Adorable Fat Girl and the Mysterious Invitation

by Bernice Bloom

Mary Brown receives an invitation to a funeral. But she has absolutely no idea who the deceased is. She’s told that he invited her on his deathbed, and he’s very keen for her to attend, so she heads off to a dilapidated old farmhouse in a remote part of Wales. When she gets there she discovers that only five other people have been invited to the funeral. None of them knows who he is either.

NO ONE GOING TO THIS FUNERAL HAS EVER HEARD OF THE DECEASED. WHAT IS GOING ON??

Then they are told that they have 20 hours to work out why they have been invited in order to inherit a million pounds.

Who is this guy and why are they there? And what of the ghostly goings-on in the ancient old building?

Featuring Mary Brown, star of the Adorable Fat Girl series of books, in her greatest adventure yet.

This is BOOK NINE in the series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone book or as part of the series.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“I met a yogi, banged my head, lay there as some bloke’s tackle fell out of his shorts when he was coming down from downward dog, then came home again.” … “What about the bloke with the runaway testicles?”

He indicated the seat next to him and put the phone on the table in front of us, clicking it onto loudspeaker. We leaned over it like the French resistance and Ted dialed the number.

I am a size 22, I convince myself that I’m 20 but since I can’t get into clothes that are size 20, it’s an entirely inaccurate conviction.

At Llanelli station I was the only person to get off the train, and I stepped onto the deserted platform like I was in some film from wartime… I was half waiting for the steam to clear to reveal my family, running towards me to greet me after I’d been away at war for years.

My Review:

The Adorable Fat Girl series is indeed just that, Mary Brown is sweet, adorable, and a ton of good fun. And so are the scribblings of her talented creator, Bernice Bloom. I am totally enamored with the both of them.   There was a mystery afoot and the taxi driver transporting Mary to the funeral was a tad confused and introduced her as Miss Marple upon arrival. Mary didn’t have a chance of solving the intriguing and well-crafted conundrum, but neither did anyone else. Mary’s sincere attempts and wry observations were highly amusing and entertaining.   And joy, I have two additions to my Brit Word List with faffing about – dithering or wasting time, and bender – slang for a male homosexual.

Author Bio 

My name is Bernice Bloom and I write funny novels about a crazy lady called Mary Brown in my ‘Adorable Fat Girl’ series. 

Mary is funny, gorgeous and bonkers. She’s also about six stone overweight. When she realizes she can’t cross her legs and has trouble bending over to tie her shoelaces without wheezing like an elderly chain-smoker it’s time to take action. But what action? She’s tried every diet under the sun.

This series is the hysterical story of what happens when Mary joins ‘Fat Club’ where she meets a cast of funny characters and one particular man who catches her eye.
The series follows Mary as she goes on safari, on a cruise, to a weekend yoga retreat, and on an incredible adventure when she receives a mysterious invitation to a funeral.

The stories are laugh-out-loud funny and will resonate with anyone who has dieted, tried to keep up with any sort of exercise programme or spent 10 minutes in a changing room trying to extricate herself from a way-too-small garment that she ambitiously tried on and is now completely stuck in. xx

My website is: www.bernicebloom.com

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/BerniceBloombooks/

https://twitter.com/Bernice1Bloom

Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat

by Angela Britnell

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

What if you had nowhere to call home for Christmas? 
When Fee Winter books a winter break at the remote Black Cherry Retreat in the small town of Pine Ridge, Tennessee, it’s with the idea that the peace and quiet will help her recuperate from her hectic life as a photographer.

But what she didn’t bank on was meeting Tom Chambers and his huge, interfering yet lovable family. With them, could Fee finally experience the warmth and support that’s been missing from her own life – and maybe even find a place to call home in time for Christmas?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘Mama’s orders, honey. It’s more than my life’s worth to argue.’ ‘Are you a man or a mouse?’ she hissed. He shuffled from one foot to the other. ‘Mouse when it comes to my mother. Sorry.’

Like so many men he wanted things both ways: to mean something to a woman without meaning too much.

I bought some of the chamomile tea Tom told me you drink… Tasted like cat’s pee to me when I tried it but I’m sure it’s mighty good for you.

Domesticity was never her mother’s forte… Meals were sporadic. Cleaning was something done by people with small minds and nothing better to occupy their time. And irons were only seen in historical dramas on the television.

