#Review – Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Café – Spring Beginnings by @georgiawrites @fictionpubteam

Blurb.

A new charming three part series for fans of sweet romance!

Is this the start of something wonderful?

Millie’s working all hours to make her seaside café a success, so when a rival multi-national café chain opens its latest branch just around the corner, stealing away her customers, it means WAR!

Millie’s remaining loyal customers step up – and a new arrival in town, the gorgeous, enigmatic Jed Henville, is also keen on helping Millie solve her business crisis. But it’s only after Jed sweeps her off her feet that Millie suddenly realises how little she knows about him…

What does TWG think?

I am probably not the first one to be enticed by that sugary sweet front cover, and I am sure that I won’t be the last either! Sweet and cosy front cover + a book title with ‘cake’ in it = TWG set for the evening. Yes, those two things sold me on nabbing Georgia Hill’s novel to read. Shallow? No way. Genius? Hell yeah!

Going to the seaside wouldn’t be the same, jovial experience we have all reminisce about, without nipping into the café nearby for an ice-cream or egg and chips. Well, they’re my personal favourites anyway, but I’m sure you catch my drift! Cue Millie and her seaside café; a venture in which she is fiercely protective of. So protective in fact, that when the rumour mill goes into overdrive about a new café pulling the rug from under her feet, Millie soon learns who she can and can’t trust. Although, lets emphasise the can’t trust shall we? I mean, they do say that it is the nice ones that you need to watch…

‘Spring Beginnings’ is the first book in the ‘Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Cafe’ three part series with part two ‘Summer Loves’, following later in the year. Even though the front cover screamed sweet like chocolate, the storyline itself reminded me of the popular seaside treat, rock; vibrant on the outside yet full of depth and flavour on the inside. There is more to ‘Spring Beginnings’ that meets the eye but one thing is for certain, I am VERY glad that you cannot consume calories from a physical book. The amount of yummy treats that are described in this book is mouth watering; and then you have the actual food on top of that! (Yes, there are a few dapper gentleman mentioned!!)

As with all multiple part book series, you will only find out so much from each section, leaving you with unanswered questions or in this case, loud hunger pains too. I adored the homely personality of the main character, Millie, as it felt as though she was the heart and soul of the storyline itself. From the very beginning, ‘Spring Beginnings’ stole my heart; the storyline had enough depth to keep me going until the end. Even the characters stood out in their own ways without losing any of their identity along the way. A very promising start to an already cosy read, roll on part two!

Thank you HarperImpulse/Netgalley.

Georgia Hill’s ‘Spring Beginnings’, book one of the Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Café series, will be published in e-book on the 3rd February. To pre-order your copy go to Amazon.

 

#BlogTour! #Review of Sister Sister by @suefortin1 #sistersister @fictionpubteam

Sue Fortin’s latest novel, Sister Sister, was published a mere three weeks ago and yet it already has 37 five star reviews on Amazon! 37!! It also means that out of all reviews currently posted, Sue’s average rating for ‘Sister Sister’, is sitting at 4.9 out of 5. Massive congratulations! If, like myself, you have already read this jaw dropping novel, you can see why it’s rated so highly. If you haven’t read it yet, or had no idea that it even existed (where HAVE you been?!), maybe my review may tempt you to click the Amazon link at the end….
Thank you to HQ for inviting me on the tour for such an outstanding novel, absolutely thrilled to be sharing my review with you today as the tour bus has stopped with TWG!

Blurb.

Alice: Beautiful, kind, manipulative, liar.

Clare: Intelligent, loyal, paranoid, jealous.

Clare thinks Alice is a manipulative liar who is trying to steal her life.
Alice thinks Clare is jealous of her long-lost return and place in their family.

One of them is telling the truth. The other is a maniac.
Two sisters. One truth

What does TWG think?

How on Earth do I review this book?! There have only been a couple of books that have completely taken over my mind whilst reading them (in a headfunk, fabulous kind of way); until now. Sue Fortin’s new release, ‘Sister Sister’ has become the latest book to leave me questioning EVERYTHING, including my name. Thinking about the storyline now still raises the hair on my arms, weeks after finishing it. Now THAT is the type of book you need on your shelf.

