Elaina James

This wonderful debut from Josie Bonham is a charming love story set against a backdrop of intrigue and suspense. Josie Bonham has a beautiful and captivating writing style and her thorougher research and knowledge of the era creates a vivid and enthralling setting. I loved Eliza's strong and feisty character and I was totally absorbed by her gripping story. Despite the hardships she has endured, Eliza, is outspoken and strong willed, yet lovable and compassionate. I loved the fantastic spark between her and Nat, an ex-army Major. There's an element of intrigue surrounding the past of both characters, which adds to the distrust and guarded nature of their relationship which creates an added layer of cautiousness and distrust.  I'll definitely be reading more from this talented author!

The Oyster Catcher - Jo Thomas* Who hasn’t day dreamed at some point of packing it all in and heading off for a completely fresh start somewhere new and exciting? Though for Fi it’s less of a day dream and more of a living nightmare.   This was a gripping and charming read, that I couldn’t put down. I was desperate to know what would happen to Fi and the oysters she had developed a love / hate relationship with.   Jo has a wonderful way of making her descriptions come to life and I could clearly see the beautiful (yet rainy) coastline . I was really routing for Fi throughout the novel and I loved the eclectic cast of characters in this quaint and unusual little town.   Fi’s past contains a secret that she’s too embarrassed to share. But her determination to do the right thing, outweighs her desperation to remain hidden in the background. I loved Fi’s character arc, and was cheering her on as she went on a journey of self-discovery and te...

I'm thrilled to join in with the blog tour for Mary Rosie's War by Catherine Byrne. Both my grandfathers served in World War II. I never knew my Dad's father, sadly he passed way before I was born. But a glimpse into his life during the years he spent fighting for his country can be found in faded black and white photographs. We'll never know the stories behind the photographs, or what became of the men are that are pictured beside him. According to my Dad his father didn't talk much about those dark days. He had lived through the nightmare and didn't want relive it. But occasionally he'd tell of the friendships, the adventure, and the wonder that took him far from his home to places he barely even heard of. Mary Rosie's War is a beautifully told tale of the conflicting emotions that war brought to the young men and women who served their country, and the heartbreaking reality that nothing and no one would ever be the same again. Told from the ...

The Season For Love - M. W. Arnold* Rating: Book Summary: Believing she was responsible for the death of her husband, Chrissie Stewart retreats from all those who love her. A chance meeting with mysterious stranger, single-parent Josh Morgan and his bewitching young daughter Lizzy, breathe new life into her and gradually, she feels able to start to let go of the memory of her lost love. Unexpected links are revealed between the two families that strengthen the growing bonds she feels to this man and with the encouragement of her best friend Annie, herself hiding a hidden conflict from Chrissie, she battles with her demons to believe in her ability to trust and love again. Everything comes to a head on Christmas Day; which all goes to show that this is truly The Season for Love. Review: Congratulations to M.W. Arnold on his debut novel; The Season For Love *. There is a strong theme of love, loss and friendship running through the novel, which had me de...

Rating: Book Summary: Cassie Travers is a strong, independent women who is determined to maintain control of everything in her life. However, life is never quite that straightforw ard. In order to get her out of one mess, Cassie ends up in another as she takes a job that causes her to be reliant on a man she vowed never to need again. To resolve her future, she must first resolve her past. Review: Summer in San Remo takes us on a captivating journey from the quaint streets of Bath to the stunning Riviera. The beautiful descriptions had me planning my next holiday destinations! Cassie is a wonderful character; strong and capable, but hiding a vulnerable side that makes her doubt herself and always push herself harder to achieve success. Her curiosity is contagious and I found myself captivated by the mystery that she and her old flame Jake were on a quest to unravel. I loved the fiery chemistry between Cassie and Jake. She might need his help, but that doe...

