The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts (@_caroroberts @0neMoreChapter) #Review #Christmas

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for supplying me with a copy of the book. All thoughts written here are done so in an unbiased manner*

The snow is falling, the hot chocolate’s warming, and hearts are melting . . .

Emma is the proud owner of The Chocolate Shop by the Sea, nestled in the heart of the cosy seaside village that’s become her home. With Christmas right around the corner, she and her assistant Holly are busy cooking up the locals’ festive favourites.

From cinnamon hot chocolates to reindeer lollipops, Christmas wouldn’t taste the same without a little cocoa magic. And for Emma it’s the perfect distraction from her romantic pains of the past. So when the shop’s miserly landlord threatens to hike up the rent, Emma’s Christmas and New Year suddenly look a lot less cheerful.

With the whole village rallying behind her – and loyal spaniel Alfie by her side – Emma’s determined to hold onto her chocolate-box dream.

The chocolate calendar countdown is on. Can Emma rescue her business and her broken heart?


TWG’s Thoughts.

Emma was afraid of loving again after her heart was irreparably broken….or so she thought. With a business to run, a pooch to look after and friends to remind that she’s still alive, Emma didn’t think her heart was capable of love again.. …Until Max that is.

Because I don’t want to give anything away that’s all I will say on the matter! Who would have thought that a cosy chocolate shop set in Northumberland, would be the ideal setting for a feel good story, but it was! I suppose you could say that I am ‘unlucky in love’, yet Emma and the gang made me see that, with the right person, all the puzzle pieces fit without question.

Who knows, someday I may get my own Max. Such a cosy, heart warming novel that put a smile on my face. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts is available to purchase now from Amazon.

@JennyKaneAuthor talks coffee stops as part of her Christmas Collection #Tour! @AccentPress

I get the pleasure of being the first blog to kick off Jenny Kane’s tour for her Christmas Collection! How exciting! Without further ado, I am thrilled to hand over the post to the lovely lady herself, Jenny Kane!

Coffee Stops at Christmas

Jenny Kane

Many thanks for inviting me to visit your wonderful blog today, Kaisha.

This is the first stop on a blog tour which features my three novella anthology, Jenny Kane’s Christmas Collection.

There is something very special about the Christmas season- the extra levels of hope, love

and kindness the season engenders make it the perfect time in which to set a romantic story. Writing the three seasonal novellas, that form part of the Another Cup of…series, was tremendous fun. I swear that when I wrote them all – even though each tale was created in the July preceding its release – I could almost smell the mulled wine. I certainly got into the mood by humming Christmas carols while I wrote. As I write all my stories from the corner of a cafe in my local town, this caused much bemusement and amusement amongst my fellow coffee shop dwellers.

I adore writing in cafes, so it was perhaps inevitable that I’d end up creating an entire series of books centring on a coffee house and its staff and customers. At Christmas time in particular, cafes are a haven of people watching potential. As I sit in my writing corner, I am forever speculating about what might be inside the vast number of shopping bags beneath the tables. I marvel at the speed at which dedicated Christmas gift purchasers arrive, down their drinks, and go!

Frequently, I have no choice but to overhear the simmering discussion’s that are destined to row into full fledged rows by the time Christmas dinner comes around. Then again, I often smile as I hear parents and grandparents urging their offspring to be good while they grab a much needed five minutes sanctuary from the stress of the season, with mentions of how Father Christmas rewards good children…

Coffee stops are always a mine of inspiration for the writer.

Coffee stops at Christmas are a gold mine just waiting to be tapped!

Blurb for the Jenny Kane Christmas Collection-

There is something very special about Christmas…

Jenny Kane’s Christmas Collection combines all three seasonal shorts from Jenny’s best-

selling Another Cup of … series in one festive anthology. In ‘Another Cup of Christmas’, we return to Pickwicks Coffee House in London, the setting

for Jenny’s bestselling novel Another Cup of Coffee. Together with old friends Kit, Amy, Scott and Peggy, we meet new Pickwicks waitress Megan, who’s in charge of organising a charity event for the local hospital…is romance as well as seasonal goodwill in the air?

