Book-Mad-Mum

  When their beloved grandfather dies, Fliss and her sisters are astonished to inherit a French chateau! Travelling to Normandy to visit the beautiful if faded house, they soon discover the chateau is a money pit. It requires major work, a huge tax bill is due . . . and there's a sitting tenant to whom they owe a monthly allowance. Unable to sell but strapped for cash, Fliss decides to spruce up the elegant old rooms and open a B&B. But, why is Jacques, the neighbouring farmer and also local mayor, so hostile, and how did their grandfather come to own the place anyway? I have had this book on my TBR shelf for a little while, but I was so excited to read it, that I pushed it up my list and I am so glad I did as I devoured it immediately. It was absolutely fantastic and I promise you won’t be disappointed when you read it. It has love, food, jeopardy and characters that you will want to befriend! I have read most of Jo’s books now and believe me, this is by far the best, th...

I n 2009, Norah spends a summer in Italy with her girlfriends. Whilst there she meets Andrew from Dublin and after spending a whirlwind week with him seeing the sights of Verona they return to their real lives but make a pact to meet outside Bewley’s in Dublin on Christmas Eve 2019. Fast forward to December 2019 and life has moved on for Norah, after losing her father, and her mother cancelling their Christmas plans, she remembers the pact she made with Andrew and persuades her friend Joe to go with her on the trip to see if what she felt during a holiday romance can be rekindled ten years on. This is a gorgeous romance novel, and I loved the fact that it was mainly set in Dublin during Christmas and the mention of Verona made my heart melt as it is always somewhere that I have wanted to visit. Although you can pretty much guess where the story is going, it is a wonderful book and you won’t be disappointed.

  Kate is a successful interior designer bringing up two children but when it comes to Christmas, she feels that her luck has run out. Grieving for her husband and her father she now worries about renovating her flat, paying the bills and trying to maintain the perfect life.   Her mother, Jean is concerned about Kate but she has her own set of worries to deal with. When sorting through her husband’s things, she discovers a letter informing him that he had inherited a house. A memory from the past comes back to haunt her, but she knows that she now has to face it head on, before she can move on with her own life. This is a story of grief from two different perspectives and the way that two family members handle   it in their own ways is woven into the story nicely, so it doesn’t feel all doom and gloom. I have to say that I absolutely loved this book and devoured it very quickly, I could have got RSI in my wrist from flicking the pages over so fast! When I knew I sho...

    “Award-winning director Clover Phillips is riding high when she encounters Kit Foley; a surfer and snowboarder as well-known for controversy as he is for winning championships. Involved in an accident that had devastating consequences for a bitter rival, Kit has never spoken about what really happened that day. Determined to find out the truth, Clover heads to the snowy wilderness of the Austrian Alps, sharing a romantic winter wonderland with a man who can’t stand her. But as she delves deeper, Clover finds herself both drawn to Kit, and even more convinced he’s hiding something. Is Kit Foley really as cold as he seems? ”   I have read many of Karen Swan’s books before and always loved them – this one is based around the snowboarding and surfing world, neither of which appeal to me if I’m completely honest, however…! Karen obviously does so much research on her subject and sets about creating a story that ...

  Josie literally bumps into Max on her way to post a letter a few days before Christmas. It’s a letter she sends every year knowing it will never be read. Max is stranded in London, but after their chance encounter they spend a few days together, but Max then flies to New York leaving just a note no explanation for Josie.   Oh my word – this book had me sobbing!! It was so wonderful and I truly, truly, truly loved it. Words actually fail me at the moment, as I have literally just finished the last page and I’m still in shock as to what happened. At times in the day when I was working or out shopping, I kept thinking about the characters, what was it that Max wanted to tell Josie, and what part did Erin play in his life? They kept popping into my mind, a bit like when a friend tells you part of a story, but then you get interrupted and you want to know how things worked out!! I couldn’t stop thinking about them, and was itching to carry on reading it. Just be warned thou...

  It’s Darjeeling in 1930 and 18 year old Charlotte Lawrence returns to Sundar, her family’s tea garden after being schooled in England. After learning about her father’s death just days before she arrives home, Charlotte discovers she has been left the family estate. She also learns that it was her father’s wish for her to marry Andrew McAllister, the good-looking younger son from a neighbouring plantation. However, Charlotte wants to learn about the running of the business before she settles down to married life, and convinces Dan Fitzgerald, the assistant manager of the estate, to show her the ropes while she gets to know Andrew. Charlotte’s chaperone and friend, who accompanied her on the journey from England, Ada Eastman, is set to marry Harry who owns a neighbouring tea garden, but Ada has left a secret behind in England and is determined to become a loyal and faithful wife to Harry and friend to Charlotte.   I loved this book- the setting was absolutely beauti...