Book Review: The Fallen by Maureen Myant

An errant crisp packet is all that stands between DI Alex Scrimgeour being murdered on his way to work. Who would want Alex dead? Or was it perhaps a case of mistaken identity? If the bullet wasn’t meant for Alex, then who was it meant for and why?

Alex’s journalist daughter, Kate, newly in his life and now happily settled in the same city, is obsessed with finding out more about a spate of apparent teenage suicides in the city. What do the deaths have in common, if anything? And who are the two mysterious ‘friends’ claiming that some of the teenagers were suicidal despite their families believing otherwise?

Despite pressing domestic issues, Kate can’t let the matter go, plunging her into a potentially dangerous situation.

When his would-be killer turns up dead, Alex is forced to look further back into the past to discover what motivated the shooting. Who is behind the vendetta? Can they be stopped before the next attempt is more successful?

Review:

This is my first book By Maureen Myant and though I have started this series part way through I quickly worked out what was happening and was able to follow it easily.

What I loved the most about the story through was the two story lines Alex’s and Kate’s so while for example Alex is awaiting results Kate’s story comes into play. Which uses the “spare” timeline up and your not waiting like the police for results!

Though I must admit when Alex got ill, I was worried he’d been poisoned, but it seems like it was just the flu phew!

I loved the other character’s in this book, the young people just doing what they need to do to survive and how Kate goes out her way to try and help them. Then there’s the character’s in Alex’s storyline and the reason he’s getting shot at which I found to be a really good twist in the tail. Who’s have thought it? No spoilers here I’m afraid.

An engaging story that kept me turning the pages till the end!

Maureen Myant has a PhD and MLitt in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. She is the author of the Glasgow Southside crime series featuring DS Nicholson and DI Scrimgeour. They are published by Hobeck Books. Although they can be read as standalone novels they are best read in sequence. The Confession was published in 2022, followed by The Deception (2023) and The Shame (2024) The fourth in the series, The Fallen, will be published in Autumn 2025. She is currently writing the fifth book. A standalone psychological drama, What Lies Beneath was published by Hobeck Books in November 2024. Maureen is also the author of a historical novel, The Search, which is set in wartime Czechoslovakia, Poland and Germany. A former psychologist, Maureen lives in Glasgow.

Find Maureen on the socials below….

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Quick Fire Questions – Chris Penhall

Sorry I’ve been really quiet recently 😦 kinda fell out with WordPress but it looks like the editing button has changed YAY! So, I’m back.

Chris Penhall writes uplifting stories set in gorgeous places! Her new book The house that Florence left was published back in October 2024 (sorry) and is still flying high in the charts.

Chris…

Vodka and Coke or Malibu and Coke –

Malibu and Coke. Although actually I’m a dry white wine kind of girl

Novella or novel –

Novel – although I have read some wonderful novellas

Series or stand alone –

Ohhhh, now…..depends but let’s say currently stand-alone

Nestle or Cadbury’s –

Both! Ha ha! I’ll lean towards Nestle. (I’ve just been browsing Nestle chocolate bars as ‘research’. My mouth is literally watering…!)

Aldi or Lidl –

I use my local Aldi so Aldi it is

Rock music or pop music –

Rock music. But I do like pop music. I’m a fan of many genres

Christmas or Easter –

Christmas

Snow or Rain –

Rain. Mainly because I just have never liked snow. I really like sun actually.

Summer or autumn –

Summer

Brown paper or shiny wrapping paper –

Shiny wrapping paper. Anything shiny or sparkly.

Early morning or late at night –

Both! Depends on the time of year. Early morning in the summer.

ESCAPE TO PORTUGAL FOR SUMMER SUN AND SECOND CHANCES.

Could an unlikely inheritance be the secret to Bella’s happiness?

Bella Cresswell likes her life organized. But when she inherits her great-aunt Flo’s house in the Algarve, her life gets decidedly disorganized.

She flies to Portugal hoping for a quick sale and to return home. Except there is a clause in the will stopping her. Before she can sell the house, Bella must ‘make it better’.

