Book review: Spell Bound (Phoebe Winchester #2) by Gretchen Rue

At the end of last year I randomly picked up a copy of Something Wicked by Gretchen Rue and it was everything I wanted from a witchy romcom. The story was set in a very quaint town (think Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow), it had fabulous characters (which included a fluffy feline wringing its way into the protagonist's life), and an intriguing murder mystery to boot. The book screamed adorable and I was absolutely hooked. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I learned it was part of a series and the second novel would be out in the UK just a few months after I read the first.  

Book review: Cornish Clouds and Silver Lining Skies by Ali McNamara

Ali McNamara has been one of my go-to women's fiction authors ever since I read Step Back In Time in 2013 (nearly 10 years ago now, wow!). I've devoured many of her books since, such as Letters From Lighthouse Cottage and The Little Flower Shop by the Sea. And after not really picking up contemporary romance fiction for a few years, it were her novels that got me right back into them. Returning to her fictional town of St Felix in Cornish Clouds and Silver Lining Skies felt like reuniting with an old friend. 

Book review: Time After Time by Louise Pentland [blog tour]

Louise Pentland is as a prolific British YouTuber and Instagrammer, whose online channels are homey, family-oriented, and cosy. Alongside her social media work, she has written a trio of novels about fictional character Robin Wilde, and non-fiction book, MumLife, a memoir about motherhood. As a big fan of Louise's online content – and a book blogger to boot – it's shocking I haven't read any of her books to date. So I'm very glad I've FINALLY been able to rectify this shameful fact by devouring her latest standalone novel (in a single afternoon, that's how much I got swept away by the story!). 

Book review: The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd [blog tour]

Who doesn't love a good map? Even in the age of sat nav and mobile phones giving us very precise directions about which turns to take, there is still a place for physical maps in the world. The average person may not be using them frequently in their everyday lives anymore, but folding out a map and physically tracing directions has a certain kind of transportive magic to it, doesn't it? That's the premise of The Cartographers, sort of. 

The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

How stunning does the proof for The Toymakers look (and you can't even see properly that the door actually opens up and that the edge of the pages are stamped with a toy soldier design too)? I'm sure I'm not the only one who instantly thought of the nutcracker when laying eyes on the lush cover and that magical wintery feel really comes across within the pages of this beautifully imaginative read too.

The Lustre of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller

Sometimes you're in the mood for a feel-good read to take you away from the stresses of every day life – and The Lustre of Lost Things is just the novel to fit this purpose. It is a wondrous tale filled with eclectic characters and magical realism, bringing the dark and greyness of New York City alive through the imagination of a young boy on the adventure of a lifetime. Sophie Chen Keller's story is whimsical and delightful, the perfect anecdote to all the horrible things currently happening in the world.

Book review: On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Carrie Hope Fletcher is well-known among teens and young adults. Not only for being the sister of McFly's Tom Fletcher and sister-in-law to author Giovanna Fletcher, but also for her inspirational YouTube channel filled with positive messages, videos and songs, which has over 600,000 subscribers. Not to mention that Carrie has graced the West End boards more than once, most recently in Les Miserables in which she was wonderful. She's multi-talented, that one. However, writing a book is something quite different to performing on stage (or on YouTube), so how does her first venture into the world of fiction fare?