Book Review – Annie in Paris

If you love Emily in Paris, you will love this BRAND NEW book in the Annie Valentine series from bestselling author Carmen Reid. Personal shopper Annie Valentine is back! Older and bolder!

Fashion guru Annie is struggling to cope with her hectic life. With the demands of two older children, plus four-year-old twins, her marriage to Ed is in a romance-free rut and she’s clinging by a couture thread to her job as the nation’s favourite fashion fixer.

And where is Svetlana, her multi-millionaire friend, when Annie needs her? Busy with an expensive mid-life crisis, that’s where!

When Ed gets the chance to teach in Paris, Annie thinks time apart could be the answer. Wrong!

In Paris, Ed transforms into a debonair silver fox, attracting the attentions of stylish siren Sylvie.

Annie can’t lose her man or the job she loves, so bundling her bags, her babies and a reluctant Svetlana onto the Eurostar, she sets off to the rescue. But can the City of Love deliver the ooh la la that her marriage, and her fashion series, so desperately needs?

Another brilliant laugh out loud emotional read, perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Ranald!

Praise for Carmen

“Annie Valentine is a wonderful character – I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!” Bestselling author, Jill Mansell

“You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!”⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Reader review

“Fantastic read, couldn’t put it down” ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Reader review

“Can’t wait to read the next one!” ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Reader review

Annie in Paris: A brilliant, laugh-out-loud book club pick from Carmen Reid for 2024 by Carmen Reid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and as it was my first “Annie Valentine” book, I have plenty to catch up on. It can easily be read as a standalone, though, I imagine that if you’re new to the series, you’ll quickly become enamoured with Annie and her family and friends.
Annie is so likeable, very believable and so “normal”. She walks the tightrope of life as a busy mum, knowledgeable career woman, loving wife and caring friend in precariously high high heels. It’s not easy being everything to everyone and sometimes she makes matters worse but always with the best of intentions.
Being as far removed from a fashionista myself as it’s possible to be, I loved how each chapter opened with advice from the fabulous MM; she and Annie were destined to meet.
A hugely entertaining read, one I didn’t want to put down. This was a funny, optimistic, heart-warming and incredibly relatable story and I’m looking forward to reading up on Annie Valentine’s life.

As always,

Audiobook Review – Death of the Matchmaker

Death of the Matchmaker by Angelica Kate

Missy Mays’s mother, Naomi, had been the best matchmaker on the west coast of the United States for the rich and unique clientele she worked for. Unfortunately, in Missy’s opinion, Naomi was also the meanest and most direct human that ever walked the earth. When she unexpectedly gets run over by one of her clients, Missy takes over the business and tries to make love matches for all the forlorn that cross her path. She believes in love, not as a transaction but as a finding of the other half of your soul, and intends to overturn the business style her mother was famous for.The only problem is it is nearly impossible to forge a new identity for the business when your mother refuses to let go. She wrestles with her love woes when the new divorce attorney moves in next door and spouts all his anti-love views. Then things get REALLY weird when her mother, in a bid to redeem herself and not get sent to the hot place down under, is sent back to earth to make ten enduring love matches before she can move into the light. Will Missy lose her mind trying to juggle clients and her dead mother’s plethora of opinions? What is a woman to do except try to help ten individuals as fast as possible find love, rid herself of a nosy ghost and try not to fall in love with the cynical divorce attorney next door?Follow along on this crazy ride of love, redemption, and motherly love gone wrong!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Missy has inherited her mum’s matchmaking agency, though she has very different ideas on how to run it. What she didn’t expect was for the ghost of her dead mother to be readily on hand to criticise. Well, who would?
Missy and her mum Naomi didn’t have the greatest mother and daughter relationship. But to save her mum from an eternity in hell, Missy agrees to a business-related challenge: to match 10 people in genuine love matches( unlike some of the “money-focused” and “status-oriented” matches that Naomi was famous for)
The challenge sees them bicker but, with the help of a great cast of characters, more is revealed about Naomi’s life that gives Missy the chance to finally understand why her mum was the way she was. The twist towards the end seals the deal in seeing the mother and daughter come closer, and allows them both to move on.
The secondary characters are funny, kind, and supportive and help make this an enjoyable story to listen to. The narration is clear and easy to follow and the story flows seamlessly, though I would have liked it to be longer.

