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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Let the Bells Ring Out by Milly Johnson

Published October 23rd, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Romcom, Holiday Fiction, Festive Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this heartwarming festive read. Thank you to SJV and Books and the City for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

even people, four days and a snowy Christmas on board a luxury sleeper train. This festive season getting away from it all takes on a new meaning…

The Yorkshire Belle is a glamorous steam train all decked out for an escapist festive getaway. It is not supposed to be where a group of people, all trying to get to their destinations for the holidays, will spend their Christmas. 

Seven people, each with their own hopes and dreams, secrets and sorrows, board the train as strangers, but as the snow keeps falling and they realise they are going nowhere fast, they are forced to slow down and embrace the present.

This Christmas on board the Yorkshire Belle, will the friendships they make change their lives forever?

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MY REVIEW:

Seven strangers are stranded during a snowstorm and end up taking refuge on The Yorkshire Belle, a luxury steam train that had been prepped for the ultimate festive getaway. Unable to reach the nearest village – let alone their destinations – the group spend four days on board the train slowly forging bonds of friendship. But will any of them be the same people that stepped on board when the snow melts and they head back to reality?

A quintessential cosy Christmas read that hits all the right notes, this was a marvellous start to my festive reading. Like hot chocolate by the fire on a cold day, it warmed me from the inside out and gave me a warm glow. Told with Ms. Johnson’s signature warmth and wit, delightful characters and a hearty dash or peril, heartache and turmoil, it takes you on an emotional but uplifting journey. After all, this may be a Christmas tale, but it doesn’t mean that  life comes up wrapped neatly in a bow. Life is dark, messy, chaotic, emotional and full of jagged edges and Milly balances these things with humour, warmth, love, hope and friendship.

The ‘trapped in a snowstorm’ trope has been done time and again, but this felt like an original take on a familiar trope that happens to also be one of my favourites. And it’s a stroke of genius. I loved this setting. It’s claustrophobic, precarious and turbulent, but also opulent, cosy, jovial and full of camaraderie. There is also a sense of nostalgia as their phones don’t work and they are cut off from the outside world apart from one radio station that keeps them updated on the storm.

One of the things I love most about Milly’s books is the characters she creates. They are always so relatable, real and recognisable, feeling like she’s plucked your neighbour from their house or someone from the street and put them in a book. These seven characters were some of my favourites she’s created. I loved that they were strangers when they first got on the train – with the exception of married couple Frank and Grace – that they forge strong bonds of friendship over the course of their claustrophobic few days together that last beyond their Christmas on The Yorkshire Belle. I loved this eclectic septet, especially Jane and Elizabeth. And I had a lot  of empathy for Frank and Grace, especially as we learned more about them.

A heartfelt and uplifting story that gave me all the festive feels, I highly recommend this book.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She is the author of 23 novels, 4 short story ebooks, a book of poetry and a Quick Reads Novella (‘The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe’) and was an erstwhile leading copywriter for the greetings card industry. She is also a poet, a professional joke-writer, a newspaper columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016, the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015, the Romantic Novelist Association Outstanding Achievement award in 2020, the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2021 and the Richard Whiteley Award for Inspiration to the County of Yorkshire in 2022.

She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: All Wrapped Up by Heidi Swain

Published September 11th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Ficiton

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this delightful autumnal romcom. Thank you to SJV and BATC for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

In Wynbridge, the scent of autumn is on the breeze and love is in the air…
 
Clemmie Bennett has been renovating beautiful Rowan Cottage on the outskirts of the small town of Wynbridge, for eighteen months following a very public heartbreak back in her childhood hometown. The popular Instagram influencer, lost her husband, sold their home, and has been cosied up the Fens and living a very private life, but now she feels it’s time for a change.
 
A chance encounter with co-owner of The Cherry Tree Café, the bubbly Lizzie Dixon, pulls her into organizing Wynbridge’s first-ever Autumn Festival, and her once quiet life is soon a distant memory. With the whole town rallying behind the event, she discovers a new sense of purpose.
 
And when local vet Ash falls hard for Clemmie, she begins to wonder if she’s ready to move even further on from her past and fall in love again…
 
This autumn, cosy up with Heidi and this perfect seasonal romance.

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MY REVIEW:

Clemmie Bennett has spent the last year and a half in solitude while renovating Rowan Cottage. It’s been the best way she could think of to help her work through her grief after the death of her husband, Callum, in a tragic accident. But now Clemmie is ready to rejoin the world and decides it is time to explore her new town. But then, a chance encounter with Lizzie, the co-owner of The Cherry Tree Cafe, sees Clemmie agreeing to organise the first Wynbridge Autumn Festival, with help from local vet, Ash. And as their friendship starts to feel like more, Clemmie has to ask herself if she is ready to fall in love again…

Heidi Swain can always be relied upon to deliver heartwarming and uplifting romance that warms you from the inside like porridge on a cold day. And with her latest book, All Wrapped Up, she delivers all that and more. This is autumn in book form. Heidi has crafted the perfect autumnal romcom to read while snuggled up under a blanket drinking a pumpkin spice latte. 

