It’s far too long since I featured Veronica Henry here on Linda’s Book Bag and given how much I adore her writing it’s high time I remedied that situation. Consequently, it gives me great pleasure to share my review of her latest book, The Impulse Purchase. My thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. I was thrilled to be sent two copies of the book and I chose to share The Impulse Purchase with my Mum. The characters of Maggy, Cherry and Rose are inspiring multigenerational characters and the book got me thinking about the people I value in my life such as my Mum, sister and nieces. It’s actually my youngest niece’s 40th birthday today which feels rather appropriate when reviewing a book containing several generations.

You will find my review of Veronica Henry’s A Night on the Orient Express here and of A Wedding at the Beach Hut here. A Wedding at the Beach Hut was one of my books of the year in 2020.

Published by Orion on 3rd February 2022, The Impulse Purchase is available for purchase through the links here.

The Impulse Purchase

Sometimes you have to let your heart rule your head.

Cherry, Maggie and Rose are mother, daughter and granddaughter, each with their own hopes, dreams and even sorrows. They have always been close, so when, in a moment of impulse, Cherry buys a gorgeous but rundown pub in the village she grew up in, it soon becomes a family affair.

All three women uproot themselves and move to Rushbrook, deep in the heart of Somerset, to take over The Swan and restore it to its former glory. Cherry is at the helm, Maggie is in charge of the kitchen, and Rose tends the picturesque garden that leads down to the river.

Before long, the locals are delighted to find the beating heart of the village is back, bringing all kinds of surprises through the door.

Could Cherry’s impulse purchase change all their lives – and bring everyone the happiness they’re searching for?

Escape to the glorious Somerset countryside with this joyful and uplifting story of family, love and hope.

My Review of The Impulse Purchase

Cherry’s acting on the spur of the moment.

You know, sometimes a book come along that simply feels  – right. That is the case with The Impulse Purchase. It’s mature, thoughtful and beautifully written so that Veronica Henry’s words draw in the reader from the very first page, ensnaring them into this world of women and their relationships. And whilst men do impact on the lives of Cherry, Maggie and Rose, as well as some of the minor characters like Nicole, it really is women at the heart of this narrative.

It’s so refreshing to find women of three generations so perfectly balanced in the story. Here there is someone for any reader to identify with. Cherry, Maggie and Rose have their flaws, their insecurities and their vulnerabilities, but they are realistic in depiction, making what happens to them really important for the reader. The Impulse Purchase has feminism and independence threaded through it, but in a manner that is absolutely convincing so that whilst Veronica Henry teachers her reader that they really can do anything they set their minds to, there’s no contrived misandry undermining the lovely story.

Whilst I loved the plot and the effortless way the lives, backgrounds and hopes of the three main women were woven into the narrative, it was the gorgeous quality of Veronica Henry’s writing that I found so affecting. Her descriptions of nature, and the glorious sensuous presentation of food in particular, made reading The Impulse Purchase feel immersive and affecting. I found my visit to Rushbrook just wonderful.

The themes too are mesmerising. Confidence, mental health, addiction, family, responsibility, impulsivity and decision making are woven through the story with a deftness that is absolutely engrossing. Veronica Henry has compassionate insight into what makes us human and she presents her characters and their inner feelings with consummate skill.

Filled with warmth, humanity and love, The Impulse Purchase is the book we all need in our lives to give us a sense of belonging and connection. I loved it – and it gave me the confidence to make an impulse purchase of my own! Oh – and Mum thoroughly enjoyed it too!

About Veronica Henry

Veronica Henry has worked as a scriptwriter for The Archers, Heartbeat and Holby City amongst many others, before turning to fiction. She won the 2014 RNA Novel of the Year Award for A Night on the Orient Express and is a Sunday Times bestselling author of over twenty books. Veronica lives with her family in a village in north Devon and can often be found cooking up the perfect seaside feast.

Find out more by visiting Veronica’s website or following her on Instagram or Twitter @veronica_henry. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

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I had the privilege of attending the online launch for The Whale Tattoo by Jon Ransom on 3rd February and was so completely mesmerised by Jon’s reading from the book and the story behind it that I simply had to invite him onto Linda’s Book Bag to tell me more about it. I’m delighted he agreed to stay in with me today.

