The False Men - Mhairead MacLeod (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 11/08/2018

Author: Mhairead MacLeod

Publisher: Thunder Point Publishing

Year: 2017

Rating: 4/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Love Books Group)

About the book:

North Uist, Outer Hebrides, 1848

Jess MacKay has led a privileged life as the daughter of a local landowner, sheltered from the harsher aspects of life. Courted by the eligible Patrick Cooper, the Laird's new commissioner, Jess's future is mapped out, until Lachlan Macdonald arrives on North Uist, amid rumours of forced evictions on islands just to the south.

As the uncompromising brutality of the Clearances reaches the islands, and Jess sees her friends ripped from their homes, she must decide where her heart, and her loyalties, truly lie.

Set against the evocative backdrop of the Hebrides and inspired by the true story of Jessie Balranald, The False Men is a compelling tale of love in a turbulent past that resonates with the upheavals of the modern world. 

My Review:

       I approached this book with trepidation since it is based on a real story. Being not a firm believer of happily ever after in real life, I was dreading a tragic end and was much relieved by the turn of the story. Fortunately, this is not another 'Braveheart' where I will have to cry my heart out.

      Set in the backdrop of Highland Clearances, MacLeod produces a fine specimen of historical fiction centred around a brave heroine who is endowed with a wisdom far beyond her age and time period. While the nobility and the clergy fail to empathise with the farmers, Jess takes a firm stand which according to my pragmatic brain was a foolish decision. But I was glad to see Jess following her heart to give the Highlanders a romantic tale to pass through generations.

       My only trouble was with the abrupt ending. The story had all the potential of being a historical saga otherwise. I could only hope that there will be a sequel wherein Jess reminiscence her struggles in the new found land. Leaving this aside, this was a wonderful tale, told with all the charm of a Scottish fairytale and will capture your attention from the outset.

Meet the Author:

Mhairead MacLeod was born in Inverness, Scotland and spent her early childhood on the Isle of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.

She now lives in Brisbane, Australia where she worked as an ethics lawyer, investigator and university lecturer. She holds Masters degrees in both Law and in Creative Writing.

An earlier draft of The False Men was short-listed for a HarperCollins Varuna Award for Manuscript Development and also won a Hachette Manuscript Development Award. 

The Mistress of Pennington's - Rachel Brimble (Spotlight)

About the book:

1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath's leading department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series Mr Selfridge and The Paradise.

Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath's premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work. Her father, Edward Pennington believes his daughter lacks the business acumen to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him.

Determined to break from her father's iron-clad hold and prove she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely alliance with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter. United they forge forward to bring Pennington's into a new decade, embracing woman's equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and pleasure.

Can this dream team thwart Edward Pennington's plans for the store? Or will Edward prove himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately ruin both Elizabeth and Joseph?

Meet the author:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Since 2007, she has had several novels published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical.

In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a brand new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The first book, The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

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Martinis & Memories - A. L. Michael (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 22/08/2018

Author: A. L. Michael

Publisher: Canelo

Year: 2018

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 3.5/5

About the book:

Bel Hailstone has spent the past decade building her dream - Soho’s best burlesque club - from the ground up. But now The Martini Club is under threat and it will take everything in Bel’s power to resist encroaching developers and save her pride and joy.

Amidst the chaos, Bel’s past comes knocking with the unexpected arrivals of her still-not-quite-ex-husband, her estranged mother and Brodie Porter - the boy who got away all those years ago.

To keep her beloved club afloat – not to mention her sanity - Bel will have to accept help for the first time in a long time, put the past to rest and claim the happy ever after she once thought was lost for good.

