My huge thanks to Becky Hunter for sending me a surprise copy of The Last Page Café by Kate Storey. With Kate’s The Memory Library (reviewed here) one of my books of the year in 2024, I was thrilled to receive it. It’s my pleasure to share my review of The Last Page Café today.

The Last Page Café will be published by Avon on 12th March 2026 and is available for pre-order through the publisher links here. 

 The Last Page Café

Sometimes the last page is just the beginning…

At fifty-four, Erin McRae feels like she’s been living in the margins of her own story. Ever since she inherited her late mother’s café, The Bookmark, she’s been stuck in a comfortable routine. Her greatest escape is the mismatched book club she founded, bound together by one unusual rule: they choose their next book based solely on the last page.

But when the book club discusses what their own last pages might say, Erin and her fellow members begin to see their own lives in unexpected ways. As the club’s discussions grow deeper, long-buried secrets surface, old wounds start to heal, and romance leaps off the page. With The Bookmark under threat of closure, Erin must ask herself: can she write herself a happier story?

My Review of The Last Page Café

The book club members in Erin’s café always read the final page of a book first.

What a wonderfully charming and entertaining book. I really loved The Last Page Café – even if the concept of reading the final page of a book first almost brought me out in hives!

There’s a realistic and gentle plot that encompasses events that feel familiar and relatable. That’s not to say that there isn’t drama, but it’s so good to find situations that belong to real people so that there is balance and engagement in a really well told story. Reading The Last Page Café makes you feel as if you’re in safe, competent hands.  

And what real people there are between the pages of The Last Page Café. I thought the intensity of the book group members worked brilliantly, and I found myself wondering how they all were getting on when I wasn’t reading about them. The balance of ages from younger Jack and Riley through the middle years of Erin and Adam to the more mature Joe meant that there was almost a Shakespearean seven ages of man presented providing a character for any and every reader. The sense of community they engender and the manner with which Adam’s inclusion initially threatens the balance of the book group seemed absolutely realistic.

And it’s a sense of community and inclusion that runs through this narrative like a shining, golden thread. Kate Story illustrates how looking out for others, but equally caring about ourselves, ensures a better life for all. There’s a vivid and inspiring sense of belonging that shows how, together, we can be greater than the sum of our parts.  I thought the way the author explored Erin’s insecurities through her early prickliness towards Adam, her desire to maintain the status quo at all costs and her desperate need for control (hence reading the final page of a book first), gave true insight into humanity and why others behave as they do on occasion. As the story progresses, there’s a real sense of growth for the characters, making for a really satisfying narrative.  There’s also a dramatic impact on the reader as Kate Storey gently nudges them to consider their own attitudes towards the status quo. 

The other themes feel just as accessible and interesting. The contrast between confident public persona and private insecurity, the way we can be too quick to judge others, that what constitutes family may not equate to blood lines, and the way change can be a catalyst for positivity as well as threat, all combine into a story that speaks right to the heart of who we are. If it doesn’t sound contrived or cliched, reading The Last Page Café made me feel as if I belonged too so that I found the story hugely inspirational. 

Wise, heart-warming and uplifting, The Last Page Café is the perfect counterbalance to a challenging world. It’s entertaining, certainly, but also inspiring and I thought it was a gorgeous read that will stay with me. 

About Kate Storey

Kate Storey started her career teaching English and Drama, and when she had her family, combined all three to write novels about family drama. Originally from Yorkshire, she now lives in a London suburb with her husband and two teenage daughters, so expects there’s plenty more drama to come.

Also writing as Lisa Timoney, you can find out more about Kate by visiting her website, finding her on Facebook and Instagram or following her on Twitter/X @LTimoneyWrites.

My enormous thanks to Emma and/or Katie at EDPR for sending me a copy of What Really Happened To Me? by Ellie Barker. It’s my pleasure to share my review of What Really Happened To Me? today.

Published by Vinci and available here in e-book, What Really Happened To Me? is out in paperback on 23rd April 2026, and available for pre-order here.  

What Really Happened To Me?

Sometimes losing everything is the only way to find yourself.

Grace Leven seems to have it all―CEO of a national TV channel, a picture-perfect family and a life others envy. But behind the glossy façade, cracks are forming. Her career is on the line, her marriage has crumbled and her best friend has disappeared.

Lost and alone, Grace stumbles upon the Strawberry House Hotel, a haven in the idyllic Strawberry Village. Here, surrounded by a community that values truth and connection over social media perfection, Grace begins to ask the one question she’s been avoiding: What really happened to me?

Heartwarming, empowering and beautifully reflective, What Really Happened to Me is a story for every woman who’s ever wondered if there’s more to life.

My Review of What Really Happened To Me?

Grace Leven is at the top of her game. Until suddenly – she isn’t.

Oh my word. I could not have enjoyed What Really Happened To Me? more. I thought it was wonderful.

The plot of What Really Happened To Me? is relatively simple. A wealthy, successful woman finds herself ousted from her job, with her marriage failing and her best friend ignoring her. She’s estranged from her daughter and Grace finds that having been interviewed as a total success, instead she is a total failure. Or is she? As events progress Grace comes to learn what success really means and what is important in her life. It’s quite possible to read What Really Happened To Me? as a light and thoroughly entertaining romantic story. 

That description of the story may seem mundane, but don’t be fooled. Ellie Barker grasps her readers and shakes them up. The experience of reading What Really Happened To Me? and what each reader gets out of the narrative will depend on their own experiences. The author leads both Grace and reader on a journey of self discovery that is utterly inspiring, empathetic and completely uplifting. There’s a fascinating (and infuriating) insight into the world of television. There’s a realistic expiration of sexism in the workplace. Equally entertaining and compelling is the understanding of how marriage and family, self-awareness, grief and guilt affect us all so that What Really Happened To Me? feels like a beacon of light as well as a brilliantly entertaining story.