Staying in with Jon Ransom

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Jon and thanks for staying in with me to chat about The Whale Tattoo.

Thanks for having me Linda, and for coming to the launch.

My pleasure. I loved hearing about the book. For those not lucky enough to be there, what can we expect with an evening in with The Whale Tattoo?

I hoped your readers might enjoy busting beneath the river where I’ve conjured a story about a lad who though imagined, is not unlike myself, queer and working class.

I think many writers draw on their own experiences Jon.

Called The Whale Tattoo, I wrote the first draft on my mobile phone while traveling to work on the bus, and am excited with early reviews: ‘A stunning achievement – one of the most impressive and assured debuts I’ve ever read.’ Matt Cain

Endorsement by writers like Matt Cain must be mind blowing Jon. I have to say, the part I heard you read makes me agree!

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I have brought my copy of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, because I have admired this story for as long as I can remember.

I imagine the sense of difference and the depth of emotions in this book have inspired your own writing. I’m absolutely thrilled to have The Whale Tattoo on my TBR and cannot wait to read it for myself. Thanks so much for staying in with me Jon. Let me give readers a few more details about The Whale Tattoo:

The Whale Tattoo

When a giant sperm whale washes up on the local beach it tells Joe Gunner that death will follow him wherever he goes. Joe knows that the place he needs to go is back home.

Having stormed out two years ago, it won’t be easy, nor will returning to the haunted river beside the house where words ripple beneath the surface washing up all sorts of memories. Joe turns to his sister, Birdee, the only person who has ever listened. But she can’t help him, she drowned two years ago.

Then there’s Tim Fysh, local fisherman and long-time lover. But reviving their bond is bound to be trouble.

As the water settles and Joe learns the truth about the river, he finds that we all have the capability to hate, and that we can all make the choice not to.

Ransom’s fractured, distinctive prose highlights the beauty and brutality of his story, his extraordinarily vivid sense of place saturates the reader with the wet of the river, and the salty tang of the sea.

Published by Muswell Press on 3rd February 2022, The Whale Tattoo is available for purchase in all good bookshops and online, including directly from the publisher, from Bookshop.org and Gays the Word.

About Jon Ransom

Jon Ransom was a mentee on the 2019 Escalator Talent Development scheme at the National Centre for Writing. He was awarded a grant in 2021 by Arts Council England to develop his next novel. Ransom’s short stories have appeared in Foglifter Journal, SAND Journal, Five:2:One, and most recently in Queer Life, Queer Love. He lives in Cambridgeshire.

You can find out more by following Jon on Twitter @JonLRansom and Instagram.

It gives me enormous pleasure to share the latest of my online reviews with My Weekly. This time it’s The Staycation by Cressida McLaughlin.

The Staycation was published by Harper Collins on 3rd February 2022 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Staycation

Travel agent, Hester Monday, has been keeping a secret …

Thanks to her fear of flying, she hasn’t been on a plane in years. Now Hester wants to make a good impression on her newest client, Jake Oakenfield, who was heroically injured saving an old lady, and is now laid up in a luxury hotel.

For Jake, unable to return to New York, binge watching Netflix just won’t do. He wants Hester to invent the ultimate escape and re-create her most magical holidays abroad from the confines of his hotel room.

As their perfect mini-breaks around the globe take on a life of their own, Hester wonders if her world of make-believe is all starting to feel just a little too real…

My Review of The Staycation

My full review of The Staycation can be found online on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Staycation is a joyous narrative fizzing with fun, romance and sexual tension that transports the reader away from the mundanity of life into an enchanting world.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Cressida Mc Laughlin

Cressida Mc Laughlin is the bestselling author of uplifting, romantic books including The Canal Boat Café, The House of Birds and Butterflies and The Cornish Cream Tea series.

She grew up in London surrounded by books and with a cat named after Lawrence of Arabia. She studied English at the University of East Anglia and now lives in the beautiful city of Norwich with her husband David.

Apart from writing, Cressy loves terrifying ghost stories, romantic heroes and Henry Cavill.

When she isn’t writing, Cressy spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.

You can find out more information on her website and follow her on Twitter @cressmclaughlin, Instagram and Facebook.

