New Publication Spotlight: Summer in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

Summer in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

Can Bellbird Bay provide solace to these two broken souls?

When Ailsa McNeil’s marriage falls apart, an invitation to spend the summer with an old friend in Bellbird Bay offers her the opportunity to escape and regroup. What she doesn’t expect is to meet her friend’s twin brother, the first man to stir her emotions when she was an impressionable nineteen-year-old.

As a young man, Martin Cooper couldn’t wait to leave Bellbird Bay. He has spent the past thirty years travelling the world and has accomplished his dream of becoming a celebrated travel photographer. But it has come at a price and, when his career and personal life take a downward turn, he returns to his hometown to consider his future.

When an accident thrusts the two together, their earlier attraction resurfaces. Torn between the desire to protect herself from further hurt and her renewed feelings for the man she’s never forgotten, can Ailsa find happiness again or is it too late?

A heartwarming tale of family, friends, and how a second chance at love can happen when you least expect it.

getbook.at/SummerinBellbirdBay

Second chance romances are one of my favourite tropes, even better when the location is in a far-off land...

Ailsa McNeil knows something isn't quite right with her husband and marriage but is still blind-sided when Bob, who she married over twenty-five years ago, tells her what is wrong. Awash with emotions, she leaves their home to have a break with her friend, Bev, in Bellbird Bay. It's an opportunity to hang out with her old friend and Ailsa hopes the time away from her home in Canberra helps her to make sense of the situation she now faces. So, when her friend's twin brother, Martin turns up unexpectedly, it triggers a memory and buried feelings from when she first met him as a naive nineteen-year-old. It's a complication she hadn't bargained on, but does his reappearance in her life need to be a problem at all?

Martin Cooper is back in Bellbird Bay after a ten-year absence. Once again, he is seeking refuge at his twin sister's home, as he decides what to do next after his career and relationship crash. Seeing Ailsa McNeil again, isn't a welcome sight, as he battles to rebuild his life after the betrayals he's suffered. However, as they spend time together, maybe they both deserve a second chance at happiness?

Emotions are running high, in this, my first Maggie Christensen novel. The adorable and beautiful Queensland backdrop and the charm of Bellbird Bay create a heart-warming welcome to new and old readers alike. The characters and the community are a breath of fresh air and definitely made me want to pack my bags to escape winter. The charm of the coastal setting creates a distinct contrast to the problems facing the protagonists. It's somewhere that's both familiar and neutral to the pair… a perfect place to clear your head and think. As with any real-life situation, Ailsa and Martin have to navigate around people they would rather avoid, as small communities thrive on gossip and a need to know everyone's business. However, everything works out well with a satisfying, happy ending as both learn to put the past behind them, as they heal, learn to trust and love again.

Overall, Summer in Bellbird Bay, is a fine introduction to a new, to me author and leaves me wanting to satisfy my newly found craving for more fiction set in Australia.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher***

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up Scotland, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!

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Publication Day Review: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide…

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

 12, Rue des Amants, Paris is the focal point for Lucy Foley’s new psychological thriller; The Paris Apartment. For me, it’s an opportunity to read the latest novel by a new to me author.

Needing temporary refuge until she’s back on her feet, Jess contacts her half-brother, Ben who agrees she can stay with him in Paris. Only, when she arrives at the apartment, he isn’t there. Lonely and broke, she introduces herself to the other residents but instead of feeling confident Ben will turn up, she’s sure his neighbours know more about his disappearance than they admit to.

Told from six different points of view; Jess, Sophie, Concierge, Mimi, Nick, and Ben, the narrative offers clues and red herrings as evidence for Ben’s disappearance build. Everyone has an opinion, but equally, no one wants to say anything as Jess struggles to find the answers to her ever-growing list of questions. The neighbours are an eclectic bunch of personalities with their own collection of issues.

I found the narrative peaks and troughs throughout. There are equally significant clues as well as events that are no more than everyday life. The highs will keep you reading sufficiently long enough to carry through the lows, but there are times when it's a struggle.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Lucy Foley and I liked the concept of the narrative. I enjoyed the guessing game and was surprised when the villain is revealed however, there were times when I just couldn't keep focus.

Overall, I’d definitely read another book by this author even though this one didn’t keep my attention all the time.

***arc generously received courtesy of William Morrow via Edelweiss+

        Amazon US        Amazon UK                 

Publication Day Push: The Not So Golden Oldies by Liz Davies

The Not So Golden Oldies By Liz Davies

When retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

Meena Fisher is a middle-aged medical secretary with a husband, two grandchildren, a house to run, and more hobbies than you can shake a stick at. She is perfectly happy with her life just the way it is.

