My Top Reads for 2022

I read 105 books in 2022 and it was so hard to choose just 10 favourites that I gave up and selected 12! Like last year, my favourite genre to read seems to be fantasy (escapism!), particularly books that have a nod to fairy stories or myths. I also love romantic comedy and historical fiction. There are some new-to-me authors this year, such as Vanessa Len, Rachel Gillig and A.G. Slatter, as well as old favourites Harlan Coben, Sarah Morgan and Karen Swan.

The list is in the order I read them. If you'd like to see what other books I've enjoyed this year, you can find them on Goodreads. 

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

Sent to stay with her late mother's eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her job at the historical Holland House, and when her co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place. Then a Good Samaritan attempt gone wrong sends Joan spinning through time, and her life begins to quickly unravel. Her family aren't eccentric, they're monsters with terrifying hidden powers. And Nick isn't just a cute boy: he's a legendary monster-slayer who will do anything to bring them down. Because in this story, Joan is not the hero... Full review here.

The Match by Harlan Coben

Wilde tries to locate his real family via a family history website - one of those that uses DNA samples to match relatives. When one of his contacts disappears under mysterious circumstances, Wilde feels obliged to investigate. The trail leads to a secret online group who expose online trolls. When people connected with this group begin to die, one by one, it becomes clear a killer is out for revenge - and the next person on their list could be Wilde. Full review here.

The Birdcage by Eve Chase

Twenty years after their last visit, half-sisters Lauren, Kat and Flora are summoned to Rock Point: the beautiful and windswept Cornish cliff house where they sat for their father's most famous painting, Girls and Birdcage. The last time they were all together, in 1999 for the Eclipse, something terrible happened. Now they're back, no one mentions it - which Lauren finds unsettling and confusing, because there's a bit of a gap in her memory... Full review here.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Nora is a literary agent often compared to a shark. Charlie is an editor with a publishing house and is Nora's Nemesis after he turned down one of Nora's authors who went on to become a bestseller. The bestselling book in question was a feel-good story set in a small town called Sunshine Falls. For a treat, Nora's sister suggests they take a holiday there but it soon becomes apparent that the Sunshine Falls in real life is not remotely like the one in the book. To make matters worse, everywhere Nora goes she bumps into Charlie. What on earth is HE doing in Sunshine Falls? And is Nora's sister being entirely honest about the reason that they're here too...? Full review here.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk

In 1754, renowned maker of clocks and automata Abel Cloudesley must raise his new-born son Zachary when his wife dies in childbirth. When an accident leaves six-year-old Zachary nearly blinded, Abel is convinced that the safest place for his son is in the care of eccentric Aunt Frances, who owns a menagerie of weird and wonderful animals. Offered a job by a politician with dubious intentions, Abel leaves his son, his workshop and London behind. This decision will change the course of all their lives forever. Full review here.

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

At the beginning of time, the goddess Dea created mankind but Crollo insisted humans were too flawed to survive. So the two of them made a wager. Crollo could send his demons to kill the humans but Dea would would bless the humans with gifts: 'Fontes', who are born with magic to defeat the demons, and one 'Finestra' to enhance that magic when the time came to do battle.

Three years ago Alessa was chosen to be her island's Finestra but so far she has accidentally killed each of the three Fontes she chose to be her partner. Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find another partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island's only hope, even her own soldiers are tempted to assassinate her! Full review here.

The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter

Asher Todd goes to live with the eccentric Morwood family as governess to their three young children. Asher knows little about being a governess, but she is skilled in botany and herb-craft - and perhaps a little bit more. Morwood Grange might be a creepy old house, chock-full of dark family secrets, but Asher has a few of her own - not least the real reason why she is there! And exactly what did happen to the governess before her...? Full review here.

Book of Night by Holly Black

Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn't pick, a book she couldn't steal, or a bad decision she wouldn't make. She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie...

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Carrie Soto has been coached by her father from her childhood to be a winner at tennis, partly because she has a natural talent, inherited from him, but also to help them both cope with the unexpected death of her mother. By the time she retires from the sport she holds several sporting records, including that of most Slam wins, and is considered a sporting legend. When another tennis player looks set to break that record, years later, Carrie announces her comeback. But in risking everything, is she making a terrible mistake? Full review here.

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

Centuries ago, when the townsfolk of Blunder wanted help, they would seek blessings and gifts from the Spirit of the Wood. One day, the Spirit granted the King powerful magic of his own. He wanted to share this with his people so he created the twelve Providence Cards. 

