I have been sorting through my Google docs only to find this review of Estella’s Fury by Barbara Havelocke that has been sitting there waiting for months! It’s my pleasure finally to share my review today and my thanks go to Kate at Canelo for sending me a copy of Estella’s Fury all those months ago.

You will find my review of the first book in the series, Estella’s Revenge, here. 

Estella’s Fury is out now in hardback and is coming from Hera in paperback on 14th May 2026. It is available for purchase through the links here. 

Estella’s Fury

Daughter. Murderer. Saviour.

London, 1835.
To high society, Estella is the perfect lady. But her fair face hides dark secrets. What has she done with her husband? And will her past crimes come back to haunt her?
Desperate to escape her troubled life, she visits her friend, Lady Taykall. But when a servant girl disappears, Estella stumbles on a horrifying web of crimes and feels the old fire for vengeance burning inside her.
To mete out her own brand of dark justice she must risk everything.
Even if it means she cannot survive.

My Review of Estella’s Fury

Estella is taking back control of her life and her marriage to Bentley Drummle.

I absolutely loved Estella’s Fury. Although it is the second book in the series after Estella’s Revenge, it works perfectly well as a stand alone read, but is all the more enjoyable if the first book has been read too. Equally, although Estella is based on Dickens’s character Estella from Great Expectations and there are delicious references and characters from that book and Oliver Twist threaded through this narrative, there is absolutely no need to have any knowledge of those stories. Estella’s Fury is a feminist mystery thriller that grips the reader regardless of their previous reading experiences. 

Estella is an absolute triumph as a character, not least because of her first person narrative and internal dialogue. As she examines her own personality, she draws in the reader as if she is speaking confidentially to them. This makes the reader feel totally immersed in the story. I thought the way nature and nurture is in conflict in Estella’s personality was brilliantly handled by the author. It is intriguing and not a little unsettling how someone who is, essentially, a murderer, incites such understanding, empathy and approbation in the reader. Despite the darkness of her flawed character, Estella remains appealing, enthralling and mesmerising throughout because her methods might not be those we would use, but her reasoning behind her actions is irrefutable. 

The early 1800s are depicted to perfection. The strata of society explored show that social status is not an indicator of social morality and conscience. Without wishing to spoil the plot, what I found so impactful about Estella’s Fury was the way in which it is totally believable for its era and setting, and yet completely modern in theme. What happens in this book is still occurring in modern society. As a result, Estella’s Fury not only entertains the reader but becomes their fury too. This is powerful writing.

The story is packed with twists and turns so that I found myself enthralled by events. Estella’s Fury is a book that made me exclaim aloud and I was actually rather in awe of the way Barbara Havelocke manipulated me and her characters! The pace is fast, the action compelling and the ending perfectly pitched between resolution and potential future stories. 

Estella’s Fury is brilliant because it can be read and enjoyed on so many levels. I could not have enjoyed it more and I recommend it without reservation. Don’t miss it!

About Barbara Havelocke

Barbara is an international bestselling author, whose books have topped Amazon and Kobo, and also appeared on the USA Today chart.

She creates dark, tense Gothic historical thrillers set in the early Victorian era. Estella’s Revenge was nominated for the prestigious Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2025.

For over twenty years Barbara wrote for and edited national magazines and newspapers, talking to victims of crime – and its perpetrators. Her fiction reflects this: she creates realistic characters, and often explores moral grey areas.

Barbara is also an artist specialising in animals and nature. She lives in Birmingham, UK, with her partner and their three rescue dogs.

You can find out more about Barbara by visiting her website and following her on Twitter/X @BCopperthwait. You’ll also find Barbara on Instagram and Facebook.

I confess I have hardly read a word recently as we’ve had builders in for three months and it’s just been a round of making hot drinks, answering questions and listening to very loud tools! However, despite taking me far longer than it should, I have been able to read The Bee Spotter’s Guide by Dave Goulson and would like to thank Elinor Fewster for sending me a surprise copy. It’s my pleasure to share my review today. 

Published by the National Trust in association with Harper Collins on 12th March 2026, The Bee Spotter’s Guide is available for purchase through the links here or directly from the National Trust here. 

The Bee Spotter’s Guide

A beautiful and unique guide to Britain’s bees – a perfect gift for all gardeners and nature lovers

Bees are much-loved and hugely important creatures. But most of us know next to nothing about them. There are actually over 200 species in this country. They live in burrows, holes in trees and even empty snail shells. They have favourite flowers. Some even sleep curled up in the blooms.

