Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher **Book Review** @wednesdaybooks

Happy Tuesday y’all!

This was such a wonderful story that every book lover will adore! Have some tissue handy!📚

My Thoughts

WOW what a book! A true gem! This book absolutely exceeded my expectations. I’m not certain what I was anticipating but I wasn’t expecting such a beautiful story that pulled on my heartstrings. Amelia and Jenna are BFFs who bonded over their love of books. For their graduation trip the friends go to a book festival with the hopes of meeting the author of their favorite fantasy series. When Jenna happens to meet the enigmatic Author and Amelia doesn’t it causes a rift in the friendship. Jenna is killed in a car accident while visiting Ireland and Amelia is heartbroken that they never really set their friendship right. When Amelia received a mysterious book in the mail from their favorite author she goes on a quest to Michigan to find out how Jenna sent her this book. And more importantly what is the message behind this unexpected gift.

Such a gorgeously told story filled with grief, hope, resilience, and love. Amelia was such a wonderful character I was completely captivated by her story. The bookshop that she travels to in Michigan was serious book heaven. I just loved all the vivid descriptions of the shop I felt like I was right there alongside Amelia. The Romance in the Story was so touching it hit me right in the feels. The connection between Amelia and Nolan was emotional and real. I could go on and on but I will spare you all. If you are looking for a stunning story that will make you smile, swoon, sigh and cry, then this is the book for you!

This book in emojis 📚🐶 🐋 🌊 📸

*** Big thank you to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. They’re the books that brought her and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded. So when Amelia and Jenna get the opportunity to attend a book festival with Endsley in attendance, Amelia is ecstatic. It’s the perfect way to start off their last summer before college.

In a heartbeat, everything goes horribly wrong. When Jenna gets a chance to meet the author and Amelia doesn’t, the two have a blowout fight like they’ve never experienced. And before Amelia has a chance to mend things, Jenna is killed in a freak car accident. Grief-stricken, and without her best friend to guide her, Amelia questions everything she had planned for the future.

When a mysterious, rare edition of the Orman Chronicles arrives, Amelia is convinced that it somehow came from Jenna. Tracking the book to an obscure but enchanting bookstore in Michigan, Amelia is shocked to find herself face-to-face with the enigmatic and handsome N. E. Endsley himself, the reason for Amelia’s and Jenna’s fight and perhaps the clue to what Jenna wanted to tell her all along.

Ashley Schumacher’s devastating and beautiful debut, Amelia Unabridged, is about finding hope and strength within yourself, and maybe, just maybe, falling in love while you do it.



Another Woman’s Child by Kerry Fisher **Book Review** @bookouture

Hello book friends!

Today I’m excited to share with you my review for this emotional story. Kerry Fisher always invokes the tears.

My Thoughts

Thoughtful and compelling. Real and emotional. Once again Kerry Fisher tugged at my heart strings and brought me to tears with her authentic storytelling. When I first read the blurb to the story I thought there is no way I’m taking someoneelse’s child if they were going to disrupt the lives of my own. The reason I bring this up is I completely judged the situation wrong, and I think this was very ironic given the subject matter of the story. Jo and Ginny are best friends so when Ginny is on her deathbed and asks Jo to take care of her teenage son Victor, Jo agrees. Unfortunately this might not be the best situation for Victor. Jo’s daughter Phoebe is a wild child and they live in a small close minded town. So now not only has Victor lost his mother, but he is half black living in a less than welcoming community with a highly dysfunctional family. Will this family be able to come together for Victor? Or will a secret break everything wide-open?

The book did get off to a little bit of a slow start, but after a few chapters I found myself completely invested. Jo seemed very real to me even though I didn’t always agree with her actions. Daughter Phoebe was a lot of work and husband Patrick was useless. Victor was a great kid and my heart was pulled towards him the entire story. I found the behavior of some of the mothers in the story so frustrating yet unfortunately so true. Always so quick to blame other people’s kids for their own kid’s behavior. Jo spent so much time worrying what other people thought at her own family’s detriment. There was a sense of authenticity to this book and I thought the realities of privilege and racism were well handled. Another well told story from one of the best.

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

Could you take in your best friend’s child, even if it risked destroying your own family?

