew the job would not have been for her anyway. So she took a leap of faith, her redundancy payment and the stack of books that is threatening the stability of her housemate's property and starts a new life and job in the Scottish Highlands.

What a change!

Being a city girl she first has to adapt to a very small village way of life - and all while feeling like a foreigner! She has a near death experience in her bus which scares her to death but makes her some new friends; Marek, how I loved him and their special tree.

She completely integrates within the community and begins to come out of the bookish shell in which she's hidden herself away most of her life (however we all know there is nothing wrong in living in a bookish shell)

She finds dwellings on a farm with the gruff Lennox and his dog Parsley. The relationship is a strained one due to Lennox's manner, but we eventually learn the reason why he has such tough barriers to break through. I loved Marek. I loved Lennox. 

This plot is so deep and winding I would be here for days if I explained everything I loved about it, but believe me when I say I loved it so very much.

I could not recommend The Little Shop of Happy Ever After more...a true Must Read!

With thanks to the publisher for an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

5* review - The Woman Who Upped and Left by Fiona Gibson

Available HERE from Amazon.co.uk

Forget about having it all. Sometimes you just want to leave it all behind.

Audrey is often seized by the urge to walk out of her house without looking back – but she can’t possibly do that.

She is a single parent. She is needed. She has a job, a home, responsibilities…and a slothful teenage son’s pants to pick up.

But no one likes being taken for granted – Audrey least of all – so the time has come for drastic action. And no one’s going to stand in her way…

I absolutely loved the latest offering from Gibson, I am a huge fan of her older books but this is undoubtedly my favourite. 

Audrey Pepper (nee Hepburn) always knew her name was too special for her. She had a really sad childhood and always had to be the adult, taking care of everyone else, a trait which she never really grew out of as she always felt she was looking after someone - and there was no one to care for her.

When we first meet Audrey she is casually seeing Steve, a friend with very few benefits other than the odd stop over at a motorway service station. Then her fortunes seem to change as she wins the Dinner Lady of the Year competition with a choice of two prizes that are not life changing in their own rights, but have the potential to be in other ways...

She decides that she is sick of serving everyone else and picking up dirty pants from the living room floor - it is time to do something for her! 

I love all the relationships that Audrey has, with her eighteen year old son, Morgan, who is lazy, slobbish and appears quite selfish (typical teenage boy!) but underneath really does have a caring side...very deeply hidden. I love her job as a carer for Mrs. B - that was a part of the plot that seemed really special, and the friends she makes along the way.

I think she is a character that most women and maybe some men will identify with at times - I know I certainly do! The scenarios she faces are so very real and I love the witty way she deals with them. I would love a friend like Aud! 

This book really entertained me and I read it far too quickly! I would highly recommend it for a light, feel good read!

Here are the lemon Madeleines I made from the recipes in the back of The Woman Who Upped and Left: Fiona Gibson's Madeleines