Eat to Your Hearts Content by Sat Bains~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Kyle Books 

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Genre: Cooking

Summary:

Sat Bains worked out, always maintained a reasonable weight and considered himself fit and healthy, so it was a shock when, in March 2021, he had a massive heart attack and underwent an emergency triple heart bypass operation.

During recovery, Sat consulted his friend, nutritionist Dr Neil Williams, who guided him on a revised diet to help maintain heart health. Having two Michelin Stars and a three-decade long obsession with flavour, Sat was not willing to sacrifice great food just because his diet now had to be heart healthy. This collection of recipes is made up of those he devised following surgery and focuses on lean protein, a mix of legumes, good fats - such as avocado, nuts and olive oil - and vegetables and fruits.

These delicious, simple dishes are designed for every day, they use supermarket-friendly ingredients and are accompanied by nutritional advice highlighting the ingredients rich in heart-healthy vitamins and minerals.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Kyle Books and Sat Bains for having me on this tour and sending me the book.

I absolutely love a cookbook! They are the best thing to have on a shelf for when you want to switch up the recipes you're cooking or you've got in a rut with what you're making and you need inspiration. This one was a must-have for me because my mum had a heart scare last year so taking care of your heart has become a little bit more on my mind of late. 
Normally when you have a recipe book written by Michelin Star chefs you expect to have to perform magic to get hold of the ingredients list and I love that that isn't the case with this one. Sat Bains has kept the ingredients to things that we can all get hold of easily at the supermarket, in fact, the only thing I had trouble getting hold of was Anchovys and that was just a case of my supermarkets having sold out typically. The recipes themselves are really well laid out and they are all really easy to follow, no complicated things to do to get the frankly delicious outcome. I really enjoyed having the Nutritional notes for the recipes, it just gave you that extra bit of information to be able to put together your own informed choices for heart-healthy foods outside of the book.
I've tried a fair few of the recipes so far and two of my favourites are the coddled eggs, something I'd never tried before, and it's now my new favourite breakfast and the four bean chilli which I loved so much that I made a batch for the freezer for healthy lunches. I found it a really nice change that all the recipes, bar maybe one, are all to serve two people which makes them really easy to scale up or down depending on your family size.
This has been a fantastic book to review and I'm definitely going to be using it a lot, I think I've tabbed half the recipes as "want to try" and every one I've tried so far has been brilliant!

Krystina xx

Just Do It by Maxine Morrey~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Genre:Romance

Summary:

Lizzie Rose knows what she likes and likes what she knows.

Her role at the London Museum is more than a job, it’s her safe place and her passion. So when Lizzie is passed over for a chance in a lifetime opportunity in favour of her ex-boyfriend and fellow Egypt nerd Friedrich Klein, her heartbreak over their relationship pales into insignificance compared to her sadness at losing the project.

Best friend Colette thinks an evening of cocktails is just the medicine for a broken heart, and meeting dashing, charming, but very much ‘not her type’ Finn Bryson at the bar puts a smile on Lizzie’s face too. But Lizzie isn’t used to spending time outside of her comfortable world of academia and doesn’t believe in mixing business with pleasure. So when Finn’s job brings him to the museum, she’s determined to put an end to any notion of romance between them.

But what if Lizzie’s comfort zone isn’t that comfortable any more? Is it time for Lizzie to take the chance on love that fate keeps bringing her way - even if it means changing the habits of a lifetime?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Maxine Morrey for having me on this tour and sending me the book.
I really enjoyed this book, I know I say that a lot but I really did! I read it in about a day and that's mostly because I just didn't want to put it down and stop reading it. As a self-confessed Egypt Nerd, I have to admit that was a big part of why I picked the book, I've not read many romances with an Archaeologist as the FMC and I just loved that idea. And I did really love Lizzie, from the archaeology nerdiness to the inability to keep a desk tidy (honestly feel like I'm channelling Lizzie most days) i really connected with her and I loved how she grew throughout the book and how her outlook on life changed slowly, often in romance books that change is way too swift for me but this was done at such a good pace. Another thing done at a good pace was Lizzie and Finn's relationship, i enjoyed watching it develop and grow, heck I even enjoyed yelling at them for being utterly stupid at times, because what is a romance if the two MC's don't mess up their relationship at some point!
The characters were really well created, I loved Finn and his easygoing nature but equally, I absolutely hated Friedrich and his entire way of acting made me want to hit him because we've all met someone like him who treats us like a stepping stone so Maxine's way of writing was just so spot on.
I've completely and utterly loved reading this and I'm definitely going to head off to find some more books by Maxine because I've so enjoyed her writing style.

Krystina xx

A Cocktail To Die For by Helen Golden~Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Drew Bradley Press

Publication Date: 1st December 2023)

Genre: Crime/thriller/mystery

Summary:

Cocktails, chaos, and an unexpected twist. Can Bea, Perry, and his hens unveil the truth before time runs out?

