My enormous thanks to Mikka at Everything with Words for sending me a surprise copy of Almost A Ghost Story by Emily Bullock. Having so loved another of the Everything with Words books, The Silver Bones of Francis Winter by Fiona Goggin, reviewed here, I knew I’d be in for a special read and I’m delighted to share my review of Almost A Ghost Story today. 

Almost A Ghost Story was published on 29th October and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Almost A Ghost Story

Four strangers. One liminal ferry. A final chance to choose love over regret.

When time stands still aboard a midnight Isle of Wight ferry, four passengers find their fates tragically bound together. Overseen by a cryptic ticket collector, they face a staggering choice: find the courage to embrace the love and responsibility they once fled, or remain trapped by their past forever. Two passengers are allowed to return. Can they undo the past? And on a vessel caught between worlds, who is fighting for their future-and who is already a ghost?

Almost a Ghost Story is a beautifully crafted speculative mystery about the enduring power of love, the haunting cost of a life half-lived, and the secrets we keep from ourselves.

My Review of Almost A Ghost Story 

Four passengers, Ronan, Marin, Hollis and Jay, are on an Isle of Wight ferry.

Goodness me. How am I supposed to review Almost A Ghost Story? It’s sublime and I lack the vocabulary adequately to convey the beauty of Emily Bullock’s writing. I thought it was a wonderful, wonderful read. It might be a relatively slim book at just over 300 pages, but it took me ages to read because I had to savour every word – and not a word or syllable is wasted in this beautifully crafted story. 

Indeed, how Almost A Ghost Story is written is every bit as important as what is written. The structure of the book is frequently fragmentary to reflect the concept of memory and half forgotten, or half remembered, experiences and people. The brief later sections written in broken paragraphs may have no punctuation, but they convey perfectly their meaning and impact, illustrating a possible intermediate moment between life and death. Sentence structure is varied so that the effect on the reader is enhanced and the absolute beauty of Emily Bullock’s prose is stunning. Her ability to convey each of the senses so that the reader experiences everything Ronan, Marin, Hollis and Jay experience is dazzling. I was utterly immersed in the narrative. The five sections feel perfectly attuned to the events and lend a Shakespearean quality to the book.

The story is so clever. The past and present swirl with subliminal meaning and the threads of the narrative are drawn together with both skill and sensitive humanity. Ronan, Marin, Hollis and Jay are linked in emotional and imaginative ways that mesmerise the reader. 

I loved the characters unreservedly because through them, their interactions, and their innermost feelings, Almost A Ghost Story is a microcosm of life itself. Their multi-layered and wide ranging feelings and experiences are brimming with every possible aspect; from love and hope, through guilt and remorse to acceptance and peace. Almost A Ghost Story is a book that touches the reader and gives peace and solace whilst entertaining royally. Emily Bullock illustrates how the narrative of life is constructed, how we reframe events to suit our purposes and how, at times, we need to let go and be both lost and found. 

I adored Almost A Ghost Story by Emily Bullock. It’s elegant, intelligent, entertaining and thrumming with compassion and hope. I’ll be thinking about Ronan, Marin, Hollis and Jay for a very long time and cannot recommend this book more. 

About Emily Bullock

Emily Bullock won the Bristol Short Story Prize with her story ‘My Girl’, which was also broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Her short stories have been included in collections such as Aesthetica Creative Writing Anthology, A Short Affair (Scribner, 2018), and Bath Short Story Prize Anthology. She has an MA in 19th Century Literature from King’s College London, an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, and completed her PhD at the Open University, where she is a Staff Tutor in Creative Writing. Her debut novel, The Longest Fight, was shortlisted for the Cross Sports Book Awards and listed in The Independent’s Paperbacks of the Year.

For further information about Emily find her on Instagram. 

My enormous thanks to my lovely friend Annette Hannah for sending me a copy of The Floating Christmas Market. I was beyond touched and excited to find myself in the acknowledgements too. I hadn’t intended reading The Floating Christmas Market yet, as I was going to take it on holiday, but it kept calling to me from my TBR. I’m delighted to share my review today.

You’ll find Annette featured and reviewed in other posts here on Linda’s Book Bag. 

 The Floating Christmas Market is available for purchase here. 

The Floating Christmas Market

‘Tis the season to fall in love…

When Elodie’s dad cuts off her travelling budget it provides her with the perfect opportunity to leave her controlling boyfriend. Not wanting to face her dad just yet, she flees to her loving stepmum, Gracie in the picturesque village of Bramblewood. Trying to escape a flock of hungry geese she accidentally bumps into a dark haired stranger with sparkling blue eyes. She soon realises that not everyone in the community she adores is as friendly as she’d hoped when they instantly clash and he rudely refuses her apology and offer of help.

