Review: The Holiday Cottage By The Sea By Holly Martin

The Holiday Cottage By The Sea 
By Holly Martin 
Print Length: 249 pages
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: April 12, 2018


The perfect place to fall in love this summer…

Tori Graham is in need of a holiday. Trying to piece her heart back together after losing the love of her life, she escapes to Blossom Cottage, with its picturesque views of the sea. And plans to spend the summer in gorgeous Sandcastle Bay, where her best friend Melody Rosewood lives.
Tori’s not expecting her summer by the beach to be eventful, until she meets handsome and mysterious Aidan Jackson…
Aidan looks after the holiday cottage Tori is staying in. Healing from past hurts, he wants to avoid any further chance of heartache. But could this newcomer be the breath of fresh air he needs?
Finding herself embracing life in the coastal community, Tori starts to fall in love with Sandcastle Bay and its welcoming cast of residents. But that’s not all she begins to fall for, as Tori is swept away by Aidan’s genuine heart and mischievous sense of humour. The attraction between them is undeniable, but will a simple holiday romance be enough?
As Tori’s stay in Sandcastle Bay comes to an end she has a tough decision to make…. Has her heart found a new place to call home?

My Thoughts:

 The Holiday Cottage By The Sea, is a light-hearted, laugh-aloud romantic comedy filled with an endearing cast of characters populating the small, picturesque seaside village of Sandcastle Bay where romance is expected to bloom and thrive especially with the onset of the annual Heartberry Festival. As the characters struggle with putting past heartaches aside, they each wonder if a "happy ever after" is in their futures and, more importantly, are they capable of putting their self-doubts aside and take that risk of heartache once again?   For me, the most appealing aspect of Holly Martin's writing is her ability to make me simply laugh aloud (and not just a giggle but rather a full on hearty laugh!)  She has a unique, quirky sense of humor that never fails.  I must admit that Aunt Agatha is certainly my favorite character in this novel!  Who doesn't love an elderly Aunt who speaks of love and romance completely uncensored with the determination to see everyone married and living happily ever after no matter how embarrassing it may be for those on the receiving end of her good intentions? This was just what I needed to chase away those ever-lingering, long, winter blues!

 A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the review opportunity...FOUR stars!

Review: There'll Be Blue Skies By Ellie Dean

Series: Beach View Boarding House - Book #1
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Random House UK
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0099560461

When 16-year-old Sally is evacuated to the English south coast, she is terrified by what lies ahead of her. All she knows are the sights and sounds of London's East End—but Sally swallows her tears as they leave the familiar landmarks behind, knowing that she has to be a Grown-Up Girl and play mother to her six-year-old brother Ernie. Playing mother is nothing new for Sally—their real mother Florrie, a good-time girl, hasn't even come to the station to wave them off and Ernie, crippled at an early age by polio, is used to depending on his older sister.

When they arrive in Cliffehaven, they're taken to live at Beach View boarding house, where they're welcomed by the open-hearted Reilly family headed up by warm, loving Peggy, and life begins to improve. Sally gets a job in a uniforms factory to help pay her way—and to pay for Ernie's expensive medicines—but then Florrie arrives in Cliffehaven, bringing disaster with her. And Sally is forced to work out where her true loyalties lie...

My Thoughts:

I was first introduced to Ellie Dean's Beach View Boarding House Series this past summer when I was presented with an advance reader's copy of Book #9, Sealed With A Loving Kiss, and I was immediately captivated by the endearing cast of characters as well as Dean's emotionally compelling writing style.  Although it read well as a stand alone novel, I immediately knew I had to go back a begin with the first book in this series and I was not disappointed in the least!  This first installment is set against the early days of World War II and the children of London are being evacuated to the countryside.  As a mother, I can't even begin to imagine what this must have been like, however, for Sally and Ernie, their mother doesn't seem to be particularly bothered at all and fails to even see her children off.  At sixteen years old, Sally has had to grow up quickly and has become her brother's primary care provider while their father serves his country.  Fortunately, Peggy Reilly has enough love in heart and a room to spare, and quickly embraces these young Londoners.  Filled with love, hope, and the endearing bonds of friendship amid the onset of war, "There'll Be Blue Skies" is a compelling story that has left me anxious to continue on to the next book in this series!  Keep the box of tissue close at hand; this one is sure to tug at your heart! FIVE stars.
 

