BlogTour CLARA’S CHRISTMAS MAGIC by ROSIE GREEN #BookReview @rararesources @Rosie_Green88

Delighted to be joining you today for my stop on the Blog Tour for the wonderful CLARA’S CHRISTMAS MAGIC 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!!

Clara’s Christmas Magic

The festive season is fast approaching but with the challenges facing Clara, it looks like being anything but the most wonderful time of the year. Can she somehow find the strength to meet those challenges head-on and find her way to the perfect, happy-ever-after Christmas?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3CdsZKG

Author Bio – 

Rosie’s series of novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. ‘Clara’s Christmas Magic’ is Book 3 in a trilogy about Clara. It would make for the best reading experience if you caught up with the others first: Book 1, ‘Clara’s Secret Garden’ and Book 2 in the trio, ‘A Winter Wish’.

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

MY REVIEW

This is the 3rd in the Clara trilogy and just a wonderful wrap up to a fabulous story for such a likeable character!!  It can even be read as a standalone, but it’s even better to watch things develop from the start of this trilogy!!

As part of the Little Duck Pond series, I always love to reconnect with these characters, and with this trilogy Clara has become a firm favourite of mine.  You’re always cheering her on and wanting that happy ending, as she’s always doing so much for everyone else.

This story sees her taking a trip to New York, with the always lovely Rory!, to try and  track down a long lost relative.  She’s very hesistant to get involved with so much going on back home, but knows this will be the perfect tonic for her much loved Gran, so no stone is left unturned in their quest to find her.

Wonderful settings, lots of drama going on in the UK and the US and all the situations faced are ones that you can just imagine yourself having to deal with, I loved this installment.   Allowing Clara to tell her story over these 3 books has been a wonderful way to connect more with her and I loved every minute of it!!  

★★★★★

Advertisement

BlogTour A WINTER WISH by ROSIE GREEN #BookReview @rararesources @Rosie_Green88

Hello and welcome to my Blog!  And today I’m excited to be part of the Blog Tour for the fabulous A Winter Wish 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!

A Winter Wish, Little Duck Pond Café

With her new-found happiness unexpectedly crushed, Clara is struggling to move forward. It’s hard – especially with step-sister Lois bouncing around the place with joy and making all sorts of plans for the future. And when the household is shocked by a mysterious break-in and a neighbour makes a shocking accusation, Clara finds herself in an impossible position. It’s a situation that threatens to destroy her blossoming romance almost before it’s begun . . .

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3JYkLI5

Author Bio – 

Rosie’s series of novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. ‘Clara’s Secret Garden’, the first in a trilogy telling Clara’s story, was published in August, and ‘A Winter Wish’ is Book 2. Look out for ‘Clara’s Christmas Magic’, the third and final book in the trilogy, out in November 2022.

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

MY REVIEW

Number 24 in the Little Duck Pond series!! Time really does fly when you’re having fun reading a series and this just keeps delivering for me as a reader! Relatable, and likeable!, characters, a great setting and always a little twist that ramps things up and this one delivers on all front! It’s darker and more dramatic than some previous offerings, and I loved that side of the Little Duck Pond series!

We follow Clara again in the second of her ‘trilogy’ and this time she’s holding the family together as seems to be her role. It’s so important to her and she’s there for her half brother, while her mother is still finding life a struggle.  And her step sister is giddy with love and that’s driving Clara a little insane, especially as she’s hiding her own feelings – just like her to put others first over herself.

There are then some very dramatic events going on – no spoilers from me! – and it brings to the fore some darker secrets from the past and you wonder just how Clara and her family will deal .  I just cannot wait to see how this wonderful trilogy will end with the next book coming out very soon!

Another wonderful addition to the series and it always just makes me want more!!

★★★★★

BlogTour CLARA’S SECRET GARDEN by ROSIE GREEN #BookReview @rararesources @Rosie_Green88

Hello all and welcome to my spot on the wonderful Blog Tour for the fabulous CLARA’S SECRET GARDEN 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!