I adored the settings of Strawberry Village and Strawberry House. Reading What Really Happened To Me? gave me every bit as much of a break from life as Grace experiences. There’s a further setting later that is simply beautiful but I won’t spoil that discover for others!

The people are glorious. I thought naming the protagonist Grace when her life suddenly has a total fall from grace was inspired. Equally, Grace learns what it means to behave gracefully, to be kind to others and to accept and deal with the vagaries of life. At 53, Grace has a coming-of-age experience that is presented with understanding and emotion. Obviously it is Grace who develops the most during the story, but there’s a fabulous gradual revealing of so many others too. Penelope Fanshaw in particular felt quite perfect. She’s spiky, rude and abrupt, but she’s also vulnerable, self-aware and redemptive so that I was utterly convinced by her. Of course, I was every bit as much in love with Harvey as everyone else!

Indeed, other than Eric who brought out the worst in me by making me want to cause him physical and financial damage, I found a kernel of joy, hope and understanding in all the characters which made me reassess those I know in real life too. What Really Happened To Me? gave me permission to be myself, to understand not only Grace et al, but to find compassion for my own frailties and the strength to do something about them. 

Warm, wise and wonderful, What Really Happened To Me? is a glorious book. It deserves to be returned to time and again in those darker moments where we feel all hope is lost and we to be uplifted. I’m putting this one straight on my list of books of the year!

About Ellie Barker

Ellie Barker is a television journalist, author, and host of The Next Chapter podcast. Ellie started as a runner in TV, just like Rosie in The Pink Coffee Shop. Does the camera really lie? With more than 25 years in the industry, Ellie knows.

When she’s not being dazzled by those TV lights, Ellie writes contemporary romance novels, or “Fiction Therapy,” as she calls it. The Pink Coffee Shop, The Juggle, and The Secrets of the Coffee Club are all set in the fictitious Cherry Blossom Park in Bristol—the city where Ellie lives with her journalist husband, sons, and dog, Cookie.

When Ellie’s not holding a microphone or collecting socks, she loves to write warm, uplifting fiction with lots of love and hope. All her books feature a therapist (hence the Fiction Therapy), based on her lifelong fascination with mental health. And be warned: after years of reporting on some of the not-so-fair parts of life, only happy endings are allowed.

For further information, visit Ellie’s website, follow her on X or find Ellie on Instagram and Facebook. 

I’m not entirely sure if it’s Poppy North or Kimberley Nyamhondera to whom I owe thanks for a surprise copy of So, I Met This Guy… by Alexandra Potter, but I was delighted to receive it and it’s my pleasure to share my review today. 

So, I Met This Guy… was published by Pan Macmillan on 29th January 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

So, I Met This Guy…

So, I Met This Guy . . .

Well, isn’t that how every love story starts? But how does it end – a happily ever after? Or with the discovery that the supposed love-of-your-life has stolen your life savings and your home, trashed your heart and demolished your self-esteem?

Maggie is barely fifty years-old, and she’s not one to give up on herself. So when she meets Flick, a young reporter who realizes this story could be the big break she’s been looking for, they set off to catch him as he goes on the run across Europe. After all, she’s got nothing left to lose, right?

But as the pair embark on the road trip of their lives, unexpected twists, hidden secrets and hard truths are revealed. And as an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, they realize it’s not just about finding the guy, it’s about finding themselves . . .

 My Review of So, I Met This Guy…

Middle aged Maggie is on her uppers when she teams up with young, ambitious local reporter Flick.

Now, I confess that So, I Met This Guy… was absolutely not the book I was expecting. I had anticipated a funny and entertaining, somewhat frothy story, with little real depth. How wrong can you be? Yes, So, I Met This Guy… has a super range of humour from almost slapstick moments to really witty dialogue and I did indeed laugh aloud. But it has so very much more too. 

Firstly, there’s a terrific sense of place which makes So, I Met This Guy… almost a travelogue at times. As Maggie and Flick travel across Europe the reader is transported to each place they visited. Food, weather, scenery, language, art and culture blend into a vivid and enchanting read. Add in a fast paced, twisting plot with plenty of surprises and So, I Met This Guy… is a real winner.

Then there’s the superb characterisation. Whilst there are several secondary characters met along Maggie and Flick’s journey, there’s a real intensity to their burgeoning friendship so that we get to know them intimately. I adored the way they progress, adapt and emerge as warm, living, beings. Maggie in particular has such a realistic development, so that any woman in her middle years will cheer her on. Flick also grows into her persona in an authentic manner. These are not merely fictional stylised women on stereotypical ‘journeys’ but they are portrayed with warmth, wit and understanding. As for Birdy – she’s magnificent. Her addition to the narrative gives a broad spectrum triumvirate as the three women encompass a wide age range, varied personal circumstances and brilliant balance of naivety and knowledge. I loved them all.

As for Theo – I think I have rarely hated a character quite as much. Alexandra Potter depicts him with such authenticity that I was desperate for him to get his comeuppance. Whether that happens, you’ll have to find out by reading So, I Met This Guy…. Rory feels so real too. He’s no villain like Theo, but he’s very much the kind of chap who could be living next door or married to your best friend, giving a sense of reality and additional credibility.