Everything But The Truth was recommended to me on the basis that Gillian McAllister writes gripping stories with strong emotional character threads running through them . I wasn’t disappointed. Gillian has created rich, layered characters, who I couldn’t wait to read more about as I delved further into their world. It was fascinating to follow Rachel as one email in the middle of the night causes her to question everything she knows about the man she loves. And love him she does. Through Gillian’s elegant writing style, Rachel’s voice was clear and her emotions were cleverly portrayed throughout in her explicit yet simple descriptions of what she liked and loved, as though Rachel was confiding in the reader as a friend. Everything But The Truth is an excellent example of how even the smallest of lies can spiral out of control. This novel made me realise that the desire to protect the image that someone else holds of us, can lead to deceit. But one little lie or one simple omissio...

Rating: Book Summary: Girl in Red Velvet is a novel about friendship and impossible choices. When Lily Denham met two boys on her first day at Oxford University, she never imagined that she would fall in love with both of them, or that one day she would have to choose between them. Review: Beautifully written, Girl in Red Velvet had me hooked from the start as I wondered who Lily would choose. Harry and Max are both intriguing, well rounded characters who are complete opposites, but equally appealing in their own individual ways. I found myself sharing Lily’s dilemma as I wondered who I would choose myself: safe and dependable Harry, or exciting and adventurous Max. At the start of the novel, Lily is a strong willed, independent woman with her own distinctive style. She doesn’t care what other people think or whisper about her behind her back. How I would love to be that bold! However, Lily discovers that as hard as making a decision can be, living with that...

Rating: About the Author Morton S. Gray is a writer from Worcestershire, U.K. A member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, she recently graduated from their excellent New Writers' Scheme. Her debut novel, ‘The Girl on the Beach', was the winner of the Choc Lit Search for a Star competition and was published in January 2017. Morton writes romance stories with a mystery to solve. Website and blog  www.mortonsgray.com Facebook author page : Morton S.Gray Twitter : MortonSGray Book Summary: When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon there’s something familiar about him. He reminds her of someone she used to know. There’s just one problem; he’s dead. Right from the beginning The Girl on the Beach is full of mystery and intrigue. We follow Ellie and Harry from their first meeting, as Ellie tries to figure out why Harry seems so familiar, and Harry wonders why a woman he’s never met seems to know him. Review: Morton’s easy to read writi...

Rating: About the Author: Although passionate about writing from an early age, Heidi Swain gained a degree in Literature, flirted briefly with a newspaper career, married and had two children before she plucked up the courage to join a creative writing class and take her literary ambitions seriously. A lover of Galaxy bars, vintage paraphernalia and the off bottle of fizz, she now writes contemporary fiction and enjoys the company of a whole host of feisty female characters. She joined the RNA New Writers’ Scheme in 2014 and is now a full member. The manuscript she submitted for critique, The Chery Tree Café, is her debut novel published by Simon and Schuster in July 2015. She lives in Norfolk with her wonderful husband, son and daughter and a mischievous cat called Storm. Links Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Heidi_Swain Blog:  http://www.heidiswain.blogspot.co.uk/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WriterHeidiJoSwain?ref=hl Book Summary: Th...

Rating: About the Author: Author of Please Release Me, Doctor January and Girl on the Run, Rhoda is a former scientist who now works in the field of intellectual property.   Book Summary: Shallow, manipulative Sally thinks she has found everything she could ever need in the wealthy Peter.  However, when a car accident leaves Sally in a coma, Peter beings to realise that he doesn’t know Sally as well as he thought. Grace is everything that Sally isn’t. She is kind, caring, genuine and true.  But most importantly, she’s in love with Peter.  That’s one thing that Sally has never been. Review: Having loved Rhoda’s previous book ‘Girl on the Run’ I was keen to read her latest; ‘Please Release Me’ and I hoped it would be of the same standard.  I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the contrast between the two female characters.  I was immediately drawn to the quiet insecure Grace, who’d suffered so much heart-ache and loss and yet stil...