Her husband, Oscar, is a middle-aged workaholic who spends his days either in the office or on the golf course. With his wife looking after both him and the house, he gets on with the business of making money. He is also perfectly happy with his life just the way it is.

They share a house, and they sometimes eat dinner together if they can both manage to be in the same place at the same time. Aside from that, their paths rarely cross. The arrangement suits them both.

But when Oscar is forced to take early retirement and decides it’s only fair that he takes over the running of the house, both their previously happy lives are turned upside down.

The question is, can they find a way to live together with the new status quo? And, more importantly, do they want to?

https://mybook.to/GoldenOldies

Liz Davies writes feel-good, light-hearted stories with a hefty dose of romance, a smattering of humour, and a great deal of love.

She’s married to her best friend, has one grown-up daughter, and when she isn’t scribbling away in the notepad she carries with her everywhere (just in case inspiration strikes), you’ll find her searching for that perfect pair of shoes. She loves to cook but isn’t very good at it, and loves to eat - she’s much better at that! Liz also enjoys walking (preferably on the flat), cycling (also on the flat), and lots of sitting around in the garden on warm, sunny days.

She currently lives with her family in Wales, but would ideally love to buy a camper van and travel the world in it.

Website: https://lizdaviesauthor.wixsite.com/home

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New Publication Review: A Sunrise Over Bali by Sandy Barker

A Sunrise Over Bali by Sandy Barker

Home is where the heart is . . .
 
When Jaelee Tan leaves her high-flying PR job in Miami for a sabbatical in Bali, the last thing she expects is for it to become permanent. But when her boss demands the trip be cut short, Jae does the only thing she can think of and quits on the spot.
 
With two months in Bali, a new group of friends and the gorgeous scenery and beaches, Jae is determined to make the most of her new-found freedom. And when she locks eyes with hunky Scot, Alistair, Jae wonders if she’ll lose her heart to more than just a Balinese sunrise.
 
Escape to Bali in this uplifting novel full of friendship, laughter and romance, perfect for fans of Mandy Baggot, Julie Caplin and Holly Martin.

Join readers everywhere and prepare to fall for the most romantic escape of 2022…

Amazon UK           Amazon AU           Amazon US           Amazon CA 

Waterstones          Foyles          Google play          iBooks

Romance and a far-off destination...A Sunrise Over Bali is a perfect combination for me.

Thirty-five-year-old Jaelee Tan has crammed into and achieved much in her life and is now a Junior Vice President of the second largest PR agency in Florida. Hard work and determination, fuelled by Tina Tan have reaped their rewards as she owns a South Beach Condo and far too many pairs of designer shoes. Yet, despite her success, Jae is lonely and unhappy with her life.
When at her best friend's 40th birthday party she spots her ex and his new wife, it highlights how miserable she is. At a time in her life when it's smarter to handle issues head-on, she does the total opposite by running away, as she flies to Bali for a two-month sabbatical, in the hope she can turn her life around…

As a heroine, Jae doesn't instantly warm to readers. With a mother who has always been a force to reckon with, it's no surprise, her only daughter has achieved much in her life. Jaelee is tough and ambitious but also, uninformed with the world that surrounds her as she views and judges others with a critical eye. However, all it takes is a change of scenery and new acquaintances to change her attitude and to see the world and other people from a whole new perspective.

Ms. Barker fills the pages with beautiful words to match the stunning Balinese backdrop as the heroine settles into her temporary accommodation. It's a steep learning curve for her, but it isn't long before she meets fellow residents at UROP (You Are Our People) and begins to see that her life is full of opportunities to grasp. The supporting cast of characters is a delightful bunch of people… the kind you would want to be friends with. This and the engaging narrative creates an escapist adventure for anyone looking for a distraction from their everyday life.

As I dived into this novel, the lyrics from the late great John Denver sprung to mind, as the suppressed feelings of my wanderlust surfaced. I dreamed of packing my suitcase and laptop… "to leave on a jet plane", and head off to paradise to indulge in some meaningful 'me time'. The reality, however, means I've remained where I am but with a longing to visit a new destination, sold to me through the author's vivid descriptions.

For those who have read, That Night in Paris, (like myself), you'll get an opportunity to catch up with Cal again. If you haven't, don't worry, as both books are stand-alone. Either way, both books won't disappoint.

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

Sandy is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list, and many of her travel adventures have found homes in her novels. She’s also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob.

