Christmas in Rose Bend – Naima Simone

Christmas in Rose Bend is the perfect festive mix of heartfelt warmth and hot romance. As with The Road to Rose Bend, we see two damaged characters thrown together as they try to navigate a new, unexpected upturn of their worlds. Whilst hero Wolf was an adorable secondary character in the first book, love interest Nessy is new and Wolf’s story only comes out in this instalment so the book reads easily as a standalone although book one is definitely worth reading. Naima Simone has immense bandwidth as a writer and can easily flip from sweet to sassy, back to sweet and then on to spicy all on the same page so she definitely keeps you on your toes.
The Christmassy setting provides the perfect cosy, winter’s backdrop to this adorable book.

Rating: 5/5⭐️

Genre: Romance (Christmas themed)

On A Night Like This – Lindsey Kelk

I absolutely adored this book. Kelk’s signature humour, mischief and shenanigans are all on point and there’s a whirlwind fairytale romance to boot. I loved the escapism aspect of this story – the yacht, the ball and the glimpse into ‘how the other half’ live. If you want to take yourself off for a few hours, giggle and and feel warm and fuzzy inside, this is the book for you.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Rating: 4/5⭐️

The Whistling – Rebecca Netley

The Whistling is an atmospheric ghost story that set in a creepy island location that makes it the perfect spooky read. Whilst the story is a slow burn, there is enough mystery to keep you engaged with the chilling happenings and twists and turns along the way.

The audiobook was really well narrated and I enjoyed both the reader’s accent and voice as well as her animation and pace which added to the sinister feel of the book.

Reading or listening to this on a windy night by a fire would be the perfect way to pass a few hours this Halloween.

Rating: 4/5⭐️

Genre: Ghost / mystery

Flawed – Cecilia Ahern

This was a YA with an interesting premise. In a world where thanks to social media, perfection is an ever popular goal, it’s feasible that anything less is indeed flawed. The book takes this notion one-step into the future and a stride further with leaders outcasting anyone who is flawed. The flawed are tried, convicted, branded and ostracised.

When perfect seventeen year old, Celestine makes a judgement call, it costs her everything and as she navigates through her new life, she uncovers lies and secrets about their ‘perfect’ society.

I really enjoyed this story and found whilst it was light on action, it echoed some elements of The Handmaid’s Tale or Vox. It was thoroughly engaging and I’ll definitely buy the sequel.

Genre: YA
Rating: 4/5⭐️

The Road to Rose Bend

Recently divorced Sydney returns home to Rose Bend after leaving eight years earlier after the death of her sister. Coming home isn’t easy after her parents turned their backs on her but now pregnant, she’s determined to make a new life for herself. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for widower Cole. Cole is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife and unborn baby but can’t help being drawn to Sydney.

Both characters are deeply drawn and have a huge amount of baggage. The levels of attraction run high but so do the stakes creating a huge amount of emotional conflict and some great tension. I loved the small town setting and Cole’s family dynamics, as well as the writing style. There’s a little bit of humour here and there, plenty of angst and some steamy scenes to boot. Overall, this book has a bit of everything and is a great read for summer.

I’d also like to say a huge thank you to Mills and Boon for having me on their blog tour 💖

Genre: Romance

Rating: 4/5⭐️

The Wild Girls – Phoebe Morgan

If you like a ‘locked-in’ thriller then this is the book for you. Set in a luxurious retreat in Botswana this group of friends think they’re in for a fantastic few days of reconnecting with one another and relaxing in the sun.

Someone has other ideas.

Soon after their arrival, strange notes appear and one friend is missing. It isn’t long before things turn sinister but with no way of getting help, they’re on their own.

From page one, I knew I’d like this book. It had mystery and kept me guessing. I loved the setting and the number of characters was spot on – it’s the sort of book you can’t wait to get back to.

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 5/5⭐️

You and Me on Vacation – Emily Henry

You and me on Vacation

I really enjoyed this sweet friends-to-lovers romance. The story spans Poppy and Alex’s 12 years of knowing one another and their relationship intensifies as the main characters figure out who they are and what they want from life. Alex is more of a homebody while Poppy is a jet-setter; determined and career driven. On paper they should never work but the slow-burn of their attraction is fuelled and impossible to ignore.

This book has all the ingredients of your favourite romance / romcom movies and books. It’s sure to be a summer hit!

5/5⭐️

Genre: contemporary romance / romantic comedy

If I Can’t Have You – Charlotte Levin

If I Can’t Have You is the achingly sad story of Constance and unrequited love. Her flaws are deep, leaving her exposed to being used by others. With nobody fighting her corner it’s easy to see how vulnerable she is and how she gets herself into some quite sticky predicaments.

I loved everything about the book – the melancholy, the funny lines, Constance’s quirky nature and the perfectly imperfect ending. Fans of Eleanor Oilphant will enjoy this.

Genre: General Fiction
Rating: 5/5⭐️

Reawakening – Rachael Stewart

Reawakening review

Well, this book has it all. The Mills and Boon Dare line is know for its quicker, steamier reads but by golly this packs a lot in; sizzling hot desire, heartfelt emotion and humour not to mention characters with some serious depth.

The opening scene is very steamy and the attraction between Olivia and Valentine leaps off the page, grabs you by the throat and pulls you in. As the story moves on, there’s much more than physical attraction. Both characters are wounded by their pasts and endeavour on their own paths of self-destruction until they find something in one another worth saving.

As many of you may know, the Dare line has been discontinued and this is Racheal Stewart’s last book for Dare but she certainly goes out with a bang.

Rating: 5 steamy stars out of 5⭐️

Genre: Romance (steamy)

Meet me in Hawaii – Georgia Toffolo

After reading and enjoying Meet Me in London, I was keen to read the next book in the series. I was surprised by how much the setting really brought the story to life, it was really different and I loved the fact the main character worked at a surf school. The whole concept was refreshing and well done to the point where I felt like I was there too.

The romance is very sweet too with believable attraction and plausible conflict. The characters are likeable and I particularly loved Malie’s imperfections and strong-but-cool persona and also Todd and his back story.

The story isn’t just sweet and charming, it’s packed with sexual tension too!

If you’re looking for something to whisk you away from the doom and gloom of the pandemic and want a legal way to dodge the travel ban or simply want some heated romance – this is the book for you!

Genre: Romance

Rating: 5/5⭐️