Book Review, Giveaway: The Gift of Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May

The Gift of Cockleberry Bay

by Nicola May

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

From the author of the #1 BESTSELLING The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay

All of our favorite characters from Cockleberry Bay are back in this final, heart-warming story in the series. Including Hot, Rosa Smith's adorable dachshund and his new-born puppies.

Now successfully running the Cockleberry Café and wishing to start a family herself, Rosa feels the time is right to let her inherited Corner Shop go. However, her benefactor left one important legal proviso: that the shop cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it.

Rosa is torn. How can she make such a huge decision? And will it be the right one? Once the news gets out and goes public, untrustworthy newcomers appear in the Bay . . . their motives uncertain. With the revelation of more secrets from Rosa's family heritage, a new journey of unpredictable and life-changing events begins to unfold.

The Gift of Cockleberry Bay concludes this phenomenally successful series in typically brisk and bolshy style and will delight the many thousands of Rosa's fans

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘It always seems to be loving families who lose a parent or a child. I do believe the good die young. ’‘My mum wasn’t that young.’ ‘She wasn’t that good either.’ ‘Oi.’ They both then laughed nervously.



‘I’m internet dating, you see, and there are very few handsome men to be found in this area, as you can imagine.’ She picked up a thick church candle from the shelf and held it at the base with both hands. Danny blinked and cleared his throat.



‘Show me again.’ Rosa held up the grey and white picture. ‘Aw. That’s our baby, that is.’ Josh was beaming. ‘Look to the right, I’m sure I can see a willy.’ Rosa laughed. ‘I don’t ever want to see one of those again if it makes me feel this sick.’



Christmas Eve and the Cockleberry Bay Village Hall had not seen so much activity since the adult version of the nativity play twenty-five years ago, when Joseph had outed his wife for having an affair with the Angel Gabriel; in his hurry to escape the humiliation, the latter got his wings caught in a wise man’s stick and fell off the stage, breaking his ankle.

My Review:

I enjoy Ms. May’s wry comedic humor and she is a wily one as her amusing levity kept my lips twitching with a ready smirk. She is rather sneaky and slipped in jocularity in the midst of other scenes in unexpected places such as when a character was adding their coins to the café’s communal gratuities jar, which was described as “a ceramic burlesque dancer money box that held a sign saying Nice Tips.”


In addition to her clever and playful use of wit, several hefty social and personal issues were tapped and used as a positive platform for dispersal of thoughtful information and awareness, which I always appreciate. Ms. May’s characters tend to be diverse, quirky, deeply flawed, and uniquely intriguing. And despite his stinky breath and proprietary barking, I adore that little Hot Dog, AKA, Mr. Sausage to “where the sky touches the sea.”

About The Author

Nicola May lives in the UK, five miles from the Queen’s castle in Windsor, with her black-and-white rescue cat, Stan. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon and devouring cream teas.

Her bestselling The Corner Shop in Cockleberry, the 1st book in the Cockleberry Bay series, went to #1 on Amazon and stayed there for an unprecedented 6 weeks.

She classes her novels as ‘chicklit with a kick,’ writing about love, life, and friendships in a real, not fluffy kind of way. She likes burgers, mince pies, clocks, birds, bubble baths and facials - but is not so keen on aubergines. 

Follow Nicola May

Website - www.nicolamay.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NicolaMayAuthor

Twitter - https://twitter.com/nicolamay1

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/author_nicola/

Giveaway 

 Win a signed copy of The Gift of Cockleberry Bay (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions 

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 be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review, Giveaway: From Thailand with Love by Camilla Isley

From Thailand with Love

by Camilla Isley

Amazon / B&N / Apple / 

Kobo / Google Play

All Logan has to do is to get the gold and get the girl. Easy, right?

Travel photographer Winter Knowles and archeology professor Logan Spencer dislike each other at first sight. Stuck together on a wild island, these two unwilling teammates will bicker and banter their way through a laugh-packed treasure hunt.

After years of searching, a new mapping technology has given Logan a clue to the location of the legendary Lost City of Gold. A discovery that could make his career. So the last thing he needs on this life-changing expedition is for his team to get distracted by a pair of long legs.

When Winter accepted the assignment on a tropical island she didn’t sign up for a brooding team leader who’d clearly prefer to run a boys-only club. Never one to back down from a challenge, Winter is ready to show him she’s no damsel in distress.

But when a treasure like no other is uncovered and ruthless enemies will want to keep it for themselves, it’ll be up to the two of them to save the day. Left alone to fight in the jungle, they will soon discover their lives might not be the only thing at stake—their hearts could be too.

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

A fun read packed with danger, action, romance, and comedy.

