Escape to the Northern Lights by Carrie Walker ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 6th November 2025

Genre: Romance

Summary:

High-powered lawyer Sara thought she had life figured out - until her whirlwind marriage ends in divorce, her dream promotion slips away and a burnout diagnosis forces her to take a break.

Desperate for a reset, she books a four-week spa retreat in Norway, imagining a luxurious escape. Instead, she finds herself in the rugged wilderness of Firefly Forest, knee-deep in reindeer droppings and stuck with an annoyingly bohemian - and ridiculously attractive - outdoorsman, Henrik.

What starts as a nightmare turns into a journey of self-discovery as Sara swaps designer heels for bare feet, legal briefs for tree-hugging, and fleeting flings for something far deeper...

Review:

Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Aria and Carrie Walker for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I love a romance set in Scandinavia, partly because they have amazing landscapes and when authors write them well you can almost step into the setting and partly because who doesn't want a tall rugged Viking as a love interest. And in this book we got both, and both were brilliantly written by Carrie Walker which made me fall in love with both Bergen and Henrik. The descriptions of the retreat have just made me want to go a retreat like it,i genuinely cant think of a better way to spend a month than as Sara did, in a beautiful Nordic landscape with no wifi so i can just read! Aside from that this has been a really lovely read, i fell in love with Henrik from the first time we were introduced to him (admittedly i have a soft spot for Vikings) and watching him and Sara's interactions brought a smile to my face. Sara is a very relatable MC, i think everyone struggles with running close to burn out these days, our jobs expect so much in the amount of hours we work and a lot of people cant keep that balance. I love that not only did Sara manage to find herself under all that stress but in the process she found that work life balance that we all crave I could barely put this book down and sped through it because i found our MC's easy to engage with and the writing style just flowed beautifully. This has been a fantastic addition to my run up to Christmas reads and i may even be adding into my December rereads because it just made me smile so much.

I'm defiantly going to get some more books by Carrie Walker, I've so enjoyed her writing style and i cant wait to read more of it.

Krystina xx

Spell Bound by Gretchen Rue~Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 1st February 2024

Genre: Witchy Romance

Summary:

She's renovating the Victorian manor she inherited from her Aunt Eudora, running a tea shop (and secret magical apothecary), and learning to be a witch. But when she discovers a dead body at an estate sale, and suspicion falls on her, even Phoebe wonders if this is simply too much.

Forced to take action to clear her name, Phoebe enlists Rich Lofting, handsome private detective and childhood friend, to assist with her investigation, all while sorting out her unresolved feelings for him.

Is there something more sinister lurking in the shadows of this small tight-knit town? And does Phoebe really want to find out?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Aria and Gretchen Rue for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
So I got this book and it reminded me that I have another of Gretchen Rues sitting on my tbr! Luckily I didn't need to read that one before I could dive into this one. I've loved getting to know Phoebe and the collection of friends she's gained since moving to Raven Creek, it's lovely to see how the small town works, yes everyone knows your business but they're also there to help when things get tough. I say this every time there's a cat in a book I sit there and insist I'm not much of a cat person but I can't help but love Bob the cat, his antics have made me giggle out loud at times. He is just so full of personality that I think he might be my favourite character in the whole book!
It's a really fun book to read, i love how Phoebe goes all Miss Marple and tries to solve the murder with help from the ever-so-lovely Rich helping to keep her out of trouble which seemed to be quite a big job because it seems trouble likes Phoebe.
I've really enjoyed Gretchen Rue's writing style It has been, as I said, fun to read and so easy to read i think I read this in a day because it was just so easy to take in and keep reading. I'm heading back now to read her other book that's waving at me from my tbr!

Krystina xx