Blog Tour Book Review: The Secret Cove in Croatia by Julie Caplin

Synopsis:

Sail away to beautiful Croatia for summer sun, sparkling turquoise seas and a holiday romance that’s forever… 

When no-nonsense, down-to-earth Maddie Wilcox is offered the chance to work on a luxury yacht for the summer, she can’t say no. Yes she’ll be waiting on the posh guests… But island-hopping around the Adriatic sea will more than make up for it – especially when Nick, her best friend Nina’s brother, is one of them. 

Sparks fly when they meet on board and Maddie can’t believe self-entitled jerk Nick is really related to Nina. 

But in a secret, picture-perfect cove, away from the real world, Maddie and Nick discover they might have more in common than they realise… 

My Review: 

It’s publication day and my stop on the blog tour for the wonderful Julie Caplin’s new book ‘The Secret Cove in Croatia’ This is the fifth book in the fabulous Romantic Escapes series and another beautiful country to add to my ever growing bucket list! 

This can easily be read as a standalone however I have enjoyed reading in the order of the series, you will find characters pop up throughout the series and some characters are linked either by friendships or family, but as I said, reading as a standalone you won’t be missing out on anything as Julie has a superb way of recapping any characters. 

So we are in beautiful Croatia relaxing on a yacht, crystal clear waters and no clouds in the sky but no relaxing for Maddie. Maddie needs a job, after spending a year in Paris she now has to get her head into gear and find a job after finishing her degree in History of Art but finding a job is becoming more tricky than she thought. When her friend Nina messages her offering her work on a yacht for two weeks as a hostess, Maddie jumps at the chance… How difficult can it be, a little cleaning and cooking (not that she is a whizz in the kitchen!) can’t be too difficult. It seems that boat life is for Maddie as she picks up the ropes pretty quickly! 

One of the guests on the yacht is Nick, far from home and the family farm where he works he is looking forward to island hopping and holidaying with his new girlfriend and model Tara and her friends. Maddie is looking forward to meeting Nick, after all he is Nina’s brother who she has heard so much about and she hopes he could be an ally while on the yacht. However this doesn’t work out well after an awkward first meeting they don’t get off to a good start and Maddie is surprised that Nick is the complete opposite to how she imaged he would be. 

With some demanding guests, (oh some just drove me mad) Maddie has her work cut out for her but as the holiday goes on and some plans change Maddie and Nick find themselves pushed together and soon realise just how much they have in common and sparks begin to fly! I love that the chapters switched between both characters of Maddie and Nick, giving you an extra insight into the characters but then it can also make me want to bash their heads together. I really liked Maddie, she is someone I am sure everyone could relate to, hard-working, fun but deep down she hides some insecurities which makes her so normal and relatable. 

As always the descriptions of the locations in Julie’s books are amazing and really sets the scene and makes you feel like you are there, my most favourite part was the secret cove itself, it just sounded absolute perfection with its crystal waters. These books always have a habit of making me hungry too with mouth-watering delicious food, Julie really does have a great way of capturing everything about the location. 

I loved this book and I really didn’t want it to end, surely Maddie’s story is only just beginning! I am really hoping this isn’t the last in the romantic escapes series as I enjoy the stories so much, where are we jetting off to next Julie? 

Huge thanks to Julie Caplin and Rachel Random Resources for giving me the ARC which I have reviewed honestly and for asking me to take part in this fun blog tour.  Don't forget to take a look at the other great bloggers taking part in this tour!

Purchase Links: 

UK | US

Author Bio 

Jules Wake announced at the age of ten that she planned to be a writer. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands, taking journalists on press trips to awful places like Turin, Milan, Geneva, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam and occasionally losing the odd member of the press in an airport. This proved fabulous training for writing novels as it provided her with the opportunity to eat amazing food, drink free alcohol, hone her writing skills on press releases and to research European cities for her books. 

She writes best-selling warm-hearted contemporary fiction for HarperImpulse. 

Under her pen name, Julie Caplin, her twelfth novel, The Secret Cove in Croatia published in ebook format this July.