But it is the themes of So, I Met This Guy… that make the read so compelling. Obviously it is a narrative about romance fraud which is entertaining and interesting in its own right. In addition, Alexandra Potter explores just what effect that can have. The loss of money, possessions and livelihoods is impactful enough, but through Maggie we see just how self-worth, confidence and self-reliance are decimated by fraudsters like Theo. With friendship, love and trust underpinning the action, So, I Met This Guy… becomes so much more than the light hearted beach read I was expecting. 

I really loved So, I Met This Guy…. It’s fast paced, fun and fabulous and I can recommend it unreservedly. Don’t miss it!

About Alexandra Potter

Alexandra Potter is the bestselling author of numerous romantic comedy fiction novels in the UK, including One Good Thing and Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up, one of the bestselling books of 2022 and 2023 and the basis of a major TV series. These titles have sold in twenty-eight territories and achieved worldwide sales of more than one million copies, making the bestseller charts across the world.

Yorkshire born and raised, Alexandra lived for several years in LA before settling in London with her Californian husband and their Bosnian rescue dog. When she’s not writing or travelling, she’s getting out into nature, trying not to look at her phone and navigating this thing called mid-life.

For further information visit Alexandra’s website, find her on Facebook or follow her on Instagram.

Regular Linda’s Book Bag visitors will notice far fewer posts this year as I begin to step back from posting to deadlines and head to my 65th birthday. However, as my poor sight meant I was a later reader because I had no idea those blurry black smudges had form and meaning, I simply had to take part in today’s announcement as part the National Year of Reading. Books offer so much joy and escape but so many of our potential young readers are missing out. It’s my pleasure to share the following press release provided by Midas PR.

London, Monday 2 February 2026. Bookshop.org is bringing back its charitable initiative Read It Forward for a third year in a row, in partnership with BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust. Once again in February 2026, 10% of every children’s book sale (including pre-orders) will be donated to the charities, while also supporting independent bookshops.

Top children’s authors will once again throw their support behind the charitable drive, with the 2026 ambassadors confirmed as: children’s author of the Fairytale Woods series and star of film, television and stage Ben Miller; former Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho; and Gill Sims, author of hugely successful parenting blog ‘Peter and Jane’ and of the YA novel Lila Mackay is Very Misunderstood.

Ben Miller, Joseph Coelho, Gill Sims

The aim of the initiative is to inspire a love of reading in the next generation, with the money raised going towards BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust’s work in supporting children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds.

This year, Read It Forward takes place in the context of the National Year of Reading, the nation-wide campaign to encourage people of all ages to read for pleasure. The campaign is a response to declining reading enjoyment among young people and aims to increase literacy, boost wellbeing, and build a culture where “reading is for everyone”.

Last year, Read It Forward raised money to support over 1,550 families, bringing books to children who need them the most, and received incredible support from ambassadors Alexander Armstrong, Catherine Rayner, Andy Day, Serena Patel, and Nadine Aisha Jassat, as well as authors, illustrators, publishers, influencers and beyond, including Adam Kay, Jessie Burton, Tim Harford, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Robin Stevens, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Abi Elphinstone, Christopher Edge and many more backing the initiative on their channels.

Customers are encouraged to place their pre-orders for some of the biggest children’s titles for the first half of 2026, including the highly anticipated Volume 6 and final instalment of the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman, The Last Wolf by Rob Biddulph, Evenfall: The Tempest Stone by Alexander Armstrong, Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and The Long Way Home by Holly Bourne, to name a few.

Ben Miller said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of Read It Forward. Anything that helps children discover the joy of stories — and supports our wonderful independent bookshops at the same time — is worth shouting about from the highest rooftops. In my books, I try to celebrate the old magic of fairytales: the spark that lights up a child’s imagination and, if we’re lucky, keeps burning right through adulthood. This campaign is such a brilliant reminder that we all have a part to play in keeping that magic alive. I’m also delighted to be teaming up with Bookshop.org, whose mission to help local bookshops thrive online is something I wholeheartedly believe in. And what better time to support such a brilliant drive than with the National Year of Reading just upon us?”

Joseph Coelho said: “Reading for pleasure broadens horizons and enables us all to learn more about ourselves and each other. When you pick up a book you don’t know where it’s going to take you, or the person you will be when you put it down. It is every child’s right to read for pleasure and to have the opportunity to find those books that can profoundly change their lives or just let laugh out loud. I’m so excited to be an ambassador for Read It Forward this year. Scottish Book Trust and BookTrust do wonderful work to get books into the hand of those who need them the most, so I encourage book buyers to get behind this brilliant charity drive this month.”

Gill Sims said: “I’m thrilled to be one of the ambassadors for Read It Forward 2026. After writing my first book for young adults, I’m especially passionate about making sure that teenagers, as well as children, continue to experience the benefits of reading. Adolescence is a phase where no-one seems to understand you. I believe reading can be a wonderful way to unlock empathy, and help young people realise that actually, their feelings and experiences are valid. I encourage everyone who has a teen in their life to get behind Read It Forward, and buy a book or two in support of both young people’s literacy and bookshops!”

Diana Gerald MBE, Co-CEO of BookTrust, said: “We’re extremely pleased that Bookshop.org is supporting BookTrust again this year. Shared reading early on in life can have a huge impact on bonding, happiness, wellbeing and much more, but not all families have the chance to experience it. Funds raised by Bookshop.org and its customers will help us reach even more children, particularly vulnerable children and those from lower income backgrounds. Through our ongoing Reading Rights campaign and with the National Year of Reading happening in 2026, it’s more important than ever that every child can access the transformative power of books.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Scottish Book Trust is delighted to be part of Read it Forward in 2026, and to build on the impact of this year’s campaign during the National Year of Reading. Funds raised will continue to help support young families facing challenging circumstances across Scotland, particularly through our early years work including specialist outreach programme Bookbug for the Home. The demand for our work continues to grow and we’re excited to be part of an initiative that supports families and children as well as independent bookshops.”