Twelve blessings, twelve, curses...

Now the townsfolk had magic of their own, they forgot about worshipping the Spirit, who began using mist to lure people back to the wood in revenge. Children caught in this mist grew sick. Few survived, but those that did were 'infected' with magic that caused them to degenerate. So the King went back to the wood to barter with the Spirit, who told him the way to cure the children was to reunite the Cards - then she tricked him into handing over the last Card before he could do so. Full review here.

Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Lucy works for an advertising agency, which feels more like family than work, especially since her only relative, her grandmother, died at Christmas a couple of years back. Now the agency is in trouble, she doesn't hesitate to head off to Scotland to try to win over Ross Miller, the CEO of a famous gym/sportswear company. She even has the perfect way to get his attention. Wrap her proposal to look like a present and hand-deliver it to his house. What could possibly go wrong?  Full review here.

The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan

Natasha is staying in an Airbnb in Vienna with her husband and young daughter Mabel, when they oversleep and nearly miss their plane. Too late they realise Mabel's precious toy cow, Moolah, has been left behind. Even when they return to their home in the Cotswolds, Mabel is distraught and refuses to sleep without it. Unable to find a substitute, Natasha puts out a request on social media that goes viral. It turns out Moolah was found by a climber named Duffy, who has now adopted it as a lucky mascot because it reminded him of a toy his sister had. Now hiking through the Himalayas, Duffy can occasionally get an Internet connection, but there are no post offices, so he can't send Moolah back. Instead, he sends electronic postcards to Mabel detailing all Moolah's adventures. Full review here.

Review: Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Lucy works for an advertising agency, which feels more like family than work, especially since her only relative, her grandmother, died at Christmas a couple of years back. Now the agency is in trouble, she doesn't hesitate to head off to Scotland to try to win over Ross Miller, the CEO of a famous gym/sportswear company. She even has the perfect way to get his attention. Wrap her proposal to look like a present and hand-deliver it to his house. What could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, Ross and his sisters Alice and Clemmie meet up before their annual family Christmas get together to discuss tactics to deal with their parents, particularly their mother and Nanna Jean, who are just dying to see them all happily married. Alice has commitment issues and her boyfriend has just proposed, sending her into a panic. She suggests that Ross could take the heat off her if he pretends to have a girlfriend. Ross goes along with the joke and they randomly chooses the name Lucy for his fake girlfriend, after the girl on the cover of a magazine. So that when the real Lucy arrives at the Miller house, complete with her 'present' for Ross, his family get completely the wrong idea and invite her in. By the time Ross has turned up and the mistake is explained, it is snowing heavily and all trains back to London have been cancelled. And Lucy is stuck facing Christmas with a family of strangers...

Snowed in for Christmas is not a story about one couple's romance, but an ensemble cast who have multiple problems, exacerbated by being thrown together for Christmas with no prospect of escape! We have Lucy, who hates Christmas due to her sad memories; Alice, who knows she's no one's idea of a perfect wife yet terrified of losing Nico if she turns down his proposal; Clemmie, who moved to London to escape her childhood sweetheart, only to run into him again; and Glenda, the matriarch, desperate to see her family settled, but equally aware she has to step back and not interfere with their lives. Meanwhile, the hilarious but completely adorable Nanna Jean has no compunction about interfering in all their lives as often as possible! (As you can tell, Nanna Jean was my favourite character!)

If you love warm-hearted, feel-good romantic comedies, this is the book for you. Highly original and very funny (and deserving of being a Christmas classic), Snowed in for Christmas was one of my favourite reads this year. Would suit fans of authors such as Jill Shalvis and classic movies like While You Were Sleeping.

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

Blog Tour: The Friendship Pact (Sunrise Cove #2) by Jill Shalvis

I am a huge fan of Jill Shalvis and was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Friendship Pact. This is a small-town, second-chance romance, set in Sunrise Cove, Lake Tahoe, California. Each novel in the Sunrise Cove series is a standalone, so you don't need to worry about reading them in order.

Tae and her mother April have lived their lives teetering on the edge of poverty since April became pregnant with Tae at the age of fifteen - and was promptly disowned by her family. Twenty-seven years later, April and Tae are incredibly close, determined that nothing will come between them, until a chance remark by a stranger sets Tae on the trail of the father she thought was dead. She's helped on her quest by her ex-high-school boyfriend, Riggs, recently returned to Sunrise Cove to help his brother Jake run an adventure company for people with disabilities, including ex-soldiers - both Riggs and Jake are veterans.

