Review: The Little Bakery on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry

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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

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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 

Blog tour: The Butlins Girls by Elaine Everest

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'Molly Missons gazed around in awe. So this was Butlin's. Whitewashed buildings, bordered by rhododendrons, gave a cheerful feeling to a world still recovering from six years of war. The Skegness holiday camp covered a vast area, much larger than Molly expected to see.'

Molly Missons hasn't had the best of times recently. Having lost her parents, now some dubious long-lost family have darkened her door - attempting to steal her home and livelihood...

After a horrendous ordeal, Molly applies for a job as a Butlin's Aunty. When she receives news that she has got the job, she immediately leaves her small home town - in search of a new life in Skegness.

Molly finds true friendship in Freda, Bunty and Plum. But the biggest shock is discovering that star of the silver screen, Johnny Johnson, is working at Butlin's as head of the entertainment team. Johnny takes an instant liking to Molly and she begins to shed the shackles of her recent traumas. Will Johnny be just the distraction Molly needs - or is he too good be to be true?

I was pleased to receive this new book from Elaine Everest as I thoroughly enjoyed The Woolworths Girls, and just looking at this cover I knew I would not be disappointed.

Molly Missons, a gentle young girl recovering from parents tragic death receives devastating and confusing news that she had been cut out of her parents will, to lose her home and livelihood to relatives she knew nothing about, cousin Harriet and her deplorable son, Simon. 
With help from good friends she is able to escape this and move to Skegness, to Butlins holiday camp, working as a Butlins auntie.

Here she forms a friendship with Bunty and Plum, who have their own heartbreaks and issues to overcome, and whose stories blend beautifully to enrich the plot. She also meets her screen idol and crush, Johnny Johnson, will he be the cure she needs to mend her fragile heart?

The Butlins Girls really is a warm, gentle, nostalgic tale with a feel good vibe, It sums life in a post war holiday camp up beautifully, it is written true to it's era and is a satisfying read. I'm certain fans of 1940's fiction will adore it.

Many thanks to Bethan at ED PR for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

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

5* review: The Bookshop on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry

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Take a trip to the Yorkshire village of Burley Bridge, where a very special little cookbook shop is about to open its doors…

In the beginning…

Kitty Cartwright has always solved her problems in the kitchen. Her cookbooks are her life, and there isn’t an issue that ‘Cooking with Aspic’ can’t fix. Her only wish is that she had a book entitled ‘Rustling Up Dinner When Your Husband Has Left You’.

Forty years later…

On Rosemary Lane, Della Cartwright plans to open a very special little bookshop. Not knowing what to do with the hundreds of cookbooks her mother left her, she now wants to share their recipes with the world – and no amount of aspic will stand in her way.

But with her family convinced it’s a hare-brained scheme, Della starts to wonder if she’s made a terrible decision. One thing’s for sure: she’s about to find out…

The book opens with a snippet of Della's childhood; her father had left and Della clearly needed to take the reigns to feed their family. It was okay though as her mother had an extraordinary amount of cookery books to choose from, so she knew just where to begin.

Forward forty years and Della's mother is about to take her last breath, and Della feels she'll even mess that up by missing it. She's hitting mid life, her daughter is growing up fast and on the verge of starting uni and her husband, Mark, seems far more interested in his job caring for other people's scabby feet than her.

Things in Della's mind seem to change though when she inherits her mother's seemingly endless supply of cookbooks and it causes tension around the home, with the question keeping cropping up - 'Just what was she going to do with them?'

She decides to inject some purpose into her life and transform a little shop in the village she grew up in into a specialist shop for cookery books, and she has all the romantic notions of how it will look, and who will shop there - just not that much idea how to run it!

But in seemingly the style of capable Della, she formulates a plan and does not let the way her life is panning out get in her way.

I found Mark deplorable from the off - bad husband he was, and the rest of her family didn't offer much support to her but that just went to illuminate what a strong woman Della was. I was so pleased the way her life worked out and was surprised by the curve ball that delving into her mother's past threw her.

I loved the characters, especially Della (of course) and Monica, the older lady Della befriended in unusual circumstances.

All in all I found this first offering from Ellen Berry a lovely, feel good story and I really can't wait for the next two books out in this series.

A well deserved 5/5!

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

Cover Reveal - B-Side by Elle Field

Today I am thrilled to introduce to you the cover for B-Side by Elle Field...

Pre-order HERE from Amazon.co.uk

A bit about the book...

"What do I honestly know about the music industry? I'm just another idiot with a dream who is naive enough to hope that I might be the next big star."

Etta Millhouse has always had big musical ambitions to match her big voice, but she's also got three very big problems - the addiction she won't admit to, her godmother's illness that she can no longer ignore, and her godmother's useless business partner (who she wishes she could ignore).

Keeping an eye on Arielle's poor business decisions is the last thing Etta wants to do when she's offered the chance to record a demo with a top producer. But, a promise is a promise, even if it has her reaching for another pick-me-up... And then another. And then one more.

When the secret she must keep for her godmother, Felicity, sends her drug habit spiralling out of control, can Etta battle her demons in time and make her dream happen? Or, will her music career be over before it's even begun?

B-Side sits between Lost (out now) and Found (out August 2016) in the Arielle Lockley series - read Etta's version of events in this gritty Lost spin-off.

Find Elle here...

Twitter... https://twitter.com/ellefie

Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/ellefieldauthor

And a bit more about her books...

 

http://ellefield.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html

5* review: The Obsession by Nora Roberts

Buy here from Amazon.co.uk

Buy here from Amazon.com

Naomi Carson is a survivor. As a child, her family was torn apart by a shocking crime. It could have destroyed her, but Naomi has grown up strong, with a passion for photography that has taken her all around the world.

Now, at last, she has decided to put down roots. The beautiful old house on Point Bluff needs work, but Naomi has new friends in town who are willing to help, including Xander Keaton - gorgeous, infuriating and determined to win her heart.

But as Naomi plans for the future, her past is catching up with her. Someone in town knows her terrifying secret - and won't let her forget it. As her new home is rocked by violence, Naomi must discover her persecutor's identity, before it's too late.

As a fan of Nora Roberts, I hate to say I found her last couple of offerings slightly disappointing, they just seemed slightly 'off brand', however The Obsession sees Roberts back to and beyond her blistering best.

Eleven year old Naomi on the eve of her twelfth birthday follows her daddy on a balmy evening into the woods to see if he's hiding her birthday surprise... she finds something more horrific than she could ever have imagined. Something that will change her life forever..

As Naomi grows older she face things that no child ever should, and is haunted by what she found in the woods that fateful night, she finds it impossible to forge any kind of close friendship other than with her family until she finds a rundown but beautiful coastal bluff house that she decides to try and make her own. Beginning to build friendships, even thinking that she has found somewhere to settle down eventually when the violent and horrific events of her past come back to haunt her once more, taking a fatal turn.

The Obsession is the best of Roberts' novels by far in my opinion and I have been a longstanding fan since The Northern Lights way back when. I certainly was not expecting what Naomi found in the woods and from really early on the book was fast paced and had me gripped.

Watching Naomi and her work crew rebuild the house on the bluff was fascinating and I would love to have seen it for myself! The description of the old furniture that was being renovated had me captured and I could see it clearly with my minds eye. Also the descriptions of her photography sounded stunning and captured the imagination..

I loved watching her beginning to make friends and learning to love once again, and loved the complimenting cast of characters around her.

An excellent book that I will return to time and again.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

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