They are more fascinating, beautiful and surprising than you can imagine. Once you start to notice bees, sitting in the garden or going for a stroll will never be the same.

This handy little guide is the perfect way to start the journey. It’s beautifully illustrated and has a delightful and thoughtful text by one of Britain’s leading bee experts, Dave Goulson, author of the best-selling The Garden Jungle.

Discover mason bees and mining bees, cuckoo bees and carder bees, even a couple of convincing bee impersonators. Learn to distinguish your white-tailed bumblebee from your buff-tailed bumblebee, your pantaloon bee from your hairy-footed flower bee.

My Review of The Bee Spotter’s Guide

An illustreated A-Z of bees!

Wow. What a glorious little book. I absolutely loved it.

I must comment on the excellent physical properties of The Bee Spotter’s Guide. It is perfectly sized for slipping in a pocket or rucksack on walks so that it’s easy to have to hand. It’s presented in a durable and robust cover that will withstand much handling and it is illustrated beautifully with the most wonderful watercolours by Ella Sienna. I thought the space at the bottom of each entry to record where and when each bee was spotted was inspired. This is just the way to get younger nature lovers involved. 

Each bee entry in The Bee Spotter’s Guide is presented with common and Latin names and contains details about the appearance, habitats, regions and timing of the bee’s appearance throughout the year so that there is considerable information packed into this handy guide. 

I was delighted by the accessibility of The Bee Spotter’s Guide. Country born, with an allotment and loving gardening I thought I probably knew bees. I did not. I had no idea how many kinds of bees there are and had never heard of the likes of the pantaloon bee or tawny mining bee. I loved the concept that a bee is a wasp that turned vegan! The interspersed features add to the interest too. I learnt a considerable amount here but the contents never felt patronising or obscure. Rather, The Bee Spotter’s Guide draws in the reader and makes them want to get out and discover bees. 

Without merely repeating the information in The Bee Spotter’s Guide it’s hard to express what a charming, informative and beautifully presented book this is. I recommend it as completely a gift for others but importantly as a gift for yourself. I thought it was wonderful. 

About Dave Goulson

Dave Goulson is professor of Biology at the University of Sussex. He has published more than 300 scientific articles on the ecology and conservation of bumblebees and other insects. His books include the Sunday Times bestsellers The Garden Jungle and A Sting in the Tale, which was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson prize and has been translated into fifteen languages. He is an Ambassador for the UK WIldlife Trusts, the National Allotment Society and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. 

For further information, follow Dave on Instagram and Bluesky.

Having loved everything I’ve ever read by Liz Nugent, I cannot thank Rosie Safety enough at Penguin Random House for sending me a surprise copy of The Truth About Ruby Cooper. I was thrilled to receive it and it is my pleasure to share my review today.

If you click on the titles, you’ll find my reviews of other books by Liz Nugent too; Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Strange Sally Diamond, and an interview with Liz here. 

The Truth About Ruby Cooper was published on 12th March 2026 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Truth About Ruby Cooper

If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.

Ruby Cooper and her sister, Erin, live an idyllic life in their close-knit church community in Boston. But when Ruby is sixteen, she is involved in an incident that causes her family’s world to implode.

Across decades, the fallout leaves a wake of destruction behind Ruby in Dublin and Erin in Boston.

Not that Ruby wants to think about the past.

But it can’t stay a secret forever.

My Review of The Truth About Ruby Cooper

Ruby Cooper is envious of her beautiful older sister Erin. 

I am at a total loss to know how to review The Truth About Ruby Cooper. It’s an outrageously brilliant book that delivers blow after blow to the reader as Liz Nugent lays bare the machinations of family, of addiction and of delusion. I’m sure it will be an affecting, possibly painful read for some. I thought it was superb.

The style and structure of the novel cleverly draw in the reader. The different first person accounts ranging over many years feel as if the narrator and the reader are in an intimate confessional with the character speaking directly to the reader, making that reader part of the narrative – not always willingly. The impact is to instil a raw and visceral response that leaves the mind reeling. My reactions to the characters, especially Ruby, were completely controlled by the author. 