Despite being intensely drawn to each other, Tae and Riggs agree to remain just good friends, but as they spend more and more time together, keeping their relationship platonic becomes impossible. Should they give up and have a short fling? After all, what could possibly go wrong?

The Friendship Pact is as much about family and friends as it is about romance. It is lovely to see the close bonds between Tae and April, and Riggs and Jake. But both Tae and Riggs have been hurt badly in the past, can they move on from that?

I loved the start of the story, where Tae, who is having a nightmare of an evening, accidently gets into Rigg's car, thinking he's a Uber driver, then walks straight into what appears to be a hold-up at a grocery story - all because she wants to drown her sorrows in ice-cream! Another favourite is the scene where Jake tries to teach Riggs about feelings: in particular, talking about them! It's both hilarious and touching.

The Friendship Pact is a feel-good romantic comedy about second chances and the importance of talking through problems, rather than trying to avoid them, and opening up emotionally - otherwise, how is anyone you care about going to know how you feel?!! It would suit anyone who loves romantic comedy with heart and fans of Sarah Morgan and Susan Mallery. The third story in this series, The Backup Plan, will be out in January 2023 - I can't wait!

Thank you to Jill  Shalvis and Headline Eternal for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

This post appears as part of The Friendship Pact Blog Tour. Do check out the reviews of the other bloggers taking part!

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The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1) by Jill Shalvis

Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Emily Henry is one of my favourite authors. She has a real gift for creating wonderful, relatable characters and fabulously funny stories. Book Lovers is her best novel yet.

Nora is a literary agent often compared to a shark. Charlie is an editor with a publishing house and is Nora's Nemesis after he turned down one of Nora's authors who went on to become a bestseller. The bestselling book in question was a feel-good story set in a small town called Sunshine Falls. For a treat, Nora's sister suggests they take a holiday there but it soon becomes apparent that the Sunshine Falls in real life is not remotely like the one in the book. To make matters worse, everywhere Nora goes she bumps into Charlie. What on earth is HE doing in Sunshine Falls? And is Nora's sister being entirely honest about the reason that they're here too...?

In Book Lovers, Emily Henry takes the popular 'Small Town Romance' trope and pays affectionate homage to it. If you've ever watched one of those Hallmark/Netflix movies where the heroine, a confirmed city girl, ends up in a rural town where she meets a handsome farmer/vet/carpenter, you will have fun spotting the references and enjoying the in-jokes. Book Lovers also has an enemies-to-lovers trope (which I love), so there is lots of fabulously funny dialogue between the lead characters. I adored Nora, who is such a refreshing heroine, much misunderstood by everyone, including her own sister, but I LOVED Charlie, who is a complete sweetheart.

Book Lovers is clever, romantic and brilliantly funny. It would suit fans of modern romantic comedy and authors such as Mhairi McFarlane and Beth O'Leary. One of my favourite reads this year. I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to Emily Henry and Viking (Penguin) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is one of my favourite authors. I love her stories of romance, friendship and family life, and Beach House Summer did not disappoint!

When Joanna switches on the TV one morning the headline news is that her ex-husband Cliff, a famous chef, has been killed in a car accident. She doesn't know whether to feel elated or cheated - there were times when she'd like to have killed him herself! She'd married him on the rebound and he'd cheated on her throughout their marriage. Typically, there had been another young woman with him when his car had crashed and it's not long before the press are camped outside Joanna's door in pursuit of a juicy story.

Ashley was the girl in Cliff's car when it crashed and now she's lying in a hospital bed, worried she's about to lose her baby, and also being stalked by the press. The one person she doesn't expect to come to her rescue is also the one person who knows how she feels - Joanna. Joanna has a proposition - that they head to the sleepy Californian town of Sandy Point and hide out at Joanna's beach house until the fuss goes down. Ashley, who is penniless and terrified, readily agrees. Spend summer at a beach house? What's not to like? But to Joanna it means returning to her home town, to the life she had before she married Cliff, meeting the friends she abandoned, confronting the woman who made her life hell, and facing the man she left behind...

Beach House Summer is a deliciously summery read about facing up to the past - and the future, connecting with old friends and making new ones, learning from mistakes and to forgive - and that maintaining a dignified silence is not always the best option! I loved the setting of Sandy Point and wish I could spend my summer there. Watching Joanna regain her old confidence and discover a new life was lovely and I adored Ashley's no-nonsense feistiness. Joanna's assistant, Nessa, was a fabulous supporting character but I'm not sure I would have forgiven Nate so easily!