‘Christmas in the Cotswolds’ sees Megan, now an established face at Pickwicks, travelling to the beautiful Cotswold countryside after an emergency call from her friend Izzie. Can Megan help Izzie pull off the perfect Christmas at her Arts and Crafts Centre – and save the business from disaster?

Kit Lambert, Pickwicks’ writer-in- residence, takes centre stage in ‘Christmas at the Castle’. Already nervous about appearing at her very first literary festival, in the grounds of a magnificent Scottish castle at Christmas time, Kit suddenly finds herself co-organising the whole thing – and trying to repair old friendships – with the deadline fast approaching…

Another Cup of Christmas was the first festive special to follow on from my bestselling

novel, Another Cup of Coffee. (It isn’t necessary to have read the first novel to enjoy the

Christmas stories.) Another Cup of Christmas is set five years after the first story of life, love and friendship in and around Pickwicks Coffee House in Richmond, London. Café owners Peggy and Scott and their waitress Megan, are organising a Christmas fundraising auction for the local ospital to thank them for all the help they gave Scott after he was involved in a traffic accident. So, rather than simply serving copious amounts of coffee to Pickwicks’ writer in residence, Kit, as she writes away in the corner of the cafe, Megan is spending most of her days emailing, Nick, the hospital liaison clerk about the charity event. As the auction draws nearer, Megan becomes more and more curious about meeting Nick in person…

Here’s how Another Cup of Christmas begins…

Having politely escaped her third ‘So what are you doing for Christmas?’ conversation of the day, Megan Johnson was retreating back to the counter when she spotted Pickwicks’ most regular customer sit up from her work and brush a stray red hair from her eyes.

Knowing it had been at least half an hour since Kit’s caffeine addiction had been

attended to, the waitress swiped up the percolator jug and headed in her direction.

Without bothering to ask if it was required, Megan poured the steaming liquid with

practised care, before taking advantage of the lull in Christmas shopping trade, and sitting

down opposite her friend. ‘Going OK?’

Swivelling the laptop round to face Megan, Kit rubbed the back of her neck, ‘I’m

sure I’ve missed something. What do you think?’

Pickwicks Festive Fundraiser!

Spoil Yourself With An Afternoon of Pickwicks’ Finest Festive Fare.

In Aid of the Royal Free Hospital’s Spinal Ward.

Saturday 22 nd December from 2pm.

Deluxe Buffet And Festive Fundraising Fun!

Tickets are ONLY £25 per person

Don’t miss out!

Book your place at Pickwicks Coffee Shop, Richmond – NOW!!

Megan scanned the poster. ‘Oh, that’s fabulous! I thought you were writing your latest

novel.’

‘To tell you the truth, that’s exactly what I should be doing, but Peggy asked me to

do some publicity for the fundraiser and I thought I’d better get on with it. Time seems to be dissolving. It’ll be the 22nd before we know it.’

‘I know what you mean.’ Megan started to collect the dishes left by a couple who’d

just vacated a nearby table. ‘The next three weeks are going to fly by.’

‘Two and a half weeks!’

‘Oh, hell! Really?’

‘That’s why I want to get these done; otherwise everyone will be too booked up with

their own celebrations to have time to come.’ Gesturing towards the kitchen, Kit asked,

‘How’s Scott doing out there, or shouldn’t I ask?’

Megan’s permanent smile widened further across her lightly freckled face. ‘He’s

amazing. I have no idea how he does it. The temperature in that kitchen is tropical, and yet

Scott’s still beaming that massive toothy grin of his. I’m seriously beginning to think he is

physically unable to stop cooking! Surely he must have pre-prepared as much as he can for

the fundraiser by now?’

Kit nodded. ‘He probably has, but Peggy is getting paranoid there won’t be enough

food.’ Glancing around, checking that Megan wasn’t needed by a customer for a moment, Kit pointed to a fresh pile of abandoned cups. ‘If I clear those, will you have a proper read of the poster? I’m sure I’ve missed something obvious but I can’t put my finger on it?’

Kit was already standing up and taking a tray from Megan’s hands before the

waitress said, ‘On one condition.’

