Deck the Halles

by Stephanie Dagg

Amazon US / UK / AU / Universal

It’s next Christmas at the little French llama farm.

Last Christmas infamous Australian author Nick bought the farm, that was meant to be furnished and without llamas. The reverse proved to be the case. Noelle had been sent to pet sit the llamas until his arrival. After a decidedly frosty start, Nick and Noelle’s relationship warmed up rapidly and they’re now happily living together, with an ever-growing assortment of animals.

They’re looking forward to a quiet, romantic Christmas together but at the last moment, Noelle is called on to find a venue for the annual national llama show. The local agricultural halles are free so she books them, thinking that’s all she’ll have to do to help. She couldn’t be more wrong! On top of that, various relatives start turning up on her doorstep unexpectedly, as the result of assorted crises. The farmhouse is about to burst at the seams. Add in a few other events, such as playing the part of a pixie at a Christmas fête, organizing Nick’s book launch and training a non-cooperative llama for the agility class in the show, and Noelle is pushed ever closer to the end of her tether. Can she hold it together and stay as calm as a llama? Or will she be the next member of her family to make a bolt for pastures new?      

This festive, feel-good and fun novel is the sequel to ‘Fa-La-Llama-La: Christmas at the Little French Llama Farm’ but can be read as a standalone.  

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

There were just two very elderly women in the café with us, both of whom looked totally terrifying with their heavy makeup and over-coiffed, thin hair. Each clutched a quivering toy dog of the same remarkably ugly breed. But fair dos to them, they weren’t growing old gracefully. There were fighting it, crowned tooth and lacquered nail.

The word ‘mademoiselle’ may have been banned from all official documents in 2012, but here in rural France any woman who appeared too young or too ugly to be married was automatically one. I hoped I came into the former category.

… so when the dust has settled in a day or so, why not reopen negotiations and say something like you appreciate the financial help they want to give you, but you’d rather they put some money into a trust fund for Charlie so that when he’s eighteen, he can use the money to pay for university, or set up a hamster sanctuary, or a betting shop, or finance a Guinness World Record attempt to hop round the world backwards, or whatever else he wants to do.

The dog had a rakish, attractive air about him with his wiry grey hair at all angles. He was the size of a spaniel but that was as far as the resemblance went. He was 100% mongrel, possibly a badger crossed with a toilet brush, plus a dollop of genetic input from a hay bale.

My Review:

I have thoroughly enjoyed Stephanie Dagg’s French Llama series as well as her delightfully crisp, cleverly amusing and unique writing style. Her characters throughout both books were endearingly quirky and knowable, while her prose was agile and engaging and conjured vivid and comical visuals with her vibrant and clever word choices. The storylines were lively, engaging, and observantly detailed and laced with nimble wit and cunning levity.

This was my third time picking up one of her books and I daresay she has collected a rabid fangirl to add to her menagerie of exotic pets.   And an added bonus for me was picking up a trio of fun new words and phrases for my Brit Word List with sarnies – sandwiches, get some kip – sleep, and my favorite with send away with a flea in their ear – angrily banish and forbid to return.

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. I now consider myself a European rather than ‘belonging’ to any particular country. The last ten years have been interesting, to put it mildly. Taking on seventy-five acres with three lakes, two hovels and one cathedral-sized barn, not to mention an ever-increasing menagerie, makes for exciting times. The current array of animals includes alpacas, llamas, huarizos (alpaca-llama crossbreds, unintended in our case and all of them thanks to one very determined alpaca male), sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys, not forgetting our pets of dogs, cats, zebra finches, budgies , canaries, lovebirds and Chinese quail. Before we came to France all we had was a dog and two chickens, so it’s been a steep learning curve. I recount these experiences in my book Heads Above Water: Staying Afloat in France and the sequel to that, Total Immersion: Ten Years in France. I also blog regularly at www.bloginfrance.com.

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. I have worked part-time as a freelance editor for thirty years after starting out as a desk editor for Hodder & Stoughton. Find me at www.editing.zone. The rest of the time I’m running carp fishing lakes with Chris and inevitably cleaning up some or other animal’s poop.   

Social Media Links –

@llamamum

www.facebook.com/StephanieDaggBooks/

www.bloginfrance.com

Facing A Twisted Judgment

by  K. J. McGillick

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

What happens when tunnel vision clouds a police investigation? Is it true that once you are labeled a person of interest you really are the prime suspect? Can you trust the legal system?  Probably not.

