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Yesterday brought my second library trip this month. It's always such a great feeling when you walk through the doors and not just one but TWO of the books at the top of your tbr list are sat on the 'just in' shelf waiting for you. Can't wait to get stuck in! Petite Mort - Beatrice Hitchman A silent film, destroyed in a fire in 1913 at the Pathé studio, before it was seen even by its director. A lowly seamstress, who makes the costumes she should be wearing, but believes her talent - and the secret she keeps too - will soon get her a dressing room of her own. A beautiful house in Paris, with a curving staircase, a lake, and locked rooms. A famous - and dashing - creator of spectacular cinematic illusions, husband to a beautiful, volatile actress, the most adored icon of the Parisian studios. All fit together, like scenes in a movie. And as you will see, this plot has a twist we beg you not to disclose... India Black and the Gentleman Thief - Carol K Carr India Black’s d...

Maia and her husband Jim, in a moment of spontaneity, bought an old farmhouse in Sorrento and moved their from their native Ireland for a change of pace once they hit their forties. A few years later and Maia is alone, mourning her husband and struggling to make ends meet. Along with her friend and house helper Camilla, Maia opens up her home as a Bed and Breakfast, and is surprised not only at the popularity of her home, but also by how much she enjoys being hostess. Each of her guests have their own stories to tell and problems to solve, and Maia finds herself loving every minute of it. Having spent a few days in Sorrento myself this summer I couldn't help but be excited when I heard about this book. It  is one of the most magical and beautiful places I have ever visited and I would return there in a heartbeat. It is therefore not hard for me to believe Maia's story of her and Jim falling in love with the place and deciding to move there. Maia is a very likeable character, an...

Today I'm excited to be part of the release day launch for Reluctantly Royal by Nichole Chase. This book sounds right up my street and I can't wait to read it! LOVE the cover too! Read on for a synopsis and excerpt, and don't forget to enter the giveaway. There's some brilliant prizes to be won: a signed set of the Royal trilogy, a gorgeous crown necklace and a $25 gift card!  I know I'll be entering! Synopsis Maxwell Jameson Trevor, prince of Lilaria, hates his royal role. Despising the limelight, he takes solace in his art studio and steers clear of any drama. But when one of the newly discovered royals passes away, Maxwell's brother Alex asks him to break the news to the old man's granddaughter. Though he hates to be the bearer of doom and gloom, he doesn't want the poor girl to find out from the tabloids. For Maxwell knows all too well how devastating that could be. Coming from a broken home and modest background, newly ordained Lady Meredith Thysmer...

Today I'm excited to be part of the book blitz for Catch my Breath, a contemporary romance by Lynn Montagano. This book sounds really good, and I have one copy to give away, so let me know if you're interested! Read on for an excerpt... Synopsis Lia Meyers’ plan for a relaxing Scottish vacation is short-lived when one uncharacteristic moment of clumsiness lands her in the arms of a dangerously attractive Englishman. The perfect opportunity for a much needed holiday romance? Wrong! Lia’s still reeling from the mother of all bad breakups, and she really doesn’t have the patience for Alastair Holden – despite his effortless charm and cute British accent. Arrogant and totally inscrutable, he’s exactly the sort of guy she wants to avoid but can’t: the man behind the mystery proves just too tempting to resist. Drawn to him, Lia is forced to battle with her own insecurities, and the closer they become, the more she recognizes her own weaknesses as she peels away his layers with every ...

Synopsis Marin Johns is San Francisco’s Pollyanna couples therapist. She’s months away from wedded bliss when she discovers her fiancé is having an affair. After nursing her broken heart with Kleenex and break-up songs, she adopts a new brand of thinking when she uncovers a tell-all book that proves all men are liars and cheaters who will do and say anything so they’re not found out. No exceptions. In an attempt to convince her friends of her newfound truth, she begins a fictitious relationship with James, a do-gooder from Montana. Marin seeks any means necessary to catch him cheating from hiring a PI to enlisting the help of a fidelity tester. Will her new "boyfriend" beat the statistic or will Marin regret the satisfaction of being right? Goodreads      Amazon      Barnes & Noble    Smashwords    iBooks Review The synopsis of this book reminded me a little of the plot of the film How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The whole girl fakes a...

Synopsis When Evie Nicholson is asked to visit Kettlesheer Castle in Scotland to archive the family heirlooms, she jumps at the chance. Evie's passion for antiques means that, for her, the castle is a treasure trove of mysteries just waiting to be uncovered. But in each heirloom lies a story, and in the course of her investigations Evie stumbles upon some long-buried family secrets. Add handsome, gloomy heir Robert McAndrew and a traditional candlelit gala to the mix, and Evie's heart is sent reeling with an enthusiasm that may just extend beyond the Kettlesheer silver... Review I think I've found my new favourite author. I absolutely loved this book, primarily because I could relate to Evie so much! From her romantic period fantasies and over-active imagination to her clumsiness I could almost have been reading a book about myself! Even Evie's relationship with her sister is identical to mine; my sister has regular clear outs whilst I'm a self confessed hoarder - I...