These titles are also available as Audiobooks from Audible.com.  I listened to a couple of samples and I'm quite tempted to try a couple of these in audio format as well. (I'm quite smitten with the accents of the British narrators which only brings these novels to life even more!)

Review: Keep The Home Fires Burning By Anne Bennett

Paperback, 554 pages
Publisher: Harper Torch
Publication Date: January 1, 2011
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0007359195

A moving and gripping drama as one family struggles to survive through the strains of the Second World War The year is 1940 and Bill and Marion Whittaker live happily with their five children in a terraced house on Albert Road in Birmingham. But when Bill enlists to fight in the Second World War, the family are plunged into poverty. Marion is forced to pawn all her worldly possessions and decides to take in two lodgers, Peggy Wagstaffe and Violet Clooney. These two lively girls bring some light relief to the family and bring with them Peggy's handsome brother Sam - who catches the eye of Marion's sixteen-year-old daughter, Sarah. 1944 and the war grinds on. Disaster strikes with an explosion at the local munitions factory, leaving Sarah badly disfigured. Then news arrives that Sam has been blinded in action. Can these two injured souls help each other to repair not only their physical but emotional scars? And will Bill return to the safety of family and home?

  My Thoughts: 

This was one of my many online purchases from the Book Depository in the U.K.(yes, they offer free world wide shipping too!)  As a fan of the PBS series, Home Fires, I've been constantly searching for similar books set against the backdrop of World War 2 Britain.  In "Keep The Home Fires Burning," Anne Bennett has  created a remarkably gripping story of one family's struggle to survive and persevere during the war years.  The author has certainly done her research and brings a great deal of historical accounts into the story that swiftly takes the reader back in time to that particular period filled with apprehension, fear, and the will to keep moving forward.  She also provides the reader with the perspective of being a devout catholic family living in Britain during this period as well.  The Whittaker family will capture your heart and stay with you long after the last page has been read as the experience the tragedies of war and the ever-present love that holds them together throughout the years.  "Keep The Home Fires Burning" is an emotionally charged story with well-developed characters and a gripping plot...keep the tissues near by!  I enjoyed every page of this and I'm looking forward to reading other novels by this amazing author! FIVE stars.

Review: The Crow Trap By Ann Cleeves

Series: Vera Stanhope Book #1
Paperback  560 pages
Publisher: Pan Books; New Edition edition
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1509815899

The Crow Trap is the first book in Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope series - which is now a major ITV detective drama starring Brenda Blethyn, VERA. Three very different women come together at isolated Baikie's Cottage on the North Pennines, to complete an environmental survey. Three women who each know the meaning of betrayal ...Rachael, the team leader, is still reeling after a double betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Anne, a botanist, sees the survey as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace, a strange, uncommunicative young woman, hiding plenty of her own secrets. Rachael is the first to arrive at the cottage, where she discovers the body of her friend, Bella Furness. Bella, it appears, has committed suicide - a verdict Rachael refuses to accept. When another death occurs, a fourth woman enters the picture - the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope ...Also available in the Vera Stanhope series are Telling Tales, Hidden Depths, Silent Voices and The Glass Room. Ann Cleeves' Shetland series (BBC television drama SHETLAND) contains five titles, of which Dead Water is the most recent.

My Thoughts:

I must admit that I had never heard of this author and discovered her quite by chance.  I love British drama series and as I was browsing the selection on Hulu, I came across "Vera" starring Brenda Blethyn whom I simply adore.  Once I realized this series was based on the books by Ann Cleeves, I immediately made it my mission to locate every book in the series. After all, we all know the book is so much better than any film adaptation! And I could not be more pleased with this first installment in the Vera Stanhope series.  Cleeves is an amazing British author with a keen eye for detail, suspense, and insight into the human psyche.  Each character is so well-developed and intriguing but none can compare to the eccentric Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope.  The most appealing aspect of this lead female character is that she's not perfect; she's flawed and broken with a haunting past that only makes her both endearing and intriguing all at once.  She doesn't necessarily play by the rules, and is rather unconventional and extremely driven by her investigative nature.  The plot within "The Crow Trap" is filled with so many unexpected twists and turns, I was left guessing until the very end and often times I felt as though I should grab a notepad myself to piece together the evidence and analyze each suspect!  An extremely well-written start to a series and I'm quite anxious to become even further acquainted with this talented writer. FIVE stars.