Social Media Links 
Twitter @JulieCaplin | @Juleswake
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor

Blog Tour Book Review: The Wedding Planner by Eve Devon

Synopsis:

Wedding bells are ringing and gossip is spiralling in Whispers Wood…

Single mum Gloria Pavey has a bad habit of saying exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time. Determined to make a positive change she can’t say no when her best friend, Emma, asks her to take on the role of her wedding planner. The only problem? Gloria’s co-planner – best man Seth Knightley. 

Gloria is on a self-imposed man ban but pulling together the most beautiful wedding Whispers Wood has ever seen alongside gorgeous Seth is pushing her to her limits. As every interaction increases the tension between them Gloria finds herself wondering…could the happy ever after she never thought she’d have be in her future after all? 

My Review: 

‘The Wedding Planner’ makes a stop at Love Books Actually today for this fabulous Blog Tour! This is my first book by Eve Devon and certainly won’t be my last. I jumped at the chance to read this, mainly due to the cover, such a beauty and before even reading the synopsis I knew I wanted to be a part of it! 

After reading a couple of reviews I realised that this is the third book in the ‘Whispers Wood’ series but if you are like me and haven’t picked up an Eve Devon book before I assure you it can be read as a standalone. I do however have plans to re visit Whispers Wood and re read the start of the series. 

As mentioned before this can be read as a standalone, Eve has included a handy character guide at the beginning of the book to help you get to know everyone’s background. I did find it a little tough to begin with to get into the story, I think this was mainly down to all the characters, I found myself constantly flicking back to the guide to find out who was who but it didn’t take me long before I was sucked into the story of Gloria. 

Gloria a single mum and a hater of weddings after her own marriage crumbled, she is now bridesmaid to best friend and boss Emma. Not only carrying out bridesmaid duties but also wedding planner for the couple along with co-planner best man Seth Knightley. 

I loved the character of Gloria, she is feisty, frightening and with no filter you never know what’s going to pop out of her mouth. It was a refreshing change to read about a female character with more balls than a snooker table! Ha! Although she is a tough cookie and her advice although a little harsh, always spoke honestly and I really admired her for that but deep down Gloria came across a little insecure and I felt the hard exterior was more for protection. I really enjoyed reading the scenes between her and old man Issac who was Gloria’s confident and most probably the only person who would tell Gloria how it is. 

Trying to be more positive and open she struggles to turn down best friend Emma when she reaches out for her help to arrange her wedding to Jake. Her worst nightmare, Gloria grits her teeth and gets on with the job but planning the special day brings back all those memories of Gloria’s wedding day out of a locked box she had been keeping at the back of her mind. 

So.. Gorgeous Seth, Jake’s best man he too has been listed to help with the arrangements along with Gloria. Seth is probably the complete opposite to Gloria but they say opposites attract! I loved how super nice, kind and caring he always was towards Gloria, understanding why she felt a need to keep a distance and form barriers from all the wedding plans. Being recently divorced himself he totally got her but this didn’t stop him wanting to pull those barriers down. Ah I loved the scenes between Gloria and Seth a romance based on friendship, it was such a pleasure to see Gloria’s character change throughout the story and you wanted nothing but happiness for Gloria.

This story was all kinds of fun and oh so heartwarming!  Full of all the nice things in life friendships, family and love.  I really recommend you read Gloria's story! 

Huge thanks to Eve Devon, Rachel Random Resources and Netgalley for the ARC and for allowing me to take part in this fantastic Blog Tour!

Buy the Book!

Author Bio

My name’s Eve Devon and I write sexy heroes, sassy heroines and happy ever afters…

Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave me a taste for adventure and my love for romances began when my mother shoved one into my hands in a desperate attempt to keep me quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals. 

When I wasn’t consuming books by the bucket-load, I could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down my adventures. As a teenager, I wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, I worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucket-load, until realising I was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense myself. I live in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with my very own sexy hero husband!

Social Media Links –

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Blog Tour Book Review: The Little Village of Happiness by Holly Martin

Synopsis:

Willow McKay needs a fresh start. Her recent break-up may not have left her heartbroken, but it’s certainly wounded her pride. Desperate for a change, an advert offering free homes in a picturesque village on the Cornish coast sounds like just what she needs. Without thinking twice Willow packs up her life and heads to the village of Happiness.