I’m delighted to share another of my online reviews with My Weekly. This time it’s of One Bad Thing by M.K. Hill. And no, we aren’t related!

Published by Head of Zeus Aries on 3rd February 2022, One Bad Thing is available for purchase through this link.

One Bad Thing

A twisty and chilling thriller about a woman who did one bad thing when she was young… and must now suffer the consequences.

She thought she’d got away with it. She was wrong.

Hannah Godley is an agony aunt on a London radio show Queen of Hearts. She’s warm and empathetic; a good listener. Her catchphrase is: Be kind, always. But when a stranger phones in to tell a tragic story about her brother who killed himself after he was the victim of a terrible prank by two people, Hannah goes cold. Because she remembers Diane’s brother well. In fact, all these years later, he still haunts her dreams. All because of that one bad thing she did when she was young…

Is Diane just a sad, lonely woman looking for a friend, or does she know what Hannah did, and is looking for revenge? Because as Diane insinuates herself into her life and family, Hannah is going to discover that you can never truly escape that One Bad Thing you did – sooner or later, you’re going to have to pay the price…

My Review of One Bad Thing

My full review of One Bad Thing can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that One Bad Thing is an absolute corker. I found it exciting, twisty and completely compelling. It’s gone straight on my list of books of the year for 2022!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About M.K. Hill

Mark Hill was a journalist and an award-winning music radio producer before becoming a full-time writer. The first novel in the Sasha Dawson series, The Bad Place, was described as ‘everything a police procedural should be’ by The Times, who also named it as their crime book of the month. He lives in London.

For more information about Mark, you can follow him on Twitter @markhillwriter, find him on Facebook or visit his website.

With Stacey Halls’ The Familiars still on my TBR and my review of her excellent Mrs England here, I was thrilled to find the U3A book group choice this month was another of her books, The Foundling as I’ve been meaning to read it since it was published. It’s a real pleasure to share my review of The Foundling today. I’m looking forward to hearing what the other book group members think too.

The Foundling was published by Bonnier imprint Manilla in 2020 and is available for purchase here.

The Foundling

Two women, bound by a child, and a secret that will change everything . . .

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London’s Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst, that Clara has died in care, Bess is astonished to be told she has already claimed her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl – and why.

Less than a mile from Bess’s lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend – an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital – persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

From the bestselling author of The Familiars comes this captivating story of mothers and daughters, class and power, and love against the greatest of odds . . .

My Review of The Foundling

Bess has given up her day old baby Clara to the the Foundling Hospital.

The Foundling is a fabulous book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What Stacey Halls does so well is to conjure her era and setting with such skill that it never interferes with the narrative, but enhances it so smoothly that the reader is entranced and swept along in the events. I thought the depiction of London in the late 1700s and the contrast of Bess and Alexandra’s lives and homes gave an atmosphere that was perfect, with the senses fully involved so that the sights, sounds and smells of London permeate the story. This is a book that has been meticulously researched so that reading it makes the reader somehow feel confident that it is authentic and accurate, enhancing the considerable enjoyment of reading it.

The plot of The Foundling races along, giving superb insight into the historical setting. There’s no sentimentality here, but instead a razor sharp understanding that wealth and power do not buy love and contentment. The actions of Ned belie the saccharine working class honesty sometimes presented in historical fiction so that he, as are all the minor characters, is realistic, vivid and believable. Even Daniel, who isn’t physically present in the story feels absolutely essential to its success as a novel. I finished the book feeling confused by my reaction to Daniel, unsure if I could forgive him his infidelities and the consequences of his actions. This added to my enjoyment in reading further as I love a book that makes me think and remains with me after I’ve finished it.

Whilst Clara is a highly effective catalyst for the action, and for whom I felt a surprisingly profound concern, given how little I really like children, it is Bess and Alexandra who are so compelling in The Foundling. Stacey Halls weaves herstory into history with incredible aplomb. It felt natural to lean towards Bess and like her the most, especially when life contrives against her, but Alexandra gradually penetrates the reader’s defences so that I ended the book feeling she deserved my pity and respect rather than initial dislike. Her brittle personality, her fragile and yet simultaneously strong mental state make her fascinating. More than any other character, and despite her privileged position, she is a victim of circumstance and the events of her past.