Jo had thought that her life – and her heart – was full. With a busy job, a husband and a teenage daughter who is going off the rails, keeping her life running smoothly had already felt hard enough.

But now Jo sits at the funeral of her best friend Ginny, crushed by the loss of a friendship that had endured for thirty years: from college and their first days at work through to settling down and raising their own children.

Against her husband’s wishes, Jo has made a life-changing decision: to take in Ginny’s teenage son Victor and raise him as her own. Despite her misgivings, Jo feels she had no choice: Ginny was a single parent and Victor had no other family who could take care of him.

But Victor’s arrival is about to break open the fragile cracks that were already forming on the surface of Jo’s family life and in her small rural community… and expose a secret that has remained hidden for many years, with devastating consequences.

From the bestselling author of The Silent Wife and The Woman I Was Before, Another Woman’s Child is an unputdownable and heartbreaking read about the secrets we keep from our families, and the sacrifices we are willing to make for those we love. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain.  

About the Author

Kerry Fisher is a million-copy bestselling author. She writes women’s contemporary fiction, is a USA Today bestseller and her books have been translated into twelve languages. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent several years living in Spain, Italy and Corsica. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She lives in Surrey with her husband, and a naughty Lab/Schnauzer called Poppy, who joins in the huge dances of joy when her young adult children come home. 

http://www.kerryfisherauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kerryfisherauthor 

https://twitter.com/KerryFSwayne

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://bit.ly/307MC31

Apple: https://apple.co/2zeBYg8

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2SFqM31

Google: https://bit.ly/2YFVSLK

Have a great day filled with books! XOXO Berit💕

The Beauty of Broken Things by Victoria Connelly **Book Review** @rararesources @amazonpub

Hello friends!

As I mentioned yesterday I’ve been trying to avoid overly emotional books. I know I couldn’t do it forever and this book, it definitely had all the feels. Bust out the tissue you’re going to need it! Such an emotional and powerful read!

The Beauty of Broken Things

United by tragedy, can two broken souls make each other whole?

After the tragic loss of his wife, Helen, Luke Hansard is desperate to keep her memory alive. In an effort to stay close to her, he reaches out to an online friend Helen often mentioned: a reclusive photographer with a curious interest in beautiful but broken objects. But first he must find her—and she doesn’t want to be found.

Orla Kendrick lives alone in the ruins of a remote Suffolk castle, hiding from the haunting past that has left her physically and emotionally scarred. In her fortress, she can keep a safe distance from prying eyes, surrounded by her broken treasures and insulated from the world outside.

When Luke tracks Orla down, he is determined to help her in the way Helen wanted to: by encouraging her out of her isolation and back into the world. But Orla has never seen her refuge as a prison and, when painful secrets and dangerous threats begin to resurface, Luke’s good deed is turned on its head.

As they work through their grief for Helen in very different ways, will these two broken souls be able to heal?

My Thoughts

Powerful and emotional. Victoria Connelly gave me all the feels with this spellbinding story. This was a beautiful story about grief and healing. Luke is devastated after his beloved wife Helen dies. When he runs across an item Helen had for an online friend Orla, he is determined to get it to her. Orla is living an isolated life in a remote castle. She has been scarred both inside and out and is content with her solitary existence. When Luke meets Orla he is determined to help her heal, and in doing so perhaps he will heal himself.

A touching story infused with a great deal of heart and hope. Both Luke and Orla were very sympathetic characters and I wanted them to heal themselves. Find the silver lining, if you will. I loved the strong friendship that grew between Luke and Orla. I was really hoping this book did not take a certain direction and so thrilled when it didn’t. This is a book that will make you feel, so be sure to have that box of Kleenex handy.

*** Big thank you to Lake Union for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Purchase Links

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07YKW2D3B

US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YKW2D3B

Aus: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B07YKW2D3B

Author Bio –

Victoria Connelly studied English Literature at Worcester University, got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and now lives in rural Suffolk with her artist husband, a young springer spaniel and a flock of ex-battery hens. She is the million-selling author of two bestselling series, Austen Addicts and The Book Lovers, as well as many other novels and novellas. Her first published novel, Flights of Angels, was made into a film in 2008 by Ziegler Films in Germany. The Runaway Actress was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Romantic Comedy Novel award.