Nicole Vanderbilt, Managing Director of Bookshop.org UK, said: “We’re so excited to be launching our third Read It Forward drive this month, and to be joined by such high-calibre authors as our ambassadors. Knowing that we were able to support 1,550 families through last year’s initiative makes us confident in the impact of our efforts, and even more willing to help BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust to inspire a love for reading in the younger generations. Read It Forward is a great opportunity for publishers across the UK to get behind the initiative not only to support children’s literacy and indie bookshops, but also to promote and amplify their best children’s titles of the year. We encourage readers of all ages to get behind the initiative and buy a book (or two) during Read It Forward!”

Find out more about Read It Forward here. A comprehensive toolkit, including social media assets, is available at this link. Follow the latest developments on social media using the hashtag #ReadItForward.

About Ben Miller

Since penning his first children’s book in 2018, Ben Miller has become one of the UK’s most beloved children’s authors and was in the top 10 biggest bestselling Children’s Fiction Author list in both 2021 and 2022. Ben’s books include the Fairytale Woods series, with hilarious diaries from the Big, Bad Wolf and Puss in Boots,  Robin Hood Aged 10 ¾, Once Upon A Legend, The Day I Fell Into A Fairytale, How I Became a Dog Called Midnight, The Boy Who Made the World Disappear, The Night We Got Stuck in a Story and the Christmas Elf Chronicles. A much-loved, longstanding star of film, television and stage, Ben rose to fame as one half of the eponymous comedy duo behind the BAFTA winning THE ARMSTRONG AND MILLER SHOW (BBC) with Alexander Armstrong. Currently playing the title role in the hit ITV series PROFESSOR T, Ben is also known for his performances as Bough in the JOHNNY ENGLISH feature films alongside Rowan Atkinson, the Colonel in the much loved PADDINGTON franchise, and Richard Poole in the hugely popular DEATH IN PARADISE (BBC).

 About Joseph Coelho

Joseph Coelho OBE, FRSL is a multi-award-winning children’s author and playwright. His YA ‘Story told in poems’ The Girl Who Became A Tree’ was shortlisted for The 2021 Carnegie Medal and received a special mention from the Bologna Ragazzi Award 2021. He has written plays for Little Angel Theatre, Tutti Frutti Productions, Polka Theatre and The Unicorn Theatre amongst others. He is two-time winner of the Indie Book Awards (2019 & 2022) with Picture Books ‘If All The World Were… and ‘My Beautiful Voice’ respectively ‘(illu. Allison Colpoys). His Poetry Collection Werewolf Club Rules (Illu. John O’leary) won the 2015 CLIPPA Poetry Award. His plays for adults have received a special commendation from the Verity Bargate Award and been longlisted for the Bruntwood Playwriting Competition. He won the 2024 Carnegie Medal for writing with The Boy Lost In The Maze (illu. Kate Milner) and was Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022 – 2024.

 About Gill Sims

Gill Sims is the author of the hugely successful parenting blog and Facebook site ‘Peter and Jane’. Her first book Why Mummy Drinks was the bestselling hardback fiction debut of 2017, spending over six months in the top ten of the Sunday Times bestsellers chart, and was shortlisted for Debut Novel of the Year in the British Book Awards. Her globally bestselling Why Mummy… series has now sold over a million copies. She lives in Scotland with her husband, two children and three Border terriers. Lila Mackay is Very Misunderstood is her first YA book.

About BookTrust

We get children reading from their earliest days, especially those from low-income families or vulnerable backgrounds.  As the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, we know that children who read regularly experience better mental well-being. They form stronger bonds and relationships. They do better at school and are more creative. This is why we work with families, supporting them to start sharing stories and books together from the earliest possible age. We work in every community in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through over 6000 local partners to reach 1.3 million children every year. BookTrust also supports the work of the Children’s Laureate (currently Frank Cottrell-Boyce). Former Laureates include Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman, Anthony Browne and Quentin Blake.

Website │Twitter │Facebook │Instagram | LinkedIn

About Scottish Book Trust

Scottish Book Trust is a national charity that believes everyone living in Scotland should have equal access to books. Our work provides opportunities to improve life chances through books and the fundamental skills of reading and writing. Access to books and a love of books bring many important benefits from family bonding and advancing children’s learning, to unlocking creativity, helping employability and improving mental health and wellbeing. Scottish Book Trust aims to support all communities across Scotland, with particular focus on those who are vulnerable and under-represented.

Our programmes and outreach work include:

Gifting books to every child in Scotland to ensure families of all backgrounds can share the joy of books at home, through Bookbug and Read, Write, Count

Working with teachers to inspire children to develop a love of reading, creating innovative classroom activities, book awards and author events such as Authors Live with the BBC and our Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour

Supporting and nurturing Scotland’s wide-ranging literary talent, both emerging and established through our training, awards and writing opportunities including New Writers Awards

Creating events to share books and connect writers with communities, including Book Week Scotland

Providing support to people living with dementia and their carers through Reading is Caring

In addition to the funding we receive from the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, we need the constant support of trusts and foundations, corporate sponsors and individual donors.

Find us online at scottishbooktrust.com. Follow @scottishbktrust on Twitter, @scottishbooktrust on Instagram or like Scottish Book Trust’s Facebook page.

 About Bookshop.org

Bookshop.org is an online bookselling platform and affiliate network with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and literary culture.