One of my favourite reads this year, Beach House Summer would suit fans of feel-good romantic comedy and authors such as Jill Shalvis. The perfect holiday read!

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1) by Jill Shalvis

I've only recently discovered Jill Shalvis and have been happily working my way through her backlist, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Family You Make.

Levi and Jane are stuck in a ski lift gondola (cable car), halfway up a mountain, when a blizzard hits and the gondola in front of them crashes to the ground. Faced with the very real possibility that they are going to die, Levi phones his family to say goodbye but then can't bring himself to utter the words. When his mother hears Jane in the background, she assumes Jane is his new girlfriend. Unable to tell his mother the truth, he goes along with it. What harm can it do? Except Levi and Jane are then rescued and now his family will go to any lengths to meet her...

The Family You Make features two couples. Commitment-shy Jane trying to navigate her fake/not fake relationship with Levi, and her friend Charlotte, who also has problems trying to form relationships because of trauma in her past, and is trying to ignore her attraction to Levi's friend Matteo. Levi has a large, exuberant family, who love him despite not really understanding him. Jane, after being passed from relative to relative while she was growing up, is so used to having no one care about her, she is always ready to move onto the next job before she outstays her welcome. Can Levi persuade her to stay and give him a chance - despite the 'help' from his family? And can Charlotte learn to trust Matteo enough to take their relationship to the next level?

Warm, witty and wise, with thoroughly engaging characters, I was really rooting for both couples to have their very own happy ever after. I loved Levi's quirky family, especially his niece Peyton, and I can't wait for the next book in the series (The Friendship Pact). A five-star read. Would suit fans of Sarah Morgan and Susan Mallery.

Thank you to Jill Shalvis and Headline Eternal for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

My Top Ten Reads of 2021

I read 120 books in 2021 and it was so hard to choose just ten for this post! In the end, I did a If-I-was-about-to-be-marooned-on-a-desert-island-which-ten-books-could-I-not-live-without thing, and so here they are!

Scrolling through my Goodreads account, I can see a definite tailing-off of crime fiction, which I rarely read anymore, unless it is by favourite author such as Harlan Coben, Elly Griffiths or Lisa Jewell. I'm reading less historical romance but more general historical fiction, and I love the new trend for gothic mysteries! I'm also reading more romantic comedy and romantic fantasy/YA fantasy. A reaction to the times, I wonder?

(The books are listed in the order I read them!)

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a companion to Holly Black's bestselling Folk of the Air series, about a human girl who rises to power in the land of the fey. This book is a series of linked short stories about one of the characters, Prince Cardan. Beautifully illustrated but best suited to fans/readers of the series! If you're interested, start with #1, The Cruel Prince! 

Win by Harlan Coben

Twenty years ago, Win's cousin Patricia was kidnapped from the family home during a robbery and kept in an isolated log cabin for months. She finally escaped, but so did her kidnappers, and the items stolen were never seen again - until now.

An elderly recluse has been found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside a priceless Vermeer painting and a suitcase with Win's initials. How is the man linked to Patricia's kidnapping and is it connected to another cold case involving domestic terrorism? The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades but Win has two things they do not - a personal connection to the case, a large fortune - and his own unique brand of justice!

Full review here.

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex meet on their first day at university and Do Not Get On, but that doesn't matter because they'll never see each other again, right? Wrong! When Poppy's friend manages to blag her a lift back home at the end of the year with someone who lives in the same town, guess who it is? Alex. By the time they reach their home town they've developed a friendship of sorts and agree to go on a summer vacation with each other.

A few years later Alex is a teacher, happy to stay in the dead-end town where they grew up. Poppy, however, cannot wait to travel the world. The blog she writes, detailing her experiences, becomes such a success she's offered a job at a famous travel magazine. Soon she and Alex are taking holidays all around the world at the magazine's expense. Until one summer, she and Alex fall out. For two years they don't even speak until she accidentally texts him, one text leads to another, and they agree to go on one last holiday together...

Full review here.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This story is set in Malibu and split between the 1950s (leading up to the 80s) and 1983. In the 50s we see singer Mick Riva marry sweet loyal teenager June Costas, and witness the effect his fame (and philandering) has on their marriage and four children. In the present, his daughter Nina is preparing for her famous annual party - except her tennis-star husband has just left her and she'd rather be surfing anyway. And her sister has invited an unexpected guest... It looks as though it will be a very fiery family reunion...

