Tuesday 23 July 2019

Spotlight & Review: When Polly Met Olly by Zoe May



When Polly Met Olly

Polly and Olly were never supposed to meet…
Polly might spend her days searching for eligible matches for her elite list of clients at her New York dating agency, but her own love life is starting to go up in smoke.
Even worse, she can’t stop thinking about the very person she’s meant to be setting her latest client up with… surely it can’t get any worse!
But then Polly bumps into oh-so-handsome Olly, who heads up a rival agency, and realizes that perhaps all really is fair in love and dating war…
Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Debbie Viggiano.

Amazon UK      Amazon US 


At her time of need, British implant in New York, Polly, acknowledges having the means of paying her rent is more important than struggling to make ends meet as a photographer. The result, she lands a job at To The Moon and Back, a dating agency. When her new boss Derek asks her to check out their main rival, Polly masquerades as a chartered surveyor looking for love. On arrival at Elite Love Match, she's greeted by the charismatic owner Olly and realises she might be in the market to find love too.

The hilarious narrative is set against the competitive dating scene in Manhattan. The secondary characters shone brighter than the protagonists for the most of the story where they support Polly in and around her new job...one she's surprisingly good at. I only felt the connection to her and Olly around three-quarters of the way into the book. Once I passed this mark, I began to feel the attraction between them as I became invested in them as a couple.

I like how the author challenges the reader by making this a May to December romance. Polly and Olly at their point of meeting don't seem like a good match for a potential long term relationship. Yet, as we get to know more about their backgrounds, it becomes clear their differing ages are not an issue as both are at a point in their lives where they are re-assessing what is important to them including the tentative attraction to each another.

Overall, this is a fun and flirty novel full of laugh-out-loud playful banter. If you're looking for a novel with fascinating characters set in an imaginative, yet realistic story, you'll love this. It's a perfect beach read.

***review copy generously received courtesy of HQ Digital via NetGalley***

Zoe May lives in Oxford and writes romantic comedies. Zoe has dreamt of being a novelist since she was a teenager. She spent her twenties living in London, where she worked in journalism and copywriting before writing her debut novel, Perfect Match. Having experienced the London dating scene first hand, Zoe could not resist writing a novel about dating, since it seems to supply endless amounts of weird and wonderful material!

Perfect Match was one of Apple's top-selling books of 2018. It was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association's Joan Hessayon Award, with judges describing it as 'a laugh out loud look at love and self-discovery - fresh and very funny'.

As well as writing, Zoe enjoys walking her dog, painting and, of course, reading

Release Day Spotlight & Guest Post: A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores by Laura Briggs




A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores (A Little Hotel in Cornwall Book 2)

Putting a Gothic Spin on a Modern Cornish Romance
Thank you to Ellesea for letting me drop by and share with your readers about my latest romance read, A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores.

This is the second book in my all-new series about Maisie Clark, an aspiring author who finds herself working as a maid at a historic Cornish hotel. Maisie has a fondness for classic Gothic novels and the haunting poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, both of which have influenced the manuscript she’s penning in between her day job. It helps that her surroundings are straight out of a Daphne du Maurier novel in the remote seaside village of Port Hewer—and that All Hallow’s Eve is just around the corner as a group of mysterious new guests arrive at the hotel Penmarrow.

Being a fan of Gothic fiction myself, it was fun to weave threads of it into my heroine’s newest adventure. Like Maisie, I enjoy the chilling atmosphere of “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee”. I’m a sucker for haunted house stories and the brooding windswept drama of novels like Rebecca. Though a modern and (mostly) light-hearted story, A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores owes part of its inspiration to these classic examples of the genre.

The colorful cast ranges from a beautiful young psychic and a paranormal investigator to a hundred year old earl whose scheming family members are desperate to keep their inheritance from slipping away. There are uncanny predictions, candlelit séances, and a few ghosts from the past that have even Maisie feeling a little spooked.

And being a romance novel, it’s only fitting that the hero should be a little mysterious as well. Sidney Daniels: a charming, carefree reputed 'ne'er do well' who works as the local vicarage's handyman and groundskeeper. He possesses good looks, an uncertain past, and a smile that Maisie simply can't resist. He seems like the complete opposite of herself, running away to a Cornish village to escape a life of ambition instead of desperately seeking to fulfill one — but he has an uncanny understanding of Maisie and her heart that seems impossible for another human being.

If you feel like a fun autumn escape, I hope you’ll be sure to check out A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores. With a strong sense of adventure, a bit of romance, and plenty of intrigue to boot, it has something for everyone, I hope!


It looks like a perfect Cornish autumn, with aspiring novelist Maisie Clark still finding inspiration as a maid at the historic Penmarrow Hotel. Between the staff of quirky co-workers, glamorous and unusual guests, and her growing friendship with the charming but mysterious Sidney Daniels, Maisie is living out adventures instead of just penning them in the pages of her would-be novel's growing number of chapters.

And then there's the slight problem of keeping the balance between friendship and 'something more' with Sidney, who's helping introduce her to the village's version of a Cornish Halloween, and has recently taken an interest in Maisie's secret that may change things between them. But even Maisie’s imagination can't conjure the unusual event this Halloween brings to the Penmarrow. An eccentric earl has chosen this site to host his lavish birthday celebration that includes a pretty (and perceptive) young psychic whose predictions seem to have everyone on edge — and, to Maisie's delight, the elusive novelist Alistair Davies is rumored to be part of the guest list! But with the earl's bickering relatives and illustrious friends on hand— and more than one ghost of the past waiting to be revealed — it’s anyone’s guess what the festivities will bring before the party is over.

Will the psychic foretell doom for the earl's gathering—and is her ‘gift’ as genuine as it seems? Will Maisie finally meet her favorite author face to face? And, more importantly, what about the romantic sparks that fly between Maisie and Sidney?
Amazon UK      Amazon US 

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Giveaway to Win one of 3 Cornish themed prizes (Open Internationally)
1st Prize: A Ross Poldark collectible Knitdark character doll (Open Internationally) –1 winner

Perfect for fans of all-things Cornwall, this Ross Poldark doll with tricorn hat is made by Angela Blay, whose popular Knitdark creations have been featured on The Graham Norton Show. Since each doll is hand made, the Ross the winner receives may vary slightly in appearance from the one in the picture. Readers can learn more about the Knitdarks at Angela's Twitter page @kwerkyknits as well as her Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/kwerkyknits
2nd Prize: A decorative tin T.A.R.D.I.S (Open Internationally) –1 winner

A tin T.A.R.D.I.S similar to the keepsake Maisie is gifted by Sidney in Book 1, A Little Hotel in Cornwall. Designed by Etsy artist KittyConduitt81 and perfect for fans of Doctor Who! Being a unique, hand made item, the final design may vary slightly in appearance from the one pictured. Learn about KittyConduittDesigns on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/KittyConduittDesigns
3rd Prize: A Kindle/Tablet case featuring cover art from A Little Hotel in Cornwall (Open Internationally) –1 winner

A specially designed case for a Kindle or Tablet featuring the cover art for Book 1 in the series A Little Hotel in Cornwall. The final product's size, texture, and color will depend on the winner's device.

*All 3 winners will also receive a digital copy of Book 1 in the series, A Little Hotel in Cornwall.



*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.