On hearing that Bramblewood’s Christmas Market is cancelled, Elodie suggests relocating it to the river’s heritage canal boats. But is horrified to then be given responsibility for organising the entire event along with Charlie, the owner of The Floating Bakery. Who just happens to be the guy she last saw dripping in muddy water.

As the scents of cinnamon and pine trees linger in the frosty air, will Elodie learn to trust again and will love blossom over tipsy hot chocolates at The Floating Christmas Market?

My Review of The Floating Christmas Market

Elodie (Ellie) is back in Bramblewood.

What a lovely, lovely Christmassy story. I so enjoyed The Floating Christmas Market – except perhaps for one thing… Annette Hannah fills her narrative with the most gorgeous, mouth-watering descriptions of food that every time I picked up the book I found myself ravenously hungry. Reading The Floating Christmas Market was not good for my waistline and I defy anyone reading it not to crave the food described! 

The plot simply races along and whilst the attempt to organise the Bramblewood Christmas market may be the catalyst for the events, there is so much more beneath the surface of this romantic, heart-warming read. What I found so affecting was the way family and community was depicted. What Annette Hannah does so well is to convey how a sense of home and belonging is how we thrive and grow as a person. 

Indeed, Elodie returns from her travels worried and somewhat broken. She is spikey and actually quite quick to judge Charlie, often being abrupt and unthinking in her response to him. These aspects of her character make her feel highly realistic, not least because she has anxieties and doubts of her own. It is through a sense of community and family that Elodie heals and develops. I thought this aspect of the story was brilliantly conveyed because we see how family might not necessarily be those with whom we have direct blood links. You need to read The Floating Christmas Market to discover more.

I thought Charlie was a gorgeous romantic hero, and I loved the humour that his interactions with Elodie created. Equally, I was so impressed by Matty. I really don’t like children – real or fictional – but Annette Hannah makes him irresistible. He is one of the people who helps the reader understand Elodie so fully by the end of the story. 

Whilst it was lovely to be back in Bramblewood and to encounter characters, like Lottie, whom I’ve met before in other books by Annette Hannah, The Floating Christmas Market stands alone perfectly, blending previous elements with new ones so skilfully and introducing vibrant new characters that there’s absolutely no need to have read any of the other books. 

Themes such as friendship, relationships, coercive control, jealousy and guilt all add to the texture of the narrative, adding to the enjoyment in reading The Floating Christmas Market. I found some aspects of these themes quite emotional and genuinely found myself reassessing what is important in my own life as a result of reading Elodie’s story.

If a reader wants an entertaining plot, well developed characters, wonderful romance and consideration of the aspects of life that are truly important, then The Floating Christmas Market couldn’t be more perfect. It’s the kind of read that simply calls out for a dark wintry afternoon, a mug of hot chocolate and a very generous slice of cake. After all, Doris would say, ‘There’s always room for cake’! The Floating Christmas Market is smashing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

About Annette Hannah

Annette Hannah is a Liver Bird who relocated to leafy Hertfordshire in the 80’s and now lives near a river with her husband. She has three grown up children and a crazy black cocker spaniel. She writes romantic comedies in settings inspired by the beautiful countryside around her and always with a nod to her hometown.

She worked in Marketing for many years as a qualified Marketeer which she loved as it tapped into her creative side. As an avid reader, she began to review the books she read, became a book blogger and eventually plucked up the courage to fulfil her lifelong dream of writing a book.

For four years she was a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s new writers’ scheme, during which time she wrote a book a year. After signing a two book deal with Orion Dash in 2020 she graduated to full member of the organisation and is also their Press Officer. She loves long walks along the river, travelling to far flung places and spending time with her friends and family.

You can find out more by visiting Annette’s blog or website and following her on Instagram and Twitter @AnnetteHannah.

My enormous thanks to Jasmin Burkett of Summersdale for sending me a copy of Rage Search by Jason Murphy in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Rage Search was published by Summersdale on 8th October 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

 Rage Search

It’s time to test your resolve, push your limits and hold your nerve as you prepare yourself for the most infuriatingly addictive wordsearch experience ever made

This collection of mind-bending puzzles is a full-scale test of focus, frustration and mental endurance

CAN YOUR EGO HANDLE IT?

