When I Fall in Love by Miranda Dickinson

Elsie Maynard is slowly moving forward with her life. It is a new start for Elsie, a new beginning, something she had never expected but now she had accepted it. Elsie puts together a choir with the help of former 80’s rock star Woody Jenson and this is when the adventure starts in her new life. She meets Torin Stewart in awkward circumstances and after that he seems to have a knack of turning up in Elsie’s life unexpectedly and it is happening more and more much to Elsie’s annoyance.  Not like Olly Hogarth who she finds the opposite to Torin, charming and easy to get along with. Olly makes his feelings clear to Elsie, but before Elsie can fully move on with her life, it will take a surprise trip to Paris for Elsie to overcome her past and let go.

Set in Brighton and in Paris, When I Fall in Love is a delightful, heart-warming romantic tale that will touch your heart. Although written in a warm and witty way, there is sadness to the story that intrigues the reader, slowly the story reveals the reasons behind this sadness and you really do feel and care about the character Elsie and all she as gone through. There are some very uplifting moments in the book too. I have to say this book is not what I expected it was even better than that. So why not have a read, you will not be disappointed.

Miranda Dickinson dreamed from an early age of writing a book that would make the heady heights of Kingswinford Library. Miranda secured a publishing deal after being discovered through authonomy.com, the website for unpublished talented writers. She is also a singer-songwriter. Miranda’s debut novel Fairytale of New York, has sold over 100K copies to date and was a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller for over 8 weeks. Miranda lives in the West Midlands.

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Angels in the Snow by Sarah Morgan

Stella used to love Christmas, until Daniel had ended their engagement two years ago, on Christmas Eve. Daniel had panicked that he would not make a good husband and father. Stella moved away, but now she is back and Daniel still loves her. Is it too late for a second chance at love?

Patrick is Daniel’s twin brother; he was left alone with his children, since his wife walked out on him that same Christmas two years ago. Is Patrick now ready to move forward with his life and look for a new relationship? Son Alfie takes the matter into his own hands, helping fate along the way.

Set around Christmas time, Angels in the Snow is a wonderful, wintertime romantic novel. This is like two good books in one; the first part is all about Stella and Daniel, with the second part all about Patrick. This for me made the book really interesting and entertaining.  Nice romantic scenes, to warm us readers up inside from the cold on the outside. Add this book to your Christmas reading pile. It is a book worth reading.

As a child Sarah Morgan dreamed of being a writer and although she took a few interesting detours on the way, she is now living that dream. She firmly believes that reading romance is one of the most satisfying and fat-free escapist pleasures available. Her stories are unashamedly optimistic and she is always pleased when she receives letters from readers saying that her books have helped them through hard times.

Sarah lives near London with her husband and two children, who innocently provide an endless supply of authentic dialogue. When she isn’t writing or nagging about homework, Sarah enjoys music, movies, and any activity that takes her outdoors.

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Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland

Holly West lives in the tiny village of Little Missington, she works with her parents in their small party planning business in the only all-round all-the time planners in the UK. Holly dreams of landing her dream job of working for the more prestigious party planners, the big league ones.

Holly thinks she has been given the opportunity to do this, when she is given the chance of organising a traditional British Christmas party for celebrity Dean Layton one of the UK’s biggest TV stars. The party is to be held in Manhattan. This is just what Holly as dreamed of. Could this be Holly’s chance to escape her country bumpkin existence and open the door for her to enter the world of the big league of party planning?

Once again we are heading to that most wonderful time of year, the build up to Christmas and what better way can you choose to spend this time, than snuggling up with a fantastic Christmas story and this is the ideal book for doing just that. You can always rely on Talli Roland books to bring good cheer and for lively entertainment perfect for this time of year. This is a delightful Christmas story filled with jolly good humour and a touching tale too. Mistletoe in Manhattan is an Unputdownable read that can easily be read in one sitting.

Talli Roland writes fun, romantic fiction. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine).

Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories complete with happy endings. Twice shortlisted for the UK’s Festival of Romance, Talli’s novels have also been chosen as Amazon Customer Favourites and top books of the year by industry review websites. She’s a bestselling author in Britain.

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A Merry Little Christmas by Julia Williams

Cat Tinsall is a mum of four. Cat was always close to her own mother and now her mother is suffering from dementia, Cat longs to form a close relationship with her eldest daughter Mel. But when Mel rebels and goes off the rails and she finds herself in trouble will this bring mother and daughter closer together? Or tear them further apart?

Pippa Holliday relies on husband Dan to help out with the family and to give her support. Their daughter Lucy has got special needs and needs constant care and attention. But when Lucy’s respite care is in danger of being cut and Dan is badly hurt in an accident, how will Pippa cope, struggling to do everything alone?

Marianne North is feeling like she has lost her way. She doesn’t know if she is supposed to be a mum, a teacher, or a farmer’s wife and she is finding juggling her three roles exhausting. Also feeling neglected by husband Gabriel. Will she be able to find the right balance in her life and find happiness?

And just who is the mysterious Michael Nicholas?

Set in a village of Hope Christmas the story follows the leading characters Cat, Pippa and Marianne through one year of the high and lows of family life. Each of the women has a dilemma to overcome and they help each other through their problems. This is a warm-hearted novel perfect for the run up to Christmas or it could be read anytime of the year because it is not all set at Christmas. I liked it how a lot of the characters have Christmas themed names too. A Merry Little Christmas is a touching tale all about family and friendship.

Julia Williams grew up in London, one of eight children, including a twin sister. After the birth of her second child, Julia went freelance and decided to try her hand at writing. The result, her debut novel Pastures New, was a bestseller and has sold across Europe. Her previous Christmas novel Last Christmas went straight into the Sunday Times top 20 and has sold over 70,000 copies to date.

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The Gaze by Javier A. Robayo

Samantha (Sam) Reddick is working as a waitress when a chance meeting with a stranger changes her life. Intrigued by words he has wrote on his placement mat, when he leaves Sam is overwhelmed by a sudden impulse to run after him, to return his written work. Sam finds she wants to learn more about this man’s story. The writing is so passionate and was a declaration of his love for a woman called Gwen. Who is this mysterious girl that has captured his heart that has compelled him to write his feelings on a placement mat?

Knowing that the stranger called Tony is in love with someone else Sam still spends a passionate night with him. Knowing the relationship is not going to go anywhere because his heart belongs to another, they part after that one night and they go their separate ways.  Sam is left with one question that will burn away at her over the following years, what would it take to be loved the way he loved Gwen?

Over the years Sam becomes obsessed about Tony and his story. Wanting to know why and what was so special about Gwen and to why Tony would choose Gwen over her. When she looks Tony up on the social networking site facebook, she also finds Gwen. When she becomes friends with Gwen through facebook and they become close will she get the answers she as been looking for? 

The Gaze is one of those brilliant books that draws you in from page one. The main character Sam is a lost soul who has hidden depths and the more you read on in the story the more the reader learns more about what is going on deep down with Sam emotionally, and the cause of this. This is a rather long story, but it does keep the reader entertained and in suspense throughout the story. There is no way that the reader can predict what will happen next or to what the outcome of the story will be. The Gaze managed to capture my gaze from beginning to end. An excellent written storyline, that comes to a very satisfying ending.

Javier A. Robayo immigrated to the United States in 1988. He began writing as a way of learning English. He studied at Slippery Rock University and lives in Western Pennsylvania, with his wife and two daughters, where he is currently at work on his next novel.

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Between Today and Yesterday by Joanna Lambert

Set several years after Joanna Lambert’s last book, we meet up once again with the characters from the Blue Eyes Trilogy. Matt Benedict is still married to Ella and he is now running a successful management company in London with Baz Young the bass guitarist from The Attitude. They look after up and coming artists as well as chart topping bands in the UK and Europe.

