Book tour - A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love by Linn B Halton. Extract and Giveaway!

A LITTLE SUGAR, A LOT OF LOVE

 BY LINN B. HALTON

Genre: Chick Lit

Release Date: 15 January 2016

Publisher:  Choc Lit

A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love

Life isn’t all love and cupcakes …

Katie has had her fair share of bad luck, but when she finally realises her dream of opening a bakery it seems things can only get better.

But the reality of running a business hits Katie hard and whilst her partner, Steve, tries to help she begins to sense that the situation is driving them further apart. Could Katie be set to lose her relationship and her dream job?

Then, one winter’s day, a man walks into her shop – and, in the space of that moment, the course of Katie’s life is changed.

But nobody finds happiness in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it takes two Christmases, three birthdays and a whole lot of cake to get there …

Previously released as Sweet Occasions by the author. Revised and edited by Choc Lit December 2015.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

ABOUT LINN B. HALTON

“I’m a hopeless romantic, self-confessed chocaholic, and lover of coffee. For me, life is about family, friends, and writing. Oh, and the occasional glass of White Grenache…”

An Amazon UK Top 100 best-selling author with A Cottage in the Country in November 2015, Linn’s novels have been short-listed in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award. Linn writes chick lit, women’s contemporary fiction and psychic romance for Choc Lit, Harper Impulse and Endeavour Press.

Website/blog: http://linnbhalton.co.uk/


Twitter: @LinnBHalton FB: Linn B Halton Author


Amazon: http://smarturl.it/LittleSugarLotOfLove

Contest Open Internationally – No Purchase necessary

1^st Prize - £25 Amazon Voucher

2^nd Prize – Cupcake themed Swag Bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: While I Was Waiting - Georgia Hill *GIVEAWAY*

Tired of her life in London, freelance illustrator Rachel buys the beautiful but dilapidated Clematis Cottage and sets about creating the home of her dreams. But tucked away behind the water tank in the attic and left to gather dust for decades, is an old biscuit tin containing letters, postcards and a diary. So much more than old scraps of paper, these are precious memories that tell the story of Henrietta Trenchard-Lewis, a love lost in the Great War and the girl who was left behind.

I love time slip novels, especially set in this time so I was thrilled to be able to review While I was Waiting, then discovered I had it sat on my 'to be read' list on my Kindle all along!

I fell straight into Rachel's story, about to start renovating the wonderful sounding Clematis Cottage, and feeling a little out of sorts in her new village. Moving from the anonymous atmosphere of London into village life was daunting, but she quickly discovered the huge list of perks that made up for it. The beautiful countryside, the wildlife and the sense of community to name but a few.

While renovations were taking place an old biscuit tin was found containing old letters and a journal from the turn of the 20th century. They were the previous owner of Clematis Cottage, Mrs Hetty Trenchard-Lewis, and what a story she had to tell. From being left with her maiden aunts at the huge but crumbling Delamere House, with the cousins Richard and Edward, Hetty tells of her life in the Edwardian era, the trials of growing up without her mother, about love and loss. Her tale is a fascinating one which Rachel begins to become obsessed with, as the tale is unfinished and Rachel feels a huge pull to know what eventually became of Hetty - especially as she still feels her benevolent presence around her home.

She makes friends, some a little closer than others, and slowly realises what was lacking in her life, and how to love again. 

All in all, While I Was Waiting was a really lovely and quite addictive story which I read in three long sittings! I too felt the pull to see how life had turned out for the enchanting Hetty. 

I found Rachel's character infuriating at times, and willed her not to be so stand offish and rude - especially to the lovely (and seemingly easy-on-the-eye, Gabe)! But warmed to her while observing her relationship with Stan, her gardener. An elderly widower who also felt out of place in the world.

I loved 'seeing' the house come back to life and the beautiful descriptions of Rachel's illustrations and the surrounding countryside. Being set around the year 2000 there was also a very poignant storyline about the foot and mouth epidemic that ravaged the countryside which is not easy to forget and highlights the devastating downside to country living.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

ABOUT GEORGIA HILL

I used to live in London, where I worked in the theatre. Then I got the bizarre job of teaching road safety to the U.S. navy – in Marble Arch!