Death at Prestigious Hotel and Spa, Chasingham HouseWe are hearing reports that a young woman has been found dead at Chasingham House, the exclusive venue in the Cotswolds. She has not been named, and the cause of death is unknown at this time. This will no doubt cast a cloud over the bachelor weekend being hosted there by Lady Beatrice (36), the Countess of Rossex, for her business partner Perry Juke (34) ahead of his wedding to bestselling author and celebrity chef Simon Lattimore (40). Also staying at Chasingham House are top models Camile Redmaine (35) and Mel Parks (35), who are celebrating newly-single Cammy’s birthday with a group of friends.

When one of the birthday girls is found dead in her room, it’s clear Bea plans for her, Perry, and their friends to chill around the pool, have a few treatments, and generally relax, seem to have gone down the drain. When the local police are quick to dismiss the death as an accident, Bea is determined to help investigate anyway, along with the rest of Perry’s party.

Can they catch the killer before the weekend is over and the trail goes cold?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachel's Random Resources, Drew Bradley Press and Helen Golden for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I got so drawn in by this book from the first few pages, it's been a brilliant read. We had a cast list at the end of the book but I really didn't feel I needed it, i loved all the characters we met they are so well crafted. It kind of felt like you could be stepping into one of those murder mystery weekends away, and I really loved that vibe (I also really would love to go to one of those and this has just intensified that want to do it). The humour in it was so brilliantly placed I had laugh-out-loud moments throughout, it's a book that's proven that humour is all about timing and Helen Golden's is spot on.
It's a fantastically written book, and I can see, knowing it is a series, where she's woven in points that will probably come up again in other books and I really loved those little crumbs of information that she's left us. I think Bea is a fantastic main character, I know that others in the group do give us information from their point of view often but Bea is our MC and I just adored her. I can't wait for the next in the series to see where life takes her and her friends and what they are going to stumble into next.
I definitely think I've found my new comfort cosy mystery series, and thankfully I have a fair few of them to catch up on!

Krystina xx

Love Letters on Hazel Lane by Jennifer Page ~ Blog Tour

 Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 4th January 2024

Genre: Romance

Summary:

Scrabble fan Jo always seems to pick the wrong guys. Now she's moved to the Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick, and decided to give dating one last chance. This time, there's a catch: she will only date men whose names would score highly in her beloved word game.

After Tarquin (16 points) proves just as disappointing as the rest, she meets low-scoring local doctor Ras (3 points). Her rules mean she can't date him - but when he asks her to organise a Scrabble festival with him, she can't say no.

As the event draws nearer and Jo and Ras grow closer, will Jo ignore her rule and let true love blossom over the triple letter scores?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachel's Random Resources, Aria and Jennifer Page for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
So this is the first book by Jennifer Page I've read, I kept meaning to read The Little Board Game Cafe but book tours got in the way! So now I've made sure I got to read this one as part of a tour! And it's been a brilliant read, it's the right kind of easy and uplifting book that I needed when I picked it up. I loved Jo and could completely relate to her rubbish experience with dating so I loved her idea of picking men whose names score high on Scrabble, a game I'm rubbish at by the way so I loved her enthusiasm for it!
I really liked that Ras wasn't your typically amazingly handsome love interest, he was just a normal guy which makes a really pleasant change and I found his lack of confidence so endering. It was really nice to follow their friendship and how it, with bumps in the road, developed into more and I was really rooting for them the further on in the book we got and towards the end, I may have been telling them off/encouraging them to just get on with it because you could see how perfect they were for each other.
I loved seeing Jo's confidence grow as the book progressed and how she grew as a person and learned to stand up for herself, it's not an easy thing to do when someone has ground your self-belief into next to nothing and I found myself feeling so proud of her for that.
I loved the writing style of this book so I really can't wait for the next book in Hebbleswick, I'm hoping we get lots more and I get to have a Jennifer Page shelf to match my Heidi Swain one!

Krystina xx

The Island Cottage by Jane Lovering~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 9th January 2024

Genre: Romance

Summary:

When Brid Harcus is sent to the Orkney Islands, in the far reaches of Scotland, she has high hopes for her trip being short, straightforward and lucrative.

Her mother has inherited a cottage from her Great Aunt Jennet which has been unlived in and unloved for decades, and the time has come to make it habitable and saleable. Easy, right?

But Midness Cottage has other ideas. For one thing it’s rather more ‘fixer upper’ than Country Living, with a resident goose and her goslings who have made themselves at home. And Brid definitely hadn’t planned for the strongly-held local belief that the cottage is meant to be the home of the Orkney Witch, and whomever lives in it must fulfil this role. Not the best message for the estate agent brochure and of course Brid doesn’t believe in magic, let alone have healing powers.