Bookshop.org first launched in the USA in January 2020 and has already raised over $40m for independent bookshops in the States. Bookshop.org launched in the UK in November 2020, and currently has over 600 independent bookshops and over 11,000 affiliates using the platform. The UK site has generated over £4.5m for independent bookshops since its launch, being named Retailer of the Year in the British Book Awards in 2022.

Independent bookshops receive 30 percent of the cover price from each sale they generate on the platform. Print books are offered to consumers at a small discount, with free shipping on all orders over £25, and in stock books are delivered within 2-3 days.

Bookshop.org is a Certified B Corporation and has received the prestigious status as a B Corp Best for the World 2022.

For more about Bookshop.org, please see www.bookshop.org or visit their social media channels on Instagram @bookshop_org_UK, X @bookshop_org_UK, Facebook @BookshopOrgUK, Threads @bookshop_org_UK, and Bluesky @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social.

Regular visitors to Linda’s Book Bag will have noticed far fewer ‘staying in’ posts of late, as I am still assessing how I might go forward with my blogging, but as today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day I simply had to invite Dr. Janet Bond Brill to the blog today to tell me about her latest book.

Let’s find out more:

Staying in With Dr. Janet Bond Brill

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Janet. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought Little Edna’s War, publishing today January 27, 2026, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Happy publication day! What is Little Edna’s War about?

It’s the true story of my mother-in-law, Edna Stefania Brill, who became the youngest decorated soldier in the Polish Home Army at age ten. I knew and loved her for thirty-seven years of my life before I understood her story needed to be preserved. She passed away in 2019, and this memoir is my promise kept.

Having recently lost my own mother, Janet, I imagine that keeping that promise feels very emotional. What can we expect from an evening in with Little Edna’s War?

This is a WWII survival story told through a child’s eyes. At four, Edna hid under a table as Nazi bombs destroyed a friend’s birthday party. At seven, she smuggled food through the ghetto wall to keep her family alive. She and her sister escaped to the Aryan side before the deportations began, living under false identities as Polish Catholic orphans. At nine, still disguised, she joined the Polish resistance under the nom de guerre “KAJTEK.” She ran messages through sniper fire during the Warsaw Uprising and was wounded by a grenade. On her tenth birthday, as the Home Army surrendered, she received two military decorations. Her disguise was so complete that Pope Pius XII later decorated her as a Catholic war hero, never knowing she was Jewish.

My goodness! What a remarkable girl. No wonder you felt the need to tell her story.

What else have you brought along and why?

I’ve brought a photograph of Edna and her sister Miriam. You cannot tell Edna’s story without Miriam. Six years older, she became mother, protector, and guardian angel in one. Through the ghetto, the false identities, the smuggling, the uprising, the POW camps, every step of survival they took together. Miriam taught Edna how to cross herself, how to recite Catholic prayers flawlessly, how to bury everything Jewish so deep it couldn’t slip out even in sleep. When a Nazi soldier tried to assault nine-year-old Edna, fifteen-year-old Miriam offered herself instead.

Edna and Miriam on Miriam’s wedding day, just after the war ended

They both survived the war. But survival takes different tolls on different souls. In 1978, in Tel Aviv, Miriam couldn’t carry the weight anymore. She took her own life.

That’s absolutely tragic. How was Edna affected? 

Edna understood. Her life had been purchased with her sister’s pain. So she lived it fully, for both of them. She built a life in Israel, married, came to America, and created an extraordinary life filled with happiness, love, and joy. At its heart, this is a story about two sisters, about defiance, and about a nine-year-old girl who fought back, helped defeat evil, and built a beautiful life from the ashes. Today, three generations carry her legacy forward.

Edna and her husband Harry at their 50th wedding anniversary gala

It’s been my absolute pleasure to learn about Edna. Thank you so much for telling me about her and about Little Edna’s War.

Little Edna’s War

They tried to erase her.

Instead, she became a legend.

At just seven years old, Edna Szurek risked everything to smuggle food through holes in the Warsaw Ghetto wall, knowing each step could be her last. By the age of 10, she was the youngest decorated member of the Polish resistance. And by the end of the war, she had defied every Nazi plan for her destruction.

Though she fought armed with a pistol, Edna’s true weapons were wit, bravery, and an unshakable love for her sister. Disguised as a Catholic girl, she even earned a medal from Pope Pius XII, who never knew he was honoring a Jewish child who had outsmarted the Reich.

Drawn from over five hours of her firsthand testimony recorded by the USC Shoah Foundation, this powerful memoir traces Edna’s impossible journey: from the ashes of a shattered birthday celebration to the brutal reality of a POW camp, escaping the deadly confines of the Warsaw Ghetto to find the hidden safety of a convent sanctuary.

Edna Szurek should not have survived the Holocaust. But she did. And her story will stay with you forever.

Published by Amsterdam Publishers today, 27th January 2026, Little Edna’s War is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

About Dr. Janet Brill

 

Dr. Janet Brill is a bestselling author of health and nutrition books including Cholesterol Down and Blood Pressure Down. Little Edna’s War is her first memoir, drawn from over five hours of Shoah Foundation testimony, her brother-in-law’s testimony, tapes of Edna’s presentations, and thirty-seven years of personal conversations. Dr. Michael Berenbaum, former Project Director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, wrote the foreword. She holds a PhD in Exercise Science.

For further information, visit Janet’s website. You can also find Janet on Facebook, and Instagram.

My thanks to Peter Dean for sending me a copy of his anthology Best of Poems in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Published on 15th January 2024, Best of Poems is available for purchase here. 

Best of Poems

Best of Poems is a collection of Peter Dean’s poems taken from the best of the poems in his poetry books. They are family friendly and very diverse in theme but they all tell a story through rhyming verse.

My Review of Best of Poems

A collection of poetry for all readers.