My Review:

      'Martinis & Memories' is the third book in the Martini Club series which can be read as a standalone. I was not familiar with the first two but that was not a pleasure spoiler. Sure, some of the characters from the previous books appear towards the end and by the looks of it, they seemed to have some interesting stories. Well, that is two more books I need to add to my TBR pile :)
       The story revolves around Bel Hailstone, the owner of Martini Club who has reworked herself into a glittering personality. My first impression of her was nothing great. In fact, I had the very same opinion of the newspaper reviewer who slandered her and the club. She appeared shallow and artificial. But too soon, my feelings took a reverse gear once we are introduced into the not that pretty life of Bel. An insatiable and unfeeling mother, a broken heart and a good for nothing husband from whom she eventually ran away -- I was completely in awe of her gumption. 
   I loved her more because she took a step forward to forgive and to mend the ties with her mother. There were a bit too many coincidences in the story that was hard to accept, like all the unsolved problems of the past come knocking together. It is nothing short of a miracle. Nothing to be surprised though, if Paulo Coelho is to be believed because "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it".       

Meet the author:

A. L. Michael is a writer, currently living in Watford. She has a BA in English Literature with creative writing, and an MA in Creative Entrepreneurship, both from UEA. She also has an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes, where she researched the use of therapeutic writing with those in recovery from eating disorders.

She writes books about women who are trying to figure out their place in the world, and who aren't afraid to make mistakes.


When she's not writing novels, she's working as a content writer, practising yoga, looking at puppy videos or drinking too much red wine.

Have a look at the other stops on the blog tour:

Now That You Mention It - Kristan Higgins

Date of Reading: 29/7/2018

Author: Kristan Higgins

Publisher: Harlequin

Place: Ontario

Year: 2017

Rating: 4.5/5

About the book:

One step forward. Two steps back. The Tufts scholarship that put Nora Stuart on the path to becoming a Boston medical specialist was a step forward. Being hit by a car and then overhearing her boyfriend hit on another doctor when she thought she was dying? Two major steps back.

Injured in more ways than one, Nora feels her carefully built life cracking at the edges. There's only one place to land: home. But the tiny Maine community she left fifteen years ago doesn't necessarily want her. At every turn, someone holds the prodigal daughter of Scupper Island responsible for small-town drama and big-time disappointments.

With a tough islander mother who's always been distant and a wild-child sister in jail, unable to raise her daughter--a withdrawn teen as eager to ditch the island as Nora once was--Nora has her work cut out for her if she's going to take what might be her last chance to mend the family.

But as some relationships crumble around her, others unexpectedly strengthen. Balancing loss and opportunity, a dark event from her past with hope for the future, Nora will discover that tackling old pain makes room for promise...and the chance to begin again.

My Review:

      This was my book club read and I am so glad we selected it. My first Kristan Higgins book couldn't have been any better. With a fast-paced narrative, mixed with a splendid amount of humour, the novel will win over any reader's heart just like the pet dog featured inside. And the regular Harry Potter comments . . . I was a goner with the first reference itself. I may have to revisit my Potter books again; reading this has made me nostalgic for my Hogwarts days (I am a muggle, still . . .)

         Don't get me wrong here. This is no laugh out loud romantic comedy, but a tale on the complexities of familial relationships and societal bonds. As a woman, I am proud of what you have achieved Dr. Nora Stuart, irrespective of the hard school days you have endured. If I were a few years younger, I would have joined with Audrey in commenting, "I want to be you when I grow up".

        All in all an inspiring read that gave me the boost I so needed these days. I have been so immersed in the emotional turmoil towards the end that my cheeks were practically drenched. Who knew that I had this catharsis thing going on!!!

Summary:

      Dr. Nora Stuart is a gastroenterologist in Boston City Hospital, New England's biggest and busiest hospital. Her life may not be the most glamorous one - since she is not part of the ER department where lies all the excitement - but she has an almost content life with a handsome boyfriend. That is until she is hit by a van and almost died. While on emergency care, she heard her boyfriend Bobby flirting with Jabrielle, a girl who had a crush on him and that was the end of their relationship. 
       They were already drifting apart as Nora was constantly haunted by another near-death experience happened a few months ago. She was nearly raped and killed at her own home and the guy was never captured. She took self-defence classes, bought a dog - Boomer - and also a gun for protection. Still, the insecurity remained. And Bobby was getting tired of the greyness surrounding their life.