Victoria loves books, films, walking, historic buildings and animals. If she isn’t at her keyboard writing, she can usually be found in her garden either with a trowel in her hand or a hen on her lap.

Social Media Links –

http://www.victoriaconnelly.com

Instagram: @victoriaconnellyauthor

https://www.instagram.com/victoriaconnellyauthor/

Facebook: @victoriaconnellyauthor

https://www.facebook.com/victoriaconnellyauthor

Twitter: @VictoriaDarcy

Tweets by VictoriaDarcy

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves @tgarvisgraves @StMartinsPress #bookreview #thegirlheusedtoknow

Happy Thursday bibliophiles!

So excited to share with you today my review for this beautiful story that I buddy read with my friend Heather, you can find her thoughts below as well!🦋

My Thoughts

An extraordinary love story brimming with heart, hope , and second chances!

Tracey Garvis Graves has stolen my heart with this evocative and emotional story. I read “On the Island” A few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Going into this book I knew I was going to be treated to brilliantly developd characters and an intriguing storyline. What I was not prepared for was The emotional toll this book would have on my heart! This book both destroyed me and pieced me back together again. I seriously feel a little squeeze on my heart just thinking about this book! If you enjoy stories with characters that will worm their way into your heart then this is a can’t miss!

The story bounces between 1991 and 2001 and is told from both Annika and Jonathan‘s perspectives. In 1991 both Annika and Jonathan are attending the University of Illinois, where they meet while attending chess club. Anica is a bit socially awkward, a little anxious, a little oversensitive to her surroundings. She is on the autism spectrum, however in 1991 this was not a common diagnosis so people saw her as quirky or just plain weird. Jonathan was immediately drawn to Annika and saw through to who she truly was inside. What follows is a beautiful and intense romance that was so special to read about. Watching Jonathan so tenderly and cautiously try to understand Annika and her needs was so sweet! He legitimately made my heart melt, I might’ve fallen a little in love with him myself. Sadly tragedy struck and the couple was torn apart. 10 years later Monica was at the grocery store when she hears a familiar voice, it must be fate because there is Jonathan in the bread aisle. Anica and Jonathan try to rekindle the flame, but has too much already happened to prevent this? Can Annika and Jonathan open their hearts up to each other again, regardless of the past?

In case you missed it, I really loved this book! The characters popped off the pages and the story was so well told. There is something about a second chance romance that really resonates with me. It’s definitely not that I want a second chance with anyone I’ve ever been with *shutters* I think it is the idea of hope, and this book had that in abundance.

Beautiful and moving, I cannot recommend this book enough, be sure to have Kleenex on hand before reading!

*** many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book ***

Heather’s Thoughts

Thank you to the publisher for my ebook galley. I LOVED this book. The story was about a second chance at love. Annika and Jonathan met in college and fell in love. They ended up parting ways when Jonathan left for a job. Then 10 years later, they meet again, unexpectedly. What follows is amazing story of a love so strong. I loved Annika and I loved seeing the way her mind worked with her autism. I loved Jonathan because he is such a nice, genuine guy. I wanted nothing more than for them to be together. These two have some definite hardships in their relationship and this book is a must read to find out. A truly heartfelt, emotional read, and I loved every minute!

About the Book

Annika (rhymes with Monica) Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people’s behavior confusing, she’d rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.  
Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game – and his heart – to the shy and awkward yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. 
Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone.   
Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She’s living the life she wanted as a librarian. He’s a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start.  
The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.

Let’s Connect!

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Have A lovely day!🦋

Berit☀️✨

In the Blink of an Eye by Jesse Blackadder @jesseblackadder @StMartinsPress #bookreview #intheblinkofaneye

Happy Monday bibliophiles!

Delighted to share with you today my review for this emotional story guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings!💔

My Thoughts

A beautifully told compelling story packed with emotion, grief, and hope!

Jesse Blackadder has poured her heart and emotion onto the pages of this book. This is a heart wrenching tale about one family’s tragedy and how they pick up the pieces of their lives after. All it takes is a few seconds, the blink of an eye, for everything to change.