As always,

Audiobook Review – A Christmas at Gingerbread Falls.

A Christmas at Gingerbread Falls by Katie Mettner

Actress Carrie Murray’s films are a Christmas lover’s delight. Filled with twinkling lights, festive carols, and happy endings, they’re the perfect escape from reality – for her and the audience. Then Tinseltown calls. Braxton Timothy is Hollywood’s biggest action star. Handsome and talented but decidedly on the naughty list, no one can fathom his sudden desire to produce a feel-good Christmas movie – least of all, his no-name co-star.

Alternating between scenes reminiscent of everyone’s favorite made-for-TV movies and unexpected, off-screen chemistry, Gingerbread Falls has surprises in store this holiday season. The question is, will there be enough Christmas magic to convince two imperfect people that they’re perfect for each other? This “sweet as a Christmas cookie” romance (best-selling author Heidi Swain) includes an original recipe for Maple Glazed Gingerbread Scones.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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My review

This is a very original Christmas story with two plots running in tandem. You may think that baker Noelle and Doctor Carson are the main characters – and you’d be right… up to a point, since this is a story within a story and Noelle and Carson are fictitious characters in a Christmas movie.
Aren’t all fictional characters fictitious, you may well ask? Sure, but here’s the bit that makes this so original… Noelle and Carson’s romance mirrors that of the actors playing them.
Actors?
Yes. Clever, eh?
Played by (the also fictitious, but not quite as much) Carrie and Braxton, Noelle and Carson’s story is set by the script… and the Christmas holidays trope. But when Carrie and Braxton look as though they’re falling in love off-screen, it becomes a case of life imitating art.
As for the setting, well, it couldn’t be more perfect. It has all the makings of a Christmas movie and would not look out of place on the Hallmark channel. Having listened to the audiobook, I can visualise Gingerbread Falls already.
There’s a bit more heat than you might find in your regular Christmas romance, and the story handles some interesting topics well (Note, none of these are graphic but they definitely give the characters a realistic backstory that is not all sugary sweet)
This was the perfect story to listen to in the run-up to Christmas.

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Blind Dates

Blind Dates

Is true love just a few dates away … or even closer than you think?

Tom has always been a hopeless romantic: but now he’s just hopeless. After lockdown in particular made the millennial a reclusive introvert, it was finally time to get back ‘out there’ – at least according to his best friends Adam, Allison and sister Sarah.

As the group sets up ten miracle dates to rejuvenate Tom’s love life, he soon realises how difficult the dating scene has become, along with juggling his Shakespearean-themed café on the side and a hobby of romantic mixtape making.

As the dates continue to turn into disasters, an old flame keeps reappearing in Tom’s sight – along with bittersweet memories. Fearing it may be too little too late, Tom must decide whether he can date his way to happiness, or find his true match was under his nose the whole time…

Purchase Links

AMZ: https://amzn.to/3lZLqJq

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3GwZCmD

Apple: https://apple.co/38yp1Qh

Hive: https://bit.ly/3t5CLch

Author Bio

Gordon is a former journalist writing about media and technology. He now works in marketing for Twitter UK. He has also blogged about dating and politics. His first novel Songs For Your Mother was published in May, 2021. His second novel, Blind Dates was published in 2022. He lives in North London, and is working on his next book.

You can catch up with him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gordonmacmillan

My Review

Tom will admit he’s always been an old-school romantic, creating mixed tapes for his friends and those he has a crush on (Beth), and the pandemic gave him the perfect opportunity to revert to type and enjoy his own company while imagining how those he cares for (Beth) might react to his tapes. Thing is, once lockdown eases, he’s still in that mindset, not ready to go dating again, especially since his heart really wasn’t in it during his last relationship with Larissa.