Source:http://time.com/4552201/doctor-physician-voting-election-day/

      The near-death experience made Nora realise certain things. She decides to go back to her home at Scupper Island to mend the broken bonds with her family. Her mother was a highly competent and a woman of few words. The children were therefore close to their father. He instilled life-threatening adventurous spirit in his two daughters, Nora and Lily. In spite of their one year difference, both girls were really close though both of them favoured quite different looks. Lily, the youngest, was the beauty.
       Their childhood bliss was vaporised when their father left home suddenly. Lily drifted apart from her sister and her mother as a consequence. She became a part of the beautiful girls' group while Nora started overeating and made herself chubby. But she was a studious student and won the prestigious Perez scholarship beating everyone's favourite, Luke Fletcher. A despaired Luke met with an accident while driving in a drunken fit. His twin brother, Sullivan, who was also there with him, suffered a brain injury and went into a coma.
      Isolated and bearing the blame of this incident, Nora left for college and there after to medical school. She never returned home again. While years were kind to her, Lily's life was taking a downhill. Becoming a single mother at a young age, Lily's dealings in drugs culminated in a prison sentence. Now her daughter Poe lives with her grandmother.
       Back in the island Nora takes a job in the local clinic and manages to get close with Poe after several failed attempts. She tries to find out about her father from his friends but to no avail. Luke had destroyed his life due to drug addiction and he still resents her. But, Sully, who has been losing his hearing due to the brain injury welcomes her warmly. He is a divorced father now with his daughter Aubrey staying with him. Aubrey and Poe become thick friends. Nora finds out the presence of a tumour in Aubrey which was the cause of her abnormal physical growth. The surgery saves her from the humiliation of teenage years.
       Sully and Nora start dating and she also learns that her mother is in a lesbian relationship. She finally gets to know that her father suffered from bipolar disorder, but he refused to take medicines. This caused the rift in the family that ended in his leaving. Her mother took all the blame so that her daughters can keep the fond memories of their father. He had died a few years back in a car accident.

Kristan Higgins

      Lily is also afflicted with the same disorder. A quarrel in the prison results in her stabbing a jail mate and a few more years are added to her imprisonment. Nora understood that Lily's act was deliberate so that her daughter can have a comfortable life with her aunt. Nora accepted Poe's custody and decided to stay on the island as she is in love with Sullivan. 
      In between, Luke makes an attempt on Nora, but this time her self-defence classes and her protective dog come to the rescue. Luke is sent away from the island and his mother finally accepts Nora as her potential daughter-in-law.

A Recipe for Disaster - Belinda Missen (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 03/07/2018

Author: Belinda Missen

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: Aug. 7, 2018

Source: NetGalley 

Rating: 4.5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources)

About the book:

Life’s not always a piece of cake… 

Meet Lucy, master wedding cake baker, idealistic school canteen crusader, and someone whose broken heart just won’t seem to mend…

Lucy is quietly confident that she has made the right choices in life. Surrounded by friends and family in a small town by the sea, Lucy can easily suppress the feeling that something is missing from her life.

But when a blast from the past arrives in the form of her estranged husband, international celebrity chef Oliver Murray, Lucy’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble beneath her like overbaked meringue.

Is Oliver’s return all business or is it motivated by something more?

A Recipe for Disaster starts long after most love stories would have ended, proving it is never too late to offer someone a second slice of cake or a second chance.

Perfect for fans of Carole Mathews, Mhairi McFarlane and Carrie Hope Fletcher. 

My Review:

        I don't have a sweet tooth, but I am definitely up for cakes and no way I was going to pass a book on a master cake baker. The story revolves around Lucy and Oliver and it begins long after the end of their happily ever after. Choosing his career over marriage, Oliver has reached to the stars while his wife is left in the hometown picking up the pieces. Now Oliver is back to reclaim his not yet divorced ex-wife, Lucy.

        The plot, as you can see, showcases so much potential and Belinda doesn't disappoint you a bit. Lucy and Oliver have a bumpy ride ahead of them and until the very end, we are made to guess what might happen. What I liked most about both these characters is that they are not perfect and they remain imperfect to the last page of the book. I am happy that the author chose to portray them so; perfection is something that exists only in an ideal world. It is the flaws in our characters that make our lives special and different. 