– 80 mind-bending wordsearches across 10 different grid styles to challenge even the most eagle-eyed of puzzlers
– Technically solvable but invented by a scientist with a penchant for lexicographic cruelty, these puzzles are filled with disgustingly difficult words, wonky fonts, numbered sequences and spiteful symbols to drive you into a RAGE
– Addictive and infuriating – each chapter offers something different, from merely irritating to full-on enraging, so whatever your mood you’ll be entertained and enraged

If you’re feeling brave, take on this book and go head-to-head with the most devious and devilish wordsearch puzzles that time has ever had the misfortune to invent.

Ready to tear your hair out and scream in rage at the top of your lungs? Throw this ruinous book out of the window as you fail to crack these puzzles? Or perhaps seethe in desperation as you desperately pretend that “yes, Karen, of course I’m working on those files you wanted, while furiously trying to find that one last word in the wordsearch…”

Test your skills with Rage Search!

My Review of Rage Search

A book of 80 infuriating puzzles!

Before I comment on the contents of Rage Search, I must praise the physical quality of this little book. It would make the most perfect stocking filler gift for the person who is impossible to buy for. It is robust and durable so will withstand being shoved into a pocket or bag to be used on tedious journeys or when there is a spare five minutes in the day. It’s bright, colourful and filled with amusing and quirky illustrations that mirror the user’s possible feelings when attempting the puzzles. Rage Search might infuriate the person trying to solve the puzzles (and you can rate your own responses from calm to raging), but it will cheer them up with its vibrancy at the same time!

The puzzles in Rage Search are brilliant, being challenging, varied and absorbing. I found them incredibly difficult at times (particularly the Deja Vu ones that had my head reeling) and am thankful there are answers in the back of the book. What I particularly loved was the variety, with some being case sensitive, some mirror images and others numeric for example. There really is a puzzle to entertain, and probably frustrate and annoy, anyone in this book. The sense of achievement in solving the puzzles is immense. Equally brilliant is the vocabulary used. I learnt all kinds of new words –  including anacoluthon which, as an ex-English teacher, I really ought to have known.  

I thought Rage Search was fabulous, but I just have one word of warning – if you only have one bathroom, don’t leave Rage Search next to the toilet as you’ll never have access if someone else is attempting a puzzle! It’s the kind of book that makes the reader feel they’ll just spend a couple of minutes more and before they know it, half an hour has passed. You have been warned! Rage Search is a belting little book. Make sure you grab a copy.

About Jason Murphy

Jason Murphy is a graphic designer by day and the creator of weird and wonderful artwork by night. He is the author and illustrator of the search-and-find book Spot the Cock. He currently lives near Birmingham, UK.

My huge thanks to Emily McBride Marples at Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of The Great Mouse Orchestra by Ella Risbridger, illustrated by Alice Courtley in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

Published in hardback by Bloomsbury Children’s Book on 22nd October, The Great Mouse Orchestra is available for purchase here. 

The Great Mouse Orchestra

This is the tale of one little mouse called Jeremy Larkin – and his dream of finding the legendary Great Mouse Orchestra. Over one magical winter night, Jeremy sets out on his mission, helped by a bold little fox called Cleo, a squirrel boy called Antoine, a Pekinese named Eloise, and an all-girl Bat Gang. Will Jeremy find the Orchestra? Or will he find that – just maybe – it’s been there all along?

Featuring lots of gorgeous activities – including recipes for Christmas spice cake and festive hot chocolate – this irresistible winter adventure is packed with frosty magic, warmth and wonder. 

My Review of The Great Mouse Orchestra

Mouse Jeremy Larkin is determined to hear the mouse orchestra.

As always when reviewing children’s books, I like to comment on the physical properties and The Great Mouse Orchestra is just lovely. It is the perfect size for sharing with individual children or groups and the hardback is robust so that it will withstand small hands easily. The book is beautifully illustrated by Alice Courtley with a naive, but not childish, style that will appeal to children of all ages. Under the vibrant and charming slip cover is red board studded with golden stars and there is a silk ribbon book mark all adding to a feeling of luxury and high quality.

The story in The Great Mouse Orchestra is quite wonderful (and actually brought a tear to my eye at one point!) as Jeremy tries desperately to hear the great mouse orchestra. Thwarted at every turn, his encounters with the other creatures show children how delayed gratification can be even better than immediate success. The variety of animals show how different folk can live and work together harmoniously, providing an important message for children even as they are being entertained. 

Other wonderful messages in The Great Mouse Orchestra teach that we can be stronger if we do things with friends and also, if we are kind, cooperative and helpful to others, we can be rewarded perfectly. I also loved the way in which Jeremy might not achieve exactly what he set out to do, but he learns that there is still joy and pleasure to be had if only we listen carefully and accept the awe and magic of the world around us. Forget children, if only world leaders could read and learn from The Great Mouse Orchestra. 