His best friend Marcus moves away, Tom loses his job, and it’s understandable for him to retreat into his shell, continuing his own personal lockdown. It takes a seemingly friendly intervention by his remaining buddies and sister to get him “back out there”, and he agrees to go on ten blinds dates that Adam, Allison and sister Sarah set up for him.

I say a seemingly friendly intervention because it transpires that someone may have an ulterior motive for steering him away from what could be his perfect partner (Beth). Uh-oh!

The dates are eventful, to the point of going viral – and not in a good way for Tom. After each one, he spills all to ex Larissa in the park, where no matter what, he always seems to find her there watching the ducks. (Curiouser and curiouser)

Tom enjoys the dates to a certain extent, but he still has thoughts of Beth, with whom he has blown his chances spectacularly when she shared her feelings with him and he… choked, a reaction she took to be a rejection. Consequently, you can understand why he constantly chides himself for wasting that opportunity, and tries to make the best of things.

While the dates aren’t all successful, Tom has his moment, but it’s short-lived and you might almost think inevitable since you know how he feels about Beth. Things take an awkward turn and not in Tom’s favour; suffice to say the saying “good guys come last” seems fitting to describe him. Is he doomed to be alone forever?

Blind Dates is an amusing yet poignant story told from Tom’s perspective as he navigates the dating market while still holding a light for someone out of his reach. It shows how the pandemic affects him, and how the world has changed as a result. Tom is a likeable man, a tad geeky with his mixed tapes obsession, but an overall nice guy.

I enjoyed reading Blind Dates, and send my thanks to the author and Hera Books for my copy.

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Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – A Year at the French Farmhouse

A Year at the French Farmhouse

Escape to France with this warm, witty romantic read.

After ten years of loyal service Daisy Butterworth has been made redundant. Like any clever woman, she knows the cure to redundancy is a little too much wine and her best friend.

Only the next morning, Daisy has more than a hangover . . . she has a whole new house – in France!

Seeing this as an opportunity instead of a disaster, she’s excited about finally moving to France, just as she and her husband always dreamed of. However, Daisy is in for another surprise. Despite planning to move there for over 20 years, her husband never actually intended to go.

So begins a year in France, alone, renovating the gorgeous old farmhouse that is held together by wallpaper and wishes.

Will a year at the French farmhouse be just what Daisy needs? Or could it be the previous owner, Frederique, that is the answer to Daisy’s dreams?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3NZA7fA

Author Bio

Gillian Harvey is a freelance journalist and the author of two well-reviewed women’s fiction novels published by Orion.

She has lived in Limousin, France for the past twelve years, from where she derives the inspiration and settings for her books.

Her first title for Boldwood, A Year at the French Farmhouse, will be published in September 2022.

Social Media Links

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GillPlusFive

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillplusfive/

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gillian-harvey

My Review

I think I’ve spent more time in France with books this year than anywhere else… and I’ve loved it 🙂

Stunned to find herself redundant, Lily concludes that maybe those plans she and husband, Ben, have been making for years might now just come true. Their son is off to university, so what is stopping them from following their dream and moving to France?
One thing: Ben.
He doesn’t want to go, thinks the time is not right – but that’s what he’s been saying for years now. Lily realises that maybe he never intended to follow through on what is essentially her dream since she was a young girl. She’s forced to acknowledge that he always had a reason to prevaricate, and he’s not even willing to talk about it now.
Cue the red wine and a drunken foray onto the internet, browsing all those wonderful places that will never now be hers, be theirs.
Or so she thinks, until the next morning, replete with hangover, an email informs her of a purchase she made the previous evening. Lily has bought a farmhouse in France. Surely, Ben will see now that it’s meant to be, that fate has stepped in to guide them across the channel to a new life.
Or maybe not?

