Tag: rom com

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Chasing Dreams at the Wagging Dogs’ Home – Sarah Hope

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After a difficult break-up, Poppy is keen to put the past behind her and what’s better than some relaxing time with her aunt in the picturesque Cornish village of West Par.
But life at her aunt Flora’s Dogs’ Home is anything but relaxing. When a poor little pup is stranded at the gates, Poppy takes them for a check up at the local vet, hoping against hope they’ll be fine.
And there she meets Mack: the vet who is so charming and experienced with the dogs, but selfish and – dare she say it – money-grabbing with his clients.
But underneath that cold exterior, she’s sure there’s more to the story. If only she could convince him to open up. Because without him, the future of Wagging Tails isn’t so assured…
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Sarah Hope is the author of many successful romance novels, including the bestselling Cornish Bakery series.

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My thoughts: a book full of my favourite things – animals, Cornwall, romance, charming characters, yes please. Oh and it’s set at Christmas, which is a bonus if you’re into it.

Poppy moves in with her Aunt Flora, who runs the Wagging Tails Dog Rescue, and offers to help out while she gets herself together, after an ugly breakup. Bonding with Flora’s enthusiastic team, and the cute pooches, especially Dougal, abandoned in a box by the gate, Poppy soon realises that despite everything appearing to be ok, there’s a serious problem Aunt Flora has kept secret.

Falling for, and bickering with, new vet Mack, can Poppy help out Wagging Tails, save Aunt Flora, adopt Dougal and build a new life for herself in West Par? With some help, human and canine, she might just be able to do so!

Delightful, sweet, funny and full of doggos. What’s not to like? Go on, treat yourself.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Love is an Art – Kathy Strobos

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He hates lawyers. So I’m a lawyer pretending to be an artist. Forgetting one tiny detail: I can’t paint.


Tessa: There’s something about the way the blond guy laughs and leans in to listen. My gaze keeps returning to him.
The only problem is, we’re at an art gallery after work, and I’ve swapped my lawyer suit for a paint-splattered shirt. I’m pretending to be a struggling artist, acting as bait to entice a scammer who conned my friend out of thousands of dollars.
I look pathetic. But still, I approach Hot Guy.
Our glances meet, and an awareness shimmers across.
He offers to buy me a drink–we’re definitely flirting–and then he asks me what I do.
Just when Scammer Guy is in earshot.
I have no choice but to say I’m an artist. I can tell Hot Guy later that I’m not.
But then he says he hates lawyers.
Now what?


Zeke: She’s the worst artist I’ve ever seen.
And I hate that that makes me suspect that she’s lying to me. After my ex-girlfriend cheated on me, trust is in short supply.
She makes me laugh, and it’s one adventure after another with her. Definitely different from my workaholic lawyer ex.
Maybe it’s time to give love a second chance.


All is fair in love and litigation, but when truth and deception clash, can you trust your heart?


*The romcom books in this series are interconnected standalones set in the same world. Each can be read as a pure standalone with a guaranteed happily ever after.

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Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys and dollhouses. She previously worked as a lawyer before switching careers to write romantic comedies full-time and get in shape.

Born and raised in Manhattan, she loves writing about New York City and the accomplished heroines who live and fall in love there, amidst its vibrant energy and the aroma of homemade chocolate chip cookies. She is the author of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, Partner Pursuit, Is This for Real?, Caper Crush, My Book Boyfriend and Love Is an Art.
She is still working on getting in shape.

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My thoughts: this is another fun, and funny, rom com from Kathy Strobos, this time featuring a lawyer called Tessa, pretending to be an artist (for a good cause) and Zeke, a finance guy not pretending to be anything.

Tessa is helping out a friend by going undercover as an artist to catch a scammer who has been setting artists up and getting thousands of dollars out of them. It’s something she enjoys doing – getting justice. And not just at work, she also volunteers for a non-profit, helping out innocent people with legal advice and representation. Except she can’t tell Zeke that. 1, scam man is right there and 2, Zeke hates lawyers. His ex was one and that’s a big red flag for him.

But he likes Tessa, she’s fun, crazy things keep happening around her, he gets involved with her various investigations and when they work together on a case involving both of their employers, he can’t cope. How can he forgive her for lying to him and get over the whole being a lawyer thing?

Luckily Tessa is up to the challenge of winning Zeke over, and showing him that not all lawyers are the worst. Thankfully for us readers, there’s a lot of fun to be had while doing so. Also a lot of food, seriously don’t read this if you’re hungry, eat first. There’s also a cute dog and I love a pet in a story so good news all round. Enjoy!