What would you do if a family member had just…vanished? ‘We will be back’ they said. Now, unless there was a million car back log on the M25 and all flights were cancelled indefinitely, you would pretty much expect them back, yes? After all, they did say…
Clare and her mother have an unfinished chapter in their life story. A chapter which can only be completed by one person; Alice. If only Alice was able to find her way back to the memories once known…

From the get go, there is bucketful’s of juicy storyline to sink your teeth into, especially where the past is concerned. I had no idea what to expect, nor what route I felt the storyline would take as I kept reading. But, I’ll be honest; all thoughts of my surroundings and trying to do guess work with the storyline, vanished from my mind the more of the book I read. I had to surrender to the storyline very quickly as I began to lose my mind with the intense, white knuckle contents of ‘Sister Sister’.

Every single page felt like Pandora’s box. Every single chapter contained another hurdle for the characters. Every single word Sue wrote was laced with a hidden agenda. I could not stop reading; even though there were moments of ‘can I really continue?’. Not due to the likeability factor of the book, no! But, erm, because I was emotionally and physically exhausted by the rollercoaster I was on, even though I couldn’t get off it!

There is absolutely nothing that I can find fault with when it comes to ‘Sister Sister’. Nothing at all. I really did love how each character stood out and seemed to have their own place within the book; nobody was there to just ‘fill a gap’. I really do think that that helped keep the gritty momentum of the storyline.

‘Sister Sister’ completely messed up my head, had me looking over my shoulder and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. What a SUPERB book! Full of grit, rollercoaster moments and enough psychological imbalance to make a psychologist cry, ‘Sister Sister’ is definitely going to be a tough act to follow for the rest of 2017.

In my opinion, Sue Fortin stands out from a lot of people thanks to her latest release. Her way with words and incredible talent at creating such intense situations, is mind-blowing. Absolutely fantastic.

Unplug the house phone, put your mobile on silent and dedicate a few hours to Sue Fortin’s ‘Sister Sister’, interruption free. This is a book you DO NOT want to miss.

We are nearly at the end of the first month of 2017 (already!), yet Sue Fortin’s new novel is striding out in front to become one of my top books of the year. If that doesn’t shout ‘BUY IT’, I don’t know what will.

Thanks HQ/Netgalley.

Buy ‘Sister Sister’ by Sue Fortin from Amazon, HERE

#BlogTour – Before You Go by @clareswatman. #review @jessduffyy @panmacmillan

Today it’s TWG’s stop on the blog tour for Clare Swatman and her new release; Before You Go! Clare’s novel was published in e-book by Panmacmillan in December 2016, however, the STUNNING hardback book is set to hit the shelves 9th February 2017! How exciting, I wonder who I need to flutter my eyelashes at to get a hardback version as well! Huge thanks to Panmacmillan for the beautiful ARC!

Without further ado, here is my review!

Blurb.

Before You Go is powerful story of love and loss, by debut author Clare Swatman.

When Zoe’s husband Ed dies, her world caves in. But what if Zoe can get Ed back?

You find your soulmate . . .

Some people stare love in the face for years before they find it. Zoe and Ed fumbled their way into adulthood, both on different paths – but always in the same direction. Years later, having navigated dead-end jobs and chaotic house shares, romance finally blossoms. Their future together looks set . . .

Then the unthinkable happens.

One morning, on his way to work, Ed is knocked off his bike and dies. Now Zoe must find a way to survive. But she’s not ready to let go of the memories. How can she forget all of the happy times, their first kiss, everything they’d built together? Zoe decides she has to tell Ed all the things she never said.

Now it’s too late. Or is it?

What does TWG think?

Can I start by diverting your attention to the third and fourth from last words, on the very first sentence of the blurb; got it? Good, now keep those two words in your mind for now.

When I received my copy of the book with a distinctively different cover to the ones on sale (thanks Panmacmillan), time stood still. There I was sitting with a navy blue book on my lap, which featured gold embossed letters on the front as well as minimal amounts of information. Not only did the book look beautiful, it had already started to take me on a journey before I had even begun reading it. The clock on the front cover was ticking in my mind; time was of the essence but as for which character, I had absolutely no idea.