This story is friend-to-lovers perfection and I was here for it at every step. Clemmie and Ash were both likeable and charming characters that were fun to read. Clemmie is also trying to navigate a devastating loss and I was cheering her on as she began living life again. I loved Ash and Clemmie’s friendship, though I was rooting for them to be a couple. It was obvious that they were made for each other. I’m a sucker for a dog sidekick and loved Pixie, the adorable pooch that Clemmie adopted, and loved seeing them help to heal one another’s grief. I also enjoyed seeing the familiar characters from Heidi’s other Wynbridge books make an appearance, but appreciated that this book could also be read as a standalone.

Delightful, warm and full of heart, this was a joy to read from start to finish. All Wrapped Up is the perfect book for your TBR this autumn. Read it now.

Rating: 🍁🍁🍁🍁

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Heidi Swain is a Sunday Times Bestselling Author who writes commercial fiction for Simon and Schuster.

She has three series set in fictitious Wynbridge, Nightingale Square and Wynmouth and writes two titles a year – a summer and a Christmas book.

She also writes short stories and non-fiction for magazines and is represented by Amanda Preston.

Heidi always wanted to be a published author and her big writing break came in 2014 when she submitted The Cherry Tree Café to Books and The City (the digital first imprint of Simon and Schuster). The book was published a year later and she hasn’t stopped writing since.

Her books are available in paperback, E-book and audio and have been published in Italy, France and Germany as well as the UK.

She lives in the east of England, is a member of the RNA and the Society of Authors and has a TBR pile which is always out of control.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Respect Rom Fic Romance Rocks Squadpod Squadpod Book Club Squadpod Featured Books Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: The Last Days of Summer by Sarra Manning

Published March 27th, 2025 by Hodder & Stoughton
Romcom, Romance, Romatic Comedy, Humorous Fiction

Welcome to my review for this spicy and heartfelt romcom. Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for sending me a proof copy in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sometimes all it takes is one long summer weekend for the person you thought you hated to become something more…

‘It’s about friendship, it’s about life, it’s about how people change . . . I loved it very much’ MARIAN KEYES
‘Funny, filled with emotion and very, very sexy! Add it to your 2025 TBR pile immediately…’ BETH O’LEARY
‘I laughed out loud, cried until I was a husk and finished it feeling refreshed, renewed, and looking at life a little bit differently. It’s a summer I never wanted to end’ CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN
‘Your favourite writer’s favourite writer . . . fun, sexy, bittersweet and utterly romantic, I fell head over heels for Cassie and Marc’ LINDSEY KELK
‘Expertly crafted, extremely loveable and a perfect balance of wit, heart and smut’ LAUREN BRAVO
****

After a disastrous first meeting, Cassie and Marc become arch nemeses. He might have great cheekbones and a sexy French accent but he’s a terrible person who did a terrible thing. Too bad that Cassie’s best friends Lucy and Russell think he’s wonderful.

But years later, when an unexpected tragedy strikes their friendship group, Cassie and Marc team up to give Lucy and Russell the best weekend ever so they can make new memories with all of their favourite people. Which means convincing everyone that Cassie and Marc are head over heels in love.

After hating him for so long, it takes four bittersweet days for Cassie to wonder if she got Marc all wrong. Can they let go of their troubled past and together, face whatever the future is going to throw at them?

⭐Enemies to lovers
⭐Fake relationship
⭐Grumpy / sunshine
⭐Heartfelt and emotional
⭐True love
⭐Hot, French, male main character
⭐Spicy, including a walk-in pantry scene…

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MY REVIEW:

Cassie and Marc have been the archest of nemeses ever since their disastrous first meeting sixteen years ago. She knows that beyond his sexy French good looks is a terrible person, even if her friends seem to like him. But now an unexpected tragedy forces Cassie and Marc to work together to give their mutual friends, Lucy and Russell, the best weekend ever. And to make things worse, they must pretend to be in love. As the weekend unfolds, Cassie begins to see Marc in a new light. Could her arch enemy actually be the man she’s been waiting for all this time?

Sarra Manning never fails to deliver. A delightful and funny romcom filled with depth that made me feel all the feelings,  The Last Days of Summer was the perfect pick for our SquadPod Book Club this month. This is Manning at her best. The enemies to lovers storyline radiates hatred and chemistry, the spice is sizzling, the humour is sharp, and the emotions are heartbreaking. Heartfelt but hopeful,  it had me glued to the pages and I devoured it in under a day. 