As she tries to fix up the dilapidated property, Bella discovers the faded walls are filled with the memories and secrets of Florence’s vibrant life. And, as she looks further into her great-aunt’s time in Portugal, she realises, there’s more to making it better than she first thought.

Soon Bella finds herself caught up in the charm of the lively Portuguese village, the eccentric and friendly locals and her handsome, yet mysterious, neighbour, Hugo.

But when it’s time to sell and say goodbye will Bella be able to return to her old life?

Or will she discover that some things are meant to be held onto forever?

You can contact Chris via

@ChrisPenhallWriter

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www.ChristinePenhall.co.uk

Blood Oranges, My Love – F E Birch

Blood Oranges, My Love is the final anthology of dark crime reads from F.E. Birch. Most of the stories have been placed in competitions or previously published and span from 2006 – present. They are quick reads and contain criminally insane themes involving family drama, fraud, childhood memories and trauma, bereavement, grooming, alcoholism, spontaneous combustion, ghost stories, disability, and a bit of vengeful murder. There’s also a handful of lighter, kinder, more upbeat reads, should you wish to find them.

If you like your stories dark, devious and deliciously criminal, then you’ll love them!

My Review:

So much love for this book and it’s stories inside.

Each story is beautifully crafted, you can tell just from reading that F E Birch has put so much care and attention into each short story. No story in this collection has had less love and attention than the rest. There is no rubbish story in this collection and I find it hard to pick out my favoutie. From dating with a disabled daughter, relationship issues and staying even though times are hard and the story of the canoe man we all know so well from it’s media exposure.

F.E Birch has a talent that there is no way I could replicate, she manages to get what I need 50k words to write, into short compact stories. I’ve never been very good at getting to the point in as less words as possible.

Go and grab yourself a copy of this book you won’t regret it.

About the Author

F.E. Birch is an ex-cop from the North East but she’s not a Geordie. She is a prolific short story writer with a trail of pseudonyms and publications behind her. With a penchant for dark, deep and the disturbing, her crimes are rarely cosy. She has self-published two collections of competition winning short stories and her debut novel, She’s Not There was published early 2023 by Red Dragon. She is also published by Harper Collins (2013) with stories about being an undercover cop …

With a bendy EDS body, GSOH and a tad clumsy, she wears many hats and loves wigs. Her friends call her Effie.

You can contact F.E Birch below

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Book Review: Recipe for Mr Banksy

Daisy’s love life needs a makeover . . .
Beauty therapist Daisy is having one of those days.

She’s just ended things with her boyfriend. Coming home to a huge ‘Sold’ sign planted in their front lawn and hearing him planning to move them into a caravan is the last straw.

To top it off, her greedy landlord, who also happens to be her ex’s best friend, is threatening to ruin her business.

So it’s no surprise a spelling mistake in the butcher’s window is enough to push her over the edge. And fixing it with a can of spray paint from a passing graffiti artist only makes things worse.

The graffiti artist is actually trainee doctor Jackson. Street art helps him to relax when he’s not at his stressful job.

Jackson doesn’t know what to make of the impulsive Daisy, but he can’t get her out of his head.

As Daisy fights to save her business, fate seems to delight in throwing her and Jackson together.

And boy do they make a good team . . . But can a passionate beauty therapist and a sensible doctor really have a future?

My Review

When a chance meeting for Daisy when she steals a spray can of paint from a stranger to correct a spelling (NB: I know how Anni feels when she reads my work.) becomes a story of two people falling in love.

Daisy a beauty therapist who is already under pressure from her landlord to move out of the building so he can turn it into flats. Nevermind the sold sign that’s just appeared outside the home she shares with her soon to be ex Mark.

Daisy’s salon is always busy and along with her two colleagues Molly and Sasha who provides many laugh out loud moments in this novel. They go out of their way when it comes to the customer experience even if Daisy is sometimes unaware of what they and her nephew Robbie are planning.