     Consequently, Oliver is an egotistical, business-minded but talented chef and Lucy is a stubborn woman with excellent baking skills. Will they make it? I think it entirely depends on them. Here in the book, we can give them a happy ending, but they are so alive one could clearly believe them to be real. That makes this work stands out from the typical fairy tale romances and for this sole reason, I loved it to the core.

       More than a month has passed since I finished this one. But even now, while writing this review my mind is crowded with beautiful scenes from the story making me smile. Thank you Rachel and NetGalley for this review copy, this was a delicious read :)

Meet the author:

Belinda Missen is an award-winning and best-selling author, screenwriter, and freelance writer from Geelong, Australia. 

A reader from an early age, Belinda began writing her own stories shortly after her love affair with Steven Spielberg’s film Jurassic Park began. What began as fan-fiction soon took deeper root, and she was scribbling out strange little stories in empty notebooks she found laying around the house. 

With qualifications in transport and office administration and a combined career of fifteen years in these industries, Belinda decided to uproot everything in 2013 and return to her first love of writing. She now writes full-time, between cups of coffee, binge watching television, and feeding her cats and husband. 

In April 2016, she was awarded the JOLT Courthouse Youth Arts Award in the Inspire 26+ Category for her piece Obsession. 

In February 2017, her book Love And Other Midnight Theories clawed its way to the top of the Amazon charts in its category of Performing Arts, beating JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. True story – she has the screenshots to prove it. 

When not dabbling in the written word, Belinda can be found mentoring other writers, beta-reading, reviewing, helping others to ready books for publication, and sleeping. 

Before you go, have a look at other stops on the tour . . .

 

Come Away With Me - Maddie Please

Date of Reading: 12/08/2018

Author: Maddie Please

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: August 13, 2018

Source: NetGalley 

Rating: 4.5/5

About the book:

When Alexa Fisher finds herself trapped on a twelve-day cruise to celebrate her younger sister’s hen-do – just the two of them – she wishes she’d jumped overboard.

Despite the age difference, India has always been the judgemental sibling, and there’s been even more friction than usual since ‘the big engagement’. With India constantly obsessing over wedding plans, Alexa has never felt more single, or more of a failure.

If only she could find a man who was funny, handsome and faithful. But when she meets the enigmatic (and *gorgeous*) Gabriel Frost on the cruise, he is as cold as his name suggests… Isn’t he?

Set sail for an adventure on the high seas, it’s time for Alexa to discover that sometimes romance can surprise you! 

My Review:

       To be honest, I just picked this book only because I didn't find anything of interest in NetGalley at that time. Oh, there is nothing wrong with the theme. It is just . . . being not a daughter of Poseidon I am quite unnerved by the so-called magnificence of the sea or should I say its destructive power? I tend to avoid anything related to the sea, movies included. So if I say I completely loved this book, you can fairly imagine the rest.
       As the cover blurb informs you, this is the story of two sisters, Alexa (for Alexandria) and India. Their wanderlust parents named them after the two places they loved most. Alexa is the responsible eldest with no boyfriend, while India is endowed with good looks and is about to get married. Yesss, it is '27 Dresses' all over again, but in a cruise ship. The novel traces the twelve days of their travel where their old bond and comradeship return.
      The readers are taken along with their beautiful journey and while closing the book, I felt I just finished a very rewarding and comforting cruise adventure.  Why can't they write travel books in this mode? There is, of course, a love story but that only makes a mere twenty percentage of the book. And the amazing thing is, I really didn't mind it at all. I was so immersed in Alexa and India that not even once I fast forwarded to check when Gabriel Frost will make his next appearance.
        Thank you, Avon and NetGalley for giving me this review copy. It has captivated me so much that I won't mind going on a ship anymore. 

Meet the author:

Maddie Please was born in Dorset, brought up in Worcestershire and went to university in Cardiff. Following a career as a dentist, Maddie now writes full-time and lives in Devon with her exceptionally handsome and supportive husband.

The Summer of Second Chances was Maddie’s debut novel, and it was the result of Chris Manby’s brilliant plotting workshop in beautiful Cornwall.
Maddie’s second book The Year of New Adventures was published by Avon Maze in February 2018.

