#BlogTour SWEET PASTRIES AND SOURDOUGH by ROSIE GREEN #BookReview @rararesources

Delighted to be with you today for the latest stop on the Blog Tour for the fabulous SWEET PASTRIES AND SOURDOUGH by ROSIE GREEN. My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for putting the tour together and letting me be part of it all!
On to the book….

Sweet Pastries & Sourdough, Little Duck Pond Café

Ellie’s brand new enterprise, the True Loaf Bakery, is finally open and classes are due to start. But when Katja’s ski-ing holiday ends in disaster, a new teacher must be found very quickly. Anita is up for the challenge, but – fresh from a break-up and an operation that’s left her feeling physically and emotionally vulnerable – the last thing she’s looking for when she moves to Sunnybrook is a new relationship. So it’s Sod’s law that she should find herself with not one but two guys vying for her attention. Sven, from Denmark, is a bit of an enigma – but maybe passion lurks beneath his cool reserve? And as for twenty-five-year-old football coach Ross – surely she’d be asking for trouble getting involved with a gorgeous man a decade her junior? (Although her football-mad son Rufus seems to love him.)

Moving in with Bertha proves a real comfort – but can Anita get to the bottom of what’s troubling the older woman?

Anita’s job at the True Loaf Bakery is only temporary, but she finds herself drawn ever deeper into life in the village – especially when she finds a child’s bracelet from long ago, in the rubble of the newly-renovated building. Solving the mystery of who it belongs to takes Anita on a journey of discovery – a journey that might just help her discover what her own heart really needs…

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/2YFZufv

About the Author

Rosie has been scribbling stories ever since she was little.

Back then, they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ‘the baddies’.

Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger involved at all – unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.

Her series of novellas is centred around life in a village cafe.

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green88 

MY REVIEW

The Little Duck Pond series continues!! This is the 15th novella in the series, and I NEVER want it to end!!  It’s the perfect series to escape in to, full of characters that you take to your hearts, and situations that draw you in. Oh and baking!!! There can never be too much baking!

Anita is the main focus of this series and she’s dealing with a million problems that life seems to have thrown her way.  Dealing with pain and medical issues, being a mum to the cheeky little chap, but full of beans, Rufus, and struggling with confidence she doesn’t know what way to turn, other than to ignore some problems and hope they go away! If only that worked!

She’s offered the opportunity to teach some baking classes, and baking has always been her way of escaping and coping. With the class comes new characters for us to fall in love with – Russ and  Sven especially!!  

I found Anita to be such a relatable character – trying to come to terms with changes in her life while facing up to the past, she had no option to keep going but she’d always doubt herself and finds it tough to focus on herself with the adorable Rufus being so full on!  At least he can run off some energy at his football training!

This was another wonderful addition to the series and I hope there’s still more to come!!

★★★★★

#GuestPost SPRING ON RENDEVOUZ LANE by ANGELA BRITNELL #PublicationDay @ChocLituk @AngelaBritnell

A huge delight today to be able to welcome ANGELA BRITNELL to my blog today to help celebrate publication day for SPRING ON RENDEVOUZ LANE!
Over to you Angela…….

 Spring on Rendezvous Lane by Angela Britnell

Thank you so much for inviting me over to say hello on publication day! I’m known for my trans-Atlantic romances and although Spring on Rendezvous Lane can loosely be called one, this time my main characters would struggle to say where they were ‘from’ in the traditional sense. Sandy and Taran both have something in common with President Obama – they’re all what’s known as ‘Third Culture Kids’, or TCK’s. Here is how Sandy describes a TCK:

‘The simple definition is having parents from two different cultures but being raised in another, or multiple others in most cases. President Obama is the most famous one. American mother. Kenyan father. Grew up primarily in Indonesia and Hawaii.’

Sandy usually calls herself a military brat and lived in various countries growing up with her American serviceman father and German mother. Taran’s mother is American and his father, who worked for oil companies around the world, is half Italian/half Polish.

‘Home’ becomes a four-letter-word in their relationship because she’s working hard to make a settled life for her young son, very different from her own childhood whereas Taran has gone in the completely opposite direction.

‘In his view there was too much world out there to be confined to one spot and the same applied to people.’

Whether they can or even want to find a middle ground is the big question.