Clara’s Secret Garden, Little Duck Pond Café

When Clara Bowes transforms a wilderness of a garden, she isn’t expecting to reconnect with someone special from her past at the same time. Having Rory Angel in her life again is a dream come true. But life is never straight forward – especially in matters of the heart – and soon, a devastating revelation looks set to bring Clara’s hopes for the future crashing down around her. Will she find the strength to reach for her dreams?

Purchase Link – 

https://amzn.to/3cZHJSR

🦆🦆🦆

Author Bio – 

Rosie’s series of novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. Look out for ‘A Winter Wish’, published in October, the second book in a heart-warming trilogy centred around peacemaker Clara, who’s having to cope with the demands of her slightly dysfunctional family while searching for her own happy-ever-after . . .

The third book in the trilogy is ‘Clara’s Christmas Magic’, out in November 2022.

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

🦆🦆🦆

MY REVIEW

Here we are again!!  Number 23 in the Little Duck Pond series and feeling as fresh and captivating as the first in the series!!!  It’s always so comforting to be reunited with the Duck Pond crew and discover new favourite characters and Clara may now be mine!  And knowing this is the first in a little Clara trilogy makes me very happy!!

Clara is one of those dependable and quiet characters. Always putting others first but never grumbling about it despite having dreams and desires of her own.   She takes on the task of re-taming the garden that her Gran has ‘let go’ despite knowing very little about gardening and thankfully gets help from the very lovely Rory, an old schoolfriend of hers.    

Where Clara finds her happy is in baking, so there’s always that link to cakes somewhere around in these books!!  And there’s many trials and tribulations for her to face throughout this book that will get you on her side and got me wondering just how I’d cope in her position  as sometimes the weight of the world is put on her shoulder as she tries to please everyone.

I loved how we got to know Clara so well during this book – looking back on her past really allowed you to see what she has gone through, and why she is so keen to please and be kind as an adult.  I really can’t wait to see what the author has in store for Clara as she starts to follow her dreams!! I want them to come true!!!

This is a super addition to the Little Duck Pond series, and can easily be read as a standalone if you’ve not read any of the previous books in the series!  Roll on Book 24!!

★★★★★

#BlogTour JINGLE BELLS IN JUNE by ROSIE GREEN #BookReview @rararesources @Rosie_Green88

Delighted to be with you today as part of the Blog Tour for the fabulous JINGLE BELLS IN JUNE 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!

ABOUT THE BOOK

 Jingle Bells in June, Little Duck Pond Café

Mackenzie Morris, newest recruit at the Little Duck Pond Café, is the perfect addition to the team. But beneath her smiles, Kenzie is hiding a dark secret. It’s the reason she fled to Sunnybrook, desperate for a fresh start that would help to lay the ghosts that haunt her.

The challenge of turning her hobby into a business is a welcome distraction, and to her relief, she finds that her range of quirky pottery mugs and vases appear to be in demand. Alone and scared when she arrived, she’s slowly making friends and starting to feel as if she belongs. Meeting a lovely guy called Aidan seems to confirm this and it looks as if love might be on the horizon.

But then Kenzie makes a devastating discovery that threatens to crush her new-found happiness. Aidan is the one person she yearns to confide in. He’s also the one person who can never know the truth . . .

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3jDyibP

Author Bio – 

Rosie’s series of novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. Look out for ‘Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake’, a sunshine-filled drama full of fun and mystery, out in June 2022 and including the return of character favourites, Ruby and Hudson.

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

MY REVIEW

I may have mentioned before how much I love this series, and the latest installment is another wow of a read that just gives you all the feels and creates yet more characters that you just fall in love with!

In this book we are introduced to Mackenzie who is starting off her own pottery business and it’s a blast to follow her journey – the good parts and bad too!  There are a few hiccups along the way but she’s the kind of character who has a very determined personality and you can’t help but cheer her on her way and want all the nice things to happen to her!  Especially after you read what she has been through in her life!

Making pottery is her happy space and you really get that sense throughout.  The story shows that life can take you down some very dramatic paths and there are some people you just can’t help and I liked how it showed the more serious sides to life, alongside the positive aspects of coming through such a negative time.

