Book Review: The Start of Something Wonderful, by Jessica Redland

27 July 2023 by Melissa

About the book, The Start of Something Wonderful

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (July 17, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 344 pages

Autumn Laine has lost her creative sparkle. After losing her grandad and her job as an illustrator in quick succession, she is at a crossroads in life and needs a break. Spending time with her parents in Paris, even in the artistic community of Montmartre, doesn’t appear to be the answer.

So when her penpal, Rosie, invites her to stay in the Lake District, Autumn jumps at the chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of Paris. After all, where better to re-discover her creativity than the place which inspired her heroine, Beatrix Potter?

Arriving at the picturesque lakeside village of Willowdale, Autumn is swept up by the beauty and magic of the stunning landscape. Welcomed into the community with open arms, she slowly starts to feel like herself again as her creative instincts re-ignite.

But when she meets Dane, who has escaped to the Lakes for his own reasons, will Autumn’s walls come down to let someone in again after so long? Or will the secrets of her past continue to hold her back?

A new beginning is a daunting prospect, but could it be the start of something wonderful too..?

Join million-copy bestseller Jessica Redland for a brand new series, full of love, friendship and community.

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About the author, Jessica Redland

Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers
to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a
hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Connect with Jessica:

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My Thoughts

I’ve read a couple of Jessica Redland’s other titles, so I was happy to dive into her latest creation, The Start of Something Wonderful. I was not disappointed. The title character, Autumn, an artist whose biggest influence was Beatrix Potter, is in a period of flux -lost love, changes at work, the loss of her beloved grandfather. Even spending time in Paris isn’t jump-starting her creativity. This is a woman who needs a retreat, and her long-term friend Rosie offers one: come to the Lake District and find your sparkle again.

I really loved that the core relationship in this novel was of female friends, pen-pals who have never before met in person, but have been writing back and forth for a quarter of a century. In this age of texts and instant messages, the notion of a friendship that’s almost exclusively restricted to pen and paper is a romantic one. As a letter-writer myself, I really appreciated Redland’s choice to have Autumn and Rosie interact that way. As always, Redland writes her female characters with insight and delicacy, making them feel like women we might run into in the coffee shop or post office, and the male characters, Etienne the ex, and Dane the children’s book writer, are equally dimensional.

One place where Redland excels is in the description of places. Whether she’s talking about artsy Montmartre or the lush landscape of the Lake District, this author really makes you feel as if you’re there. In this novel we get to travel to both, and the experience is fantastic. Similarly, the detail of Rosie’s riding and the stables where she works and the progression of Autumn’s art are written very plausibly. I like that their avocations and vocations weren’t mere afterthoughts, but were integral parts of the story.

While this novel is, ostensibly, a romance, I found that the deeper relationships were friendship and family. Either way, it’s a deliciously satisfying read, light enough for a summer escape, but not at all insipid. Billed as the first in a new series, I can honestly say that this novel is The Start of Something Wonderful in more than just name.

Goes well with: hot tea and buttered popovers with strawberry jam.

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Book Review: Vaulting Through Time by Nancy McCabe

25 July 2023 by Melissa

About the Book, Vaulting Through Time

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CamCat Publishing; Large Print edition (July 25, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 522 pages

Can she perform the vault of her life to save her loved ones―and herself?

Sixteen-year-old gymnast Elizabeth Arlington doesn’t care that her mother is older than the other girls’ moms or that she doesn’t look anything like her parents. She has too much other stuff to worry about: an embarrassing crush on her ex-best-friend Zach, and changes in her body that affect her center of gravity and make vaulting and tumbling more terrifying than they used to be. But when she makes a discovery that throws her entire identity into question, she turns to Zach, who suggests a way for her to find the answers her mother won’t give her: a time machine they found in an abandoned house.

As Elizabeth catapults through time, she encounters a mysterious abandoned child, an elite gymnast preparing for Olympic Trials, and an enigmatic woman who seems to know more than she’s revealing. Then when a thief makes off with an identical time machine, Elizabeth finds herself on a race to stop the thief before the world as she knows it―and her own future―are destroyed.