Sandy lives in Melbourne Australia with her partner, Ben, who she met while travelling in Greece. Their real-life love story inspired Sandy’s debut novel One Summer in Santorini, the first in the Holiday Romance series with One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins.

The series continues in That Night in Paris and A Sunset in Sydney and there are two more to come in 2022. Her standalone novel The Christmas Swap celebrates her favourite time of the year, and next up is The Dating Game, a laugh-out-loud romcom set in the world of Reality TV.

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New Publication Spotlight & Review: A Laird for the Governess by Catherine Tinley

A Laird for the Governess by Catherine Tinley

A penniless governess

And the dour Laird of Ardmore

Lydia Farnham must travel to a remote Scottish island to work for widower Alasdair MacDonald, who doesn’t trust her or her unconventional teaching methods! Yet as his daughter flourishes, so, too, does the intense connection between Lydia and Alasdair. Only she should know better than to fall for the handsome laird when it could leave her without a job, or a home…

A beautiful story set against a stunning Hebridean backdrop.

After her employer labels her a Jezebel, forcing her to leave her job and accommodation, Lydia Farnham is homeless, jobless, and penniless… Her only option is to take a job in Scotland. Reluctantly, she accepts the position and, travels to a remote island in the Outer Hebrides hoping this job will last long enough for her to get back on her feet. However, once she's settled at Ardmore, she realises she may have finally found a place to call 'home'.

Widower, Alasdair MacDonald needs a governess for his daughter, Mairead who is both sickly and strong-willed. When the new, English governess arrives, he is instantly attracted to her but wary about her ability to educate his daughter and her commitment to stay. Despite his reservations, his daughter thrives under her pupillage and adapts well to live on the island, offering him the hope that he may have found a woman to fulfil his dreams and desires.

It's a familiar trope, yet Ms. Tinley has written an enticing narrative that creates a delightful love story built on hard-earned trust. Both protagonists have issues from the past, and I enjoyed how the two worked together to erase presumptive views of each other. Both are attractive people but have insecurities. Mairead and the other supporting characters bring the rugged island setting to life and I enjoyed the inclusion of Gaelic words and phrases introduced within the dialogue, as Lydia embraces life in the remote location and works hard to integrate within the close-knit community and learn the language.

Overall, A Laird for the Governess is the first book in the Lairds of the Isles series, which will hopefully promise, more surprising and intriguing tales to come.

***arc generously received courtesy of Harlequin Historical*** 

https://books2read.com/lairdgoverness

Catherine Tinley is an award winning author of historical romance. She writes witty, heartwarming Regency love stories for Harlequin Mills & Boon. Her first book, Waltzing with the Earl, won the Rita Award for Best Historical Romance 2018, while Rags-to-Riches Wife won the RoNA Award for Best Historical Romance 2021 as well as the 2021 HOLT Medallion for Best Historical Romance.

She has loved reading and writing since childhood, and has a particular fondness for love, romance, and happy endings. After a career encompassing speech & language therapy, Sure Start, maternity campaigning and being President of a charity, she now manages a maternity hospital. She lives in Ireland with her husband, children, cats, and dog and can be reached at catherinetinley.com, on facebook, twitter, and instagram.

https://linktr.ee/CTinley

Giveaway to Win Two signed copies of A Laird for the Governess (1 x UK/Ireland Winner, 1 INT Winner)

*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.

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New Publication Spotlight & Author Guest Post: Unforgettable by R.E. Loten

This section comes right at the beginning of the book. Tom has just arrived at The University of Exeter and is feeling a little anxious. He’s just met his room-mate (who seems a bit odd) and they are heading back over to the main hall of residence building to meet the other new arrivals. Tom is anxious to make a good impression and he wants people to think he’s super-confident, but in reality, he has huge doubts about himself.