A few years ago, I did an ‘Escape to the Country’. I now live in a tiny Herefordshire village, where I scandalise the neighbours by not keeping ‘country hours’ and being unable to make a decent pot of plum jam. Home is a converted Oast house (Old agricultural building used for drying hops), which I share with my two beloved spaniels, husband (also beloved) and a ghost called Zoe.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel widely, though prefer to set my novels closer to home. Perhaps more research is needed? I’ve always wanted to base a book in the Caribbean!

I am addicted to Belgian chocolate, Jane Austen and, most of all, Strictly Come Dancing.

AUTHOR LINKS

https://www.facebook.com/georgiahillauthor/

https://twitter.com/georgiawrites

http://www.georgiahill.co.uk/

https://www.pinterest.com/georgiawrites/

GIVEAWAY

A print copy of the book (Open Internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5* Review - Wickham Hall by Cathy Bramley

Available on Kindle/Paperbook from Amazon.co.uk

Holly Swift has just landed the job of her dreams: events co-ordinator at Wickham Hall, the beautiful manor home that sits proudly at the heart of the village where she grew up. Not only does she get to organise for a living and work in stunning surroundings, but it will also put a bit of distance between Holly and her problems at home.

As Holly falls in love with the busy world of Wickham Hall - from family weddings to summer festivals, firework displays and Christmas grottos - she also finds a place in her heart for her friendly (if unusual) colleagues.

But life isn’t as easily organised as an event at Wickham Hall (and even those have their complications…). Can Holly learn to let go and live in the moment? After all, that’s when the magic happens…

The beautiful full length version - all four parts of the wonderful Wickham Hall is finally here! I loved this series from Cathy Bramley and it is a treasure to read it with no interruptions and waiting in between!

Holly Swift gets the job of her dreams as events co-ordinator at her beloved Wickham Hall, many of her happy childhood memories have been made here and it holds much sentiment to her and her mother. Secrets swiftly (no pun intended) begin to weave their way into the story and we realise all in Holly's life is not completely rosy. Her mother has a huge and crippling problem and Holly does not know who her father is, a matter which is smoothed over by her mother who by her own admission, has enough love for two parents, but it is still a nagging question in Holly's mind.

As Holly settles into life at Wickham Hall wonderfully, we get properly acquainted with the rest of the characters as well, and they're an interesting bunch, some more likeable than others. One I particularly liked was that of Benedict Fortescue, reluctant heir to the Wickham estate and Holly's boss. He lives a reasonably carefree lifestyle and running the estate is way down his list of priorities. 

The events held at Wickham Hall are described in glorious detail making you wish and feel as though you are there, I particularly loved the whole Winter Grotto part but they are all equally fab; a spring society wedding, a summer fair to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Fortescues at Wickham Hall and a drama packed firework extravaganza. 

I thoroughly enjoyed how Holly's backstory played out and eventually a happy ending was found (which is a treat in all Cathy's books) with a really poignant scene. I would adore a sequel to Wickham Hall and it would make an absolutely spellbinding series on television, move over Downton Abbey...

Anyone with an interest in the behind the scenes view of events planning and stately homes will adore this, and for those just wanting a gorgeous story to lose yourself in...this will delight, I'm sure.

A fabulous...

Cathy is also the author of the best-selling romantic comedies Ivy Lane, Appleby farm and Conditional Love. She lives in a small Nottinghamshire village with her husband, two teenage daughters and Pearl, the Cockerpoo.

Her recent career as a full-time writer of light-hearted romantic fiction has come as somewhat of a lovely surprise after spending eighteen years running her own marketing agency. However, she has always been an avid reader, hiding her book under the duvet and reading by torchlight. Luckily her husband has now bought her a Kindle with a light, so that’s the end of all that palaver.

You can get in touch with Cathy via her Facebook page or on Twitter.

5*Review: The Queen's Choice by Anne O'Brien and GIVEAWAY!

Available here at Amazon.co.uk

Her children or her crown

France, 1399: The Duke of Brittany is dead and his widow, Joanna of Navarre, has inherited control of their land – a testament to her intellect, integrity and political prowess.

Then comes an unprecedented proposal from Henry IV, King of England. The price of becoming his Queen? Abandoning her homeland, leaving her children and sacrificing her independence.

