#BookReview The Map of Us by Jules Preston #bookblogger #TheMapOfUs

About the book

One of the most original and charming books you will ever read, this is perfect for all those who love Eleanor Oliphant and The Keeper of Lost Things

Readers love The Map of Us:

‘A story that will melt even the most hardened soul … utterly charming’ Irish Times bestseller Carmel Harrington

‘Quirky, original and humorous’ USA Today bestselling author Sue Fortin

‘Totally addictive’ Joe Heap

‘Beautiful, funny, warm and clever’ Darcie Boleyn

‘An unexpected gem of a book’ Rachel Oakes, Litsy

‘A very fresh, imaginative approach to a love story’ Kraftireader

‘One to keep forever’ Celia J Anderson

‘The best book I have read in many years’ Martin 6654, Amazon reviewer

‘Without doubt one of the very best books I have ever read’ TAW, Amazon reviewer

‘Buy it because every page is a treasure. Buy it because you’ll love it … over and over again!’ Mart, Amazon reviewer

‘So very worthy of five stars. Full of humour with touches of sadness. A true wordsmith’ Phil M, Amazon reviewer

‘I don’t usually write book reviews at 2.30 in the morning but I loved this book so much that I HAD to write my review as soon as I finished it…The characters in this book will stay with me for a long time’ Annalisa999, Amazon reviewer

‘A beautiful sigh of a book’ Mees, Amazon reviewer

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A story of love and lost directions

Violet North is wonderfully inconvenient. Abandoned by her family and lost in an imagined world of moors and adventure, her life changes in the space of just 37 words exchanged with a stranger at her front door.

Decades later, Daniel Bearing has inherited his father’s multi-million pound business, and is utterly lost. He has no idea who he is or where his life is headed.

When Violet’s granddaughter’s marriage falls apart, Tilly, always adept with numbers, compiles a detailed statistical report to pinpoint why. But the Compatibility Index Tilly creates has unforeseen consequences for everyone in her world.

Tilly and Daniel share a secret too. 10.37am, April 22nd.

Soon, a complex web of secrets and lies is exposed and an adventure begins with a blue typewriter…

 

Published by Harper Impulse

Publication Date – 6th September 2018

 

Pre-order Links

 

Amazon UK

 

Hive.co.uk

Book Depository

MY REVIEW

Charming, Quirky, Perceptive – loved it!

I found this to be such a fun, emotional and original story , and the short, snappy chapters really gave this such a fresh feel compared to some other books! It does take a short while before you become used to the flitting between characters and timelines, but once you are in that zone the story just flows really nicely and you find yourself eagerly anticipating each new chapter to see whose story you’ll be plunged back into next and where their journey will lead to!

It’s the story of families, the journeys we all take through life, finding the meaning of happiness and all that entails! From Tilly who works in market research and analyzes every aspect of her life into charts and facts, to Violet who is housebound and extremely creative, to Jack who is a world expert on the colour blue, to Daniel the workaholic who is never out of a suit, and to Katherine who is slightly obsessed with buying handbags! All the characters share a link and it is fascinating to see how it all links together and how those personalities all affect one another.

There are so many things you’ll find yourself thinking about when you read this book! There are many random observations that you often wonder why they’re being mentioned, but it all begins to make sense by the end!

Each character has such a different way of having their story told and this was another clever aspect of the book. It helped sum up their personalities and their stories in different ways. If you loved the quirkiness of Eleanor Oliphant or The Keeper of Lost Things, then you’ll love this too!!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my advance reading e-copy.

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The Windmill Cafe by Poppy Blake #CoverReveal

Spoiling you with cover reveals at the moment! And this is just beyond gorgeous!!

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The Windmill Cafe is open for business!

As Rosie Barnes serves glasses of tangy lemonade and ice-cold prosecco at her summer garden party, she couldn’t be happier. The Windmill Café, with its peppermint green sails is a roaring success and has given Rosie a chance to escape the heartbreak of her busy life in London.

But then disaster strikes when popstar Suki Richards is taken unexpectedly ill at the party. Now all eyes are on Rosie…have her famous raspberry cupcakes poisoned her most high-profile guest? Or is someone else trying to damage Suki’s chance of stardom?