An added and unexpected bonus in The Great Mouse Orchestra is the range of activities included as an integral part of the story with baking and crafting ideas and instructions. This means that the book can be enjoyed on many levels and is interactive as well as entertaining. 

I loved The Great Mouse Orchestra and think it would make a wonderful gift for children aged around 4 to 7. 

About Ella Risbridger

Ella Risbridger is a writer, editor and anthologiser. In a former life she was a beauty columnist for the i, a cancer columnist for the Pool, a sometime journalist for lots of places (Guardian, Observer, Prospect, Grazia, Stylist), a poet and a carer. She now lives and works in south-east London, where she has too many books and thinks a lot about getting a cat. For further information, visit Ella’s website and find her on Instagram. 

About Alice Courtley

Alice Courtley is an author – illustrator based in the UK. She studied Children’s Book Illustration on the Cambridge School of Art MA, and her work has been recognised for prizes such as the Batsford Prize and featured in exhibitions such as the AOI’s ‘Inspired to Innovate’ in London. Alice’s published books include Lost in the City and Waiting for Froggo.

For further information, follow Alice on X @alice_courtley and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Anna Stothard for having an early reading copy of The Girl in the Glass House sent to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review today. 

Published by Lake Union on 16th November 2026, The Girl in the Glass House is available for pre-order here. 

The Girl in the Glass House

A perfect family. A missing child. But everyone is lying.

On the idyllic island of Guernsey, twelve-year-old Celeste Everett vanishes from her bed during a storm.

The last people to see Celeste were her best friends―identical twin sisters who refuse to tell the whole truth about that night.

The Everetts are one of the island’s wealthiest and most powerful families, while the twins’ mother, Jess, is a struggling single parent with secrets of her own. But when suspicion begins to circle her daughters, Jess is drawn into the search for the missing girl―and into the orbit of a family used to getting exactly what they want.

As the magical island turns in on itself, Jess must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her children. Because in a small community, you’re always being watched. And someone knows exactly what happened that night.

My Review of The Girl in the Glass House

Jess and her twin daughters, Polly and Lena, are making a fresh start in Guernsey.

What a fabulous, kaleidoscopic book. I so enjoyed The Girl in the Glass House because, like a kaleidoscope, it is fragmentary, shifting and at the same time incredibly beautiful so that it holds the reader captive. The title is so fitting, because, throughout, there is the feeling that everything could come crashing down – just like a glass house in a storm. 

Anna Stothard’s eye for detail in her Guernsey setting is wonderful. Often poetic in style, yet frequently stark, her descriptions transport the reader with a vivid a sense of place. The descriptions convey such meaning too, engendering feelings and emotions in the reader that enhance the reading process. 

I thought the plot was brilliantly crafted. The text is multi-layered so that, just when the reader feels they have a grasp of what is going on, events shift, snapshots of the past are dropped into the narrative, and another aspect of time, place, or character is uncovered in a convincing way. The Girl in the Glass House has a fascinating mercurial quality that I found so engaging.

Characters are equally quicksilver in nature. Anna Stothard ensures complete empathy for Jess and yet, she isn’t as perfect and hard done by as might at first be imagined. I found her utterly realistic. Equally important, despite not being physically present for much of the story, is Celeste. She is the catalyst for so much of the action, of the development of character and of the experience for the reader of being on Guernsey. Her rendition is sympathetic, particularly when aspects of her friendship with the twins are revealed, illustrating how, underneath the wealthy, charming life of the privileged, lies a seething mass of corruption and nastiness. Similarly, Elias drives Jess’s actions despite being absent and he adds to the sense of unease. But it is the twins Polly and Lena who are so compelling. They are mesmerising. After reading The Girl in the Glass House I was unsure if I felt sorry for them, envied them, admired them or was terrified of them. They have a disturbing chimeric quality tempered by an innocence and vulnerability that makes them so intriguing and it is this psychological aspect of The Girl in the Glass House that makes the book so succesful.

Add in the superstations of Guernsey which border the supernatural, the island’s own past and its claustrophobic relationships and hierarchical social structure, and The Girl in the Glass House feels underpinned with intangible menace and threat. Anna Stothard explores the meaning of community, influence, society and gossip with the effect that it feels as if all modern life is present. I found this such an affecting element of the story.

The Girl in the Glass House is a deliciously psychological book that explores the thin veneer of civilisation in a way that has the heart thumping and the mind whirling. I thought it was excellent. 