I loved the themes of The Foundling. The exploration of motherhood and family alongside themes of betrayal, fear, mental health, society, social class and love make The Foundling multi-layered and immensely satisfying to read. I found myself completely captivated by the excellent story-telling. It might be the story of Clara, Bess and Alexandra that entertains the reader, but the backdrop of 1700s London life flows behind the narrative as effectively as the Thames against which so much of the action takes place so that The Foundling is a rich, rewarding book.

I loved The Foundling. I thought it was atmospheric, touching and brilliantly entertaining and I really recommend it.

About Stacey Halls

Stacey Halls was born in 1989 and grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and has written for publications including the Guardian, Stylist, Psychologies, the Independent, the Sun and Fabulous. Her first book, The Familiars, was the bestselling debut hardback novel of 2019, won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the British Book Awards’ Debut Book of the Year. Stacey Halls is available for interview, to write features and events. Stacey lived in Hebden bridge where the book is set while writing Mrs England and has done extensive research include at the Norland Nanny school in Bath. Key themes include ‘gaslighting; women & power and the fetishisation of nannies.

For more information about Stacy, visit her website. You can follow Stacy on Twitter @stacey_halls, and find her on Instagram too.

Many of you will know my lovely guest today as author Rhoda Baxter and I’m really lucky to have some of Rhoda’s Smart Girls books waiting for me to read on my Kindle. Today, however, we’re celebrating a brand new book under her name Jeevani Charika. Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Jeevani Charika

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

Oh, thank you. Staying in is one of my favourite things. I have hot chocolate and a fluffy blanket.

You’re my kind of guest. You can come again! Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought along a copy of Playing For Love, which comes out today – the 11th of February.

I chose it because it’s my latest book (and therefore my current favourite). Also, it has a very cheery blue and yellow cover. Look.

It is gorgeous. And happy publication day. What can we expect from an evening in with Playing For Love?

Playing For Love is a contemporary rom com about two people with secret online gamer identities. She fancies him online. He’s in love with her in real life.

Oo I like the sound of that! Tell me more.

I’m hoping it will make you laugh a bit, keep you on the edge of your seat wondering when they’ll realise that the person they’re in love with in one world is the same person they keep turning down in the other world … and end up feeling warm and fuzzy about how it all ends.

[*whispers* – there’s a happy ending…  you knew that, right?]

I should hope so too. There’s enough misery in the world so it’s good to know we readers are going to be left happy reading Playing for Love. What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

Cake. I have brought a chocolate cake, with chocolate fudge icing and white chocolate shavings on top. With hindsight, I should have brought some paper plates and forks too. And maybe a bib. Sorry about the mess.

Don’t worry about that. Er, I might have helped myself to some of the white chocolate. Daft question but why bring cake?

Why have I brought it? Well, I like cake. I feel it’s a nice, celebratory sort of food. Not as useful as biscuits, which are my go to food for writing. Biscuits require less commitment from you than cake, so you can eat a packet couple of biscuits while typing. More, if you’re just thinking about the plot, obviously, because your hands are free.

You really are my kind of woman Jeevani!

I don’t play a lot of computer games (although, others in my family do) and I didn’t know that much about Gaming YouTubers.  So when I was writing Playing For Love, I watched a lot of YouTube videos about people who played computer games on YouTube – which got a bit meta after a while. The biscuits really helped me through that. Yay biscuits.

Yay biscuits (and cake) indeed! I think you need at least two cakes to celebrate today’s publication of Playing For Love Jeevani. I think it sounds wonderful. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about it. Now, you slice the cake and I’ll give Linda’s Book Bag visitors a few more details:

Playing For Love

When Sam’s not working on her fledgling business, she spends her time secretly video-gaming. Her crush is famous gamer Blaze, and she’s thrilled when she’s teamed up with him in a virtual tournament.

But what Sam doesn’t know is that Blaze is the alter ego of Luke, her shy colleague – and he has a secret crush too.

Luke has a crush on Sam.
Sam has a crush on Blaze.

How will this game of love play out?

Published today, 11th February 2022, by Harper Collins’ imprint HQ Digital, Playing for Love is available for purchase through the links here.