I like how Anni used the character Robbie to show that even though kids are sometimes screen obsessed. Robbie goes out of his way to help Daisy and not just play Roblox plus there’s that skate board he’s after. At times Daisy also comes across as a second mum to Robbie which I liked as it gave something else to the character dynamic.

Jackson is a trainee doctor and is top of his class, destined for great things, but there is something missing in his life. Until that is he meets Daisy. I liked how Anni made sure that Jackson came across as a real doctor and finds himself doing the things real trainee doctors do and it’s not just glossed over for the sake of the story.

Jackson has his vices of course, he’s a graffiti artist, but he doesn’t just tag places he really draws pictures which make people stop and look one such piece even goes to funding the local fire brigade.

Daisy and Jackson both have busy lives and though there several near misses, Robbie medalling in the proceedings and a dog called Elvis. I really enjoyed reading this book as it took me away from the genre that I’m used to. It was a NICE read and I can’t wait to read more of Anni’s work.

You can buy Anni’s books below!

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Book Review: I’ll Miss You This Christmas

She’s on a journey towards the perfect Christmas…

Emily feels like her life’s been shattered into tiny pieces and glued back together the wrong way. With her heart still aching after her sister’s sudden death, Emily has stepped in to care for her nine-year-old nephew, Felix. Wanting to focus on Felix, and trying to do the right thing, she ended her two-year relationship with Rory who wasn’t ready to settle down.

But when she takes Felix into London to see the Christmas lights, the two of them end up on a train heading towards the city where Rory lives. The long ride will give her time to reflect on whether she made a mistake letting him go. But as Rory embarks on his own journey at the same time, will their paths cross in time to come together for Christmas?

My Review

Lucy Mitchell’s book is a large creamy hot chocolate drink with cream and all the toppings. It deals with loss, grief and gender roles we believe people should follow.

I loved this book on so many levels. I loved Felix and though he acts like a very confident 9 and a half year old. Lucy’s made sure that he is as vulnerability as any 9 and a half year old would be when he puts his plans into action. I also loved the side characters of his friends as the character tells us what each of his friends thought of the ideas.

I loved how openly Lucy writes Rory’s character he is openly is missing Emily, he’s having one night stands with people who look like Emily and failing. He also becomes blind sided by what he is being told by others in an attempt to hold onto the past.

There are also a range of characters in the book who tell our two main characters along the way what love and loving someone means to them.

Along with misunderstandings, near misses and alot of magic this book is an amazing read leaving me wanting more. I loved Lucy’s self published debut but I love this one even more.

I would like to thank Bloodhound and Lucy for the chance to read this book in advance. (I’d of read it anyway as Lucy is amazing)

You can order your Copy of Lucy’s books from:

You can also contact Lucy through her various social media channels

You can also check out the review for Lucy’s debut “Instructions for Falling in Love” HERE

Winner Takes All – Claris Lam

Aubri Harlow thinks she’s found her dream vacation after winning a contest to an exclusive island resort for a whole week.

However, her dream quickly turns into a nightmare when her ex-boyfriend Colin, ex-girlfriend Renee, and former university classmate Bastian end upon the same island as fellow contest winners.

Even worse? Colin is found dead barely a day into the vacation. Terrible weather prevents the police from arriving on the island to investigate. To keep herself safe, as well as her other companions, Aubri must find out who the killer is…or risk becoming the next target.

My Review

I’d like to start off by saying I admire anyone who can write a crime thriller as a novella, when here sits and author that writes over 50k before she has a meltdown.

This book follows Aubri Harrlow as she jets off to a holiday that’s she’s recently won as part of a competition only to be greeted by all three of her ex’s Chris (the psycho boyfriend) Renee (the one who got away) and Bastian. (the friend she pretended to date) But how come these three all won the same competition as she did? And why were two of her ex’s arguing over dinner? And don’t forget the dead body the next morning.

I really enjoyed this book, as I sat on my train to Birmingham it was a short read, having just finished a novel. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments, along with some death defying actions in order to search for the truth. Plus, the climatic ending as our heroine comes face to face with a cold bloody killer whose just gone on a mass killing spree.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series and I’m once safe back in the knowledge that a shorter book can pack the same punch as my 80k plus ones.