Cassie and Marc are compelling characters who immediately drew me in. I loved how different they were and the added mystery of a secret history between them that was at the root of their mutual distaste. Their best friends, Lucy and Russell, were also brilliantly written, pulling on my heartstrings with their tragic storyline that I’m not ashamed to say brought tears to my eyes a few times. Their love radiated from the pages and I understood Cassie’s mixed feelings of jealousy at the love they shared and grief at what was happening to them. As the story, and the weekend away, progressed, I was glued to the pages by Cassie and Marc’s will they/won’t they romance. I really related to Cassie as Manning expertly portrayed the fear, insecurities, hurt and resentment she was feeling. I wanted her to find the love she longed for, and after seeing how red-hot her chemistry was with Marc, I wanted her to find it with him. 

So, if you’re looking for a spicy but emotional romcom to read in the sun, this is for you.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sarra Manning has been a voracious reader for over forty years and a prolific author and journalist for twenty five.

Her novels, which have been translated into fifteen different languages include Unsticky, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, After The Last Dance, The Rise And Fall Of Becky Sharp and her latest, Rescue Me, which publishes in 2021. Sarra has also written over fifteen YA novels, and four light-hearted romantic comedies under a pseudonym.

She started her writing career on Melody Maker and Just Seventeen, has been editor of ElleGirl and What To Wear and has also contributed to The Guardian, ELLE, Grazia, Stylist, Fabulous, Stella, You Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and is currently the Literary Editor of Red magazine.

Sarra has also been a Costa Book Awards judge and has been nominated for various writing awards herself.

She lives in London surrounded by piles and piles of books.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*these are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Published February 13th, 2025 by Viking
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this delightful romcom. Thank you to Viking for inviting me to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

ONE STORY. TWO EXES. CAN THEY CHANGE THEIR ENDING?

‘Such a fun, romantic read’ Beth O’Leary
‘This book melted my stone cold heart’ Jendella Benson

Temi and Wale meet in London. They flirt, date, meet each other’s friends.
Then they break up. And Wale goes on a reality dating show.

Instead of giving in to heartbreak, Temi throws herself into her dream: writing. She’s within touching distance of a book deal that would solve all her problems. But publishers keep passing on her novel and bills still have to be paid. So, when the opportunity to ghost-write a celebrity autobiography arises, Temi accepts.

And, of course, the celebrity turns out to be Wale…

Will Temi and Wale repeat the patterns of their past? Or can they write a whole new story?

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MY REVIEW:

Witty, fun, entertaining and romantic, The Re-Write is a delightful romcom that follows aspiring author, Temi, and her ex-boyfriend, Wale. When Wale ended their relationship he broke Temi’s heart and she can’t seem to get over him. This isn’t helped by his appearance on the reality dating show, The Villa, and everyone on social media talking about him. To try and help her heartache, Temi throws herself into her writing and is even hired as a ghostwriter for a celebrity memoir. The only problem is that the celebrity it’s about is her ex…

I loved Lizzie Damilola-Blackburn’s debut, Yinka, Where Iz Your Huzband?, so I was very excited to read this book. I’m a big fan of a good second chance romance, and this one is done brilliantly. The concept of two exes trying to work together while one is still trying to get over the other is ripe for chaos, conflict and high emotion, and Damilola-Blackburn explores them all, taking us along for the bumpy ride along with Temi and Wale. 

While this is a lighthearted read, it doesn’t shy away from deeper subjects, touching on issues including racism, toxic masculinity, sexual assault, alcoholism, online trolling, and being a carer. Another topic at the heart of this story is racial stereotyping, which is the basis for Wale’s whole memoir. He wants to break the stereotypes of the playboy Black man. And when we first meet him it does seem that his actions speak so loudly that he couldn’t possibly be anything but a playboy. But Damilola-Blackburn reminds us that there can be so much more to someone than meets the eye. I had been totally Team Temi at the start, but as we learned more about who Wale really is I found myself liking him and rooting for them to find a happy ending together, even if I did want to shake them both many times along the way. 

A heartfelt and compelling second-chance romance that had me hooked from start to finish, I highly recommend The Re-Write. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is a British-Nigerian writer, born in Peckham, who wants to tell the stories that she and her friends have longed for but never seen – romcoms ‘where Cinderella is Black and no-one bats an eyelid’. In 2019 she won the Literary Consultancy Pen Factor Writing Competition with the early draft of Yinka, Where is your Huzband?, which she had been writing alongside juggling her job at Carers UK. She has been at the receiving end of the question in the title of her novel many times, and now lives with her husband in Milton Keynes.

