Tag Archives: Romance Novels

Review of Jules Wake’s The Saturday Morning Park Run.

Today, I am delighted to join the blog tour for Jules Wake’s The Saturday Morning Park Run.

The blurb:

The Saturday Morning Park Run

This is the story of two women.
One old, one young.
One looking for new adventures. One looking for a purpose.
Both needing a friend.

And this is how, along with two little girls in need of a family, a gorgeous stranger, and a scruffy dog, they bring the whole community together every Saturday morning for love, laughter and a little bit of running…(well, power walking).

Some people come into your life when you need them the most.

Pre-order Links: Amazon UK | Amazon.com


 My review:

This is my first Jules Wake read, and I LOVED IT! The story is a wonderful wake-up call about achieving a good work-life balance, making good friends and taking time for the things that matter. The characters are mostly warm and friendly – people you are happy to share time with. Claire’s sister, Alice, is the exception, but her actions help provide the catalyst for change in Claire’s work filled, but otherwise empty, life. Hilda, an older character, was a blast – I loved her no-nonsense say it as it is ways. Claire and Ash shared a lovely connection that held me from the beginning of the story and kept me interested all the way to the end. It was refreshing for the hero to be vulnerable and to make mistakes, even after it seemed things might be sorted. Overall this is a fab book that will leave you with a big smile. And there’s a dog, what’s not to like?

This is just day one and so you can follow the rest of the blog tour here:


About the author:

Jules Wake announced at the age of ten that she planned to be a writer. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands and not so luxury brands. This proved fabulous training for writing novels as it provided her with the opportunity to hone her writing and creative skills penning copy on a vast range of subjects from pig farming and watches, sunglasses and skincare through to beer and stationery.

She writes best-selling warm-hearted contemporary fiction for One More Chapter as Jules Wake and under her pen name Julie Caplin, she writes the Romantic Escapes series.

Between them, the two Js have written fourteen novels, The Saturday Morning Park Runbeing the latest.

Discover more about Jules Wake and her work here: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


My reviews are added to NetGalley, Amazon UK and Goodreads. Thank you, to Jules Wake for the fun read, and also to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources, and One More Chapter for the advance copy of The Saturday Morning Park Run. xx


Feel Good Friday with Angela Britnell.

I am delighted to welcome Choc Lit author, Angela Britnell, as she celebrates the release of A Summer to Remember in Herring Bay.

Thank you so much for joining me, Angela, before we get chatting about your new book, I’d love to know if you have a top tip to promote wellbeing you’d like to share?

For me the key is balance – I love my writing but make sure to carve out space for my water aerobics classes, volunteering at my local library, travel and most importantly spending time with my family and friends. Being a Granny is my favourite job!

Great tip and I love being a Granny, too!


This is an exciting week for you. Please, tell us a little about your latest novel, A Summer to Remember at Herring Bay (I love the cover by the way):

When Essy Havers travels to Cornwall from her home in Nashville she hopes to find out why her mother is reluctant to talk about her childhood in Herring Bay, why she left for America and most important of all why she never went back. Ruan Pascow is back home in Herring Bay after years as an architect in London and unsure of where his life is headed next. When Essy’s persistent questions involve the secret behind his own father’s disappearance they come into conflict, a conflict made harder by their undeniable attraction to each other.


That sounds great. Please share a ‘feel good’ extract:

Ruan and Essy are enjoying a day out away from their problems and he’s taken her to the Jubilee Pool in Penzance…

‘Let’s get in the geothermal pool. It was all over the news when they opened it a couple of months ago and I’ve been wanting to come and test it out.’

‘You sure getting hotter is a good plan?’ A wicked smile tugged at her lush mouth. ‘We might need to get a room tonight at this rate.’

‘Might?’ When their eyes locked it sent his heart into overdrive. Beads of sweat glistened on Essy’s skin and the heat bloomed the scent of the tropical sun cream he’d slathered on her earlier.

‘Yeah, might.’ She trailed a finger down and teasingly rested it in the middle of his chest. ‘Keeping our options open raises the stakes.’

‘They aren’t high enough already?’

‘Play along, it’ll be more fun and that’s what we’re supposed to be having today.’ Her husky voice throbbed with the challenge.

‘Pool. Now.’ He tugged on her hand. ‘You’re dangerous.’ The only answer he received was a peal of rich laughter as he half-dragged her towards the pool.

Gosh! I love the steamy tension in that scene. Here are the links to buy: Amazon | Kobo | Choc Lit


I know you always have another writing project in mind, so what can we expect from you next?

I’ve just finished writing a Christmas novella titled Mistletoe and Moonshine and will be working on a spring book next.

Wow!


Finally, I like to get all of my feel-good Friday authors to answer five quick fire questions for fun: 

Tea or coffee? Tea – PG Tips or Earl Grey when I’m feeling reckless.