Ruby is a deliciously oxymoronic creation. She deserves our pity and our wrath, our support and our rage. She raised so many questions in my mind about the effect of nature versus nurture and left me wondering just why she truly behaves as she does. I wanted to hold her and comfort her. I wanted to slap her hard and I wanted every aspect of her life to achieve the right outcome. It’s so hard to explain further for fear of spoilers, but I don’t think a book has ever enraged me quite as much as The Truth About Ruby Cooper and the people I met there. And what people they are. They are vivid, flawed and human. Liz Nugent KNOWS humanity and displays the knowledge unflinchingly and brilliantly here. 

And the themes of The Truth About Ruby Cooper are equally like a punch to the solar plexus. Truth and deceit ripple under aspects of sexual, emotional and familial support and abuse. Individuals’ perceptions, delusions and addictions are uncovered with consummate skill so that whilst we may rail against some of the characters (with the odd exception but I’m not going to spoil the story for others) we can understand them too. Equally, Liz Nugent does not shy away from the impact of mental health or societal expectations, so that this is a multi-layered and totally engrossing story.  

The Truth About Ruby Cooper is an absolute triumph. Readers may well be divided over whether they love it or loathe it, but I defy any reader not to have a deep and lasting response. I have a feeling it is going to take me some time to get over meeting Ruby Cooper. She has thrown me off balance completely and left me feeling as if I’ve been hit by a truck. If you are familiar with Liz Nugent’s writing you’ll understand what an impactful, ensnaring and affecting story this is. The Truth About Ruby Cooper is not to be missed, but be warned – you might not be the same after reading it… 

About Liz Nugent

Apologies to Liz but I couldn’t resist this photo!

Liz was born in Dublin in 1967, where she now lives. She has written successfully for soap opera, radio drama, television plays, short stories and animation for children.

Liz’s first novel Unravelling Oliver was published to critical and popular acclaim in March 2014. It quickly became a firm favourite with book clubs and reader’s groups. In November of that year, it went on to win the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year at the Bord Gais Energy Book Awards and was long listed for the International Dublin Literature Prize 2016. She was also the winner of the inaugural Jack Harte Bursary provided by the Irish Writers Centre and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Dec 2014. Her second novel, Lying in Wait, was published in July 2016 and went straight to number 1 where it remained for seven weeks. Liz won the Monaco Bursary from the Ireland Funds and was Writer in Residence at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco in Sept/Oct 2016. In Nov 2016, Lying in Wait won the prestigious RTE Ryan Tubridy Listener’s Choice prize at the Irish Book Awards.

Aside from writing, Liz has led workshops in writing drama for broadcast, she has produced and managed literary salons and curated literary strands of Arts Festivals. She regularly does public interviews and panel discussions on all aspects of her writing.

For further information about Liz, visit her website . You’ll also find Liz on Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook.

My enormous thanks to Helena Towers at Headline for sending me a copy of The Lottery Winner Widows Club by Elly Vine. It’s my pleasure to share my review of the book today. 

The Lottery Winner Widows Club is published by Wildfire on 26th March 2026 and is available for pre-order here.  

The Lottery Winner Widows Club

Meet The Lottery Winner Widows Club – a fabulous, filthy-rich sisterhood whose husbands all hit the jackpot . . . and then mysteriously dropped dead.

Paula is having a surreal week. Having just lost her husband, John, in a freak car accident, she’s utterly gobsmacked when, two days later, she wins the lottery – with the ticket he bought.

Just as she thinks things can’t get crazier, Paula is approached by a tight-knit trio of glamorous women – also jackpot winners – with dead husbands, suspiciously large bank accounts . . . and a very specific interest in Paula.

They tell her that they’ve been where she is now. That grief looks good on her. That freedom does, too. There’s just one problem: Paula didn’t kill her husband. She loved him, of course.

But something about their world – lavish, secretive, thrilling – is hard to resist. And when word of Paula’s jackpot win spreads and others come sniffing around for a share, she’s faced with the ultimate choice: hold onto her old life, or accept help from her new friends, whose methods are a little more . . . unconventional.

Twisty, mischievous, and deliciously dark, The Lottery Winner Widows Club is a story of luck, lies, and the dangerous appeal of starting over, from a fresh new voice in the crime world.

My Review of The Lottery Winner Widows Club

It’s all happening for Paula. Her husband has been killed in a car crash and she’s just won millions of pounds in the lottery. 

The Lottery Winner Widows Club is a cracking narrative. It is packed with intrigue, surprisingly twisty and, with weightier elements making it more than mere entertainment, incredibly satisfying to read. I found myself wrong footed and surprised by the plot on more than one occasion. 

