Book Review: Finding Love on Sunshine Island by Georgina Troy
A big welcome to Georgina Troy who is here with the blog tour for her new novel, Finding Love on Sunshine Island.
Welcome to the Sunshine Island – where the beaches are golden, the lifestyle is perfect and anything is possible.
Piper Le Brocq is happily single after the disastrous ending of her engagement eighteen months before. The only man in her life is Jax, her best friend and cousin, who spends his life teaching locals how to forage and taking tourists on boat trips around the island. Her days are filled with helping out at her mother’s guest house and selling her glass mosaics at The Cabbage Patch emporium in Trinity.
Piper loves living on the Sunshine Island, where the neighbours look out for each other and visitors are welcome. So, when handsome guest Alex Cooper arrives at the guest house to check up on his grandfather, she welcomes him to the sunny island. And when he needs help after his grandfather is injured, she’s quick to get involved.
Yet, the more she gets to know Alex the more mysterious he seems, and Alex isn’t the only one keeping secrets from her.
*****
After a horrible breakup, Piper is happily single, helping her mother at the family guest house on Jersey and creating glass mosaics for sale.
When Alex Cooper arrives to see his grandfather, she welcomes him and even helps him out when there’s an accident. However, is love about to catch her unawares?
I adore the fact that Piper refers to Jersey as the ‘sunshine island.’ I’ve never been there but this, as well as the vivid descriptions in the novel, meant that I could really imagine myself there, amongst these wonderfully well written characters.
It isn’t hard to like Piper. She’s had a lot happen but she has picked herself up and has created her own business. I wanted things to be OK for her.
Alex adds mystery to the story. He’s lovely and charming but he is holding something back. I was intrigued to know what.
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Book Review: My Corfu Love Story by Effrosyni Moschoudi
Spyri forever lives in the past, haunted by old memories. This summer, she meets a man she once loved, and he is about to change everything…
Spyri, a half-Greek restaurateur in her early thirties, is back on the island of Corfu, staying in her grandmother’s village home for a few days to decompress from her busy life in London. Her nostalgia for the good old summer days hit her upon her return.
When she hears that Markos, the one she never forgot, is staying at the village, she becomes excited. Sparks begin to fly when they meet, but Markos has his own hurts of the past to deal with…
Spyri, weary with her life as a restauranteur in London is back on the island of Corfu, staying at her beloved Grandmother’s house.
It isn’t long before she becomes nostalgic for the wonderful summer days of her youth. This feeling is made stronger when she hears that Markos, the man she never stopped thinking about, is also back in the village.
*****
My Corfu Love Story is the new novella from author, Effrosyni Moschoudi.
I immediately fell into the story and I loved Spyri. She’s feisty and strong and there was also a vulnerability to her that made her feel very human and real.
by Book Review: Summer at the French Café by Sue Moorcroft
I am very pleased to be welcoming Sue Moorcroft back to Novel Kicks with the blog tour for her novel, Summer at the French Café.
Sparkling sun, strolls in the gorgeous French countryside, that first sip of cool, crisp wine – Summer is Kat’s favourite season. And this year should be no exception…
As soon as Kat Jenson set foot in the idyllic French village of Kirchhoffen, she knew she’d found her home. Now she has a dreamy boyfriend, a delightful dog and the perfect job managing a bustling book café in the vibrant Parc Lemmel.
But when she learns her boyfriend isn’t all he seems, it’s the start of a difficult summer for Kat. Vindictive troublemakers, work woes and family heartache follow, and the clear blue sky that was her life suddenly seems full of clouds.
Then she gets to know the mysterious Noah, and her sun begins to shine brighter than ever. But Noah has problems of his own – ones that could scupper their new-found happiness. Together, can they overcome their many obstacles, and find love again?
The perfect summer read for fans of Trisha Ashley, Sarah Morgan and Carole Matthews.
*****
A 5 Star average on Netgalley? Still, a 5 Star average on Netgalley!
I’ve literally just finished the new Sue Moorcroft novel, ‘Summer at the French Cafe’; and I didn’t want to, finish, that is.
This is Sue’s best book so far, IMHO, dealing as it does with the mental side of relationships, as it’s main theme. Does that sound as if this will be ‘heavy’ reading? You’d think so, wouldn’t you, only you’d be wrong.
The skill of this author shows all of the way through as she winds up the emotion to the exact right level, leaving you there for the perfect length of time in the story, before she artfully constructs the most satisfying narrative.
by Book Review: Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney
I am pleased to be welcoming Joya Goffney to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl.
Monique lives a perfect life as a preacher’s daughter, and girlfriend of the town’s golden boy. But its not that simple. She’s torn between her parents, who want her to remain their pure, virginal daughter, and her boyfriend, Dom, who wants to explore the more intimate side of their relationship.
Tired of waiting, Dom breaks up with Monique, spurring her to discover she has a medical condition that make her far from perfect. With the help of Sasha, an overly zealous church girl, and Reggie, the town’s bad boy, she concocts a plan to win Dom back. But along the way, she must face some home truths: maybe she shouldn’t be fixing her body to please a boy, maybe Sasha is the friend she needed all along and maybe Reggie isn’t so bad after all…
*****
Monique has the perfect life. She’s the Pastor’s daughter and is dating the town’s golden boy, Dom.
However, her life is more complex below the surface.
She’s torn between the promise she made to save herself for marriage and Dom’s wish that their relationship become more intimate.
After many failed attempts at sex, Dom breaks up with Monique. In trying to understand why, she discovers that a medical condition may be to blame.
With help from her new friend, Sasha and bad boy, Reggie, Monique tries to cure her condition in the hope that she gets Dom back.
When I read the blurb for this book, I found it very intriguing, so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour.
First, I love the cover. It’s so vibrant, interesting, and colourful.
Although this book is marketed as YA, I got a lot from this book, and I feel teenagers and adults alike can relate. It has many levels to it.
Monique is suffering with a condition called Vaginismus. This novel faces that subject head on and not only did I find this refreshing, it also raises awareness of the condition whilst having a plot that moves along well.
Joya Goffney doesn’t shy away from letting her characters talk about big issues including sex.
by Book Review: Bad Penny by Michele Gorman
Penny’s life is one big, fat secret… and everyone is about to find out.
Penny isn’t the girl she used to be, or the woman everyone thinks she is now. At 19, she bolted for London and never looked back. Nobody there knows who she was – not her care home colleagues, her boss, her clients or even her best friend and flat-mate. Auntie Mags is her only connection to her past, and she’s keeping schtum.
Oli can’t believe his luck. Not only is he about to fulfill his dream of really making a difference (assuming he wins his seat in the upcoming general election), now he’s met the perfect woman. Within a few dates he’s sure he wants to spend the rest of his life with Penny, and it’s all he can do not to shout it from the rooftops.
But Penny has hidden her secret by not shouting from any rooftops. In fact, the quieter, the better. So when Oli’s campaign swings into gear and the reporters start circling, it’s not only her future that’s about to come crashing down.
How can she find a happy ending with Oli when her past will definitely ruin his future, yet living with the lie will ruin their future together?
Then Penny’s past gets out of prison, and he’s about to turn up like a… bad penny.
*****
Penny has a secret and everyone is about to find out.
At 19, she fled to London. No one knows of her life before, not even her best friend/flatmate. Only her Auntie Mags knows her full history.
When Penny meets MP candidate, Oli, they hit it off. However, as Oli begins campaigning, it’s going to be harder for Penny to keep her secret.
Oh I love Michele’s novels so much. This book was no exception.
by Book Club