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

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Blog Tour: How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) – Marie Cardno

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To celebrate the release of the sequel, we’re touring the first book in the series, How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) by Marie Cardno! It’s on sale for only $0.99 right now!

How To Get a Girlfriend cover copy 2 cozy

How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster)

Publication Date: July 2022

Genre: Cozy Fantasy Romance/ Sapphic Romance/ Romcom

Life is tough when you’re an eldritch abomination.

Trillin isn’t technically a person. She’s a tiny breakaway piece of consciousness from the all-devouring Endless, doomed to eventually rejoin it. But when a human witch stumbles into her world, Trillin suddenly has a new reason to figure out individuality–one shape-shifting tentacle at a time.

Sian is sure important magical discoveries are just around the corner, if she can just get her portals to work reliably. Reaching the dimension of the Endless without being eaten on sight is a dream come true, and Sian is determined to explore every bit of it. For science, of course, not for the strangely adorable life-form who keeps popping up and trying to… flirt?

But Trillin’s world can be a dangerous place, and keeping Sian safe might risk drawing the attention of the Endless itself–which will swallow Trillin up along with all her dreams of humanity. Together, can this unlikely duo escape the Endless, figure out the optimum number of appendages, and maybe even find love?

How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) is a sapphic cozy fantasy romance between a witch scientist and a shape-shifting Cthulhu monster. HEA guaranteed!

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Excerpt

In the constantly changing void of the Endless Dimension, there is no such thing as people. There is only one person – or perhaps ‘being’ would be a better word. The constant, hungering entity that both is and fills the entire dimension: the Endless itself. Fragments of the Endless sometimes fracture off, spattering free like bubbles in a galactic pot of porridge, but they are quickly absorbed again, and anything they learnt or thought or felt while they were separated is gobbled back up into the hungering one-ness.

Except for one.

She didn’t remember how it had happened. One moment, she hadn’t been anything at all; the next, she was. She had edges. Something between the Endless and this new, separate thing that was her. And with those edges and this new her-ness, a sudden and desperate desire not to be sucked back into eternal, omniscient obscurity.

The Endless wanted her back, no question about that. But she (she! An individual!) was still very small, and as long as she didn’t do anything particularly noticeable, it was apparently difficult for the Endless to notice her.

The first time an interdimensional portal opened into the Endless, she thought it would provide good cover. The portal was very noticeable; next to it, she was even more likely to be overlooked. Even when the Endless manifested enormous eyeballs to peer at the portal, its gaze slid over her as though she didn’t exist.

Excellent.

She didn’t pay much attention to the portal the first few times it popped in and out of existence after that. It was enough that it attracted attention away from her, as she experimented with her edges and what she could do with the body – her body – inside them.

The Endless was full of shapes. It made and remade itself constantly, and fragments of it were forever sloughing off, devouring one another, and being reabsorbed by the whole again. She remembered a lot of the shapes from when she’d been part of the Endless, but none of them were right, and not just because it turned out to be very difficult to make your own shape when there was only you to make it.

None of the shapes she remembered were her. She didn’t even really know what she was going to be, yet, but she was fiercely, confusedly jealous of it. And each experimental skin and limb and sensory apparatus brought her closer to herself.

One day, just as she had succeeded in creating a tentacle and was waving it around, the portal flared. The rippling surface between the five points that outlined its shape against the Endless changed colour as a shadow formed at its centre. The shadow darkened, grew larger, and something pushed through from the other side.

Not something. Her edges sparked. A … a someone.

A someone with a flattish, paleish face, one blunt nose, two lidded eyes and a crest of dark hair. The bottom half of her face split, but not like aspects of the Endless split, forming and reforming along seams that changed position from moment to moment. This was an existing hole in the face, stretching wide as she stepped through the portal. Stepped through on legs. A body! A living body that moved through the world without changing its form!

She was suddenly, horribly self-conscious. She manifested another eyeball on the end of her tentacle and used it to look down at herself. Her body was … not like the newcomer’s. It had too many limbs, to start with. Small skittery limbs. She’d made a lot for practice, but now they were too many.

And her body had too many eyes, too, if the two the newcomer had were the number people were meant to have.

And a tentacle.

The newcomer didn’t have any tentacles.

She skittered down until only her tentacle-eye was visible over the solid surface in front of the portal. From there, she watched as the strange new being twisted its head this way and that, its mouth still stretched wide and its eyes darting around as though it were searching for something.