Ignoring the present pandemic, and wouldn’t we all like to do that?, our world has become smaller in many ways and so the number of TCK’s is growing. Officially, my oldest son was one for a short time because I’m English and my husband is American and Stephen was born in Naples, Italy and we lived in Sicily until just after his first birthday. It was really

interesting writing this book to explore such a fascinating aspect of how the choices parents make can affect their children, often for a lifetime.

I’ll leave you now and hop you enjoy reading Sandy and Taran’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

About the book:

Can even the most seasoned traveller find a home on Rendezvous Lane?

‘Community spirit’ is not a phrase in travel junkie Taran Rossi’s vocabulary. As a former ‘third culture kid’ and now spicy street food connoisseur and social media influencer, he’s never really stayed in one place long enough to feel part of a community. And that’s just the way he likes it.

But a springtime stint house sitting for his grandmother on Rendezvous Lane in East Nashville could lead to a long overdue wake-up call. With the help of single mum Sandy Warner and her young son Chip, can Taran come to understand that sometimes it’s not about the place – it’s about the people?

PURCHASE LINKS

Kindle UK 

Kobo 

Apple Books UK 

 Nook

About the author:

Angela was born in St. Stephen, Cornwall, England. After completing her A-Levels she worked as a Naval Secretary. She met her husband, a US Naval Flight Officer while being based at a small NATO Headquarters on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark. They lived together in

Denmark, Sicily, California, southern Maryland and London before settling in Franklin, Tennessee.

Angela took a creative writing course in 2000 and loved it so much that she has barely put her pen down since. She has had short stories and novels published in the US. Her novel Sugar & Spice, won Choc Lit’s Search for an American Star competition and was her UK debut. 

Follow Angela on Twitter: @AngelaBritnell Like her on Facebook: Angela Britnell

#BlogTour SUMMER AT SANDCASTLE COTTAGE by CHRISTINA JONES #BookReview @AccentPress @ChristinaJ2021

A huge delight to be with you today to share my thoughts on the fabulous new release SUMMER AT SANDCASTLE COTTAGE by CHRISTINA JONES. My thanks to the author, publisher and Rosanna for letting me be part of the tour!!

ABOUT THE BOOK

After trials, tears and a torturous break-up, Kitty Appleby has finally found where she’s meant to be. Tumbledown Sandcastle Cottage, in the delightful seaside village of Firefly Common, is home, and Kitty’s eccentric band of friends and neighbours are enjoying a glorious summer.

There’s just one tiny little problem. Sandcastle Cottage doesn’t belong to them. And Mavis Mullholland, Kitty’s landlord, is on her way home from her round-the-world cruise . . .

Kitty can’t bear to lose the community that’s welcomed her in. But secretly, she can’t bear to leave Sandcastle Cottage without finding out more about the mysterious and enigmatic Vinny . . . Why can’t she stop thinking about him, when she’s faced with losing everything?

PUBLISHED BY HEADLINE ACCENT

Order Link

 Amazon UK

MY REVIEW

If you are looking for a read that will brighten up a grey day, then look no further! This book brought sunshine in to my life while I was reading it, and I was sad to stop being around the characters by the last page! I think I need a trip to Firefly Common to visit them all!

This is a follow up to the short story – CHRISTMAS AT SANDCASTLE COTTAGE – but you don’t need to have read that to catch up with the goings on! Kitty has found her happy place at Sandcastle Cottage, along with her friends and the lovely community around them. But that might all be about to change with the news that their landlord is on their way home – and the thought of having to move on again is not filling Kitty with pleasure!

What stands out about this book is how quickly Kitty and her friends became part of the village around them.  She’s always been fearful of change and making mistakes so to have this settled period in her life is lettng her be herself finally.  And there’s also the enigmatic Vinny who is still a mystery to them! He’s often spotted walking along the beach by himself, but nobody knows much more about him and Kitty is intrigued! I don’t blame her! 

As the events play out over the Summer, I found myself really bonding with Kitty and her friends as they try and work out their next moves, and deal with all that life throws their way in their professional and personal lives! You really understand their angst too at maybe having to move on from their happy, safe space and just keep hoping that a compromise can be reached to keep them all together!

A ray of sunshine in book form!!