If your poetic preference is for the challenging literary verse of the likes of the Metaphysical poets or perhaps the Romantics, Best of Poems is not for you. However, if you want to be entertained by an accessible, varied and relatable set of poems that can be shared amongst all age groups, then Best of Poems could be just what you’re looking for. 

Peter Dean has a lively and engaging style that feels light and often quite humorous as he understands just what makes humanity tick. Yet, underneath that seemingly casual approach, is a much deeper set of themes. Peter Dean considers all kinds of human experience and emotion from love to guilt. His poems are varied and wide ranging, covering everything from the experience of an asylum seeker, to the loneliness of an elderly and increasingly frail woman, right through to the effects of cowboy power washers, the weather and kittens at Christmas. This means that there really is a poem for any reader in Best of Poems. I certainly identified with Leanne’s attitude to garden gnomes in Beauty.

I enjoyed encountering the wide cross-section of humanity between the pages of Best of Poems. It was heart-warming to encounter those who’ve loved and lost, those who know the value of tomato soup and even Sir David Attenborough! I think Bombshell was my favourite poem in the collection because it encompassed the concepts of fame, appearance, truth and the impact of celebrity that so affects many in society, but you’ll need to read Best of Poems to see if you agree that’s it’s your favourite too! 

About Peter Dean

Peter has been writing for pleasure and publication since 1989 when he had a poem published in a magazine. Since then Peter has self-published several books of stories and poems, and has had stories in magazines such as Dream Catcher, Dandelion Arts Magazine and Take a Break.

You’ll find all of Peter’s books here. 

My enormous thanks to Isabel Williams at Harper Collins for sending me a surprise copy of Very Slowly All At Once by Lauren Schott. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Very Slowly All At Once today. 

Very Slowly All At Once is published by HQ on 29th January 2026 and is available for pre-order through the publisher links here. 

Very Slowly All At Once

Mack and Hailey Evans are on the cusp of living the American Dream. Established careers, two beautiful children, and a new house on a coveted lakefront estate.

But modern life is expensive, so the anonymous payments they start to receive are spent before they know it. Could this money be from Mack’s estranged father? Or one of Hailey’s clients? Does it really matter?

Then they discover that this mysterious benefactor expects a return on their investment. How far will the couple have to go to pay them back?

As it turns out, the best things in life are not free. And the price is far steeper than they could have imagined …

My Review of Very Slowly All At Once

Mack and Hailey have it all – almost!

Very Slowly All At Once is utterly brilliant. It is one of those reads that kept me entranced throughout. The short and pacy chapters, the italicised interspersions of commentary that make the reader complicit in the action, and the unbearable tension all combine to make this a fantastic read. 

I thought the characterisation was so clever. I really didn’t like Mack much as he felt selfish, weak and immature with his hedonistic desire to be another Hemingway. Equally, I thought Hailey was rash, conceited and far too concerned with societal appearance, so that at times I was glad they were finding their lives hard going – it served them right! This had the effect of making me feel as evil as the ‘Instigator’, ensuring I was totally wrapped up in the narrative. But at the same time I was completely invested in what happened to Mack and Hailey. Lauren Schott might have made me feel a slight contempt for her protagonists, but she made me care about them at the same time. That is such skilful writing. 

I loved the setting too. The social divide in Cleveland as Bratenahl residents feel superior to those in less salubrious areas seemed totally authentic. The disregard of the less fortunate by the privileged in a community, sectioning off public rights of way, and the literal and metaphorical fracturing of place was so deftly handled and made me far more grateful for my own life and modest surroundings.

The plot of Very Slowly All At Once simply races along with so many ‘what if’ suggestions and decisions to be made that it really is a breathless read. Its impact also comes from the twisted morality presented. Throughout the story it’s impossible not to question what the reader might do in similar circumstances to Mack and Hailey. I defy a reader not to have to reconsider their own ethics when faced with the same situation. In addition, the concept that actions have consequences is like a punch in the solar plexus. This is a book to make you think as well as to entertain and leaves the reader realising how easy it is for a life to unravel.

Other themes add layers of depth and interest too. The role of money and technology in the modern world features strongly, as does the concept of being careful what you wish for. Family dynamics are explored, alongside nature and nurture so that whilst we might disapprove of or judge the actions of the characters, we understand them completely. I found the portrait of marriage between Mack and Hailey very authentic, even as I despaired at their behaviour towards one another at times. All these aspects combine to create a story that is simply gripping. 

I don’t want to reveal too much about the narrative action for fear of spoilers, but Very Slowly All At Once made my heart thump with excitement and my brain whirl with possibility and questions. I absolutely loved reading it. It’s fantastic and not to be missed. 

About Lauren Schott

Lauren Schott is a freelance editor and ghostwriter with over 20 years experience in book and magazine publishing. She was a literary agent in New York and London for 15 years and has written children’s books published by Scholastic and Orion. She was born and raised in Ohio but now lives in Henley with her husband and two children.

For further information, find Lauren on Instagram. 

It’s my very great pleasure to welcome Lulu Morris to Linda’s Book Bag today to tell me all about her latest book. My enormous thanks to Kate at Canelo for putting us in touch with one another.

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Lulu Morris

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Lulu and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Absolute pleasure! Hopefully, I can bring some Caribbean sunshine to warm these long dark nights of winter!

That would be wonderful. I love the Caribbean. That said, tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’ve brought my first romcom, The Dating Pact.

And it’s out today! Happy The Dating Pact publication day. Isn’t romcom a change of genre for you?

I’ve been writing historical romances since 2021 with Mills & Boon, but I was desperate to write a contemporary romcom with a plus-size heroine and a Hollywood hero, and so, The Dating Pact was born! 