“Fantastic,” the creature breathed, and stepped back through the portal.

Her heart thudded. She suddenly had a heart to thud. It seemed to fill her entire body.

All at once, she knew two things.

First, she needed to make herself a new body. Something more like the urgently, wonderfully active creature she had just seen.

Second … she had to see that creature again.

Despite being separated from the Endless, the fragment still had its memories. At least, as many of them as could fit in her far smaller mind. She rifled through them as the portal dimmed. Before long, she found what she was looking for.

The portal-creature was what was known as a human.

Get it HERE!

About the Author

profile pic marie cardno

Marie Cardno loves cozy fantasy. She lives halfway between the sea and a French bakery on the south coast of the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, and writes stories about love, magic, and strange and wonderful worlds.

Marie Cardno

Book Tour Schedule

October 2nd

http://rrbooktours.com Kick-off

https://www.instagram.com/isabellesbookshelf/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/mommyandherbooks/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/zoms_reading_nook/?igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3D – Review

https://www.instagram.com/sharingthebooklove – Feature

October 3rd

https://www.instagram.com/happily_undignified/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/a_lyttle_book_blog/?igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3D – Feature

https://www.instagram.com/kmartbooks/ – Review

https://www.ladyhawkeye.com – Feature

https://www.instagram.com/kellyatx/ – Feature

https://www.instagram.com/tinasbooknook/ – Feature

October 4th

https://www.instagram.com/demigodreading19/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/birddbookss/?igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3D – Review

https://www.instagram.com/page_turning_mama/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/hmylek/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/authormariereed/ – Feature

October 5th

https://www.instagram.com/ameliaveganreader/ – Review

https://bakingupgoodreads.wordpress.com/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/molina_lovestoread/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/inkspit.blog/ – Review

http://ramblingmads.com – Feature

October 6th

https://www.instagram.com/mythicmelancholy/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/nerdydreamer107/ – Review

http://www.thefaeriereview.com – Review

https://freelancewriterjannyc.com/ – Feature

https://www.thesexynerdrevue.com – Feature

Book Tour Organized by R&R Book Tours

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Blog Tour: New Dreams at Polkerran Point – Cass Grafton

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A surprise inheritance will open the doors to her future, and also the past…
When Aunt Meg leaves her cottage to Anna Redding in her will, Anna immediately packs up and heads to Polkerran, the Cornish fishing village where she was so happy as a child.
With ambitions to turn the cottage into a B&B, a job working for the enigmatic historian, Oliver Seymour, and the return of her childhood crush, Alex Tremayne, it seems the stars have all aligned for Anna.
But Aunt Meg left behind a mystery for her to solve, and a shock discovery reveals she may be living a dream that isn’t really hers to hold. Can Anna rescue the new life she’s made for herself? Who in Polkerran can she really count on in her time of need?
A charming and cosy romance for fans of Trisha Ashley, Cressida McLaughlin and Suzanne Snow.
Previously published as The Cottage in the Cornish Cove.

Praise for New Dreams at Polkerran Point:
‘What a fabulous start to a new series! A gorgeous setting, fantastic characters and a wonderfully romantic story’ Jessica Redland
‘A gorgeous read, infused with love, a true sense of community and delightful characters finding their way into the future as they come to terms with the past.’ Suzanne Snow
‘The perfect read to curl up with and escape to Cornwall. Cass’s descriptions of the county made me feel as if I were there, I could see Polkerran beautifully in my mind and hear the characters calling to
each other as they made their way around the village.’ Kitty Wilson

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Cass began her writing life in Regency England, enlisted Jane Austen’s help to time-travel between then and the present day and is now happily ensconced in 21st century Cornwall.
Well, in her imagination and soul; her heart and physical presence reside in northern England with her ever-patient husband and Tig and Tag, their cute but exceptionally demanding moggies.
A bit of a nomad, Cass has called three countries home, as well as six different English counties, but her aspiration is to one day reunite with her beloved West Country.
In the meantime, she writes feel-good contemporary romances set in Cornwall and, in doing so, manages to live there vicariously through her characters and settings.

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My thoughts: the author isn’t alone in being somewhat in love with Cornwall, I too have fallen for its charms. And transported to the fictional village of Polkerran with Anna, as she inherits a charming but cluttered cottage, this is a sweet and uplifting tale of love and kittens. There’s a tiny one hiding in the cottage.