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Watch the Promo for Vaulting Through Time

About the Author, Nancy McCabe

Acclaimed author, Nancy McCabe, is best known for her work in non-fiction writing on the subjects of Chinese adoption with nine years of accolades from The Best American Essays, she debuts her young adult novel featuring her expertise in adoption, her relationship with her daughter, as well as engaging storytelling that Margaret McMullan, author of Sources of Light, calls “evocatively written, McCabe weaves a heartwarming and absorbing journey. Great mother-daughter read!”

Connect with Nancy:

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My Thoughts

Vaulting Through Time is a refreshing take on both time travel and the search for identity that hits so many of us as we begin the transition from girls to young women.

Elizabeth Arlington is a sixteen-year-old gymnast who has developed a fear of vaulting after an injury. At the same time, her body is beginning to betray her, with the inevitable physical changes that come with maturity changing her center of gravity so that what was once effortless is becoming less so. Her coach’s request for her birth certificate (necessary for entry into USAG events) re-kindles her lifelong search for who she is, because she doesn’t look anything like her mother. When her friend Zach presents her with a watch he claims is really a time machine, Elizabeth’s adventures go into high gear.

What I loved about this book was that author McCabe perfectly captured the mother-daughter dynamic, the in-jokes that are so ingrained that they happen automatically and turn anger into laughter, the favorite foods, and the knowing of each other’s habits. I also appreciated the author’s use of age-appropriate dialogue. Elizabeth’s habit of mixing up words only when she’s around Zach was a delightful detail, and done so well.

Putting this novel into the context of gymnastics and using Olympic years as touchstones was a creative way to track travel through time, and also added to the rich texture of this novel. I liked that Elizabeth’s search for her family roots also helped her find her true desires in life, and felt that the plot addressed both parts of the story in a balanced way.

I often say that the young adult / new adult genre has some of the most provocative stories in contemporary literature, and Vaulting Through Time is proof of that. It’s a well-written story that feels much shorter than it’s 500+ pages, and I recommend it to readers of all ages.

Goes well with: peanut-butter toast, sliced apples, and chocolate milk.

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Book Review: All Change at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

21 July 2023 by Melissa

About the Book, All Change at the Beach Hotel

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Canelo Hera (20 July 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages

Can she choose between her duty and her heart?

While World War One changes the country beyond measure, with food becoming scarce and Britain’s young men being called up to foreign battlefields, it is harder than ever to keep the grand Beach Hotel in Littlehampton running smoothly.

Waitress Lili Probert, a young woman who escaped her demanding family in Wales in search of a new life in Sussex, has seen her hard work rewarded at the Beach Hotel, but hides heartbreak behind her sunny personality. Her sweetheart, Norman, is missing in action and has been presumed dead, but she cannot give up hope that he may be found.

But when she meets injured soldier Rhodri, a fellow Welshman now living near Littlehampton, she fights hard to ignore her growing attraction for him, torn between her feelings for him and her loyalty to the man she thought she’d spend her life with.

But her emotions run ever higher when she suddenly receives a call from home; her mother is gravely ill and Lili is needed for her care. Returning to Wales, Lili must make a difficult choice. Follow her dreams and make her own life, or return to the place she tried so hard to escape?

Torn between her duty and her heart, Lili faces her own battle far from the conflicts in Europe…

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About the Author, Francesca Capaldi

Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child. Born in Worthing and brought up in Littlehampton in Sussex, she was largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was brilliant at improvised story telling. A history graduate and qualified teacher, she decided to turn her writing hobby into something more in 2006, when she joined a writing class.

Writing as both Francesca Capaldi and Francesca Burgess, she has had many short stories published in magazines in the UK and abroad, along with several pocket novels published by DC Thomson.

Her Welsh World War 1 sagas were inspired by the discovery of the war record of her great grandfather, a miner in South Wales. Her latest series, The Beach Hotel, is set in her own childhood town, where her Italian father had a café on the riverside.

Francesca is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. She currently lives on the North Downs in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.

Connect with Francesca:

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My Thoughts

So many period romance novels are set against the backdrop of World War II, that when a series like the Beach Hotel series by Francesca Capaldi, set against World War I, comes along, it feels refreshing and new, even though it’s technically historical. Still, the struggles of living under scarcity caused by war, the worries we have about our loved ones either deployed or waiting at home, and the dreams we have for love and a satisfying life are universal, and this author has captured them extremely well in this second novel in the series: All Change at the Beach Hotel.