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BUY THE BOOK

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Right Place by Sophia Money-Coutts

Published August 15th, 2024 by HQ
Romantic Comedy, Holiday Romance, Romance

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this warmhearted and funny escapist romcom. Thank you HQ for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Escape the grey skies with this gorgeous summery beach read romcom set in the South of France!⛅

If Maggie is living her best life, why doesn’t it feel like she’s in the right place?

‘As fun and fizzy as a chilled glass of prosecco…this is the perfect read for your holiday’ The Daily Express

‘A beach cocktail in book form’ Metro

‘A laugh-a-minute page-turner, perfect for poolside reading’ HELLO!

☀️☀️☀️

From the outside, Maggie Lemon has a perfect life. But she and her husband have been trying for a baby for five years and she’s exhausted. She’s seen countless fertility experts and followed dozens of diets and homeopathic recommendations, and even gave up her dream restaurant in London when doctors suggested the stress might be too much. And now her estranged aunt has died, leaving her hotel in Provence to Maggie.

It’s been years since Maggie visited Le Figuier. There’s a lot of work to be done and she knows she should sell it. But when a disgraced Hollywood actor hiding out at the hotel lends a hand, the load feels a lot lighter. Is it just the chemistry with this handsome stranger, or is it starting to feel like Maggie might finally be in the right place?

Perfect for fans of:

💕Grumpy X Sunshine
💕Forced proximity
💕Celebrity romance

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MY REVIEW:

Heartwarming, funny, poignant and entertaining, The Right Place is the perfect summer romcom to escape the disappointing British weather with. A compelling story of self-discovery and finding love in the most unexpected of places, it explores serious topics such as infertility and grief but never loses its humour. I became an instant fan of Sophia Money-Coutts when I read What Happens Now? back in 2019. I know that when I pick up one of her books I am guaranteed an uplifting read that is well-written, witty, and hard to put down. 

The story centres around Maggie Lemon, a former chef whose sole focus for  the last seven years was trying to conceive. Her life has become a constant cycle of doctors, IVF and heartache and she has given up everything she loves to try and make it happen, slowly losing herself in the process and becoming a woman she no longer recognises. When her aunt, Phil, suddenly passes away she leaves her Provincial hotel, Le Figuier, to Maggie. Once known as ‘the party palace’, Le Figiuer had a reputation as a private bolthote for the elite and famous, so Maggie is shocked to find a dilapidated mess in place of the grand chateau she remembers. With so much work to be done, Maggie is overwhelmed and knows she must sell. She begins to prepare the hotel for sale and finds she slowly comes alive, rediscovering her love of cooking, feeling lighter and feeling more herself than she has in years. Could she have finally found the right place for her?

No romcom would be complete without a dashing love interest, and Gray Hudson perfectly fits that bill. Gray is a hunky but disgraced Hollywood actor who is hiding out at the hotel following a scandal. He and Maggie get off to a rocky start but it is soon clear that Gray isn’t the stuck-up celebrity he first appeared to be and he gets stuck in helping to fix up Le Figiuer. I liked that Gray wasn’t who you expected him to be as it made the story more interesting. I enjoyed the banter and sizzling chemistry between him and Maggie and how they helped each other grow in ways they needed. 

The book is filled with a varied and eccentric cast of background characters who help the story leap from the pages. And none of those does this more than Maggie’s aunt, Phil. Phil may have passed away but she is brought to life on these pages and a vital part of the story. We see her in flashbacks, the memories people share, and she is in every corner of Le Figiuer. And the hotel is more than bricks and mortar. It feels like a character in its own right; alive with people’s memories, some of whom we see returning to celebrate special anniversaries and life events. And it feels like the hotel is a metaphor for Maggie herself: broken and a shadow of its former self but reawakened and is shining once more.

Warm, hilarious and with a dash of spice, this grumpy/sunshine romcom is feel-good fiction at its finest. An ideal summer read. Just be prepared to get hungry with all the yummy food Maggie cooks!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sophia is a British journalist and author who spends most of her time writing at her kitchen table in South London, making a cup of tea whenever she gets stuck halfway through a sentence (this happens a LOT). She’s written four novels – The Plus One, What Happens Now?, The Wish List and Did You Miss Me? – and hopes to carry on writing books that make people laugh forever. Because we could all do with more of a laugh, these days, couldn’t we? Sometimes, if Sophia’s not drinking lukewarm tea in her leggings at home, she appears on radio and television talking about important topics such as the Royal family and how to correctly eat a pear (with your fingers, having cut it into quarters first. Sophia didn’t make this rule up, she’s just passing it on).

She also has a website (www.sophiamoneycoutts.com) which she’s been saying she’ll update since the beginning of this year. Seven months later, she has finally sorted this out and a shiny new site should be up and working by September. PROMISE.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx