Hate Bale by Stephanie Dagg @llamamum @rararesources #bookreview #hatebale

Happy happy!

Excited to share with you my review for this delightful story! Thank you Rachel for my invitation to the tour and Stephanie for her lovely story!🦙

Hate Bale

Grumbling guests and escaping piglets are precisely what Martha doesn’t need. She’s already struggling to run a holiday cottage and a rather large smallholding single-handedly. Since her husband Mark died, three years ago, her rural property in France, beautiful as it is, has become an increasingly heavy millstone around her neck.

So whilst she’s horrified to stumble across a corpse at the local farm supplies shop, it does at least distract her from her own woes. Best friend Lottie, the cheese to Martha’s chalk, swoops in to offer moral support, and encourages Martha to join her in some unofficial sleuthing. Meanwhile, police officer Philippe Prudhomme, a former fellow chess-player of Mark’s, undertakes a rather more professional investigation.

However, despite everyone’s efforts the killer remains at large. And when more bodies (one and a bit, to be precise) come Martha’s way, it definitely feels like he’s closing in on her…

There’s suspense, humour and excitement in this entertaining cosy mystery set in the French countryside.

My Thoughts

Stephanie Dagg has crafted a clever and entertaining story. A lovely cozy mystery with a thread of humor running throughout. Set in France Martha lives on a farm full of furry and feathery friends. Martha’s husband Mark died prematurely a few years ago and left Martha in charge of the farm. This included a barn full of animals, out of date machinery, and irascible tenants. It’s no wonder that Martha found it a welcome distraction when she discovered a body at the local feed store. Yes you heard that right a body and a Little more.

Martha was a character who grew on me throughout the story and I enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery. The animals were a lot of fun and added a lot of humor and heart to this story. This book really had everything you want in a cozy mystery. Quirky lovable characters, a lovely quaint setting, and an interesting mystery. I enjoyed all the characters in this book, the two-legged and the four-legged, and even the ones I did not like. A perfect cozy mystery full of all the charm I’ve come to expect from Stephanie Dagg.

Purchase Link – getbook.at/HateBale

Author Bio –

I’m an English expat living in France, having moved here with my family in 2006 after fourteen years as an expat in Ireland. Taking on seventy-five acres with three lakes, two hovels and one cathedral-sized barn, not to mention an ever increasing menagerie of animals, has made for exciting times. The current array of creatures ranges from alpacas to zebra finches, with pretty much everything in-between! Before we came to France all we had was a dog and two chickens, so it’s been a steep learning curve.

I’m married to Chris and we have three bilingual TCKs (third culture kids) who are resilient and resourceful and generally wonderful.

I’m a traditionally-published author of many children’s books, and am now self-publishing too. As well as being an author, I’m also a part-time editor and, with Chris, manager of three carp fishing lakes. My hobbies are cycling, geocaching, knitting and sewing.

Social Media Links – @llamamum

http://www.facebook.com/StephanieDaggBooks/

http://www.bloginfrance.com

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick @phaedrapatrick @TLCBookTours @HarlequinBooks #bookreview #thelibraryoflostandfound

Happy hump day all!

Excited to share with you today my review for this glorious book! A huge thank you to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for my invitation to the tour!📚📚📚

My Thoughts

A glorious story packed with charm and peppered with hope!

Phaedra Patrick has crafted a quiet, quirky, and quaint tale. This book was so special… A book about complicated family dynamics, discovering who you are, and understanding that it’s OK to put yourself first. The book also treats the reader to a generous dose of Mystery and a magical sprinkling of fairytales. An enchanting tale unlike anything I’ve read before.

Martha is a people pleaser. She works as a volunteer at the library and spends her days generously meeting the needs of everyone around her. Overworked, underpaid, and in need of a serious confidence boost. Martha is also having trouble letting go of Joe, the man she gave up in order to care for her ailing parents. Convinced she gave up her only chance of love, Martha tends to live in the land of the what if. Then one day she receives a mysterious package… a book with an inscription to her from her grandmother. Problem is the inscription is dated after her grandmother died. As Martha studies the book more she realizes the stories in it are very familiar, this leads her to wonder what really happened to her grandmother? Martha begins to investigate where the book came from, and as secrets are revealed Martha realizes that her life was even more complicated than she thought.

Martha is such a likable character. So kind, so vulnerable, so unassuming. I found myself rooting for her this entire book, keeping my fingers crossed that things would go her way. The book bounces back-and-forth between past and present so we also get to know Martha’s parents, grandmother, and get glimpses of martha’s childhood. Martha’s father was definitely not a very likable character a rigid control freak, A my way or the highway kind of guy. Martha’s mother came across as very weak, however as the story progressed and I got to understand her more she became less so. Martha‘s grandmother Zelda was a ray of light. She had a big personality and a heart of gold. I definitely could see how there was a huge clash between Martha’s father and her grandmother (who was his mother-in-law). I strongly connected to the characters in this story and enjoyed every minute I spend with them. I truly love watching Martha discover what a remarkable person she was, she really had tremendous growth throughout the story. This review would not be complete if I did not mention the amazing setting of the library, and how much Martha loved it there. Next time I go to my library I’m going to take a big sniff for you Martha!

Beautiful, unique, and uplifting! Unequivocally recommend!

*** many thanks to Harlequin for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

A librarian’s discovery of a mysterious book sparks the journey of a lifetime in the delightful new novel from the international bestselling author of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people—though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she’s invisible.

All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend—her grandmother Zelda—who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda’s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.

Filled with Phaedra Patrick’s signature charm and vivid characters, The Library of Lost and Found is a heartwarming and poignant tale of how one woman must take control of her destiny to write her own happy ending.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Connect with Phaedra

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Let’s Connect!