The Little Cornish Kitchen - Jane Linfoot (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 03/06/2018

Author: Jane Linfoot

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publishing Date: May 2018 

Rating: 3.8/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources)

About the book (Goodreads): 

With an exciting new life in Paris, Clemmie Hamilton isn't looking forward to heading home to the picturesque but sleepy village of St Aidan, Cornwall. However, when she discovers that the cosy apartment by the sea, which her grandmother left to her, is under threat from neighbour and property developer, Charlie Hobson, Clemmie realises she can't abandon her home in its time of need.

With her childhood friends encouraging her, Clemmie decides to turn the apartment into 'The Little Cornish Kitchen' – a boutique pop up pudding club raising money for the repairs to the building in an effort to stop Charlie once and for all. But when Charlie and his easy charm won't seem to go away, everything soon becomes even messier than the state of Clemmie's Cornish kitchen…  

My Review:

       I was expecting a laid back funny romance, but what I got was so much more. Deeply buried among the stories of friendship, cooking and matchmaking is Clemmie's search for identity so profound and moving. With each page, the narrator softly peels the hard walls she has put up to reveal the softness inside. Well, a dead woman's undying love can surely work miracles.

        The book will arouse a lot of nostalgic memories, mostly to do with food of course. Being a non-native reader, I had the disadvantage of not knowing many of the delicacies discussed. That being said, it won't stop your mouth from watering constantly, especially when you are constantly reminded of a granny like mine who has exceptional cooking skills. 

        Clemmie and Charlie might be the major characters, but my favourite bits are the moments with Diesel, the pet dog. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he harbingers Charlie ;) Then there are the other three mermaids -- Sophie, Nelly and Plum. It is hard to see a friendship this strong nowadays.

This is the first time I am reading a book by this author and I am definitely going to hunt for more. Considering the reviews she get, I don't think she needs me to recommend her. So happy reading everyone!

Meet the author:

Jane Linfoot is a best selling author, who lives in a muddy cottage, up a steep hill in Derbyshire, with her family, their pets, and an astonishing number of spiders. Although she loves seeing cow noses over the garden wall, she’s happy she can walk to a supermarket. 

Jane grew up in North Yorkshire where she spent a lot of her childhood avoiding horizontal gales blowing off the sea, and wrote her first book by accident while working as an architect, and renovating country houses. While she loves to write feelgood books that let readers escape, she’s always surprised to hear her stories make people laugh, admits to (occasionally) crying as she writes, and credits her characters for creating their own storylines. 
Jane’s garden would be less brambly if she wasn’t on Facebook and Twitter so often. On days when she wants to be really scared, she rides a tandem.
Her latest books include a series of stand-alone novels, based around a seaside wedding shop in Cornwall. Cupcakes and Confetti – The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea, Sequins and Snowflakes – Christmas at the Little Wedding Shop, and Bunting and Bouquets – Summer at the Little Wedding Shop, and most recently, The Little Cornish Kitchen. These are all published by Harper Impulse,  an imprint of Harper Collins.

Follow Jane on Twitter @janelinfoot, or find her on her Author Page Facebook or her Personal Page Facebook. She’s also on Instagram and has lots of Pinterest boards relating to her novels.

Have a look at the other spots on the blog tour . . .

Oh Crumbs - Kathryn Freeman (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 25/05/2018

Author: Kathryn Freeman

Publisher: Choc Lit

Year: 2018

Source: NetGalley

My Rating: 4.5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources)

About the book:

Abby Spencer knows she can come across as an airhead – she talks too much and is a bit of a klutz – but there’s more to her than that. Though she sacrificed her career to help raise her sisters, a job interview at biscuit company Crumbs could finally be her chance to shine. That’s until she hurries in late wearing a shirt covered in rusk crumbs, courtesy of her baby nephew, and trips over her handbag.

Managing director Douglas Faulkner isn’t sure what to make of Abby Spencer with her Bambi eyes, tousled hair and ability to say more in the half-hour interview than he manages in a day. All he knows is she’s a breath of fresh air and could bring a new lease of life to the stale corporate world of Crumbs. To his life too, if he’d let her.

