Steve has decided to surprise his girlfriend Kate with not just a proposal but a wedding. He relies on her best friends Maddie and Sophie to keep the secret as well as help him organise the big event. But will things go smoothly and will Kate say ‘yes’…?
The Spanish Wedding Disaster is a light hearted novel with romance, humour and emotion.
The book begins with Steve meeting up with his brother Josh and Kate’s best friends. He gets a very mixed response and has not researched the details so things are more complicated than he first imagined. Sophie pretends that she is the one getting married in order to garner Kate’s opinions. But Sophie’s own romance has stalled and she is keen to wed for real whilst her boyfriend is reluctant. Meanwhile there is a spark between Josh and Maddie…
I really liked the concept for the book. Personally I can’t imagine a surprise wedding as I’m sure most women like the planning element! Steve has been acused of not being spontaneous or romantic so he has gone to the other extreme to prove his love. I enjoyed the tension and anticipation of seeing how the group would manage to organise things while keeping it a secret from Kate.
The book is written from multiple third person perspectives to allow us to see their feelings. We develop a good knowledge of the characters as the plot progresses. There are funny moments and the tone of the novel is light and warm, perfect for a summer beach read or to warm you up during winter.
The Spanish Wedding Disaster is a warm and fun novel with a wonderful dynamic between the characters.
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 . . .
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.
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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.
TRIGGER WARNING: domestic violence
Nell is griefstricken after her grandmother’s death and faces issues in her personal life which get in the way of her work. She is suffering from vivid nightmares and believes they are linked to the disappearance of Ruby decades ago. Then a girl is snatched in the present day and Nell could hold the answers to finding her…
Finding Ruby is a mystery with paranormal elements.
The first part of the book introduces us to Nell as she adapts to life without her grandmother who is her only family. She is in an abusive relationship but her inheritance gives her the chance to escape. The domestic abuse is hinted at and then shown through a violent episode which leads to her hospitalisation.
Nell has some very disturbing dreams and we begin to piece together clues about her past and Ruby. Meanwhile we also see a young girl Emily being kidnapped. Both of these elements raise the tension and anticipation as we await further details. Later the paranormal side to the plot develops as Nell tries to understand her past and find Ruby and therefore Emily.
The style of writing was easy to read and the mystery was sustained with some good twists. I really liked Nell’s character and wanted her to find happiness. There are plenty of emotion and I felt that they were realistically portrayed.
Finding Ruby is an intriguing mystery and I believe it is the first in a new series so will look out for more books about Nell.
Finding Ruby: A Nell Montague Mystery
On Halloween night thirteen year old Ruby disappears in the company of a masked figure. She is never seen again. The only witness is Nell Montague who is just seven years old.
Twenty three years later, Nell is trapped in an abusive relationship and still suffering from vivid nightmares of what she saw. When tragedy strikes she escapes and attempts to put her past behind her. Then thirteen year old Emily disappears.
Haunted by increasingly disturbing visions and helped by a reluctant psychic, Nell must unravel the mystery of what really happened that night because to save Emily she must first find Ruby. But to do so she will question everything she thought she knew about her own childhood and soon discovers that nightmares don’t always end when you wake up.
Purchase Links
UK only: JAHigginsAuthor.Etsy.com
Author Bio – Born and raised at Porton Down in Wiltshire, and currently working for the NHS in Salisbury, J A Higgins has always been fascinated by crime, history and the unexplained. Finding Ruby is a Page Turner Awards 2021 winner, and the first in the Nell Montague mystery series which will examine how horrors from the past are still very relevant today.
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Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Finding Ruby and matching bookmark (Open to 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.
In 1880 Amy Osbourne is orphaned and sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Edinburgh. She has a colourful past and her relatives are keen to marry her off quickly. But her reputation and even her life could be in danger from her dangerous cousin Henry…
The Missing Girls of Alardyce House is an historical novel full of passion and drama.
Amy is quite a modern woman and finds the strict moral code of the Victorian era difficult to abide by. She wants to marry for love but with a scandal in her past she is relying on her fortune to take precedence over virginity. I loved her character for her strength and passion whilst also being shocked by her behaviour in light of the Victorian mindset.
Amy finds an immediate affinity with her younger cousin Edward as he does not conform either. But it is her relationship with her older cousin Henry that causes concern. His chilling behaviour sends her in a panic to escape but the past has a habit of catching up with her!
There is a dark atmosphere to the book and I had a sense of foreboding from the start. Violence does occur but I found it relevant to the plot and that it was appropriate to the narrative style. The social conventions of the time especially the attitudes to women felt authentic. There are some sex scenes which take on extra significance when considering the era the book is set in.
The Missing Girls of Alardyce House is a dark but fascinating novel.
I have previously reviewed a couple of Heather Atkinson’s gang crime novels: Bad Blood and Blood Pact.
The Missing Girls of Alardyce House
Edinburgh 1880. When Amy Osbourne’s parents are lost at sea, she is forced to leave her London home and is sent to live with her aunt and uncle at the opposite end of the country.
Alardyce House is depressing and dreary, her aunt haughty and cruel. Amy strikes up a friendship with her cousin Edward but his older brother Henry is just as conceited as his mother, and a mutual loathing develops between him and Amy.
As her weeks of mourning pass, the realisation begins to dawn on Amy that her aunt has designs on her inheritance and the candidate she favours to be her neice’s husband fills Amy with horror. Struggling in this strange, unwelcoming environment, Amy begins to suspect that something isn’t right at Alardyce House.
There are rumours below stairs of a monster on the loose, local women are being brutally attacked and her cousin Henry is the prime suspect. Alardyce House is full of dark secrets and Amy isn’t sure who she can trust…
Author Bio –
Heather Atkinson is the author of over fifty books – predominantly in the crime fiction genre. Although Lancashire born and bred she now lives with her family, including twin teenage daughters, on the beautiful west coast of Scotland. Her gangland series for Boldwood, set on the fictional Gallowburn estate in Glasgow begins with the title Blood Brothers.
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Meghan quits her job and heads to the house she was left by her grandfather. She befriends an old man who may have Alzheimer’s and is very confused. She also meets his grandson Toby but when she begins working at his restaurant she starts to suspect his behaviour.
An Island Summer is a novel about following your dream and moving on from grief, both done with the help of love.
Meghan’s emotional journey over the course of the book is huge. She has run out of money and doing a job she hates so she leaves and goes to where she felt loved. Pappy’s home is full of memories of the their time together after her parents died. Meanwhile she meets Rupert and his grandson Toby. Rupert thinks Meghan is film star Hester Quinn and Meghan begins to believe that he is reliving his memories rather than having delusons.
There is a spark between Meghan and Toby from the start. However, both are dealing with grief and are in a precarius place emotionally. Toby wants the best for his grandfather and is afraid of Meghan’s growing influence over him while Meghan fears that Toby’s motives concern money rather than love. This creates a tension between them alongside the spark of romantic interest.
There is also the mystery of Rupert’s past and clues about the truth of his relationship with Hester in the past. I liked the way the details are gradually revealed and the impact this has on Meghan and Toby.
An Island Summer is an enjoyable and heartwarming novel.
MEDIA PACK
Book: AN ISLAND SUMMER
Author: Jenny Hale
Pub Day: June 9th 2022
Buy Links:
About the Book:
In the summer, everything feels possible… A heartwarming small-town romance about new beginnings, old secrets and how home is truly where the heart is. Fans of Susan Mallery, Pamela Kelley, and Mary Alice Monroe will fall head over heels for this romantic page-turner.
All that Meghan Gray has left of her beloved Pappy is his cottage on the edge of the shimmering Atlantic Ocean. Longing to feel close to her grandfather, she returns to the golden sands of Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks for the summer, clutching the manilla envelope he gifted her tightly in her hand.
On her first night on the sun-drenched island, she meets brooding Toby Meyers, a local businessman. She might feel lost without Pappy, but looking into Toby’s sparkling blue eyes feels like coming home.
