Ailish's Book Reviews

Dear Reader, First I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me the chance to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review. Emma Halloway by no stretch of the imagination has had a tough time of late. Her long-term boyfriend, Pete, ends their relationship which is bad enough  (even though he wears a lot of beige!) but he does so by - wait for it - a post-it but at least he adds that she is out of washing powder too! Following this Emma is involved in a very bad accident when she is hit by a delivery van who was dropping off a package to her. Due to the extent of her injuries Emma has to leave behind her life in London. She returns to her childhood home in the village of Whistling in Yorkshire, to live with her grandmother, Evie who will look after her. Emma's family are one of three stalwarts of the community for generations. Emma escaped to London for reasons we discover over the course of the book. She doesn't want to return t...

Dear Reader, First I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to review this gorgeous book for an honest review. Just finished the latest from Emma Davies, Lucy's Book Club for the Lost and Found which I couldn't put down. Such a lovely cast of characters which truly come alive on the page. I felt that I was right there with them. So I am just home! So let's meet them, first we have of course, Lucy who is the library's temporary manager. She is doing a great job of running the local library. She is in her early twenties and is a very caring person who will go to great lengths to help everyone and we see this especially with the members of her little book group but what about Lucy herself  and her dreams? Will she stop to think about herself first before everyone else? Next we have Callum, he finds solace in the library away from his family who are nothing like him. He is shy and very unsure of himself. His family have ...

Dear Reader, First off I want to thank Christine Nolfi for sending me a copy of Sweet Lake in exchange for a review which I was only too delighted to do. This is the first book I have read by Christine and it won't be my last! This novel is set in a small town called Sweet Lake, in Ohio. Now while Christine introduces a whole cast of fantastic characters our main two characters are Linnie Mayfair and her friend Daniel Kettering who is the local Attorney. Linnie runs the Mayfair Inn, which is a family business along with her two friends Jada and Cat. She has been trying to get the Inn back on track after her brother Freddie stole family funds and ran off to California to become a director. Now he is back ready to cause mayhem which he excels in and Linnie discovers some shocking news which will turn her life unexpectedly upside down. Family drama to follow! Daniel who has been trying to get Linnie's attention for years finds himself stuck in the middle of t...

Dear Reader, Love at the Italian Lake is a beautiful heartwarming novel set on the shores of Lake Garda in the picturesque town of Malcesine.  First our story begins in London where we meet Sophia Bertoni who is currently living with her boyfriend Lee who is sponging off her. Sophia has a high-end job and a beautiful apartment and Lee enjoys the carefree life and spending Sophia's money.  One afternoon Sophia arrives home to find Lee in bed with another woman and this is a wake-up call for Sophia who knows she has to make some big decisions with her life.  So she decides to go and stay with her Nonna, Katherine Spinoli in Malcesine in Lake Garda for awhile to see what she is going to do with her life and make a plan. It is here that she meets Joe Lancaster who quite literally knocks her off her feet at the Airport in Verona who as it happens is spending the summer in the same town! While Sophia is staying in Malcesine she accidentally stumbles upon...

Dear Reader, Firstly I would like to thank the lovely people at NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book for an honest review. Well Holly Martin has done it again in Christmas Under A Starlit Sky oh what an utterly fabulous read that I could not put down. We return to Juniper Island where we meet Neve Whitaker who is the manager of the Stardust Lake Hotel. She works alongside her family. She is mending a broken heart after breaking up with her with one true love, the actor, Oakley Rey but thankfully he turns up to win her back which throws her off balance so of course this is not going to be easy! As Holly Martin always does she immediately draws us in and we feel that we are right there beside the characters watching this all unfold. Now while the book is centered around Neve and Oakley it also involves Adam and Ivy and Luke and Audrey. I must admit I loved the storyline with Adam and Ivy. Adam arrives to the Stardust Hot...

Dear Reader, First I would like to thank the lovey people at NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review. I was drawn to the description of this book and I have never read Karen Katchur before (but this is about to be remedied!) This was a beautifully written book with many themes which are well conveyed. We meet Linnett who is the  owner of a Bed and Breakfast in Mountain Springs. Life has become difficult for her lately and unfortunately is about to get a lot worse for her. The problems start off when hundreds of snow geese die overnight in the dam near the B&B which sparks a huge media frenzy and in turn threatening the tourist season.  It also brings the arrival of her estranged sister, Myna upon hearing the news. The relationship between the two sisters is strained. Meanwhile we learn that their father is in the early stages of Alz...

Dear Reader, Another brilliant festive read from Jenny Hale and I enjoyed this one as much as the others I have read. Jenny Hale really has a way of bringing across the magic and excitement of Christmas.  All I Want for Christmas is a charming story about Leah who is a single mother to the gorgeous Sadie and she works as a florist. She is planning on having a family Christmas at her grandmothers house in Virginia but knows that it will not be the same this year as her grandmother has passed away. While still grieving she receives a letter that was left to her by 'Nan' who decided to change her will at the last minute and has left the other half of the plantation to childhood friend, David Forester. Leah's world comes suddenly crashing down. She has not seen David since they were children and she is unsure as to why Nan would do this to her. Leah has two very good friends, Louise and Roz, who are a great support to her and give plenty of advice on what sh...