About Anna Stothard

Anna Stothard was born in London and studied English Literature at Oxford University before completing a Screenwriting MFA at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. She is the author of five acclaimed novels, which have been published all over the world. Her writing often explores themes of identity, belonging, and obsession. After living in Beijing, LA and Berlin, Anna now writes by the sea on the west coast of Guernsey.

For further information, visit Anna’s website or follow her on Instagram. 

My enormous thanks to Lenie Maré for sending me a copy of her book Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out. It’s my pleasure to share my review today. I don’t usually read ebooks because they give me nausea, vertigo and migraine, but I’m so glad I was able to access Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out. 

Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out is available for purchase here. 

Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out

Finally. A book that gets it.

Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out is the comedy ebook for every queer woman who has ever loved the wrong person with her whole chest, survived a family dinner that deserved a warning label, and come out the other side still laughing.

Written by a 49-year-old soft butch lesbian who has been through it all — and lived to write about it with zero shame and maximum honesty.

WHAT’S INSIDE:
✅ Coming out at 20 — via near-vehicular incident
✅ Labels and why none of them fit right
✅ Christianity, guilt and the long road back to yourself
✅ Family gatherings as a contact sport
✅ The lesbian dating puddle
✅ Bedroom blunders — real and funny
✅ The Clinger Chronicles
✅ How to detach with love when you have a soft heart
✅ Being soft butch in a world that wants you in a box
✅ What 49 actually feels like

THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF:
— You came out and survived the chaos
— You have loved a clinger or been one
— You grew up religious and complicated
— You just need to feel wildly seen

My Review of Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out

A book of experience and advice for gay women.

I loved Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out unreservedly. I may be a straight middle aged woman who has been married to the same man for over 43 years, but this book is so packed with humour, advice and humanity that makes it relevant to any human being. It’s fabulous.

Each brief little chapter is written with such insight, warmth and wit that it is impossible not to laugh aloud and be completely touched by Lenie Maré’s words. I loved the insight into a lesbian world I know nothing about. I loved the way the author is open and honest about her own experiences. I loved too, the lightbulb moment pithy pieces of advice that hit right at the heart of being ourselves regardless of sexual orientation. 

Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out feels part memoir, part self-help book, and total fun to read. It’s accessible, warm and witty. I so enjoyed meeting other members of the author’s family too as Lenie Maré’s anecdotes about her coming out and her family’s reactions are explored.

I ended Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out feeling completely entertained, informed and uplifted.  It’s hard to say much more in a review without sharing too much of the actual book and that would be a shame as it’s marvellous to discover it for yourself. Reading it, it was as if I had found a new friend in Lenie Maré and I now know that whatever we do, we shouldn’t let a dog into the bedroom – but you need to read Soft, Loud & Still Figuring It Out for yourself to find out why!

About Lenie Maré

Lenie Maré is an independent writer from South Africa and co-founder of Bloom LGBTQ. 

For further information, find Lenie on Instagram and Facebook. 

I had just finished a book when a surprise copy of Autumn at Flora’s House by Freya North arrived. Having adored each of the previous novellas in the series, I was thrilled and had to dive in straight away. My enormous thanks to Freya for sending me a copy. 

You’ll find my reviews of other books by Freya here, although I have been reading her a couple of decades longer than I have been blogging!  

You can purchase a signed copy of Autumn at Flora’s House here. 

Autumn at Flora’s House

A mother, a daughter, a granddaughter – with questions to ask and secrets to share.

Josie Barraclough visited the Isle of Harris in the 1960s when she was 19. She’s never forgotten her trip, nor the boy she met. Now, almost sixty years later, she returns, bringing her daughter and granddaughter with her. But why has she come back? And how much will she tell them?

Her daughter, Martha, is an empty-nester in midlife. She isn’t sure anymore of her place in the world, but the matching solitude and melancholy to be found in the island both comforts and unnerves her.

And there’s Bea, having a tough time at University, who wonders if a tiny cottage in a remote place with her mum and granny is a good idea at all.

In Harris, the nights draw in, the birds are on the move, the weather brings change to the hills and the sea. But there are fine days too, autumn traditions abound, the gifts of the island are right here – if the Barracloughs choose to embrace them.

My Review of Autumn at Flora’s House

Martha, her mother Josie and daughter Bea, are spending their annual holiday together on the Isle of Harris.

Oh my word. What an utter pleasure to be back in Flora’s House. I have adored this series of books and Autumn at Flora’s House is just as wonderful as the others. The brilliantly described and capricious weather aside, it’s a quiet book that seeps into the soul of the reader unannounced, but that has dramatic impact so that I genuinely read much of the narrative with an emotional tightness in my throat. I felt as if I had been each of the three women at some point in my life, particularly Martha, and the deep understanding of time passing, hope, memory, love, loss and acceptance displayed through their personalities is mesmerising. As a result, there’s a real sense of personal growth not just for Bea, Martha and Josie, but for the reader too.  