Full review here.

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

Kathleen used to have a popular TV travel show but now she's 80 years old and chaffing at the restrictions others (mainly her daughter, Liza) seem to want to force upon her due to her age. Liza feels Kathleen should give up her home on the beach in Cornwall and go into some form of retirement home. So Kathleen retaliates by booking a road trip across America. She can't drive but that's not a problem - she'll hire Martha to drive her!

Martha is only too eager to jump at the chance to get away from her family and ex-boyfriend, who want to belittle her at every opportunity. Won't they be surprised (and hopefully impressed) to learn she has a new job driving a TV star across America? There is only one teensy problem. Martha can't drive...

Full review here.

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

In 2017, Tallulah goes on a date with her boyfriend Zach, leaving her baby with her mother Kim. The next morning Tallulah still hasn't come home. Kim discovers that Tallulah and Zach were invited to the local big house, Dark Place (which already has a sinister reputation), but when Kim calls around the owner says that all the teenagers left after the party. Kim knows Tallulah would never willingly abandon her baby. So where is she? 

Two years later, when everyone but Kim has moved on with their lives, a crime writer called Sophie spots a sign in the local woods that says 'Dig Here'...

Full review here.

Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan

Award-winning director Clover Phillips is enjoying the accolades from her last documentary when she encounters Kit Foley, a surfer and snowboarder as famous for controversy as he is for winning championships.

Involved in an accident that had devastating consequences for a bitter rival, Kit has never told his side of the story. Determined to change that, Clover heads to the Austrian Alps with the intention of making Kit the subject of her next documentary.

It's hard to get the truth out of someone who hates you, and goes out of their way to avoid you, but is Kit really the heartless monster that everyone believes he is?

Full review here.

One More Christmas at the Castle by Trisha Ashley

Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big day.

Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas Day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought.

But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine's family arrive at the house - including Dido's teenage crush Xan - tensions rise around the castle's future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel...

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman

London, 1799. Dora Blake is an aspiring jewellery artist who lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents' famed shop of antiquities. When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, Dora is intrigued by her uncle's suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar. Edward sees the ancient vase as key to unlocking his academic future. Dora sees it as a chance to restore the shop to its former glory, and to escape her nefarious uncle.

But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it. As Dora uncovers the truth she starts to realise that some mysteries are buried, and some doors are locked, for a reason.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Thanks to falling in love with the wrong man, Maria Owens ends up on a scaffold, about to be hung for witchcraft, and curses any man who falls in love with an Owens woman ('broken, body and soul'). Four hundred years later and her family are still feeling the tragic effects of this curse.

After witnessing her mother's suffering, teenager Kylie Owens has no intention of risking the life of the boy she has fallen in love with and is determined to do anything to break the curse, once and for all. Even if that means abandoning her family and heading back to England (where it all began), and risking her own life by using a dark magic book that was once owned by Maria's daughter...

Full review here.

Have you read any of these? Which were your favourites?

You can see more of the books I've enjoyed reading this year over on Instagram and Goodreads.

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Review: The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is one of my go-to authors if I'm feeling a bit down. Her heart-warming romantic comedies are always guaranteed to put the smile back on my face. I was so excited to receive an early copy of The Christmas Escape I couldn't wait to read it - even though it was the middle of summer!

Christy Sullivan has planned the perfect Christmas holiday to Lapland with her husband Seb, daughter Holly and best friend Alix. She's also hoping to finally meet her long-lost aunt Robyn. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with Seb. How can she deprive her daughter of a dream holiday? Her solution is to ask Alix to take her daughter, with the help of Seb's friend Zac, and they will all reunite on Christmas Day. After all, what are friends for? Well, there's nothing Alix won't do for Christy but Christy's plan is going to severely test their friendship, because Alix and Zac have a complicated history of their own...

The Christmas Escape is about family and friendships, how those relationships change over time and need to adapt. My favourite character was Alix. I love characters with flaws and poor Alix has a lot of emotional baggage. Although a loyal friend, she has a habit of speaking her mind - very bluntly. She's never been much of a fan of Seb either - tricky when he's married to her best friend! Due to her own dysfunctional childhood, she hasn't got a clue about Christmas or how to look after children. Now Christy has entrusted her with Holly, who is one of those children that things just 'happen' to. How can Alix hope to keep Holly safe in Lapland, with so many accidents waiting to happen? Then there's Zac, who she was perfectly happy to never see again after their last explosive encounter. Now she's expected her to go on holiday with him? This won't be the relaxing break she was hoping for...

