A Second Christmas Wish - @KathrynFreeman1 #Review #amreading #Books @ChocLituk

A Second Christmas Wish by Kathryn Freeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The cover of A Second Christmas Wish is just so deliciously tempting I defy anyone to resist peeking beneath. The prologue is equally tempting, giving a concise backdrop and a glimpse into Melissa’s marriage to the cold and psychologically controlling dark eyed, Lawrence. It’s beautifully written, one sentence in particular the man utters making you sympathetic to Melissa and her son immediately. Thus hooked, we move on two years to find Melissa now divorced and, not surprisingly, putting love and the hurt it will surely bring aside to dedicate her time to her son, William, who is frightened of his own father and dreadfully shy – no surprise there either.

In hopes of bringing William out of his shell, Melissa encourages him to take tennis lessons and we meet Daniel, a tennis coach, who is everything Lawrence isn’t, and hot to boot. He’s also a bit of a charmer, thus warned off flirting with Melissa. Daniel, however, is smitten and is determined to put a smile back on her face. The question is, can he? The bond between Daniel and William is magical, watching this little boy grow is as heartwarming as our first glimpse of him is heartbreaking. We so want the sparkle of Christmas to be rekindled for him. A Second Christmas Wish really is the perfect story in the run up to the festive season. Grab a copy, curl up and indulge.

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A Second Christmas Wish - @KathrynFreeman1 #Review #amreading #Books @ChocLituk

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A thank you from me! #Readers #Bookbloggers #MondayMotivation #Mondayblogs #Brumblogger

A quick update! I’m so super-pleased to share that Learning to Love has now hit 50 reviews! I was thrilled to bits that the book found a lovely home with Choc Lit. Beyond thrilled to find that people were reading it and genuinely loving it. I hope you’ll indulge me. I can’t resist sharing a snippet: “This story was just perfect. It had times of poignancy and sadness; times of despair and heartache; times of love and lust; a time where the storyline gripped you so much that you couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. It also had some wonderful wit and humour thrown in to balance out the sad times.”  Thank you so much, Adele. I can’t tell you how much that means to be me. Um, actually, I think I already have! KRAFTIREADER Another little gem: “Sheryl should be sponsored by Kleenex, this is a fab book which had tears running down my face.”

Thank you, Tracey, for making me laugh out loud! Excellent therapy. The Reading Shed

If you do read Learning to Love and enjoy, reviews are always tremendously appreciated. I can’t wait for the print book to come out, scheduled for Easter 2017. Did I mention the WH Smith Travel Buyer loved it so much he took a quote from it? Yes, I did shed a little tear. I think I can definitely say the angst of the previous year is firmly behind me.

Sometimes help comes from the most unlikely places … Living in a small village like Hibberton, it’s expected that your neighbours help you in a time of need. But when Andrea Kelly’s house burns down, taking all her earthly possessions with it, it’s the distant and aloof Doctor David Adams – the person she would least expect – who opens his door not just to her, but to her three kids and slightly dotty elderly mother as well. Andrea needs all the help she can get, dealing with aftermath of the fire and in the suspicious absence of her husband, Jonathan. But, as she gets to know David and his troubled son, Jake, she begins to realise that maybe they need her help as much as she needs theirs … * Available on all platforms.

In other news, I now have three shiny new contracts for my thrillers! Coming soon from Choc Lit, including my new book, Sins of our Fathers! I’m busy plotting a sequel to that. To which end, I’ve signed up for a forensics course. Hopefully, it will update my knowledge and kick start my brain, which I think is possibly residing behind one of the kitchen cupboards I just installed in my kitchen. I’m a bit battered and bruised after that venture, but one happy little writer.

A huge THANK YOU to all those wonderful readers and Book Bloggers who have supported me. You're all amazing! I hope all is well in your world. Keep safe! Lots of Love,

A thank you from me! #Readers #Bookbloggers #MondayMotivation #Mondayblogs #Brumblogger

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Please Release Me – @RhodaBaxter #Review #amreading #Books @ChocLituk

Please Release Me by Rhoda Baxter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Good looking and with bags of potential, Peter is a catch and Sally has snared him. He’s a bit nerdy, definitely naïve, but for a girl who’s determined to shake off her problematic and traumatic past, he’s perfect. Newlywed Sally is about to embark on a new, debt free life. Only she never makes it past the honeymoon, leaving Peter blaming himself for the car crash that results in her comatose state of existence. For info, the author has obviously done her research and the scenes in the hospice are handled extremely sensitively. As Sally hovers between life and death, Peter, too, is in a state of limbo, unable to move forward, unable to grieve the loss of someone who isn’t physically gone. As he keeps up a vigil at Sally’s bedside, Peter comes to know Grace, a volunteer at the hospice, who is attempting to move forward after the loss of her mother and helps Peter take tentative steps to do the same.

An attraction between these two lonely souls soon grows and Sally is having none of it. I’ll leave you to work it out. I’m desperate not to give spoilers but think ‘Ghost’ and ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ and you have it, but with a difference. I adored these two films and so too I adored Please Release Me. If at first you hate her, when Sally’s secrets are revealed, you can’t help but empathise with her and like her a little. A feisty ghost, a hurting hero, what’s not to love? Definitely recommended.


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Please Release Me – @RhodaBaxter #Review #amreading #Books @ChocLituk

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The Woolworths Girls – @ElaineEverest #Review #amreading #mustreads #Books

The Woolworths Girls by Elaine Everest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When you pick up a book like The Woolworths Girls you’re looking a comfort read. I think most of us are aware that the ‘good old days’ weren’t quite so good, but what the author brings us is that magical sense of nostalgia for things past, perhaps things lost, a sense of family, of belonging and community spirit. Opening at the beginning of WWII, telling the story of three young girls setting out on an uncertain journey to adulthood, a journey made more daunting by the impending war, the story is based around Woolworths, a landmark in history, the go to shop for bits and bobs which you could rely on Woollies to stock. It can’t fail to resonate with people, young and old, those who might have shopped there, those who, like me, had mothers or grandmothers with barely ‘two pennies to rub together’, who would go to Woollies for everything from cheap lippy to laces. The central girls, Sarah, Freda and Maisie, win hearts immediately. Nervously attending interviews, we are given glimpses of just the right amount of beautifully concise backstory to have us totally invested in them. They’re from very different backgrounds, each with their own troubled secrets, and each with an innocence we want to preserve. We watch them bond, we watch them grow, we follow their trials and tribulations, from the seemingly trivial which are so important to girls of that age, to their adapting to the terrors that war brings. The secondary characters are cleverly drawn, making us want to share their stories too. Sarah’s grandmother, Ruby, whose home is where the heart is, is the linchpin, a stalwart of a woman who’s as determined the girls will have a square meal inside them as she is to protect them. I loved this book from the opening chapter, where ex-sailors from the Seaman’s Mission were singing Christmas carols in the snow. I loved the ending, where Sarah was taking new staff under her wing. I loved everything in between. If you love WWII reads, nostalgia in bucketfuls, a timely reminder of the hardship endured, and a smile along the way, The Woolworths Girls encapsulates it all. Highly recommended.

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The Woolworths Girls – @ElaineEverest #Review #amreading #mustreads #Books

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House of Secrets - @LyndaStacey #Review #Book #Bookbloggers #amreading #romance

House of Secrets by Lynda Stacey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lynda Stacey delivers with House of Secrets, combining mystery, romance and enough perfectly timed psychological twists to keep you glued to the pages. Interspersed with quieter moments where we grow to know the characters, the pacing was spot on. In a nutshell, after the death of her husband Madeline falls too easily into a relationship with Liam, a man who is sweetness and light on the surface, underneath a manipulative control freak. Alarm bells are already ringing for Maddie, when the scales are finally peeled painfully from her eyes. Realising she’s in an abusive relationship which is detrimental to her little girl, Poppy, Maddie has to escape it. Her only safe harbour is back home to Wrea Hall, a hotel run by her estranged father, who welcomes her arrival.

Soon Poppy begins to blossom and be the girl she used to be. Throw into the mix ex-marine and handyman, Bandit, whose vulnerability is reflected in his backstory and who is instinctively protective of Maddie, and things could be on the up. Liam, though, a man we definitely love to hate, isn’t going to give up easily and allow Maddie her happy ending.

The historical element introduced here, when Maddie uncovers diaries written by a former mistress of Wrea Hall, lends and intriguing new dimension to the story. The diaries tell of secret tunnels and love that conquers, and draw an interesting parallel from the past to the present. While Maddie and Bandit are determined to resolve the mystery of the diaries, growing closer in the process, we have unbalanced Liam lurking in the shadows, prepared to go to any unimaginable lengths to get Maddie back.

Romance, intrigue, chills and thrills make House of Secrets a riveting read. I loved it.

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House of Secrets - @LyndaStacey #Review #Book #Bookbloggers #amreading #romance

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$200 4th July @Kindlbookreview #Giveaway #amreading #Books #booklover #IARTG #ASMSG

You may have gathered from the fact that I’ve been putting myself about a bit, Learning to Love, my contemporary romance recommended to Choc Lit by WHSmith Travel Fiction Buyer, is here! 

I’m thrilled and hugely grateful to readers and book bloggers, who have given of their precious time and cheered me on endlessly. From sharing shelfies of The Rest of My Life in the WHSmith Travel Fiction stores:

 to reading my latest and posting some truly stunning reviews:

your support has been amazing. What would I do without you? THANK YOU!

As for the cover *sigh*, I cannot thank Berni Stevens and Choc Lit enough. Once again, Berni managed to pluck the image right out of my head. One extremely talented cover artist. Berni, you are a star!

To celebrate, I've joined a group of authors and The Kindle Book Review in the 4th July Giveaway. Winners will be announced on Independence Day! It's easy and fun. If you love reading, click the image below to enter for your chance to win one of four $50 Amazon gift cards! The comp runs from 20th June to 4th July.

Sometime help comes from the most unlikely places ...

Living in a small village like Hibberton, it’s expected that your neighbours help you in a time of need. But when Andrea Kelly’s house burns down, taking all her earthly possessions with it, it’s the distant and aloof Doctor David Adams – the person she would least expect – who opens his door not just to her, but to her three kids and slightly dotty elderly mother as well.

Andrea needs all the help she can get, dealing with aftermath of the fire and the suspicious absence of her husband, Jonathan. But, as she gets to know David and his troubled son, Jake, she begins to realise that maybe they need her help as much as she needs theirs … 

Amazon Link 

Thank you so much once again to all those readers, book bloggers and reviewers, who have made my writing journey so worthwhile.

I hope all is well in your world.

GOOD LUCK and keep safe everyone! 

Lots of love, 

$200 4th July @Kindlbookreview #Giveaway #amreading #Books #booklover #IARTG #ASMSG

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Annie's Book Corner: Review of Learning to Love by Sheryl Browne - Five...

Annie's Book Corner: Review of Learning to Love by Sheryl Browne - Five...: Review of Learning to Love by Sheryl Browne - Five ** Blurb: Sometimes help comes from the most unlikely places …  Living in a small vi...

Annie's Book Corner: Review of Learning to Love by Sheryl Browne - Five...

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