★★★★★

#BookReview CHRISTMAS AT THE LITTLE BEACH CAFE by MORTON S.GRAY

ABOUT THE BOOK

Run away to the little beach café this Christmas …

Five years ago at Christmas, solicitor Justin Sadler made the decision to leave his comfortable existence behind and move to the coast. Since then, he’s tried his best to ignore the festive season and, as he sits in the little beach café and reflects on that fateful night when his life was turned upside down, he expects his fifth Christmas alone to be no different to any of the others since he made his escape.

But when he encounters a mystery woman on the beach, he soon realises he may have found a fellow runaway and kindred spirit. Could Justin finally be ready to move on and let Christmas into his life again

PUBLISHED BY CHOC LIT

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Little-Beach-Cafe-heart-warming-ebook/dp/B08L3VTGZL/ 

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/christmas-at-the-little-beach-cafe/id1535456533?itsct=books_toolbox&itscg=30200&at=11lNBs&ct=books_christmas_at_the_little_beach_cafe&ls=1 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/christmas-at-the-little-beach-cafe 

Google:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Morton_S_Gray_Christmas_at_the_Little_Beach_Cafe?id=ZB4EEAAAQBAJ 

Nook:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-at-the-little-beach-cafe-morton-s-gray/1137896817?ean=2940162820031 

MY REVIEW

The perfect blend of romance, mystery and drama – all set in the wonderful setting of Borteen Bay. This is book 5 in the series, but very easily read as a standalone and is the perfect festive read!

Justin is the focus of this story and he moved to the Bay 5 years ago. What prompted his sudden move and his aversion to the festive period soon become clear, and you wonder if he’s ever going to be able to move on in his life and embrace the tinsel and baubles of Christmas!

When he encounters a mystery woman on the beach, it seems clear his path to a happier life may soon be on the cards! But she has secrets of her own and he is intrigued by her. Silvie is her name and she is finding life tough and seems on tenterhooks permanently. She wants to get away from something and is reluctant to let people into her life.

But there’s an ease and instant connection between Justin and Silvie – maybe their past experiences bond them, and I just loved seeing how well they clicked and how they supported one another in trying to move forward in their lives!

There’s plenty of unexpected drama along the way that really adds to the tension and I loved the mix of light and dark!! Fabulous festive fiction!!

★★★★★

#BookReview ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU by MARIE LAVAL #PublicationDay

ABOUT THE BOOK

Will Amy’s dreams of a Provençal escape come true?

There are many reasons Amy Carter is determined to make Bellefontaine, her farmhouse hotel in the French countryside, a success. Of course, there’s the time and money she’s put in to making it beautiful, but she also has something to prove – particularly to people like Fabien Coste.

Fabien is the owner of the nearby château, and he might just be the most arrogant, patronising man Amy has ever met … unfortunately, he’s also the most handsome.
But as rumours circulate in the local community and secrets about the old farmhouse begin to reveal themselves, Amy quickly sees the less idyllic side of life at Bellefontaine. Could Fabien be the man to help prevent her Provençal dream from turning into a nightmare?

This was previously published as A Spell in Provence by Accent Press in 2015. This is a revised, edited and updated version. Published October 2020 by Choc Lit.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-Little-Chateau-gorgeous-surprises-ebook/dp/B08HS82MS9/ 

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/escape-to-the-little-chateau/id1531307036?itsct=books_toolbox&itscg=30200&at=11lNBs&ls=1 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/escape-to-the-little-chateau

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Marie_Laval_Escape_to_the_Little_Chateau?id=GIYAEAAAQBAJ

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escape-to-the-little-chateau-marie-laval/1137618221?ean=2940163078813

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books that makes you want to pack up all your stuff and head for the French countryside in the hope that you’ll discover your own Fabien!! Swoon!!

But that’s not why Amy finds herself in France – she’s determined to make a big success of opening her own farmhouse hotel. No mean feat considering she’s new to the country and hoping to do everything herself! Her dreams and determination will have you on her side from the get go, and the gorgeous setting she finds herself in is just an added bonus!

Fabien is the owner of the swanky local chateau, and is a big name across the world for first class establishment so he’s well aware of the work needed to run a business so tries to offer some friendly advice to Amy, of which she isn’t too keen to take on board! You get the idea she doesn’t like being told how to do things, even if that makes her appear a little stubborn and ungrateful!

