The Craft Room
by Dave Holwill

Goodreads

Sylvia Blackwell is tired. Her grandchildren are being kept away from her, and the expected inheritance that might finally get her middle-aged son to move out has failed to materialize – thanks to her mother’s cat. It is becoming increasingly difficult to remain composed. On a romantic clifftop walk for her 47th Wedding Anniversary, an unexpected opportunity leads to a momentous decision that will irretrievably change the course of her life.

The Craft Room is a darkly comic tale of sex, crepe paper, murder and knitting in a sleepy Devon town, with a ‘truly original’ premise and genuinely jaw-dropping moments. What would you do if unexpectedly freed from bondage you never knew you were in? How would your children cope? How far would you go to protect them from an uncomfortable truth? You can only push a grandmother so far…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

His back prevented him from doing any heavy lifting (though not from swinging golf clubs or working on his vintage Aston Martin) so he was acting as driver, organiser and supervisor. He decided to exercise his supervisory skills, straightened his tie in the mirror, and hopped out again to rally the team. An hour of encouraging sarcasm, withering looks and occasional shouts of ‘come on!’ later, the van was loaded and they headed off… He made the best of it, helping them along with encouraging remarks like, ‘careful those stringy arms of yours don’t come out of their sockets son,’ and, ‘I think your mother’ll have to carry this one, it’s probably a bit heavy for you.’

‘It’s almost funny you know,’ Ron said, as the silence grew oppressive, ‘we probably won’t be out of debt now until one of us dies!’ ‘Ron!’ Sylvia exclaimed, ‘you shouldn’t even joke about that.’ She tried not to overdo her shock – in case Ron realised she had already started work on his eulogy.

Those people were incredibly dull, and refused to accept that Batman: Year One is credible literature – bloody snobs… I wanted to love that book group Frank, I have read all the Hardy Boys mysteries, did they care?

… looking at the sad, impaled remains of what to him would always be a tweedy, waist-coated, wise old friend (rather than a big, vicious bastard that would bite your hand off if you stuck it in the wrong hedge). Don was not really a country boy at heart, and his only experience with wildlife came from books and cartoons.

My Review:

This book and its main character were superbly crafty, in every sense of the word. Laced with wry wit and wickedly clever humor, this cunningly observant and insightfully written book was found treasure. I am having a hard time classifying the genre beyond literary fiction. The storylines were highly entertaining, well integrated and smartly paced.   While the narrative was skillfully written and slyly amusing, the humor was dark, furtively devious, and brilliantly stealthy. The pace was slow yet pleasantly relaxing while secrets were gradually uncovered and the body count quietly ticked up.

I relished this well-honed book from start to finish. The characters were well-drawn, fascinatingly flawed, and rather loathsome, even the ones I admired or pitied the most. Yet I was captivated and my curiosity was on red button high alert. I took great delight in the author’s artful handling of the inner musings of the undetected and repressed sociopathic characteristics of Sylvia.   Sylvia was the craftiest of the crafters, a dependable and stalwart community participant and longtime Sunday School teacher who had diligently plotted and schemed  while she  labored tirelessly to maintain her position as the reigning community queen bee for decades – until her latest entry was ranked as second place. Gasp! This painful slight seemed to signal the turning of the tide for Sylvia as her patience, and apparently, her conscience had worn thin. Soon thereafter, she seemed to be uncannily present during a series of accidental deaths. Not all of which were her fault, although she nimbly and resourcefully may have hastened them, just a bit.

Author Bio

Dave Holwill was born in Guildford in 1977 and quickly decided that he preferred the Westcountry – moving to Devon in 1983 (with some input from his parents).
After an expensive (and possibly wasted) education there, he has worked variously as a postman, a framer, and a print department manager (though if you are the only person in the department then can you really be called a manager?) all whilst continuing to play in every kind of band imaginable on most instruments you can think of.

His debut novel, Weekend Rockstars, was published in August 2016 to favorable reviews and his second The Craft Room (a very dark comedy concerning death through misadventure) came out in August 2017. He is currently in editing hell with the third.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/daveholwill100

https://twitter.com/daveholwill

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584279.Dave_Holwill

https://www.instagram.com/dave_holwill/

http://davedoesntwriteanythingever.blogspot.com/

The Oddest Little Chocolate Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

Treat yourself to something delicious . . .

