Tag: Christmas

books

Cover Reveal: A Nightingale in Parkleigh Square – Laura Briggs

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The sparkling NEW Christmas Romance from the author of A Wedding in Cornwall!

Quirky, creative, and dedicated to their work, window dressers Nina and Molly can’t believe the news from the upscale staging and design company which occasionally hires them as extras during the Christmas season: their tiny New York company has just been tapped to create a magical Christmas window and showroom display for London’s newest designer fashion boutique! 

With their trusty assistant in tow, they catch a plane across the Pond, making their way to the historic former department store with a unique past in Parkleigh Square—and their once-in-a-lifetime chance to impress the ultimate client, legendary fashion designer Simone Van Stewart.

But a humiliating encounter with the London branch’s new frosty director reveals a tragic truth — the duo was hired by mistake. With time running out before the store’s unveiling, and the best window stagers already booked, however, Nina and Molly have been given a tentative trial period to prove they can do the job – and they’ll need a miracle to survive it. Battling deadlines, a delivery disaster, and their own personal doubts, it seems their dream assignment could soon spiral into their worst nightmare.

Not everybody at the exclusive store for Van Stewart is against them, however. Rugged, handsome fashion designer Vincent is supportive of their chances, and makes Nina’s heart race whenever their paths cross. Can she risk romance with an ocean between their two worlds, and with all her future plans and dreams at stake? Her friend Molly worries she’s getting in over her head—but Molly has her own complications to worry about, both personal and professional, as the dream team from Queens searches for the key to make Parkleigh Square’s newest business come alive with Christmas magic, which may just lie in histories both beloved and forgotten.

Filled with flurries of romance, friendship, humor, and heartwarming revelations, A Nightingale in Parkleigh Square is the must-read new release of the Christmas season.

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Publication Date: 21st November

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

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blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Psychology with Mr Mistletoe – Christine Miles

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Psychology With Mr. Mistletoe (Smart is Seriously Sexy Series Book 3)

Publication Date: October 22, 2024

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Holiday Romance

  • Return to hometown
  • Best friend’s older brother
  • Small town romance
  • Firefighter
  • Slow burn
  • Secrets

She’s running the town’s holiday fundraiser, but he might just steal the show—and her heart.

Becoming the new chair for the annual Mr. and Ms. Mistletoe Fundraising Event is an honor Morgan McCann embraces. After all, the competition combines Christmas, honoring local firefighters, and raising money for victims of Colorado wildfires, a cause close to her heart. Minutes into the job, however, she discovers a certain firefighter has been nominated…a man with whom she shares a years-long secret and happens to be her best friend’s older brother.

Returning to his hometown after being gone five years had never been part of Jason Kinsella’s plan. But experiencing personal tragedy while on the job turned his life upside down. As such, competing to become Mr. Mistletoe is not at the top of his holiday to-do list. But can he really say no to the nomination and the Lady Chair who hasn’t been far from his mind the last sixteen years?

Amidst competition hiccups, nosy eyes and ears, and a secret fighting to break free, Morgan and Jason realize there might be more than holiday magic in the air.

Brigid’s Vista is the place to be this season where brains and brawn meet under the mistletoe in Psychology With Mr. Mistletoe, Book Three in the Smart is Seriously Sexy Series.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Tour Organizer: @rrbooktours

IG: @christinemilesauthor @rrbooktours

Tags: #rrbooktours #rrbtPsychologywithMrMistletoe #PsychologyWithMrMistletoe #HolidayRomance #ChristmasRomance #ComingSoon #SmallTownRomance #FirefighterRomance #SecondChanceRomance #ContemporaryRomance #SweetRomance #ChristineMiles #SmartIsSeriouslySexy 

blog tour, books, reviews

Book Blitz: A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol – Alana Oxford

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Christmas cheer was dead, to begin with.

The world rests on Eliza’s shoulders. The kids, her husband, work, her elderly mother and don’t forget her newest friend, perimenopause. It’s too much to carry, but she’s been doing it for years. It’s just what a good wife and mother does, isn’t it?

When another Christmas rolls around, Eliza is drained by all the expectations and logistics of the holiday season. She’s fast approaching her breaking point, only no one around her notices she’s on the edge.
After an incident at her in-law’s on Christmas Eve brings things to a boiling point, she finds herself with three unexpected visitors. The spirits of the past, present, and future take her on a journey
through her life to shake her out of the rut she’s gotten into. Their messages leave her with new possibilities: reconnect with her past, reclaim her present, or forge a new future, and you, the reader, decide which option is best!

Books2Read Amazon UK


Alana Oxford is a Michigan author of romcoms, sweet romance, and humorous women’s fiction. She wants her stories to bring sunshine and smiles to her readers. She enjoys improv comedy, moody music, everything book related, and has an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom.