If Rosie wants to save her picture-perfect life, and the reputation of her beloved Windmill Café, she’s going to have to get to the bottom of the mystery…and fast!

Escape to the Norfolk coast with this gorgeous summery novella!

publication: March 9th 2018 by HarperImpulse

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Pre-order via Amazon

Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Cafe by Georgia Hill #bookreview

THE BLURB

Baking, broken hearts and beach weddings…it’s all happening in the gorgeous little seaside town of Berecombe this year!

Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Café is struggling as a multi-national chain of cafés moves in on its territory. Despite baking up a storm in a bid to save it, Millie’s distracted by falling head over heels for the gorgeous, mysterious Jed.

As the seasons change in Berecombe, the loveable, quirky locals rally round Millie, and in return find their own happy ever afters. Millie’s delighted for her friends, but when she discovers Jed’s been keeping secrets, she faces a new dilemma – is it finally time to hang up her apron and start an exciting life somewhere new? Or is everything she’s ever wanted right under her nose, just waiting for her to reach out and take it?

Publisher;  Harper Impulse

Published;  11th January 2018

 

Quick Buying Links

Amazon UK

Waterstones

hive.co.uk – buy online and support your local bookstore

 

MY REVIEW

 

This is a delicious treat for all fans of all things romance and chick-lit! The 3 novellas have been brought together under this one title and it works so well and keeps you turning the pages to find out how life will treat Millie in her cafe with the arrival of a new big chain, and how her friends all pull together to help her out – and how some of those closest to her betray her!

Millie is such an easy character to embrace – she has worked hard in her parents cafe after losing them so tragically, and all those who visit the cafe have become like her family, along with her rather cute dog Trevor! Her cafe is the heart of the community so when that is threatened by a new venture opening in town, she has to come up with ideas to keep her cafe relevant and keep the customers coming through the door!

It doesn’t help that her head has been turned by a hunky new visitor to the town! Their friendship soon escalates and they seem like such a perfect couple, until Jed and his ‘secret’ is revealed and that puts a huge strain on the trust between them.

WE also get to follow the story of Dora who has had success in LA as an actress and is back in town. She used to go to school with Millie along with Mike who is directing a play in town – loved how eager Dora was to help out with the production and let feelings from the past resurface! And then there’s a story from Christmas featuring Jed and his brother and how once more the cafe is in trouble and Millie has doubts as to whether she is doing the right thing anymore.

This had everything I loved about a story – full of humour, a real sense of community, lovable characters (young and old!) and an easy going pace that just kept you reading!

Thank you to HarperImpulse and NetGalley for the e-copy in return for a fair and honest review.

The Cosy Canal Boat Dream by Christie Barlow #blogtour #bookreview

Welcome to the Little Rock marina – where hearts are healed and dreams are made…

For the last two years Nell Andrews has been struggling to stay afloat. As her life tumbled down around her, the only safety net has been her cosy canal boat, The Nollie. Tucked away inside, Nell has found a place to heal her broken heart. And now she’s ready to move on and follow her dream…

Gorgeous Guy Cornish, with his easy Irish charm, makes him an instant hit with everyone at the marina, and the perfect person to help Nell with her project. But Guy has his own reasons for being at the marina, and a past that threatens to sink Nell’s dream…

Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Expected publication: 22nd August 2017 by HarperImpulse

Amazon UK

 

 

Delighted to be taking part in this Blog Tour for such a wonderful book! Trust me, you’ll be swooning over handsome strangers with cute dogs and wanting to live in a canal boat once you’ve read this book!

 

Follow Christie on twitter @ChristieJBarlow

https://www.facebook.com/ChristieJBarlow

http://www.christiebarlow.com/

MY REVIEW

Canal Boat – check.
Beautiful Setting – check.
Endearing characters – check.
Cafe – check.

And there we go! That’s how easy it can be to write a book I thoroughly enjoy and highly recommend!!!

In this story we are introduced to Nell who had the perfect life, living in her dream home – a canal boat – in the idyllic setting of the Little Rock Marina, with her husband Ollie. And then Ollie never comes home one evening after going out for a motorbike ride and her life is devastated.