Working for locally based historian, as his typist and general dogsbody, with locals dropping round for a chat at all hours, Anna soon settles into the village and decides to turn the cottage into a B&B, making her love of cooking and baking work for her.

She reconnects with her old crush Alex Tremayne too, things seem to be perfect. Maybe too perfect. Discovering that there might be another will, one that leaves Anna out completely, throws all her plans into disarray, and then there’s her attraction to her grumpy boss Oliver…

Charming, funny and enjoyable, this is a lovely read on a chilly evening, it always seems to be summer in Cornwall, and you’ll fall for Polkerran and its residents too.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: One Christmas Eve – Shari Low

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Three women, three decades, three Christmas Eve moments that change their lives forever.
On Christmas Eve, 1968, Cathy McLean receives a surprise visit from the lost love of her life and is forced to chose between the one that got away and the one that stayed.
On Christmas Eve, 1993, Cathy’s daughter Helena is overjoyed to hear that her boyfriend is about to propose, until a devastating encounter threatens to bring her heartbreak instead of diamonds.
On Christmas Eve 2023, an shocking discovery rocks Eve Quinn’s world. The only gift Eve wants this year is the truth. But will it take a Christmas miracle to unravel generations of secrets?
Unwrap this festive tale of complicated families, impossible choices, and an unforgettable love that lasts three lifetimes.
Purchase


Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 30 novels, including My One Month Marriage and One Summer Sunrise and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So.
She lives near Glasgow.

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My thoughts: I’m writing this during a very hot summer, which makes talking about a Christmas book seem a bit mad. But it’s from the lovely Shari Low, and it’s a totally heartwarming and sweet story of three generations of women, all of whom hit a point in their lives on Christmas Eve, years apart. Moments that could go one way or another. And as the women relive their pasts, the future is happening right there and it’s all connected.

So maybe hold onto this one for winter, it’s definitely more of a snuggly read with a mug of hot chocolate and some cosy socks than right now, when I’m trying to decide how best to cool off! But it is worth the wait, it’s a three generational love story and will make you feel all warm and melty, in a good way!

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

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Cover Reveal: The Bookshop by the Loch – Julie Shackman

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You know I love a book featuring bookshops, libraries etc so I’m thrilled to share with you the cover of this upcoming book – The Bookshop by the Loch. Read on for all the details!

Lexie Dunbar is a book lover. And her favourite place in the world is her local bookstore, Book Ends.  So when she hears that it’s going to be sold, Lexie decides she needs to do something to help.

Lexie’s plan to save the ailing shop is fully underway until gorgeous-but-grouchy artist Tobias Black arrives on the scene determined to turn the bookstore into an art gallery. Lexie is horrified; the last thing the quaint town of Bracken Way needs is a pretentious artist, even if he does seem to charm everyone but her.

Tensions continue to rise until Tobias discovers a shocking secret that shows they might have more in common than they realise. As sparks fly, can Lexie and Tobias work together, or will opposing ideas get in the way of them finding their very own happy ever after…

Pre-order Links 

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Publication Date: 29th February 2024

Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance. As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags. She is married, has two sons and a Romanian rescue pup, Cooper. The Bookshop by the Loch is Julie’s tenth novel.

Julie Shackman Author 

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blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Always by Your Side – Julie Haworth

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WINNER OF THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS’ ASSOCIATION KATIE FFORDE DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023.

‘A warm, romantic story about community, friendship and following your heart, Always By Your Side is a feel-good delight, I adored it!’ HOLLY MARTIN

‘Always By Your Side engages the reader from the very first page, and immerses you into the lives of Rose and her aunt, in the delightful setting of Blossom Heath. I loved it’ PATRICIA SCANLAN

When school teacher Rose loses her dream job at a London primary school, her self-confidence takes a knock. Worse still, her stockbroker fiancé, Ollie, sees it as the perfect opportunity for her to join his firm, which only adds to the feelings Rose has that their relationship might be coming to an end.

An unexpected phone call, and an elderly aunt who’s taken a fall, means Rose must drop everything – including Ollie – and return to Blossom Heath, the Sussex village she grew up in.

With no job to rush home to, Rose decides to stay in Blossom Heath for the Summer, trading London for the idyllic countryside. Here Rose finds herself reconnecting to the village life of her childhood in more ways than one, including falling head-over-heels for local farmer, Jake.

So when her London life comes calling, Rose is faced with an impossible choice… to return to the high-pressure life of her past, or embrace the joy of a new life in the country.

Bursting with romance and charm, Always By Your Side is the perfect uplifting Summer read for fans of The Switch and Rescue Me, from an exciting new voice in women’s fiction.

