BlogTour - Post Script by Cecelia Ahern

Today I am pleased to be taking part in Harper Collins' Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of Cecelia Ahern's much anticipated 'Postscript', the sequel to her debut novel 'P.S.I Love You' .

It's been seven years since Holly Kennedy's husband died – six since she read his final letter, urging Holly to find the courage to forge a new life.

She’s proud of all the ways in which she has grown and evolved. But when a group inspired by Gerry's letters, calling themselves the PS, I Love You Club, approaches Holly asking for help, she finds herself drawn back into a world that she worked so hard to leave behind.

Reluctantly, Holly begins a relationship with the club, even as their friendship threatens to destroy the peace she believes she has achieved. As each of these people calls upon Holly to help them leave something meaningful behind for their loved ones, Holly will embark on a remarkable journey – one that will challenge her to ask whether embracing the future means betraying the past, and what it means to love someone forever…

I first heard of Cecelia Ahern when 'P.S. I Love You' was chosen as a Richard and Judy Book Club read on their popular Channel 4 tea time chat show. I instantly fell in love with the book and its characters and became a firm Cecelia Ahern fan! 

There have been rumours around for years that there would be a sequel to P.S. I Love You and I was hoping that it would happen but also worried that if a sequel would be published that it would not live up to the brilliance of P.S. I Love You - however I have definitely not been disappointed and I think that Cecelia Ahern's writing style has continually progressed and improved and Postscript is the sequel that everyone should read. 

Postscript is a brilliant sequel - as good as JoJo Moyes' 'After You' the sequel to the very popular 'Me Before You'. Holly is now six years post the death of her husband, Gerry, and although she is still missing him terribly, she must continue with her own life. However, when she is approached and invited to attend the P.S.I Love You club which has been created by a group who were inspired by Gerry's letters. 

I really  enjoyed Postscript. I would suggest that readers should read P.S.I Love You (not watch the film) before picking up Postscript. It is a fantastic sequel and I really enjoyed meeting up with Holly again. The story is emotional and I found myself crying while reading it, however I was so emotionally attached to the characters that I continued and I am so glad I did. It talks about grief but also about living life to the full and proves that there is life after the death of a loved one. There are also a number of laugh out loud moments within the book and these lighten the mood and remind the reader of Cecelia's great writing skills.

Thank you to Harper Collins' for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

BlogTour - Coming Home to Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters

Today I am pleased to be taking part in Hera Books and Rachel's Random Things Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of Victoria Walters' latest release, Coming Home to Glendale Hall.

No matter how far you go, home is where the heart is...

Beth Williams hasn’t been home for ten years. After falling pregnant at sixteen, she ran away from the imposing Scottish estate where she grew up rather than risk her family’s disapproval, working hard to build a life for herself and daughter Isabelle - but now she’s finally returning to Glendale Hall.

As Beth tries to mend her broken family ties, and fights to bring the community of Glendale back together, she realises that the story she has told herself for a decade might well be a very different one from the truth. Even though she ran from Glendale it has never left her heart. And, she soon realises, neither has Drew – Beth’s first love.

Will Beth be able to forgive her mother and grandmother (and herself) for what happened ten years ago? What will Drew say when he discovers the secret she’s been keeping from him for so long? Can a festive trail bring the village back together?

Will Christmas work its magic on Glendale - or will Beth be forced to run away from it all over again?

A charming, uplifting novel that will warm your heart – the perfect read to curl up with this autumn. Fans of Trisha Ashley, Debbie Johnson and Cathy Bramley will love this gorgeously romantic read.

I love this time of year, autumn has arrived and that means ………. Christmas titles are starting to appear for us bloggers to enjoy! Coming Home to Glendale Hall is a festive read but is not just full of festive cheer and roaring fires but is a lovely story about family feuds and attempts to make up. Not only family dynamics but also a tale about a village clubbing together to support each other in the fight to save their high street. 

Victoria Walters is a great read, I really enjoyed my visit to Glendale and meeting all its residents. I would love to live in a village and feel part of its community and Glendale sounds like a great place to live. 

The main character is Beth and her relationship with her mum, Izzy, is one of the main themes in the book. The story is heartwarming and a great read to loose yourself in over these colder autumn nights.

Thank you to Hera Books and Rachel's Random Resources Blog Tours for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

BlogTour -Magnificent Women and their Revolutionary Machines by Henrietta Heald

Today I am pleased to be taking part in Unbound's and Random Things' Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of Henrietta Heald's release, Magnificent Women and their Revolutionary Machines.

In 1919, in the wake of the First World War, a group of extraordinary women came together to create the Women s Engineering Society. They were trailblazers, pioneers and boundary breakers, but many of their stories have been lost to history. To mark the centenary of the society's creation, Magnificent Women and Their Revolutionary Machines brings them back to life.

Their leaders were Katharine and Rachel Parsons, wife and daughter of the engineering genius Charles Parsons, and Caroline Haslett, a self-taught electrical engineer who campaigned to free women from domestic drudgery and became the most powerful professional woman of her age. Also featured are Eleanor Shelley-Rolls, sister of car magnate Charles Rolls; Viscountess Rhondda, a director of thirty-three companies who founded and edited the revolutionary Time and Tide magazine; and Laura Willson, a suffragette and labour rights activist from Halifax, who was twice imprisoned for her political activities.

This is not just the story of the women themselves, but also the era in which they lived. Beginning at the moment when women in Britain were allowed to vote for the first time, and to stand for Parliament and when several professions were opened up to them Magnificent Women charts the changing attitudes towards women in society and in the workplace.


'Magnificent Women and their Revolutionary Machines' by Henrietta Heald is an interesting and informative piece of social history which celebrates the women of the 'Womens Engineering Society' formed following World War 1. 

I really enjoyed reading about the society and its members. There were many revolutionary and strong women who strode forward and were at the forefront of life,driving it forward following the end of World War 1. Many of the women had been drafted in to work in the factories while the men were at war and they wanted to do more than the monotonous work. They were able to use the skills learnt in the factories to create new designs and products.

Other women stood strong and went their own way in life, including the launch of a magazine and an activist who ended up in jail due to her actions.However this is not only about the the members of the Women's Engineering Society it is also a great piece of social history which looks at the way lives were lived and the movement in society, especially society's feelings towards women taking prominent roles within politics and other high ranking occupations.

I think this would be a great resource for anyone with a love of history and especially early 20th century Great Britain.Henrietta Heald has written a sensitive and infortmative read which celebrates the advances in society made by women.


Thank you to Unbound and Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - The Years of Us by Gemma Roman

Today I am pleased to be taking part in Random Things Blog Tour to celebrate Gemma Roman's release, The Years of Us.

Five friends. Life, love and a night that will put their friendship to the test. Following University, a group of friends plan to stick together, but will they survive distance, career changes and lustful love triangles?

 Life throws unexpected realities their way, and one fateful night brings their lives into harsh perspective. Minor mistakes result in them questioning who they are and who can be trusted. Can they rebuild the foundations of friendship and move forward or will the test of time finally set them adrift forever?

'The Years of Us' is Gemma Roman's debut novel and what a debut it is! I am already looking forward to Gemma's next release and hope it is as good as her debut. 

As soon as I saw the cover of the book I was hooked. It is a beautiful cover and, as I found, the perfect design for the novel.

'The Years of Us' is a fantastic read. It is written in short chapters, each with a friend being the narrator. I really enjoy reading novels written in this style, it is great to see the storyline from varying perspectives. 

The storyline is realistic and the characters are relatable. It is a story that could be played out today and tells the tale of a group of university friends meeting up when they have 'grown up lives' and each have followed their own paths with problems along the way.

Thank you to  Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Summer Hates Christmas by Rachel Dove

Today I am pleased to be taking part in Compulsive Readers Blog Tour to celebrate  Manatee and Rachel Dove's latest release, Summer Hates Christmas.

Summer Hastings hates Christmas. She loves sunshine, the beach and running her travel agency, sending people off to their dream destinations – even if she doesn’t get to see the world for herself. For Summer, Christmas is nothing but a reminder of all the things that have gone horribly wrong in her life, so when handsome Noel Pritchett moves his pop-up Christmas shop in the store next to hers, Summer is livid.

Noel loves Christmas…and he also has a sneaking suspicion that he might be falling in love with Summer, if only he could break through the armour she has surrounded herself with. Just why does Summer hate Christmas so much? And can Noel be the one to prove to her that life can be sweet all year round?

I have read a number of Rachel Dove's novels and I really enjoy them.They are great reads with relateable characters and plots that could happen to anyone. 

Summer is a great character and I really enjoyed learning more about her. Noel is the complete opposite to Summer but he realises that he is falling in love with Summer. I became invested in this love story and really enjoyed the 'journey' that they went on throughout the read.

I would love to visit Noel's Christmas shop - it sounds like a winter wonderland and stocks all things Christmas. However I can also relate to Summer's annoyance that the pop up shop has opened nextdoor with the constant Christmas tunes and festive fear.

'Summer Hates Christmas' is a great read.It is a Christmas read however I love reading festive reads throughought the year and I recommend to all. 

Thank you to Manatee and Compulsive Readers Blog Tours for inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - We Meet in December by Rosie Curtis

Today I am pleased to be taking part in Avon Book's Blog Tour to celebrate Rosie Curtis' debut release, We Meet in December.

What if you couldn’t get away from the one who got away?

Unlucky in love Jess is following her dream and moving to London. It’s December, and she’s taking a room in a crumbling Notting Hill house‐share with four strangers. On her first night Jess meets Alex, the guy sharing her floor. They don’t kiss under the mistletoe, but as far as Jess is concerned, the connection is instant. She lets herself imagine how their relationship will grow over the following year.

But when Jess returns from a Christmas holiday, she finds Alex has started dating someone else – beautiful Emma, who lives on the floor above them. Now Jess faces a year of bumping into (hell, sharing a bathroom with) the man of her dreams… and the woman of his.

Jess is determined to move on and survive the next twelve months… but love has a way of hampering even the best laid plans…

Set over the course of one life‐changing year, this is the most uplifting and moving love story of 2019.

'We Meet in December' is Rosie Curtis' debut novel and I am already excited for her next novel!

This was my first Christmas 2019 read and it was full of romance and festive cheer. However the romance is short lived and the following year is full of despair and awkward moments, will they ever rekindle their fleeting romance and live happily ever after?

There are a great cast of characters within the book, who are all living in a house share and this all adds to the fun and laughter (and some times of sadness) of the book.
Thank you to the publishers, Avon Books for inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.