Synopsis Cali Parker is poor. She has a lot on her plate - her father is dying, she's working to help pay the rent, and she's two-years behind in college. Griffin Brooks is rich. He has not a care in the world - he's acing his engineering courses, his hobby is restoring his fifty-thousand dollar classic car, and he has a different girl on his arm every week. When Cali sees Griffin on her first day of class, she's immediately smitten and thinks she's found the perfect guy. When Griffin sees Cali at the bank, he immediately forgets the blonde he was with that morning. Then they meet, and their worlds collide. Cali doesn't belong in Griffin’s world, and he doesn't understand hers. But just when Griffin convinces Cali that their two different worlds can blend, a secret is revealed that tears them apart. Is their love strong enough to bring them back together, or will their worlds drift further apart? Review This novel follows the formula for YA fiction; it's...

Today I'm excited to be part of the Book Blitz for Channel 20 Something, a contemporary romance novel by Amy Patrick. This book sounds really good, and I  love the cover! I also have one eBook copy to giveaway , so if you're interested give me a shout! Synopsis From award-winning author and two-time GOLDEN HEART® finalist Amy Patrick comes a New Adult contemporary series about twenty-somethings entering the world of TV broadcasting, where what happens behind the scenes is the real news. 22-year-old Heidi Haynes is almost one year into her “real life”. She has her first reporting job, her first apartment, and a comfortable relationship with her college sweetheart. But for some reason she’s not as eager to talk about walking down the aisle as he is. Heidi secretly longs for big cities, big-market breaking news, and real independence from her way-too-close-by helicopter parents. Problem is, the last time she left the security of home for new places and new people, things didn’t go...

A couple of months ago, Ashely @ Ashley's Paranormal Book Blog   was kind enough to nominate me for the Liebster Blog Award. The award is designed to give smaller blogs some love and attention, and to be nominated for a second time is an honour! These are the rules: Post 11 random facts about yourself. Answer the 11 questions asked by whoever nominated you. Ask 11 new questions to 9 bloggers with less than 200 followers. You cannot re-nominate the blog that nominated you. Go to their blog and tell them that they have been nominated! 11 Facts About Me 1) I love playing and watching tennis. Roger Federer is my favourite player! 2) I'm sort of allergic to mushrooms. 3) I live on a farm. 4) I'm double jointed in my elbows. 5) My last holiday was to Rome and Sorrento. I desperately want to see the rest of Italy now. 6) I have a weird phobia of odd numbers. 7) I once met Richard Osman from Pointless and he told me I was cute. 8) I can remember lyrics to songs from ten years ago b...

It's been an exciting week this week: I have five new books waiting to be read! Yesterday brought my first library trip of the month... Sense and Sensibility - Joanna Trollope  This has been on my to-read list for some time, and the other day I read a brilliant review of it over on Girl with her Head in a Book 's blog. It felt like fate when I saw it on the library shelf yesterday! When sisters Elinor and Marianne lose their father and their beloved home, Norland Park, all in a matter of weeks, the shock affects them in very different ways. As young architect student Elinor holds the family together, Marianne resists with all her might the change they must endure. Thrust into a tiny cottage in Devon, the two sisters are soon united by one thing, dilemmas of the heart. But where Marianne proclaims her love, Elinor holds her tongue. And in a world that turns on an axis of money, sex and power, what will prevail: following one's head or one's heart? Last Voyage of the Vale...

Today I'm excited to be part of the book blitz for A Midsummer Night's Fling, a  contemporary romance by Beth Matthews. As a lover of all things Shakespeare I couldn't resist finding out more about this book, and now I can't wait to read it! If you want to read it too  leave me a comment: I have an e-copy to give away! Synopsis After dating her childhood sweetheart Max on and off for years, aspiring actress Nicola Charles is finally ready to move on. It’s time for her to focus on her stage career and stay away from Max–before he can break her heart again. Max regrets hurting Nicola, but he wants another chance. So when his play loses its leading lady, giving Nicola the part seems like the perfect opportunity to win back his old flame. But the course of true love—and a theater production—never do run smooth. As Max fights to reignite Nicola’s love, the onstage antics can’t rival the bedlam backstage: a neurotic cast, a prickly crew, and an evil diva of a director who’s g...

Today I'm excited to be part of the Book Blitz for Stealing Third, a contemporary romance  by Marta Brown. Read on for a plot synopsis, excerpt and book trailer, and if it sounds like your thing let me know: I have an e-copy to give away! Synopsis For Emily, going to camp, the summer before college starts, means leaving her feuding parents alone for the next eight weeks, and coming back to divorce papers is a risk she can’t take. But no matter how many meddling phone calls, questionable hair decisions, and possibly illegal hookups she plans, her parents still march her off to Camp Champ totally against her will. No matter. A few broken rules, and Em will be home free. That is, until she learns Tyler Ford, her baseball coach father’s star player and her drunken party hookup, is at camp, too. For Tyler, summer is the onramp to the biggest decision of his life: med school or major leagues. Mega hot, possibly underage Emily? A complication he does not need. But as the summer heats up w...