‘Which is?’

‘I can check my emails? I’m supposed to be liaising with the hospital about this for

Peggy, but we’ve been so busy over the last few days I haven’t had time to see if Nick has

got back to me about how many of the ward staff are coming.’

‘Nick?’

Megan silently cursed her inability to prevent the involuntary warm pink blush that

hit her pale cheeks, ‘Yeah, he’s the admin guy for the ward that cared for Scott after his

accident.’

‘Nice, is he?’ Kit gently teased the petite blonde waitress, wondering, not for the

first time, why someone as kind and pretty as Megan hadn’t been snapped up years ago.

‘I’ve never met him, but he seems friendly. Well, he does via email and over the

phone at least.’

‘You’ve spoken to him then?’

‘There are loads of things to sort out.’ Megan, knowing that the crush she’d

developed on Nick’s Irish accent was utterly ridiculous, turned her full attention to the poster on the screen before her…

****

I hope you enjoyed that little festive taster!

All three of my seasonal novellas, Another Cup of Christmas, Christmas in the Cotswolds

and Christmas at the Castle, can be read in isolation, or in order. They can be purchased as

separate downloads, together, within Jenny Kane’s Christmas Collection.

And if you love reading them as much as I loved writing them, then you could finish off the

series, by searching out the final tale in the series, Another Glass of Champagne.

A full length novel, Another Glass of Champagne, brings big changes for all of the Pickwicks team- especially Jack and Amy…

Happy reading.

Many thanks again for letting me visit today.

Jenny xx

Now you can see why I let Jenny take over the post today, she had every single thing organised, as well as a little festive taster!  Thank you Jenny! I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a tad festive after reading this, the book taster has piqued my interest! So much so, I need to buy it! Where oh where will I get the link to be able to do that?
Ta-daaaaaa:
Buy Jenny’s Christmas Collection – Amazon UK
Buy Jenny’s Christmas Collection – Amazon US

About the author.

Jenny Kane is the author the contemporary romance Another Glass of Champagne, (Accent

Press, 2016), Christmas at the Castle (Accent Press, 2015), the bestselling novel Abi’s

House (Accent Press, 2015), the modern/medieval time slip novel Romancing Robin Hood

(Accent Press, 2014), the bestselling novel Another Cup of Coffee (Accent Press, 2013), and

its novella length sequels Another Cup of Christmas (Accent Press, 2013), Christmas in the

Cotswolds (Accent, 2014), and Christmas at the Castle (Accent, 2016). These three seasonal

specials are now available in one boxed set entitled Jenny Kane’s Christmas Collection

(Accent, 2016). Jenny’s fifth full length romance novel, Abi’s Neighbour, will be published in June 2017. Jenny’s first medieval murder mystery, The Outlaw’s Ransom will be published in December 2016 under the pen name, Jennifer Ash.

Jenny is also the author of quirky children’s picture books There’s a Cow in the Flat

(Hushpuppy, 2014) and Ben’s Biscuit Tin (Hushpuppy, 2015).
Jenny also writes erotica as Kay Jaybee.

Keep your eye on Jenny’s blog for more details.

Follow Jenny on Twitter

Jenny’s Facebook

#Review @Zak_and_Jen Astronomical Adventures: Tinsel Town by Natalie Page (@LexiMorgan26)

Zak and Jen are back with a second instalment of their astronomical adventures as they head to…Tinsel Town! Tinsel Town was written by Natalie Page and illustrated by Chris Rivers Nuttall. What a fabulous team they make! Today is my stop on the blog tour and I have the honour of bringing you a review AND a guest post from the author, Natalie.

Ready for your adventure? Open your brollies!

‘Zak flew to Jen’s planet and giggled with glee, he was so excited for what they might see… Best friends Zak and Jen are off on a Christmas adventure with their special umbrellas. This time, the pair fly to a new planet, but where is everybody? Enjoy the magic as Zak and Jen make some new festive friends and discover how important it is to make the most of every day’

I absolutely adored the very first book that Zak and Jen starred in, so when Natalie asked me to be involved in the blog tour for the second book how could I say no? I couldn’t read this instalment without my special little helper;  my three year old,. As soon as she spotted the cover of the book, she danced over to her bookshelf to find the other one. Bedtime came and Tinsel Town was chosen, what a perfect moment to read the book for the first time!