Due to the nature of the storyline, I am doing my review a little differently as usually I take time outlining the book with no spoilers, then proceed with my thoughts and feelings. Why am I doing it differently? Because, ‘Before You Go’ is a bit like a treasure map and a treasure chest combined; you need to read the book yourself to ensure that you have all of the map pieces in the correct order, without missing any vital pieces of information. Then, without even being aware, the storyline delivers a treasure chest full of eye-opening surprises, magic moments and enough gold to fill your heart with copious amounts of warmth and emotion. Outlining this book would be an insult to the authors enchanting work of art as it is a book that NEEDS to be devoured by your very own eyes, with your own imagination grabbing hold of every single glimmer of hope that is hidden within those black and white words.

At the start of this review I asked you to divert your attention to the third and fourth from last words, of the very first sentence of the blurb, remember? When I started the book, I didn’t read (or know) those two words that I just asked you to look at. Clare’s novel gave me goosebumps all over my body and filled me with emotion that, despite being weeks since I finishing the novel, still resonates with me now. ‘Debut author’ those two words say and ‘debut author’ are two words that I didn’t associate with Clare Swatman, not once. Her gritty, powerful yet delicate way of writing about such a harrowing yet undeniably heart warming storyline completely blew me away. If this is the work of a debut author, I absolutely cannot wait to the second novel from this author. It isn’t often that I have read a book by a debut author which has shown so much passion and has characters whose personalities literally jump off the page. For me, ‘Before You Go’ was such a flawless read from start to finish; I’m not even ashamed to say that I cried like a baby. ‘Before You Go’ is, without a doubt, a must read for 2017. You’ll be a fool if you didn’t put this beauty on your TBR pile right now.

Thank you Panmacmillan.

Before You Go by Clare Swatman is available for you to buy now in e-book format, with the hardback version following on the 9th February. You too can grab your copy now (or pre-order) from Amazon

#Review The House of New Beginnings by @LDiamondAuthor @panmacmillan #TheHouseOfNewBeginnings

Blurb.

Number 11, Dukes Square, looks just like the other houses on the Brighton seafront: a Regency terrace with elegant sash windows, a winding staircase, and post piled up in the hall for its tenants. It might be part of the city’s history, but it’s also a place of brand new beginnings.

Georgie has followed her childhood sweetheart to Brighton but is determined to carve out a career for herself in journalism. Throwing herself into the city’s delights is fun and exciting, but before she knows it, she’s sliding into all kinds of trouble . . .

Charlotte’s in the city for a new start, hoping to keep her head down and somehow get over the heartbreaking loss she’s suffered in the past. But Margot, the stylish old lady on the top floor, has other ideas. Like it or not, Charlotte must confront the outside world, and the possibilities it still holds.

A terrible revelation sent Rosa running from London to start again as a sous chef. The work is gruelling and thankless but it’s a distraction at least . . . until she comes up against the stroppy teenager next door who challenges her on her lifestyle choices. What if Rosa’s passion for food could lead her to more interesting places?

As the three tenants find each other, it’s as if a whole new chapter of their lives has begun. The House of New Beginnings is a moving and uplifting novel from bestselling author Lucy Diamond.

What does TWG think?

Bestselling author, Lucy Diamond, is back with yet another cracking novel. Just when you think her novels cannot get any better, she manages to raise the bar even higher for herself and write another heart-warming read.

We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t lust after a new start at some point in our lives, right? A change of scenery, fresh new faces, a brand new routine and seeing your old life without your rose-tinted glasses. We have all been there, and no doubt whilst you’re reading this, a lot more human beans are deciding to do just that; create a fresh start or a ‘new beginning’ if you will. Maybe a complete house full of new beginnings? I wonder…

Lucy Diamond’s latest novel follows three main characters in particular; Rosa, Georgie and Charlotte. Each lady has their own individual story to tell along with various skeletons in their closets as baggage. Each lady has their own reason as to why a fresh start was needed and, thanks to Number 11, Dukes Square, new life stories will be created. How long their chapters are though, remains to be seen.

Receiving this novel felt as though all my Christmases had come at once (thank you Panmacmillan!)! You know when you have admired an author from afar for years, never in a million years thinking that you would get a chance to talk to that very author, or that you would have a proof copy of their new novel pop through your door, so you jump up and down and stroke the book? Yeahhhhhh, that was me.

