Book Review: Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle by Jaimie Admans
It’s always so exciting to welcome Jaimie Admans to Novel Kicks as we shine a light on her latest book, Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle.
A Scottish castle, a fake marriage… and one very real Christmas romance?
After a window display goes disastrously viral – thanks to a malfunctioning animatronic Santa and an unfortunate encounter with Paddington Bear – Lula Haines finds herself without a job just weeks before Christmas. So she jumps at the chance to decorate Hollybrae Castle in Scotland for the holidays.
There’s just one complication: her handsome new boss, Oliver Bracewell, needs a fake wife for the festive season. To secure a promotion that could save his family’s castle, Ollie has been pretending to be a married father-of-two to impress the family-focused firm where he works. Now his bosses are coming to stay at Hollybrae over Christmas… expecting to meet his non-existent wife and children.
At first, playing along is easy as Lula is swept up in the magic of turning Hollybrae into the perfect festive escape with Ollie. But as Christmas draws nearer and she and Ollie grow closer, Lula begins to wonder if Hollybrae could become more than a temporary escape… and if the man she’s only pretending to love might actually be the one she’s been waiting for all along.
With heaps of tartan, tinsel and Christmas magic, this uplifting romance is perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Heidi Swain, Cressida McLaughlin, Ellie Henderson or Jessica Redland!
*****
When a window display goes wrong and Lula loses her job weeks before Christmas, she isn’t sure what she is going to do.
When a job advert decorating a Scottish castle catches her eye, it seems too good to be true. Sure enough, Lula finds out that there is a big catch.
Long term visitors to this blog will already know that I am a HUGE fan of Jaime Admans. So, whenever the chance to take part in a blog tour that involves one of her novels comes up, my hand will go up and I will shout ‘me, me, me’ at the blog tour organiser.
Jaime Admans and Christmas. Absoflippinglutly. I couldn’t wait to get started.
On first glance, the plot of this novel may seem a little far-fetched. A woman agreeing to be a pretend wife to a total stranger whilst travelling to a remote castle sounds more like crime than romance. It didn’t take the author long to not only make me believe that it’s possible but that it was only ever going to be romantic.
by 
Book Review: A Christmas Proposal by Rose Warner
I am pleased to be welcoming Rose Warner to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, A Christmas Proposal.
She lost everything in the Great War – her brothers, her fiancé, her way of life. Will this new war bring back long-buried feelings?
Beatrice is settling into life in the countryside, along with Victoria and Nell, as a teacher evacuee. Her world is turned upside down again when she meets David, the new doctor at the military hospital, whose kindness and gentleness warm her frozen heart.
Her remaining defences crumble entirely when the family of one of her pupils is killed in an airstrike, and she can no longer deny her motherly affection for the child.
But is Beatrice willing to risk the loss and heartache that comes with love in wartime? When David volunteers for military service and history threatens to repeat itself, Beatrice must dig deep to find the courage to live the life she’s dreamed of…
A gripping, festive Second World War saga for fans of Daisy Styles, Katie Flynn and Elaine Everest.
*****
Having lost her brothers and fiancé in the Great War, Beatrice has accepted her life as a spinster. She has settled into the village of Hazelbury, having been brought in from London to teach Evacuee children. She now gets on well with her fellow teachers, Victoria and Nell, and is set on eventually becoming a headmistress of her own school once the war is over. What she doesn’t count on is the arrival of Dr. David Stanley. Can Beatrice allow herself to love again when there is a chance that she will once again lose all she holds dear?
It’s that time of year. The Christmas themed novels are beginning to appear. When I got invited onto the blog tour for A Christmas Proposal by Rose Warner, I jumped at it.
by Book Review: A Calamity of Waters by Chloe Turner
JANUARY 1607. THE SEVERN VALLEY. THE GREATEST FLOOD IN LIVING MEMORY.
