#Top5Tuesday – Top 5 Summer Reads

Time for more fun courtesy of this meme created by Shanah over at Bionic BookWorm and for this week the tag is TOP 5 SUMMER READS.  Now that could be so many things to so many people, but for me I’ve taken it as books I’ve read and enjoyed with the word SUMMER in the title!!

So without further ado, here’s my picks!

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Summer Secrets by Jane Green

Invincible Summer by Alice Adams

Summer of Love by Katie Fforde

Summer at Little Street Beach Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Summer at Shell Cottage by Lucy Diamond

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So what is your favourite Summer read?!

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Summer in San Remo by Evonne Wareham – cover reveal and review!

Happy Tuesday to you all! It is with great delight that I get to share yet another fabulous new release from the wonderful Choc Lit publishers – OUT TODAY!!!  And here is how it looks!!

THE BLURB

For fans of Sarah Morgan, Jennifer Crusie and Jenny Colgan. A fabulous read perfect for the summer!

Anything could happen when you spend summer in San Remo …
Running her busy concierge service usually keeps Cassie Travers fully occupied. But when a new client offers her the strangest commission she’s ever handled she suddenly finds herself on the cusp of an Italian adventure, with a man she thought she would never see again.
Jake McQuire has returned from the States to his family-run detective agency. When old flame Cassie appears in need of help with her mysterious client, who better than Jake to step in?
Events take the pair across Europe to a luxurious villa on the Italian Riviera. There, Cassie finds that the mystery she pursues pales into insignificance, when compared to another discovery made along the way …

Amazon UK  99p!!

Kobo  99p!!

Amazon US

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Evonne was born and brought up in Wales. After living in London for many years she has now returned to the Welsh coast where she studies history, writes and walks by the sea, when it’s not raining.

http://www.evonnewareham.com/

 

 

 

 

MY REVIEW

With the gorgeous cover promising a story set in spectacular scenery you are not disappointed when you step inside the world of Cassie Travers!  And what you get is the perfect romantic, summer read!!

Cassie lives in Bath and her life is busy, busy, busy! Her job as a concierge sees her facing requests for all kinds of help! But to find a husband by tomorrow?!  She’s not had that kind of plea before!!  And with things being tough financially, she needs to find a way to get this contract and complete the deal.  

She is keen to not mix business with pleasure after a very traumatic time with an ex who ended up ripping her off, so when an old school friend, Jake, ends up being her only option she has to take the plunge and forget how their lives took different paths and get reacquainted for work!  Jake has his own problems going on in his life, and he never really understood how he and Cassie never lived happily ever after as they were expected to way back when!  The more time they spend together for this assignment it soon becomes clear that they still  have feelings for each other and I found their relationship to be so warm and endearing – very flirty and fun too!

They then find themselves on the trail of solving 2 mysteries in San Remo – and who can blame them!! 

This was one of those stories that was just so easy to read and enjoy! The characters were so likeable and delightful and the settings added to the fabulous escapism that this book provided!

So if you are looking for the perfect beach/garden/sofa read for this summer, then look no further!!

Meet me at the Lighthouse by Mary Jayne Baker – Blog Tour – book review

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‘One of my top books of 2017… side-splittingly hilarious’ The Writing Garnet

’The day I turned 28, I bought a lighthouse and met the love of my life’

Bobbie Hannigan’s life in a cottage by the sea with her dog and her twin sister is perfectly fine … until she decides the logical thing is to buy a lighthouse and open a music venue with Ross Mason, the first boy she ever kissed.

Bobbie tries to be professional with Ross, but the happily-ever-after they’re working toward is too good to resist. That is until someone from his past crawls back to cause trouble. Can Bobbie look past the secrets Ross has been keeping from her? Or will the boy, the lighthouse and the dream all slip away?

Escape to the Yorkshire coast this summer with this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from Mary Jayne Baker!

Publishers – Harper Impulse

Publication Date – 30th June 2017

Amazon UK

MY REVIEW

Where to begin with this book?! Other than I am now considering buying my own Lighthouse in the hope that it comes with a Ross of its’ own!!  All the love for this book  that has kept me so entertained while reading it, and I even kept the neighbours entertained with my giggling as I sat in the sunshine chortling along with the exploits and thoughts of Bobbie, her twin sister Jess and the lovely Ross!

Everything seems to happen at once for Bobbi and none of it planned too – who else ends up buying a Lighthouse on their 28th birthday for £1 and meeting up with an old flame from school!  But this sets her on a path slightly different from her life as a teacher and it just feels right!  The chance to go into business with Ross to restore the once glorious Cragport Victorian Lighthouse, proves too good a chance to turn down – although in the cold light of day their doubts do start to sink in!! When are drunken decisions ever the right ones?!

But they both have an inner drive brought on my previous experiences and that helps them focus, along with the help of the community and it is a blast to see everyone come together to try and see their dreams through, although the road isn’t always a smooth one!

The characters in this book were all so charming and they were also hilarious!  The collective noun for a group of seagulls is now forever ingrained in my brain…..and it will be in yours too when you read it!!

It isn’t all fun and games as there are many times they are left to deal with jealousy and trust issues due to things that have happened in their pasts and this adds an intriguing element to the story.

I adored the setting, the various plot lines played along so nicely and at a great pace, and it was just a total delight of a read and I’m just hoping that there might be more to come from the Lighthouse in future!!

Thank you to Harper Impulse for the ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

The Forever House by Veronica Henry – my review

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The house of your dreams. But can this dream last forever?

Hunter’s Moon is the ultimate ‘forever’ house. Nestled by a river in the Peasebrook valley, it has been the Willoughbys’ home for over fifty years, and now estate agent Belinda Baxter is determined to find the perfect family to live there. But the sale of the house unlocks decades of family secrets – and brings Belinda face to face with her own troubled past.

A gorgeous escapist read for anyone needing a hug in a book – perfect for fans of Erica James, Lucy Diamond and Harriet Evans.

Amazon UK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Veronica Henry was a television script writer before turning her hand to fiction. She has published sixteen novels which she describes as realistic escapism – her setting are gorgeous, but her characters have problems and dilemmas everyone can identify with.

www.veronicahenry.co.uk

MY REVIEW

Veronica Henry does it again! She has this amazing ability to write the books I NEED to read and fall hopelessly in love with the characters and the setting! In this case, the wonderful home is Hunter’s Moon, the home of the Willoughby clan for more than 50 years, but things could be about to change as the current owners are facing their own personal heartbreak and need to find a solution and fast! Belinda is the estate agent brought in to handle the sale and she is a total romantic and will only take on properties that she loves! She’s had her heart broken in the past, both personally and house related, so understands their predicament and tries to do all she can to help the situation. Alongside Belinda’s story, we also go back to 1967 and follow Sally as she makes her way in the world and finds her way to Hunters Moon where she starts work as their housekeeper to help keep Margot Willoughby, the famous author, and her household in check. She soon falls in love with more than just the home and you get to see why it has such a hold on people who visit there. Belinda is a fascinating character due to the really tough times she has faced, and shows how she became so driven and work obsessed. When her past walks back in the door she is conflicted and has to relive some very tough memories. The Willoughby family soon become very dear to her heart and you are left hoping that they all get the happy ending that they all so richly deserve. Loved this book and it was the perfect read on a hot, sunny afternoon! I just didn’t want it to end!!