After a bitterly contested legal battle over inherited property, the hard-won art collection and its owner Samantha Bennington disappear. Both have vanished without a trace.

When blood spatter is discovered under the freshly painted wall of the room in which two of the paintings were hung, the theft becomes the opening act in a twisted tale of jealousy, revenge, and murder leading to a final judgment for all involved.

As the list of suspects narrows, the focus lands squarely on the husband. Some labeled Samantha’s husband a corrupt attorney, others an opportunist. Either way, he’s in the crosshairs of law enforcement and they are calling him a murderer. But is he the only viable suspect? What about the missing woman’s drug-addicted sister and her convicted felon brother? Both were furious over their loss at court and have more than enough reason to hate Samantha.  

Guilty until proven innocent leaves Alexander Clarke facing a twisted judgment.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I saw Mary raise her middle finger ever so slightly from the table in Jackson’s direction, and he got the meaning. Lee’s mouth twitched with a smile. Apparently, Mary and Jackson had their own form of nonverbal communication they were comfortable with.

I had to admit, Mary was not only a hoot, but also a bright woman. The fact that she looked like the mother in The Golden Girls TV show and wore ridiculously thick black owl eyeglasses gave her an edge at disarming people. That she also held a private investigator license and was a co-owner of the firm boggled my mind.

Declan Murphy could be a weak spot for me. Handsome, smart, and funny—the deadly triad.

“Mr. Clarke, unfortunately, trouble seems to find me,” she said as she pushed her glasses up her nose… She opened her bag, and as she took each item out, she identified it. “On my keychain, an alarm to wake the dead. Next to the alarm is pepper spray. This can is hornet spray, and this one is hair spray. Both will blind and choke you. Here is my stun gun and Taser, and fortunately, I’ve only had to use the Taser once,” she said, looking over the items. “No gun?” I asked, intrigued by this eccentric. “Of course. But you asked what was in my bag. The gun is at my back. No need to alarm the public,” she said, eyeing her collection with pride. Who was this lady? A senior citizen 007?

“Alex, before I sign any papers, I need the people who are most involved written on a piece of paper. When I get home, I will separate those names and place each into a small jar and close the lids. Then, I light a candle in front of each to shine a light on each person. I’ll wave a bundle of sage around the jars to cleanse the area. I always say a prayer for guidance. Then, I wait. If any candle immediately dies out in front of any jar, then I’ll know that person shouldn’t touch my paintings. It’s a proven fact, Alex,” she said with a nod. I sat, unable to decide if she was pulling my leg or being serious. I opted for clarification. “Seriously?” “As a heart attack. And, at my age, you don’t use that term lightly,” she replied, easing the grip she had on her handbag.

My Review:

Maybe it was the shocking and earth-shattering numeral reached on my last birthday, but I seem to be on a roll of my favorite book characters being of the more mature/aged variety. But I will confess, I tittered and smirked like an adolescent at the thought of a tiny yet feisty and resourceful elderly woman repeatedly twitching her middle finger to communicate her pique with an irritating and mouthy coworker. Snort. I adored the character of Mary and her infamous handbag/arsenal. While also a cracker-jack investigator, she provided considerable levity and humor into the complex and stimulating case of murder and art-theft. The plot was cunningly clever.   The writing was engaging and continually taunted and teased my curiosity with well-balanced and well-crafted storylines, amusing observations, a cleverly contrived frame, and intriguing and questionable characters. I am eager to see what incredibly unexpected yet timely item Mary next retrieves from her voluminous pocketbook. She was like a miniature and edgy version of a senior Mary Poppins.

Author Bio 

 K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that’s what New Yorker’s do. Right?

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field, she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing.

Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/KJMcGillickauthor/

Kathleen McGillick

@KJMcGillickAuth

http://www.kjmcgillick.com/

https://twitter.com/KJMcGillickAuth

Callie’s Christmas Wish 

Still Raving About Rhys

by Jessica Redland

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

Christmas is approaching and love is in the air at Bay View Care Home. Supervising carer, Callie Derbyshire, is blissfully happy with her new boyfriend, Rhys. The tree’s up, the lights are twinkling, and, with the Christmas Eve wedding of one of the residents, Iris, to look forward to, everything is perfect.

Well, almost.

Rhys’s ex has him at her beck and call, yet refuses to let Callie meet their baby daughter. Callie’s ex is intent on stirring up trouble. And Callie’s favorite resident, Rhys’s nanna, Ruby, hasn’t been her usual self since Iris announced her engagement.