But this isn’t a straightforward romance story, as there is a much darker side to the goings on especially within the area and Amy finds herself in the middle of it.  It is clear someone doesn’t take too kindly to her being there and there are a number of threats that are very sinister.

There’s a lot for Amy to learn, both about running a business, and also the local folklore and history and with the help of Fabian she uncovers some disturbing details of the lady of the forest! You are just hoping that this dream move for Amy doesn’t turn into a nightmare!

I loved the dark and light of this story!  It added so much edge to it and it was often quite shocking to see how dark things got!  A bewitching tale!!

★★★★★

#BookReview A WEDDING ON THE RIVIERA by EVONNE WAREHAM

ABOUT THE BOOK

A return to the Riviera on the trail of a runaway groom …

When out-of-work actor Ryan Calder attends a wedding as the plus-one of successful businesswoman, Nadine Wells, he doesn’t expect to get in a scuffle with the groom.

But Ryan has a good reason. He recognises the groom from another wedding where the same man made a quick getaway, taking the wedding money and leaving a heartbroken bride in his wake. It seems he’s struck again, and Nadine’s poor friend is the target.

Ryan and Nadine decide they can’t let it happen to another woman, so with a group of friends they hatch a plan that will take them to the French Riviera, hot on the heels of the crooked groom. But could their scheme to bring him to justice also succeed in bringing them closer together?

PUBLISHED BY CHOC LIT

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08FJCQQRS/

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-wedding-on-the-riviera/id1527067169?itsct=books_toolbox&itscg=30200&at=11lNBs 

Kobo Books: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-wedding-on-the-riviera

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-wedding-on-the-riviera-evonne-wareham/1137460211?ean=2940162842545 

Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Evonne_Wareham_A_Wedding_on_the_Riviera?id=X5j6DwAAQBAJ

Website: https://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/a-wedding-on-the-riviera/

MY REVIEW

A story that is a brilliant escape from the reality of life!! It has excitement and mystery galore in a beautiful setting and I loved reconnecting with characters from the first in the series, although this can easily be read as a standalone.

Ryan is used to being the plus one at weddings in the line of work that he does! And the more times he spends with Nadine, the harder he finds it to feel a real connection with her and that is really put to the test when they all pull together to try and thwart a serial runaway groom from scamming his next bridal victim. When Nadine puts herself forward as the ‘guineapig’ fake bride, can Ryan bear to see her with someone else as she tries to lure ‘Hemingway’ into another wedding.

Nadine seems to quite enjoy the subterfuge in this one, although in dealing with a man who has pulled this stunt a number of times, she always needs to be on her toes so she doesn’t mess up the plan and I loved how quickly she had to think on her feet sometimes to try and stay one step ahead of the sneaky scoundrel!!

Another brilliant and absorbing story from Evonne full of romance and drama galore!! Highly recommended!

★★★★★

#BlogTour A SUMMER TO REMEMBER IN HERRING BAY by ANGELA BRITNELL #BookReview @rararesources @ChocLituk @AngelaBritnell

Delighted to be the latest stop on the Blog Tour for the fabulous A SUMMER TO REMEMBER IN HERRING BAY by ANGELA BRITNELL today.
My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for putting the tour together and letting me be part of it all to share my thoughts!

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Summer to Remember in Herring Bay

Essy Havers is good at finding things. Her company specialises in helping clients track down anything, from missing china pieces to rare vintage clothing. But now Essy has something more important to find: herself.Essy has always been curious about her mother’s secret past and her Cornish roots. So, when the opportunity arises, she hops on a plane in Tennessee and ends up in Herring Bay in Cornwall; the village where her mother grew up.But once there, she’s mystified by the reactions of the villagers when they realise who she is. Was Essy’s decision to visit Cornwall a mistake, or will it lead to a summer she’ll never forget?

Purchase Link – https://smarturl.it/ff87oe

Author Bio – Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties! 
A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to over three decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers. Her first novel ‘Truth and Consequence’ was published in 2006 and she’s now had over 30 novels published internationally and several short stories in women’s magazines.
If you’d like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (Advance warning: this may include references to wine, dark chocolate, Poldark and the hunky Aidan Turner) check out 
www.angelabritnellromance.com  or follow her on www.facebook.com/angelabritnell , www.twitter.com/angelabritnell and on Instagram as Angela Golley Britnell.