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – bestselling author Katie Fforde

When Clementine discovers that Monsieur Ravel’s beloved chocolaterie is about to close, she rushes to rescue it – without thinking through the consequences.

A lost Persian cat, a depressed but utterly gorgeous French chocolatier, an allergic shop assistant in search of true love, the oddest little chocolate shop Clementine has ever seen . . .

Can Clementine save them all, or has she bitten off more than she can chew?

A delicious, feel-good novella set in the world of chocolate-making from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

… she was twenty-three and every chocolate she consumed seemed to find its way unerringly to her hips, thighs and squashy bottom. So she had sworn not to touch chocolate for an entire year, one of those absurd promises you make when you step on the scales after a long period of backsliding and wonder if cutting your hair would make a difference.

Her reflection stared back at her mutely: a too-tall blonde with flyaway hair that simply would not behave on this windy day, slanted hazel eyes and a generous mouth. Generous, her mother used to say, because it was forever opening and spouting words. And usually at the worst possible moments.

Clementine considered the very real possibility of throwing herself out of the window but then decided she would not fit through the narrow frame. Attempting a dramatic suicide and getting her hips stuck would not help matters. Or salve her wounded ego.

My Review:

In less than a week I have become an ardent worshipper at the altar of the comedic goddess known as Beth Good, no joke – I will fangirl her hard.   She is found treasure and a recent discovery for me. Her perfect arrangements of words fill me with rapturous glee and a cascade of giggle-snorts while adding a near-constant smirk and impish twinkle to my facial expression. Her cleverly amusing tales are packed with snappy humor, original and uniquely quirky characters, and a delightfully engaging and entertaining writing style. I adored her calamitous Clementine with her highly active imagination, clumsiness, death touch to mechanical devices, and riotous daydreams.   The Oddest Little Chocolate Shop was definitely a tasty treat from start to finish and the source for my latest Brit Vocab List entry of dogsbody, which Mr. Google told me was informal British for, “a person who is given boring, menial tasks to do,” what we Americans would call a gopher – someone to go-for whatever the boss wants. Despite my natural tendencies and preference for sloth, I have come to adore the divine Beth Good to the outlandish degree of giving wistful consideration toward enlisting as her ever-faithful dogsbody.

Author Bio –

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

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

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

The Oddest Little Book Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

Escape to the gorgeous seaside resort of Port Pol, where love and laughter overflow in the Cornish sunshine.

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – bestselling author, Katie Fforde

After ten long years away, television star Daisy Diamond is finally going home.

She’s not back at the gorgeous seaside resort of Port Pol in sunny Cornwall five minutes before she realizes the mistake she’s made. Her childhood sweetheart Nick Old – affectionately known as ‘Devil’ – is still living there, running the local bookshop, and he is determined to rekindle their flame.

Daisy is no longer the dewy-eyed romantic of her school days. Her life may not have gone according to plan, but she’s not afraid to show Nick how much she’s grown since he famously dumped her at the school leavers’ disco.

Even if it means bending her heart out of shape a little . . .

A charming summer novella from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good and another entry in her quirky ‘Oddest Little Shop’ series.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Part of her wanted to dissolve in a pathetic heap after the verbal lashing he had just given her. Another part of her wanted to go and throw mud pies at the disappearing back window of his car.

‘I look appalling. Like I charge by the hour.’ ‘Oh, the half-hour, I’d say,’ Kirsty corrected her cheerfully…

Ha, you really look terrified now. Betwattled, as my great-gran would have said.

My Review:

I enjoy a clever second chance romance and score – I stumbled on one by my new favorite author, and thankfully, she has delivered an exceptionally thoughtful and amusing tale that kept me guessing. I am blissfully enjoying the pleasantly amusing and entertaining arrangements of words from the talented wordsmith known as Beth Good. With The Oddest Little Book Shop, I am three novellas in with her Oddest Little Shop series, and one of my favorite things about this installment was the wily and cunning name given to a despicable paparazzi photographer – Ron Scrotes. I’m just immature enough to smirk each time he appeared. Ms. Good’s wry wit may have caused an indelicate yet gleeful snort or ten, as Mr. Scrotes tends to pop up at inopportune moments for the main characters.