Convinced that Ruby’s lonely, especially after discovering the truth about her lost love, Callie’s determined to give Ruby’s romantic story the happy ending it deserves. Ruby might be adamant that the past should be left in the past. But, when it comes to true love, surely a little well-meaning meddling and a Christmas wish or two can’t do any harm. After all, it’s never too late to let love in again. Or is it?

A heartwarming Christmas story of finding new love, and the courage to revisit a love that was lost long ago.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I’m not about to dump you and if I was, which I’m not, I certainly wouldn’t do it at work two days before Christmas. What do you take me for? I’d do it by text on Christmas Day instead.

Even with her face scrubbed clear of make-up and her hair hanging damp and limp around her shoulders, she was still really pretty. I’d cruelly been hoping that she needed to be caked in make-up and would be rough as a badger’s arse when she removed it.

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.

I don’t believe a word she says. She’ll either have a hangover, period pains, or bullshititis.

I love you… Deeper than the ocean, higher than the sky, and longer than time…

My Review:

I love a feisty heroine, especially an elderly one. If I am destined to remain above ground into my eighties I aspire to be as spry and adventuresome as Ms. Redland’s brilliantly crafted octogenarian character named Ruby. I adored her as well as the totality of this cleverly amusing story.   I was heavily invested in the characters and well entertained from beginning to end by the humor and poignancy found in the unusual situations and choices made. The storylines were engaging, unpredictable, wryly witty, and highly original. Ms. Redland’s writing is always keenly observant and insightful while simultaneously humorous and thoughtfully discerning. Her quirky characters were intriguing and although they weren’t always likable, I remained curious and interested in knowing more about them.   And I picked up three new entries for my Brit word list, with rota – work schedule, grizzling – crying or complaining, and sea fret – fog from the ocean.

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 realized 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

Murder Served Cold

by Paula Williams

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

A quiet English village where nothing ever happens.   Until…..

After her boyfriend runs out on her with the contents of their joint bank account, Kat Latcham has no choice but to return to the tiny Somerset village of Much Winchmoor where she grew up.  A place, she reckons, that is not so much sleepy as comatose and she longs for something to happen to lessen the boredom of living with her parents.

But when she and her childhood friend, Will Manning, discover a body and Will’s father, John, is arrested for the murder, Kat suddenly realizes that she should have heeded the saying “Be careful what you wish for”.

Much Winchmoor is a hotbed of gossip and everyone is convinced John Manning is guilty.  Only Kat and Will believe he’s innocent. When there’s a second murder Kat is sure she knows the identity of the murderer – and set out to prove it.  But in doing so she almost becomes the murderer’s third victim.

Readers of Sue Grafton might enjoy the Much Winchmoor series of cozy murder mysteries spiked with humor and sprinkled with romance.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

If spreading gossip was an Olympic sport, Elsie Flintlock would be a quadruple gold medallist. They had no need of super-fast broadband in this village. Elsie and her cronies were quicker than the speed of light.

Take your time, sweetheart… You don’t have to sample all the chocolates in the box to find the one that’s right for you. He’ll come along soon enough.

… that’s a pretty top you’re almost wearing. What was it before? A handkerchief?

Eddie says living with me at the moment is like living on the edge of an active volcano, just waiting for the next eruption.

My Review:

Paula Williams is off to an excellent start for her new cozy series with an engaging mystery and lovable heroine. I enjoyed her breezy and amusing writing style as well as getting to know the hapless Katie. Katie had hit a rough patch after an unfortunate string of bad luck in her love life and career – as she had lost both. Her cad of a boyfriend took off with her friend as well as her car, money, and treasured Dr. Who swag. The nerve! After the further indignity of losing her job, Katie was forced to suck it up and move back into her parents’ home with her London style fashion of purple hair and ripped jeans. She chafed at having to leave behind the freedom and anonymity of the big city to return to a small village of busybodies where the majority of the population liked nothing more than plopping down in the pub and imbibing in the amusing and intriguingly named beer of Ferret’s Kneecaps while spreading malicious gossip.

Katie meant well but she was a bit of an idiot. She was young and gullible as well as oblivious, self-involved, and impulsive; yet always surprised when people became antagonized with her when she couldn’t stop snooping, or follow directions, or pay attention. She also had a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time but luckily she was also well-loved and indulged by her parents. Katie was a mess, yet I kind of adored her, as I was once very much like her as a plucky young adult – before I became old and jaded 😉

Score – I extracted a few colorful new additions to my Brit word list with oik, which is British slang for low class or obnoxious; and the phrase “what a tip,” which Mr. Google indicated was a dump or pile of rubbish.