MY REVIEW

Loved, Loved, Loved this book!! It’s full of family secrets that that have hung over Herring Bay for years, leaving deep wounds for many. So when Essy travels there to discover the past her mother is very reluctant to share, she reopens those wounds and it threatens new friendships.

Essy stands out anyway as she’s an American and they don’t get many of those visiting Herring Bay! She also is a big fan of bright colours and finds a fellow ‘colour’ fan in Ruan. He’s a local who has recently returned home and finds himself doing various handyman jobs which brings him into contact with Essy as she stays with her Aunt at her B&B that is in need of a bit of modernising!

The more time Essy and Ruan spend together, the more the pasts of their families begin to bubble to the surface and I loved finding out about the goings on of the past – and surprised along with the characters to discover that what they had been led to believe was quite different to the actual truth. Isn’t that always the way!?! We build up an image of a situation or person based on what we’re told, only to find that shattered when the truth comes to light!

I loved everything about this book! From the relatable characters wanting to make sense of who they are, to the wonderful setting and twists and turns of the revelations!

A BOOK TO REMEMBER!!

★★★★★

#BookReview NEW BEGINNINGS AT THE LITTLE HOUSE IN THE SUN by CHRIS PENHALL #PublicationDay @RubyFiction

ABOUT THE BOOK

Follow your yellow brick road ….

Alice Dorothy Matthews is on the road to paradise! She’s sold her house in London, got rid of her nasty ex and arranged her move to Portugal where friendship and romance awaits. All that’s left to do is find a place to call home.

But Alice’s dreams are called into question when complications with friends, work and new relationships make her Portuguese paradise feel far too much like reality.
Will Alice’s dream of a new home in the sun come true?

PUBLISHED BY RUBY FICTION

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Beginnings-Little-House-Sun-ebook/dp/B08CY3FQ7X/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/new-beginnings-at-the-little-house-in-the-sun

Apple: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/new-beginnings-at-the-little-house-in-the-sun/id1523474220?mt=11&app=itunes&at=11lNBs

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Chris_Penhall_New_Beginnings_at_the_Little_House_i?id=3bXyDwAAQBAJ

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/new-beginnings-at-the-little-house-in-the-sun-chris-penhall/1137338107?ean=2940162783909

Website: https://www.rubyfiction.com/dd-product/new-beginnings-at-the-little-house-in-the-sun/

MY REVIEW

It’s always good to reconnect with characters that you enjoyed reading about in a previous book, so it was wonderful to go back to see how Alice is getting on with her big move to Portugal and it didn’t disappoint! It really centres around the doubts that play in her mind – yep, that inner voice that we all have in our head that tells us we’ve done the wrong thing, or we should have done things differently – and Alice is no different and there’s an awful lot for her to take on board in this book.

From finding somewhere to live and invest her money, to taking on more business wise and to dealing with new arrivals in the life of Luis, her boyfriend, life seems to be throwing a million things her way so there seems little chance of her getting the slower pace of life she always dreamed of when she was back in England.  But she’s not one to turn down new business opportunities and grabs chances when they come calling!

What I love about Alice is her determination! Despite constant knockbacks and her dream properties seemingly being snatched away from her at the last minute, she never gives up hope of finding the perfect place for her new life to continue.  And there’s always her mum on the end of the phone to give her the best advice and Aphrodite the cat to give her companionship!

With a million things all happening at once, you just want her to find her happy with Luis and get the stability she craves!  And I’m just hoping we’ll be getting more from Alice and her Portugese life in the not too distant future!  Enjoyable and heart warming!!

★★★★★

#BookReview SUNNY DAYS AT THE BEACH by MORTON S.GRAY

ABOUT THE BOOK

From party nights at the pub to sunny days at the beach …

Craft shop owner Mandy Vanes has always enjoyed a commitment-free singleton lifestyle — in fact, she’s well-known for her wild ways in her small seaside town on the coast.

But when local teenager, Nick Crossten, turns to her for help, Mandy has the opportunity to prove she can be a responsible adult. Although things get tricky when gin distillery owner Graham Frankley comes to town with some unexpected news.

Could this mean that Mandy the party girl is finally ready to grow up?

