Friday, 31 January 2025

The Little Island Flower Stall by Tilly Tennant ~ Book Tour


 Publisher:  Bookouture

Publication Date: 27th January 2025
Genre: Romance
Summary:
Escape to a colourful little flower stall on the island of Jersey with its sweeping golden beaches. The perfect place for Bella to discover that a heartbreaking family secret might just help her find a new beginning...

When Bella’s heart is broken by her cheating husband, she packs a bag and escapes to Jersey, to help her beloved great-aunt Celestine run her seaside flower stall.

With the sun on her cheeks, watching white-haired Celestine in her elegant patterned trouser suit, beam at customers, and arrange flowers in vases, Bella realises that life is too short to feel sad. And when handsome, brooding Rory arrives at the periwinkle-blue, sand-dusted flower stall, and their eyes meet, she can only describe what passes between them as electricity.

Emboldened by Celestine’s lust for life, Bella decides to get to know Rory, with his unforgettable aquamarine eyes, better and as the two of them walk together under vast blue skies, Rory opens up to Bella and tells her of the family secret that has brought him to the island.

Bella wonders if Celestine might be able to help Rory with his quest. But when she talks to Celestine about Rory’s family her eyes cloud over, and she shuts Bella out. And when Bella tries to track Rory down, days later, she discovers that Rory’s past isn’t the only place where there are secrets. Is her hope of an island romance with a handsome, enigmatic man simply too good to be true? Can this beautiful island still bring her the bright new beginning that she so desperately needs?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Bookouture and Tilly Tennant for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I have to start off saying that I absolutely love the cover of this book, it perfectly fits the feel of the book and makes you get into the summer romance vibe (perfect for the never ending January blues).
I've not read a book by Tilly Tennant before and I have to say I loved her writing style, I found the book really easy to slip into and found connecting with the characters almost instantaneous. I think that Celestine is my favourite if I'm honest, Bella is a fantastic main character and she drives the story along so well but its Celestine that i wanted to know more about. Id love it of we had a book of her during her wartime years, i feel there was more hidden about her character that id love to dive into.
I did feel that the romance aspect between Rory and Bella seemed a little quick for my liking, considering Bella was still technically married and she barely had anytime after shed left her husband to process but i did like her and Rory as a couple. The only thing i didn't like about this book was its ending. I didn't feel like  it ended properly, i wanted so much more from it, I'm hoping its ended the way it has because we're getting a follow on book. I was so invested in Bella's story that the abrupt nature of the ending kicked me out of emersion quite viciously and left me feeling a little put out.
Having said that i did enjoy the book, i think the characters are all well thought out, even the ones that are barely on the page for a paragraph or two are fully formed so we can easily picture them as they get mentioned again. And the writing style is thoroughly enjoyable, i will defiantly be picking up books by Tilly Tennant again.

Krystina xx

Wednesday, 8 January 2025

Pimlico People by Rupert Stanbury ~Blog Tour


 

Publisher: Independently published
Publication Date: 28th October 2024
Genre: Humorous Fiction
Summary:
ALL THE AUTHOR’S ROYALTIES WILL BE GIVEN TO SUPPORT CHARITIES FOR THE HOMELESS

Pimlico People is the third book in the Gods Galore series about the Olympian Gods in the 21st Century AD.

The Goddesses Artemis and Hebe are staying in Central London to obtain a better understanding of the lives of ‘normal’ people.

To their surprise, they soon encounter a plot to blow up a foreign embassy. Add to that a sophisticated operation involving the theft of valuable paintings from a major art gallery, and the two goddesses begin to question what a ‘normal’ life is all about.

Meanwhile, in the Underworld Cerberus encounters another dog who, amazingly, only has one head! How will they get on?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours and Rupert Stanbury for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
Ok so if you've read my blog before it will come as no surprise that I loved this book. I've enjoyed each of the visits to see what mischief Cerberus is causing down in the underworld or what on earth Zeus and the other gods are up to on mount Olympus now, and this book was no different.
Its full of Rupert Stanbury's brilliantly clever writing that has a Pratchett style to it, weaving in more famous faces from history with his brilliantly crafted characters that help make this such an easy to read book. I've had so many laugh out loud moments whilst reading this, I think I've managed to cause my husband to die in his computer game so often from bursting out with laughter from this book but I couldn't help myself. I especially loved that we got more interactions between Hebe and Sergeant MacGobo, I loved the way they bounced against each other in the last book so it made me smile to read more of it. 
But I still think my favourite place to see into is the Underworld, I love all the historical figures we get to meet and finding out the jobs they have in the underworld, its so cleverly done and I adore that we mostly find it all out through Cerberus who is such a loveable oddity. Don't get me wrong I've loved following Artemis and Hebe in this book but I am so glad we still visited the Underworld as well.
If your a Terry Pratchett fan, do yourself a favour and grab this series because you will love I promise you. Now I need to go see if I can commandeer my copies of Gods Galore and Four Horsemen back from my mum so I can do a full reread!

Krystina xx