My little girl wasn’t the only one who came to be under Tinsel Town’s magic spell as I was too! Reading the introductory page had me spellbound by the wonderful, enticing words. Then came the illustrations. Wow.

Chris, you have completely outdone yourself! Every single illustration in the book gave me such a magical feeling!
Natalie’s poetic story alongside the illustrations had me feeling so enchanted, I am starting to wonder whether this truly is a magical book.

My daughter adored the book so much, she sat still the whole way through and asked me to read it a further 7 times. Tinsel Town has quickly become one of our favourite books to cosy up in bed with at bedtime. Such a beautifully written and designed book for children of all ages to enjoy, as well as their parent or guardian too. I cannot wait to find out about Zak and Jen’s next adventure!
Thank you Natalie for inviting me on your tour!

You too can go on an adventure with Zak and Jen if you purchase your very own copy! Perfect for a Christmas present!
Buy now!

Also, if you wish to keep an eye on Zak and Jen’s adventures, you can ‘like’ their Facebook page right >here!<

Guest post from author Natalie Page.

A typical Christmas in Natalie’s house

I am so excited to be sharing my typical Christmas with Kaisha on The Writing Garnet!

Recently, we moved to a new house in a really nice neighbourhood and last year, our street held a Christmas street party on Christmas Eve. It was great fun, we had mulled wine and sausage rolls and everyone took some time out to get to know each other!

Christmas Eve in our house usually involves wrapping presents that we haven’t yet wrapped and making sure that all the food is ready for Christmas Day. If my mother in law is around, we usually persuade her to make her traditional sausage rolls – afterall, who doesn’t love a homemade sausage roll at Christmas!

On Christmas morning, we all get up and go downstairs to open our stocking presents together and I will usually get some nice food in for a special Christmas morning breakfast. Last year we had smoked salmon, croissants and orange juice and Bucks Fizz! Once the stocking present opening is done, we usually move on to main presents – this process can take some time! I will also note that we usually have something festive on the TV at this point to really add to the Christmas mood.

When we have finally finished all the present opening, we get up and dressed and then it is my job to make a start on Christmas lunch. We normally have lunch around 1 / 2 pm so whilst my daughter is busy playing with her new toys, I am busy beavering away in the kitchen!

No-one is a big fan of Turkey in our family so our Christmas dinner usually involves roast chicken and all the trimmings. We then finish up with Christmas Pudding, some kind of chocolate dessert and mince pies, if there is one thing we like, it’s our puddings – although I never expect anyone to have all three!

After lunch it is all about relaxing, perhaps watching a Christmas movie or playing some board games. If the weather is decent we might even pop out for a walk. We usually have a light tea in the evening and then it’s time to go to bed.

We have quite a large extended family, so Christmas in our house usually spans at least two days. Boxing Day then essentially turns into a second Christmas Day so we have lots more food, games and general fun!

That’s pretty much it for our typical Christmas, nothing out of the ordinary really but we do like to make sure we make plenty of time for family and friends!

 

#Review! Miracle On 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan (@SarahMorgan_) @HQStories

Blurb.

Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. Even if she is spending it alone housesitting a spectacular Fifth Avenue apartment. What she didn’t expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous–and mysterious–owner.

Bestselling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife’s death looming, he’s isolated himself in his penthouse with only his grief for company. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings…This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?

What does TWG think?

One thing that always makes me think of Christmas is the film ‘Miracle on 34th Street’, so when I saw that Sarah’s latest novel consisted of a title in the same vein, I couldn’t resist nabbing it to read. Plus, I ADORE Sarah’s books anyway so it was really a win-win situation before I had even begun.

