Showing posts with label Maxine Morrey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maxine Morrey. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Book Review, Giveaway: Coming Home to Wishington Bay by Maxine Morrey




Coming Home to Wishington Bay 
by Maxine Morrey



Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N


Home is where the heart is…

Holly doesn’t have time for a holiday this year. But when her job threatens to send her over the brink, her boss insists she take a sabbatical. So she packs her bags and escapes to her beloved grandmother Gigi’s house on Wishington Bay, which has sat empty since Gigi passed away.

But Holly’s dreams of a coastal escape take an unexpected turn. Holly didn’t expect to spend time with any man this summer – let alone an Aussie Adonis…but when she meets her next-door neighbor Gabe and his little dog Bryan, it’s clear her quiet summer of strolling along the sand and wandering through the seaside village’s tiny streets on her own will come with a hefty dose of distraction.

With a summer to fill and Gigi’s wonderful and surprising house to sort through, Holly knew it would be a summer packed with old memories. She just didn’t expect to make so many new ones…

Coming Home to Wishington Bay is the new gorgeous uplifting rom-com from Maxine Morrey, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Tilly Tennant!



My Rating:


Favorite Quotes:



Although, if I’m honest, ever since I found out that the man I’d been dating thought girlfriends qualified as a “two for the price of one” deal, batteries were something I tended to keep a stock of.



No, I promise this time, it’s most definitely not a set-up. I’m pretty sure you’re not his type anyway. His last girlfriend was an absolute stunner.’ My brother was, as always, the epitome of tact.



It was at least a week before I could even look at chocolate cake again but, as I wasn’t a quitter, I’d forced myself to beat that particular problem.



I was civil at work because I had to be, Paul! What I really wanted to do was grab your nuts and rip them out through your throat, but I was reliably informed that HR would most likely frown on something like that. More’s the pity.



Who cares if you can bounce a pound coin off her arse? … Mine would probably just eat it like a money box.



Some days are better than others. Some days I still want to kick him in the nuts so hard his grandchildren would be sopranos– but apart from that.





My Review:



This was a fun and amusing read with frequent spikes of wry wit and clever banter. I enjoyed the liberal levity, sassy teasing, and flippant quips that regularly marked the characters’ verbal exchanges and inner musings. Ms. Morrey’s application of humor alternated between feisty and mischievous to wry and ironic, and I reveled in it all and jonesed for even more.



Cool new additions to my Brit Word List include gobby - British slang for talking in a loud and offensive manner; snaffle – steal or nab; caught on the hop – being surprised or unprepared; boot sale – pop-up markets involving selling goods from the trunk of cars; and fizzog – face.

Empress DJ

About The Author


Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten.


As time went by, she continued to write, but 'normal' work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love. 

In August 2015, she won Harper Collins/Carina UK's 'Write Christmas' competition with her first romantic comedy, 'Winter's Fairytale'.

Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found doing something vaguely physical at the gym.

Follow Maxine Morrey

Twitter @Scribbler_Maxi
Instagram @scribbler_maxi


Giveaway 
to Win a Wishington Bay notebook, a Wishington Bay canvas shopper bag, and an e copy of the book. (Open to the 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 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.

Friday, January 18, 2019

Book Review, Giveaway: Second Chance At The Ranch by Maxine Morrey


Second Chance At The Ranch
by Maxine Morrey

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N

It’s never too late for a second chance at love in this uplifting and warm-hearted romance.

It’s never too late to find love…
When Juliet Scott falls for ruggedly handsome Pete while away traveling, she never imagines how different her life will be to that of her sister, successful and beautiful model Hero. Based on a cattle station in the vast Australian Outback, Juliet’s life is now simple, down-to-earth and honest, and the perfect antidote to the chaotic celebrity lifestyle that Hero leads in the UK.
With her striking brunette hair, perfect posture, and mesmerizing green eyes, it is no wonder Hero has come so far in such a superficial industry. But when tragedy strikes, Hero finds herself in the arms of her sister, recuperating from a terrible accident on the other side of the world.
With her modeling career in tatters, and her scars more than just skin deep, Juliet worries that Hero will hide behind the mask she wears forever. But does Australia have something, or someone, to offer that London never could?

My Rating:


Favorite Quotes:

She practically took out my eye with that cleavage. She’s most definitely more woman than I’ll ever be.

Shame you didn’t back over the pneumatic bimbo whilst you were at it.


My Review:

Angst is not my friend, I crave balance in my world – crazy I know – it is just my personal preference.  While well written with an interesting premise, this book was so angsty it was painful.  Yet I was hooked and just couldn’t seem to let it go despite my pique, I was intrigued by the story and had to know what happened, regardless of having to wade through a tale that was 90% conflict and tension to get to that coveted HEA.  Ms. Morrey certainly made me work for it, but it was worth it.  The quick glimpses of humor and romance were brief respites, refreshing and well appreciated. 

The characters were an interesting and endearing mix of Brits and Aussies.  I frequently lost patience with the main character of Hero, who was the vortex of all the angst.  Hero was an international supermodel who had a kind heart, yet she was an ice queen, deeply damaged, self-involved, terminally stubborn, and extremely anxious and uptight with a penchant for running away and shutting down when uncomfortable issues arose; a childish and tedious trait.   Hero’s sister married an Aussie with a sheep ranch in the Outback, hence the dual-continent tale.  Of course, I enjoyed the Aussie side of the story considerably more, due to the handsome men residing there as well as the sizzle and dust they kicked up. 


This time my new vocabulary lesson includes a mix of Brit and Aussie words, with Brumby – the wild horses of Australia; Pommie – a derogatory term for a Brit in Aussie speak; and Antipodean accent – what Brits call Aussie and New Zealand accents. 

Empress DJ 

Author Bio

Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten.

As time went by, she continued to write, but 'normal' work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love.


In August 2015, she won Harper Collins/Carina UK's 'Write Christmas' competition with her first romantic comedy, 'Winter's Fairytale'.

Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found doing something vaguely physical at the gym.


Follow Maxine Morrey
Website           www.scribblermaxi.co.uk
Instagram @scribbler_maxi
Pinterest ScribblerMaxi




Giveaway 

 Win Second Chance at the Ranch and other Goodies (Open Internationally)


Prize includes:

1 x paperback copy of Second Chance at the Ranch

1 x notebook

1 x mini handbag keyring

1 x V&A museum lipstick shaped pen


*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 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.