Not long after I had picked up Lucy D’s novel, I found myself entranced by every word in front of me. The storyline flowed beautifully and didn’t require too much brainpower to sail through it. The message throughout the novel is one that I feel will resonate with A LOT of readers as I am sure several of them would have been in that position once or twice. I know I have been. Despite that, Lucy Diamond told the story of three ladies life turbulence with such ease and poignancy, that the deep and secretive moments didn’t overshadow the true meaning of the story. As I said above, the novel didn’t require over thinking or the need to play detective when it came to characters pasts. Yes, the entire storyline kept me hooked and curious about the overall outcome, but it wasn’t forced. Every single line, every single chapter, every single emotion had a purpose within the storyline.

Ah-ha! It’s a relaxing sort of read! You know, the type of book that you want to snuggle up with, cuppa on a coaster and chocolate on your lap and just lose yourself in….magic. ‘The House of New Beginnings’ is just THAT. I’m frustrated with myself for not being able to get that out sooner, I do seem to go round the houses a tad, I do apologise!

‘The House of New Beginnings’ is a cosy, poignant and emotional read that may end up becoming your ‘go to’ book for 2017. Full of warm, hilarious moments that are guaranteed to make you smile (as well as shedding a tear), Lucy Diamond’s new novel is most definitely one to watch this year.

Effortlessly brilliant; another fantastic read from the genius that is Lucy Diamond.

You too can get your own copy of The House of New Beginnings right now from: Amazon.

As TWG & V-Day aren’t really friends; this calls for a V-Day Book Bundle #GIVEAWAY!!!!

Anyone seen the film ‘I Hate Valentines Day’, the film where people detest the love fest holiday at first, then end up changing their minds? Well, some do. Anyway, me and valentines aren’t really the best of buds, we haven’t been for as long as I can remember. I mean, all the girls at school had guys falling at their Stead & Simpson platform shoes…except me. Sniff sniff. Unfortunately, that luck stayed with me into my adulthood and ex boyfriends seemed to want to cheat on me on Valentines day instead. Maybe 2017 may be THE year that a guy will melt my frozen heart. Oh and no, I will not let it go ;).

SO, despite my bad luck where V-Day is concerned, I want to spread the love instead. I’m nice like that.

I am giving away a brand new copy of Paige Toon’s ‘The One We Fell In Love With’, a Soap & Glory sexy motherpucker lipgloss AND a Cadburys hot chocolate sachet.

If you like the sound (and look) of that prize and are based in the UK (sorry!), follow the link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway will close on Valentines day (14th February 2017), so you have a couple of weeks to bump up your entries. Good luck!

#Review! My Sweet Revenge by @JaneFallon @penguinUKbooks @penguinrandom

Blurb.

I want to make my husband fall back in love with me.

Let me explain. This isn’t an exercise in 1950s wifeydom. I haven’t been reading articles in old women’s magazines. ‘Twenty ways to keep your man’. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

I want him to fall back in love with me so that when I tell him to get the hell out of my life he’ll care. He won’t just think, ‘Oh good’.

I want it to hurt.

Paula has had Robert’s back since they got together as drama students.
She gave up her dreams so he could make it.
Now he’s one of the nation’s most popular actors.
And Paula’s just discovered he’s having an affair.

She’s going to remind Robert just what he’s sacrificing.
And then she’s going to break his heart like he broke hers.
It will be her greatest acting role ever.

Revenge is sweet.
Isn’t it?

What does TWG think?

Your wife/husband has been cheating on you; how do you feel? Of course, you’re going to be fuming, devastated and so on. Would you confront them about it? Or would you be badass and seek revenge?! Well, Paula has found out that her world is about the crumble (pretty much rivalling the amount of crumble on a good ol’ apple crumble to be honest); but instead of getting in his face and turning the air around them rather colourful, she is taking matters into her own hands.

The thing is, millions of people have been cheated on and continue to do so for reasons that are only known to themselves. Jane Fallon knows that, that is probably why she took one of the most relatable, soul-destroying and realistic situations and severely owned it.
Have you been cheated on? I have, multiple times. It was the most confidence shattering experience ever; an unforgettable experience if you will. Never mind self-help books, I needed a book like this!!! Writing novels, you have the ability to make people do things that you probably wouldn’t do yourself, yet some other books that contain situations similar to this one, have the characters doing what us readers would do ourselves.
OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO SNIVVEL IN SUPER OLD PJS AND HUMONGOUS SLIPPERS, HOLDING THE TUB OF BEN AND JERRYS.