Henry's hold on the crown is unsteady and war is brewing. With the constant threat of rebellion, Henry will trust no-one – not even his new Queen. Crossing the channel is a dangerous prospect. But the union between Joanna and Henry would bring the chance of a vital alliance between two proud states – if they will allow it.

One question. Two paths. A choice that will make history.

It is 1936 and Richard II, King of England's wedding day to the very young Isabella of Valois. John IV, Duke of Brittany and his wife Joanna are there. Whilst mingling with the crowd they happen upon Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby and the current King's cousin with whom there is no love lost. Even though Joanna and John have a pleasant and companionable marriage, like the wedding taking place - she was an extremely young bride and there is a sizeable age difference between the couple, when she meets Henry a part of her awakens and she suddenly has feelings for him that she's never felt for a man before. 

She tries to put him and her feelings out of her mind and does not meet Henry again for another two years when he is accused of treason and bursts into their home in Brittany after being banished from England. The feelings she first developed come flooding back.

Henry later returns to England to launch an attack on Richard II, deposing him of his crown and becoming Henry IV, King of England. The Duke of Brittany has died with Joanna widowed and in control of her own lands. After what he deems a suitable period of time Henry sends a marriage proposal to Joanna who wants to accept but is warned that if she does she will lose everything: her land, her power, her fortune and her children. 

She makes the seemingly impossible decision and chooses the path of love and Henry, yet marriage and true love does not run smoothly and tensions quickly rise. Henry is filled with insecurities, and Joanna is a powerful and independent woman but untrusted as a French princess in the times when the relationship between England and France was not a happy one, a political gamble that they were trusting the unity would ease. It really highlights all the perils of the middle ages, and how different marriage was back then. 

I really enjoyed this offering from O'Brien. I have a keen interest in this period of time and I found the book historically accurate as well as being a beautifully written romance, focusing on the seldom heard of Joanna of Navarre. Living just around the corner from Bolingroke Castle also brought the book home to me.

This really is a must read for fans of historical fiction and a perfect tale to curl up and escape with.

I have a signed copy of The Queen's Choice up for grabs - Just leave a comment below to be entered into the draw! UK only please - winner will be chosen at random at 6pm 21st January 2016...

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

Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain - 5* Review

Available here from Amazon.co.uk

When the pretending ends, the lying begins . . . Molly Arnette is good at keeping secrets. As she and her husband try to adopt a baby, she worries that the truth she's kept hidden about her North Carolina childhood will rise to the surface and destroy not only her chance at adoption, but her marriage as well. Molly ran away from her family twenty years ago after a shocking event left her devastated and distrustful of those she loved. Now, as she tries to find a way to make peace with her past and embrace a healthy future, she discovers that even she doesn't know the truth of what happened in her family of pretenders.

Molly's story is told alternately though her modern day life in San Diego and her life as a fourteen year old in North Carolina, it tells the tale of an unsure - slightly geeky kid from a really good, close family - albeit a slightly unconventional one. She's extremely happy and has a really wonderful father, until something unthinkable happens.

She hides what happened in her childhood well until she and her husband decide to adopt a child, and the subject of open adoption (where the birth mother is involved in the child's life) comes up, then memories and hidden fears from her past come flooding back, with that and bad news it brings her memories very much to the fore of her mind.

This was a truly wonderful book, one that will stick with me for a very long time. I instinctively felt a huge pull towards Molly's wonderful father, he is a therapist and just handles every situation in the most amazing way - I wish I had his 'answer for everything' way with my teenagers! I also felt a connection with Graham as like him, I too suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, and that's where it got sticky for me. If you read the book you will see that extremely hard hitting issues are tackled that kind of scared me - a lot! However Chamberlain makes it quite clear that Graham has a rare and extremely aggressive form, still made me think and I would probably exercise caution if you are a sufferer, maybe I'm too sensitive - I don't know?

I do still feel the HUGE need to give this book five stars as it was a truly wonderful book and a really wonderful story! It will be a read you won't forget...

Review copy kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: A Parcel for Anna Browne by Miranda Dickinson

Available here from Amazon.co.uk

Anna Browne is an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. Her day job as a receptionist in bustling London isn't exactly her dream, yet she has everything she wants. But someone thinks Anna Browne deserves more . . .