About Jeevani Charika

Jeevani Charika writes multicultural women’s fiction and romcoms. She also writes under the pen name Rhoda Baxter. Her books have been shortlisted for various awards. One of these days, she’ll actually win one.

Jeevani is British-Sri Lankan. She loves all things science geeky. She also loves cake, crochet and playing with Lego.

You can find out more about her (and get a free book!) on her website, or follow her on Twitter @rhodabaxter and Facebook.

I’m thrilled to have a copy of The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright on my TBR ready to read on my holidays. Even better, I have an exclusive extract to share with you today too.

Beth Cartwright last featured on Linda’s Book Bag when I was lucky enough to share an extract from Beth’s debut novel Feathertide here.

Published today, 10th February 2022 by Penguin imprint Del Rey, The House of Sorrowing Stars is available for purchase through these links.

The House of Sorrowing Stars

How do you heal a broken house?
First you unlock its secrets.

Alone on an island, surrounded by flowers that shine as dusk begins to fall, sits an old, faded house. Rooms cannot be rented here and visits are only for those haunted by the memory of loss.

When Liddy receives an invitation, she thinks there must be some mistake – she’s never experienced loss. But with her curiosity stirred, and no other way to escape a life in which she feels trapped, she decides to accept.

Once there, she meets Vivienne, a beautiful, austere woman whose glare leaves Liddy unsettled; Ben, the reserved gardener; and Raphael, the enigmatic Keymaker. If Liddy is to discover her true purpose in the house, she must find the root of their sorrow – but the house won’t give up its secrets so easily . . .

An Extract from The House of Sorrowing Stars

From the Prelude

The quiet is deep this evening. It arrives on tiptoes, but if you listen carefully enough you can still hear what it leaves behind. Fading light holds the wispy notes of birds as they finally settle to sleep. The water is calm, but it gently laps the shore. Her window is ajar and the scents of hibiscus and oleander drift in from the garden below. I listen for every small sound she makes: a gentle sigh, the shuffle of paper on the desk where she is sitting, the tapping that her feet make upon the wooden floorboards. She is restless, and uncertain; I can tell. She is taking her time. She picks up her pen and dips it into a pot of the finest blue ink. After a moment’s hesitation, she begins. She has written letters before, but something about this one is different. There is more thought and deliberation, as though she is hoping to impress the recipient, or perhaps convince them of something. Usually a letter is finished faster than it takes a pot to boil on the stove, or for the leaves to be swept from the path, but not this one. I can hear the scratches made by the nib as the words emerge across the thick vellum paper; it is like the quiet, purposeful rustle of a nesting mouse. There is a deftness, an assuredness to her stroke, but then abruptly she stops. The pen lingers a little too long on the page, leaving a dark clot of ink behind. I hear her tut as she lifts the pen from the paper and sets it down. It rolls along the desk and she is too slow to catch it before it clatters to the floor. Instead of stooping to search for it, she leans back in her chair and closes her eyes, exhausted by her own words. Fine lines pattern her pale marble face and speak of things lost. She lifts her hands and wipes them across her cheeks as though she could rub the lines away, but grief cannot be erased so easily. Her once-bright eyes are tarnished, dulled by anguish, and I can see the swift clenching and unclenching of muscles in her firm jaw. There are so many words to be spoken, but there is no one to hear them.