Lily is stumped – there’s a house literally with her name on it (or potentially on the deeds in a few weeks) and still Ben won’t budge. She can’t possibly let this chance escape her, can she?
Mais, non!
And so, off to France she goes, alone, nervous yet excited, probably still reeling from the shock that has numbed her emotions temporarily.

What awaits her is daunting, amusing, sweet, scary and hugely entertaining. From a squirrel infestation to an overly-romantic mayor, some nightmare “expats” (I can say that as one myself – and I can vouch for the flat-earthers too!)
Lily does find great friends, warm-hearted people who welcome her with gusto, but there’s something missing. While she convinces herself that she can do this alone – or even with a new partner – she cannot quite shrug off her marital status. Unfortunately, Ben doesn’t seem to want to be with her as much as she wants to be with him – or so she believes.

I love how this played out in the end, and I particularly enjoyed seeing Lily grow into herself as a stronger, more self-assured woman. It became clear that whatever happened, she would survive… but I admit to having my fingers crossed for a happy ending.

Thank you Netgalley & Boldwood books for my copy.

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As always,

Merci d’avoir lu 😉

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Janet Jackson’s Yorkshire B&B (plus a giveway – UK only)

Janet Jackson’s Yorkshire B&B

Yorkshire lass and dental receptionist Janet Jackson has just taken a big risk. Using all her savings, she’s turned her spacious garage into a Bed and Breakfast, slapped a sign on it and without any experience at all, is now awaiting her very first guests.

With a moody teenage daughter and a crazy sister to contend with she’s already got her work cut out. The trouble she soon discovers, is that guests have undesirable habits, annoying pets and endless demands. ‘Is it bloody worth it?’ she asks herself a dozen times a day. Janet gradually learns her trade – but not without being tested to her limits. The question is: will she come through the experience with her bank balance, cottage and her sanity intact?

Hugely entertaining but a word of warning: if ever you’ve thought of running a B&B, read this hilarious debut novel first– you might want to think again!

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Janet-Jacksons-Yorkshire-B-ebook/dp/B0B77SK3QK/

US – https://www.amazon.com/Janet-Jacksons-Yorkshire-B-ebook/dp/B0B77SK3QK/

Author Bio

Becky Papworth has spent 20 years making people laugh as a TV Producer on shows like Have I Got News For you, Rab. C. Nesbitt and Citizen Khan.

She’s hoping to entertain some readers with this account of running a B&B, much of it based on her actual experience, she’s not saying which bits…

Social Media Links

https://twitter.com/beckypapworth1

https://www.instagram.com/beckypapworth/

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494521/?

Giveaway to Win a Lottie Shaw’s Seriously Good Hamper (Open to UK only)

For full information and extra photos of this hamper please look at https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/lottieshaws/product/fabulous-treat-hamper

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link under the above graphic.  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.

My Review

When Janet Jackson decides to convert the “garage/annexe” into a B&B, she does so without any of the usual research most people would do, and she has no idea what awaits her. She soon learns it’s much more work than painting a few walls, and adding some matching cushions, rugs and knick-knacks. Her first guest opens her eyes to everything she has overlooked, and from that point on she is playing catch-up to find out what running a B&B is all about.
Daughter Chloe helps out with building a website and online profile for the B&B and … whoosh, the bookings take off. Janet has to squeeze the cleaning of the room between changeovers with her job at the dentist’s. There are never enough hours in the day, but somehow she manages to pull it off.
The diary aspect of this story means that there’s quite a lot of repetition as she struggles to get everything ready. For me, this slows the pace down considerably as it seems like a never-ending loop of client-clean-client-clean. That said, the clients are diverse and each one teaches Janet another lesson about her growing business.
I really grew to like Janet when her awful neighbour, Laura, objects to her running the B&B and reports her to the council. Fortunately, Sharon at the council (my favourite character by a country mile) takes it all in her stride and guides Janet through the minefield of planning rights and permissions.
Janet’s sister, Maureen (Mitzi), adds a humorous touch with her poetry nights out and her steady stream of men friends. Her laissez-faire attitude rubs off on Janet and she finally puts her divorce behind her and has some fun – in between cleaning, of course.
Overall, it’s a fun read, and watching Janet grow into her new role is amusing, sometimes sad, occasionally repetitive (but that’s just life) but always engaging.