But Doug’s harbouring a secret. He’s not the man she thinks he is.

My Review:

      I know what you are thinking. This is so cliche!!! The glorified typist falling for the boss man . . . happens all the time. But this is a cliche we would like to dream of 😉. So here I am with my first Choc Lit book while the rain is raging outside.

        The story begins with a funeral and we are slowly introduced to the Spencer family which now consists of a widowed father and five kids. Don't get me wrong here. I am not against having kids, but if you don't have the means to take care of all of them, then that is a big no-no. Safe to say, I disliked Mr. Spencer from the start even though he is presented in a good light throughout the novel.

          But Abby is altogether a different story. She is cute, witty, hardworking and caring. I was curious how she will manage to accommodate Dough with her hectic work life and family pressure. Keeping work and family together is one of the greatest challenges today's women face and I am so glad that she made the right choice. This story thus contains one of the best climaxes that I am going to cherish forever.

        I don't know if men like Dough exist anymore other than in imagination. A handsome introvert who is not at all possessive, he is an awesome match for Abby. 

        By the way, if you are wondering about the title, it is just an expression often used by Abby when she wants to swear. So altogether a fantastic read and thank you, Rachel, for giving me a copy for the blog tour. Loved it every minute of my reading.

Meet the author:

I was born in Wallingford, England and have spent most of my life living in a village outside Windsor. A former pharmacist, former pharmaceutical industry employee I’m now a self-employed medical writer who also loves to write romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero… 

I’ve two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to bother buying a card again this year (yes, he does) so the romance in my life is all in my head. Then again, my husband’s unstinting support of my career change goes to prove that love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes can come in many disguises

Please have a look at the other stops on the tour ...

A Vicarage Wedding - Kate Hewitt (Blog Tour & Giveaway)

Date of Reading: 21/07/2018

Author: Kate Hewitt

Publisher: The Tule Publishing Group

Publication Date: 2018

(This review is part of the blog tour hosted by Neverland Blog Tours)

About the book:

Rachel Holley has always dreamed of a wedding—the white dress, the fairy tale, and of course, the happily-ever-after. But when her fiancé breaks it off the night before, claiming she doesn’t love him, Rachel’s fairy tale ends in ashes. 

Homeless, hopeless, and feeling like her life has been completely derailed, Rachel must start over in all sorts of ways—and hold her head up high in the fishbowl of her tiny village. The last person she expects to become a friend is Sam West, the taciturn owner of The Bell, Thornthwaite’s rougher pub, and a little rough around the edges of himself. 

But as Rachel gets to know Sam, and sees him caring for his orphaned nephew, she finds herself drawn to this enigmatic man. Nothing about Sam is what Rachel expected in a life partner, and yet she can’t deny their increasing closeness. But can love flourish on the rebound? And will there be a vicarage wedding after all?

My Review: 

       A cosy read that will make you wish for more. Luckily, this is the third in the series and so I am going to dig up the other two. The story starts the day before Rachel's wedding when her fiance unexpectedly calls the whole thing off. I really admire the guts and perceptiveness of the guy in this regard and even for a while was tempted to know more about Dan's (he is the fiance) future. He seems to know Rachel more than she knows herself. But that is a plot for another book altogether.

         Rachel succeeds in capturing our hearts soon enough with her caring nature and patience. She is the best teacher any child could wish for. We could never tire of reading about her life in the village school. On the other hand, there is Sam West, our handsome rugged hero, who reminds us a lot of Darcy if you minus the aristocratic background. He might act tough all he wants, but deep inside he is a big softie.

        As the title suggests, it is not only the story of Rachel but also that of the vicarage and the village it is situated. Like any other village around the globe, Thornthwaite has its particular set of rigid and uptight behavioural traits, but we can't help but fall in love with the thriving community there.

Meet the author:

Kate is the USA Today-bestselling author of many books of women's fiction and romance. Her latest releases are A Mother's Goodbye and A Vicarage Wedding. Under the name Katharine Swartz, she is the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell.

She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, and historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.

Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever.

Website: http://www.kate-hewitt.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/katehewitt1

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