But when Willow arrives, she finds ramshackle cottages, shops lying empty and villagers that seem in need of cheer themselves. It's nothing like the pretty picture the advert had boasted. It seems Happiness was too good to be true. That is until she meets the handsome estate manager Andrew Harrington.

His passion for restoring the village to its former glory is contagious and soon they are working together, forming a secret society to bring happiness back to Happiness. And as sparks fly between them Willow can feel herself falling. But Andrew is holding something back.

Will they succeed in transforming the old village to its original beauty before it’s too late? Can the gift of happiness really save a village, and can it save Willow herself?

My Review:
Welcome to my stop on this packed out tour for 'The Little Village of Happiness'.  Fantastic!  Another corker of a book by the wonderful Holly Martin. Holly is my go to for an easy feel good read and I was hooked from the first chapter of her new book The Little Village of Happiness. I loved it!

If someone offered you a year of living rent free in a beautiful village would you take it? Willow McKay grabbed this opportunity of a fresh start with both hands, after a recent break up Willow decides a new beginning is in order and packs her bags and heads to the beautiful Cornish coast. The advert boasted a charming village with a wonderful community, offering free homes, a village named Happiness, sounded the perfect way for Willow to start over. However upon arriving to the village she soon realises that the advert was a little misleading and in actual fact happiness was far removed from the small village.

I warmed to Willow immediately, a candle maker and all round good egg. Willow tries to see the best in her new home and soon gets involved in Village life. I loved her go getter attitude, reading her story made me feel that anything is possible!

Of course no village is complete without a hunky estate manager. Andrew Harrington, also a new resident wants to bring happiness back to the village so working together they create a to do list (who doesn’t love a list!) full of ideas to bring joy to the community before the village open day but working so closely together sparks begin to fly but Andrew is holding back something. I won’t spill the beans but this additional storyline was great, written wonderfully and really made me stop and think. I loved that Holly took a risk and it certainly pays off.

This is a summer feel good read full of fun, love and new beginnings. Learning to be kind to one another and creating new friendships. Wonderfully written as always, a must read!

Big thanks to Holly Martin for asking me to take part in this fab blog tour and for the ARC which I have reviewed honestly. 

Buy the Book!

Author Bio

Holly lives in a little white cottage by the sea. She studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of her colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years' service was the moment when she knew she had to escape. She quit her job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, she emerged wide eyed and terrified that she now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. She taught for four years and then escaped the classroom to teach history workshops, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next. But the long journeys around the UK and many hours sat on the M25 gave her a lot of time to plan out her stories and she now writes full time, doing what she loves.

Holly has been writing for 8 years. She was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance. Her short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology. She won the Carina Valentine's competition at the Festival of Romance 2013 with her novel The Guestbook. She was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance 2014. She is the bestselling author of 18 books.

Blog Tour Book Review: Losing My Inhibitions by Olivia Spring

Synopsis:
A year after leaving her controlling ex, Roxy’s divorce is finally official. She’s got her confidence and career back on track and is ready to start enjoying some no-strings-attached fun.

But just when Roxy thinks she has her dating plan all mapped out, a hot younger single man unexpectedly appears. On paper, he sounds like exactly what Roxy’s been looking for, until she’s warned that he’s strictly off limits. Getting involved with him will put her career, home and everything she’s worked for in extreme jeopardy. There’s a million reasons why Roxy shouldn’t give into his charms. The trouble is, he’s just too tempting...

Will Roxy take a chance and risk it all to pursue a forbidden fling? And if she does, can she find a way to let him rock her world, without turning it upside down?

My Review:
It's my stop and also the last on this fabulous blog tour for Olivia Spring's latest romantic comedy read 'Losing My Inhibitions'.

Olivia's stories are just getting better and better, she is honestly an author to watch! With shocking laugh out loud one liners like 'He'd been pounding away for ten minutes, grunting like a pig.' you cannot miss out on reading this!  Hilarious! 

I was so excited to hear that finally feisty Roxy is getting her own story!  A prequel to 'The Middle-Aged Virgin' and 'Only When it's Love' characters Sophia and Alex both feature in this book but as mentioned this is a prequel so this can easily be read as a stand alone.  

