Monday 29 February 2016

Cover Reveal - Country Rivals (Tippermere #3) by Zara Stoneley


  CR Banner1

 Today we’re revealing the gorgeous cover for COUNTRY RIVALS the third book in ZARA STONELEY’S Tippermere series, which will be released in May 2016.

  Country Rivals eBook
  Country Rivals by Zara Stoneley
Series: Tippermere #3
Published by Harper Impulse on May 2016
Genres: Chicklit, Humour, Love & Romance GoodReads, Amazon


Note from the author – Hi, I’m really excited to be working with Star Crossed Tours for my cover reveal, and thrilled with the new look that HarperCollins have come up with for my Tippermere books. I’ve always loved the covers of the first two books in the series, STABLE MATES and COUNTRY AFFAIRS, but this third one is quite different and extra special. I think it really gives you a sense of where Lottie comes from, and what the story is about. I hope you love it as much as I do! Zara x
 

 

Bestselling author Zara Stoneley lives in deepest Cheshire surrounded by horses, dogs, cats and amazing countryside. When she’s not visiting wine bars, artisan markets or admiring the scenery in her sexy high heels or green wellies, she can be found in flip flops on the beach in Barcelona, or more likely sampling the tapas! Zara writes hot romance and bonkbusters. Her latest novel, ‘Stable Mates’, is a fun romp through the Cheshire countryside and combines some of her greatest loves – horses, dogs, hot men and strong women (and not forgetting champagne and fast cars)! She writes for Harper Collins and Accent Press.

 

Friday 26 February 2016

Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by Jenny Hale


’I absolutely loved this book! … A beautifully written story you won’t be able to put down and one of the best festive reads I’ve ever read.’ 10/10 This Chick Reads 

An uplifting, beautiful story about never letting go of your dreams, the special magic of a family Christmas… and the rush of falling in love under the mistletoe. 

Single mother Abbey Fuller loves her family more than anything, and doesn’t regret for a moment having had to put her dreams of being an interior designer on hold. But with her son, Max, growing up, when a friend recommends her for a small design job she jumps at the chance. How hard can it be? 

Nick Sinclair needs his house decorated in time for his family’s festive visit – and money is no object. What he doesn’t need is to be distracted from his multi-million dollar business – even if it is Christmas. 

When Abbey pulls up to the huge Sinclair mansion, she has a feeling she might be out of her depth. And when she meets the gorgeous, brooding Nicholas Sinclair, she knows that she’s in real trouble… 

With the snow falling all around, can Abbey take the chance to make her dreams of being a designer come true? And can she help Nick to finally enjoy the magic of Christmas?
A wonderfully festive read that I couldn’t put down.  I was so looking forward to this book just based on the title and it didn’t disappoint.

It has got me well and truly into the Christmas spirit.  I need to Christmas shop, celebrate and decorate NOW!  Roll on December (for the celebrations).

I connected with Abbey straight away and loved experiencing everything she went through with her granddad, bringing up her son and living with her mistakes etc.  I love that while I hoped I knew what was going to happen I wasn’t quite sure.  I felt like I was in the story with the characters and now I’ve finished it I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.

It was a beautiful uplifting story and is one of my new favourite Christmas stories that I will read again and again.  I love Jenny she is one of my newest favourite authors and I can’t wait for her next book.






When she graduated college, one of Jenny’s friends said “Look out for this one; she’s going to be an author one day”. Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn’t until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to her.

Sometimes our friends can see the things that we can’t. Whilst she didn’t start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children and hundreds of thousands of words later, Jenny finished her first novel – Coming Home for Christmas – which became an instant bestseller.




Wednesday 24 February 2016

The Chocolate Lovers Christmas by Carole Matthews


Christmas is just around the corner but the women of The Chocolate Lovers' Club have more to worry about than present shopping . . .
Lucy loves running Chocolate Heaven but she hasn't spent time with her boyfriend, Aiden, in weeks. And then her ex-fiance turns up and things become even more complicated.
Nadia hasn't let herself get close to a man in a long time, yet she can't help feeling drawn to Jacob. Will he be her last chance for a happy ending?
Chantal and her husband, Ted, are besotted with their baby daughter Lana - but she's not sure that's enough to base a marriage on.
Autumn is dealing with a tragedy that has hit too close to home. But when she doesn't get the support she needs from her fiance, will she look elsewhere for comfort?
Can friendship overcome all in . . . The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas.

I absolutely loved this book.  I really struggled to put it down and seriously contemplated taking time off work just to finish it!  It combined all my favourite things and I could read these books forever.  There is nothing I don’t love about this story, Chocolate, Christmas and the trials of 4 best friends.  I am sorry to say it again but I love it. 