Claris Lam (she/her) writes poetry and fiction.

Her short fiction and poetry has been published in collections and projects including the Young Canadians Roundtable of Health’s project In Their Own Words: Reflections By Youth On The Pandemic (Dec. 2022).

She is currently writing several novels.
Engagement To Die For is her second novels, which follows on from Winner Takes All.

You can buy Claris’ books by clicking the links bellow:

And can be contacted through various socail media channels

Lucy Keeling – Just Friends For Now

Like myself Lucy has been writing a series of books that have been loved and enjoyed by many but now the series is coming to an end and I wanted to catch up with Lucy about writing a series and her newest book “Just Friends for Now.”

Did you plan to write a series when you started out?

I absolutely did and I remember when my publisher offered me a three book contract, I mentioned then that in an ideal world there would be a fourth and here we are.

I have no idea when or where my series will end, how did you know that it was time for the series to come to an end?

It was always going to be a book for each person within the friendship group. I knew that Sophie would start us off, then we had Polly, Mya and finally it’s Paige’s turn for a happily ever after. I also wanted to make sure that the series was neatly tied up and finished. Early readers have enjoyed the final book and how it completes everyone’s stories looking at what comes next for them all.

Though there is a same sex couple of “Burning Lie” their sexuality isn’t central to the story. What challenges have you faced writing a same sex couple?

Hmm interestingly the most difficult part was pronouns. Ordinarily I might add in a ‘he said’, ‘she said’ for clarity. But in a same sex couple that doesn’t help. It was important to me that my books show the same diversity as the life around us, and so Paige’s story was always going to be written and she was always going to have her own Happily Ever After, I think I did her justice, she certainly met her match with Melanie that’s for sure.

Your books have been set in vegas where else in the world would you like to set one.

347658106_922951675452401_7373668378742118945_n One of my friends writes books set all over the world and if you fancy reading her work just look out for Leonie Mack, she’s incredible. But I am not that well travelled myself and would worry that I wouldn’t do it justice. However, if you were to tell me that I could travel there for research purposes before writing then I would say either Norway or Mykonos maybe.

We all have our favourite character’s to write for but whose been your favourite character in the series

I love Sophie, Polly, Mya and Paige obviously. But I will say that we get introduced to Connie in the new book and she might just be my most favourite. Without giving too much away she’s Paige’s gran, searching for husband number 5 and she’s a little bit wise and a little bit of a loose cannon.

Whose been your favourite love interest to write?

Polly and Bailey, no wait, Mya and Smithy. Oh maybe Paige and Melanie I love the contrast between them they are very much opposites attract.

If your characters were to all end up in a tv reality show which one would it be

Oh my days. Ok well if we could make a Manchester version of Made in Chelsea then I would go for a slightly funnier version of that.

How would you say you’ve developed as a writer over the series

Well I would say that if you want to write a series make sure you write a cast list. This is essential. I learned this the hard way. I hope that I have developed as a writer but I’m not sure how. Each time I sit down to write a new book I have to Google ‘how to write a book’. And so far each time I have written it’s needed a different approach as to how much I’ve planned out in advance.

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What items would you pick off the Barbarellla menu

I want a Mimosa and probably Bacon and French Toast please.

What would your idea brunch memu be, bottomless proseco or bottomless cake

I do like Prosecco but if I could switch that out for bottomless cocktails AND bottomeless cake then I would be incredibly happy!

I need to find somewhere that serves bottomless cake! or afternoon tea but just cake…. Cs

What next for Lucy, will we get to see the characters we’ve fallen in love with again

For now I’m afraid not. But… There are a couple of characters in there that I think would be deserving of their own stories. But for now I have a few ideas that I’d like to have a look into and see if maybe there’s another series waiting to be written.

Just friends for now . . . but what about later?

Bar owner Paige’s mojo is broken. She’s eternally single and there’s a new Instagrammable bottomless brunch spot in town that’s threatening to steal her regulars.
But she can’t deny that there’s just something about competitor Melanie and her prim and proper librarian look.