Finn, Bridget and their two sons have just moved from a frigid climate to the warm sunshine, hoping to revitalize their family. Bridget is the family breadwinner, working at her dream job studying koalas. Finn is the main caretaker and an artist working at home. Jarrah is 16 and struggling to find his place at his new school, he is also a wonderful big brother to two-year-old Toby. One day the family’s normal routine is altered, People are distracted, heads are turned, and tragedy strikes. What transpires after the tragedy is finger-pointing, blame, accusations, grief, and ultimately forgiveness. Can a family find their way back to one another after they have been completely shattered?

This book will pull at your heartstrings and leave you emotionally wrecked! Told from the alternating perspectives of Finn, Bridget, and Jarrah. We really got to see three people grieving in their own way, what this really impressed upon me was that there is no right or wrong way to grieve. Bridget’s perspective was told in second person, I found this jarring but impactful. As a mother I really felt as though I was grieving right alongside Bridget. Although I have to say I felt tremendously for Jarrah, his despair was so deep and his grief so palpable.

An exquisitely told evocative story that will break your heart and then mend it back together! Absolutely recommend!

*** many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book ***

About the Book

In the Blink of an Eye is award-winning author Jesse Blackadder’s deeply emotional drama that explores a family’s path to forgiveness and redemption in the aftermath of a tragedy. 
The Brennans – parents, Finn and Bridget, and their sons, Jarrah and Toby – have made a sea change, from chilly Hobart, Tasmania, to subtropical Murwillumbah, New South Wales. Feeling like foreigners in this land of sun and surf, they’re still adjusting to work, school, and life in a sprawling purple clapboard house, when one morning, tragedy strikes. 
In the devastating aftermath, the questions fly. What really happened? And who’s to blame? Determined to protect his family, Finn finds himself under the police and media spotlight. Guilty and enraged, Bridget spends nights hunting answers in the last place imaginable. Jarrah – his innocence lost – faces a sudden and frightening adulthood where nothing is certain. 
In the Blink of an Eye is a haunting, redemptive story about forgiveness and hope.  
“Intimate, raw and beautiful.” (Bryan Reardon, New York Times best-selling author of Finding Jake) 
“A captivating, visceral, beautifully written story…. The characters were so real and relatable that I was riveted.” (Robyn Harding, international best-selling author of The Party)

Let’s Connect!

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Have a fabulous day!💞

Berit☀️✨

The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman @alysonrichman @BerkleyPub #bookbestiessecretofclouds #bookreview #thesecretofclouds

Happy Tuesday bibliophiles!

Excited and delighted to share with you my review for this beautiful story that I will not soon forget! This was a group read with all the Besties and we all loved it! I seriously still have a book hangover from this one!💕☁️

My Thoughts

A stunning story that enveloped me completely and pulled at my heartstrings!

Every once in a while when you finish a book you know it’s going to stick with you for a long time, this was one of those books. There was just something about this story that touched me deeply, and I really can’t put my finger on it. Perhaps it was the fact that this is a beautiful love story and tribute to teachers everywhere, my mother was a teacher, my daughter is in school now to be a teacher, they hold a special place in my heart. Or perhaps it was watching Katya and Sasha’s emotional struggle dealing with a sick child Yuri. It could have even been Yuri’s incredible passion for baseball, a game he himself will never be able to play. Regardless of what it was that completely captivated me, this was one lovely and emotional story!

Maggie is excited for the start of the school year when her principal reaches out and asks if she would be willing to tutor a boy who cannot come to school due to illness. At first Maggie is a bit hesitant afraid it might dredge up some old ghostss, but Maggie has too much compassion not to help a child in need. In the beginning Yuri was not receptive at all to Maggie, until they bonded over baseball. We also got a glimpse of Katya and Sasha’s lives in the Ukraine. Katya was a ballerina and Sasha an engineer, they both were in the Ukraine for the Chernobyl disaster. Their guilt over it perhaps being there exposure to nuclear power leading to Yuri’s heart defect was palpable. This story was also peppered throughout with family, food, romance, friendship, Art, and the violin.

Yuri really stole the show and my heart in this book. There was just something so innocent yet so wise about him, and I loved his bond and relationship with his parents, Maggie, and Finn. The mom in me could not help but put myself in Katya’s shoes and the human in me could not help but put myself in Maggie’s, I felt this emotional journey with the hearts of both these wonderful ladies. Maggie was such an energetic passionate teacher I enjoyed every minute I spend with her in the classroom and out. Katya was such a lovely loving mother and I loved that we got to see pieces of her past. Sasha was a remarkable man and husband, and I found it interesting how differently these two dealt with their son’s illness. There’s a part in the story regarding an assignment and letters that will make your heart both sing and cry. I could go on and on, but I will spare you all! Just read it!