One of my favourite books this year, The Christmas Escape is the perfect festive read, especially for fans of Sarah Morgan, authors like Jill Shalvis, enemies-to-lovers tropes, destination fiction, feel-good romantic comedy, and anyone who's ever dreamt of escaping the humdrum for a perfect Christmas! 

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is one of my favourite authors and I often read her books more than once, particularly if I am feeling low. The Summer Seekers is, as the name suggests, a blast of summer fun, perfect for this time of year, even more so if you're stuck at home on a Staycation. You'll be whisked off on holiday with Kathleen, Liza and Martha!

Kathleen used to have a popular TV travel show but now she's 80 years old and chaffing at the restrictions others (mainly her daughter, Liza) seem to want to force upon her due to her age. Liza feels Kathleen should give up her home on the beach in Cornwall and go into some form of retirement home. So Kathleen retaliates by booking a road trip across America. She can't drive but that's not a problem - she'll hire Martha to drive her!

Martha is only too eager to jump at the chance to get away from her family and ex-boyfriend, who want to belittle her at every opportunity. Won't they be surprised (and hopefully impressed) to learn she has a new job driving a TV star across America? There is only one teensy problem. Martha can't drive...

Liza can feel herself buckling beneath the pressure of being everyone's go-to woman. She worries about her too-independent mother and feels her husband and daughters are not supporting her, rather creating more work without a second thought. The final straw is coming home to find her house wrecked after a party. Using cat-sitting as an excuse, she flees to her mother's home in Cornwall to rediscover the woman she used to be.

The Summer Seekers is a feel-good, heart-warming story about three women rebelling against their family's expectations, who seize the chance for an adventure with both hands, and discover new friends and potential lovers along the way.

I particularly adored the character of Kathleen and had Dame Maggie Smith stuck in my head for most of the book. What a terrific film this would make! Martha was sweet and I enjoyed how she gained confidence with every mile, even having a romance along the way. I think the character that resonated most with me was Liza. Who hasn't fantasised about giving up the stresses of everyday life and heading to Cornwall and the beach. And finding a sexy rock star living next door? Bonus!

The Summer Seekers will be published on 27th May 2021.

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is definitely my go-to author when it comes to Christmas books. Her stories about romance and family relationships are so real and true-to-life, and always come served up with a good dollop of all things Christmassy!

One More for Christmas is about Gayle, a successful business-woman famous for her self-help books, which are all about taking control of your life and not relying on anyone else. Unfortunately, she's not so successful in her private life and has not seen her grown-up daughters for five years. After an accident lands her in hospital and her daughters are notified as her next-of-kin, Gayle realises she needs to make amends. Samantha and Ella have an uneasy relationship with their mother - particularly Ella, who hasn't even told Gayle that she married five years ago and is now a stay-at-home mum to Tabitha. It doesn't help that Gayle thinks Christmas is a waste of money - Samantha and Ella weren't even allowed to have a Christmas tree as children. Now Gayle wants to make up for lost time and join them on a Christmas trip to Scotland...

I utterly adored One More for Christmas. I really felt for Gayle, who has finally realised what a hash she has made in the way she tried to bring up her children to be tough and self-reliant. She was so desperate that they didn't make the mistakes she did, she's unwittingly made a whole bunch of new ones. It was so sweet watching her try to make amends, and to be a grandmother to Tabitha - building snowmen and making gingerbread - not realising that she's alienating her daughters further because they never got to do that with her.

I particularly loved that the story is told from several points of view: Gayle, Samantha, Ella and Brodie - the owner of the big old house in Scotland where they are taking their holiday. Brodie has problems of his own and the purpose of the trip is for Samantha to help him market his home as a luxury holiday destination. This story has more romance than Sarah's last book, and the affectionate nod to contemporary romances set in the Highlands (Laid by the Laird is a running joke) made me giggle.

If you're looking for a feel-good, funny, romantic, ultra-Christmassy book to read over the holidays then this is definitely the book for you! I know Sarah's fans will love it (think: The Christmas Sisters and Sleigh Bells in the Snow) and it would also suit readers of feel-good romantic comedy such as those written by Trisha Ashley. I'm certainly saving it to read again!  

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan