Month: January 2024

Join the blog tour to meet: The Girls from Sandycove

I am delighted to be part of the blog tour for this enjoyable title. Many thanks to the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for this opportunity. 

About the book

A mother and daughter adrift, a friend in need, and a village to call home…

When Kate O’Hare discovers she’s pregnant, she is determined to return to her hometown of Sandycove in Dublin.

On the other side of the Atlantic, her estranged mother, international superstar, Lola, is heartbroken following the loss of her soulmate, Paulie. On hearing Kate’s plan, Lola follows her, seeking a second chance at motherhood.

Kate discovers her best friend, Flora, is back in her childhood bedroom, her marriage and self-esteem in tatters following her husband’s public betrayal.

Flora now finds herself with no husband, home, or future, while her own mother Patsy is stepping out of her comfort zone into the world of interiors. Can Patsy’s new life reignite Flora’s talent and creativity?

And what of the O’Hare family secret which has the power to unlock a pathway to greater mutual understanding? And will music and the magic of Sandycove be enough to empower the women through such challenging times?

An emotive story of forgiveness, new beginnings and happy-ever-afters…

My thoughts:

I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw the cover. I loved spending time with the women of Sandycove. There are mothers and daughters, friendships, relationships to resolve and more. In addition to the characters and plot, I also loved the Irish setting. This title is sure to be enjoyed by lovers of good stories about female characters and those around them.

The writer:

Author Bio –

Sian O’Gorman was born in Galway and now lives just along the coast from Dublin. She works as a radio producer alongside writing contemporary women’s fiction inspired by friend and family relationships.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/girlssandycovesocial

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sian.ogorman.7

Twitter https://twitter.com/msogorman

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

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SianOGormanNews

Bookbub profile: Siân O’Gorman Books – BookBub

What can be done: Only in Florida (Heather Alexander)

 #OnlyinFlorida #NetGalley

This is a great book for kids and their adults to read if/when they are planning a Florida vacation. The illustrations throughout are quite inviting and there is also lots of information and suggestions in these pages. Just some of the topics covered are Stats & Facts, Museums & Attractions, Food, Miami, the Keys and much more.

Kids can learn lots of facts to share with others in these pages. It is a great guide.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 05 March 2024

Now out: The Busy Body

The unnamed protagonist/narrator of this book is a ghostwriter. (It was when sitting down to write this that I realized she was never named. Kind of clever since a ghostwriter is a person who is meant to be anonymous when her work is published.) The job requires an ability to seamlessly fit into the subject’s life in an unobtrusive way. This time, the ghost has been asked to write the biography of Dorothy Gibson. Dorothy recently lost a presidential election. A bit like Hillary Clinton, it was felt that she had a low likeability rating. The biography is meant to give a new look at who she is.

The narrator quickly heads up to Maine where Dorothy lives in a gorgeous, somewhat isolated home. There she settles in and meets the staff including Dorothy’s personal assistant and various security personnel, at least one of whom is quite good looking.

Early in the book, Dorothy and our narrator go out to buy some wine. While at the store, they are accosted by a woman with a somewhat unique way of earning money. When she asks Dorothy for a selfie, Dorothy agrees. Most unfortunately soon after, Vivian dies. It emerges that her death was not suicide but…murder! (of course)

Dorothy and the narrator will be on the case. There will be a few twists before all becomes known.

The narrator of this book has her own unique, sometimes snarky spin on the world. She is most likely neurodiverse. She can be funny and seems to know a lot, perhaps from spending time learning so much about her subjects when ghostwriting. Readers will hope that she is a good detective too.

This book will be enjoyed by its readers. They will likely hope for a second book by the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Four stars ****

Would you like to join: The Summer Book Club (Susan Mallery)

#TheSummerBookClub #NetGalley

Those who have read other novels by Susan Mallery will welcome this story about a group of women and their complex lives. Those who have not read the author’s books before may want to pick this one up when they are looking for an escapist read.

The main characters are Paris, Laurel and Cassie. Each has faced challenges in life and all are trying to figure out their next steps. Paris runs a farm stand that readers will wish that they could visit as it is both adorable and stocks quality products. In the past, Paris had been abused and her own temper led to the end of her marriage. Now her ex is back in town…

Laurel’s husband left her and the school says that her older daughter constantly puts men down. They ask Laurel to fix this, a big ask as where is a good man? Laurel runs her own business as well selling on goods from estate sales and other sources.

Cassie is living in Maine when the reader first meets her. However, her family wants her to start thinking of herself and they push her to go to California to see an inheritance. 

As readers no doubt expect, these three women will get to know one another well. Readers will hope that they each find their way. As they try, the summer book club will be there for them and for the reader who may find some other suggested titles to be ones that they want to explore.

This book will appeal to readers of women’s fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 13 February 2024