Instead, Jane Fallon has created a badass, sassy and phenomenal main character who does the complete opposite. She seeks revenge! Paula is officially my heroine, she totally needs to be made into a super hero character! Sorry, going off subject. Anyway. The steps that Paula takes to turn her heartbreaking situation around are very bold, very daring, very ‘oh my god you’re doing what?!’, yet unbelievably brilliant. A couple of times throughout the book, I did wonder whether Paula was acting slightly childish with the tit for tat and wanting to ‘get him back’ so to speak. However, that swiftly became a thing of the past the more that Robert annoyed me.

There is A LOT to take in with ‘My Sweet Revenge’ and you do need to keep extra focused in case you do miss out on any vital information, but oh my goodness it is SO worth it! The storyline to’s and fro’s, changes direction multiple times but it really is one that will keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation.

Jane Fallon has exceeded my expectations with her latest novel, especially as her sharp humour is on point from start to finish. I thought Paula was a clever heroine but Jane Fallon has taken that role over!

My Sweet Revenge is a book that will have you crying, laughing, forming a group of solidarity with a woman who is only alive on paper, and realising that it IS okay to put your foot down and own a situation.
Absolute brilliant read; I definitely recommend this as your not-so-guilty secret. Girlpower!

Thank you Penguin, Netgalley & Jane Fallon.

‘My Sweet Revenge’ is available to buy now from Amazon.

#BlogTour! #Review – The Good Enough Mother by @anoushkabeazley @neverlandBT

Blurb.

Gatlin – a leafy, affluent town: Chelsea tractors and ladies who lunch. However all is not as it seems. Drea, a most unnatural mother, struggles to find private school fees for her step-daughter Ava after her boyfriend leaves her for another woman. Watching the yummy mummies she becomes inspired, hatching a daring and criminal plan…unleashing all hell in the quiet town of Gatlin. Can Drea survive the fallout and the wrath of the PTA? A satirical and hilarious black comedy about love, motherhood and the human condition.

What does TWG think?

‘The Good Enough Mother’ seemed to be a book that was constantly in the spotlight last year. A lot of fellow bloggers raved about it and from that moment, I just knew it had to make my TBR. I am only human after all and I did end up forgetting about it; cue NeverlandBT and an upcoming tour to give me the kick up the cupcake and read it.

When it comes to books that have been rated rather highly, it can put you on edge wondering whether you would enjoy it as much as everybody else, or whether it was worth the hype. I’ll be honest, I was really looking forward to reading one of the most talked about books of 2016, which unfortunately meant that my hopes were incredibly high upon starting the novel. As soon as I had read the first paragraph, I knew that the storyline would be one that I hadn’t read about before as it oozed raw and gritty situations. Raw and gritty are fabulous in a storyline, especially if the momentum continues throughout the whole thing. For me, working out whether the momentum continued, was something that I had to leave unanswered for the majority of the book.

Drea’s world has gone bottoms up and she’s left holding the baby. Well, Ava isn’t a baby but neither is she Drea’s. However, considering that Ava goes to a rather expensive school, I suppose you could say that yes, Ava is her own; seeing as Drea will be the one shelling out the money to keep her there. In other people’s world, they would go for the logical way of fixing things (or attempting to). In Drea’s world, she goes for the way that tests every emotion she has ever known, and then some.

Even though Anoushka Beazley’s book shouts dark, on edge storyline with a hint of ‘what the?’ for good measure, the authors humour was the ‘thing’ to keep me reading the book. Anoushka Beazley seemed to write troublesome situations one moment, before swiftly moving on with giggle fest anecdotes the next. It was the type of humour that makes you wonder why you’re laughing, yet you cannot stop. Dry humour. Real humour.

I said above how ‘The Good Enough Mother’ seemed to be ‘the one to watch’ last year; I really did hope that it would come under that heading for me. But it didn’t leave me as fulfilled as I hoped that it would. I struggled to work out the general consensus of the storyline, especially Drea’s amateur dramatics. I did try to feel sorry for her and a lot of her antics did make me laugh. However, she was the type of character that could end up winning awards for her performance.

