Reading Round-Up: September/October 2019

The latter half of 2019 has definitely been a big success for me on the reading front. Over the last few months, I've been making a conscious effort to put my phone down and read more - and that dedication has definitely been paying off!

If you missed my last reading round-up post, you can catch up on the start of my newfound reading mojo here.

Book Review: How to Make Time for Me by Fiona Perrin

Last Updated: 21 September 2021

AD* | No one said being a single mum would be easy.

Everyone knows that being a single mother means having no time to yourself. But for Callie Brown, it's more exhausting than most. She's juggling the needs of three teenage children, two live-in parents, a raffish ex-husband, and a dog who never stops eating.

The last thing Callie needs is anything more on her plate. So when she bumps (quite literally) into a handsome, age-appropriate cyclist, she's quick to dismiss him from her life. After all, if she doesn't have time to brush her hair in the morning, she certainly doesn't have time to fall in love.

Book Review: A Game of Desire by Sharon Ibbotson

Last Updated: 21 September 2021

AD* | The Queen of Diamonds never loses...

Felicity Fox is a rarity for a woman living in the early 1800s. Not only does she frequent the ‘gambling hells’ where most ladies would not dare to tread, but she can also beat any man at his own game. It’s no wonder she’s gained notoriety as the ‘Queen of Diamonds’.

Edward, Earl of Addington, despises gambling and is not exactly enamoured of Felicity Fox either, especially after she tried to swindle his family. Except now the Earl requires assistance from the Queen of Diamonds – and there’s everything to play for. But with Edward will Felicity find she’s involved in a more dangerous game than she’s ever played before?

A Quick Guide to Making Solo Travel Work for You

AD* | If you’ve been dreaming of solo travel for a while but haven’t taken the plunge, now could be the time to do it. There’s no better time to travel solo than right now, especially if you don’t have things like a serious job, relationship, house, or family weighing you down. You really do just need to go for it, because it will probably never feel like the perfect time! Let’s take a look at how you can make solo travel work for you.

Book Review: Angel by L.J. Ross

Last Updated: 21 September 2021

After a turbulent time, DCI Ryan’s life is finally beginning to return to normal and he’s looking forward to spending an uneventful Easter bank holiday weekend with his fiancée.

Then, on Good Friday morning he is called out to a crime scene at one of the largest cemeteries in Newcastle. The body of a redheaded woman has been found buried in a shallow grave and the killer has given her wings, like an angel.

Soon, another woman is found at a different cemetery, followed quickly by another. Panic spreads like wildfire as a new serial killer is born, and Ryan’s band of detectives must work around the clock to unmask him before he can strike again.

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

Book Review: The Little Village of Happiness by Holly Martin

Last Updated: 20 September 2021

Willow McKay needs a fresh start. Her recent break-up may not have left her heartbroken but it’s certainly wounded her pride. Desperate to escape the whispers and stares of her town’s gossips, an advert offering homes in a picturesque village in the grounds of a majestic castle on the Cornish coast sounds like just what she needs. Without thinking twice Willow applies for a cottage and packs up her life for the village of Happiness.

But when Willow arrives she finds a crumbling ruin and ramshackle cottages, nothing like the pretty picture the advert had boasted. It seems Happiness was too good to be true. That is until she meets the incredibly handsome estate manager Andrew Harrington…

His passion for restoring the village to its former glory is contagious and soon they are working together to bring happiness back to Happiness. And as sparks fly between them Willow can feel herself falling. But Andrew is holding something back.

Can Willow risk her heart again? And will they succeed in transforming the old village to its original beauty before it’s too late?

Book Review: Heavenfield by L.J. Ross

Last Updated: 20 September 2021

When a man is found dead at the remote church of Heavenfield, DCI Ryan is the only other person for miles around. The police have no weapon, no motive and no other suspects.

Already suspended from Northumbria CID, Ryan must fight to clear his name. But soon, more than his career is at stake when prominent members of the mysterious ‘Circle’ begin to die. Somebody wants Ryan’s name to be next on the coroner’s list and to survive he must unmask the devil who walks among them – before it is too late.

Unfortunately for Ryan, the devil looks just like everybody else…