I read the first book in this series quite a while ago but when I started reading this it all came flooding back like I had just read it before starting this one.  I love that Carole keeps the continuity going in each book and the characters are so easy to connect with.

It is like reading about my best friends and I love that new characters are introduced like Stacey yet they don’t take away from the story and just slot in so easy.  The characters are adults with their own lives yet still manage to find time between work and family to have their own time out and see their friends.  It is pure escapism and makes me hope that my 3 friends and I are like this when we all start having our own families and stay in touch and meet up.  It is amazing that I compare my friends and me to fictional characters and want to be like them.

There is no better story to read at Christmas time and it is definitely one of my festive favourites.  I read the 2 chapters at the end of the book that are for Carole’s next book in the series and I beyond excited for it!  Carole is one of my favourite authors and this book will not disappoint her fans.

Carole Matthews is the Sunday Times bestselling author of twenty-seven novels, including the Top Ten bestsellers A Cottage by the Sea, Calling Mrs Christmas, The Christmas Party and The Cake Shop in the Garden. 

In 2013, Summer Daydreams was shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan award for Fiction about Life and Love. Carole was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Comedy RoNA in 2012 and inducted into the Reader Hall of Fame by the inaugural Festival of Romance. Her novels dazzle and delight readers all over the world. She was given an award for Outstanding Achievement by the Romantic Novelists' Association in 2015. 

She is published in more than thirty countries and her books have sold to Hollywood.

For all the latest news from Carole, visit www.carolematthews.com, follow Carole on Twitter or join the thousands of readers who have become Carole's friend on Facebook




Monday 22 February 2016

Mistletoe and Mayhem by Catherine Ferguson



Lola Plumpton can’t believe her luck.

Christmas is coming and her gorgeous boyfriend, Nathan has offered up his swanky apartment to host the Plumpton family’s festive celebrations. It looks set to be a Christmas to remember. And it is – but for all the wrong reasons.

As the 25th December draws closer, Lola unexpectedly finds herself missing some key components:

1. A job (but who needs one of those anyway, when you’ve got the ultimate family Christmas to prepare for?)
2. Money (no job equals no money, it turns out.)
3. A boyfriend (yup, Nathan the hunk has said adios to Lola – and in the *most* embarrassing way possible…)
4. Somewhere to host her fabulous family Christmas (because of course, no Nathan means no des res apartment.)

Lola’s at a loss about what to do. But one way or another, she’s going to make this the happiest Christmas her family’s ever had…


A wonderfully festive read that I couldn’t put down when I picked it up.  I was looking forward to this after reading Humbugs & Heartstrings and it didn’t disappoint.  I started reading this after Christmas as I just didn’t get round to it and it brightened up my January and kept the Christmas spirit going that little bit longer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I loved reading about Lola and all her ups and downs at Christmas.  It was nice to read a story that while been uplifting also helped to bring in some reality.  For example people do lose their jobs and especially in this day close to Christmas it was good to read about things that were easily relatable in real life, whilst also been a wonderful escape at the same time.

I loved getting to know Lola and liked the full range of characters the one you hate, the one you root for and the fact that you aren’t sure really who you want to win.  (well I didn’t until closer to the end lol)

The end of the story was a lovely way to finish and made me wish Christmas was coming round again.  I am already looking forward to next Christmas if for nothing else to read Catherine’s next book!  Her books are becoming a festive favourite of mine and I would highly recommend them to anyone.



Catherine Ferguson burst onto the writing scene at the age of nine, anonymously penning a weekly magazine for her five-year-old brother (mysteriously titled the 'Willy' comic) and fooling him completely by posting it through the letterbox every Thursday.

Catherine's continuing love of writing saw her study English at Dundee University and spend her twenties writing for various teenage magazines including Jackie and Blue Jeans and meeting pop stars. Then she got serious and worked as a sub-editor at the Dundee Courier and the Aberdeen Evening News before moving to Surrey and setting up her own business, Surrey Organics, delivering fresh organic fruit and veg to people's homes. 

Catherine's first novel, HUMBUGS AND HEARTSTRINGS, is very loosely based on Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL and is a clever, modern tale about the price of friendship, the cost of enmity, and the value of love. It was the launch title for Avon's brand new imprint, Maze, and was published in October 2014.

Her second book, GREEN BEANS & SUMMER DREAMS, was inspired by her experiences running the veg box business.

MISTLETOE & MAYHEM is published in October 2015.

Catherine lives with her family in Northumberland.