Tag Archive | Rachels Random Resources

The Secret Ingredient by Sue Heath

Nov23

Cover Reveal

The Secret Ingredient

She’s writing her story one recipe at a time…

‘A delicious story that wraps itself around your heart’ Evie Woods, bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop

It’s been three years, two weeks and one day since Kate Shaw’s life changed forever. Three years, two weeks and one day that Kate has been angry – with herself and life.

But today is different. Different because Kate has finally taken the step she’s been avoiding…back into the kitchen. Now, what begins as a (disastrous) attempt to make pancakes becomes a culinary journey that is not only a love letter to someone so important to her, but also an unexpected means of connection to a community she never knew she had…

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The Old Ducks’ Hen Do by Maddie Please

Nov20

Really Fun

The Old Ducks’ Hen Do by Maddie Please is a really fun contemporary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The characters are all in their sixties showing that life is for living. “Life is what you make it.” You are never too old to have a fresh start or to have fun.

Ten days in Mallorca for a hen do really invigorate the characters. Their villa is next door to a male group of twitchers, all over sixty. Together they have fun and characters who have been dormant for years, begin to blossom.

A chance meeting with an old sweetheart, sets a heart a flutter, as the years just peel away. Like a vintage wine, age has improved both of them.

All the characters are delightfully drawn. They know how to have fun. This light-filled atmosphere illuminates’ lives. Easy banter volleys backwards and forwards between the characters. It is also highly amusing.

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Celebrations In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

Nov19

Sea, Sun, Surf – And Cake!

Celebrations In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen is a most delightful contemporary novel. It is the eighth book in the charming Bellbird Bay series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous books first in order to get to know the residents of Bellbird Bay.

I thoroughly enjoyed my return visit. I loved catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones. Bellbird Bay is very much community minded. “We care about each other here.”

Bellbird Bay is the place where people look out for each other. There is an eclectic mix of characters and always those who are happy to match-make! People pull together, helping each other and supporting local businesses where they can.

Relocating from Sydney after a disaster, a character re-connects with her old roots. With a fifteen year old daughter in tow, she returns to the Bellbird Bay of her youth. As she re-connects life becomes much fuller, compared with the anonymity of suburban Sydney.

There are community activities for all ages. As well as events to raise money for local charities such as victims of domestic abuse.

Characters bond over sea, sun, surf – and cake! All the characters are wonderfully drawn. Most are not in their first flush of youth. The lead characters are in their forties and also an octogenarian.

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The Girls Of Bomber Command by Vicki Beeby

Nov16

Live Each Moment

The Girls Of Bomber Command by Vicki Beeby is a powerful historical novel that I loved. It is set during the middle of World War II mainly on an airbase in Lincolnshire.

As we follow the lives of the men and women of bomber command, we see the fragility of life. “If I have tomorrow” is a phrase a young pilot utters. Whenever the men flew their missions, they never knew if they would return to base – whether it was a leaflet or bomb drop. They lived hard and they played hard. Daredevil antics on the base were a way to unwind and cope with the enormous responsibility that was on young shoulders.

We witness the devastating effects of an aircraft not returning to base. “The crew are like family.” All members hurt if one of their own is lost.

Life is hard for the girls on base. They are friends with the airmen and worry each time bomber command teams take to the air. Even in the middle of the night, they wait for the planes to return, greeting each man with a smile, a mug of tea and a ‘welcome home’. Life was lived on a knife edge for all.

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