PUBLISHED BY CHOC LIT

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunny-Days-Beach-heart-warming-feel-good-ebook/dp/B08CDZ6XXX/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/sunny-days-at-the-beach

Apple: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/sunny-days-at-the-beach/id1522287190?itsct=books_toolbox&itscg=30200&at=11lNBs 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Morton_S_Gray_Sunny_Days_at_the_Beach?id=3dnyDwAAQBAJ

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sunny-days-at-the-beach-morton-s-gray/1137304330?ean=2940162638292

Website: https://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/sunny-days-at-the-beach/

MY REVIEW

Mandy is living the dream – or is she?! Single, partying and running her own craft business is what she always dreamed of! But the mornings after are beginning to take their toll and in this story her life is about to change dramatically and I loved every minute of her journey of discovering what is really important to her and how life can turn upside down overnight!

She has always had a soft spot for Nick, a young local artist who has sold his artwork in her shop, but when he is left alone by his mum who disappears one night, the person he turns to is Mandy who immediately steps into the foster mum role wonderfully.  She just wants the best for this young man, and he seems so pleased to have someone finally taking care of him! Add into the mix a stranger who shows up claiming to be his Dad and the story follows them all adapting to these new roles and a new life that could be starting for them.  

Seeing Mandy have this change of outlook on life was really fascinating, especially with her past coming back to play a part in her life.  It really lets you see her in a different light from her party girl image and gives you a good insight why she did go off the rails over recent years.  

I also found it interesting to see things from the viewpoint of Graham, who is faced with becoming a father to a teenager he knew nothing about.  Mixed in with new problems with his business, it was fascinating to see him approach life with a new outlook – nothing seems to phase him!

I think this story showed just how quickly your life can change and how you react impacts on those around you.  The characters of Mandy and Graham were a delight especially in their mature outlook on the situation – good to have some decent role models around and not ones who want to shirk responsibility! 

A really enjoyable read!! Highly recommended!

★★★★★

#BlogTour CLOUDS OF LOVE AND WAR by RACHEL BILLINGTON @Bookollective #BookReview

Delighted to be here today as part of the BOOKOLLECTIVE Blog Tour to share my thoughts on this absorbing new book! My thanks to the author, publisher and Bookollective team for my copy of the book and letting me share my thoughts on the tour!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Occasionally panoramic, more often intimate, in Clouds of Love and War author Rachel Billington balances a detailed and highly researched picture of the life of a Second World War Spitfire pilot with the travails and ambitions of a young woman too often on her own. The result is both a gripping story of war and a sensitive story of love, a love that struggles to survive.

Eddie and Eva meet on the eve of the Second World War. Eddie only wants to be a flyer, to find escape in the clouds from his own complicated family. However, the Battle of Britain makes a pilot’s life a dangerous way to flee reality. Eva has her own passionate longing: to become a painter. When Eva’s Jewish mother disappears to Germany, she is left alone with her elderly father. Both Eddie and Eva come of age at a time that teaches them that happiness is always fleeting, but there are things worth living – or dying – for.

Through the connecting stories of these young people and their wider families, and against a background of southern county airfields, London, Oxford, Dorset and France, Rachel Billington brings the world of war time England, now eighty years in the past, back to life.

PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSE

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

MY REVIEW

This is a book full of  hope, heartbreak and heroes.  And I adored every single page!  I didn’t really know what to expect when I started it, as I was just seduced by the beautiful cover! But once I started reading, I fell for the simplicity and compassion of the characters as their stories are played out amidst the back drop of the Second World War.

It really focuses well on the family dynamics – the differing of opinions and outlooks on life across the generations as War breaks out.  Young Eddie is desperate to be a pilot, his Dad is set against the idea and I’m sure these clashes were mirrored across many households at the time.

And in Eva, is a character who is desperate to paint and to find herself whilst her father  still wants to decide what is best for her. She is such a spirited young woman that I loved seeing her attitude towards grabbing opportunites when they arose, despite the difficult circumstances they all found themselves living in.

The pace of the story allows you to understand the characters more – their motivations, their despair and their dreams.  And the love story in extraordinary times was pitched perfectly – so touching and emotional but not gushy or too over the top!

An enthralling and engrossing read that I highly recommend!

★★★★★