We rejoin her 2 years later as she tries to move on but the loss is still hard for her to take. She has a wonderful support network around her and that includes her best friend Bea who runs the local cafe where she works part time. Bea is married to Nathan and they have the cutest son, Jacob, who brings a smile to everyone he meets!

And then things change! A handsome stranger comes into Nells’ life and there is an instant connection and life starts to look up again for Nell! And then an opportunity to recreate some memories from her past with a new business venture appears on the horizon – is everything finally beginning to look up for Nell?!

I loved all the characters that we get to meet in this story. They all have such warm personalities that you can’t help but fall instantly in love with them, and wish them all their own happy endings! The setting was perfect and really added to the community feel of the book. And alongside Nell and her story, the story of Bea and her family was also one that was really had me hooked as a reader and I really felt part of the community as their stories were told.

The perfect summer read!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy in return for a fair and honest review.

 

HAPPY READING!

Cover Reveal Wednesday

OOH  who can resist a cover reveal?! Not me!!!  So it’s a fabulous pleasure to be able to share this little stunner with you today fresh from HarperImpulse!  Emma Heatherington, author of bestseller THE LEGACY OF LUCY HARTE, has brought us a gorgeous tale of grief, loss, and precious moments: A PART OF ME AND YOU.

Are we ready??!

 

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You always think you have more time…

Juliette always thought she’d have more time. But as her fortieth birthday approaches she is dealt the deadliest of blows – she has just weeks to live. As the terrible news sinks in, Juliette’s only concern is for her fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosie. Who will take care of her precious child? Who will love her daughter with the same fierce love? The answer lies in a secret Juliette hoped never to reveal…

Devastated at the loss of her own baby daughter, Shelley is barely managing to survive. Consumed by her grief, she has pushed everyone away – including the man who loves her the most. With her once happy marriage now in tatters, Shelley has nothing left to live for.

But as the lives of these two women collide, could Juliette’s secret be the key to solving Shelley’s heartache? And could Juliette’s death give Shelley one final chance to live again…

OUT 9TH FEBRUARY 2018

Amazon UK  – Pre-order

Told you it was a stunner!! The Legacy of Lucy Harte had me in tears and I think this might have the same effect on me!  Write the date down in your diaries and on your calendars!  2018 is set to be another fantastic year for books we will take to our hearts!!

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Reveal Tuesday – A House of Lies

Always a pleasure to take part in these cover reveals!! And today we’re going full on dark and creepy for the cover of this psychological thriller from HarperImpulse!  So without further ado here’s your first look at The House of Lies…….

‘A wicked twist and a killer ending’ Publishers Weekly

 

Somewhere in Vixenhead, I’m certain the truth lies…

A sudden disappearance…

When Roz Outlaw’s partner Tom mysteriously vanishes, she knows his life is in danger. Tom has been distracted lately, afraid, as though he is being hunted…

A desperate search…

With the police showing little interest Roz knows it falls to her to find Tom. But as Tom’s secrets are uncovered nothing can prepare Roz for the dark lies and twisted truths she finds. She thought she loved Tom, but quickly realises she has been living with a stranger – a man with murder in his past.

A house of evil.

The key to unlocking Tom’s past lies in his childhood home – Vixenhead. A house of wickedness that keeps its secrets well hidden. Can Roz find Tom before it’s too late or will the evil within Vixenhead claim her too…

Amazon UK

About the Author

 

Eve Seymour is the author of nine novels and has had a number of short stories broadcast on BBC Radio Devon. Educated in Malvern at an girls’ boarding school, which she detested, she spectacularly underachieved. Sixth form in Cheltenham proved a lot more interesting, enjoyable and productive.
After a short and successful career in PR in London and Birmingham, she married and disappeared to Devon. Five children later, she returned and began to write seriously. In a bid to make her work as authentic as possible, she has bent the ears of numerous police officers, firearms officers, scenes of crime, the odd lawyer and United Nations personnel. She also works by day as a freelance editorial consultant, specialising in crime fiction.
Eve lives with her second husband and often has a houseful of offspring, sons-in-law, partners, and a growing tribe of little ones. Nomadic by nature, she is planning another move very soon.

 

 

HAPPY READING!!