There’s no denying the chemistry. But Melanie should be her rival, not her friend. And definitely not anything else.

But when they’re thrown together to work on a local art project, Paige might find that being just friends is going to be trickier than she imagined . . .

Available Exclusively from also available on Kindle Unlimited

The rest of the series can also be purchased from Amazon or direct from the publisher.

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Want to keep up to date with what Lucy is doing next?

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Meet The Family – Sally Jenkins

Sally’s debut “The Little Museum of Hope” is out in the wide world and with her being new to Ruby Fiction I just had to find out more.

Welcome to my blog “A Story About A Girl” Sally

What inspired you to write “The Little Museum of Hope “

Ten years ago, I read a newspaper article about the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb. It’s a place where visitors can leave objects associated with their failed relationships. Sally Jenkins 2022

Little Museum of Hope is a fictionalised version of this Zagreb museum but moved to the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham in the UK.

Donating an object to the Little Museum of Hope helps people to escape past turmoil and to move on positively with their lives.

Wow, I kinda want to go there now after clicking the link!

If you could go back to when you first started writing what one piece advice would you give yourself?

Grow a thick skin to weather the rejections (everyone gets a lot!) but if an editor/publisher/agent takes the time to give feedback (negative or positive), take it on board and seriously consider acting on it.

What would you say to someone who wants to write?

Write only because you enjoy the process – it’s unlikely you’ll ever make any significant money. Non-fiction, especially magazine articles, presents the easiest way to get published. Fiction is a much harder market. Having said that, seeing your words and your name in print will give you a massive high, better than any drug or illicit substance!

If you weren’t writing what would you be doing?

If I didn’t write at all I’d still need a creative outlet so I’d want to learn how to paint or craft or cook. I’m not brilliant at any of those things but I do like to have an end product from my endeavours. I can’t imagine a life where I didn’t create anything.

How did you deal with rejections when you started out?

My writing career started with articles and short stories for magazines and I got a lot of rejections or no reply at all. Each negative response hurt but because these pieces, unlike a novel, hadn’t taken months or years to write, it was easier to pick myself up and try again. news-g4c413aa43_640

It was many years before I felt confident enough in my writing ability to risk attempting a novel and the onslaught of rejections that would follow.

Over the years I have become more thick-skinned and more savvy about the publishing industry – you can have the best novel ever but if it doesn’t land on the right person’s desk at the right time it won’t be published.

There is a certain amount of luck, as well as skill, needed to be a successful author.

What made you decide to submit with Ruby Fiction?

I loved the idea of the tasting panel where real readers get the chance to choose which books should be published. Generally, it’s the publishing professionals who dictate which books will be a success but, in my opinion, it makes absolute sense to let readers give their opinions. Needless to say, I was delighted when Little Museum of Hope got the thumbs up!

Which authors inspired you to write?

Several authors inspired me to read and, therefore, indirectly to write. Enid Blyton got me into reading as a child – I loved Malory Towers and The Famous Five.

As a teenager my friends and I devoured the early Jilly Cooper novels: Imogen, Emily, Prudence, Octavia, Harriet and Bella.

Nowadays I read a lot of crime, thrillers and general fiction and I’m particularly enjoying Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters’ time-slip series. All my favourite books are easy to read stories featuring characters who matter to the reader. And that is the type of book I try to write – a tale that will have the reader hooked from page one and transport her into someone else’s life for a few hours. Hopefully the reviews for Little Museum of Hope will bear that out!

Who would you want to play the main characters in your book if your novel was optioned for tv / film?

youngbrenda 55-year-old Vanessa is the main character in Little Museum of Hope and she starts the museum to counteract the depression around losing her job and her husband leaving her for another woman. Within the museum is the Mended Heart Café where Vanessa listens empathetically to donors telling the stories behind their donated objects. When I was writing Vanessa, I had in mind a younger version of the actress Brenda Blethyn, who plays the TV detective with a heart of gold, Vera.

