Wildflower Park, Part Four: Rooting For You by Bella Osborne

Wildflower Park, Part Four: Rooting For You

Bella Osborne

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

Escape to Wildflower Park with Part Four of a brand new four-part serial from bestselling author Bella Osborne.

Life's not always a walk in the park...

When Anna is dumped by her fiance, she moves in to her own place on the edge of the gorgeous Wildflower Park and pledges to stay off men and focus on her career, but a handsome new colleague seems to thwart her attempts at every turn. And when she receives an accidental text from a mystery man, could it be the new start she needs? Or someone she really shouldn't be falling for?

Anna's neighbour Sophie is a stressed-out mum-of-two with a third on the way. Her husband is a constant frustration, and their children are a regular source of newly-invented swear words and unidentifiable sticky surfaces.

Luckily, Anna and Sophie have each other - and Wildflower Park proves to be a sanctuary as they map out a path to find the happiness they both deserve...

Fantastically funny, this irresistibly heart-warming novel will charm fans of Milly Johnson and Jill Mansell.

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This is the final novella in the series and boy was it a good'un! It was jam-packed full of drama and excitement and I read it in only a few hours as I couldn't put it down. The cover, once again, is absolutely beautiful and it's lovely to see the park in all it's glory with blossomed flowers and the row of colourful houses along the back. I adore the pond with the little ducklings swimming in it. It just gives the story a really nice feel to it and for me at least, it completely sucked me in.

I felt that the story, unlike the others in the series, took a bit of a darker and more serious turn compared to the first three. However, it was this that kept me hanging on to every word and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Even though the story beforehand was building up to this last part of the novel, I still couldn't have told you what was going to happen. I was shocked when the truth came to light and couldn't believe what was happening! It was great to read.

I felt we learnt a bit more about Anna in this particular novella as well. She finally learned to tell Hudson why she doesn't drink and why she's afraid of heights and flying and subsequently, I feel it brought the two of them together and made them realise how they truly felt for each other. It was nice to get some alone time with just them, and to read about their relationship growing. It was obvious they both liked one another, but with both of them battling their own demons, it took them longer to finally admit to their feelings.

I also enjoyed that we had some time away from Wildflower Park and went to New York with Anna and Hudson, it was refreshing and brought a new feeling to the novel. However, we do also still get to read about Sophie back at home with her new baby, and I really enjoyed this too. It was so lovely reading about Sophie and Dave and their family and I was so pleased with the ending.

Overall, I would throughly recommend you give this series a read. It's entertaining, light hearted as well as easy and enjoyable to read, you won't regret it! Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.

The House at Greenacres by Darcie Boleyn

The House at Greenacres

Darcie Boleyn

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

All roads lead home...

When Holly Dryden fled Penhallow Sands nearly a year ago she was determined to put the past - and Rich Turner - behind her. But now an unexpected loss and financial trouble has led her back to the family vineyard and it's time to tell Rich the truth - he's a father.

Surrounded by the memories of what they once shared Holly's anger fades in the glow of Rich's undeniable love for their son and the way he selflessly steps in to help the vineyard out of trouble. As Holly watches Rich flourish in his new role as a father to baby Luke, she realises that though they can't change the past, the future is still theirs to write...

An uplifting, emotional Cornwall-set romance perfect for fans of Holly Martin and Phillipa Ashley.

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What an emotional and heartwarming novel by the lovely Darcie Boleyn. As soon as I saw this cover I knew that I had to read it. I love the bright pink blossoms across the top of the cover and my favourite tulips along the bottom! As well as this, we have a cute little house right next to the sea and it just looks so pretty and draws you in.

The story follows main character Holly, after fleeing home due to heartache, she decides now is the time to come home due to recently losing her beloved Grandpa. After seeing Rich at the wake, she decides now is the best time to tell him he is the father to their son, Luke who is just over 3 months old. At first he isn't sure how to act, (I can imagine it's quite a shock being told you're a father without having any inkling!) and he tells Holly he needs time to think.

I would completely recommend you giving this novel a read, it's so heartwarming and beautifully written that you'll struggle to put it down - even for 5 minutes! It's a lovely story about love, loss and friendship. I am so excited to learn that this is the first in a new series! And I cannot wait to read more about this lovely Cornwall location. The setting sounded so idyllic and I can't wait to read about other characters in the story.