Drawing a line from her past, Roxy is finally divorced and free from her controlling ex Steve.  Back to being a career girl and dating again, life is all going well until a young hottie catches Roxy's eye, turning her life upside down risking her career and home.  Roxy knows the risks she faces and tries to distant herself from him but the temptation is just too powerful and so she decides to follow her heart rather than her head.

This book had me laughing out loud, hiding behind my kindle and picking up my jaw from the floor with some hilarious and quite embarrassing situations that Roxy gets involved with.  One scene in particular had me gasping in shock and saying out loud 'what the actual F...'! Sooo funny!

I loved the character Roxy, I've loved her from other stories, she's a no nonsense girl who doesn't take no for an answer and holds no prisoners.  So it was nice to read a more vulnerable side to her character and to understand why she has that hard exterior. 

I didn't want Roxy's story to end, full of hot and steamy moments, laugh out loud situations and more sauce than a bottle of ketchup!  This is a must read this summer!  I am really hoping this isn't the last we see of Roxy, surely she has more stories up her sleeve!

Huge thank you to Olivia Spring for asking me to take part in this fab blog tour and for the ARC which I have reviewed honestly.

Buy the Book!

Blog Tour Book Review: Foxglove Farm by Christie Barlow

Synopsis:
Return to Love Heart Lane for friendship, romance and a community who will be there for you no matter what…

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm.

But, new mum Isla is struggling. She loves her little family but with Drew working all hours on the farm, Isla’s lonely. 

When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love.

Can the Love Heart Lane community pull together once more to help save Foxglove Farm? And can Isla save her home…and her marriage?

My Review:

Welcome to my stop on this fabulous blog tour for Christie Barlow’s new book ‘Foxglove Farm'.

I am soooo happy to be back in wonderful Heartcross with the gorgeous people of Love Heart Lane including some new characters too. Although this time the story is focused on Foxglove Farm specifically Isla and Drew. Now if you have read Love Heart Lane you will be familiar with the farm and the wonderful couple that live there but don’t worry if you haven’t, this can easily be read as a stand-alone! Christie's writing is superb, whether you are an old friend to the series or a newbie Christie has this way of keeping you up to date on all the when’s, who’s and what’s! 

The story focuses on their marriage and the struggles they are both experiencing, struggles they are dealing with alone. Isla a new mum is finding it difficult, with Drew on the farm all hours and Isla looking after two children and running the farm house she finds herself feeling lonely and when Drew is home he is cold, distant and snappy leaving Isla from being able to open up to him and on top of all that she has an unexpected visitor at her door to stay (union jack mini car and Tinder app in tow!) 

Disaster hits the farm and Drew’s secrets are exposed leaving Isla to pick up the pieces. But this is Heartcross and the community of Love Heart Lane do not leave one of their own in need, everyone rallies together to support where they can. It really is a place I would love to live! 

Foxglove Farm is not your usual glitter, hearts and flowers sort of story, it hits on big topics, the well-known saying ‘its ok not to be ok’ is absolutely key throughout this book and the way Christie manages this plot is perfect, I really love the style of Christie's writing, whether joyful or sad, Christie writes with pure emotion that really helps you to feel involved and part of village life. 

I loved all the characters (well almost all!) Isla really came into her own throughout this story, stepping up for her family she was a joy to read. I was sad when I came to the end of my time at Foxglove Farm but phew Christie saves the day with another book to add to this wonderful series ‘Clover Cottage’ Yay! I cannot wait!

Overall this book is a heart warming read full of love, friendships and family.  It will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling and make you want to pack up and head to Heartcross!  A must read! 

Huge thank you to Christie Barlow and Rachel Random Resources for the ARC and also for allowing me to take part on this fantastic Blog Tour.  Take a look below to check out the other stops on this tour.

Buy the Book!  US & UK

Author Bio

Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty's Countryside Dream, Lizzie's Christmas Escape, Evie's Year of Taking Chances, The Cosy Canal Boat Dream, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, Love Heart Lane and Foxglove Farm. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA & Australia. 

Christie is an ambassador for @ZuriProject raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organisations to improve their well-being.

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