If I’m honest, I was a bit frustrated by Paula initially and I wasn’t convinced I was going to love the book. Although the stultifying effects of losing her husband in a car crash are understandable, Paula seemed somewhat ineffectual, allowing her daughter Tilly to control events far too readily. However, as the book progressed and Elly Vine revealed more and more about her, I realised that I was at fault in judging Paula too quickly. Indeed, I went from wanting to crawl between the pages of the book and shake her into action, to cheering her on and delighting in her development. Why she is as she is becomes a central and perfect theme of the narrative. I loved the other women too. They are devious, feisty and vulnerable so that they truly spring to life. It’s also fascinating to discover how easily and skilfully Elly Vine manages to make her readers fully on the side of women with murderous intent!  

But aside from the fun and engaging story, where there are often funny moments, it was the darker themes of the The Lottery Winner Widows Club that captured me the most. Elly Vine provides so much to think about that the reader questions their own morality. As the background stories of Teddy, Audrey and Ivy are uncovered, aspects of coercive control, and physical and emotional abuse are balanced by strong female friendship, the ability to reinvent ourselves and the resilience of human spirit. Each of these aspects is brilliantly handled because the author explores them with wit, humour and understanding, so that I found The Lottery Winner Widows Club utterly captivating.

Knowing Elly Vine’s romantic comedies as Lucy Vine, I was expecting a highly entertaining, funny read with added crime. What I found in The Lottery Winner Widows Club most certainly had humour and was extremely diverting to read, with a fresh tone and a lively pace, but underpinning this super read are darker and important themes as Paula finds herself friends with other women in similar situations. Should you choose to read this one, you’ll be given much to think about even as you’re enjoying the story. I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

About Elly Vine

Elly Vine is the pseudonym of bestselling author, Lucy Vine. Lucy Vine is the author of novels Hot Mess, What Fresh Hell, Are We Nearly There Yet?, Bad Choices, Seven Exes, Date with Destiny and Book Boyfriend. Her eighth novel is Good For You. Her books have been published in seventeen territories, with Hot Mess optioned for a TV series in America.

In a previous life, Lucy was a journalist, writing for publications including Grazia, Stylist, Heat, Fabulous, Marie Claire, Sugar and Cosmopolitan. For further information, visit Elly/Lucy’s website, and find her on Instagram. 

I’m incredibly grateful to Becky Short of Penguin Random House for sending me a surprise copy of A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford. It’s my pleasure to share my review of A Bad, Bad Place today. 

Published by Bantam on 12th February 2026, A Bad, Bad Place is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

A Bad, Bad Place

What happened to the dog walker who found the body?

Glasgow, 1979.

Twelve-year-old Janey won’t take her dog, Sid Vicious, for a walk. Not anymore. It’s Sid’s fault she found the murdered woman.

Janey claims she can’t remember what she saw at the abandoned railway, but the police think she’s hiding something. And they’re not the only ones interested.

Fear and rumour rip through the tight-knit community of Possilpark. Janey and her nana, Maggie, are dragged into the hunt for a murderer. And Maggie’s struggle to keep her beloved granddaughter safe becomes ever more desperate.

Because Janey’s memories can’t stay hidden forever.

And neither can the killer…

My Review of A Bad, Bad Place

Janey has found a body.

I thought A Bad, Bad Place was brilliant. Firstly, the title is incredibly apt. It covers so many aspects of a bad, bad place; that might be the social, economic and living conditions of the people of Possilpark where the story is set, the actual location where Sid Vicious the dog and Janey find Samantha’s body, or the internal workings of many of the minds of those in the narrative. Because, whilst A Bad Bad Place is an intriguing murder mystery, it is so much more besides and a stunner of a story that considers community and many layers of guilt.

The authorial tone is just perfect. Frances Crawford uses an accessible accent so that the voices of the characters are heard clearly, bringing them to life. She employs just enough dialect to make Glasgow every bit as much a character as setting, and she is unafraid to use quite strong expletives in a manner that feels perfectly natural within the context of the narrative. It’s really quite difficult to accept that this is a debut novel and not a text written by an author who has been refining their craft for decades. I thought the way Samantha was the lynchpin for the action, being the means for the reader to discover the morality of the characters and to understand both era and setting even though she is not actually present, was inspired. 