Eventually the quiet music of the garden interrupts her thoughts; she opens her eyes, reaches down to retrieve her pen and continues her task. When she has finished, she pushes her chair back to stand. It scrapes noisily against the floor, disturbing the now resting birds, and a squabble and a flutter of annoyance come from the tree outside. Allowing the ink to dry, she walks across the room to the window and pushes it wide open. The air is still, warm and heavy with fragrance. There is little relief or, if there is, she cannot find it. She rests her elbows on the ledge and listens to the evening’s quiet incantations, breathing it all in, wondering. She looks more tired than usual – there is a strange transparency to her eyes, and the skin below them is a mottled lilac. Suddenly she splutters and then coughs, and then the cough turns into a spasm. Covering her mouth with the crook of her arm, she tries to muffle the sound, in case the Keymaker hears her. It is unlikely that he will come to see if she is well, but if he does, he could find the letter and she can’t let that happen. She waits for the coughing to pass. For a while it sounds like there are peppercorns loose in her chest, but eventually the rattling settles. When it does so, she pulls the window sharply closed and drops the latch with a gentle thud. Crossing back to the desk, she sees the little square of marzipan sitting there and holds it up between her fingers. She spends the next few minutes inspecting it carefully from all its different angles. To anybody else, it is quite ordinary and unremarkable – a table decoration, a birthday gift, a sweet treat – but to her it is so much more. When she puts it back on the desk there are small sugary granules still on her fingers and she brushes them away in mild irritation. Then she picks up the letter and wafts it in the air, like a white flag of surrender, before folding it and placing it carefully into a waiting envelope. She pauses. I can almost hear her mind whirring, as she wonders whether to read it one last time. Deciding against it, she reaches hastily for a taper. Like a drop of blood impressed with the image of a key, the wax safely seals the message within. The thrum of her heartbeat is soft and expectant, like the wings of a bird waiting for release, suddenly alive with possibility. She mutters something, half-prayer, half-spell, and I feel a strange flutter of hope. Letter in hand, she leaves the room. All we can do now is wait.

****

Isn’t that delicious? I can’t wait to read The House of Sorrowing Stars.

About Beth Cartwright

Beth Cartwright has taught English in Greece and travelled around South East Asia and South America, where she worked at an animal sanctuary. A love of language and the imaginary led her to study English Literature and Linguistics at university, and she now lives on the edge of the Peak District with her family and two cats. Feathertide was her debut novel.

You can follow Beth on Twitter @bethcartwriter and Instagram.

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I can’t believe I’m featuring lovely Rachel Brimble again today and I still haven’t got round to reading her! Last time Rachel was here we were ‘staying in’ to chat about A Widow’s Vow and Trouble For The Leading Lady in a post you’ll find here.

Today I have a special spotlight on Rachel’s latest book, A Very Modern Marriage as well as a giveaway that you’ll find further down this blog post.

My thanks to another Rachel, this time of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in this blog tour.

A Very Modern Marriage was published by Aria on 3rd February 2022 and is available for purchase here.

A Very Modern Marriage

He needs a wife…
Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.

She has a plan…
But the only woman who’s caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she’s hardly respectable, but she’s determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose’s mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.

They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William’s a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she’s very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won’t follow them wherever they go.

In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble’s exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for…

Giveaway

For your chance to win a £15/$15 Amazon Gift Card, please click here. Please note that this giveaway is run independently of Linda’s Book Bag under the following terms:

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.

About Rachel Brimble

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street series, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

To sign up for Rachel’s newsletter, click here.

For more information, visit Rachel’s website, follow her on Twitter @RachelBrimble or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

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Well who would have thought it? I’m 7 today. Or rather Linda’s Book Bag is 7 – I’m actually 60, and hurtling towards 61, but the less said about that the better! It’s seven years ago today since I put out my first tentative blog post and little did I know how big a part of my life blogging would become.

At times it’s overwhelming and I feel completely stressed by blog tours, deadlines, requests and preparing blog posts aside form actually reading the books, but I wouldn’t change it because of the sheer joy in reading, making new friends and being part of a wonderful bookish community. I would, however, like to thank every author, publicist and publisher who offers or sends me a book, usually unsolicited, and who trusts me with their hard work and effort. I don’t review everything I’m sent. I can’t. As I set up this post, I have received 8 books today, only one of which I was expecting and there are insufficient hours in the day to read everything. But I must acknowledge the blood sweat and tears that go in to getting a book to a reader. Thank you for them all.

Celebration Time

I want to celebrate slightly differently this year, by looking back over the books I have enjoyed the most each year I’ve been blogging and with a small giveaway.

What I’d like you to do, is take a look at my books of the year posts by clicking the links below and deciding which of the books featured you would like most to read – it doesn’t have to be my top read of each year. Post a comment below telling me and I’ll put your name in the hat. If you’re the person chosen at random, I’ll send you either an e-copy or paperback depending on your preference and availability. Simple! It’s open to anyone worldwide as I’m delighted that Linda’s Book Bag has followers in over 200 independent states and countries.

