Archive | November 2023

Escape To The Swiss Chalet by Carrie Walker

Nov11

Absolutely Charming

Escape To The Swiss Chalet by Carrie Walker is an absolutely charming debut novel that warmed my heart and left me smiling.

Much of the novel is set in the Swiss Alps. The warmth of the characters is inversely proportional to the coldness of the landscape, as we join the characters in the winter season.

The reader’s taste buds are tempted by the delights coming out of the kitchen. We follow the chef and the sous chef/sommelier as they serve delicacies from the chalet’s restaurant.

New friendships form after old one’s crumble. Grey Britain in August contrasts sharply with the white snow of the Alps in winter.

All the characters are delightfully drawn, likable and realistic. Their interactions are a joy to behold. Their dialogue bounces along and the asides are witty. A character is full of life, even when life gets her down. “You find joy in every moment.”

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Courageous Cats by Norah Evers

Nov10

Four Legged Heroes

Courageous Cats by Norah Evers is a most charming little book with five unique true stories about five unique cats. The tales range from the Crimean war to present day. Each cat is a four-legged hero.

Each story is told in the third person from the point of view of the cat. They each perform a rescue service. They are all heroes.

Cats develop bonds with their owners. They are often portrayed as loners and selfish but nothing could be further from the truth. Cats are loyal, loving and giving. They have a unique sixth sense and are able to tell when something is wrong. They can sniff out anything dangerous, even cancer. Cats can quite literally be life savers.

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The Last Train From Paris by Juliet Greenwood

Nov10

Love Leads The Way

The Last Train From Paris by Juliet Greenwood is a powerful, heart wrenching historical novel.

The book is set over two time periods – 1964 in Cornwall and also in France from 1939-1945. The war years were a terrible time as the Nazis marched into France in 1940. Life went from gay and carefree to fearful and persecuted.

We follow a family as they flee to the South. Even civilians were at risk of aircraft firing on them. Terrible sights were seen along the way. Kind hearts helped where they could. People were determined to survive. “She would fight to tell their stories.”

Nazi ideology infiltrated lives. It could split families as opinions would be divided. Sometimes previously loving family members were brain washed by Hitler, forcing other members to flee for their lives.

The handicapped were in grave danger. It took much courage to keep a baby with a hare lip safe. Sometimes love means letting go. We witness instances of sacrificial love.

There is a beautiful friendship between a young French girl and a young English girl. Both support each other. Their friendship is tested but comes up trumps.

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The Hotel Room Mix-Up by Kathy Jay

Nov8

Cover Reveal

The Hotel Room Mix-Up

Two weddings, three hotel reservations gone awry…and one weekend in Cornwall they’ll never forget!

When the similarities between Ella Swift and Callum Smith’s last names lead to a hotel room mix-up, they find themselves sharing a cramped cottage in Porthkara rather than the private luxury hotel suites they expected.

Each in town for a different wedding – and carrying more baggage than just the suitcases in their hands – the reluctant roommates are forced to share a shelter from the storm surge that sweeps in off the Atlantic. But as the rain crashes down there’s a shift in more than just the atmosphere, and by the time the sun rises on a new day, Ella and Callum’s futures have already been forever changed…

Pre-order Links

Publication Date – 15th December

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