The dynamics between the three women in Autumn at Flora’s House are handled with utter dexterity. They can be prickly with one another, over-stepping the boundaries of care into attempted control or interference. They can be exasperated with, and resentful of, one another. But underneath it all is the bond of family and love that shimmers with hope and positivity. I loved the way they behave in a kind of kaleidoscope of inter-relations. Time together and apart shifts and alters, but they remain united, and create a beautiful pattern together. Reading Autumn at Flora’s House fills the reader with warmth and positivity. And it is absolute perfection that not all is revealed by, and about, each woman, because there is an essence of themselves that remains personal and private – just as we all have part of ourselves that others can never fully know. I thought this aspect of the novella was quite, quite fabulous.

Alongside the total understanding of relationships, Freya North creates a sense of place with such poignant beauty that the reader feels her settings internally and viscerally. They are wonderful; woven with texture and colour that places the reader right there with the characters. It’s impossible to read Autumn at Flora’s House and not want to visit the island. 

Now that I’ve read all four of the Flora’s House novellas, I confess I feel somewhat bereft. I wish I could discover them for the first time once again. However, they also bear rereading in order fully to appreciate the nuances of humanity between the covers. Reading each book has felt like coming home to a place of belonging and I long to stay in Flora’s House and experience the peace, comfort and echoes of the past for myself. 

Autumn at Flora’s House is poignant, realistic and uplifting. Its impact reverberates and echoes long after the final page is read. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Just wonderful. 

About Freya North

Freya North’s novels explore the emotions and complexities of everyday relationships and families. First published in 1996 with her ground-breaking debut Sally, Freya has written 15 further bestsellers including the highly acclaimed Little Wing and The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne. Translated into many languages, Freya won the Romantic Novel of the Year award for Pillow Talk and has been short-listed for others. A sense of place is central to Freya’s writing. Never a backdrop, always a leading character, locations featured in her novels include New England, France, British Columbia, North Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Norfolk, Freya’s own county of Hertfordshire and of course the Outer Hebrides.

Freya holds degrees in History of Art from the University of Manchester and the Courtauld Institute, London. She lives on a small farm in Hertfordshire with her dogs, horses and sheep. She enjoys ceramic classes and road cycling and loves to connect with her readers.

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

I absolutely adore Emily Stone’s writing (and not just because I’ve been a character in one of her books; One Last Gift) so receiving a surprise copy of Counting Down to You was such a treat. My huge thanks to Alara Delfosse at Headline for sending it to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Counting Down to You today.

You’ll find other posts featuring Emily here on Linda’s Book Bag. 

Counting Down to You was published by Headline on 8th October 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Counting Down to You

A young woman travels to the Alps to complete her best friend’s last request – and finds a love that’s closer to home than she realises in this gorgeous festive romance from the author of Always, in December and Yours for the Season.

Ali has always loved Christmas. She and her best friend Robyn had a tradition to exchange advent calendars filled, not with chocolate, but with fun challenges to complete.

Only this year, there is no Robyn. Ali would rather skip December altogether, and the reminders it will bring.

But before she died, Robyn left Ali one last calendar.

The first challenge? Book a flight to Chatel, in the French Alps.

The second challenge? Post a selfie with an attractive man to make your ex jealous.

Determined to give Robyn’s calendar her all, Ali takes a position in a hotel in Chatel, nestled in the snowcapped mountains, and snaps a selfie with a gorgeous stranger on the way.

But when she arrives, Ali is shocked to realise the surly hotel manager is the man from her photo. And now everyone already thinks she’s dating the boss…

Suddenly the season looks a lot more complicated than she’d planned. But as the snow falls, will this be the Christmas to thaw Ali’s heart?

My Review of Counting Down to You

Ali has an advent calendar of challenges to fulfil.

What an utterly gorgeous read. I adored Counting Down to You. In her inimitable style, Emily Stone has created a beautifully romantic read that is simply packed with emotion, depth and the most perfect understanding of human nature. 

The structure of the novel is superb because the advent calendar of challenges gives a framework upon which events in the past are explained, the present action is driven and future possibilities are hinted at. The advent calendar also makes the reader want to create something equally special for those they love in real life. 

The French Alps setting is glorious. There’s enough description to make the reader feel they are there without overpowering the narrative. It feels both Christmassy and realistic. There’s an appeal to all the senses too so that reading Counting Down to You is both immersive and enchanting.

