Book Review: A Walk in Wildflower Park by Bella Osborne
Welcome back to Bella Osborne who is here today with the blog tour for her new novel, A Walk in Wildflower Park.
Life’s not always a walk in the park…
When Anna is dumped by her fiancé, she moves in to her own place on the edge of the gorgeous Wildflower Park and pledges to stay off men and focus on her career, but a handsome new colleague seems to thwart her attempts at every turn. And when she receives an accidental text from a mystery man, could it be the new start she needs? Or someone she really shouldn’t be falling for?
Anna’s neighbour Sophie is a stressed-out mum-of-two with a third on the way. Her husband is a constant frustration, and their children are a regular source of newly-invented swear words and unidentifiable sticky surfaces.
Luckily, Anna and Sophie have each other – and Wildflower Park proves to be a sanctuary as they map out a path to find the happiness they both deserve…
A Walk in Wildflower Park was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package.
Anna thought she had found the one in Liam until he broke off the engagement.
Hoping a change of scenery will do her good, she moves into a place of her own on the edge of the beautiful Wildflower Park.
With the help of her friend and neighbour, Sophie, a temperamental elderly man named Bert and a cat named Maurice, Anna quickly settles in and vows to put her career first.
A handsome new American colleague and texts from a mystery man don’t make her new plan easy.
Is this the beginning of something great for Anna?
A new novel from Bella is like catching up with a friend you’ve not seen for ages and yet pick up where you left off which starts with a warm hug – comforting but also exciting.
Told from duel point of views, Anna and Sophie, it was interesting to see the opposites when it comes to the lifestyles of these women. Their friendship was lovely to read about and the kind everyone wants.
As well as Anna and Sophie, other characters were great too. These included the handsome Hudson, the clueless yet loveable Dave and the brilliant Bert who added additional humour to an already funny novel.
by 
NK Chats To… Alex Brown
Thank you so much for joining me today, Alex. Can you tell me a little about A Postcard From Italy and what inspired it?
Thanks for inviting me. A Postcard From Italy is my eighth full length novel and it’s a love story that spans nearly ninety years. Connie is harbouring a secret at the onset of the Second World War and then we fast forward to today where Grace opens a storage unit containing a lifetime of treasured belongings.
She then sets out to unravel the secret in a quest to right the wrongs meted out to Connie all those years ago and maybe find love for herself when she travels to the breathtakingly beautiful Italian Riviera.
What’s your writing process like (from idea to final draft) and how has it evolved since your first novel?
I’m not much of planner so I usually have an idea which I brainstorm with my editor before writing a synopsis which I then use as a rough guide to get me started. I write Monday to Friday and aim for at least a thousand words unless my deadline is looming and then I’ll write every day and into the night too for a week or two until the book is finished.
I start the day by editing the previous day’s words before writing on. My writing process hasn’t changed much since my first novel, although I procrastinate a lot less these days, I don’t have the time, and I always end the day by writing the outline for the following day … I like to know what’s happening next.
Which elements do you think are important for a successful novel?
There are so many variations but if you have a good story with a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter, so your reader feels compelled to read on, then you’re off to a good start. If you have wit and a sprinkle of wisdom too then even better.
Which fictional character would you like to meet?
Georgie Hart from my Carrington’s department store series. I love her so much and think we’d be the best of friends. It might sound daft but after writing four books she really does feel real to me and I miss her sometimes.
What other advice would you give to new writers like me?
by Book Review: The Wedding Planner by Eve Devon
It’s summer, the wedding bells are ringing and I am saying hi to Eve Devon and the blog tour for her latest book, The Wedding Planner.
Wedding bells are ringing and gossip is spiralling in Whispers Wood…
Single mum Gloria Pavey has a bad habit of saying exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time. Determined to make a positive change she can’t say no when her best friend, Emma, asks her to take on the role of her wedding planner.
The only problem? Gloria’s co-planner – best man Seth Knightley.
Gloria is on a self-imposed man ban but pulling together the most beautiful wedding Whispers Wood has ever seen alongside gorgeous Seth is pushing her to her limits.
As every interaction increases the tension between them Gloria finds herself wondering…could the happy ever after she never thought she’d have be in her future after all?
The Wedding Planner, the third novel in the Whispers Wood series focuses on Gloria.
After finding out her husband had fallen in love with someone else, she’s no longer buying into the happy ever after. In-fact, she’s even finding it hard to be nice to people.
Determined to change her ways though, even just a little bit, she is pulled into the world of weddings when her colleague, Emma, finally makes a decision about her wedding to Jake.