Author Bio –

Paula Williams is living her dream.  She has written all her life – her earliest efforts involved blackmailing her unfortunate younger brothers into appearing in her plays and pageants. But it is only in recent years, when she turned her attention to writing short stories and serials for women’s magazines that she discovered, to her surprise, that people with better judgment than her brothers actually liked what she wrote and were prepared to pay her for it.

Now, she writes every day in a lovely, book-lined study in her home in Somerset, where she lives with her husband and a handsome but not always obedient rescue Dalmatian called Duke.  She still writes for magazines but also now writes novels. A member of both the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Crime Writers’ Association, her novels often feature a murder or two and are always sprinkled with humor and spiced with a touch of romance.

She also writes a monthly column, Ideas Store, for the writers’ magazine, Writers’ Forum and has a blog at paulawilliamswriter.wordpress.com.  Her facebook author page is https://www.facebook.com/paula.williams.author . And she tweets at @paulawilliams44.

Not only that but when she’s not writing, she’s either tutoring, leading writing workshops or giving talks on writing at writing festivals and conferences and to organized groups.  She’s appeared several times on local radio – in fact, she’ll talk about writing to anyone who’ll stand still long enough to listen.

But, as with the best of dreams, she worries that one day she’s going to wake up and find she still has to bully her brothers into reading ‘the play what she wrote’.

Social Media Links –

Facebook.   https://www.facebook.com/paula.williams.author

Blog. paulawilliamswriter.wordpress.com

Twitter. @paulawilliams44

Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

by Jenny Hale 

Amazon  / B&N

An uplifting, beautiful story about never letting go of your dreams, the special magic of a family Christmas… and the rush of falling in love under the mistletoe.

Single mother Abbey Fuller loves her family more than anything and doesn’t regret for a moment having had to put her dreams of being an interior designer on hold. But with her son, Max, growing up, when a friend recommends her for a small design job she jumps at the chance. How hard can it be?

Nick Sinclair needs his house decorated in time for his family’s festive visit – and money is no object. What he doesn’t need is to be distracted from his multi-million dollar business – even if it is Christmas.

When Abbey pulls up to the huge Sinclair mansion, she has a feeling she might be out of her depth. And when she meets the gorgeous, brooding Nicholas Sinclair, she knows that she’s in real trouble…

With the snow falling all around, can Abbey take the chance to make her dreams of being a designer come true? And can she help Nick to finally enjoy the magic of Christmas?

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

“Your happiness and security is all I want for Christmas.” The man who had everything had found something to ask for this Christmas.

My Review:

This was a sweet and thoughtful read and one of those rare books that I could thoroughly appreciate yet was chaste enough that I could recommend to my elderly mother’s book club. Due to the vast disparity in our reading interests, those books seem to be as common as mega lottery wins. I enjoyed every aspect of this book; the premise was fairly realistic and interesting; the characters were well fleshed out and sincerely endearing and worth knowing; while the writing and storylines were full of feels and well crafted with poignant and observant insights and considerable attention to detail. Ms. Hale’s writing was so easy to fall into that I expected to see her characters in front of me when I put my Kindle down.

Goodreads

When I graduated college, one of my friends said, “Look out for this one; she’s going to be an author one day.” Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn’t until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to me.

Sometimes our friends can see the things that we can’t.

While I didn’t start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children, and hundreds of thousands of words later, I completed a novel that I felt was worthy of publication. The result is Coming Home for Christmas, a heart-warming story about friends, family, and the magic of love at Christmas.

The rest is history.

When I’m not writing, I’m a mother of two boys and a wife to a very supportive husband.

 Mistletoe Miracles

 (Ransom Canyon #7)

by Jodi Thomas

Amazon | Books-A-Million | B & N

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: HQN; Original edition (October 1, 2018)

A small-town Texas Christmas story, where hearts are lost, love is found, and family always brings you back home.

Griffin Holloway is desperate: the Maverick Ranch has been in his family for generations, but lately, it’s a money pit. He’d sooner marry one of his horses than sell the ranch. Marriage, though, could be a solution. If he can woo a wealthy bride, he might save the ranch—just in time for Christmas.

Jaxon O’Grady likes his solitude just fine, thank you very much. But when a car accident brings the unexpected to his door, he realizes just how much one person can need another.

