Friday 27 September 2019

Release Day Spotlight & Review: Four Christmases and a Secret by Zara Stoneley




Four Christmases and a Secret by Zara Stoneley

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
Except for Daisy Christmas means another of Uncle T’s dreaded Christmas parties, complete with Christmas jumper and flashing antlers.  And Oliver Cartwright.  Gorgeous Oliver Cartwright. Who she hates.
Every year Daisy has to face insufferable Ollie and hear all about how BRILLIANT he is.  Whereas Daisy has no job, no man and no idea how to fix things.
This Christmas however Daisy is determined things will be different.  There will be no snogging Ollie under the mistletoe like when they were teenagers.  No, this year she’ll show Ollie that she’s a Responsible Adult too.

But as the champagne corks pop, and the tinsel sparkles, Uncle T has news of his own to share…and it could change Daisy's life forever…


A Christmas themes novel perfect for any time of the year. 

Uncle T's infamous annual Christmas Eve party looms signalling it's time for Daisy Dunkerly to dig out her festive jumper and flashing antlers, although she's not in the festive mood this year. It's a yearly reminder of Ollie Cartwright and a teenage kiss under the mistletoe and the fact he's now a doctor and she's failed to live up to expectations. With Stanley her foster dog in tow, she heads to the bookshop party venue hoping some seasonal luck will rub off on her. 

It's easy to understand and sympathise with Daisy and how her life has panned out over the years. A star pupil with ambitions, her life is a shadow of what she could have achieved. To make things worse, her mother is a friend of Ollie's mum who's favourite topic of conversation is bragging about her son's accomplishments. Growing up, constantly compared to him is a constant reminder of her shortcomings. 

Full of laughter with an overload of puppy love, the main plot's centred around Christmas but there's much more to the narrative than a seasonal chicken vol-au-vent and Pringles. It's about second chances, building confidence and realising some people are not who they seem...both positive and negative. Packed with emotions, secrets are revealed, deceitful acts uncovered yet the overall mood of this novel is upbeat. Who doesn't love a second chance? 

Everyone loves a happy ending and Ms Stoneley delivers one with touching sentiment and it's a fitting finale to this delightful rom-com. 

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher One More Chapter via NetGalley***




Amazon UK      Amazon US 

Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of 'The Wedding Date'.

She lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Born in a small village in the UK, Zara wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years, and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true. She now writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say 'ahhh'.

Zara’s bestselling novels include 'Bridesmaids', 'No One Cancels Christmas', 'The Wedding Date', 'The Holiday Swap', 'Summer with the Country Village Vet', 'Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage' and the popular Tippermere series - 'Stable Mates', 'Country Affairs' and 'Country Rivals'.

Twitter: @ZaraStoneley
Instagram: zarastoneley



New Release Spotlight: Intimate Strangers by Lasairiona McMaster



Intimate Strangers by Lasairiona E. McMaster

Is there such a thing as too perfect?
Lisa Millar wasn’t supposed to fall in love with a guy on the Internet. But she did.
Other than living over five thousand miles away in America, AJ Williams is seemingly her perfect match. Strikingly handsome, musically talented, plays hockey and has a typical college-guy life.
In a moment of carpe diem, Lisa flies from Ireland to Alabama to surprise her internet-beau and finds herself face to face with an inconceivable reality that she couldn’t possibly have prepared for.
How well can you truly know someone you meet online?
Will true love win out, or will AJ’s secret life be too much for Lisa to bear?


Lasairiona McMaster grew up dreaming of an exciting life abroad, and, after graduating from Queens University, Belfast, that is exactly what she did - with her then-boyfriend, now husband of almost ten years. Having recently repatriated to Northern Ireland after a decade abroad spanned over two countries (seven and a half years in America and eighteen months in India), she now finds herself 'home', with itchy feet and dreams of her next expatriation. With a penchant for both travelling, and writing, she started a blog during her first relocation to Houston, Texas and, since repatriating to Northern Ireland, has decided to do as everyone has been telling her to do for years, and finally pen a book (or two) and get published while she tries to adjust to the people and place she left ten years ago, where nothing looks the same as it did when she left.

Twitter: @QueenoffireLas