My thoughts: I loved this, Rose rediscovers herself and the things that bring her joy while staying in her great-aunt’s cottage in Sussex. With Auntie Jean in hospital, Rose sets about sorting out the cottage, making new friends, meeting hunky farmers (just one really) and adopting a little dog called Scout.

She even gets a job at the local primary school, providing cover for a teacher off sick. It’s a massive change to her last teaching job and prompts her to think about what she wants from her career and her life. There’s always time to start over and she and fiancé Ollie definitely aren’t the same people they used to be.

A really delightful, uplifting and charming read. Just lovely.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Dating Little Miss Perfect – Cassandra O’Leary plus giveaway!

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On an anonymous online dating app, LittleMissPerfect meets HotAussie007 and it’s love at first click.
In real life, a smart but spiky woman in STEM, research scientist, Dr Eden, meets a laid-back Aussie marketing manager, Finn, at the big pharma company where they both work in California. They’re forced to compete for special projects funding, and both their jobs are on the line.
Eden just wants to win at science and in life. It’s not happening! She can’t stand Finn’s too-cool-for-school, nice guy act, or his delectable forearms that keep invading her space. While Finn is stupidly attracted to Eden, when she’s not telling him off, he isn’t free to pursue her. He’s stuck in the worst position in his professional life, and doesn’t see a clear way out. He can’t tell her the whole truth about what’s going on at work or in his personal life. . . or it could all blow up in his face.
When they realise the truth about their online alter egos, dating is off the table. Can they ignore their inconvenient attraction, and work together to take down their unethical boss? Or will intense
rivalry cause their IRL work lives and online love lives to collide and explode like a science experiment gone wrong?

Note: Dating Little Miss Perfect is an updated take on You’ve Got Mail for lovers of online dating romcoms, with added science, cupcakes and old movie references! This new release from award-
winning author Cassandra O’Leary is a stand-alone contemporary romance novel of approximately 97,000 words.

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Cassandra O’Leary is an Aussie romance, romantic comedy and women’s fiction author, corporate communications escapee, avid reader, and film and TV fangirl.
In 2015, Cassandra won the global We Heart New Talent contest run by HarperCollins UK and her debut novel, Girl on a Plane, was released in 2016. Cassandra was also a finalist in contests run by AusRom Today, Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of Australia. She has indie published several titles including a romcom story collection, Hot In The City and standalone novel,
Dating Little Miss Perfect.
You’ll find Cassandra in Melbourne, Australia, chasing her two high-energy mini ninjas and drinking excellent coffee with her superhero husband.

She is a proud member of Romance Writers of Australia, the Australian Society of Authors and the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild.
Read more at cassandraolearyauthor.com

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Giveaway to Win 3 x ebooks of Dating Little Miss Perfect (Open Internationally)
Please note that the ebook will be distributed by BookFunnel.

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My thoughts: this was a really fun rom com set in San Diego, with glamorous scientist Eden finding herself pitted against annoying marketing man (and Aussie) Finn. Except they don’t have to be rivals, they could team up against their evil boss, who Finn is secretly investigating. Especially as they’re already flirting like mad online on an anonymous dating app.

Both are ridiculously attracted to each other, which is driving them crazy, in different ways. Eden digs down to find every reason why it would be a terrible idea, but Finn reckons he can win her over with his good looks and accent.

The corporate espionage storyline is fun, and gives Finn a reason to be a bit sneaky, and Eden’s sister and friends were entertaining as they try to get her to realise her feelings and do something about it.

This was a cute, enjoyable rom com and the ending was delightful. Definitely one to curl up with, warning; spicy 🌶🌶🌶

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above. 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.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Midsummer Magic at Midwynter Hall – Lottie Cardew

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An enchanting, standalone, modern rom-com inspired by Jane Austen’s EMMA, about a matchmaking young woman whose heart may be in the right place… some of the time.
Emmeline – Em to her friends – has very little to vex her, except that she hasn’t left her beloved home, Midwynter Hall, in over two years.
But her isolation doesn’t stop her interfering in the lives of others, particularly when it comes to love.
As a romance writer, Emmeline obviously knows what she’s doing, increasingly plotting real-life matches rather than fictional ones.
When best friend Polly gets mixed up with the wrong sort of man, Emmeline has no choice but to swoop to the rescue. And when old family friend Jordi seeks solace after women and work troubles,
Emmeline has the perfect solution. You see, everything she’s written lately – pairing up lovelorn locals – has somehow (maybe magically) come true. So, if she pens a tale about Polly and Jordi despite their many protests, they’ll thank her eventually, once they’re blissfully happy together.
But no one is more surprised than Emmeline when she finds she wants to write herself into the story, especially if someone she cares about may get hurt in the process.
Because as it turns out, believing you’ve never been in love, doesn’t mean you’ve never (unknowingly) given your heart away…
Purchase