I think a plus-size heroine is so relatable for many readers. How has The Dating Pact been received so far?

So far, I’ve had some lovely comments from reviewers and fellow authors who received an early copy, but I think Laura Carter’s comment that it’s, ‘At an intersection of Notting Hill and The Proposal…packed full of heart and humour,’ is a brilliant description.

You must be delighted with that description. Is The Dating Pact a one off?

This book is part of a three book series, showing the lives and loves of people who work behind the scenes in film and tv.

It sounds as if it could become a film or television series itself! What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

Well, I live in Essex and my heroine Ellie is from East London, so it has to be a bottle of prosecco – we can celebrate the new year and the official release of The Dating Pact, out today. 

I’m very fond of a glass of prosecco Lulu. 

But I’ve also brought a tropical cocktail, called a Bahama Mama (Pineapple and lime juice, grenadine, two types of rum – we can make it a mocktail if you don’t like rum), it’s full of sunshine fruits. 

I love a cocktail even more – I could tell you a story of excess rum punch in Barbados after a snorkelling trip, but that’s for another occasion. Let’s just say that walking in a straight line was beyond me. But why a Bahama Mama?

Ellie and Alex agree to fake date at his brother’s wedding on a private island in the Bahamas, and they drink this cocktail by the pool.

That sounds perfect. 

Food wise I’ve got plenty of nibbles, home-made sausage rolls, crisps and dips, scotch eggs – with soft yolks- of course, and a box of Guylian Belgian chocolate seashells… 

So, we can bring the beach to us. We’ll put on some fun pop music and banish the January blues away.

This is almost as good as heading off to the Caribbean on a cruise – something I love to do in January! I think The Dating Pact sounds like the most glorious escapism. But who’s that with you?

I’m inviting Ellie and Alex’s family to our get together. Ellie’s family are Londoner’s born and bred, her Nan is hilarious, and although her mum and brother can be hard work sometimes, their heart is in the right place. They own a flower shop, so they’ll probably bring you some lovely flowers too.

Food, prosecco, cocktails, music, flowers…I’m inviting you back Lulu. You’re my kind of guest!

Alex’s family are all Hollywood actors, and will keep us entertained with stories of their showbiz life. But be warned, there’s a lot of family rivalry and hurt feelings behind those mega-watt smiles.

You’re making me think of Tolstoy here – ‘All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way’. 

Family drama is a huge theme in my book, and even though everything works out in the end, there’s some painful home-truths learned along the way.

I think The Dating Pact sounds utterly wonderful, Lulu. Thank you so much for telling me all about it. I think you should mix us all a Bahama Mama and I’ll give readers a few more details.

The Dating Pact

He’s acting royalty. She’s a nurse at The Royal hospital. What happens when their scripted romance starts to feel too real…?

When Ellie bluffs her way into a high-end party with her best friend, the last thing she expects is to end up going home with infamous actor Alex King, because he’s too drunk to remember what hotel he’s staying in. But when the paparazzi catch them together the morning after, their new friendship suddenly becomes the tabloids’ front page.

Alex needs a plus-one. Not only is his brother marrying his ex, but he’s become the villain in the eyes of the press. With a loved-up date by his side, the public might finally see him as moving on and his new play might finally get the ticket sales it needs to not close down.

But a wedding in the Bahamas, surrounded by gorgeous celebrities, with the paparazzi lurking everywhere, is plus-sized Ellie’s worst nightmare. Even as Alex’s displays of affectionate become more real and less fake, will she lose a part of herself during their pact?

Published by Canelo today, 15th January 2026, The Dating Pact is available for purchase here.

About Lulu Morris

Lulu lives in Essex, UK, with her husband, two children, and two cats. She writes funny, sexy and uplifting romances. She is a director for the RNA where she has volunteered for 4 years and has published 10 historical romances for Mills & Boon which have been translated into German, French and Italian.

For further information, visit Lulu’s website or find her on Instagram and TikTok.

I’m not entirely sure whether I owe thanks to Robert or Sophie at Viper for sending me a surprise copy of Vivian Dies Again by C.E. Hulse, but either way, I’m very grateful. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Vivian Dies Again today. 

Vivian Dies Again is published by Viper on 29th January 2026 and is available for purchase through the links here. 

Vivian Dies Again

Time heals all wounds. Except blunt force trauma.

Vivian Slade is a cautionary tale. The wrong side of thirty, she’s no longer the life and soul of the party – she’s a party of one. But she’s determined to turn over a new leaf, even if that means going to a family gathering where everyone hates her.

Turns out, someone really hates her – enough to push her off a balcony to a very messy end. But then Vivian wakes up! Only to be murdered again. And again. Stuck in a baffling time loop, Vivian’s only ally is a sleep-deprived waiter who just wants to finish his shift. Will Vivian be able to solve her own murder? Only time will tell…

My Review of Vivian Dies Again

Viv is having a bad day – again.

I have one tiny criticism to get out of the way before my review proper of Vivian Dies Again and that is that I could have done with slightly fewer expletives throughout. That said, they absolutely fit Viv’s life! Indeed, they do add to the humour and despite having murder at its heart, Vivian Dies Again is incredibly funny. Viv’s insight into the world around her is brilliant and her pithy statements frequently summed up my own opinions so that I laughed aloud on several occasions.