Habren has never quite forgiven herself. Her father only sings bawdy carols for farthings these days, none of the sweet songs he used to sing their mother, and perhaps it’s no wonder her sisters Syble and Margret have put many leagues between themselves and their old home. But then Syble summons her to Gloucester, and if Habren can keep on the right side of their pin merchant master, perhaps it’s the chance she needs to make up for the past.
Then the river rises. In a single January morning, the Severn floods the vale and upends every life in it. And somewhere down that swollen estuary is Ambrose, the man Habren loves.
With Syble and new friend Raynould beside her, Habren sets out for Bristol to find him, through a city the flood has torn apart. And as they search, secrets they have kept close to their hearts begin, one by one, to surface.
*****
Habren has always felt in the way, especially when it comes to her sister, Syble. So, when she is sent to work with her sibling in Gloucester, she sees this as a chance to make up for the past. However, she will find life is just as hard under the tyranny of her new employer. When disaster strikes, Habren, Syble and their friend, Raynould go on a perilous journey. Can Habren find the happiness she has wanted all her life?
This novel was my introduction to Chloe Turner. I didn’t know what to expect. I do love historical fiction so I couldn’t wait to jump in.
by NK Chats To… Julie Houston
Hi Julie. Thank you for joining me today. Can you tell us about The Way We Are Now and what inspired it?
The Way We Are Now is my seventeenth novel and published by Boldwood. Slightly different from my other books in that it is perhaps a bit more of a Saga rather than a Rom Com. Still hopefully humorous in places – Maggy, Anna’s Mum was a delight to write as she is so funny and full of Yorkshire grit – but concentrating on the passion in the book. I loved writing Anna and Theo’s passion for each other, as well as Anna’s passion for the underdog and women’s rights. The book was inspired by hearing, on the radio, that the 1984 Miners’ Strike was finally having a formal, independent statutory inquiry into the policing of the Battle of Orgreave.
Which scene do you find the hardest to write?
Any scene that gets me on to the good bit, if that makes sense!
What’s your favourite word and why?
Fertiliser! Can’t hear it or say it without compulsively saying “Fertiliser” in a broad Norfolk accent. (Sorry, was this what you wanted?? LOL!!)
NK: Perfect. LOL.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals like needing coffee, silence, a particular place to write?
I certainly need silence! I’m a lark and like to be at my desk by 8am. If I’m not in court or been called in to teach – both great distractions! – then I’ll aim for 2000 words. I’m a total pantser and never know what I’m going to write until I start. I don’t allow myself a coffee until I’ve done so many words, and then I can treat myself. Nothing like a coffee to get the brain cells going. I’ll break for a run or the gym – I started doing Yoga a year ago and now do 3-4 classes a week No idea if it’s doing me any good, but I like to show off my balancing to my 97-year-old mother-in-law! My writing is constantly interrupted by my prevaricating on Ancestry, eBay, Rightmove and Social Media as well as chatting to my writing friends on WhatsApp. I might go for a walk around 4pm – our 16-year-old dog died last year, and I miss having him with me – and I’ve usually finished by 5.30pm. Continue reading
by Novel Kicks Book Club: The Guilty Couple by C.L. Taylor
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Book Club.
Hello September.
The beginning of the ‘ber’ months is upon us. Although I am shifting to Autumn in my head, we are due another heatwave here in the UK apparently. Whether the weather is giving us warmth or showing us rain, there is always an excuse to settle down with a book. I am hoping you’ll enjoy this month’s book club pick.
The Guilty Couple by C.L. Taylor.
I have long been a fan of this author but am yet to read this novel from 2022. I can’t wait to get started. It sounds amazing.
So, how does our book club work?
It’s fully online so there is no reason to move from the comfortable spot you find yourself in to read. You can also join the discussion at any time in the month – whether you’ve already read it or, like me, will be reading it for the first time. I have put a question in the comments below to start the conversation.
I look forward to talking about this book with you.
About The Guilty Couple –
by Book Club