Crossroads is the perfect place for Jamie Johnson: avoiding nosy questions about why she’s single, she’s happy to keep to her lakeside home. So she’s baffled when she gets the strangest Christmas present of all, in the form of a Mr. Johnson, asleep on her sofa. Who is he, and why does everyone think he’s her husband?

In this uplifting novel, three unlikely couples discover just what Crossroads, Texas, can offer: romance, belonging, and plenty of Christmas spirit.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

If they had to carry all their shortcomings in a sack, they’d both be permanently bent over.

You’re the oldest, Griff. You go first. At thirty-four, you’re about to go from ripe to rotten anyway.

“You don’t believe in soul mates?” “Sure. Mom’s found three so far. Every time she leaves a husband, she rolls back her age like rewinding the odometer on a car. I’ve heard husband number three is closer to my age than hers.”

It must have been dark. She’s not the kind of girl you’d ever be able to pick up, so that means she picked you up. What I can’t figure out is why she didn’t put you right back down.

I had so many housekeepers growing up that I started calling them by their number. I think we were on about twenty-three by the time I was in college…They must be working through the alphabet now. The ones my father doesn’t run off, my mother fires when she flies by on her broom now and then.

My Review:

I snickered and giggled-snorted at the comical descriptions and wry humor throughout this narrative, although I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this book as I was initially appalled by the older brother Griffin’s presented plan of saving the family ranch. He instructed his brothers of the dire condition of their finances with their only foreseeable salvation being to find and marry wealthy women within two months and using said women’s resources to save them. Eww.   This proposed plan sounded extremely cold and mercenary, which it most certainly was, and I know this happens to varying degrees all the time across all cultures, but as a feminist, I envisioned applying a high degree of pain to a soft part of his anatomy. Griffin was sincere in his belief of love also, eventually, being an aspect to this plan… stupid man… but that did seem to take the edge of my pique and kept me reading.

There were actually three well-nuanced and engaging storylines occurring at the same time, with each one being quite active, highly entertaining, observantly insightful, cleverly crafted, and involved varying degrees of duplicity. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I adored this large and vast cast of quirky characters and the real-life issues they encountered. I need to work this crafty spinner of tales into my reading calendar with regularity.

About Jodi Thomas

New York Times and USA Today’s bestselling author Jodi Thomas has published over 30 books in both the historical romance and contemporary genres, the majority of which are set in her home state of Texas. Publishers Weekly calls her novels “Distinctive…Memorable,” and that in her stories “[tension] rides high, mixed with humor and kisses more passionate than most full-on love scenes.” In 2006, Romance Writers of America (RITA) inducted Thomas into the RWA Hall of Fame for winning her third RITA for THE TEXAN’S REWARD. She also received the National Readers’ Choice Award in 2009 for TWISTED CREEK (2008) and TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN (2008). While continuing to work as a novelist, Thomas also functions as Writer in Residence at the West Texas A&M University campus, where she inspires students and alumni in their own writing pursuits.

Connect with Jodi

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter

by Hazel Gaynor

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

From The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home comes a historical novel inspired by true events, and the extraordinary female lighthouse keepers of the past two hundred years.

“They call me a heroine, but I am not deserving of such accolades. I am just an ordinary young woman who did her duty.”

1838: Northumberland, England. Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands has been Grace Darling’s home for all of her twenty-two years. When she and her father rescue shipwreck survivors in a furious storm, Grace becomes celebrated throughout England, the subject of poems, ballads, and plays. But far more precious than her unsought fame is the friendship that develops between Grace and a visiting artist. Just as George Emmerson captures Grace with his brushes, she in turn captures his heart.

1938: Newport, Rhode Island. Nineteen-years-old and pregnant, Matilda Emmerson has been sent away from Ireland in disgrace. She is to stay with Harriet, a reclusive relative and assistant lighthouse keeper, until her baby is born. A discarded, half-finished portrait opens a window into Matilda’s family history. As a deadly hurricane approaches, two women, living a century apart, will be linked forever by their instinctive acts of courage and love.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“Mam was at her snoring again. Thought it was the cannons firing from Bamburgh to signal a shipwreck.” He opens one eye. “Don’t tell her I said that.”

I’ve seen how often women marry and become less of themselves, like scraps of pastry cut away and reused in some other, less important way.

She is utterly in thrall of him and I am ashamed to feel a prick of jealousy as I observe her, knowing she will never look at me that way. Daughters never hold their mother’s affection the way their sons do. Daughters are dutiful, dependable and disposable. Sons are brave and admirable, essential to the continuation of the family line.