I adored the lovely Daisy Diamond, who became the biggest celebrity ever to have sprung from the small Cornish village of her youth. The same small Cornish village she fled ten years prior with a broken heart after being crushed by The Devil, AKA Nick Old – again – she is just so crafty with the clever names. The twists and turns leading to her painful teenaged heartbreak were finally explained to her and were quite compelling, yet there were many complications that presented a quagmire to unravel and make right. I didn’t think it could be done in a novella but Ms. Good miraculously made it happen and with a highly satisfying and happy ending for all parties, even the harpy who didn’t deserve one, but apparently Ms. Good is generous like that.

Author Bio – 

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

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

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

The Oddest Little Romance Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – Katie Fforde

Izzie has the perfect plan for a perfect life. Work hard, get married, settle down, start a family. But when a mysterious Valentine’s day card arrives, asking in a bold scrawl, ‘Will you marry me?’, it upends everything.
Because Izzie thought she’d found Mr. Right – and the card isn’t from him.

Puzzled, she sets out to discover the identity of her secret admirer . . . and is shocked by the truth. Torn in two directions, Izzie doesn’t know what to do.

Should she stick to the plan, or is it time to take life in a bold new direction?

Another quirky, charming novella in the ‘Oddest Little Shop’ series from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘Oh get a grip, you can’t seriously marry someone called Norman. I mean . . . Norman.’ Her friend said his name with breathless emphasis as though in the throes of passion, then shook her head. ‘No, it’s not a name to send chills of expectation down your spine. Unless you’re desperate for a truly comprehensive insurance policy.’

She did want to marry Norman, she really did. He was a really nice guy, and he was so amazingly keen on her . . . It was just that, in the middle of the night, she did keep waking up in a cold sweat, wondering if she was making the biggest mistake of her life.

She clasped her handbag tight on her lap. Like an old granny worried about losing her lottery tickets. Not a good look.

As their lips met, bodies pressed together, Isabel realised that forcing Norman to kiss her tonight was the worst thing she had ever done in her life. Possibly barring the incident with the snail sandwich in Year 3. Which had been unspeakably grim… Then there was the fact that his breath smelt a bit whiffy. And his lips were damp. Not wet, exactly, which would have been horrible. But kind of clammy. Eww.

He sounded like her dad the time he discovered a steamy romance novel hidden under her mattress when she was only twelve. And she did not really want to marry her dad, did she? Quite apart from the fact that any Freudian therapist would have a field day with it.

One of the women, wearing a leopard-print fake fur hat and a thick winter scarf, made an obscene gesture at Lewis. Or she might simply have been rubbing her nose.

My Review:

I smirked and giggled-snorted my way through this delightfully entertaining and gleefully amusing tale. I may have even bounced in my chair a few times with unrestrained joy.   I have a new favorite author and I am totally fangirling as I venerated her clever wit, writing style, and engaging storylines. I am greedily hungering for every word this clever author has ever penned, like pronto.   I adored this – start to finish.

Author Bio –

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

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

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

Visit JTEllison.com for more insight into her wicked imagination, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter @thrillerchick, and Instagram @thrillerchick

#LilyPondLane

The Cottage on Lily Pond Lane

Part Four Trick or Treat

by Emily Harvale

Goodreads

Amazon US/ UK

Mia Ward was amazed to inherit her great-aunt Matilda’s thatched cottage in the tiny seaside village of Little Pondale – especially as Mia didn’t know she had a great-aunt Matilda. She was even more astonished to discover she’d only inherit the place if she lives there for a year.

But a lot can happen in a very short time, and life in Little Pondale is not going quite as Mia hoped. She may have finally beaten one fear, but now heartbreak threatens to drown her.

And when at last, she starts to unravel the mystery of Matilda’s past, she uncovers an extraordinary plan for her own future. Now just who can Mia trust?