Rating: About The Author Amy Lynch is an Irish author of humorous romantic women’s fiction, but not always with fairy tale endings! She has been working in the charity sector for many years, is married and has two young children. When she is not writing, she can be found juggling school runs, packing lunch boxes, tackling the laundry mountain and walking two large rescue dogs who stare at her until she walks them. Talk about multi-tasking! Her debut novel ‘Bride Without a Groom’ is a laugh out loud Bridezilla comedy, was published by Avon, Harper Collins in May 2015. About The Book Single, coupled-up or married, this laugh-out-loud summer read is the perfect anecdote for the wedding season! Rebecca has chosen the most luscious, five tiered, wedding cake. The engagement ring that she has selected is celebrity inspired. The wedding singer is on speed dial. He doesn’t usually do Michael Bolton, but as it’s for a first dance he’ll make an exception. Father Maguire is c...

Rating: Book Summary: Betrayed and heartbroken, Ellie is looking for somewhere to hide away. Losing the man she loves is bad enough, but his accusation that it’s all her own fault undermines her confidence and leaves her floundering to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Rowan Hill seems like the ideal sanctuary. Review: Emma has created a cast of well-rounded characters whose lives intersect in ways that we can’t fully understand at first.  Whilst the story primarily focuses on Ellie and is told from her view point, we get introduced to the people around her and see how Ellie’s presence in their lives changes them as well as her. The characters have so many wonderful layers to their personalities I was fascinated to delve deeper and didn’t want to put the book down.  The mysterious Will bares his own scars and his struggle to overcome them puts a strain on his relationship with Ellie and his brother Finn.  When Will’s past is...

Rating: About the Author: Author of Please Release Me , Doctor January and Girl on the Run , Rhoda is a former scientist who now works in the field of intellectual property. www.rhodabaxter.com @rhodabaxter Book Summary: The story follows Jane, the ex-girlfriend of a famous musician, as she tries to flee from the lime light and create a life of her own after she catches him with another woman.  However one celebrity gossip magazine just won’t let her go… Review: The insertion of snippets from the magazine that’s determined to find her and the use of texts and emails through the story was and interesting and clever idea. I was a little apprehensive about reading emails in the middle of a story at first, but I have to admit it worked really well.  It was carefully balanced so it wasn’t overdone, but it was sufficient to give the reader an insight into what was going on beyond the characters verbal conversations. It’s a great story wi...

Rating: About the Author: C.B. Hanley has a PhD in medieval studies from the University of Sheffield.  She has written both fiction and non-fiction books and specialises in the High Middle Ages. Book Summary: Set in England in 1217, Sins of the Father follows Edwin Weaver, the son of the bailiff at Conisbrough Castle, who finds himself thrust into an unfamiliar world when his father is taken ill and the Earl asks him to step into his role. In the midst of the civil war, Edwin is tasked with solving a murder in just two days… Review: C.B. Hanley’s extensive knowledge and research shows through in this gripping medieval mystery. The descriptions and characters are captivating and catapult the reader back in time, into the realm of castles, knights and sword fights. The novel moves forward at a steady pace, drawing the reader in as we follow Edwin’s investigation. By seeing the castle, the Earl and his family, the knights and the impending battle of the civ...

My favorite book as a child was White Boots by Noel Streatfeild.  Nine year old Harriet Johnson is advised to take up skating to aid her recovery from an illness that has left her thin and weak.  At the ice rink she is befriended by Lalla Moore, a young girl with figure skating in her blood.  Despite being from completely different classes, they form an unusual but undeniably strong friendship.  With Lallas' help, Harriet discovers that she actually posses the talent to become an exceptional skater herself, possibly even better than Lalla.  Revelations like that however, can put a strain on any friendship... A few years ago I managed to track down a copy of this book and re-read it.  I discovered that despite the passing of time since I first read it, it had lost none of it's charm.  It's a heart warming tale that I love as much today, as I did all those years ago. When I was a child, I was desperate to be like Harriet and take to the ice like...