Instagram|

Goodreads|

Twitter|

Have A lovely day!📚

Berit☀️✨

Amazing Grace by Kim Nash @KimTheBookworm @HeraBooks @rararesources #bookreview #amazinggrace

Happy Wednesday bibliophiles!

Excited and delighted to share with you today my review for this amazing book! Many many thanks to Rachel for inviting me to this tour and to Kim for her amazing words!😍

Amazing Grace

She’s taking her life back, one step at a time…

Grace thought she had it all. Living in the beautiful village of Little Ollington, along with head teacher husband Mark and gorgeous son, Archie, she devoted herself to being the perfect mum and the perfect wife, her little family giving her everything she ever wanted. 

Until that fateful day when she walked in on Mark kissing his secretary – and her perfect life fell apart.

Now she’s a single mum to Archie, trying to find her way in life and keep things together for his sake. Saturday nights consist of a Chinese takeaway eaten in front of the TV clad in greying pyjamas, and she can’t remember the last time she had a kiss from anyone aside from her dog, Becks… 

Grace’s life needs a shake up – fast. So when gorgeous gardener Vinnie turns up on her doorstep, his twinkling eyes suggesting that he might be interested in more than just her conifers, she might just have found the answer to her prayers. But as Grace falls deeper for Vinnie, ten-year-old Archie fears that his mum finding love means she’ll never reconcile with the dad he loves. 

So when ex-husband Mark begs her for another chance, telling her he’s changed from the man that broke her heart, Grace finds herself with an impossible dilemma. Should she take back Mark and reunite the family that Archie loves? Or risk it all for a new chance of happiness? 

A funny, feel good romance about finding your own path and changing your life for the better – readers of Cathy Bramley, Jill Mansell and Josie Silver will love this uplifting read.

My Thoughts

Amazing Grace is simply AMAZING!

Kim gNash’s debut is possibly the most relatable book I have read this year! Grace is a single mom and as a single mom myself I found her struggles so authentic. That constant worry that your kid is missing out on something because they don’t have two parents in the home, the constant attempt to be everything to everybody, and the complete loss of who you are. Grace is a real woman, living in the real world, dealing with real problems… isn’t that refreshing! Life is messy, but it is also Full of humor and heart and hope. Kim brings an honest portrayal of life to the pages of this book.

Grace is left to pick up the pieces after she discovers her husband Mark cheating. She stays strong for the sake of her son Archie and with the help of her dog Becks. Her BFF Monica is also by her side gently encouraging her to jump into the dating world again. Grace’s experiences with online dating were simply hilarious. I was cringing, then laughing, then cringing, and then crying because I was laughing so hard. Who hasn’t gone out on a really bad date? Just thinking about the dates in this book is making me smile. It’s not all laughs though, the book also touches on grief. Grace lost her mother many years ago and misses her still every single day. I love the way Grace’s mother was incorporated into the story it was so beautiful, and I hope with all my heart that this is true. I am very fortunate to still have my mom, but I hope I will still be able to feel her presence after she is gone. The romance in the story is so sweet and swoony. Vinny is seriously the perfect man and if I ever were to meet him I might be willing to give love another chance. Unfortunately I believe men as perfect as this probably only exists on the pages of books, but I guess I could be wrong?

Uplifting and heartwarming with just enough tension to make it authentic. This is just one of those stories that will make you smile and feel good about the human condition! Absolutely recommend!

*** many thanks to Hera Books for my copy of this book ***

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MIAM7k

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2GeKm0D

Apple: https://apple.co/2MMvJD2

Author Bio

Kim Nash lives in Staffordshire with son Ollie and English Setter Roni, is PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture and is a book blogger at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk. 

Kim won the Romantic Novelists Association’s Media Star of the Year in 2016, which she still can’t quite believe. She is now quite delighted to be a member of the RNA. 

When she’s not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog, reading, standing on the sidelines of a football pitch cheering on Ollie and binge watching box sets on the TV. She’s also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Cannock, Staffs. 

Amazing Grace is her debut novel with Hera Books and will be out on 10th April 2019

Connect with Kim on Social Media here:
Twitter: (@KimTheBookworm) https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimTheBookWorm/
Instagram: @Kim_the_bookworm

have an amazing day!😘 Berit

A Greek Affair by Lin B Halton @LinnBHalton @rararesources #bookpromo #pricedrop #agreekaffair

Happy Wednesday!

Delighted to share with you the price drop of this book that I loved! You can find my review Here💛

A Greek Affair

More than just a holiday romance?

Her daughter, her job and divorcing her untrustworthy ex are Leah’s main priorities. She isn’t really bothered that her life might be missing a few things. But after winning a prestigious travel blogger award, she’s inundated with offers to review glamorous holiday destinations. Lying around drinking exotic cocktails and being paid for it! What could be better?

Perhaps a romantic trip to idyllic Greece to find the one man who might make Leah risk her heart again…

Purchase Link – http://smarturl.it/AGreekAffair

Price drop: only 99p – grab your copy now!

Author Bio –

From interior designer to author, Linn B. Halton – who also writes under the pen name of Lucy Coleman – says ‘it’s been a fantastic journey!’

Linn is the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels and is excited to be writing for both Aria Fiction (Head of Zeus) and Harper Impulse (Harper Collins); she’s represented by Sara Keane of the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

When she’s not writing, or spending time with the family, she’s either upcycling furniture or working in the garden.

Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award; her novels have been short-listed in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards.

Living in Coed Duon in the Welsh Valleys with her ‘rock’, Lawrence, and gorgeous Bengal cat Ziggy, she freely admits she’s an eternal romantic.

Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and writes feel-good, uplifting novels about life, love and relationships.

Social Media Links –

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

FB: https://www.facebook.com/LinnBHaltonAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LinnBHalton