When international star, and diva Marcie Maguire, contacts Matt after they have not seen each other for twenty years. Matt drops everything, much to Ella’s annoyance to help Marcie out on her tour. Unknown to Matt, Marcie has much more in mind for Matt and she is prepared to plan, plot, scheme and manipulate to get what she wants from Matt even if it will cost him his marriage to Ella. But at what price will it cost Marcie?

I really was looking forward to reading this book by Joanna Lambert and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed meeting and reading about the characters from The Blue Eyes Trilogy. The characters are now older, but the book does still follow on from the trilogy. The book does have many characters, all are interesting and the storyline is compelling and packed with drama. The story is set in England and Spain creating a nice setting to accompany the story. Joanna Lambert books just get better and better this is a remarkable read.

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Almost a Scandal by Elizabeth Essex

The Reckless Brides Book One

It was a family tradition for the Kent family to serve in the Royal Navy. A tradition they did with pride. Sally Kent also like many of her family felt born to do this too. The only problems were that it is 1805 and she is a girl. So Sally can not fulfil her dream of a life at sea, until one day when her younger brother Richard refuses to sign up and report for duty, Sally sees this as her opportunity and disguised as her brother and wearing full naval uniform, Sally takes her brothers place aboard the Audacious. Sally soon proves that she is more than capable to do the job as any man and she soon fits in with all the men, becoming the best midshipman on board. It would seem that Sally is getting away with her disguise, until handsome Lieutenant David Colyear (Col) sees straight through her charade to the woman she truly is.

Will Col reveal her secret?

A historical romance packed with adventure and danger. Sally is a very strong leading lady that is ahead of her time. The plot does mainly concentrate more on the naval prospective of life, the day to day duties and general life aboard the ship. The battles and war too. I would have preferred to see more on the development of the romance between the two leading characters than about battles and naval life. This is just my own personal opinion and I am a Pisces so I just am a stickler for a true romantic tale and pure escapism without all the ins and outs of everyday life getting in the way. I think the way the book as been written is more a true to life book though so this will appeal to readers who like more true to life stories.

All in all not too bad a book especially if you enjoy nautical naval adventures with just a hint of romance.

When not rereading Jane Austen, mucking about in the garden, and simply messing about with boats, Elizabeth Essex can always be found with her laptop, making up stories about heroes and heroines who live far more exciting lives than she. It wasn’t always so. Elizabeth graduated from Hollins College with a BA in classics, and then earned her MA in Nautical Archaeology from Texas A&M University. While she loved the life of an underwater archaeologist, she has found her true calling writing lush, lyrical historical romance full of passion, daring and adventure.

Elizabeth lives in Texas with her husband, the indispensable Mr Essex, and her active and exuberant family.

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Texting Orwell by Ian Little

Daniel works as a delivery driver and Debbie works in the depot for the same company. When Debbie calls in work to say she is sick and not coming into work one day, Daniel decides he is going to send her a text. Daniel really likes Debbie but apart from helping fix a broken computer seven months ago and small talk at work, Daniel a quiet man had not had the courage to take things further with Debbie. So Daniel thinks that sending Debbie a text would help him to win him win her affections. Daniel finds that sending Debbie a text is far harder than he thought. He finds it really difficult to say what he means and to express how he feels.

Unknown to Daniel, Debbie is also shy and she also likes Daniel a lot. Can the couple overcome their shyness and reveal to each other their true feelings?

This is a true to life, simple story that not a lot happens in, like real life sometimes. The story does keep the reader entertained in that will they won’t they kind of a way.

The only thing that I did not like about this book is I personally thought that there was far too much toilet humour and too much detail about toilet issues, when I would have much rather have been concentrating on the characters and their relationship developing. (Than their bowel movements) Also snot is NOT for me either, just too much information for me. This is just my personal opinion and I am sure that many readers would find this funny, but to me it I was just over used once or twice would have been enough and in such a short Novella like this it can end up dominating and taking over the story, which is a shame because it was a nice idea for a story.