I felt like all of the characters felt like family. I really related to all of them and I think this is what made the story go by so quick! They all seemed so lovely and there was a wonderful sense of community between them all. It sounded like an ideal place to live and had me longing to visit Cornwall! I also loved the fact that Holly's family had their own vineyard! It was so interesting to read about. Give this romantic and sweet story a read, you won't regret it! Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

A Vintage Summer by Cathy Bramley

A Vintage Summer

Cathy Bramley

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

A sparkling summer story that's FULL of surprises!

London has not been kind to Lottie Allbright. Realising it's time to cut and run, she packs up and moves back home - but finds her family in disarray. In need of a new place to stay, Lottie takes up the offer of a live-in job managing a local vineyard. There's a lot to learn - she didn't even know grapes could grow so far north!

Butterworth Wines in the rolling Derbyshire hills has always been run on love and passion but a tragic death has left everyone at a loss. Widowed Betsy is trying to keep the place afloat but is harbouring a debilitating secret. Meanwhile her handsome but interfering grandson, Jensen, is trying to convince her to sell up and move into a home.

Lottie's determined to save Butterworth Wines, but with all this and an unpredictable English summer to deal with, it'll be a challenge.

And that's before she discovers something that will turn her summer - and her world - upside down. .

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It feels so, so good reading a novel by Cathy Bramley again! I don't think there's been a book of hers that I'm yet to dislike. Every novel draws you in from the very first page and then lets you go right at the end, where you're feeling all warm and fuzzy at a lovely, happy ending! I've had this on my TBR pile for quite a while, but with book reviews and blog tours I've found it hard to find a time to read it - much to my annoyance and lack of patience!

The cover is simply stunning, much like Cathy's other covers, the colours draw you in and make you want to pick them up - time and time again. I love the bright blue sky, the many rows of vines, the grapes surrounding the cover and of course the bottle of wine right at the front! It doesn't give too much away, especially as there are no characters dominating the front but it does give you a clear indication as to what to expect.

Once I started reading it, I knew I was going to love it. It just had a great vibe to it, a fantastic, dramatic in some places, storyline and some lovely (and some not-so-lovely) characters. The novel starts in London with Lottie realising that she doesn't want to stick to a permanent job anytime soon, and when her relationship with Harvey crumbles, Lottie makes a quick escape and heads back home to her family - where she finds her sister in tears and her dad leaving on a once-in-a-lifetime trip! However, when Harvey arrives at Lottie's sisters house and starts being quite aggressive, Lottie and Evie (her sister) decide that Lottie needs to move away for a bit, and gets a job at a not too far away vineyard. 

At first, everything is going so well, but then Lottie has an accident whilst on site and ends up in hospital, where she learns some shocking news. This of course turns Lottie's world upside down and she's unsure as to what to do next. At first I wasn't sure how to take Jensen, the blurb indicated that he was interfering, so I wasn't sure if he was going to be one of those men that was trying to get their hands on their grandmothers money! However, as the story went on, I needn't have worried as he turned out to be quite the lovely gentleman. And I found myself really warming to all the Butterworth clan.

Overall, I really really enjoyed this novel. It was summery, feel-good and unputdownable. It's Cathy Bramley at her finest and I loved every page. I would recommend you give this a read, as it's the perfect pool-side read! Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.

The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson

The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew

Milly Johnson

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

The brand new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Perfectly Imperfect Woman - a gorgeous read full of love, life and laughter.

Behind every successful man is a woman.
Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

Sophie Mayhew looks like she has the perfect life. Wife of rising political start John F. Mayhew, a man who is one step away from the top job in the government, her glamour matches his looks, power, breeding and money. But John has made some stupid mistakes along the way, some of which are threatening to emerge. Still, all this can still be swept under the carpet as long as Sophie 'the trophy' plays her part in front of the cameras.

But the words that come out of Sophie's mouth one morning on the doorstep of their country house are not the words the spin doctors put in there. Bursting out of the restrictive mould she has been in since birth, Sophie flees to a place that was special to her as a child, a small village on the coast where she intends to be alone.