Review: The Angels Of Lovely Lane By Nadine Dorries

Series: Lovely Lane Book #1
File Size: 2297 KB
Print Length: 371 pages
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication Date: June 2, 2016
Language: English
ASIN: B016AWGJEW

It is 1953 and five very different girls are arriving at the nurses' home in Lovely Lane, Liverpool, to start their training at St Angelus Hospital.

 Dana has escaped from her family farm on the west coast of Ireland. Victoria is running away from a debt-ridden aristocratic background. Beth is an army brat and throws in her lot with bitchy Celia Forsyth. And Pammy Tanner has come from quite the wrong side of the tracks in Liverpool. The world in which they now find themselves is complicated and deeply hierarchical, from lonely but formidable Matron down to Dessie who rules the Porter's boys with military firmness. Everyone has their place at St Angelus and woe betide anyone who strays from it.

But when an unknown girl is admitted, after a botched late abortion in a backstreet kitchen, a tragedy begins to unfold which will rock the world of St Angelus to its foundations.

My Thoughts: 

First in a new drama series from British author, Nadine Dorries,"The Angels Of Lovely Lane" is extremely well written filled with captivating characters and intriguing plot twists throughout!  Haunted by her own past, Emily has overcome tragedy and climbed the nursing ranks to become the director of St, Angelus' Nursing Program only to to be met with disapproval and an unwillingness to change from long held traditions by the older staff members including the Matron herself.  However, it's a new term and Emily has high hopes for her new student nurses.  Dana, Victoria, Pammy, and Beth each have their own obstacles to overcome as they begin their journey into the world of nursing.

I simply love Nadine Dorries' writing style; the characters are so well-developed and her descriptions are so vivid that I immediately found myself transported to another time and place among endearing friends. The most appealing aspect however, is that Dorries has created a cast of strong female characters filled with grit and determination to succeed and to overcome any obstacle placed before them. Each story line is so compelling and intriguing that I found myself anticipating each new page; creating a wonderful reading experience. This is certainly an amazing start to a new series that I highly recommend and look forward to continuing the series! FIVE stars. 

Review: London Belles By Annie Groves

Series: Article Row Book #1
Print Length: 451 pages
Publisher: Harper; Reprint edition
Publication Date: March 31, 2011
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0007361505

London Belles is a tale of four very different young women thrown together by war. Finding freedom and independence – as well as love, passion and heartbreak – for the very first time, a unique bond is formed as the hostilities take their toll on Britain.

Four lives. One war that will change them all.

When tragedy strikes, Olive is forced to seek lodgers. Three girls come knocking at her door, each in need of a roof over their heads.

Sally has left Liverpool to work as a nurse in London and when she arrives she is a shell of her former self. Where once stood a vivacious, sociable girl, now stands one plagued by homesickness and a betrayal that is devastatingly fresh in her mind.

Dulcie is living the high life in the West End, a world away from her home in Stepney. Working at Selfridges gives her access to the most fashionable clothes and makeup, but at home she is the black sheep of the family; always second to her sister. So she decides it's time to make a bid for freedom.

Agnes grew up in an orphanage, having been left on the steps as a new-born baby. But with war looming, and the orphanage relocating to the country, she must now seek out a job and lodgings. But with change comes exciting new opportunities, worlds away from the life she's known…

As the women prepare for war, all of their futures hang in the balance. Soon their lives will change irrevocably and the home that binds the London Belles is no longer the sanctuary they once sought.

My Thoughts:

Fans of the PBS series, "Home Fires: and "Mr.Selfridge", are sure to be delighted with this first installment of Annie Groves' "Article Row" series!  As Britain begins to prepare for the inevitable invasion of German forces, Olive and her daughter, Tilly, find themselves taking in boarders in order to make ends meet.  With the addition of Sally, Dulcie, and Agnes, number 13 Article Row quickly becomes more than a boarding house as Olive proves there is love in her heart for just one daughter. As each young woman struggles with her own personal issues, they are quickly bonded by the threats of war.  Annie Groves is an amazing storyteller and manages to capture the reader with extremely well-developed characters. I was immediately captivated by this cast of characters who soon felt more like old friends.  The insight into the preparations for war and everyone doing their bit to assist in the efforts makes for an intriguing and emotional journey into the past.  Keep in mind this is just the first novel in the series, so don't expect the story to come full circle by novel's end...after all it's really just the beginning and what a beginning it is!  I can't wait to read the next installment, "Home For Christmas".  A wonderful beginning to what is sure to be a wonderful series! FIVE stars.

Books In This Series: