Novel Kicks Book Club: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Happy New Year and Hello January.
I hope everyone enjoyed welcoming in 2025. Was it me or did 2024 go really quickly?
Like many people, I always feel a little sad at this time of year. I don’t like saying goodbye to the Christmas tree, lights and brightness. Everything always feels a little plain. Of course, the weather doesn’t help this feeling of melancholy.
So, for January’s book club choice, I wanted to pick a book that sends us into a magical, colourful world – the wonderful world of OZ.
I wanted to join in with the buzz of Wicked but I feel that the novel that inspired this story needs a little love too. That is why I’ve chosen The Wonderful Wizard of OZ by L. Frank Baum.
I was shocked to realise that, although I know the 1939 movie, I’ve never read the novel. So, here we are. I think it’s the perfect story to kick off 2025.
How to join our book club –
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Book Review: The Girl in the Window by Diana Wilkinson
I’m delighted to be welcoming Diana Wilkinson back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Girl in the Window.
I know their secrets…
Every morning, I sit at the same table of my favourite café, sip my cappuccino, and watch them.
The woman has no idea I’m watching, day after day, unravelling the secrets of her life. I see the way she smiles when he arrives, how she glances over her shoulder… like someone who is hiding something.
She thinks she’s in control, but has no idea I’m on to them…
I know a lot more about the man. For a start, he’s not who he pretends to be – his lies are as plain as the nose on your face.
There’s more to this story than meets the eye, a lot more than I’ll ever let on. I already know a lot about the man, but have learnt so much more from watching.
Why do I think the man should tell me what’s going on?
Because he’s my husband. That’s why.
An unforgettable tale of deceit, lies and revenge, from the bestselling author of The Girl in Seat 2A.
*****
Izzy sits at the same cafe window every morning, watching the woman across the street. A woman she’s never met. She doesn’t even know her name but they are very much connected.
by Book Review: Christmas at Holly Tree Cottage by Eliza J. Scott
I’m so incredibly happy to be welcoming Eliza J Scott back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Christmas at Holly Tree Cottage, the latest in the Life on the Moors series.
It’s Christmas time in Lytell Stangdale!
When Romy Stainthorpe sees Holly Tree Cottage staring back at her from the pages of a magazine, she’s sure it’s a sign. The quaint property is situated in Lytell Stangdale, a village in the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors. Her time there is steeped in happy memories of carefree days with the moorland wind blowing through her hair. And not just that, it’s where she had her first kiss and where she first fell in love.
It was her perfect place, where she felt most at home. Until her family’s hasty departure years twenty-one years earlier. Since that day, Romy has never been back, but the cottage has regularly crept into her thoughts. And now it’s available to rent for the festive season…
Could it be the perfect getaway Romy needs to get her life back on track, not to mention escape her friends’ well-meaning attempts at matchmaking since her divorce from Russ?
Local farmer, Finn Tindall is struggling to navigate the first Christmas since his ex-wife took herself and their sons to live in the US. He’s thrown himself into his work at Castlegate Farm and rarely ventures out, unable to face the pitying glances thrown his way. His only company is his loyal black Labrador Ted.
Convinced that fate is talking to her, Romy heads back to a snowy LytellStangdale. Once there, she’s thrilled to see the village is looking Christmas card-pretty and has embraced the festive period. The only place where there’s no Christmas cheer is Finn’s heart.
It doesn’t take long before Romy and Finn’s paths cross, setting long-hidden emotions stirring once more. Suddenly Christmas doesn’t seem so gloomy after all.
Could this be the exciting fresh start each of them deserves?
Will Finn and Romy decide their second chance at love is worth fighting for? Or will the obstacles put in their way make them think it’s time to say goodbye?
Why not take a trip to festive Lytell Stangdale where a warm welcome awaits and happy-ever-afters are guaranteed?
*****
by Book Review: Maddy’s Christmas Wedding by Rosie Green
I’m delighted to be welcoming Rosie Green back to Novel Kicks and the blog blitz for her book, Maddy’s Christmas Wedding, the latest in the Little Duck Pond series.
With the wedding of the year approaching, excitement is running high at the café! But there’s just one problem. Maddy is grappling with a secret.
Could it derail all of hers and Jack’s glorious plans for their big day? Will there actually be a wedding?
*****
Maddy is close to having the winter wedding she’s always dreamed of. Before marrying Jack, she and her friends head off to Lapland for her hen weekend. However, recent news has her keeping a secret. Is it big enough to stop the wedding and how long can Maddy keep it to herself?
I have read previous books in this series and loved them. I therefore jumped at the chance to be part of the one day blitz for Maddy’s Christmas Wedding, book 37 in the Little Duck Pond series. This, like many in the series can be read as a standalone.
by Book Review: Reach for the Stars by Maxine Morrey
I’m so pleased to be welcoming Maxine Morrey back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Reach for the Stars.
Felicity was never meant to end up with a money-pit farmhouse to renovate and a broken heart to heal…
But when Fliss attempts to drown the sorrow of seeing her ex-fiancé and his new wife’s magazine-worthy wedding all over social media, one rash decision loses her a job and gains her a doer-upper in the blink of an eye.
The only bright spot of living in the country is the very dishy and very handy loveliest-man-ever Jesse Woods. And when Fliss’s new roof has an ill-advised meeting with a tree in the middle of the night resulting in her literally seeing stars, there’s only one thing for it. She’s going to have to accept Jesse’s help and a place to stay.
City girl Fliss is at rock bottom but if anyone can teach her to turn her gaze from the gutter to the stars it’s Jesse Woods. She’s been burnt trusting men before, but Jesse may just be worth breaking her own rules for…
*****
Felicity not only has to deal with her ex’s wedding being everywhere, she also loses her job. Learning that alcohol and the Internet shouldn’t mix, she soon finds herself the owner of a renovation project. Is it too much or can Jessie help her?
I am a fan of Maxine’s novels and I was so pleased to be part of the blog tour her latest book, Reach For The Stars. It has a cute cover and I couldn’t wait to get started.
by Book Club