The characters feel so incredibly real. I loved the spark of attraction between Ali and Leo and the romantic aspect of Counting Down to You is absolutely gripping (and occasionally quite sexy!). There’s no cliched guarantee of a happy ending because Emily Stone has created flawed and believable people for whom life can be a challenge as well as a joy. You’ll need to read Counting Down to You to find out exactly what happens, but I found myself exclaiming aloud and giving Ali advice on several occasions. 

The setting, romance, characters and plot in Counting Down to You all make for a wonderful book, but it is the themes that elevate the story into such a mesmerising read. Emily Stone explores aspects like grief, family, ambition, self knowledge and forgiveness with such a skilful blend of depth and lightness of touch that there’s a real impact on the reader. I’d defy any reader not to find a lump in the throat or tear in their eye at some point. And I adored the ambiguity of ‘You’ in the title – it might refer to Leo or Robyn and equally, it might just be Ali herself as she discovers as much about herself in the story as she does about any of the others. 

I thought Counting Down to You was fantastic. I’ve been struggling to settle to reading a book recently but Emily Stone captivated me completely. She transported me into a visual, romantic and convincing narrative that gave me the most wonderful read. Just brilliant!

About Emily Stone

Emily Sone is the author of six festive romance novels , including Always, in December and One Last Gift. Her novels have been translated into eleven languages. Emily has lived in many places over the years, including London, Wales, Cornwall, Germany and Mozambique, before finally settling down in Bristol, where she spends most of her free time with her two rescue ponies.  

Emily Stone is a pseudonym – she also writes speculative romance under her real name, Becky Hunter, and is the co-author of fantasy romance Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter. 

For further information, find Emily on Instagram. 

My grateful thanks to Jakob de Villiers III for sending me a copy of The Stuff Nobody Tells You. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

The Stuff Nobody Tells You is available for purchase here. 

The Stuff Nobody Tells You

Nobody sat you down and explained which drawer the washing powder goes in, what the tax code on your payslip means, or whether the black mould is yours to clean or your landlord’s to fix.

They just assumed you knew. So you nodded along, looked it up later, and hoped nobody noticed.

The Stuff Nobody Tells You is the no-judgement answer book for all of it. 75 short, dry, genuinely useful entries on everyday adult life in the UK. Open it anywhere. Each one takes about a minute.

What’s inside

• The machines that beep at you: the washing machine drawer, what the label symbols mean, the right fridge temperature
• Not poisoning anyone: use by vs best before, reheated rice, defrosting a chicken safely
• The great bin mystery: what actually goes in the recycling, and that greasy pizza box
• Your home: finding the stopcock, bleeding a radiator, resetting a tripped switch, tenancy deposits, black mould
• The car: the 20p tyre test, and which dashboard lights mean stop now
• Money and work: tax codes, gross vs net, notice periods, holiday pay, Direct Debit refunds, sick notes
• Your body: fevers, burns, nosebleeds, paracetamol or ibuprofen, what to do if someone has passed out
• Tech and the outside world: scam texts, passwords and 2FA, tipping, passports, your rights when something breaks

Written for Britain and checked against gov.uk, the NHS, HMRC, the Food Standards Agency and your council’s own guidance. Dry enough to enjoy, correct enough to trust, small enough to keep by the kettle.

Buying it for someone? It makes a good present for anyone leaving home, starting university, moving into a first flat, or quietly bluffing their way through being a grown-up. A school leaver gift, housewarming present, Secret Santa or stocking filler.

You’re not stupid. You were just never told.

My Review of The Stuff Nobody Tells You

A handy book of the basics in life.

It’s actually quite hard to review The Stuff Nobody Tells You without merely repeating the blurb as this is a book that truly does what it says on the tin. It is designed for the UK. 

It is packed with information that each and every one of us will need at some point. Jakob de Villiers III covers everything from storing food in the fridge through tax codes to things lost in the post. 

I loved the way the content is presented. There are 10 well defined chapters, but what works particularly well is that the tone is helpful and witty without being condescending or patronising, and the information is presented with plenty of white space and some supporting illustrations so that what we’re being told never feels overwhelming.

I thought The Stuff Nobody Tells You was a cracking little book. It’s a great stocking filler or Secret Santa gift. The contents have been checked against UK law and Government sources. Of course the author has the caveat that different authorities may alter rules (particularly when recycling for example) and things might change over time, but this does not detract from a really useful volume. I also loved the request to readers to ask any question that might not have been covered so that future books will be even better!