The characters and settings once more are a joy, and it’s nice to reunite with the Duck Pond cafe crew once more – I can’t believe we’re already at Book 21 in the series!  There’s happiness, sadness, laughs and drama and I just couldn’t put it down once I started it!! Roll on book 22!!

★★★★★

#BlogTour THE WEDDING CAKE WISH by ROSIE GREEN #BookReview @rararesources

Delighted to be with you today as part of the Blog Tour for the wonderful THE WEDDING CAKE WISH 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!

The Wedding Cake Wish, Little Duck Pond Cafe

Wedding excitement is in the air! With their big day approaching, Fen has her heart set on a gorgeous, intimate celebration with not much fuss at all. But strong-minded mother-of-the-bride Marjery seems to have considerably grander plans. There’s also the small problem of a missing best man, and when Fen tasks Hudson Holmes and Ruby Watkiss with the job of tracking him down, their investigations unearth far more secrets than they bargained for.

 Will the Big Day go ahead in the light of such dramatic revelations? Can a wedding cake wish save the day? One thing’s for sure – this will definitely be a wedding to remember!

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3BBqWNI

Author Bio 

Rosie’s series of novellas is centred around life in a village cafe. The latest, ‘A Summer of Surprises’, is out now.

Look out for ‘Snow Falls over Sunnybrook’, a heart-warming Christmas delight, out in November 2021. As snow drifts down over the village, will romance finally blossom for one very special pair?

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

MY REVIEW

The series that just keeps giving!! I cannot believe this is the 17th novella in The Little Duck Pond Cafe , and it still feels as fresh as Book 1!!  

The build up to the wedding continues and, as you can imagine, it doesn’t run smoothly! When does it ever?!  So there’s another case for Ruby and Hudson to solve and I love these characters together.  They just work so well together and nothing seems to stop them on getting to the bottom of things!

And poor Fen should be looking forward to her wedding, but as introvert she is finding it all a little too overwhelming and spiralling out of control, mostly thanks to her mother who has somewhat taken over the planning and she doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of a quiet, intimate ceremony!

Full of wonderful characters and intriguing situations, it’s one of those stories that just grabs you from the get go and I’m already counting down the days until the next installment!!

★★★★★

#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!!

★★★★★

#BookReview A BRAMBLEBERRY MANOR CHRISTMAS by ROSIE GREEN

ABOUT THE BOOK

After the heart-breaking events of the previous festive season, Jenny Wilkes is dreading Christmas. The one bright spot is that her brand new business, ‘Dining In’, seems to be thriving. She’s won a contract to cater for a week-long Christmas house party at Brambleberry Manor, culminating in the sparkling Cinderella Ball, and she’s determined to do a first rate job. Meeting Noah, one of the guests, gives Jenny a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. But with a stroppy step-daughter determined to stand in the way of her happiness, will love really be able to conquer all?

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon UK

MY REVIEW

The perfect Christmas treat for me as a fan of the Little Duck Pond series! It was so wonderful to catch up with old friends, and make new friends in the characters introduced!

This story revolves around Jenny who is dreading this Christmas – her first without her other half who passed away the year before. She is bringing up his daughter and there are a few teenage issues with her that Jenny also has to deal with causing her more stress. She wants to be there for her step daughter but Tavie isn’t proving the easiest to deal with.

For Jenny her cookery is her escape, and her friend Fen asks her to cater a week long Christmas party at Brambleberry Manor for her mum and a few guests. So with Flo as her assistant she has a busy week ahead, not to mention the surprise extra guests and a couple of cooking disasters! Not to mention seeing a face from the past that brings back some very unhappy memories.

There’s lots of laughs in this book, alongside a more serious side of coping with grief and dealing with secrets that shock you and the implications they have on others. Rosie has created another set of characters that you instantly care about and enjoy watching them work their way through whatever life throws their way. A wonderful winter treat!! Cannot wait to see what book #15 has in store for us!!

★★★★★

#BlogBlitz A KISS IN THE SNOW by ROSIE GREEN #BookReview @rararesources

Delighted to be joining you today as part of the Blog Blitz for A KISS IN THE SNOW. My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for putting the blitz all together and letting me be part of it!