Trainers or heels? Trainers now, too many high heels when younger.

Hotel or hostel? The fanciest hotel I can afford.

Favourite season? Spring, I love all the flowers and the temperature usually suits me perfectly.

Who would you give your last Rolo to? They’re not my absolute favourites so probably anyone who asked for it but if we were talking about a Crunchie or Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Raspberry squares the answer would be different!

OO I had to look up what they were, they look very tasty 😉


Thank you so much for stopping by in your busy week. Best of luck with your new novel, Angela. I look forward to reading it. xx


About the author:

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties!

A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to over three decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers. Her first novel ‘Truth and Consequence’ was published in 2006 and she’s now had over 30 novels published internationally and several short stories in women’s magazines.

If you’d like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (Advance warning: this may include references to wine, chocolate, Poldark and the hunky Aidan Turner) check out: Twitter |  Facebook | website | Instagram |


Sue Moorcroft joins my Christmas Countdown!

Today, on my Christmas countdown, I am joined by Sunday Times Best Seller Sue Moorcroft, whose latest Christmas book, Let it Snow, has been described as a fab festive read!

Welcome to my blog Sue, Let it Snow is definitely on my Christmas reading list, to get me in the mood, I would love to know how your characters will be spending Christmas…

Isaac knew he’d probably be running The Three Fishes while Tubb’s away in Switzerland, and he is, but he’s somehow ended up with his ex, Hayley, living there too. He also has Doggo the dalmatian to keep him company but neither of those are the one he wants to be with. It’s not until Christmas morning that he realises that Lily, instead of coming in to make gingerbread men for the Christmas Day pub lunch, has disappeared. Lily is with family. Very newly discovered family. And they give her an opportunity she thought she’d never have.

Oh you’ve got me hooked and I see the blurb is equally as intriguing:

This Christmas, the villagers of Middledip are off on a very Swiss adventure…

Family means everything to Lily Cortez and her sister Zinnia, and growing up in their non-conventional family unit, they and their two mums couldn’t have been closer.

So it’s a bolt out of the blue when Lily finds her father wasn’t the anonymous one-night stand she’d always believed – and is in fact the result of her mum’s reckless affair with a married man.

Confused, but determined to discover her true roots, Lily sets out to find the family she’s never known; an adventure that takes her from the frosted, thatched cottages of Middledip to the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland, via a memorable romantic encounter along the way…

Buying links: Kindle UK | Kobo UK | Apple Books | paperback or at your favourite book shop or supermarket | audio


With plenty going on for your characters in the lead up to Christmas, I’d love to know how you will be spending this festive season…

In the first half of December I’ll be visiting Sweden with my lovely author buddy Christina Courtenay ( who also writes as Pia Fenton). My Winter 2020 book will be at least partly set in Sweden and Christina has kindly invited me to go with her to visit her mum, who lives in south Sweden. We’ll be having a few days in Stockholm too and I’m looking forward to Christmas markets, the old town, ice hockey and a moose safari. (Note to self: try and do some Christmas shopping while there. Swiss chocolate went down a storm last year and I don’t think anyone will mind repeating the exercise with Swedish chocolate.)

When it comes to Christmas itself I’ll be having a quiet time at home with family except for one day between Christmas and New Year, when a whole lot of Moorcrofts will descend to eat, drink, be merry and talk a lot. We refer to this as the Gathering of the Clan, although none of us has any Scottish blood. I think it’s a testament to the strength of my family ties that I can’t remember anyone missing the Moorcroft Gathering, whether it’s held at my house or my brother’s.

Wow, your trip to Sweden sounds wonderful, and perfect to combine research and Christmas shopping (I’m guessing you’ll have to sample the chocolate too). So a busy time ahead but I can’t let you go without asking you five questions from my Christmas selection:

Who did you play in the school nativity? Angel Gabriel.

What a great picture! In case you couldn’t spot her, Sue is the very happy looking Angel Gabriel facing the camera in the back row.

Real or artificial Christmas tree? Glass! I’ve just bought a tiny, handmade glass tree with little baubles. I suppose the answer is ‘artificial’ but that doesn’t give the right impression.

Must read Christmas book? Notting Hill in the Snow by Jules Wake

Cracker hat or no cracker hat? No cracker hat.

First Quality Street flavour to disappear from your tub? Green triangle.

Thank you so much for joining my Christmas countdown and I wish you and your family a fabulous Moorcroft Gathering! xx


About the author:

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times and international bestselling author and has reached the coveted #1 spot on Amazon Kindle UK. She’s won the Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award and the Katie Fforde Bursary, and has been nominated for several others.

 Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

Discover more about Sue and her work via: Website | Blog | Facebook profile | Facebook author page | Twitter | InstagramLinkedIn


Don’t miss Choc Lit author Kirsty Ferry, joining in by sharing a Christmas read and some festive fun, on my blog on Thursday 16th December. xx