Among the emerald hills of the Lake District sits the village of Thimblebury and Wordsworth Cottage, its garden bursting with wildflowers. It is the perfect place for village nurse Ottilie to make her brave new start…

Ottilie Oakcroft never thought she’d live in a place like Wordsworth Cottage. Nestled close to the river, her new home in the tiny village of Thimblebury means all her patients are just a stone’s throw from her front door. As they drop in for cups of tea and cosy chats she ignores all the jobs on her to-do list and gets to know her new neighbours.

Yet maybe keeping busy is just what Ottilie needs, even if she’s barely had a minute to unpack her suitcase. Heartbroken after the death of her husband Josh, as she offers advice and hot soup from her kitchen to the villagers who clearly need a helping hand, she starts to feel part of a community again.

But disaster strikes when a terrible storm causes the river to burst its banks and flood Ottilie’s ramshackle cottage. She has sunk every penny she has into what she’d hoped would be her forever home, and now she’s faced with the prospect of losing it.

But the villagers have other ideas. They can’t bear to lose Ottilie and they make a plan to save her house. Leading the effort is handsome Heath, and as he rolls up his sleeves to get involved in the repairs, he and Ottilie start to open up to each other. Ottilie tells him about her loss, and he shares the pain of a marriage that ended in heartbreak for him.

Ottilie hasn’t talked to anyone like this since Josh’s death and while it scares her, a tiny grain of hope begins to grow. Could Heath be the man to make her feel life is worth living again – not just for her patients, but for herself?

A completely beautiful and romantic read about healing after heartbreak and learning that the darkest clouds have a silver lining. Fans of Shari Low, Jessica Redland and Jo Bartlett will lose their hearts to A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I can’t walk in there without it turning into an impromptu surgery, so I don’t bother. If I were you I’d avoid it for the same reason. You’ll be ordering a gin at the bar one minute and inspecting someone’s piles the next.

A good marriage too– better than most, I’d say. I’m very fond of him, especially at a distance. We meet up most nights for an hour or two, either at his or at mine, and then we go our separate ways.

My Review:

This was one of those rare, sweet, perceptively written, and gentle stories that I could thoroughly enjoy and even recommend to my elderly mother’s church lady book club. That doesn’t happen often. The entertaining storylines and well-honed writing style held my interest throughout, even though there weren’t any “naughty words” that my mother would need to take her Sharpie to and blacken out before passing the book off to her friends. The characters were endearing and knowable with just the right amount of quirk to be realistic as well as amusing. Tilly Tennant has mad skills and I’m sure even the most judgmental of the church lady biddies would agree.

Not fall in love with the tenacious band director who’s determined to drag him into the light.

After being kicked out of his massively successful rock band, Leo is content to spend Bunco nights with his mom, lay low making snacks, and lick his wounds. He’d rather work in his garden than give any attention to his failed music career.
Cut to the gorgeous high school band director relentlessly popping up in his life, making demands, and talking about giving back to the community.

Mari Mitchell knows what it’s like to be overlooked. She’s determined to do whatever it takes to ensure her students get the best shot possible even if that means running herself ragged. And when a former rockstar returns to town, who could be better to help her favorite student make their dreams come true?

Does it matter that he’s a moody musician who reminds her of a handsome tragic hero of an old-timey movie?
NO!
She’s too busy for things like burning hot physical attraction and chemistry that won’t quit. She needs Leo for more than his irresistible drummer arms. No matter how amazing they feel wrapped around her…

But what nobody knows is that the hit to Leo’s pride was a big one, and Mari might be asking too much.

Can these two band together? Or will their painful pasts prevent them from having the future they deserve?

‘Band Together’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #2 in the Teachers’ Lounge series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

This was what happened when you got involved in things. You then had to leave the house and interact with people. Groaning, I rubbed my temples. How did people live like this?

I closed my eyes and wished I was a different person.

I wanted to dress up provocatively, and here I am stuck like a mummy who just woke up from a curse.

My heart felt like it might explode out of my chest with glitter and rainbows. But expressing any of that would definitely make it weird.

My Review:

I adored this clever and insightfully written tale from beginning to end. The storylines were chock-a-block full of quirky and complex characters who intrigued and beguiled me. Piper Sheldon has mad skills and serious writing chops.

Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Paranormal Romance. Her books are a little funny, a lotta romantic, and with just a little twist of something more. She lives with her husband, daughter, and two needy dogs at home in the desert Southwest. She finds writing bios in the third person an extreme sport of awkwardness.

Her heart races as she waits for her date to arrive. When the doorbell rings, her excitement quickly turns to fear when she takes in her date’s menacing stare as he closes the door behind him. He’s not here to find love, and there’s no time to scream before her world goes black…

When Dakota Slade fails to turn up to work at the general store, Sheriff Jenna Alton and her deputy David Kane visit her home in Black Rock Falls. TV still blaring, Dakota’s lifeless body is draped across the battered old sofa, her dark hair hanging over her delicate face, her young life taken too soon. With a shuddering breath, Jenna notices two small scorch marks on the back of the victim’s neck. Dakota has been electrocuted.

Leaping into action, Jenna traces Dakota’s last steps but quickly hits a wall. Dakota went to church every week, helped at local charities, and she was loved by those around her. Why would anyone want to harm her?

Then another young woman is found dead in her living room, the same two burn marks on her neck. Jenna’s heart shatters. Convinced a twisted killer is preying on women who live alone, she fears another innocent soul will be taken soon.

A breakthrough comes when Jenna uncovers rumors of a sleazy customer who visited both victims at work. Watching CCTV footage, her pulse pounds as she looks at the screen. The man in the film is someone close to her, someone she thought she could trust. Can Jenna take down the killer if it’s someone she loves? And will she catch him in time to stop another vulnerable young woman being murdered?

Truly gripping and completely jaw-dropping, fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot will not be able to put down this addictive crime thriller from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author D.K. Hood.

**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

It’s like trying to climb the side of an iceberg. I keep slipping down and having to start again.

I felt like a kid in the principal’s office. I’m surprised he didn’t give me detention.

My Review:

This was a tense and prickly read that kept me picking at my cuticles and biting at my lips. I was loathe to put my Kindle down and attend to those pesky daily living requirements such as peopling, sustenance, and sleep, but even when I did, the conundrum of the story took up considerable head space with vivid ruminations. D.K. Hood must be quite a twisted sister to keep coming up with this stuff.

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

Perspective was everything. One person’s idol was another’s villain.

My Review:

This was a busy and cleverly contrived story with a plethora of story threads and a confounding mystery that the little pea in my brain was hard-pressed to solve on its own. I always enjoy Ms. Chase’s writing style and original characters, the story was easy to follow and held my attention while prickling my curiosity.

The murder victim was not well liked, by anyone anywhere. She was guilty of shady practices and many villagers had good reason for doing her in. I wondered if it would lead to a similar situation as Murder on the Orient Express, but alas, Ms. Chase has bested me yet again.

About the Author

Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.

Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.

Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium.

As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.

You can find Clare’s website and blog at www.clarechase.com

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