Not only has Gloria got to be a bridesmaid, she’s now working with Jake’s younger and handsome brother, Seth. Can she resist him like she’s managed to resist everything else?
This took me a couple of chapters to get into and then I couldn’t stop reading.
The relaxed and chatty writing style made it a wonderful book to read. I felt as though I was witnessing all this rather than reading it, if that makes sense.
Gloria is a wonderfully complex character. She’s been hurt in love and in life so she has self-preservation in spades. Even when the gorgeous Seth makes it clear he’s flirting with her, she tries to resist him. I shouted to the page on more than one occasion for her to stop being so silly.
The characters around Gloria are equally as wonderful and I don’t think there was one I didn’t like.
Although there is the old chapter told from various point of views, this is Gloria’s story.
This book is a real journey for Gloria. She has closed herself off to everything.
It’s about her relationship with Seth and I loved this but it was also interesting to see how her friendships develop with the other women in the story, Juliet, Emma and Kate. It was a close run thing with Seth (the perfect Jane Austen type hero,) but the friendship between the four women is my favourite part.
by Book Review: Seventeen by Suzanne Lowe
Imagine a world where everything you grew up with is gone. No adults, no internet, no rules.
The world is facing the deadliest virus ever known.
When the KV17 virus kills everyone above the age of seventeen, life becomes a battle of survival for the children left behind. Seeking to escape the escalating violence in the city, two sisters, Lexi and Hadley flee to the Australian outback. Finding sanctuary in the small town of Jasper’s Bay, they soon realise it is far from safe, as a gang of lawless teenagers terrorise the town.
Caught in a bitter feud leading to betrayal, deceit and murder, the girls must quickly uncover who their enemies are, and who they can trust.
In a world drastically changed from everything they once knew; can the sisters and children of Jasper’s Bay learn to adapt? Can they maintain control of their town, and protect it from those who would destroy it?
Seventeen is the first book in the series of the same name by Australian author Suzanne Lowe.
A virus sweeps the world, killing off all the adults and leaving only the under 17s alive.
The story follows Lexi and her sister Hadley as they try and come to terms with the loss of their parents and finding their own way in a world without TV, Twitter, Instagram or any of the other technology we take for granted.
After meeting up with a group of other children they feel they might have found a new life for themselves in the country, but trouble soon finds them and their new life.
The book is fairly typical of the “kids against the world” kind of Young Adult fiction but it is no less enjoyable for that.
The book is very well paced and an easy read with strong characters and lots of cultural references.
by Book Review: The Secret – Violet’s Story by Eliza J. Scott
It’s been two years since glamorous and ambitious Violet Smith fell head-over-heels in love with blacksmith Jimby Fairfax, and moved back home to the North Yorkshire village of Lytell Stangdale to be with him.
Life couldn’t get much sweeter. Their romance is blooming and Romantique – the business she set up with Jimby’s sister Kitty, designing luxurious underwear and burlesque costumes with the odd wedding dress throw in – is thriving.
But on a romantic weekend break, a face from her past triggers a series of events which send Violet into turmoil. She finds herself with no alternative but to reveal a secret she’s buried deep for the past sixteen years. A secret she hasn’t shared with anyone, not even her best friends, Kitty and Molly, and they share everything.
With the revelation forcing a wedge between herself and Jimby, heartbroken Violet fears that he won’t ever be able to think of her in the same way again and won’t want anything more to do with her.
As ever, Kitty and Molly rally round, offering their advice and support but Vi is worried that keeping her secret was just a step too far for Jimby.
Will she succeed in showing him their love is strong enough to overcome it?
The Secret – Violet’s Story is book 3 in the Life on the Moors Series.
This third novel in the Life on the Moors series focuses on Violet. She’s now been with Jimby for two years and is blissfully happy. However, a secret from her past unexpectedly comes back up to the surface and threatens to derail everything Violet now holds dear, especially her relationship with James Fairfax.
I have been in love with this book series since the first book, which was Kitty’s story. Whenever a new book has arrived, it’s been like transporting back to Yorkshire and having a catch up with old friends; that’s how Violet, Molly and Kitty feel to me. I want to hang out with them.
I don’t have an overall favourite amongst the three women although Violet’s sense of style sounds amazing. It was nice to get to know her a little better as I progressed through the book.
Despite her ‘no cares’ attitude to the world, Violet has a large vulnerable side not helped by this secret she’s holding close to her chest. I can’t go into any detail about it as it would give too much away. I have grown to care so much for these characters and Violet’s situation makes me very sad.
by Book Club