Beautiful, evocative, and emotional, absolutely recommend!

🎵🎵🎵Song Running Through My Head

Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It’s cloud’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and ferries wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I’ve looked at love that way
But now it’s just another show
You leave ’em laughing when you go
And if you care, don’t let them know
Don’t give yourself away
I’ve looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It’s love’s illusions I recall
I really…

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

About the Book

From the #1 international bestselling author of The Lost Wife and The Velvet Hours comes an emotionally charged story about a mother’s love, a teacher’s promise, and a child’s heart…

Katya, a rising ballerina, and Sasha, a graduate student, are young and in love when an unexpected tragedy befalls their native Kiev. Years later, after the couple has safely emigrated to America the consequences of this incident cause their son, Yuri, to be born with a rare health condition that isolates him from other children. Maggie, a passionate and dedicated teacher agrees to tutor Yuri at his home, even though she is haunted by her own painful childhood memories. As the two forge a deep and soulful connection, Yuri’s boundless curiosity and unique wisdom inspires Maggie to make difficult changes in her own life. And she’ll never realize just how strong Yuri has made her — until she needs that strength the most…

A novel that will make readers examine what it means to live life with a full heart. 

The Besties

Jennifer @ Tarheel Reader

Mackenzie @ Phdiva

Holly @ Dressed to Read

Kendall

💕Be sure to check out all the Bestie book love!

Let’s Connect!

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Have a Beautiful day!☁️✨

Berit☀️✨

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren @ChristinaLauren @GalleryBooks #bookreview #bestof2018

Happy happy New Year’s Eve!🥂🎉🎉🎉

Last post of the year! I’d have to say that Christina Lauren wins my outstanding author of the year! they wrote three amazing books that I would encourage anyone and everyone to read!💕💕

this book was so much more than a romance it was a book filled with heart, all the feels, and amazing characters… my full review is below….. if you love books and words then you will love Macy and Elliot… and you will adore this book!😍

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

Synopsis

The story of the heart can never be unwritten.

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

Review

5 absolutely Beautiful Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I loved loved loved every single word of this book…. Christina Lauren absolutely hit a homerun with this book…. A book I couldn’t put down filled with characters I absolutely adored and was rooting for….

This is a second chance love story….Elliot and Macy were one another’s first love…. The story is told in alternating time periods between their teenage years and 11 years later when they are reunited…. Macy and Elliot started out as friends bonding over a love of books and words…. Their friends to lovers story develops so sweetly and slowly and perfectly…. I just could not possibly figure out what could have torn these two apart….

11 years later and Macy and Elliot run into each other at a coffee shop…. The connection is still there, but are Macy’s walls too high and too thick to be broken down? What happened to break these two up in the first place? What tragedy and secret has been haunting Macey for all these years? Well you’re going to need to read this book to find out! And I strongly encourage you to do so….. this book has all the feels and leaves you with a huge smile on your face….

Trust me my non romance loving friends even you will be entranced by this book…. and your eyes will not roll I promise…. it is almost impossible not to fall in love with Elliot and Macy and this remarkable love story….

Favoriteword…. YOU💕

*** thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book ***

Hope you read it and love it! Berit 💛

Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Cafe by Jessica Redland @JessicaRedland @rararesources #bookreview

Happy Tuesday bibliophiles!

So excited to share with you my review today for this book from an author I will definitely be reading more from! Many thanks to Rachel for my invitation to the tour and to Jessica Redland for her wonderful words!🧸🎄🐇

A few minutes of courage might change your life…

Emotionally, Tara Porter finds the festive period a challenge. Christmas Day is a reminder of the family she lost, and New Year’s Eve holds bitter memories of the biggest mistake of her life: marrying Garth Tewkesbury. Shunning invitations to celebrate, she seeks refuge in her flat with only her giant house bunny, Hercules, for company.

Professionally, though, it’s the best time of year. Tara’s thriving café, The Chocolate Pot, is always packed. With the café hosting a wedding and engagement party, it’s shaping up to be the café’s best Christmas ever.