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As always,

Blog Blitz – A Scandinavian Summer

A Scandinavian Summer

It’s the right time for love, but is it the wrong place?

After the tragic, premature death of her husband Anthony, Martha has spent all her time focused on her teenage daughter Rosie in their small Welsh village.

But with Rosie leaving the nest, and Martha’s own job on the line, it feels that life is passing her by.

Inspired by her love for Scandi-noir dramas, Martha impulsively books a trip to Denmark, determined to push herself out of her comfort zone – even if the thought terrifies her…

Her trip to the tiny island of Fano becomes something much more: in the form of handsome stranger, Lars. Can Martha find love under the Scandinavian skies… but more importantly, can she find herself?

A romantic, warm and uplifting read, guaranteed to leave you smiling. Fans of Jenny Colgan and Kathryn Freeman will adore this feelgood read!

Purchase Links

AMZ: amzn.to/3JdMRO6

Kobo: bit.ly/3J5FyrT

Apple: apple.co/35X1tDk

Hive: bit.ly/3GHtlJn

Author Bio

Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best-selling author and journalist. Her debut novel was a winning entry in the 2017 Montegrappa First Fiction competition at Dubai’s Emirates Literary Festival. Her debut was also a contender for the coveted 2021 Joan Hessayon Award for new writers. Helga’s second romantic comedy, A Scandinavian Summer, went straight to number one on the Amazon Kindle charts for Danish travel on its publication day. Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently working on a PhD.

Social Media Links

Twitter – https://twitter.com/HelgaJensenF

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/Helgajensenauthor/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/helgajensenfordeauthor/

As always,

Mini Blog Blitz ‘n’ Book Review – The Spanish Wedding Disaster

The Spanish Wedding Disaster

Some people are romantics. Some aren’t. When Sophie and Maddie are summoned to a mysterious, top-secret meeting by their best friend Kate’s partner, and told that he’s planning to whisk Kate away for a surprise wedding in Gibraltar, it’s immediately clear that bubbly florist Sophie is a total romantic. And that freewheeling, purple-haired Maddie is not.

Soon, Maddie finds herself reluctantly organising venues, planners and ceremonies; trying not to think of her own memories of Andalucia, and those she’s lost touch with there. Meanwhile Sophie’s hoping this dreamy gesture might spur on her own boyfriend to similar plans . . . and absolutely not thinking at all about Kate’s gorgeous brother-in-law-to-be.

But Kate’s got no idea what’s going on. And as the stress piles up and the group jet off to the sunny south, it seems it’s not just Kate who might get a surprise in Spain – one that could change everything . . .

Purchase Link – http://smarturl.it/thespanishwedding

Author Bio

Karen King is a multi-published author of both adult and children’s books. She has had eleven romantic novels published, two psychological thrillers with another two in the process of publication, 120 children’s books, two young adult novels, and several short stories for women’s magazines. Her romantic novel The Cornish Hotel by the Sea became an international bestseller, reaching the top one hundred in the Kindle charts in both the UK and Australia. Karen is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. Karen now lives in Spain where she loves to spend her non-writing time exploring the quaint local towns with her husband, Dave, when she isn’t sunbathing or swimming in the pool, that is.

Social Media Links

https://linktr.ee/KarenKing

Giveaway to Win 3 x signed copies of The Spanish Wedding Disaster (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.