From Thailand with Love is part of a series of interconnected romantic comedies but can be read as a standalone novel as all the other books in the First Comes Love series.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I can’t help not liking the man; he honestly gives me the creeps… he’s retained all his military bearing: buzz cut shorter at the sides, lean muscled body, and a hard face marked by a livid white slash. The ominous scar cuts from his left eyebrow to halfway down his cheek. And he probably enjoys frightening children with it in his spare time.



I try to resist, but quickly give in. Grabbing the ever-present camera dangling from my neck, I stealthily snap a few shots of my sweaty, muscular colleagues. Then I check the results on the small screen on the back of the device, and chuckle to myself. These pictures would look great on an erotica novel, probably one called something like: “Taken in the Jungle by the Three Archeologists.”



I’m not getting out of this tub for anything in the world. “I’ve ordered dinner,” Logan says. I don’t reply. “Burgers and champagne.” Okay, now he’s got my attention.



Did I overshare? Maybe I overshared. But when I’m nervous, I talk. When I’m tired, I talk. When I’m both, I crash into TMI land like a cannonball.

My Review:

This tale was more action-adventure than I was expecting but thankfully there was also a bevy of amusing accidents and observations as well as a budding romance to put a smirk on my face. I enjoy Ms. Isley’s deft writing style, wry humor, and colorfully written character descriptions. This busy volume to the series features an archeological expedition finding peril in the hot and sticky jungle filled with ravenous insects, and I’m still feeling itchy and dehydrated just from the highly evocative descriptions alone – I’m so suggestible!

About The Author

Camilla is an engineer turned writer after she quit her job to follow her husband on an adventure abroad.

She’s a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

Social Media Links  

https://www.facebook.com/camillaisley/

https://twitter.com/camillaisley

https://www.instagram.com/camillaisley/ 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14135080.Camilla_Isley

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/camilla-isley

https://www.pinterest.com/camillaisley/ 

GIVEAWAY

Win a From Thailand With Love Tote Bag

(Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions 

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 be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review, Giveaway: A Springtime to Remember by Lucy Coleman

A Springtime to Remember

by Lucy Coleman

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Apple

Let Lucy Coleman transport you to glorious, sun-drenched France, for the perfect feel-good read. Paris and the Palace of Versailles have always meant a lot to TV producer Lexie. Her grandma Viv spent a year there, but her adventures and memories were never discussed, and Lexie has long wondered why they were a family secret.

When work presents the perfect excuse to spend Springtime in Versailles, Lexie delves into Viv’s old diaries and scrapbooks, and with the help of handsome interpreter Ronan, she is soon learning more about the characters that tend to the magnificent gardens, now and in the past.

In amongst the beauty and splendor of the French countryside, a story of lost love, rivalry and tragedy unfold. Can Lexie and Ronan right the wrongs of the past, and will France play its tricks on them both before Lexie has to go home? Will this truly be a Springtime to Remember…?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I’ve lost my pride a few times over the years and it does shake your confidence, but the lessons I learnt were invaluable. Hardest of all though is when a family member turns on you – it’s a hurt that never goes away.



I swear if Jake fell out of a plane he’d land on his feet and walk away without breaking a sweat.



‘I knew this house needed something,’ Ronan says, slipping his arm around my waist and squeezing, ‘but I didn’t realise what it needed was YOU.’



I’ve been in limbo, I guess… I’ve been living my life one day at a time for so long now that it’s become second nature to me. I stopped noticing what was around me because without her here it feels like a shell.



To life, love and laughter. May we all be blessed with all three.

My Review:

Lucy Coleman’s background in interior design was readily apparent throughout this tale, as her narrative was rich with lush descriptions of every scene. I would imagine when touring and attempting to capture the opulence and extravagance of Versailles, her professional eye for detail could well have put her in danger of a massive cranial explosion as I nearly short-circuited during an all too brief tour many years ago. The storylines were slow to develop, intricately detailed, and rife with family drama, dead ends, and angsty misconceptions while a sweet romance was gradually blossoming and several underlying mysteries kept poking and taunting my curiosity. And what clever twists those threads turned out to be once unraveled. Lucy Coleman has a hidden side of sly and clever trickster lurking behind her sweet smile, which pleases me to no end. 😏

About The Author


From interior designer to author, Linn B. Halton - who also writes under the pen name of Lucy Coleman - says 'it's been a fantastic journey!'

Linn is the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels - including Summer on the Italian Lakes, Snowflakes over Holly Cove, The French Adventure and A Cottage in the Country. She is represented by Sara Keane of the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

When she's not writing or spending time with the family, she's either upcycling furniture, working in the garden, or practicing Tai Chi.

Living in Coed Duon in the Welsh Valleys with her 'rock', Lawrence, and gorgeous Bengal cat Ziggy, she is an eternal romantic.

Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the SoA and writes feel-good, uplifting novels about life, love, and relationships.

Social Media Links  

Website: http://lucycolemanromance.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyColemanAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucyColemanauth

GIVEAWAY

Win a signed paperback of 'A French Adventure' 

and a metal leaf bookmark. (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions 

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 be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review, Giveaway: Killing Them With Kindness by Andy Paulcroft

Killing Them With Kindness

by Andy Paulcroft

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

Deirdre Cossette is the self-appointed carer for the elderly on The Avenue and all of her friends have stories to tell. Margery, whose comfortable life was destroyed by a knock on the door. Stan, who made a mistake as a young footballer which cost him his friends and his self-respect. Marina, whose slim and stylish figure hides a terrible secret from the summer of Live Aid. And, Oliver and Archie, who have survived everything from post-war homophobia to a family tragedy – and they have done it together. Deirdre believes that everyone should have a choice. If they want to live on a diet of cakes, drink the alcoholic equivalent of a small hydrotherapy pool, or take on a toy boy lover in spite of a dodgy heart, Deirdre believes it is their right to do so. If they remember her in their wills afterward, that’s not her fault, is it? However, not everyone agrees with her. When disgruntled relatives from the present meet up with disgruntled ghosts from her past, Deirdre discovers the cost of being kind.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

… the door opened and the reason behind the little car’s lethargy was revealed. An enormous woman unfurled herself from the interior in the manner of an elephant escaping from a phone box.



‘Oh, look at them.’ Deirdre sighed as she stared from the window. ‘They have the faces of two beautiful gondoliers, and yet their souls are more akin to a bad case of gonorrhoea.’



Godfrey tutted. ‘This is most unfortunate,’ he said, ‘I hoped you would be able to see sense without my legal team becoming involved.’ His ‘legal team’ was actually a solicitor with questionable qualifications and the rumour of a prison record. He operated from a cabin near the old gasworks in the town where they lived, but Godfrey thought that the terminology sounded grander. To actually employ a legal team would have cost money… To him, spending money was like performing karaoke. It was something that other people did while you favoured them with a pitying look and a snide remark.



While Deirdre loved people, she also liked her own privacy. She turned the neglected collection of old stones into her own version of a fairy tale cottage, camouflaged by trees and only stumbled upon by ramblers if they had a faulty GPS and no natural sense of direction.

My Review:

I adored every word of this wryly penned and cunningly crafted missive. Each page was shot through with brain-tickling levity and diabolically clever wit. I was staggered, mesmerized, thoroughly entertained, and completely awed to realize that is was only the author’s second book. I had reams of favorite quotes and nearly perished with the pain of whittling them down for this review. The writing was slyly amusing and engaging storytelling at its best as sharp and vivid visuals were conjured that stayed with me long after I had put my Kindle to rest.


The premise was unusual and highly relevant and while it was exceedingly clever and brilliantly paced, the tale was extremely well-crafted and thoughtfully rendered while sneakily hitting all the feels multiple times. I gasped, smirked, giggled-snorted, and gleefully laughed aloud in a manner that some might describe as cackling. Andy Paulcroft is a true artist who paints with the most vibrant of words.

About The Author

Andy Paulcroft grew up in Weston-super-Mare, and his love of books started when he borrowed his sister’s copy of Five Run Away Together and exaggerated a minor illness in order to finish reading it. He has since worked as a chef in France, Switzerland, Corsica and the North Highlands of Scotland before settling as a catering manager at a boarding school in Dorset. After many years of writing two to three chapters of a book before discarding it, he finally published his first novel Postcards From Another Life – in December 2017. The wonderful feeling of completing a novel was only surpassed by receiving a positive reaction from people who had read it. He retired from catering and recently published his second novel Killing Them With Kindness.  He is now working on his third book.

Follow Andy

@Andy.Paulcroft (Facebook Page)

https://twitter.com/AndyPaulcroft

GIVEAWAY

Win a signed copy of Killing Them With Kindness (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions 

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 be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review, Giveaway: Erotic Fiction? by Hannah Lynn

Erotic Fiction?

by Hannah Lynn

Amazon 

There’s nothing sexy about her humdrum life as a mum. But is her husband’s crazy scheme a bit too exciting?

Sarah’s mind-numbing housewife's existence is turning her brain to mush. With her third bun in the oven, this British mum is drowning under a mountain of playdates, bills, and head lice checks. But her man’s get-rich-quick idea of writing steamy novels isn’t her ideal way to dial up life’s passion.