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Giveaway to Win an ebook of The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar (Open to UK & US Only).

Alana Oxford has kindly said that she would like to do an ebook giveaway for another author who writes charming and cozy Christmas books. A Kindle copy of The Gingerbread Christmas Village by
Kiley Dunbar, which is a lovely holiday romance featuring a protagonist in her early 60s.

Click the link above to enter.**

My thoughts: This was a fun addition to the adaptations of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Transported to modern America, where an exhausted and perimenopausal Eliza has just about had enough. Her husband announces that they’ve been invited to his brother’s for Christmas, throwing the plans Eliza’s made up in the air and pushing her to breaking point. Her mother expects them for the day and is upset that plans have changed, her teenage children barely look up from their phones and she’s had enough.

Staying in her in-laws’ fancy guest room on Christmas Eve, wishing she was anywhere else, she’s visited by strange apparitions who offer her visions a bit like those Ebenezer Scrooge had. Except she’s not a grumpy old miser, just a woman in need of a break.

The twist is that there’s three different endings to the story – three lives Eliza can choose, and the reader gets to decide which ending they like the most – does Eliza choose her family or go a different way? Up to you. Like a Choose Your Own Adventure. Fun!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

*Terms and Conditions –UK & US entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s RandomResources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or
over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will  not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to
the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random  Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize. 

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Home for Christmas – Heidi Swain

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Bella is living her best life in Wynbridge, with her beloved Spaniel, Tink. She’s found a way to keep the house she inherited from her grandparents while expanding her dream business – Away With the Fairies – and she’s ecstatic that Christmas is on the horizon!

In fact, everything is perfect until family friend, Catherine Connelly asks Bella if she’d be willing to rent part of the house to freelance author, Jude who is researching the history of the Connelly Clan and Wynthorpe Hall ahead of turning his findings into a book. The plan had been for Jude to stay at the hall, but he can’t cope with the chaos and Bella reluctantly agrees to open her door to him.

Initially, the pair clash but then friendlier feelings begin to grow and Bella finds herself wondering if Jude could become more than just another guest before it’s time for him to leave. That is, until he announces he has no time for Christmas!

With her favourite time of the year suddenly in jeopardy, will Bella ever feel like she’s home for Christmas?

Heidi Swain is a Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author who writes feel good fiction for Simon & Schuster. She releases two books a year (early summer and winter) and the stories all have a strong sense of community, family and friendship. She is currently writing books set in three locations – the Fenland town of Wynbridge, Nightingale Square in Norwich and Wynmouth on the Norfolk coast, as well as summer standalone titles.

Heidi lives in beautiful west Norfolk. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside, collecting vintage paraphernalia and reading. Her tbr pile is always out of control!

Heidi loves to chat with her readers and you can get in touch via her website or on social media.

My thoughts: I do enjoy a Heidi Swain Christmas book and this is really good, fun and charming, and it made me feel all cosy inside.

Bella makes fairies at her business Away With the Fairies, inspired by her love of Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies (my Nan gave me the whole series as a child, one book per birthday till I had them all) and other fairy related things. She’s good at it, and they sell well, especially in the run up to Christmas, so she’s going to be really busy.

And then she’s asked to take in a temporary guest – a writer called Jude, who’s been staying at the Hall but needs somewhere quiet to put together the history he’s writing. And she can’t really say no, as the Connollys have been so good to her over the years.

Cue chaos, Jude hates Christmas, Bella’s little flat is too small for all the fairy making paraphernalia and her dog, Tink, is disturbing him by barking. 

But as the festive season intensifies, and the pair get to know each other better, there’s a distinct something in the air…

Filled with Heidi’s charming characters and festive fun, this is a terrific cosy, mug of hit chocolate wrapped in a blanket with your favourite festive film (Muppets’ Christmas Carol for me) on the TV read. So get comfy and enjoy!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Tis the Damn Season – Fiona Gibson

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This year, their families can deck the bloody halls themselves…

Old friends Shelley, Lena and Pearl have reached their limit with the festive preparation that has always fallen to them, and five days before Christmas, they’ve booked a mini break… without their
families. Up until Christmas Eve, they’ll be sipping prosecco in the Highlands while their kids wrap bacon around 100 chipolatas and their partners brave the supermarkets.

It’s exactly what they need… until they’re snowed in. Facing the prospect of Christmas 500 miles from home, each woman is forced to confront her real reasons for needing to escape: the fiance with the obnoxious family; the son’s new girlfriend who is taking over their home; the family who take their mother for granted all year round…

Will the friends make it home before Christmas day? And if they do, can they really go back to their old lives?

This Christmas, forget Elf on the Shelf, get ready for Mums on the Run in the hilarious and heartwarming new novel from Fiona Gibson.