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Choose to Love (Blackhawk Brothers 2) by Lavada Dee

Baylee Gallagher is a strong independent woman, who has a good, successful career working as an attorney. Baylee would appear to have it all, but she feels something is missing from her life. Baylee wants a baby and disillusioned by working as a divorce attorney and due to her own unsettled family background, Baylee is prepared to do this alone by artificial insemination. While she is at the artificial insemination clinic she spots handsome doctor, Grant Blackhawk working at the hospital and she thinks that he would make the perfect sperm donor, having a baby with Dr Grant Blackhawk’s good looks and genes would give Baylee the family she had always hoped for. Baylee decides that rather than to seduce Grant and to try and get pregnant to him that way, she is going to be honest and upfront and ask him if he would donate his sperm and she is even prepared to sleep with Grant a stranger to get what she wants.

Grant is horrified when she tells him her proposal and from a woman he does not even know. It goes against all his basic values of a traditional family, marriage first then children.  Which he thinks would provide a good stable loving home. Grant could not possibly father a child and have nothing more to do with the child. But Baylee is determined; she wants to be a single parent rather than to take the risk of divorce and custody battles that she thinks would come from being in a committed relationship.

Will Grant back down and give Baylee what she wants?

Will Baylee and Grant come to an alternative compromise that will bring the couple closer?

Another superb Romance Novel from Lavada Dee. This is the second in the series of the Blackhawk novels. I just knew as soon as I added this book to my kindle that I would be in for a good read, after really enjoying the first book in the series and I was not disappointed. Baylee and Grant are both very likable characters. The storyline is excellently written, nice and neatly wrapped up to a satisfying ending. The book can easily be read in one sitting and there are some nice and gentle romantic scenes. I am really looking forward to reading book three in the series. This is a must read for a fans of the romance genre.

Lavada Dee writes contemporary and Romantic Suspense. She has always loved to read and gained an early love of the romance genre from sneaking her mother’s True Confessions from under her bed. That was many, many years ago, and she has advanced into reading just about every genre out there. Her love of reading naturally evolved into writing. Lavada says, “I’ve always told myself stories. Lying in bed, doing household chores and gardening leaves my mind free to dream up characters and build a life around them”

Lavada lives in the Pacific Northwest, where they encourage friends to drop in. While it’s impossible for all of us to physically drop in to chat, we can do it via cyberspace.

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The King’s Mistress by Gillian Bagwell

Royalists, who are fighting to restore the crown to King Charles II, come to Jane Lane’s family for help to keep the King hidden by disguising him and transporting him to safety and away from Cromwell’s Army. Jane comes from a privileged and noble family and has been living a very quiet life so far, she now finds herself on a dangerous adventure to protect the King and keep him out of harms way, while at the same time putting her life at risk. Then if this is not hard enough Jane finds herself attracted to the King, a King who has a reputation as a ladies man. Will the usually sensible Jane’s head be turned and will she have her heartbroken?

This story is based on the true story of Charles II and his escape from Cromwell’s Army. So Jane Lane did really exist. I really enjoyed this book. It made such a change reading a Historic Royal Novel that was not about Elizabeth I or Henry VIII. I found myself carrying this book around with me everywhere, hoping to be able to snatch a few moments to get back into this story. Jane Lane was a remarkable modern woman for the time and very brave, a really likable character that gives the reader a story with an edge, that gets you gripped with the story being so well told. I was so sad when I finished this book, but so happy to have discovered such a talented writer as Gillian Bagwell.

Gillian Bagwell grew up in Berkeley, California and began her professional life as an actress. She studied theatre at university and then attended a year-long British professional acting training program, the Drama Studio London at Berkeley. She moved from acting to directing and producing, founding The Pasadena Shakespeare Company in 1994, and producing thirty-seven productions over nine seasons. Her first novel The Darling Strumpet was based on the life of Nell Gwynn.

To buy this book from Amazon (UK) click here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1847562590

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