When former nemesis, Jed Ferguson, threatens the future of The Chocolate Pot, Tara prepares for a fight. The café is everything to her and she’s not going to let anyone or anything jeopardise that.

Tara badly misjudged ex-husband Garth and, since then, has refused to let anyone in. After all, if you don’t let them in, they can’t hurt you. But has she misjudged Jed too? Is it possible that he’s not the arrogant, deceitful man from whom she bought the café 14 years earlier? Can she find the courage to find out for sure?

My Thoughts

This was a beautifully told story, filled with quirky and charming characters that completely captured my heart!Loved loved loved this book!Jessica Redland I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship! This book was EVERYTHING I look for in a book! fabulous characters, a charming setting, an emotional heartfelt story, and a touch of mystery…This wasn’t your typical Christmas read, and I mean that in the best possible way… yes, there were festive moments, tree lighting, Christmas decorations, and winter weather… but there was also tremendous depth to the story it evoked all the feels…Tara was such a complex well developed character that my heart went out to… she had a rough past and had really close herself off to people…. The character growth in her was the best part of the book, I loved watching this closed off person grow into such a strong vibrant character! I also enjoyed her friendship with Carly and her blooming relationship/Romance with an unlikely character… and my review would not be complete if I did not give a big shout out to Hercules the giant house bunny, I need to Google how big this bunny could be? He really acted more like a dog then a rabbit….The mantra of this book was Be Brave such a wonderful positive message and so true! We really all need to put ourselves out there a little bit more, I know I do! Such a wonderful story and my first from this talented author, but definitely not the last!Absolutely recommend to anyone who is a fan of a lovely story filled with fabulous characters that will make you smile! I picked this book up for the title and I stayed for the beautiful story!*** many thanks to the author and Rachel for my copy of this book ***

Purchase Links

UK  – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Chocolate-Pot-Caf%C3%A9-Castle-ebook/dp/B07KDT15YP

US – https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Chocolate-Pot-Caf%C3%A9-Castle-ebook/dp/B07KDT15YP

Author Bio –

Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realised she had a trilogy and a novella.

She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast — the inspiration for the settings in her books — with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!

Her passion for North Yorkshire is shared by fellow-writer and great friend, Sharon Booth and, together, they are the Yorkshire Rose Writers.

Jessica tries to balance her time — often unsuccessfully — between being an HR tutor, trying to re-learn how to play the piano, studying towards a Masters in Creative Writing, and writing itself. Who needs sleep?

Social Media Links –

Twitter:@JessicaRedland

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRedlandWriter/

Website and blog:www.jessicaredland.com

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah #KristinHannah #HistoricalFiction #AllTheFeels @justjuliawhelan @StMartinsPress

Hello everyone,

I am so happy to bring you my review for this stunning book.

Alaska hasn’t really been anywhere on my Bucket List, but a visit may just have been added to it now after reading this piece of fabulousness.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Alaska Stars

 

The Blurb

Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.
Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown
At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.
In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature

My Thoughts

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Alaska Stars

This book bought out ALL of the feels from me, I have read a few by this author, so I knew i liked her writing style, and this one blew me away!

Told through the eyes of our protagonist Lemi, we see her growing up in a household with her and her parents.

Her father was an ex POW from Vietnam, and has PTSD although in those days (1974) this had not been recognised or diagnosed yet.

Her mother was kind, sweet and always looking to make her husband happy…ALWAYS!

The rule in the house was basically, if your father is happy, then we’ll all be happy, and unfortunately, this means jumping from place to place, running from bills and creditors, and starting new schools.

Lemi doesn’t really see the bad side of the marriage, her parents manage to keep that part quiet, but she does hear the fighting, and the breaking of things, and her mother telling her that she is just clumsy and walked into a door!

The dark days really seem to set her father off, his moods change, and so does his temper.

One day when he comes home to tell them that one of his old Vietnam buddies has left him some land in Alaska and they can go and live off of the land and finally be happy, Lemi doesn’t really want to leave another school, but what makes Dad happy…….

He says that this will be the making of them, that they can be really happy there, and she believes him.

After moving there with practically nothing with them, the “cabin” (read that as shack) proves, at the beginning to be just what the family needed, and they are all so happy.
The locals are wonderful and all help them out, and Lemi finally finds somewhere where she belongs.