The walk, although brief, provided me with an opportunity to take more notice of my surroundings, as I was no longer preoccupied by a suitcase hovering on the brink of imminent collapse. To my untutored eye, there wasn’t much in the gardens to inspire deeper thought and I felt a sudden yearning for home. Devon was pretty enough, I suppose, but it had little to appeal to an adolescent who was a city boy to his core. The rolling landscape held no great attraction to one whose ideal view was the city of London from Tower Bridge: a sprawling cityscape where you were jostled impatiently should you ever have the temerity to attempt a moment to stop and appreciate the sights around you. It was a city impregnated with history but obsessively focused on the immediate; intimately aware of its heritage but insistent on living in the now. London, with its safety net of anonymity, where you could be whoever you wanted, do whatever you liked and no-one would even give you the satisfaction of a second glance. After all, who were you to warrant one? We’ve seen it all before, their indifference shouted at you. You were no-one special, just another living dot on a landscape so diverse, it believed itself to be un-shockable. It was totally at odds with this area of the country and I felt the difference in my heart with a sudden longing for the hard pavements and grimy air of the capital. The fresh air here was suffocating. The gruff tones and lost letters that belied the caring heart within my home city had been replaced by the softer sounds of the West Country. Its gently modulated tones were accompanied by kind-eyed looks that spoke of a genuine desire to know you better. Gone was the frenetic pace of life that screamed in your ear, telling you that like a child late for a school trip, you’d get left behind if you paused to take a breath and savour the moment. A much calmer, quieter voice took its place, reminding you to look around. It didn’t want you to miss the red-orange smoulder of the sunset that illuminated fields full of grazing sheep, the glow of the dying day setting the white wool afire.

It should have made me feel more relaxed, but it didn’t. I still felt like that child: I hadn’t quite given up hope that something, or someone, would come along and rescue me, but was experiencing the dawning misery that I was the proverbial fish out of water here. This was not my home territory and I would have to fight to keep my standing. I wanted to have my intellect recognised, to prove I deserved to be here. I needed reassurance that being rejected from Cambridge did not signify the end of my dreams – this was the beginning of a new and different, but equally exciting future. My Cambridge failure had left me feeling as though my life had ended before it had even begun. I’d been so focused on the path I’d set out for myself that I failed to anticipate that just occasionally, life cannot be planned. The world doesn’t read the script you’ve written for yourself and its author sometimes decides your character must travel a different path.

In this latter area at least, I knew I would not be alone. During my brief wait in the hall prior to being assigned to my room, I had overheard part of a whispered conversation.

‘Of course you can do this, sweetheart. Oxford just wasn’t meant to be; you’re more than clever enough to be here.’

‘I am good enough,’ I told myself.

Maybe if I told myself often enough, I would begin to believe it.

These musings occupied me until I became aware that the sharp crunching underfoot had changed to the silence of the tarmac, melted into submission beneath the many feet that had trodden its well-worn surface. This change signalled we had almost reached the back of the house and it drew me out of my funk and focused me back in the present. I turned to Peter with a rueful grin as I pushed the door open and prayed he’d not said anything important while my thoughts had been wandering. As my mum would have no doubt reminded me, had she not already been on her way back eastwards; he may not have been destined to become my best friend, but he’d done nothing to deserve my rudeness, however inadvertent it may have been.

That started me thinking about home once again and I slammed the gate on that particular avenue of thought, not wanting to lose myself for a second time in memories of home. It was tempting to meander down that road, but however comforting those contemplations might have been, I needed to be here, now. The two hundred and fifty miles that separated me from everything I knew could have been a whole world away for all the good that thinking about it would do me. Home was safe and this was scary, but scary was good. Scary got the adrenaline going and kept me on my toes. Scary meant I was pushing the boundaries and making myself a better person. This was a challenge I was ready for, one I fully intended to face head on and overcome. I would seek out the people who I’d spend the next year living with, I would make friends and I would be a success. This was the mantra I repeated to myself through the library and the laundry room, along the corridor and out into the main entrance hall. Earlier, it had been full of freshers, dragging bags and saying their goodbyes to parents, some of whom were embarrassingly tearful. Now it was eerily quiet and gave the impression it was mourning its lost occupants.

Unforgettable by R.E. Loten

There are first loves and there are last loves. But what happens when they overlap?

Tom Blythe falls in love quickly. He fell for Olivia the first time they met. The same thing happens when he meets Grace. The problem is: Tom is still in love with Olivia.

Pulled in two different directions, Tom has a choice to make. He knows he’s unhappy, but is that enough for him to forget the vows he made? Both women have difficult pasts and Tom is desperate to help them, but at what cost?

Can he let Olivia go and commit his future to Grace? Or will the pull of the past prove too strong?

mybook.to/LotenUnforgettable

A former teacher, Ruth’s first writing memory is for her writer’s badge in Brownies but her MA in Creative Writing probably trumps that. One of the founders and editors of the digital literary and visual arts magazine, Makarelle, she has been published in various anthologies and is usually found in her study, mainlining coffee and frantically pinning editorial notes onto a noticeboard. In November 2019, Ruth was appointed Writer In Residence at Brightlingsea Lido. Although she has written a number of books for children and teenagers, this is Ruth’s debut novel for adults.

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Giveaway to Win a signed paperback copy or a kindle version of Unforgettable (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK 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.

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