Meet Eva, a Christmasaholic who loves nothing better than being amongst the festivities and ensuring everyone else is amongst them too, whether they like the season or not. Unfortunately for her, the owner of Eva’s latest job happens to be a tough cracker to pull and celebrating Christmas isn’t at the top of his to-do list. Will Eva be able to turn a 21st century Scrooge into a Christmas Elf, or will she have to admit defeat and realise not everybody wants to sing ‘Santa Baby’? It would be a miracle..

Oh my goodness, I LOVED this book!! Everything from the setting of the book to the decorations on the Christmas trees were written with incredible detail and filled with so much magic I started to think it was Christmas. I think Eva’s Christmas naivety put the book on another level because she oozed sass alongside it. In a few of the Christmas books I have read, I sometimes find that a few of the characters can be rather slushy. However, Eva was completely different. Yes, she had naivety when it came to Christmas and the assumption that everyone else should love it like she does, but my goodness that woman sure knows how to give as good as she gets. Such a firecracker! Eva has got to be one of my top favourite characters within a book, ever. Such a fantastic character to read about and get to know.

I did find some parts of the storyline to have the predictability factor but that didn’t bother me in the slightest as it still made for excellent reading despite that. Everything about ‘Miracle On 5th Avenue’ shouted Christmas as the storyline was very atmospheric and magical. I actually am starting to think that Sarah Morgan managed to put me under a spell with her words!

I must admit, I did get ever so slightly teary in the last half of the book when the storyline went in a different direction as, even though I had a strong inkling about the route the storyline was taking, I was still overcome with emotion.

Sarah Morgan has an incredible way with words and fills her stories with so much emotion, magic and enjoyment; how can you not feel on top of the world once you have finished one of her books? Miracle On 5th Avenue was such a joy to read and I felt slightly empty once I had finished reading it!

Such a magical and cosy read that will have you spellbound from the very first page. A definite must have and must read for this Christmas. Magnificent book!

Thank you HQ Stories!

Miracle On 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan, published by HQStories is available to buy now in both e-book and paperback from Amazon UK.

Review of Jenny Hale’s (@jhauthor) ‘All I Want For Christmas’ @bookouture

Blurb.

Snowflakes are falling, there’s carol singing on every corner, and Leah Evans is preparing for a family Christmas at her grandmother’s majestic plantation house in Virginia. It won’t be the same now that her beloved Nan is gone, but when Leah discovers she has inherited the mansion, she knows she can give her daughter Sadie the childhood of her dreams.

But there’s a catch. Leah must split the house with a man called David Forester. Leah hasn’t heard that name in a long time. Not since they were kids, when Davey was always there to catch her.

Now David is all grown up. He’s gorgeous, successful, and certain of one thing: Leah should sell him her half of the house.

They can’t agree, but as they share memories over wine by the log fire, Leah notices a fluttering in her stomach. And by the look in his eyes, he’s starting to feel it too.

Will it be Leah or David who must give up their dreams? Or, with a little bit of Christmas magic, will they finally understand Nan’s advice to them both about living life without regrets … and take a chance on true love?

What does TWG think?

I’m not going to lie, as soon as I read the title of the book, TWG became Mariah Carey. Found my inner diva, not that it was hard mind you. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMASSSSS ISSSSS YOUUUUUUUUUUU.
Uncanny resemblance I know.

Due to the fact that I an additional two words to the title in my head, I automatically thought that the book was going to have the lovey dovey, see a man in the distance, fall madly in love then realise he’s a snowman, type feel to it. How wrong could I have been. There were no snowmen, just uncertain and familiar males.

It’s the festive season and Leah is trying to give her daughter the best Christmas, despite barely being able to make ends meet. Leah’s daughter, Sadie, has a wise head on young shoulders so she understands that her mum tries her best and will give her what she can for Christmas. However, one of Sadie’s Christmas wishes looks as though it may stay just that, a wish. Will Leah be able to work out what her Nan means in the letter that she left for her? Or will Leah’s Nan’s legacy no longer be kept in the family?

It didn’t take me long to work out that this Christmas book wasn’t going to be the fluffy type of read as by the end of the first chapter, I was well and truly gripped by the events that were unfolding before my very eyes. The fact that everything was well and truly up in the air, obviously, made me eager to find out more. I wanted to know what the hell was happening with her Nan’s old business and what secrets were being kept. Incredibly mysterious and very unexpected.