Main character Lili is so well drawn, and so human, that she could be a young woman of any age – she’s left home to stand on her own and build a life on her own terms, but finds herself torn between her MIA boyfriend Norman, and the very present injured soldier Rhodri. It’s a scenario we experience today, when we go off to school or move for a job and leave our first loves behind, and I loved the way author Capaldi imbued this story with a sense of wistfulness.

Another universal theme is obligation to family, which in this case is Lili’s obligation to go home and care for her ailing mother. Even the best mother-daughter relationships can become strained by the role-reversal that comes when the child becomes caregiver to the parent, and in this book that relationship is explored with deft delicacy.

Lili’s fundamental question is which is more important: her obligations to her family, or her obligation to herself. This novel gives a satisfying, compelling look at a completely relatable situation, with dimensional characters, and a vivid sense of place.

I didn’t read the first book in the series (though I now want to) but I didn’t feel that my experience lacked anything. All Change at the Beach Hotel works very well as a standalone story.

Goes well with: fish and chips and a good craft-brewed ale.

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Book Review: New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock, by Hannah Lynn

19 July 2023 by Melissa

About the Book, New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (July 14, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages

New starts and hopeful hearts…

At 25, Daisy May’s life is not living up to expectations. Her childhood dreams of being an artist feel as unachievable as a committed relationship or managing to save enough money for a deposit on a house. But a surprise inheritance could change all that.

After Daisy learns she’s now the new owner of a forty-foot narrow boat, she sets out for Wildflower Lock, where the fresh country breeze and the calm water is enough to assure her everything will be okay.

With the help of the ruggedly attractive, yet grumpy riverman, Theo, she begins to work on her new home, the September Rose. Can she breathe new life into the old boat and learn to navigate not only the canals themselves, but also the people who live there? Or will the whole venture pull her under?

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About the Author, Hannah Lynn

Hannah Lynn is the author of over twenty books spanning several genres. As well as signing a new romantic fiction series, Boldwood will be republishing the first of her bestselling Sweet Shop series, inspired by her Cotswolds childhood, The Sweet Shop of Second Chances in April 2023.

Connect with Hannah:

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My Thoughts

As someone who as always fantasized about living on a boat, this book hooked me from the start. Why? Because twenty-five-year-old Daisy May, heartbroken wannabe artist, inherits a forty-foot narrow boat in the books’s beginning, and afterward, a delightful story full of hope and hijinks, ensues.

First, there are the realities of inheriting and renovating a boat – not something you can do when you don’t have much money. Then there are her good friends Becks and Claire, who support her, encourage her, help her clean out the boat, and keep her laughing even when she’s receiving yet another bill she has to pay. And then there’s the handsome guy, Theo, who has the boat in the next mooring.

What I loved about this story was that there was humor even in the worst calamaties. I also appreciated that, even with every thing thrown at her, Daisy never gives up. Whether it’s people complaining that she’s leaving things in the path as she cleans, or threaten her because of unreasonable noise after an impromptu dance party, Daisy doesn’t walk away. Her sheer stubbornness makes her interesting and endearing, and also represents one of her flaws. I like characters who aren’t perfect.

I also liked that the exposition of Daisy’s family history – her deceased father, her tight-lipped mother, and the grandfather who left her the boat – came out organically rather than in a single info-dump. Backstory is important, but getting it through conversations and actions is much better than having it presented as a lump, and making it seem natural is a skill not every author has.

I liked the use of dialogue and dialect to differentiate the local rivermen and -women from city girls like Daisy, something I appreciated in print and really enjoyed in the audio version of this novel.

Overall, New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock is a breezy summer read that does not disappoint. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Goes well with: pop music, water color paints, and cold beer.

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Book Review: Learning to Fly Alien Spacecraft, by Fay Abernethy

16 July 2023 by Melissa

About the Book, Learning to Fly Alien Spacecraft

Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: ‎ Fay Abernethy (July 3, 2023)
Language: ‎ English
Paperback : ‎ 426 pages

What if the secret alien space station protecting the Earth went PUBLIC?

Hanna Abebe has come far since leaving Ethiopia. All the way to the other end of the galaxy, in fact. And although her course at the Essoona Pilots’ Academy is tough, it’s not as tough as maintaining the ultimate long-distance relationship . . .