But once there, she finds she becomes part of a community that warms her soul and makes her feel as if she is breathing properly for the first time. Sophie knows she won't be left in peace for long. Now she must decide: where does her real future lie?

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I already knew I was going to rate this 5 stars before I had even finished it. I feel like my reviews of Milly's novels always sound the same but I honestly feel like Milly has a gift. Her novels are always so interesting and you automatically get drawn in from the very first page. I particularly like that this novel was only centred around one main character, I felt like we got to know Sophie so much better due to this. This story was heartwarming, expertly written and unputdownable.

The story follows main character Sophie, whom has always been used for her looks and called 'Sophie the Trophy' due to her husband using her to get higher up in his politician job. However, Sophie hates her life. She hates being pushed to the side by her family, she hates being ignored and quite simply hates how her husband has become. What is quite evident throughout the first half of the book, is that Sophie is clearly very lonely. She longs for a friend that she can trust and someone to talk to instead of being talked at.

I totally could not believe the scandal that happened in this novel with John (Sophie's husband) and a redhead called Rebecca. It was quite honestly unputdownable. It was a fantastic read and I'll admit I was desperately trying to find more hours in my day so I could read more! I loved the location of where Sophie fled to, it sounded idyllic and the people all sounded so welcoming and caring! I also enjoyed reading more about Sophie and seeing her coming more out of her shell and acting true to herself.

I truly hated Sophie's family. How they acted when she had lost someone so special to her was disgusting and I couldn't believe when they had sided with John when the scandal emerged. The only semi-nice character was Edward - John's brother and I found myself warming to Elise a bit as well - despite her being a total bitch. However, in the end, this novel was just fantastic. I found myself really loving every page, I felt so involved with Sophie's life! It just all seemed so magical and lovely.

This novel was amazing. I could easily re-read it straight away I enjoyed it so much. Milly Johnson has done it again! I can't wait to read more by this author.

The Summer of Chasing Dreams by Holly Martin

The Summer of Chasing Dreams

Holly Martin

Rating: 4 stars

Amazon UK

The stunning new story from bestselling author of The Cottage on Sunshine Beach. Discover an unforgettable romance this summer.

Eva Blue is about to go on a trip of a lifetime, but one adventure she didn't count on was falling in love...

Eva is quite content with her life in London. In her job as a cover designer, she works at home, and often in her cosy pyjamas. She's happy to stay in her safe little world and not explore much outside of it.

She is the opposite of her mum, a free spirit who craved finding adventure and thrills in all corners of the world. But on the day her mum's will is finalised, Eva finds a list of all the dreams her mum wanted to achieve in her life. Things she never did because she fell pregnant with Eva.

Gorgeous but rude Thor Anderson is not the person she would choose to accompany her on this adventure, but somehow she gets stuck with him. As they discover the world together Eva starts to think he might not be as bad as she first thought. She is swept away by Thor's kindness and mischievous sense of humour. While Eva wrestles with moving out of her comfort zone, Thor is running from a past heartache. Sparks fly between them, but will a simple holiday romance be enough or can they put aside their pasts to embrace their futures?

A joyously romantic, feel-good summer read that will make you laugh, cry and fall in love. If you enjoy reading Sarah Morgan, Miranda Dickinson and Lucy Diamond,  this book is for you.

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I love Holly Martin's novels. I think that much is a given. This one was no different for me. I absolutely adored it. First up, the cover is so unique and summery it definitely catches your eye! I love the bright blue sky and sea, the yellow sand and all of the famous landmarks along the centre of the cover. It really gives you a good indication as to what this novel is going to be about, and I think it's really exciting! The title of the cover is also really exciting and with all the exotic flowers it makes for a really beautiful cover. One of my favourites of Holly Martin's.

Onto the actual storyline, it was just delightful. Every page had me either laughing, feeling emotional or wowed by the romantic gestures. I absolutely love that it was a book about travelling, and although I haven't personally been to most of the places Holly wrote about, it felt as though I was right there discovering the places with the main characters and that is such a great feel to get when reading a book. I love a book that makes you feel part of the storyline and makes you lost in the novel, and this was definitely one of those and I loved every minute because of it.