Rafflecopter link

My Review

Time to buy a hat!
However, bride-to-be Kate doesn’t know she’s getting married. Her boyfriend, Steve, plans to surprise her with a proposal during their summer holiday in Spain. But he’s leaving it until they get there – she always tells him he is never spontaneous, so he’s decided to plan a wedding too.
Eek!
Surely he can’t do it alone? Of course not. He ropes in his brother and Kate’s two best friends (who end up doing the bulk of the organising really) and swears them to secrecy. Trouble is, he wants Kate to have the wedding of her dreams so her input is vital. They simply need a creative way of planning Kate’s wedding with Kate but without her realising it. Simples! Or not.
Cue Sophie (best friend 1) pretending she’s going to be getting married and so wants Kate and Maddie (best friend 2) to be her bridesmaids. Sophie asks Kate for her opinion on dresses, cakes, colour schemes and in so doing she gets a clear picture of what Kate would like by telling her she really doesn’t want her ‘dream’ dress but would prefer something more elegant, something Kate would choose. It’s a plan with lots of potential to go wrong, and that doesn’t even take into consideration what Sophie’s boyfriend, Glenn, thinks of the whole thing.
Still Sophie thinks what Steve is doing is romantic, even though his brother Josh and Maddie have a feeling Kate is going to be furious that Steve has done all this without her involvement let alone her agreement to marry him.

It’s the perfect scenario for a disaster and there are further calamities that threaten to scupper the holiday-engagement-wedding, all of which make for a fun read, with a fabulous Spanish setting and the will-they/won’t they tension right up until the end.

Wedding aside, there are some wonderful subplots surrounding Sophie’s future with Glenn as well as her job, Maddie reuniting with her Spanish family, and a realisation for Josh that a past love was never meant to be.
The writing is fun, breezy, realistic though a tad repetitive on the “going grey with all this planning” imagery. Nonetheless, a great summer read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline Accent for my copy which I’ve reviewed freely and fairly.

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Cover Reveal – The Only Exception

The Only Exception (Love in the Comptons 2)

Lucinda Green knows something is missing from her life. But what? Her catering business is enjoying modest success and she loves her cosy house, even if she does have to share it with her irritating ex-fiancé.
Whatever’s making her unsettled and edgy, Lucinda’s certain that a lack of romance isn’t the problem. How could it be when she doesn’t believe in true love?
But Lucinda’s beliefs are shaken by a series of electric encounters with Alex Fraser, a newly-notorious actor who gradually proves himself to be infuriatingly funny and smart, as well as handsome.
Not that any of that matters. Because Lucinda doesn’t believe in all that ‘The One’ nonsense. That’s the rule.
But doesn’t every rule have an exception?

This uplifting grumpy-meets-sunshine romance is perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Phillipa Ashley and Milly Johnson.

Pre-order Link – getbook.at/TheOnlyException
Publication Date: 7th June

Author Bio

Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire with her husband and two children.

She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but sometimes need a little help to realise it.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for over a hundred sweet treats at clairehuston.co.uk. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.

Social Media Links: https://linktr.ee/clairehuston_author

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – A Wedding at the Jane Austen Dating Agency

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wedding-Jane-Austen-Dating-Agency-ebook/dp/B09BJ61GG1/

A modern-day matchmaker’s happily-ever-after bubble is about to burst in the second novel in this charming series of love and all its misadventures.
 
Sophie Johnson appears to be living the perfect life. She has landed her dream job as managing director of The Jane Austen Dating Agency and is dating the world’s most desirable man, Darcy Drummond.
 
But all is not as it seems. The relationship with Darcy is failing to live up to expectations and his awful mother is determined to cause trouble. To add to Sophie’s problems, the agency is struggling to attract enough eligible men, she has a Regency wedding to plan, and then there’s the amusing and disturbingly cute Henry Baxter who is making it hard for her to concentrate.
 
The problem is Sophie wants it all, but in trying to manage everything, she’s in danger of losing what matters most.
 