Astronaut Dan Simpson is furious. The Galaksi Alliance have exiled him on a remote planet to stop him telling NASA about them before they’re ready. But by the time they come to take him home, Dan has fallen in love with an enigmatic alien and decides to stay. Only then does he discover what a perilous business his new girlfriend is involved in . . .

At last! Captain Joe Llewellyn has permission to initiate first contact via the UN. But if he messes it up, the Galaksi Alliance could cancel the Shantivira’s funding, leaving the Earth defenceless. So, no pressure. All goes well until a rogue Samaritan flies a cargo ship through months of painstaking negotiations . . .

This character-driven eco science fantasy is a must-read for fans of Becky Chambers, Ursula Le Guin, Douglas Adams and Doctor Who.

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About the Author, Fay Abernethy

Fay Abernethy left the UK more than twenty years ago, seeking adventure.

When not diving with sharks or falling off horses, she worked as an engineer in the automotive industry. Later, she started her own translating business and settled down in Germany with the man of her dreams.

Pre-children, they explored the Alps together – on foot in summer and on skis or snowshoes in winter. She now lives the life of a respectable citizen, having discovered that being a parent is the greatest adventure of them all.

Why does she write? To find out what happens next, of course!

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My Thoughts

I don’t usually jump into a series without having read the first book, but the title of this novel, Learning to Fly Alien Spacecraft, hooked me, so I took a chance. Wow! Am I glad I did! While I read tons of science fiction and fantasy as a teen and young adult, I’ve largely fallen out of the habit (with the exception of Star Trek novels), and this book felt like being welcomed back into the home of speculative fiction. It’s a delightful read, with interesting characters, and plot that wasn’t hard to follow at all.

There are so many characters in this book, that it feels like an ensemble piece, but standouts were Hanna, a human who was sold as a maid when she was very young, Joe, who is the sort of big-brother character anyone would benefit from having, and Kitty, a space-demon (and Joe’s wife) who sometimes takes the form of a jaguar. All the characters, human and other, were well drawn, and author Fay Abernethy really makes the reader feel as if they’re a new resident in the house for humans who are – as the title says – learning to fly spacecraft.

Of course, the novel is more than races through the stars and acquiring flight and combat skills, it’s also a glimpse at a future where several alien cultures have formed an alliance and are working cooperatively to protect each other and each of their world’s resources. I loved the alien culture that Abernethy created, and appreciated how it was inserted organically. Most things aren’t spelled out, but explained through context, and I appreciate that the author trusted her readers to get it

If, like me, you want to read about a near-future that isn’t perfect but is still positive, Learning to Fly Alien Spacecraft is an excellent choice. It’s meaty enough for adult readers, but suitable for tweens and teens as well. While the experience of this story would have been richer had I begun with book one (The Cleaner, the Cat, and the Space Station), book two stands alone as a complete and satisfying story.

Goes well with: a somewhat wonky-looking birthday cake and a cup of coffee.

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Book Review and Giveaway: Whiskey On Our Shoes, by Tonya Preece

13 July 2023 by Melissa

About the Book, Whiskey on Our Shoes

Genre: Contemporary Romance / New Adult
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Page Count: 238 pages
Publication Date: February 12, 2023
Scroll down for a giveaway!

Eva dodges the fans, media, and gossip that follow her supermodel mom and rock star family members by wearing disguises. After an aimless gap year, she struggles to figure out what she wants from life. She moves in with her famous guitar god brother in Austin while he recovers from a drunken stage stunt accident and tries to stay sober. When a hot Texas cowboy named Alex takes Eva by surprise, she risks her safety and security of anonymity by letting him into her unconventional life.

Alex is captivated by Eva and promises to protect her privacy. Yet he has a secret of his own—the fling he had with an older woman is fraught with scandalous potential for him and now Eva. He broke free of that mistake months ago, or so he thought. As things heat up with Eva, his old flame returns and won’t leave him alone.

Just when Alex thinks he has the reins on the situation, his ex teams up with a gossip reporter hell-bent on invading Eva’s privacy. The resulting exposé, with a sly spin on a recent encounter with his ex, is Alex’s worst nightmare, and Eva’s unsure what to believe. Can she face the world with Alex at her side or will she return into hiding?