Until Alaska decides otherwise!

You see, for 6 months of the year, Alaska is in perpetual darkness, constant night time, Dads drinking gets the better of him, and his jealousy towards one of the locals is a recipe for disaster!

There was so much more in the book I could gush about, I could practically close my eyes and see everything the author wrote, it was such a wonderful story.

🎧🎧 Narrated by the always amazing, and one of my favourite voices, Julia Whelan, who brought every character to life, her narration was just perfect, and I can’t think of a better person to narrate this wonderful book.

Definitely save a credit for this one guys, it’s a Feeler 😥😭

Vicci x

Grab your copy here:

Audio
Kindle

 

They Don’t Know by Patricia Dixon @pbadixon @Bombshellbooks #BookReview

TGIF book friends!

The last day of August! Time to start the countdown to Christmas! Kidding! Today I am excited to share with you my review for this wonderful book! Many thanks to Sarah for my invitation and to Patricia Dixon for her lovely words💜

Daisy meets Adam on their first day at Manchester University and they immediately become firm friends, inseparable and happy in each other’s company. But when tongues begin to wag and their relationship is questioned, for the first time in his life Adam shares his secret with Daisy. Daisy promises to stand by him and keep his secret.

When their Grandmother dies, Adam’s older brother, Ryan, returns from abroad and Daisy quickly falls for him.

After a troubled upbringing at the hands of a drunken mother and jailbird father, Adam and Ryan only have each other. In adulthood their bond holds firm, glued together by Daisy with whom they are now both in love.

Adam struggles with his secret and the fear of ever losing Daisy to another man. Is he besotted and quietly controlling and soon the past starts to influence his choices.

Ryan is motivated, selfish and sees everything in black and white, living in a military world that shields him from the demons of his past, bringing order to his life.

And in the middle is Daisy who loves both of them and makes a promise to each. One she sets free, the other she vows to protect and never abandon.

But when tragedy strikes can Daisy ever find happiness?

They Don’t Know is a beautiful novel about the promises we make and the different kinds of love.

My Thoughts

A beautiful and captivating story that will touch on every single one of your emotions…. once again I had to bust out the Kleenex, another book that made me cry with both happiness and heartbreak… with characters that were so well developed that I was convinced I would know them if I saw them walking down the street… and might I add if I did see them walking down the street I’d invite them to have dinner and drinks with me, I’d love to spend an evening with these three….

Daisy and Adam meet one another there first day of University… A beautiful sweet and lifelong friendship begins… The bond between these two was so strong, I was confused just like some others as to why they weren’t more than friends… but Adam has a secret, and it is not what you think…. Adams older brother Ryan also enters the picture making this twosome a threesome…. there is a love triangle, there is miscommunication, and there is heart break…. so… will these three ever be completely honest with one another? Will they lay all their secrets on the table? Will anyone get a happily ever after? Well you will need to read this book to find that out!

Strongly recommend if you enjoy a love story with wonderful characters and all the feels💕

Author Bio:

Patricia Dixon was born in Manchester where she still lives with her husband. They have two grown up children and one grandson, plus the company of a lazy bulldog.

Ignoring her high school reports and possibly sound advice from teachers, Patricia shunned the world of academia and instead, stubbornly pursued a career in fashion. Once the sparkle of London life wore off she returned north and embarked on a new adventure, that of motherhood.

Now, almost thirty years later she has acquiesced to the wise words of her elders and turned her hand to writing. Patricia has written five novels set in the Loire and then, in complete contrast, a much darker story of psychological suspense.

She is currently writing her next book, a murderous tale set in the sixties and if she’s not at her desk Patricia loves to read historical fiction or attempts recipes that look great on television but not necessarily her plate. And when the penny jar is full she cashes in her coins and heads to France, the lure of red wine and escapism equalled only by the pursuance of her dream job, writing for a living.
Links:

Author Page

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Patricia-Dixon/e/B00I1YV2RM/refntt_dp_epwbk_0

Twitter

@pbadixon

Email – dixon.patricia@icloud.com.

Facebook Links

Author Page

https://www.facebook.com/pbadixon/?refbookmarks

Profile Page

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id 0009000921564

Cheers to the long weekend! Berit☀️✨