I thought Viv was a magnificent creation. She’s truly dreadful, so it’s no wonder people might want to murder her, and yet I loved her unreservedly. Her attempts to be a better person are thwarted at every turn and she still manages personal change and growth. She drinks to excess, takes illegal substances, steals and offends as if all these vices are all going out of fashion but she is the perfect anti-hero. She may not follow societal rules but she has a strong sense of morality, knows she is often in the wrong and, actually, is emotionally appealing because all Viv really wants is to be loved and accepted. I may have laughed at her as well as with her, but I was rooting for Viv throughout. Beneath her loud partygoing exterior is a vulnerability that balances her character perfectly. 

And my goodness does Viv experience a torrid time in this refreshingly different type of groundhog day. The plot is so entertaining and engaging. I loved the Shakespearean Touchstone nature of Jamie who helps lead both Viv and reader through the events of Vivian Dies Again, ensuring that Viv is able to change, murder is solved – though not necessarily the murder the reader is expecting – and solutions of many kinds are reached – though to say more would spoil the read.

The themes are just fantastic too. Certainly Vivian Dies Again can be read as a witty, entertaining story, but underpinning the narrative are thought-provoking and interesting considerations. Morality is questioned, but so too are concepts of family, friendship and marriage, making the reader think. I thought the exploration of chance and possibility was brilliant and, although I approached Vivian Dies Again expecting an easy, diverting read, it actually made me question aspects of my own life in a rather surprising manner so that it had depth as well as entertainment value.

It’s quite hard to categorise Vivian Dies Again. It is quite mad, huge fun and I thought it was fabulous. I really recommend it.

About C.E. Hulse 

Photo credit : Nathan Cox

C.E. Hulse lives in Manchester with her husband and a small controlling dog. She is the author of four books under the name Caroline Hulse: The Adults, Like a House on Fire, All the Fun of the Fair, and Reasonable People. Her work has been published in fourteen languages and optioned for television. Vivian Dies Again is her debut crime novel.

For further information, visit Caroline’s website or follow C.E. Hulse on X @CarolineHulse1 and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Will Dean for giving me a very early copy of Adrift at Capital Crime last June, as one Lincolnshire dweller to another. I’ve been desperate to share my review of Adrift for months and, although there’s a few weeks still to go until publication, I can’t wait any longer. Consequently, I am delighted that Adrift is my first review of 2026.

I adore Will Dean’s writing and you’ll find my reviews of other books by Will here.

Adrift is published by Hodder and Stoughton on 19th February 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Adrift

Three of them adrift on the narrowboat.

Mother, son, and wickedness.

Peggy Jenkins and her teenage son, Samson, live on a remote stretch of canal in the Midlands. She is a writer and he is a schoolboy. Together, they battle against the hardness and manipulation of the man they live with. To the outside world he is a husband and father. To them, he is a captor.

Their lives are tightly controlled; if any perceived threat appears, their mooring is moved further down the canal, further away from civilisation. Until the day when the power suddenly shifts, and nothing can be the same again.

My Review of Adrift

Sam and his parents, Drew and Peggy, are living on a narrowboat.

My goodness! I don’t think I’ve ever read a more tense novel in my life. It’s astonishing. What Will Dean has done in Adrift is, quite literally, prevent the reader from breathing normally. My heart was pounding as I read and I was frequently aware I hadn’t exhaled for some time. And the most effective aspect of this is that much of the menace, the evil and the fear, is often merely suggested, so that the reader’s imagination is manipulated and disturbed. With coercive control as one of the themes of the novel, the author manages to create on the reader the same effect that Drew has on Peggy. 

That’s not to say that there are not highly dramatic moments too, from the very opening of Adrift through to the end, but rather than being the most disquieting elements, I found them more of a release from the tension. It was a relief when something awful happened! A couple of moments truly shocked me as I simply hadn’t seen them coming. Obviously I’m not going to spoil the story for others, but I found the plotting painfully exquisite in its construction and its impact on both characters and reader. Adrift is a masterclass in storytelling.

There’s a claustrophobic atmosphere in the way the family live on the houseboat. As Drew isolates Peggy mentally and emotionally, he also moves the family increasingly physically further away from society. Whilst what Peggy endures is filled with simmering menace that is mesmerising,  I found the developing relationship between Drew and Sam utterly terrifying. Drew is threatening and dangerous, frequently belittling Sam and yet he teaches Sam how to stand up for himself in the face of school bullies so that Sam’s life improves. There’s a chilling realisation that nothing in life is straightforward. Through their relationship, Will Dean explores the impact of nature and nurture, and the role of a father figure. Whilst Drew is abhorrent and we believe he carries out atrocious actions, there is also a seed of doubt that what has happened ‘off screen’ may not have been Drew’s fault. This is brilliantly manipulative.

I thought the themes of family, mental health, control, misogyny, friendship, love, marriage and relationship were superbly interwoven. I also adored the love letter to libraries and librarians that underpins the action. There’s a real affection for libraries as places of education and refuge, hope and solace that ameliorates some of the awful events and provides pitch-perfect balance in the narrative. 

I’m aware I’ve not really said anything tangible about Adrift, but it is so, so difficult not to provide spoilers. Adrift is one of those books that you find yourself thinking about in the middle of the night, wondering what is happening to characters after this particular part of their lives is over. It’s beautifully written without a wasted word so that it’s taut, terrifying and thrilling. I adored it. 

About Will Dean

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands and had lived in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying Law at the LSE and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden where he built a house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. His debut novel in the Tuva Moodyson series, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s Book Club, shortlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prize and named a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year. Red Snow was published in January 2019 and won Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Awards, 2019. Black River was shortlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Award in 2021. Will also writes standalone thrillers: The Last Thing to Burn, First Born, the top twenty hardback bestseller The Last Passenger and One at a Time.

For further information, visit Will’s website, follow him on X @willrdean and Instagram or find Will on Facebook.