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About the Author, Tonya Preece

Tonya Preece writes romance and contemporary young adult fiction and incorporates music into all her books in one way or another.

She lives near Austin, TX where she’s a small business manager for a forensic engineering firm.

She and her husband enjoy traveling, live music, wine, and spoiling their fur babies.

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My Thoughts

Tonya Preece’s novel, Whiskey On Our Shoes, is an upbeat, fast-tempo novel that explores the different relationships people have with the truth. Eva’s truth is wrapped up in her identity, as the daughter of a famous model and sister of a rockstar. Alex’s truth is tied into an act from his past (something he, as a college sophomore, is barely old enough to have). The greater truth, once the two meet, is in how they will live their lives going forward.

Author Preece incorporates music into all her work, and in this case, she’s given us Lor (short for DeLorean) – Eva’s rockstar brother – as an obvious insertion. Lor is essentially the third lead character in this story, as he is both catalyst to Eva and Alex’s relationship and serves as a chorus to both young people as the story goes on. As well, the author’s use of dialogue felt a lot like improvisational riffing between the characters, the way all good conversations do. I really enjoyed the way the rhythms of each character’s speech wove in and out of the greater whole. It’s this, as much as the story, that made the novel for me.

The story itself was well-written, and felt like it could easily be a television show (multicamera, no laugh track) with organic moments of humor that helped to break the mood when tension got too high. Even though some of the situations felt a bit heightened, Preece kept everything grounded in emotional truth. As well, the three core characters were genuinely likable despite their flaws.

Overall, Whiskey On Our Shoes is a fast read, fresh enough for the new adult market, but suitable for adult readers also.

Goes well with: Asian stir fry and iced green tea.

Giveaway

THREE WINNERS

Grand Prize: autographed paperback & $10 Amazon gift card;

2^nd Prize: autographed paperback;

3^rd Prize: eBook

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 7/14/23)

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Book Review: The French Chateau Dream, by Julie Caplin

3 July 2023 by Melissa

About the Book, The French Chateau Dream

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HARPER COLLINS (July 1, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English

When wedding planner Hattie signs up for her dream job, organising her cousin’s wedding in France, it offers the perfect escape from a relationship that’s been going south for a while.

Unfortunately when she arrives at the idyllic Chateau St Martin, not everyone is as enthusiastic about the forthcoming wedding, including Luc Bremont, son of the owner of the chateau.

Luc has finally been given the chance to make his own champagne at the family vineyard and everything rests on making it a success, the last thing he wants is the distraction of a big wedding at the chateau.

Will Hattie be able to build bridges between the inhabitants of the chateau in order to allow the wedding to go ahead?

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

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About the Author, Julie Caplin

Julie caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the highly successful Romantic Escapes series which have hit the best seller charts in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic and have sold a million copies worldwide.

The first book in the nine strong series, The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Connect with Julie:

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My Thoughts

Just in time for the heat of summer is Julie Caplin’s latest novel, the bubbly (but not too fluffy) romance, The French Chateau Dream.

In this installment of her Romantic Escapes series, author Caplin follows Hattie to an estate in France where she’ll be taking over as her cousin’s wedding planner. There she meets the owner’s son Luc, and hijinks ensue. Except it isn’t all hijinks. There’s some very real family drama which has French history, especially where champagne and World War Two are concerned, cleverly woven into a plausible story where secrets abound but love is also strong.

I loved Hattie’s no-nonsense English style and the way it brushed against Luc’s thoughtful French aesthetic. I liked that each of these lead characters was strong enough to have an independent storyline, but that they meshed well, and worked together well to further a plot that had just the right pacing. Like the perfect champagne, the dialogue in this novel was crisp, with just a hint of saltiness at times – but that only added character.

I appreciated the character of Marthe, the doyenne of Luc’s family, as well. It can be challenging to write older women as both fragile and strong – the contradiction is hard to capture – but Caplin has done so very deftly, and she quickly became one of my favorite supporting characters.

I also liked that the chateau itself was a non-speaking character in this story. Old houses hold more than secret rooms, they absorb the energy of those who dwelt within them, and this house was the ultimate backdrop for Caplin’s blend of secrets, romance, and history.

Overall, this novel was a delightful read, light enough for beach reading, but not so frothy it felt saccharine.

Goes well with: chilled champagne and fresh strawberries still warm from the sun.