My heart went out to Leah several times throughout the story as I could feel the emotion and fear that she was carrying around with her. She was trying to do her best for her daughter’s future, but it seemed as though all she has ever known was being taken away from her by one single name. I found Leah’s friend, Roz, such a hoot to read about. She had the air of someone who couldn’t give a flying mince pie what anyone thought of her, unless you messed with the ones she loved. Her humour and sarcastic remarks were brilliant, definitely added another dimension to the storyline.

As I read further into the story, it became clear that I was feeling an incredibly strong hidden message, and it is one that goes rather unnoticed. Some people might think that Christmas means loads of gifts, expensive ones at that, or even going to a different country just because. If that’s what you do, then good for you. However, Jenny Hale has unearthed what often goes unappreciated; family. Leah wanted to recreate her family Christmas like the ones she had with her Nan, whilst keeping the magic there for Sadie. I believe that Jenny pulled that off for her main character for sure. The rawness that was unwrapped on Christmas morning within the story, was emotional unnerving. Tears were pricking my eyes over such a minor detail of the book, yet the meaning behind it was larger than life.

The powerful moments didn’t stop there as every situation flowed naturally into another one, every character gelled like old friends, and intense emotions were heightened. Extremely heightened, (for me anyway), I finished the book crying my eyes out. The intensity of Jenny’s words were extremely overwhelming, and very enriching. I felt as though the book just walked into my soul, set up camp and read ‘All I Want For Christmas’ to me.

Jenny writes with such ease and authenticity that her words usually stop me in my tracks. She has THAT edge. Whilst Jenny’s other books are brilliant, she has outdone herself with her latest as this is now my favourite book of hers.

All I Want For Christmas is a soul hugging, emotional and poignant read that highlights the true magic of Christmas, and family. An undeniably joyful yet emotional read that will stay in my heart for a very, very long time.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for my unbiased views.

‘All I Want For Christmas’ by Jenny Hale, published by Bookouture, is available to buy from today! Happy publication day to Jenny & Bookouture!
Buy from Amazon UK
Buy from Amazon US

Blog tour! TWG is getting festive with ‘A Winter Affair’ by Minna Howard (@Adelica) @Aria_Fiction

TWG is getting festive…in September! No time is the wrong time for cosy festivities, especially where Minna Howard and ‘A Winter Affair’ is concerned! I had the honour of being asked by Aria Fiction to review this book on tour, after my review of Minna’s ‘Mothers and daughters’ went live. Truly honoured and thank you for the ARC!

Blurb.

With a recent divorce and empty nest Eloise Brandon is facing Christmas alone until a harried phone call from her godfather changes everything.

Accepting his challenge, Eloise finds herself en-route to Verbier and to her godfathers chalet in the beautiful Swiss Alps to help cater for some seriously rich, high rolling guests.

What ensues makes it a Christmas to remember. A heady alpine mixture of old friends, ex-husbands, mega-rich, super demanding guests, a dishevelled proprietor and Bert the dog.

What does TWG think?

Having just finished reading Minna’s previous book, I was rather excited to read ‘A Winter Affair’. After all, Christmas in the Swiss Alps, how can you not be excited? Easy for me to say I guess, I’m not the one cooking and running around after high-end clientele all day. Luckily (or unluckily) for Eloise, she gets to spend the festive season with other people, and not alone as originally planned. Will Eloise find herself burying her head in the snow if it gets too much? Or will she brave the slopes like a trooper and grab the challenge by the ski-boots?

There is nothing worse than the prospect of a Christmas on your own, unfortunately, Eloise was faced with exactly that. Christmas day would be just Eloise….and her boxes. Or would it?

By the end of the first chapter, I was already curled up on the sofa in my Minnie mouse dressing gown, with my kindle in one hand, and a cuppa in the other. I had no intention of moving from the sofa until the book was completed. There was something quite different about ‘A Winter Affair’, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. All I knew was that I had to keep reading, the force behind Minna’s writing was too powerful to ignore.