As the nights draw in and cold winds steal through Sunbeam Cottage, she turns to an unlikely source for comfort and support. But with the fortune teller’s warning still ringing in her ears, is Mia about to make the biggest mistake of her life?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 I was always saying to Hector, “You need to be more open, Hector. Keeping feelings pent up inside will be the death of you.” I was wrong about that, of course. The car hitting him, tossing him in the air, and him landing on his head was the death of him. But if the car hadn’t killed him, stress would have.

She sauntered towards him, which wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped, given that she was walking through water. Daniel Craig had made it look simple and ultra-sexy in the James Bond film.

Plus at our age, Fred and I can’t afford to wait. We could be dead at any time. And we’ve already told the vicar that if one of us dies before the wedding, we can have the funeral on the date instead. We’ll use all the same flowers and hymns.

My Review:

I quickly consumed this delightfully amusing and juicily informative installment from beginning to end, I believe I only put my Kindle down to refill my coffee cup, okay, I refilled like ten times, but still, I didn’t want to leave it longer than necessary as the secrets were finally, yes finally, being exposed and several mysteries were solved. And oh, snap! I could never have put so many deliciously scandalous details together. I was ridiculously impressed and nearly delirious with glee. What a clever girl that Emily Harvale, she definitely has an incredibly fertile imagination to have conjured up so many twisty and creative back-stories within a short novella.

This volume put a new spin on vicar and tart jokes and for an added treat, we were witness to a sweetly bizarre wedding where the elderly bride was given away by her constant companions – the ghost of her first husband and her beloved purple vest wearing pet rat, Prince Gustav, who sat upon a lavender pillow in his Cinderella carriage-like cage.   I had grown so attached to Ms. Harvale’s quirky characters and eccentric little village and was feeling a bit rueful as I neared the end as for some reason I was under the impression this was to be the last in the series but – oh happy day – there will be more!

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

The Freedom Diamond – A Novella
by Tracie Podger 

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  

Beginning with a journey upon the fated RMS Titanic to New York and then India, Lady Mountford embarks on a most exciting mission…

…an operation to right the wrongs of her father.

With the help of Ernest, Dorothy has decided the pain her father had caused needs rectifying. This endeavor takes immense courage from the young Lady, strategic planning, and many miles of travel.

Follow Dorothy on this adventure as she attempts to shed her upbringing and standing in society for the sake of freedom.

The Freedom Diamond is an updated version of Dorothy’s Journey and was part of Titanic Tales, a charity anthology launched to coincide with the Titanic signing, Belfast, 2018.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

The ship often creaked, and although I stilled to listen for the noise again, I wasn’t overly concerned. It was the shudder that followed the noise that had me sit upright. I watched pictures that hung on the wall sway from side to side. The lampshade on the side table shimmered, its tassels twirled for a moment, and then it all stilled. There was an eeriness; a calmness that took me a moment to understand.

I was a woman way ahead of her time and impatient for the world to change and catch up.

I was a Titanic survivor, a diamond smuggler, a righter of wrongs, and now patron of a women’s refuge and a children’s orphanage in India.

My Review:

I was fascinated by the premise and this cunning author’s word voodoo pulled me right inside her clever character’s cranium. It was an entertaining stay inside the lovely and feisty Dorothy’s headspace and I enjoyed being privy to her shrewd inner musings and astute observations. The atmospheric quality of the writing held me in place and I remained there throughout Dorothy’s adventure as she plotted her scheme, enjoyed the grandeur of the luxury liner, struggled with the cold to board a lifeboat, or made the quick and stealthy work of a cat burglar. The tale quickly flew by while whetting my appetite for more.

Author Bio

Tracie Podger currently lives in Kent, UK with her husband and a rather obnoxious cat called George. She’s a Padi Scuba Diving Instructor with a passion for writing. Tracie has been fortunate to have dived some of the wonderful oceans of the world where she can indulge in another hobby, underwater photography. She likes getting up close and personal with sharks.

Tracie writes in various genres, Contemporary Romance but likes to explore relationships that are not always easy and there isn’t always a happy ending, Romantic Suspense, Thriller, and Erotic Romance. She likes to have her books feel real with realistic timelines and with strong women who don’t run because the going gets tough. Sex is important between loving people, therefore all her books contain graphic scenes. However, the character’s relationship is more important.

If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact her, she would love to hear from you.

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