I loved the plot. I genuinely didn’t know quite how A Bad Bad Place might resolve itself and the fast pace created by alternating chapters between Janey and Nana meant that I was continuously drawn back to the book. I found the ending so thought provoking. As ever with this kind of story, it’s so tricky to say more without spoilers, but I found the exploration of the impact of crime in a community and the way it ripples across the lives of those in the area was handled with empathy, realism and deep understanding.

The characters are vivid, compelling and utterly engaging. Whilst so many are criminal in behaviour and the kind of people we might look down upon or fear, they are also incredibly human so that Frances Crawford looks at the dark underbelly of life and finds glimmers of humanity. Poverty, grief, religion and so on are all shown to shape us and affect our behaviours. I genuinely forgot I was reading a work of fiction because I was so invested in the people. 

The themes of A Bad Bad Place are simply wonderful. Childhood innocence and its loss, corruption across several strata of society, domestic abuse, the impact of gangs, drugs and alcohol and the dismissive way young children and older women are treated should all combine into a bleak or grim read. But they don’t. Instead, A Bad Bad Place is a rich tapestry of life where resilience, courage and hope combine into a book that touches the heart of the reader as well as entertains them. 

A Bad Bad Place is a superb book and one I recommend completely. Don’t miss it. 

About Frances Crawford

As a passionate advocate of lifelong learning, Frances was delighted to graduate age 60 with MLitt (Distinction) Creative Writing from Glasgow University. In 2023, she won Bloody Scotland/ Glencairn Crime Short Story Competition and the first chapters of her debut novel, A Bad, Bad Place,  won Highly Commended in Moniack Mohr Emerging Writer 2024.

Frances grew up in North Glasgow, and credits the people of Possilpark and Milton as her writing inspiration. She still lives in Glasgow with her family and likes libraries and punk rock. 

For further information, follow Frances on X @Franapunk999 and find her on Bluesky. 

I’m not entirely certain who kindly sent a surprise copy of Book of Biscuits by Linda Collister from the National Trust, but it certainly made me smile when I opened it! It’s been years since I made biscuits because I once made a batch of brandy snaps that became one huge biscuit about 4 feet long that was welded to the baking tray, the sides and floor of the oven and which my husband had to use a bolster chisel to remove! Time to try again I think…

The Book of Biscuits will be published by the National Trust in association with Harper Collins on 12th March and is available for pre-order here. 

Book of Biscuits

Biscuits are the ultimate teatime treat. No cup of tea (or coffee) should be without one.

This tempting collection of recipes from expert baker Linda Collister includes all the classics. There are ginger snaps and shortbread petticoat tails, deluxe chocolate chip cookies, Florentines and macarons, tiffin and flapjacks, as well as biscotti and savoury biscuits. And if you’re looking for something a little different, how about Chocolate, Sour Cherry and Pistachio Cookies? Sea Salt Praline Biscotti? Or Black Olive Palmiers? There’s a biscuit for every occasion.

This beautifully illustrated book contains a generous side serving of history and is full of delicious tried-and-tested recipes that you’ll want to make again and again.

My Review of Book of Biscuits

Over seventy biscuits recipes across 7 sweet and savoury themes.

What a super little book! The Book of Biscuits would make a fantastic gift for novice and experienced baker alike. 

Firstly, it’s beautifully presented. It’s compact enough to fit an apron pocket but has a high quality and robust cover that will withstand much handling over the years. This is a book that can be passed down through the family as favourite biscuits are discovered. There are lovely watercolour illustrations and each of the sections has a different coloured traditional gingham edging so that this little book ignites memories of school baking as well being attractive now. 

Alongside the recipes are snippets of information so that we find out, for example, that a type of macaroon can be traced to AD 791, or that Dorothy Wordsworth had more than one recipe for gingerbread. This adds to the attraction of Book of Biscuits as a gift book.

However, it is, of course, the recipes that are the star turn here. Each has an introduction with the kind of detail mentioned above or with tips for cooking, things to look out for with oven variations and advice about storing the finished product. Ingredients and quantities are clearly presented and the methods easy to follow so that a cook of any ability can create a successful biscuit. 

Book of Biscuits is lovely. It’s accessible, gorgeous in presentation and a real treat for the kitchen. I’m off to make some Old-fashioned Double Ginger Snaps. Just don’t tell my husband!

About Linda Collister

Author of many of the Great British Bake Off books, Linda trained at La Varenne in Paris and the Cordon Bleu School in London. 