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Fiona Gibson writes bestselling and brilliantly funny novels about the craziness and messiness of family life.

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My thoughts: I subscribe to Fiona’s Substack, which is funny and wry, much like her books, including this seasonal offering, complete with Taylor Swift title.

Christmas is a fraught time of year for many, Shelley and her friends Lena and Pearl too. Shelley’s sick of being taken for granted by her family, her husband seems completely oblivious to how much she does – he just expects everything to happen without doing anything himself, same with the kids.

Lena and Pearl have their own share of useless family members, Lena’s fiance just expects her to put up with his parents, who don’t treat her very well and constantly compare her to his ex-wife. Pearl’s son and his girlfriend are driving her crazy – the girlfriend has “borrowed” her favourite lipstick and taken over her flat.

So a quick jaunt to Scotland for a few days seems like a genius idea, a chance to get away from all the festive stress, the planning, the shopping, the wrapping. Let their families sort themselves out for a bit.

Then the weather takes a turn for the snowed in…

Funny, a bit silly, full of whatever the opposite of the joys of the season, the friendship between the three women is what sees them through everything that this suddenly unpredictable Christmas throws at them, from them not being able to find the freezer to being stranded by the snow, they persevere with laughter and lots of wine. Great fun and a good way to remind yourself to be grateful for the people in your life that you love and love you.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: This is Not a Holiday Romance – Camilla Isley

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Two sworn enemies, snowed in over Christmas with chemistry that will melt the ice!

Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother’s obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating
revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan’s relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war!

And there is yet to be a winner.

But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a
chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.

But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught
in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is
not a forever romance…

This Is Not a Holiday Romance is an enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, forced proximity rom-com perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Abby Jimenez, and Lynn Painter.

Purchase


Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy.

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My thoughts: Another fun Camilla Isley rom com, this time with a festive twist.

At her parents for the holiday, Nina is horrified when her brother shows up with his best friend, her arch nemesis, Tristan, in tow. He was supposed to fly to San Diego, but all flights were grounded by the weather. So now he’s joining the party. This is hell. 

But obviously things change and suddenly there’s all these feelings to deal with, and not accidentally tell Dylan about his pal and his little sister. Cue total chaos as they try to keep whatever this is under wraps in close quarters while also celebrating with the whole family.

This is great fun, a bit silly and also sweet with all the fun of Christmas on top. If you want a charming festive read to curl up with this winter – try this!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Cover Reveal: Bella’s Countryside Christmas – Claire Huston

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An uplifting festive romance perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and authors such as Phillipa Ashley, Trisha Ashley, Sue Moorcroft, Rebecca Raisin and Donna Ashcroft.

Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.

Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.

A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.

But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas …

Pre-order

Publication Date: 18th September 2024

Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire, UK with her husband and two children. She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but sometimes need a little help to realise it.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for over a hundred sweet treats at clairehuston.co.uk. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.

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Cover Reveal: A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol – Alana Oxford

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Christmas cheer was dead, to begin with.

The world rests on Eliza’s shoulders. The kids, her husband, work, her elderly mother and don’t forget her newest friend, perimenopause. It’s too much to carry, but she’s been doing it for years. It’s just what a good wife and mother does, isn’t it? 

When another Christmas rolls around, Eliza is drained by all the expectations and logistics of the holiday season. She’s fast approaching her breaking point, only no one around her notices she’s on the edge.

After an incident at her in-law’s on Christmas Eve brings things to a boiling point, she finds herself with three unexpected visitors. The spirits of the past, present, and future take her on a journey through her life to shake her out of the rut she’s gotten into. Their messages leave her with new possibilities: reconnect with her past, reclaim her present, or forge a new future, and you, the reader, decide which option is best! 

Books2Read Amazon UK

Publication Date: 15th October 2024


Alana Oxford is a Michigan author of romcoms, sweet romance, and humorous women’s fiction. She wants her stories to bring sunshine and smiles to her readers. She enjoys improv comedy, moody music, everything book related, and has an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom.

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@alanaoxford
blog tour, books

Blog Tour: A Christmas Carol with Grandfather Time – Rose English

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A Christmas Carol with Grandfather Time
A modern lyrical re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic for children of all ages. Young Ebenezer hates sharing and is not very caring. Can a magical clock and a ghost puppy help him mend his ways?