I couldn’t believe how ‘busy’ the storyline became, there seemed to be a constant conveyor belt of situations and turmoil to try to resolve. Usually a storyline like that would be too much in an ‘easy read’ but I felt as though the books true depth came from the intense circumstances and feisty characters. Just like any book that I read, there were characters that I gelled with more than others, and some that had me riled up. I won’t say the names of the characters, but all I will say is that one is male, and the other female! Doesn’t narrow it down at all I know ;).

I LOVED the dog, he is the legend of the book. The things that Bert got up to had me in absolute hysterics. I adore the way Minna described his antics, as well as the responses of the characters around him. Genius. I think he should get his own book to be honest, ‘Bert the dog…and friends’.

The cosy feeling captured me early on in the book, so I was rather hopeful that it would stay with me as I continued reading. Which it did! I consider ‘A Winter Affair’ to be an easy read, a book that doesn’t make me think too much yet is soulful with its words.
The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was the fact the wrap up of the storyline felt a tad hurried.

Minna Howard has written such a soul enriching read which involves you in every aspect of the storyline through her words alone. When certain characters were sad, the book came to a standstill in a good way, it was as though the focus needed to be on that one person and as the reader, I felt as though I connected to the emotions that that one person expressed. It’s incredible that 26 letters of the alphabet create such comprehensive words with intense meanings, tugging at your heart-strings in the process.

‘A Winter Affair’ is a book about going for it, sticking with it and realising your own worth. Nobody can fix everything for you, but they can often give you the tools to help you on your way. Take Eloise for example, if she can grab life by its ski-boots with the help of Minna Howard, then who are we to judge? Another fantastic read from the talented Minna Howard. If you have to unwrap something this festive season, make sure it is this book. It will give you your own kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas.

A Winter Affair by Minna Howard, published by Aria, is available to buy now from Amazon UK.

**Cover Reveal!** It’s a Wonderful Life by Julia Williams (@JCCWilliams) @avonbooksuk.

Second reveal of the week ladies and gentleman! Fancy unwrapping a book with your eyes? Well, seeing as the cover is pretty much a present in itself! Ready to see why?

Introducing:

Publishing in eBook and Paperback: 3^rd November
Pre-order now from Amazon

Blurb

Christmas with the family. Cosy, relaxing…and a total nightmare?
Driving home for Christmas, Beth has everything she wants. The kids and the house, the career and the husband. So why is it that when the New Year comes, she can’t stop thinking about her old college boyfriend?
Her husband Daniel is tasked with bringing a struggling school up to scratch, but when family life catches up to him, can he be a good father and a good teacher at the same time?
Beth’s sister Lou has just been dumped…again. Single and childless, she can’t help but be jealous of her sibling’s success. But is the grass really always greener?
It’s a Wonderful Life is a heart-warming novel about the lives that could have been, and what happens when you start to question the choices you made…

See what I mean?! How gorgeous is that?? Definitely feeling Christmassy already and it’s only August! Cannot wait to curl up with this book!

Cover reveal! ‘All She Ever Wished For’ by Claudia Carroll.

Can you be star struck over the internet…without ACTUALLY meeting the author? Well, I am!! I’m sure many of you have heard of the very talented Claudia Carroll, yes? This October she returns with her latest novel, and tonight, I get to reveal the cover to you -hyperventilates-.

ALL SHE EVER WISHED FOR

Claudia Carroll

Publishing in eBook and paperback: 6^th October 2016 by HarperCollins UK

A gorgeous story of chance meetings and unexpected friendships. Because sometimes what you’ve always wished for isn’t necessarily what life has in store . . . 

Marriage. It’s a dream come true. Isn’t it?
One wet winter night, two women meet on a bridge. One is Tess Taylor, a personal trainer on the way to meet her boyfriend for date night. The other is Kate King, a celebrity married to a handsome billionaire who just happens to make her cry. In the cold dark evening, there is nothing to link them together but the bridge they shiver on. Little do they know they’ll both hold the key to each other’s future marriage…
All She Ever Wished For tells the story of what happens when your dream is about to come true. And what happens when that dream turns into a bit of a nightmare…
Claudia Carroll brings you a Christmas gift filled with second chances, fateful encounters and a lesson in what true love means.