Can she keep the dating agency afloat and find her own happy ever after? Or is business and romance an impossible combination?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wedding-Jane-Austen-Dating-Agency-ebook/dp/B09BJ61GG1/r

Praise for The Jane Austen Dating Agency
“There were some wonderful surprises . . . Those, particularly Janeites, who enjoy light women’s fiction blended with romantic comedy would be the target group for this one.” —Austenprose
 
“The Jane Austen Dating Agency may resemble the stories of both Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility at times but Fiona Woodifield has done a remarkable job of twisting these well-known plots into a very modern love story all of her own.” —Travelling Book Junkie

About the author

As a young child, Fiona spent hours reading, curling up with a book was one of her favourite past times. Her current volume would accompany her everywhere, to school, on daytrips, holidays and visits. The idea of providing an imaginary world in which others can escape is a wonderful one and this became Fiona’s dream, to become a published author.

From an early age, Fiona’s parents encouraged her writing – it all started when they gave her a simple red lined exercise book. Soon she had a collection of notebooks, small, large, plain, The Snowman, Brambly Hedge, they all became full of her jottings. 

Years later, Fiona studied for a Combined Arts Degree at Durham, then a Masters in English – writing her thesis on Jane Austen and Masculinity. In total contrast she went to work for a renowned fashion magazine in London, then various marketing posts. Four lovely daughters later, during which time she has graduated from laughing at Mrs Bennet to sympathising with her, she continued to scribble away, only the notebooks are somewhat bigger. Fiona has written for national magazines on diverse subjects from Jane Austen to caravanning! One morning the idea came to her for ‘The Jane Austen Dating Agency’ and this was the first book she just had to write. The sequel, ‘A Wedding at the Jane Austen Dating Agency,’ was published in August. 

Fiona is also the author of the lockdown romance, ‘Love in Lockdown,’ which was published in November 2020 by Avon Books, under the pseudonym Chloe James. 

Fiona obviously loves writing, especially romantic comedy, meeting with friends and family, dancing, visiting historical houses (dreaming she lives there of course) walks by the sea and escaping into a book whilst consuming a worrying amount of chocolate.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wedding-Jane-Austen-Dating-Agency-ebook/dp/B09BJ61GG1/

My Review

I received an advance review copy thanks to Random Things Tours and I have written this review voluntarily. This is the second book in the series but can – for the most part – be read as a standalone, although there were times when I felt it would have helped to have read book one beforehand.

I considered myself enough of a Jane Austen buff to tackle this kind of story although some Austen references went over my head. Clearly my memory is not all I hoped it would be. Nonetheless, principal characters were easy enough to identify and match up to the Austen equivalent, and as such the story does flow with relevant ease and a healthy dose of humour.

The team at the Jane Austen Dating Agency are planning a wedding for one of their clients and in the run-up to the big day there are several events that build the Regency theme, from a sports day to a ball. These are particularly evocative and also great fun bringing the era to life. Sophie and Emma set the bar very high in their recreation of the period using stunning settings and fun activities to produce unforgettable events. There was no doubt in my mind that the wedding would be just as memorable for the same reasons.

Running alongside the wedding planning – or, to be honest, taking up the bulk of the story – is Sophie’s own story. Her romantic hopes with new boyfriend, Darcy, seem thwarted by his overbearing and snobbish mother. And since he is also her boss that doesn’t bode well as a result of some of her less appropriate (yet highly amusing) escapades.

There’s a very real element of escapism to this book, offering a return to the Regency era, yet it’s comparison to Sophie’s modern-day life shows that some things have not changed. I enjoyed how she evolved and wanted her to get the Happy Ever After she desired. It all seemed to be going wrong, but as in all the best romances, things tend to go wrong for a reason … maybe she was looking for Mr Right in the wrong places (you’ll need to read the book to find out 😉 Sorry!)

It was a fun read, although more to do with Sophie’s life than the wedding of the title, but I look forward to a third in the series to find out what happens next.

As always,