A Kiss in the Snow, Little Duck Pond Café

After a cruel twist of fate sends her hurtling into a black hole of despair, Carrie is absolutely dreading the festive season – especially with sister, Krystle, being even more demanding of her time and energy than usual. But then friend Maddy offers Carrie a lifeline: the chance to get away from it all in a holiday cottage in the gorgeous little village of Silverbells. Deciding that a few weeks of tranquillity – reading, baking and going for long walks in the countryside – might just restore her mood, Carrie is quick to take up the offer. But on arriving, it very soon becomes clear that this break is going to be anything but peaceful!

An unwelcome houseguest proves unsettling enough – especially one who whistles loudly first thing in the morning and is far too cheerful for his own good – but finding herself drawn into the spooky mystery of her missing neighbour means there really isn’t much time for personal reflection. And then love comes knocking, and Carrie is forced to decide exactly where her heart lies.Will this festive season be the disaster Carrie predicted? Or will Santa be good to her and deliver her heart’s desire? One thing’s for sure – this will be a Christmas Carrie will never, ever forget…

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/32VMJjD

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. The latest, ‘Lucy’s Great Escape’, is out now.
Rosie will be revisiting the Little Duck Pond Café with a beautiful story of love and friendship at Christmas time, entitled A Kiss in the Snow, out in October 2020.
Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988

MY REVIEW

Number 13 in the Little Duck Pond Cafe and that means very lucky for us!! I adore this series so am always eager to dive right back into the fun, and this is another wonderful installment of this series and I just didn’t want it to end again!

This time the action takes place in the little village of Silverbells, where Carrie finds herself to get away from life and her sister!  Carrie has been close to Adam for some time now and always imagined them being more than just friends, but when he confesses he fancies her sister it’s the final straw for her! She needs a break so goes to stay at  a friend’s holiday cottage where the fun and games begins!

She soon finds herself taken with the village goings on – there’s always lots of drama going on and a good set of characters to engage with, especially her unexpected housemate and the mystery of the missing neighbour! She doesn’t quite get the quiet time she planned but I think she’s much happier being fully involved with people!

I loved the mix of storylines within this book! And Carrie is such a likeable character that you genuinely enjoy watching her trying to deal with her issues, and admire her for  not being tempted to wallow and hide away!

If you’ve not read any of this series yet, then this is very easy to read as a standalone – just enjoy catching up with the rest of the series once you’ve finished because you will want to play catch up!!

Now to hope that there’ll be another Little Duck Pond Cafe installment very soon!!! Pretty please!!

★★★★★

#BlogTour LOG FIRES AND TOFFEE APPLE CAKE AT THE LITTLE DUCK POND CAFE by ROSIE GREEN #BookReview @rararesources

A delight as always to be on the blog tour for the latest in the Little Duck Pond Series! 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!!

Log Fires & Toffee Apple Cake at the Little Duck Pond Café

Get set for a wonderful celebration of autumn with all your favourite characters at the Little Duck Pond Cafe!

An autumn fair is coming to Sunnybrook, much to the delight of the villagers. But for Madison, whose personal life seems to be spinning out of control, a roller-coaster is the last thing she needs – especially when it’s her emotions at stake.

Can she convince the delectable Jack that their relationship is worth another shot? Or has their romance ground to a permanent halt like a faulty big wheel? Will she solve the mystery of the missing name on her birth certificate? Or will her discoveries take her on a journey even bumpier than the dodgem cars? One thing’s for sure. Madison is going to need more than a fairground fortune teller to find the answers to her questions, if she’s going to ‘waltz-er’ into the happiest of sunsets…

Purchase Link –  https://amzn.to/38v98Fz

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. The latest, ‘Lucy’s Great Escape’, is out now.

Rosie will be revisiting the Little Duck Pond Café with a beautiful story of love and friendship at Christmas time, entitled A Kiss in the Snow, out in October 2020.

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988

MY REVIEW

This is the 12th novella in the series… and I never want it to end!!! I have adored every part of this series, and this is one is no exception! It’s like catching up with old friends and this time there’s an awful lot going on to remind us that reconnecting with the past doesn’t always go as smoothly as we hope!