Available for pre-ordering now via Amazon

The Christmas books are being sent by Santa nice and early this year! I wonder what other beautiful books will be on his sleigh?!

Bella’s Christmas Bake off by Sue Watson

Bella’s Christmas Bake off by Sue Watson.
ISBN: 1910751618
Published: 20th October 2015 by Bookouture.
Available to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US in Kindle and paperback format.

‘Bella Bradley is the queen of television baking – a national treasure. Her Christmas specials have been topping the ratings for years and her marriage to Peter ‘Silver Fox’ Bradley is the stuff of Hello magazine specials.
But this year things are going to be different.
For Amy Lane, Bella’s best friend from school, life hasn’t held quite the same sparkle. And when Amy’s husband walks out three weeks from Christmas, it seems their lives are further apart than ever.
Amy has watched Bella’s rise to fame fondly, despite the fact Bella was always a terrible cook. But when she realises that Bella’s latest Christmas book is made up entirely of Amy’s mother’s recipes, the gloves are off…
After winning a competition to appear on Bella’s TV show, Amy is going to make sure that for Bella and her viewers, this will definitely be a Christmas to remember…’

Amy’s Christmas memories as a child mainly involve baking with her mother and her childhood best friend, Bella. Unfortunately, Amy and Bella’s history isn’t all that straightforward, but ‘thanks’ to Bella’s Christmas television programme, Amy finds herself confronting her past. Amy manages to get herself onto Bella’s Christmas programme to finally put to bed the past, but can Amy make Bella see what is right under her nose?
Who said Christmas books were just meant to be read in December? Certainly not me! If anyone has said that, I’m going to ignore it and so should you because this needs to be read ANY month of the year! Remember your childhood Christmases’? The excitement surrounding Santa Claus and whether you had been good enough in the year to find presents when you got downstairs. Not forgetting Christmas dinner of course! Paper hats on heads eating mountains of food because it was Christmas, and that’s the law! Oh, it’s not? Oh! Home made mince pies! (Thanks mum!) Reading Bella’s Christmas Bake off will transport you to every Christmas you have ever had whilst reliving all the special memories and traditions. Although, you might find yourself laughing at the realisation that a ham could be seen in a sexual manner……
I will rephrase that, you WILL find yourself laughing at multiple things, and not just the ham! This book has been on my ‘to read’ list since last year and I never got round to reading it until last month!  I am extremely regretful that I didn’t read this book sooner because it is such a captivating and warming book. Within the first few pages of the book, one of the main characters; Amy is hit with drama, major drama considering it’s three weeks before Christmas and she finds herself husband-less. Her Christmas now in tatters, oh, and the cake she spent ages making. The cake decided to have its own Christmas venture…on the floor…outside…where a cake should not be. Oh my goodness I feel faint at the thought! Amy’s Christmas tradition as an adult was watching Bella’s perfect Christmas life on the television. Is it really that perfect though? Luckily for Amy, in a roundabout way, she gets the chance to confront Bella over many things, including her mother’s recipes.
As you can probably guess already, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. The humour within the story is witty, on point, and will make you spit out any liquid in your mouth due to uncontrollable laughter. Well, looks like my secret is out! FYI, it was tea! Not only does the book contain hilarity, it also contains festivity and, for me, several hidden messages. Now, this isn’t a spoiler because no two people will read a book in the same way as someone else. Bella’s Christmas Bake off had me crying because it makes you realise that you need to live your life because of what you want without having to worry about what anyone else is going to say about your choices. It also made me realise that Christmas doesn’t have to be all fancy, it just needs to have what you hold dear to your heart. Family, close friends, even memories. Every single one of us has our own special memories to do with Christmas. Memories are priceless and so are traditions, however, you can make those memories last by carrying on special traditions as an adult. I know I will be.
I really can’t praise this book enough because it exceeded any expectations that I had before I read it. Hilarious, witty and extremely magical.  A truly compelling story that has been written straight from the heart, with Santa’s sleigh bringing it straight to your heart.