Lottie Cardew writes uplifting, contemporary romcoms set around the picturesque village of Pebblestow, and is an advocate for diversity in fiction.
Regarded as the bossy one at Novelistas Ink, Lottie often subdues the other members if they misbehave (they don’t really) including the popular authors Trisha Ashley and Sophie Claire. She is a
longstanding member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, scooping their New Writer’s Award in her twenties under a different pen-name. More recently, Lottie also joined the Society of Authors, where as an active participant in the ADCI group (Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses) she interviewed bestselling author Holly Smale in 2021 for the first ever Disability Issue of The Bookseller.
Lottie is diagnosed autistic with suspected ADHD. Her home in North Wales is overrun by husband, not-very-small children, and a ball of fluff masquerading as a Pomeranian, so Lottie frequently takes refuge at her desk.
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My thoughts: this was a fun and sweet rom com, loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma. Emmeline is a former romance novelist, living back at the family seat, Midwynter Hall, with her dad, struggling with agoraphobia and unable to go beyond the gates of her home. The world comes to her in the form of her friend Polly who pops round with the local gossip, and the online writing group she’s joined, led by childhood pal Jordi, as well as visits from her mum.

When Jordi’s life falls apart and he comes to stay in the gatehouse, Em sees a chance to matchmake her two best friends. Only Polly’s got a casual thing going with a hunky gardener and Jordi seems to prefer someone else. Could Em be a bit oblivious to what’s staring her in the face? And could it be time to get some help with her condition?

As the friends hang out in the summer sunshine, and Em gets a few home truths, will there be romance and a potential new project to keep her busy? Charming and enjoyable, this is a gentle and heartwarming story.

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

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Blog Tour: A Little in Love – Florence Keeling

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The little village of Weddington is fast becoming THE place to get married. With its stately home, castle and two churches it has something for everyone, and now, famous after appearing in huge romcom movie hit A Little In Love, it’s hosting a monthly wedding fayre…

Rose Pedal is the proud owner of Pedals & Prosecco, a brand new business serving ice-cold fizz from a vintage bicycle, and she’s excited to be attending her first wedding fayre. But, on the way to Weddington Hall she’s involved in a near miss crash involving dashingly handsome James from Blume’s Florist.

Arriving at the beautiful stately home drenched and disheveled, Rose is horrified to find James is not only not sorry for nearly knocking her off her bike, but he’s gatecrashing her allocated spot on the lawn. His arrogance gets her back up and it’s definitely a case of hate at first sight. But as the wedding fayre season continues, James gently wins Rose over, and their relationship starts to bloom.

Can being just ‘a little in love’ help Rose and James find their own happy-ending…

A Little in Love is the most charming romantic comedy you’ll read this year, from a hugely talented author, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Phillipa Ashley and Cressida McLaughlin.

Florence Keeling LOVES weddings. She married the man she met when she was four months old, and 21 years of married bliss later, they are still VERY much in love. Her love of stories started with Mr Men and Topsy and Tim, she longed to attend Cackle’s Academy and spend days sharing adventures with the Famous Five. As a grown up, she wrangles two grown up kids, two mad huskies and three day jobs. A Little In Love is her third work of fiction. Follow her on twitter at @KeelingFlorence

My thoughts: I really liked the idea of Pedals & Prosecco, it’s cute and unusual, and Rose seems like a total sweetheart. I’ve been to a few wedding fairs, back when I was planning my own, and found them a bit overwhelming, the smaller ones were nicer, and most of the people seemed lovely, which is what Rose finds when she joins her local wedding fair circuit. Except for an obnoxious wedding planner and the florist who almost runs her over!

He turns out to be actually quite charming and kind, unlike his awful dad and brother, they were terrible. But Rose has great support in her mum and dad, grandparents and best friends. And when she hits a stumbling block in business and love, they’re there to scoop her up and get her back on her bike!

The path to true love is never easy and both Rose and James have to overcome a few tricky things to get there. But in love and in business, they might just make it with the help of those around them and some determination. A charming and enjoyable read, I was rooting for Rose all the way.

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