Whilst the storyline did uncover snippets of maternal instincts and trying to think outside of the box, I did finish the book comparing it to a ‘marmite book’.
Anoushka’s humour won me over where the book is concerned. The way that she executed the humourous one liners at the perfect moment, was sheer genius.

Yes, ‘The Good Enough Mother’ wasn’t my cup of tea as such, it was still a book that contained a lot of potential for the future, as well as being a book that will definitely get people talking. It’s unique, quirky, and funny, yet somehow it has managed to camp out in my brain as a ‘what the’ type book. Marmite indeed, but I do like marmite…

Thank you Anoushka Beazley & NeverlandBT.

Buy Links

Waterstones  //  Foyles // Amazon

Author Links

Website // Goodreads // Twitter // Facebook

Giveaway!

10 signed copies of ‘The Good Enough Mother’ are up for grabs (10 individual winners). To be in with a chance of winning a copy, enter the giveaway HERE

#Publicationday! #Review of The Lost Daughter of India by @Sharon_Maas @bookouture

Blurb.

When Caroline meets Kamal the attraction is instant. He’s enchanting, charismatic and she can’t wait to set up a new life with him in India. Both their families are against the union but Caroline is convinced they’ll come round, especially when she gives birth to a beautiful daughter, Asha.

Asha is an adorable child but Caroline, homesick and beginning to hate the remote Indian village they live in, struggles with motherhood. Kamal is hardly ever there and she feels more and more isolated. In the grips of severe depression Caroline flees back to America, leaving Asha behind.

Ten years later …

Caroline recovered from her illness, is consumed by thoughts of the daughter she abandoned. Desperate to find Asha, she reunites with Kamal, intent on tracking her down. Will they ever be able to find their lost daughter? If they have any chance, they must confront the painful truths of the past and a terrible secret that has been kept for many years, until now.

What does TWG think?

Personally, this has been quite a difficult book to review and I have spent a lot of time staring at my computer expecting the words to just write themselves.
It was pretty clear from the first chapter that this novel would be moulded around some rather dark and turbulent issues. I’m not going to lie, it took me quite a while to get to grips with the storyline and readjust my mindset to the background information. I did feel as though I was out of my depth reading it as I couldn’t readjust my mindset quick enough to keep up with the storyline. There is a lot of information in each chapter and whilst I found that quite hard, this type of novel needs those stepping stones to keep the depth of the book.

Of course, given the nature of the novel a lot of the situations are pretty difficult and raw to read, yet Sharon Maas has executed the storyline brilliantly. Sharon’s emotive writing shines through the entire novel, keeping the power behind those words fresh in your mind. There was something so raw and poignant about the way Sharon described the maternal instinct and it gave me goosebumps. I wish I could describe the feeling better, but I’m sure you understand what I’m waffling on about!

Even though the overall concept of the book had me extremely shell-shocked and distraught (quite rightly so!), Sharon’s writing stood out for me. I did struggle with the book, I’ll be honest; but that is nothing against the book in general (more so the way that my brain reacted to the harrowing circumstances). I am glad that I didn’t give up on the The Lost Daughter of India, because it opened my eyes to an alternative culture. Plus, I got to witness Sharon Mass’ beautiful writing. Win win really!

Happy publication day Sharon!
Thank you Kim & Netgalley.

The Lost Daughter of India is out to buy now from Amazon.

#Spotlight! Happy 3rd birthday @iReadBookTours #giveaway #laurafabiani #booktours #iread

Today I am thrilled to share my birthday with iRead Book Tours 3rd Anniversary! Some of you may have seen Laura Fabiani’s company over on social media, so you may be aware of the company’s background. If you’re not, well, this is where I come in! To help celebrate iRead’s 3rd birthday, TWG (alongside many other bloggers) are shining the spotlight on them on a humongous tour.

About the company, iRead Book Tours.

‘At iRead, we give special attention to every book that tours with us. We are passionate about books and we customize all our tours because no two authors are alike.

We don’t just market books. We help our authors get the best exposure with traditional tours consisting mainly of reviews. We work closely with our authors and pride ourselves on our highly individualized customer service.