SharingIsCaring

At least £1 from every book purchased will go towards donating a book to each child in Hereford County Hospital over the Christmas Season 2023

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Living on ‘England’s Green & Pleasant Land’, among the gentle rolling hills of the Herefordshire Countryside, Rose’s house is wall to wall books. She’s a Read-a-holic, whose hobby is to write stories for the young and young at heart.
Working as a school librarian, and sharing her love of books with children, was the best job she ever had. However, life moves on and another chapter was only a page turn away. Working in a very different library now, she is a key worker for the NHS helping to run the Medical Equipment Library in Wye Valley NHS Trust.
After winning FIRST PRIZE in a short story competition with ‘The Magic of Grandfather Christmas’ she is inspired to transform the tale into a collection of stories for all ages. ‘Young Ebenezer’ is inspired by the Dickens classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ and brought into modern times with a strong theme of sharing and caring.
Rose has a little sidekick called Miss Ruby Heart, a ruby King Charles spaniel from the Grandfather Time Series. The puppy is the Ghost of Christmas Past and features on the ‘Young Ebenezer’ covers.
She also has her own social media pages to check out.

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Giveaway To Win a #SharingIsCaring #Giveaway (To share between the whole family) (Open to UK only)*
Prize includes –
📚 Hardback picture book ‘A Christmas Carol with Grandfather Time’ (4 – 8 years average)
📚Paperback ‘Young Ebenezer ~ A New Christmas Carol’ (8+ years)
📚 Paperback ‘Young Ebenezer ~ Confronts the School Bully (8+ years)
📚Paperback ‘The Magic of Grandfather Time’ (older readers to adults) This is where the stories all began a short story of love and loss
📚Paperback/Pocket Treasure ‘Ruby’s Christmas Gifts’ (Families to share) short stories, poems, puzzles jokes.
📚Grandfather Time bookmarks, pen, fridge magnet, sticker
📚Miss Ruby Heart glitter sticker, badge, heart/pawprint bracelet
📚Sharing is Caring necklace
📚Christmas keyring

Hello I’m Rose English and I’m a Read~a~holic! I’m also an aspiring author progressing from short stories for adults, to stories in verse for children. My muse is a ruby King Charles Spaniel named Miss Ruby Heart and together we like to #ShareAStory
My addiction began as a child, being shy and not making friends easily I sought comfort in books. The local library was my second home. I even dare to dream that one day I might write a book myself and see it upon the library shelves. My real name is hard to pronounce (Susan S’ari pronounced Shari) so I created Rose English who would be that English Rose
upon the shelves. Books over spilled our home so I created our very own library in the garden shed. I even made us all library tickets to check books in and out. Heaven help the borrower who did not return a book on time. Dog-eared books were an absolute No-No and would mean a ban plus expulsion from the shed (for a time anyway).
As I grew, I dabbled in writing poetry and short stories, but life moved on and I soon found myself at college and then in permanent employment. I found little time to write as I was always reading for studying. However, there was always time to read a book for pleasure. I came back to writing when I had little money to spare for a gift for mum’s birthday so I dug out some old poems and created a personalised gift. Mum loved it more than anything money could buy and still has the original, but now she has a self-published updated print copy ‘Rainbows & Roses ~ Poetry & Prose’.
In 2014 whilst perusing my local library I came across a book about long case clocks and in it a quote that inspired my future writing.
‘A grandfather clock has a face and a voice. As it name suggests, it is more than a piece of furniture; it is a member of the family’
‘English Country Grandfather Clocks’ by Richard C.R. Barder 1983
Immediately my thoughts turned to magic and the idea of a magical clock who would be the guardian of his beloved family. Hence, the birth of ~ Grandfather Time. The clock first makes his appearance in a short story ‘The Magic of Grandfather Christmas’ it won 1st Prize in an online seasonal competition. I was later able to self-publish the story as ‘The Magic of
Grandfather Time’. Miss Ruby Heart also made her first appearance in this story.
As I struggled over the years to try and turn ‘The Magic of Grandfather Time’ into a full-length novel my sister-in-law encouraged me to try it as a story in verse. Amazon was around that time looking for a new version of the Charles Dickens classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ but for kids. Low and behold ‘Young Ebenezer ~ A New Christmas Carol’ was born. There can only be one winner and this time it was not me. However, I had great feedback from a couple of author friends and they encouraged me again to self-publish. Miss
Ruby Heart featuring as ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past’ and the model on the front cover.

So commenced my transition to children’s author. Now having found my niche I thought about turning Ebenezer’s story into a picture book and we finally get ‘A Christmas Carol with Grandfather Time.’ In the story he is the narrator and along with Miss Ruby Heart the pair encourage the boy to be more caring and share with others. #SharingIsCaring
Who knows what the future holds, my aim is to create stories of Grandfather Time for both the young and young at heart. I am currently focusing on promoting the latest book to enable me to raise money to have more picture books printed so I can gift them to the children in my hospital over Christmas.
Thank you for enabling me to spread my joy of reading. A big THANK YOU to Rachel’s Random Resources and all you lovely bloggers involved in this mini blog tour.
May the magic of reading be with you always.

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by
Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal
data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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