Drew desperately wants a break from Sarah’s whinging. And if that means researching how to write racy books all by himself, then he’ll make the sacrifice. But as he finally warms Sarah up to the sultry side hustle, their R-rated private project gets publicly exposed…

With an office scandal brewing, it’s only a matter of time before gawking workers and a perfectly nosy PTA president turn them into social pariahs.

Can Sarah and Drew earn some extra income from sizzling lit without falling prey to stiff gossip?

Erotic Fiction is a charming comedy for fans of humorous fiction. If you like sweet love stories, endearing characters, and dry British humor, then you’ll adore Kindle Storyteller Award Winner Hannah Lynn’s delightful tale.

Buy Erotic Fiction to slip into something a little more lovable today!


My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

All the underwear she owned that could have been considered even remotely sexy was now either ripped or stained or just so small that pulling them on was likely to cut off the circulation to somewhere.



‘Mind Birthing?’ ‘Uh-huh.’ Nelly drank her tea with her eyebrows raised. ‘You know, it’s one of those hippy things. Birth isn’t painful. It’s just a manifestation of all the love we are squeezing out of our vagina type bullshit.’ ‘That does sound like bullshit.’ ‘But it’s free.’ Sarah’s head cocked with interest.

My Review:

This fun and sassy tale kept me smirking, which combined with an occasional bark of irrepressible gleeful laughter that was escaping my mouth while in a public waiting room led to a total stranger inquiring as to the title. Um, should I have been embarrassed to call up a title such as Erotic Fiction? Nope, not this girl. Although I did take pity and clarified it was the actual title of a humorous story and not the genre when she blanched and blinked.



The engaging storylines were entertaining and relatable with highly amusing inner musings, snarky observations, and comical scenarios from the POV of an exhausted married couple living through the less than glamorous aspects of childrearing and family life while ensconced in a tiny sticky house with small tenacious children who tend to bring home pestilence from their school mates as well as cause an ever-increasing level of credit card fatigue and school activity fees as insurmountable as the national debt.



This was my first time reading the beguiling scribblings of Hannah Lynn and I adored her crisp and savvy style and reveled in her wry wit with unbridled delight. Her secondary characters were as deftly written and just as much fun to read as her primary protagonists. I am besotted with her irreverent and clever humor and have added her entire listing to my wish list.

About The Author

Hannah Lynn is an award-winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments - a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015, she has since gone on to write the multi-award-winning The Afterlife of Walter Augustus - a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist, Fiona and the Whale – a thought-provoking romantic comedy and the delightfully funny and poignant Peas and Carrots series.

While she freely moves between genres, her novels are recognizable for their character-driven stories and wonderfully vivid description.

She is currently working on a YA Vampire series and a reimaging of a classic Greek myth.

Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she has spent twelve years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then around Asia and Europe. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction. Now as a teacher, writer, wife, and mother, she is currently living in Jordan.


Social Media Links –

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HannahLynnAuthor/
Twitter @HMLynnauthor
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13830772.Hannah_M_Lynn
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/hannah-lynn

Giveaway

Your chance to win one of two $25 Amazon Gift Cards

Facebook link: http://gvwy.io/v3x06gs

*Terms and Conditions - 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 I reserve 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 be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review, Giveaway: When Hope Ends by Freya Barker

 

Title: When Hope Ends; Life Begins 

Author: Freya Barker Genre: Contemporary Romance  

Release Date: January 21, 2020 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

It’s the best day of his life—the worst of hers. She left her soul behind in the dead silence of a hospital room. He is bright with hope after being so close to losing faith. One moment in time leaves their paths unavoidably entwined. An invisible connection held by one heart beating between them.

*Originally published in the Then There Was You box set.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

… he pays attention, and let’s be honest, that’s not always a quality evident in the opposite gender.

I’m so grateful having had this amazing opportunity to learn that when hope ends for one, life begins for another

“I don’t know who this woman is. I’ve never heard so much cursing in my life.” I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I remember this part too. Cassie had made me feel about an inch tall with her sharp tongue while she was delivering Kelty. She’d even smacked me because I was breathing too loudly.

My Review:

Freya Barker writes stories with all the feels, but this one was pure heart – some parts were heart-warming, others were heart-wrenching, and still more were heart-skipping and heart-stirring, but they were all only the good kinds of heart-related reading that shouldn’t lead a fear of heart-stoppage, possible angina, the need for CPR, or a cardiology referral. The heartfelt storylines were engaging and relevant with writing that was easy to fall into and alternated between steaming up my glasses, raising my heart rate, putting a smile on my face, and squeezing my coronary muscle like a two sizes too small pair of Spanx. It was divine. I’ll gladly ride on Freya Barker’s bus until the wheels fall off.

Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. Driven to make her books about 'real' people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and their own slice of happy. A recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya has not slowed down. She continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

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