‘And you think chitlins are nasty?’ Tom retorted. ‘The rest of your family won’t touch nasty pig intestines either. Your own mother said you were peculiar.’ He shook his head. ‘Y’all don’t know what you’re missing.’ ‘I’m happy to keep missing them.’ ‘Fine.’ Tom sighed. ‘Take me to the snails.’

The past never left a person alone but wound around them and became part of the fabric of who they were.

My Review:

This is one of those books I have a hard time rating and classifying as it had a bit of everything, emotional and physical issues, family drama, long-standing grief and guilt, parentage and identity issues, international travel, birth, death, a prison break, and a hard-won romance, and all occurring between Halloween and Christmas. I enjoyed the premise and storylines, but there were periods where the pacing dragged and I struggled considerably with the angsty, hypersensitive, and aggravating main character of Fee during the earlier parts of the book.   I had a difficult time appreciating Fee, as she was such a mess and a quagmire of unique and difficult issues.   She was initially extra prickly, resentful, often rude and thoughtless of others yet oversensitive and easily offended. I pitied sweet Tom with his white knight syndrome, although he came with a smaller set of battered and devastated baggage himself. Thankfully with Tom’s gentle perseverance and endless patience, the frosty Fee began to thaw and I enjoyed the manner Ms. Britnell chose to allow her to bloom and find her balance, voice, and wry humor. Toss in small town intrusiveness, a large meddlesome family, holiday observances, and an exuberant and a well-loved toddler for periodic moments of levity.

Author Bio 

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee. A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels. After more than three decades of marriage to her American husband, she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after. Over the last twelve years, she’s been multi-published and sold over 25 novels. She also writes short stories for women’s magazines. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers.

Social Media Links –

www.facebook.com/angelabritnell

www.twitter.com/angelabritnell

www.angelabritnellromance.com

https://www.instagram.com/angelagolleybritnell/

Bells and Bows on Mistletoe Row

by Emily Harvale

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

It’ll take a miracle to make Juliet’s Christmas merry, but Mistletoe Row is the place to be when you need some Christmas magic. 

The last person Juliet Bell expects to see when she returns home for Christmas is Harrison Bow.Especially with the most beautiful woman in the world by his side. Twenty years ago, Juliet and Harrison had the shortest romance in history, consisting of one date – and one blazing row. But Juliet will never admit when she’s wrong, and Harrison doesn’t forgive easily, so they haven’t seen, or spoken to one another since.

Harrison Bow vowed he’d never visit his grandfather at The Grange, again, or drive along Mistletoe Row, the scene of one of the unhappiest times of his life. He hasn’t been back for twenty years and he’s only here now because his brother pleaded with him to come. At least with his executive assistant joining him, he’ll be able to do some work. 

But Juliet’s sister, Zoe and Harrison’s brother, Luke have some surprises in store for their elder siblings, and so it seems does Fate. After Harrison risks his life to save Juliet, the least she can do is be nice. The problem is, Harrison is hotter than the log fire in The Mistletoe pub, and when she’s surrounded by twinkling lights and softly falling snow, it doesn’t take long for her to realize she’s in love with the man she thought she hated. Even if he doesn’t appear to be in love with her. 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

You’re not getting any younger, dear, and I know it’s all the fashion to wait these days, but wait too long and you’ll find that ship has sailed. Mark my words. Your ovaries may be as plump as grapes today, but they’ll turn to raisins soon enough.

My Review:

Emily Harvale is a sly minx and has given her tale such a clever title, with one family named Bow and the another named Bell and Mistletoe Row being the central street in their village. So I have to wonder, which came first, the title or the characters’ names? This was a quick and easy holiday-themed second chance romance with likable yet endearingly flawed and secretly pining characters, misunderstandings, a conniving vixen villainess, a dastardly and rich grandfather, and a loving family that doesn’t communicate. The storylines were pleasantly entertaining, easy to follow and could easily be envisioned as a seasonal movie.

Author Bio

Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her hometown of Hastings where she now spends her days writing… and chatting on social media. Emily is a Member of the SoA, a PAN member of the RWA and a Pro Member of ALLi. She’s an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All-Star. Emily loves writing and her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.

Emily says, “I write about friendship, family and falling in love. I believe in happing endings.” When she isn’t writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies – and will do anything to avoid both.

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

https://www.twitter.com/emilyharvale

https://www.instagram.com/emilyharvale

Tales from the Pays d’Oc

by Patricia Feinberg Stoner

Amazon US / UK 

Twenty-one tales of life, love, and laughter in the land of sun and vines.  

What is Matthieu doing up an olive tree?  Why won’t Joséphine ever eat pizza again? Who went four by fourth? And who rescued two hapless Americans at Armageddon Falls?

Travel to the Languedoc, feel the scorch of the sun on your shoulders, smell the dust and the lavender and the ripening grapes and follow the adventures of the Saturday Club and the regulars at l’Estaminet.

In this collection of stories, Patricia Feinberg Stoner revisits the territory of her memoir, ‘At Home in the Pays d’Oc’ with a whole host of new and familiar characters.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Any big, butch vehicle with large knobbly tyres and an excess of mud flaps would set his eyes a-spark, but what he really loved were Land Rovers. And by Land Rovers, of course, he meant Series and Defenders. Not for him the high-falutin’ Range Rover, nor the serviceable but still sleek Discovery – these he called Bland Rovers, and he treated them with disdain.

Morbignan la Crèbe, a small village in the Languedoc…

Principal industry, winter and summer: gossip.

Secondary industry: wine.

Today Jeannette and her husband were coming to stay, and bringing the new baby. On the whole, Gaston approved of the fact that the baby was grey and white and fluffy rather than pink and squalling. As a grandfather of seven he was blasé about small humans, but dogs he loved.

Perhaps this was a teeny exaggeration, but Matthieu was never one to let a few facts spoil a good story.

The ladies of the village clung to their old ways: tightly-permed heads in steel grey or the eye-watering auburn universally referred to as menopause red.

My Review:

Being a complete Philistine, I had no idea what or where the Pays d’Oc was, so I went to the source of all things – Mr. Google – who informed me it is a very productive wine region along the Mediterranean coast.   I like wine, and I like Mediterraneans, so it seemed like a good fit. This was a collection of amusing and inter-related short stories featuring a large cast of international characters and their precocious pets.   Each well-written story was laced with clever humor and delightful observations. My favorites were The Boar Wars and those involving the precious little dogs named Visitor and Useless.

About Patricia Feinberg Stoner

Patricia Feinberg Stoner is a former journalist, advertising copywriter, and publicist. For four years she and her husband were accidental expatriates in the Languedoc, southern France.  During that time she wrote a series of magazine articles which eventually became her first book about the Languedoc: ‘At Home in the Pays d’Oc.’

Now back in the UK, she lives with her husband in the pretty West Sussex village of Rustington, where Michael Flanders encountered a gnu and the mobility scooter is king. 

 She spends much of her time writing short stories and comic verses. Her first book, ‘Paw Prints in the Butter’, is a collection of comic poems for cat lovers and is sold in aid of a local animal charity.  In 2017 she published her second book of comic verse: ‘The Little Book of Rude Limericks’.

In the autumn of 2018, Patricia returns to the locale of ‘At Home in the Pays d’Oc’ with a new collection of stories: ‘Tales from the Pays d’Oc’.

Patricia welcomes visitors to her Facebook page (Paw Prints in the Butter) and to her blog www.paw-prints-in-the-butter.com.

You may occasionally find her on Twitter @perdisma.

My Quickie Wedding

by Christie Ridgway

Amazon / B&N

Instant. Attraction.

It heats the blood, causes the heart to race, and messes with the making of rational decisions. A person, may, for example, find themselves saying “I do” to a near-stranger on an impulsive overnight in Sin City.

The next morning, an aghast Connor Montgomery and Jojo Thatcher stare at each other over the tangled bed sheets. How had this happened? Neither is eager to acknowledge they followed a reckless urge and got hitched. Surely, it’s a bad nightmare.

Or maybe, just maybe, the beginning of a dream come true.

My Quickie Wedding is book three in the Heartbreak Hotel series and is a STANDALONE NOVELLA.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

That aghast expression would make any man take off, even as he’d briefly hoped—like an idiot—that the previous hours had all been a teenage-style wet dream followed by the kind of nightmare where you had to take a test buck naked in a language you’d never studied.

I’m your time and place, Jojo. I’m your person to share things with, sad and happy and all that’s in between.

My Review:

This installment was fast-paced, scorching the sheets sexy, a quick and easy read, and such a pleasant way to spend the part of the afternoon. I enjoyed Jojo and Connor as a couple, the instalove trope worked perfectly for them as they had more natural chemistry than they knew what to do with. Their story moved along at a brisk pace yet even had time for brief glimpses of the previous pairings from books one and two.   The Heartbreak Hotel’s reputation for love connections remains safe and well-merited.

About the Author