But Orkney does have healing powers. Its beauty and peace are enchanting, its people welcoming, and Brid’s handsome new friend Magnus is rather charming too. When her life back in York starts calling her home, will Brid sell up and ship out? Or did the last Orkney Witch cast a spell and leave a legacy of love if only Brid believed in magic…

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Jane Lovering for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
This was such an easy book to dive into, I loved stepping onto Orkney. It's a place I've always wanted to go because of all that history, and this book has made me want to go even more! I loved all the visits to the historical sites that Brid and Magnus did and it kind of helped solidify the setting as Orkney rather than just any other Scottish island. All of the characters were so solid in this book, even the ones that weren't physically there(I'm looking at you there Jennet) felt like someone you could bump into just wandering around town. I loved getting to watch Brid learn to be the Orkney Witch, even if it wasn't by choice, and I especially loved how she learnt the witchyness (which I won't say how because I don't want any spoilers for you all) it was a very clever twist to it. I found Magnus so easy to fall for, I could easily see why Brid found him so charming.
Another thing I loved (aside from Magnus) was the humour throughout the book, I had quite a few chuckles at Brid's quips at the townsfolk when they decided she was the Orkney Witch, and to be honest her quips in general, she's defiantly full of spirit and more than capable of fighting her corner.
I absolutely loved reading this and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Jane Lovering in the future.

Krystina xx

A Story To Strangle For by E.V Hunter~Blog Tour

 Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 6th January 2024

Genre: Cosy Mystery

Summary:

A failing hotel…

With its reputation in tatters, Alexi Ellis is determined to save her beloved Hopgood Hall from any more bad press. A writing course for wannabe journalists shouldn't cause too many issues and will hopefully take the heat off Hopgood Hall….

A shocking death…

But disaster strikes when one of the group is found dead in a local pub. What’s worse Alexi was the last person to see the victim alive, which makes her suspect number one.

A case too close to home?

Alexi is sure she is being set up, but who would go to such deadly lengths? With her reputation and liberty on the line, this is a case Alexi, Jack and Cosmo can’t afford to leave unsolved!

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and E.V Hunter for having me on this tour and sending me the book.
I loved my last E.V Hunter book so much that when I saw this one I had to read it. I've loved being back at Hopgood Hall and meeting all the familiar characters again, Cosmo is one of my favourites I love that he's so protective of Alexi and so spot on with his dislike of certain people. Don't get me wrong I really love seeing everything from Alexi and Jack's points of view but I had so many chuckles at Cosmo's behaviour, he's the star really. 
I've loved the writing style of both books I've read, I found it so easy to get drawn into the story and engrossed in it, I swear I don't normally ignore people when they talk but this book was so all-encompassing when I was reading that I just didn't notice them. It's been such an enjoyable style to read.
I loved seeing more of Alexi and Jack's relationship in this one, I've only read two of the four books so I didn't see how it started but I got some more filler information in this book and I liked how it rounded out what I knew about them. There were so many different options for the murderer and I loved that I was never quite sure who did it until we were near the end, While I like trying to figure out ahead of time who did it, it's always best when I'm left guessing.
All in all, I've loved discovering this series of books and while I hope for Alexi's sake there aren't too many more murders at Hopgood Hall, I'm secretly hoping that this is a long series because it's just the right kind of cosy mystery for me.

Krystina xx

You're Here For A Reason by Rebecca Kirk ~Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Bannister Publications Ltd

Publication Date: 23rd September 2023

Genre: Self Help

Summary:

Why am I here? Imagine if you could finally answer this age-old, universal question and start living your purpose. Spiritual career coach Rebecca Kirk offers some life-changing solutions - helping us dive deep to find the clarity and confidence to re-align our working lives and feel more truly fulfilled. Whether you're considering a career change or seeking greater fulfilment in your current situation, you will find indispensable guidance to invest in yourself and discover your own unique path to purpose, peace and prosperity. It's time to stop holding yourself back and start listening to the inner voice that's been telling you there's something else out there you're meant to be doing. It's time to awaken.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Bannister Publications and Rebecca Kirk for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
Now you might remember that on my tour date for this book, I posted some content, a little sneak peek from inside the book for you all because my copy hadn't arrived yet, and I promised a review later. I know it's a little later than you probably thought it would be but I've enjoyed taking my time with this book instead of rushing through the exercises to give you a speedy review.
I've enjoyed Rebecca's writing style, it's been easy to read and has a friendly tone to it so whilst she is teaching you a technique it kind of feels like a friendly chat. I definitely think it's the kind of book you need to take your time with, there are journalling exercises at the end of each chapter and I think they benefit from you having the time to almost meditate on them rather than speeding through so you can move on to the next thing. Now I'm not looking for a career change, I'm a stay-at-home mum currently and it's a long while before I'll be going back to my business but what I did find this book useful was how it made me assess my surroundings and look at what I wanted to focus on task wise in my life ( as anyone with young children knows you spend your life juggling and occasionally some of the balls get dropped) and it has helped me start the year with a good physical and mental declutter.
I actually have a few friends that I think might connect with this book and might get that career-based benefit from it that I didn't get.
I think if you are on the fence about changing careers and you walk on the more spiritual side of life this could really help you focus on how to make that change.

Krystina xx