But it isn’t just her face he can’t forget. It’s the particular sense of purpose and determination that dripped from her like honey from a spoon. So slender in form and yet so immense in personality and character.

She gazes up at me with eyes the color of winter seas and I see in her some greater wisdom; as if she understands that she is not just my daughter, but the sum of generations of strong courageous women who came before her, an echo of them all lingering in her soul.

My Review:

It wasn’t until I had finished reading that I noticed that this epic and poignant book was based on true events, and while I was already impressed by the artistry and quality of the book, that little nugget just blew me away. The writing was beautifully rendered, lushly detailed, and emotively crafted to hit all the feels.   The storylines were complex and well woven, yet felt authentic from beginning to end. I cannot imagine the massive amount of research required for such an undertaking. I – am – in – awe.  I was provided with a review copy of this thoughtfully written book by HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

About Hazel Gaynor

HAZEL GAYNOR is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Memory of Violets and The Girl Who Came Home, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Her third novel, The Girl from the Savoy, was an Irish Times and Globe & Mail Canada bestseller, and was shortlisted for the BGE Irish Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year. In 2017, she has published The Cottingley Secret and Last Christmas in Paris. Hazel was selected by US Library Journal as one of ‘Ten Big Breakout Authors’ for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages. Hazel lives in Ireland with her husband and two children.

Find out more about Hazel at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Aphrodite’s Closet

by Suzy Turner

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

Agatha Trout didn’t even know she had a Great Aunt Petunia, so imagine her surprise when she finds Petunia left her a corner shop in her will. But it’s not just any old corner shop—it’s a corner shop that needs something unique, something the town of Frambleberry has never seen before.

Influenced by her confident best friend, Coco, Agatha is soon convinced that there’s only one way to go: an adults-only sex shop.

While some of the townspeople are clutching their pearls in horror, others are open to the new experiences this shop offers. But not everyone in Frambleberry is convinced. Will the women soldier on in the face of violent threats or will their fears get the best of them—and their new venture—before it even gets off the ground?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Honey, Amelia is the town gossip. You know that. She knows you’re going to fart before you do.

It is a thought, babe, but I can’t work full-time… I’ve got my weekly appointments to go to. I can’t possibly miss having my hair done, and my mani-pedis. Are you insane? It takes effort to look this good you know…

“Remember little Tommy? Little shit cornered me in the changing rooms, had a feel of my boobs when I was eleven and then told everyone I’d snogged him and felt his willy. And then a few years later he had the cheek to try again. Do you remember, I whacked him in the nuts?” Aggie nodded, “Did you know he’s now a surgeon?” With her eyes wide, Christie snorted. “A surgeon? What kind?” “Plastic,” Aggie laughed. “Wow, still likes playing with women’s boobs then.”

My Review:

Aphrodite’s Closet was a delightful and cleverly amusing read that kept a smile on my face while reading. After losing her job and inheriting an empty retail property, Agatha Troat, an uptight nebbish book nerd, with her feisty sparkplug of a friend named Coco, joined forces to establish a lingerie and adult toy shop as, well, everyone knows the saying – sex sells!   I adored these fun characters.   Agatha attending her first buying trip to an erotic fair with a red face and large hat, but quickly grew into her confidence, and a makeover, new hairstyle, and a Wonderbra significantly helped things along. But her mother was appalled, so were the ladies who lunch as well as a much scarier faction of the community who quickly began to make their disapproval known.   Humorous touches and quirkily endearing characters filled this genre-crossing tale of chick-lit, cozy mystery, and contemporary romance.

Author Bio 

Born in England and raised in Portugal, Suzy lives with her childhood sweetheart Michael, their two crazy dogs, and three cats.

Shortly after completing her studies, Suzy worked as a trainee journalist for a local newspaper. Her love of writing developed and a few years later she took the job of assistant editor for the region’s largest English language publisher before becoming editor of a monthly lifestyle magazine. Early in 2010 however, Suzy became a full-time author. She has since written several books: Raven, December Moon, The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga), Daisy Madigan’s Paradise, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, The Temporal Stone, Looking for Lucy Jo, We Stand Against Evil (The Morgan Sisters), Forever Fredless,  And Then There Was You, Stormy Summer and her latest, Aphrodite’s Closet.

In 2015 she launched her popular 40+ lifestyle blog which continues to go from strength to strength, while just over a year later, she trained to become a yoga instructor. Suzy continues to write, blog and teach yoga in one of Portugal’s loveliest settings – the Algarve.

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