The beach house where she spent her childhood is just how she remembers: a shingled bungalow with two rocking chairs on the porch and shutters on the windows. As Meghan strolls along the sand with Toby, breathing in the salty air, she realizes she is making new memories…
When Meghan opens the envelope, she finds a black-and-white photograph of someone she doesn’t recognize. If she can find out its meaning, and why Pappy gave it to her, she’ll unlock a secret that has been hidden for decades. The truth has the power to change everything Meghan and Toby thought they knew about their lives—and it will either bring them together, or break their hearts…
Author Bio
Jenny Hale is a USA Today, Amazon, and international bestselling author of romantic contemporary fiction. Her books have sold worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television. Her novels Coming Home for Christmas and Movie Guide Epiphany Award winner Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses are Hallmark Channel original movies.
She was included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and Southern Living’s “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now.” Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family. Jenny is at work on her next novel, delighted to be bringing even more heartwarming stories to her readers.
When she isn’t writing, she can be found running around her hometown of Nashville with her husband, two boys, and their labradoodle, taking pictures—her favorite pastime.
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Thea is shocked to discover that her grandmother Hedi is alive when her mother had always said she died years ago. Her grandfather Harry only died a few days earlier and Thea is sad at the lost opportunity. She is keen to develop a relationship with Hedi and is shocked by the secrets that Hedi and Harry have kept for decades.
The Hideaway is a dual timeline novel set in Wales and Germany in the present day and 1945.
Thea is at a crossroads in her relationship: he wants more commitment and she doesn’t. She rents a property in Wales to collect her thoughts but invites Hedi to join her when she discovers her existence. Hedi reveals the love story that started in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp but which she has never been able to share with her estranged daughter.
The brutality of the camp and the shocking conditions and circumstances after liberation make for difficult and emotional reading. The women endure appalling conditions However, the cameraderie and hope as well as knowing that Hedi survives and lives a long happy life, lift the overall tone of the book.
In the present day, Thea and Hedi have a wonderful time getting to know each other and creating happy memories. Both of them have a stilted relationship with Maggie but Thea hopes she can reconcile her mum and grandmother before it is too late. There are two instances when Hedi lashes out with physical violence. She has bottled things up for so long and regrets her actions but I can understand why she wanted to protect her daughter from the truth.
The Hideaway is a beautifully written novel about love, grief and family.
I have previously reviewed The Drowned Village by Norma Curtis.
The Hideaway: A heartbreaking and absolutely gripping page-turner full of secrets
About the book
Thea placed her hands on the soft, aged leather of her grandmother’s suitcase, the one the slight old woman never let out of her sight. The thunk of the lock sounded very loud in the stillness of the cottage and Thea froze, her eyes on the bedroom door. Hearing nothing, she held her breath and peered inside…
Hedi Fischer, aged ninety, smooths her hair and applies a touch of red lipstick from the tube. Over her pristine wool skirt suit she has knotted a men’s tartan bathrobe, frayed with age. Hedi hasn’t taken it off since her darling Harry passed. Since the day she gave away everything but the battered little suitcase that holds all the memories she’s tried her best to lock away.
Thea has never met her grandmother Hedi, so she’s surprised when she receives a call to take her home. She’s not sure how Hedi will fit into her new life – the one where she’s left her boyfriend and moved into a run-down cottage miles from the nearest town. And Hedi refuses to talk about her past, or why she and Thea’s mother haven’t spoken for more than thirty years. So when Thea spots Hedi’s case on the table, she can’t resist taking a peak inside…
What Thea finds there is more heartbreaking than she could have ever imagined. It is a story that begins in World War Two, when young Hedi arrives by train at a Nazi concentration camp, from which she has no hope of escaping alive…
A heart-warming and emotional read that will have you reaching for the tissues! Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Lily Graham and Rachel Hore.
Buy link
Author bio:
Norma Curtis’s first published stories were for teenage magazines and she began writing novels when she joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Her first novel won the New Writer’s Award and was chosen as a WH Smith Fresh Talent title. A couple of years after being invited onto the RNA committee she was made chairman and following her two-year term of office she studied creative writing at City University before taking an MA in Prose Fiction at Middlesex University. The Drowned Village is her sixth novel and she lives in North London with her family.
Author social media:
Twitter: @The NormaCurtis