My advice; get a copy of The Stuff Nobody Tells You for any young adult starting out in life, whether that’s in their first home or their first year at college or university. And get a copy for your own home. Put The Stuff Nobody Tells You in that drawer in the kitchen for stuff nobody knows where to put. Next time you have an emergency or want to know something practical, you’ll know exactly where the answer is. 

About Jakob de Villiers III

Jakob de Villiers III is the third generation of a family that has never quite known how to do anything practical. His grandfather could not change a fuse. His father could not change his grandfather’s mind about this. Jakob, breaking with tradition, learned how to do roughly forty household things, then characteristically wrote them all down rather than help anyone in person.

He writes useful but funny reference books, the kind people keep by the kettle and quote at dinner parties without crediting him. He believes most of adult life is just a list of things everyone else seems to have been told in a room he wasn’t invited to. The Stuff Nobody Tells You is his attempt to forward you the memo. 

For further information, visit Jakob’s website or find him on Instagram. 

My enormous thanks to Isabelle Wilson for sending me a copy of The Coastal Almanac by Jess Lea-Wilson in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share my review of The Coastal Almanac today.

Published by OH, an imprint of Headline, on 17th September 2026, The Coastal Almanac is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Coastal Almanac

‘I will never again walk by the sea without taking this book with me … it is an essential coastal companion.’ Kate Humble

DEEPEN YOUR CONNECTION TO THE COAST

Whether it’s the warmth of the sun on sandy skin, the sharpness of a cold-sea swim or a rare glimpse of a bright blue kingfisher, each month of the year brings new experiences, weather and wildlife to the coastline.

From renowned sea-salt producers Halen Môn, The Coastal Almanac charts the seasons with insights on flora and fauna, recipes, spotters’ guides, and plenty more. Halen Môn salt has become a favourite of chefs worldwide, and now they bring their coastal expertise to help you get the most from the seaside, all year round.

Rooted in the Welsh coast, this beautiful book is illustrated with stunning photography and bespoke illustrations. Perfect to be packed in a jacket pocket or bag for a trip to the beach, or simply enjoyed in an armchair at home, The Coastal Almanac is essential for every lover of the sea.

My Review of The Coastal Alamac

An insight into the Welsh coast of Anglesey.

What a glorious celebration of coastal life. I admit I was slightly taken aback initially by the first person approach to the writing, having expected a rather impartial account (mostly) of Ynys Môn or Anglesey, but in fact, this personal approach by Jess Lea-Wilson makes The Coastal Almanac feel more intimate and conversational, giving an insight into the author as well as the coast and providing a layer of interest I hadn’t anticipated.

The Coastal Almanac is a beautifully produced book. The artwork is simply glorious, with photographs, watercolour images and line drawings. It would make a lovely gift book – though I do dispute the concept of slipping it into a pocket for a beach walk as it is pretty weighty being so robustly and luxuriously produced in hardback. This does mean. however, that it will withstand being shoved into a backpack and used in situ!

Divided into monthly chapters, the nature-loving reader will find flora and fauna, activities and advice from gardening to cooking with recipes frequently featuring Halen Môn sea salt. There are crafts and poems and I especially enjoyed the nautical idioms. Each chapter begins with a monthly introduction including typical weather, moon phases, flora and fauna, food, specific birds and key dates so that this makes a lovely book for those not able to get out to the places described. It is possible to live life by the sea vicariously with The Coastal Almanac and those who, like me, live about as far from the coast as it’s possible to get can still be beguiled and entertained. Prior to reading The Coastal Almanac, for example, it would never have crossed my mind to create ice lollies using cucumbers!

I think what I enjoyed most about reading The Coastal Almanac was the author’s passion for the sea. Jess Lea-Wilson encourages readers to engage with the environment on several levels and I thought it an excellent idea to include a call to arms to protect what we have in our coastal areas as well as to enjoy observing them. 

The Coastal Almanac is wonderfully illustrated and filled with an eclectic mix of information so that there is something for everyone to enjoy. It would make a smashing gift book.

About Jess Lea-Wilson

Photo Credit: Jim Marsden

Jess Lea-Wilson is the brand director of Halen Môn, a renowned salt company with fans including Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and even Barack Obama. It has been served at the London 2012 Olympics, political summits and royal weddings and is a vital ingredient in Green & Blacks chocolate and Piper’s Crisps. They have featured in a dizzying array of media, and have established themselves as a premier British brand, stocked in Waitrose, Ocado, and numerous other stockists. Their range has now expanded to include a wide range of food products and skincare, alongside experiences (such as seaweed baths) at their HQ.

Jess lives in Anglesey, Wales.

For further information about Halen Môn, visit their website and find Jess on Instagram or visit her website.