All our staff are book bloggers and authors, so we understand the process and the hard work involved. We’ve built a solid relationship with our database of reliable book bloggers who are eager to read your books.

Welcome to the iRead experience!’

About the founder, Laura Fabiani.

In 2008, Laura began blogging about books shortly after she published her first book. She started Library of Clean Reads, a book review blog, and discovered the joy of reviewing a variety of genres. Her children have joined her in this venture and they spend many happy hours reading books together. A Special Care Counselor by profession, Laura has co-led and developed programs for seniors with dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease. She has a passion for the topic of neuroscience and wellness.

Throughout the years she has met and worked with wonderful publishers, both traditional and indie, as well as publicists and authors. Best of all, she discovered the world of book bloggers–a community of special people who spend their precious time sharing their love of books and all things related to books.

Taking part in book tours has always made Laura feel more connected to authors and the publishing field. She organized her own virtual tour when her book was published and she learned several things. As an author, it exposed her to actual reader views and social media. As a book blogger and book tour organizer, it taught her the amount of work it entailed. And she loves it!

You can find Laura blogging at Library of Clean Reads and Essentially Italian. She is the owner of iRead Book Tours,  Italy Book Tours, and Je Lis Blog Tours.

Giveaway time!!

Prize:
Win $50 cash or a Basic Virtual Book Tour Package (2 winners, open int’l).
Ends Feb 4th.

Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy anniversary iRead Book Tours! On a personal note, Laura was one of the first tour hosts that I contacted when I started my blog back in March last year. She is professional and runs a tight, yet super polite, ship. Very proud to be a part of the team.

 

 

#Review – The Vets at Hope Green Part 1 by Sheila Norton @NortonSheilaann @EburyPublishing

Blurb.

PART ONE of a heartwarming and inspiring story about living the simple life and the joy of animals. Perfect for fans of Appleby Farm, Ivy Lane and Alfie the Doorstep Cat

Working as a receptionist in a London vets, Sam is living far from her idea of a simple life. She’s always broke, rents a tiny flat, and is constantly arguing with her boyfriend. But the worst part is that her career is going nowhere. She wants to be a vet, but the most contact time with the animals she has is a quick hello when she books in their next appointment.

Something’s got to give, so when her parents suggest visiting her Nana Peggy in a small quiet picturesque village, she agrees, thinking a bit of R&R could do her good.

But rest and relaxation may not be the order of the day. Poor Nana Peggy’s lovely dog Rufus is unwell, and Sam can’t help but grow fond of him. With the help of Joe the local vet, a charming yet strangely distant man, Sam sets out on looking after him, despite her London life trying to call her back…

What does TWG think?

Ever been between books and fancied something light and cosy; which didn’t make you start questioning your IQ level? I’m sure you have! I most CERTAINLY have, this being one of those times. I had just finished a book that left me with goosebumps where goosebumps ideally should not be. I wanted a story which wrapped my mind in a soft blanket and fed me marshmallows, but it’s those types of books you’ll only know once you see the cover.
Sheila Norton’s book was THAT sort of books. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on the cover that it would be the book that I could cosy up with. Isn’t it amazing how you just know that a book is going to be just…right?

Of course, a part of me was concerned that my expectations were too high to begin with. But honestly? I needn’t have worried, at all.

Sam works as a receptionist for a city vets. The thing is, she doesn’t want to be a receptionist for the rest of life and is adamant that she wants to become a vet. The thing is, her boyfriend thinks that she is living in a dream world. A girl can dream though, right? Nana Peggy to the rescue! Well, Sam is hopeful. A change of scenery, a wise woman; just what the doctor (or vet) ordered..or is it?

I really did feel sorry for Sam at first as she oozed innocence and just wanted to be happy, but things seemed to be going from bad to worse for her. Seeing as ‘Escape to the Country’ is the first part to the Hope Green series, we only get to find out so much. The majority of the story consisted of background information and mainly getting to know Sam. It was such a comfortable read, so comfortable in fact it seemed to end far too quickly haha! I really am looking forward to seeing where Sam’s life is headed and getting to know more of the characters.

A very promising start to a highly intriguing serial. Definitely the cosy read I had hoped for!

Thank you Ebury Publishing!

The Vets at Hope Green Part One is available to buy now from Amazon