I’m not entirely sure who sent me a copy of Sally Page’s new novel Six Little Words but I suspect it might have been Libby Haddock at Harper Collins. I know I’m way too early in sharing my review of Six Little Words, but it’s such a wonderful book, I couldn’t wait any longer. 

You’ll find my reviews of two more of Sally’s books, The Book of Beginnings here and of The Secrets of Flowers here.

Six Little Words will be published by Harper Collins on 12th March and is available for pre-order here. 

Six Little Words

Can one small note give her the courage to find a new path?

One Note. One Act of kindness. Her new beginning is closer than she thinks.

Kate gave up her dreams of being a painter years ago. But six little words pinned to the noticeboard of her local café could change her path forever.

‘To be, or not to be…’ – printed on orange card with no explanation – appears one morning.

Each day, a new line from a different Shakespeare play is added, sparking curiosity throughout the café. Among the regulars is Bardy, a retired English teacher grappling with writer’s block.

As Kate and Bardy follow this breadcrumb trail, they discover a local community group encouraging people to rediscover their own creative spark – and the long-lost courage to chase it.

For Kate, their new group might just offer a second chance at happiness, if only Bardy can find the strength to share his story too…

My Review of Six Little Words

There’s a curious note on the board in Lou’s cafe.

Oh my word. It would be hard for me to have loved Six Little Words more. I adored it unreservedly. It’s one of those books I couldn’t stop reading, didn’t want to end and yet was desperate to discover what happened to the characters. 

Six Little Words is achingly beautifully written and the sense of colour that runs through is, quite simply, perfect. With literary, Shakespearean, quotations at the start of each chapter that intrigue the reader, Sally Page has a painter’s eye for detail, colour and setting and yet the book remains accessible and relatable. I think the mix of ordinary people living their own messy, fairly ordinary lives, and the natural nature of direct speech combine with the beauty of the prose so flawlessly that it is mesmerising. The metaphor of birds also adds another layer of interest and enhances the relationships and emotion of the characters in the story. I loved the illustrations too! 

Normally I find different points of view in narratives hard work or irritating but in Six Little Words both Kate and Bardy are so fabulously depicted that I didn’t even notice because I was so drawn into the story. Indeed, all the characters are vibrant, realistic and have the ability to create a visceral emotional response in the reader. From teenage Tay to almost octenegarian Leonard there is a person here for any reader to relate to. I absolutely adored the friendship between Bardy and Luigi because we see them not just as men in their 60s, but as the children they once were too. 

The plot is fantastic. I loved the way that disparate people come together in the craft group and then how, so often, they are distracted from their purpose with an ebb and flow of their interactions that mirrors the way the tide affects the North Norfolk landscape where the narrative is set. 

And it is that creative craft group that unites the gorgeous themes of the story. Six Little Words is a love letter to creativity. There’s painting, quilting, cooking, writing, sculpture, knitting, drawing, music, photography and so on with the clear message that taking part in something for the sheer joy of giving it a go is far more important than awards and prizes for skill in that area. It is through this group that we learn the true meaning of community, of being an outsider, of fitting in, of belonging and of how our past shapes us but does not have to determine our entire future. Sally Page explores relationships in many forms, from the parent-child relationship between Tay and Toni, through kaleidoscopic friendships that form, break and reform, through to marriage and physical attraction. There truly is something for every reader to appreciate and relate to here. 

I thought Six Little Words was utterly wonderful. It made me laugh and cry. It gave me brilliant characters, a superb setting and the most glorious plot. When you come to read the book for yourself you’ll know why I am ending by saying that in Six Little Words Sally Page has produced a vibrant, pulsating and golden novel that deserves shouting about from the rooftops! Do not miss it!

About Sally Page

After studying history at university, Sally moved to London to work in advertising. In her spare time she studied floristry at night school and eventually opened her own flower shop. Sally came to appreciate that flower shops offer a unique window into people’s stories and she began to photograph and write about this floral life in a series of non-fiction books. Later, Sally continued her interest in writing when she founded her fountain pen company, PLOOMS.

Sally now lives in Dorset. Her eldest daughter, Alex, is a doctor and her youngest daughter is the author Libby Page.

Sally’s debut novel, The Keeper of Stories, was a Sunday Times bestseller, has now sold over 500,000 copies and has been translated into 29 languages.

For further information, visit Sally’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @SallyPageBooks or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

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.