Do you have any writing routines or rituals, if so what are they?

I fit writing around two part-time jobs and running two reading groups so mostly it gets squeezed into the cracks in short bursts. Morning is the best time for me to write, before the rest of the day’s activities press in on me. The London Writers’ Hour gives me a discipline that I might otherwise lack. This is a virtual, hour-long writing sprint held each weekday on Zoom and it’s free to take part. There are four sessions across four time zones.

The UK hour is 8am to 9am but you can join in with any of the other sessions too.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I signed to Ruby Fiction with a three-book contract.

The next two novels are, like Little Museum of Hope, uplifting commercial women’s fiction and are currently with the tasting panel. Fingers crossed they get a positive reaction from the readers too! Until then I don’t want to say too much, in case I jinx them.

More About Juliet Archer

Sally Jenkins lives in the West Midlands with her husband. When not writing and not working in IT, she feeds her addiction to words by working part-time in her local library, running two reading groups and giving talks about her writing. Sally can also be found walking, church bell ringing and enjoying shavasana in her yoga class.

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A jar of festival mud, a photo album of family memories, a child’s teddy bear, a book of bell ringing methods, an old cassette tape, a pair of slippers …

These are the items that fill the exhibit shelves in Vanessa Jones’ museum. At first glance, they appear to have nothing in common, but that’s before you find out the stories behind them. Vanessa’s Little Museum of Hope is no ordinary museum – its aim is to help people heal by donating items associated with shattered lives and failed relationships, and in doing so, find a way to move on, perhaps even start again.

The museum becomes a sanctuary for the broken hearts in Vanessa’s city, and she’s always on hand to offer a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a listening ear. But could the bringer of Hope need a little help moving on herself?

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Book Review: Run to the Blue

It was supposed to be the best day of her career, the day when she was the hero, the reporter whose story put a deadly gangster behind bars.

But as crime boss Ken Lean is sentenced, ace reporter Tess Anderson instead finds herself in the headlines: her husband is exposed as having an affair with a top government minister, and Tess herself faces death threats from the Lean crime family.

With her life collapsing around her, Tess runs to her friend’s villa on the Greek island of Paxos, but soon finds she’s been tracked down by killers and spies. Her only hope of escape is a mysterious, glamorous, and somehow familiar American yachtsman.

Can Tess stay alive long enough to see her pursuers behind bars?

Who can she trust as her enemies close in?

And what is the secret that her husband and his lover are so keen to ensure remains buried?

My Thoughts

At the centre of Run to the Blue is a love story and what make me the Crime and Thriller writer love Phil’s books is the harder outer layer which is the Crime and Thriller story. Think Cadburies Caramel or Cadburies marvellous creations.

Our main character Tess Anderson is on the run and alone, having brought Ken Lean Crime boss to justice after exposing The Care Home scandal. To make matters worse on what should’ve been one of the best days of her career it turns out her husband has been cheating on her with the MP for family values Suzanne Heffle and the news conveniently breaks at the exact same time as the guilty verdict.

Heart broken and devastated Tess runs to hide out in Greece and the island of Paxos where her best friend Jane owns a holiday home that’s empty for the next couple of weeks. Thus begins a cat and mouse game because in Tess’s possession is an Ipad with some very interesting emails on that her soon to be ex husband hasn’t delete and they could be dynamite but what should she do with them. Send them to her boss, forget she has ever looked at them or forward them on to her DI contact back home. Let the game begins.

Frightened and chased through the streets of Paxo, Tess is rescued by an anonymous American Yachtsman who offers her a safe haven on his Yacht but is this just another trap because he won’t tell Tess his name but she recognises him from somewhere…

Phil describes the scenery so vividly that it’ll make you want to jump on the next plane to Greece and find yourself a Yacht / Yachtsman and go sailing. A pure piece of escapism from the grey British weather. What I especially loved about this book was the linkage back to Killer in the Crowd and the concert by Restless Lovers where Tess met her husband originally.

A great thrilling read with a squishy romantic centre wrapped in a thick layer of crime. What’s not to like?

As a TV Newsreader, Reporter and Producer for both BBC East and ITV Anglia, P N Johnson covered everything from tracking down criminals in Spain and going on high-octane police chases, to interviewing pop stars, politicians and celebrities. P N Johnson was also the face and voice of
Crimestoppers in the eastern region for many years and created the successful TV series: “999 Frontline”. Now living near Norwich, P N Johnson loves music, travelling, walking, and sailing, and bringing exciting new characters with amazing stories to the page.

You can purchase Run to the Blue below:

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Quick Fire Questions with Joanne Boden

Excited to catch up with Joanne again, and fire some quick fire questions at her….

Vodka and Coke or Malibu and Coke

Malibu and coke because I don’t drink vodka. To be honest if I was drinking coke it would be a diet coke with Tia Maria.

Novella or novel

I mainly read novels and they are usually over 300 pages. I can’t remember the last novella I read. It might have been a Christmas novella that I listened to via Audible.

Series or stand alone

If I had to choose then it would be a series. I like it when you are introduced to characters you’ve previously met and when you are sucked back into the same town or wherever the story is set. It brings me such comfort.

Nestle or Cadburys

Cadbury’s without a shadow of a doubt because I love Dairy Milk. Other chocolates are available 🙂

Rock music or pop music

Rock music. I love rock music, but Claire you should have thrown country into the mix because then I would have opted for that instead.

Lidl or Aldi

Lidl. I love shopping at Lidl. With the cost of living being the way it is I shop around and Lidl always has some great bargains.

Reality Tv or Documentary

Documentary because I don’t really watch reality tv anymore.

Christmas or Easter

Oh this is a tricky one but I love the magic of Christmas and decorating the tree.

Snow or Rain

If I had to choose then it would have to be rain. I like looking at snow but I don’t like being out in it and when the snow turns to ice our village becomes an ice rink.

Summer or autumn

I love summer. I love the sun and sitting out in the garden and the heat. I miss the heat during these cold winter months. I do enjoy autumn, but summer is magical.

Santa or the Easter bunny

Santa. I’m still a big kid at heart and honestly, I think there’s something a bit creepy about the Easter Bunny. 🙂

Six weeks holiday or end of term holidays

Six week holiday without a shadow of a doubt. My husband is a teacher so we always look forward to spending time together with the boys during the summer holidays.

Staycation or abroad

Staycation as it is difficult for us to go abroad as a family. There are also many beautiful places to visit in this country. We are also very lucky in that we live in a beautiful part of the world with the Lake District only a short drive away.

Sunset or sunrise

I love watching the sunrise, there’s something magical about it, about that promise of a brand new day when anything is possible.

Fly or drive (on holiday)

Drive because that way you can take your time.

Brown paper or shiny wrapping paper

There is just something about brown paper that I find so lovely. I ordered a blind date with a book from Etsy the other week and it arrived beautifully wrapped in brown paper with a simple red ribbon.

Early morning or late at night

Early morning, although I don’t really have a choice as my youngest wakes me up at six every morning. I’m used to it now though and make the most of those precious early hours by getting in some reading time.

Freeview or cable channels

Freeview as we don’t have cable. To be honest though, I don’t really watch that much television.

Home and Away or Neighbours

Neighbours because I will always have a soft spot for Harold Bishop.

Can two lost souls find themselves in Little Bluewater Bay?

In the space of a single day, Harry Taylor achieves the impressive feat of losing a girlfriend, his London flat and his bookshop job. So, when his cousin Lucas invites him to his home in the seaside village of Little Bluewater Bay to recuperate, Harry jumps at the chance.

Beth Smith works at a diner and is quickly overstaying her welcome sleeping on her friend’s sofa. Overhearing a conversation about Little Bluewater Bay reminds her of better times, and she decides to throw caution to the wind and try her luck for happier memories in the coastal village.

Could a bookish business proposal and oldest new bookshop in Little Bluewater Bay lead to the new beginnings Beth and Harry so desperately need?

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