When a parcel addressed to Anna Browne arrives, she has no idea who has sent it. Inside she finds a beautiful gift - one that is designed to be seen. And so begins a series of incredible deliveries, each one bringing Anna further out of the shadows and encouraging her to become the woman she was destined to be. As Anna grows in confidence, others begin to notice her - and her life starts to change.

But who is sending the mysterious gifts, and why?

Anna Browne is a quietly unassuming character working on reception at a Fleet Street newspaper, everyone's friend and to be perfectly honest, quite dull - but she likes it that way. She's gone from living in Cornwall with her frankly AWFUL drunken mother who did nothing but make a spectacle of Anna throughout her childhood, and she just wants some normality.

Then the mysterious parcels start arriving and Anna becomes the centre of attention; just what she didn't need.

The parcels really are something special however, each one perfectly wrapped with the most heartfelt and beautiful gift inside, the only thing that frustrated Anna was not knowing who her kind benefactor was. I did have my suspicions early on who was bestowing these beautiful items on Anna, and I was right as revealed at the ending. It was all very poignant and sweet and left me feeling very satisfied with the story.

The thing with Miranda Dickinson, is she has a natural talent of telling a beautifully engaging and rich story, the likes of which can be compared to classics in terms of their captivating nature. I am a huge fan of her books!

I adored watching Anna's character grow in strength and find the courage to come out of her timid shell, and the supporting characters were all fabulous too.

Well worth a read or to buy as a gift for a loved one, just make sure to wrap it well! 

(Miranda has also included tips from a master on how to wrap the perfect gift at the back of the book...)

Review copy provided via Netgalley in exchanged for an honest review.

5* review - The Blissfully Dead by Louise Voss and Mark Edwards

Available from:

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

She couldn’t believe that he wanted to meet her. He was famous. She was a nobody. Finally, someone could see how special she was…

When the body of a teenage girl is found in a London hotel, DI Patrick Lennon is mystified. Nobody saw her or her killer enter the hotel, and there is no apparent motive—until a second teenager is found and Lennon realises somebody is targeting fans of the world’s biggest boy band.

As Lennon struggles with both his home life and his rivals on the force, the pressure to catch the killer before he strikes again reaches fever pitch. And when Lennon makes a terrible mistake that ends in disaster, he finds himself in a race to save not only the lives of more teenage girls but also his own career.

I was first introduced to the sublime writing of Voss and Edwards when I bought From The Cradle in the Amazon daily deals last winter some time and was hooked straight away, I've since downloaded all their work independently and together and loved every one (if you haven't before, check out their back catalogues, fans of this genre will not be disappointed). I was thrilled when I saw on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/vossandedwards)  that DI Lennon would be returning with a new story! 

On Target is a boy band taking the world by storm, and one of their female fans is murdered, followed by another...the world surrounding the band is under scrutiny, the fans seem to be being targeted through their forum but the clues are scarce, then the murders continue - closer to home now, and suspicion grows - along with tension at the station (I really do despise DI Winkler). Two more fans go missing and the race is on to try and find them while they're still alive.

The suspense in this book is huge, following the form of their past work the story is told by multiple narrators and there was a huge plot twist that was extremely pleasing, I really didn't see it coming. All I can say is this comes highly recommended, although is is book two in the DI Lennon series, you could read it as a stand alone, but it would make more sense to read book one first, especially where DI Lennon's marriage is concerned. 

From The Cradle

The first child was taken from her house.
The second from his mother's car.
The third from her own bedroom...

When Helen and Sean Philips go out for the evening, leaving their teenage daughter babysitting little Frankie, they have no idea that they are about to face every parent's greatest fear.

Detective Inspector Patrick Lennon is hopeful that the three children who have been abducted in this patch of south-west London will be returned safe and well. But when a body is found in a local park, Lennon realizes that time is running out—and that nothing in this case is as it seems...

Blending police procedural with psychological thriller, From the Cradle will have every parent checking that their children are safe in their beds...then checking again.

From the Cradle is the first book in the Detective Lennon Thriller Series.

A huge 5* 

Review copy provided courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review