I read this in a day this is how much I enjoyed it! I'm normally quite a slow reader but with this book I just had to devourer every chapter to find out what happened. The novel started off quite sad for me, as I'm quite emotional anyway, but reading about the loss of a loved one is always sad and this just really effected me. Eva finds her mum's chest of dreams, which was full of stuff and written when Eva's mum was only 18 years old, just before she fell pregnant with Eva. When Juliette passes away, Eva uses the money that was left to her to travel the world and hires a travelling companion to go with her. However, when Thor arrives instead of the person she booked originally, Eva is not feeling confident.

Along these first meetings, I feel that we got to know both main characters really well and realise that Eva is not the only one suffering from heartache. It was really lovely reading about their relationship blossoming in the different countries and sights. This really did have me dreaming of summer and wishing for warmer weather!

Overall, a heartwarming and deliciously romantic novel. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel via Netgalley which I have reviewed honestly.

Escape to the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke

Escape to the Little French Cafe

Karen Clarke

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

On the beautiful French coast lies the Cafe Belle Vie, a peaceful haven offering a warm welcome and delicious pains au chocolat - and where Natalie's quiet life is about to be turned upside down...

When thirty-one-year-old Natalie Bright's boyfriend dumps her and immediately gets engaged to his ex-girlfriend, she escapes her heartbreak and moves to the charming village of Chamillon on the Ile de Re.

She's determined to build a new life there: writing about farmer's markets for a local magazine, exploring the local vineyards on her bike, and taking advantage of the sunshine. And in the Cafe Belle Vie she finds a bustling community - including new best friend Charlie - and a near-constant supply of cakes.

All in all, things are looking pretty good.

So when a blast from the past - her teenage crush Jay Merino - turns up in Chamillon, Natalie's thrown. She's sworn off men ever since she moved to France, but she and Jay have a connection that stretches back years.

But could taking a chance on an old flame complete her new life - or ruin everything she's worked so hard for?

A gorgeous rom com full of sunshine, croissants and sparkling romance! Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson, Zara Stoneley and Debbie Macomber.

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I have always loved Karen Clarke's novels. They're heartwarming, easy to read and overall just a really enjoyable, happy read. This one was no different to her other novels. I have really enjoyed Karen's other series' such as The Seashell Cove series and also The Beachside Bay series and was really looking forward to reading this one. I believe this is her first novel which is set abroad (which I'm aware of anyway) but I was excited to see where she would take it and how it would be. I'm not sure if this would be a series but if it is, I'd love to read more!

The cover is equally as eye-catching and as beautiful as her others. I love the bold red and blue colours, they really stand out and draw you in. The little checked table cloth and the little Westie in his striped top are also really cute! And I really enjoy the sea in the background, really making you feel in holiday-mode.

Natalie is our main character and she has moved to France to live with her dad after suffering a bad heartbreak and needing some space to get her head and heart back together. Whilst living there, she has secured a job as a journalist for an ex-pat magazine, which she publishes an article for. However, Natalie doesn't feel fulfilled with her job and longs to work at Magnifique, an extremely popular magazine but feels like she never has the opportunity to show her writing to the famous Editor. When famous but extremely shy and reserved actor Jay Merino comes to the island to film his latest blockbuster, Natalie jumps at the chance to try and get an interview with him. She does slightly, only a little bit, not really, know him from quite a few years ago and he did promise her an interview after all!

When Jay Merino agrees Natalie is over the moon, and the pair soon grow close as they get to know one another, but when sensitive details from the interview come to light before it is even released, Jay and Natalie's relationship seems over for good. Natalie is obviously devastated as she realises she liked him a whole lot more than she originally thought. She has no idea how she's going to make this right but she makes it her mission to make it up to Jay and to prove it wasn't her that released the interview. As the story goes on, there are quite a few shocks but ones that will leave you on the edge of your seat, longing to find out more!

At the start of this novel, I was a little bit apprehensive as to how this novel was going to go. I really thought that Natalie would fall for best friend Charlie's charms but throughout the book it's a bit hazy as to how it will end., when Jay entered the story it came a bit clearer though! However it was a great novel and the ending was beautiful and heartwarming! I absolutely adored this novel and was so sad when it finished. The French setting sounded idyllic and soon had me wanting to visit the island, and the characters all seemed really warm and lovely! Overall, would 110% recommend this novel for anyone who wants a bit of lighthearted reading. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.