The story centres mainly around Madison and the dilemma she finds herself facing.  She’s at a crossroads in her life wanting to move forward, but there’s unresolved issues from the past that are causing her to rebel a little!  She’s always felt a little out of place in the family with her decision to follow a career in baking and not law, but she soon discovers some news that rock everything she ever knew and doesn’t know how to cope with it.

There’s also excitement amongst the ladies as Jaz is soon to give birth so everyone is on high alert and tensions often run high with all that is going on! Sometimes friendly advice isn’t as well accepted when hormones are in the mix!!

As always, I just really enjoyed spending time in the company of these women. In Madison, we meet a character who has shown real growth over the past couple of books and has mellowed out a bit – but she still has a tendency to rush things and act before she speaks or thinks and we get to see the consequences of that play out in this storyline.  Just another wonderful addition to the series and I’m already counting down the days until the next installment!!!

★★★★★

#BlogTour A Cornish Summer Holiday at the Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green #bookreview @rararesources

A huge pleasure to be here today as part of the Blog Tour for the wonderful A CORNISH SUMMER HOLIDAY AT THE LITTLE DUCK POND CAFE by ROSIE GREEN.  My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for letting me be part of it all!!

A Cornish Summer Holiday at the Little Duck Pond Café

The Little Duck Pond Cafe girls are looking forward to a well-earned break in the Cornish seaside town of Pengully Sands, where Sylvia’s sister, Aggie, owns a holiday home. With the glorious golden sands, sparkling azure sea and an ice-cream parlour only yards away, it seems like the perfect location to relax and watch the surfers riding the waves (and maybe even have a go themselves). But when they arrive, the girls find it’s not quite the seaside idyll they were expecting. The house is less ‘holiday home’ and more ‘creepy, dilapidated haunted house.’ 

Gracie, who runs the ice-cream parlour, has problems of her own and the last thing she needs is a bunch of high-spirited girls arriving to disturb the peace and isolation she craves. And when a handsome stranger looks set to destroy her livelihood, it seems like the last straw. Will Gracie get her happy ending – and maybe even make friends with the girls next-door? This wasn’t the relaxing break the Little Duck Pond Cafe girls were expecting, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be the holiday of a lifetime!

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/2slp10U

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. The latest, ‘Lemon Drizzle Mondays at the Little Duck Pond Cafe’, is out now.

Rosie is currently writing a full-length book, ‘Lucy’s Great Cornish Escape’, which – in a fun twist – will feature favourite characters from the Little Duck Pond Café series.

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988

MY REVIEW

And so we meet again!! The Little Duck Pond Girls are back in my life once more, albeit playing a slightly lesser role in this book, as they venture away from the Duck Pond Cafe and introduce us to Pengully Sands in Cornwall and some new characters and it’s blooming wonderful to be back amongst old friends – I can’t actually believe this is the 10th ‘visit’ to the Little Duck Pond Cafe series. It still feels as fresh as book 1, and has progressed so much in the topics and genres it covers….. 

This is a story told from 2 points of view – from the viewpoint of The Little Duck Pond Cafe girls as they embark on a girls holiday to Cornwall, and a new voice on the block, that of Gracie who has returned to Pengully Sands to run Beachside Ices. It’s a place that she has very fond memories of but the customers are dwindling and she finds herself living life a little aimlessly and wondering what is next for her – other than baking (and eating!) more cakes which is where she finds comfort.

I love the mix of characters that the author puts together – each has their own story to tell and are given time to express themselves and support one another.  In Gracie, we have a character who we can see is having trouble moving on and finding it difficult to find herself and focus on the future, and with the help of her new, albeit temporary, next door neighbours she begins to see a chink of light and trying to find a way forward for her and  way to let go of the past. And to stop hiding away and embrace the company and help of others who want to do what they can for her.

Add to the mix some ghostly goings on, mysteries from the past revealed by an old diary, a renovation project and some soul searching and you’ve got a pretty  perfect package of a story within the pages of this book! Love Love Love!!  I can’t wait for the next installment!!

★★★★★