2015

You’ll find my favourite reads of 2015 here (in a pretty ropey post. I think I’ve got better!). My overall favourite read of 2015 was Jakob’s Colours by Lindsay Hawdon and you can read my full review here.

Inspired by the lost voices of the Romany Holocaust this heartbreaking and tender novel will appeal to readers who loved Sophie’s Choice, Schindler’s Ark and The Book Thief.

Austria, 1944. Jakob, a gypsy boy – half Roma, half Yenish – runs, as he has been told to do. With shoes of sack cloth, still bloodstained with another’s blood, a stone clutched in one hand, a small wooden box in the other. He runs blindly, full of fear, empty of hope. For hope lies behind him in a green field with a tree that stands shaped like a Y.

He knows how to read the land, the sky. When to seek shelter, when not. He has grown up directing himself with the wind and the shadows. They are familiar to him. It is the loneliness that is not. He has never, until this time, been so alone.

‘Don’t be afraid, Jakob,’ his father has told him, his voice weak and wavering. ‘See the colours, my boy,’ he has whispered. So he does. Rusted ochre from a mossy bough. Steely white from the sap of the youngest tree. On and on, Jakob runs.

Spanning from one world war to another, taking us across England, Switzerland and Austria, Jakob’s Colours is about the painful legacies passed down from one generation to another, finding hope where there is no hope and colour where there is no colour.

2016

2016 was a particularly tricky year for me and reading became a much needed escape. You’ll find my 2016 books of the year here. My overall favourite read that year was The Day I Lost You by Fionnuala Kearney and you’ll find my full review here.

THE DAY I LOST YOU WAS THE DAY I DISCOVERED I NEVER REALLY KNEW YOU

When Jess’s daughter, Anna, is reported lost in an avalanche, everything changes.

Jess’s first instinct is to protect Rose, Anna’s five-year-old daughter. But then she starts to uncover Anna’s other life – unearthing a secret that alters their whole world irrevocably . . .

THE DAY I LOST YOU WAS THE DAY YOU TORE OUR FAMILY APART

The perfect emotional and absorbing story for fans of Jojo Moyes and David Nicholls.

2017

It was a bumper year for fabulous reads in 2017 and my books of the year are here. My overall favourite read that year was Snow Sisters by Carol Lovekin and you’ll find my full review here.

Two sisters, their grandmother’s old house and Angharad… the girl who cannot leave.

Meredith discovers a dusty sewing box in a disused attic. Once open the box releases the ghost of Angharad, a Victorian child-woman with a horrific secret she must share. Angharad slowly reveals her story to Meredith who fails to convince her more pragmatic sister of the visitations, until Verity sees Angharad for herself on the eve of an unseasonal April snowstorm.

Forced by her flighty mother to abandon Gull House for London, Meredith struggles to settle, still haunted by Angharad and her little red flannel hearts. This time, Verity is not sure she will be able to save her…

2018

I did things slightly differently in 2018, moving to an ’emotional gut reaction’ scoring system out of 100 for my reading and as a result ended up with three books of the year here. They were You, Me, Everything by Catherine Isaac reviewed here:

You and me, we have history.
We have a child together.
We have kept secrets from each other for far too long.
This summer, in the beautiful hills of the Dordogne, it is time for everything to change.

Peace Lily by Hilary Robinson, illustrated by Martin Impey, a children’s book, and you can read my review here.

Ever since she was small, Lily wanted to be a nurse. Her dream becomes real when she takes the brave decision to follow her childhood friends, soldiers Ben and Ray, to the dangerous battlefields of Western France. Will she ever see them again?

Peace Lily is the fourth story in the award-winning series by Hilary Robinson and Martin Impey, set during World War 1. It not only pays tribute to the valuable contribution of women to the war effort but also shows how, after the chaos and distress of the long and painful battle, peace is eventually found both on land and in hearts.

The final book in this delightful and moving series brings all four stories together in a celebration of life and in the eternal hope of a new beginning.

And a certain Fionnuala Kearney again with The Book of Love! You can read my review of The Book of Love here.

One love. Two people. Twenty Years.

From the moment they met, Erin and Dom loved each other too much, too quickly. Everyone said it wouldn’t last. But they knew differently.

A wedding present, a notebook, brings them together through the good times and the bad. On the blank pages of their love story, they write down everything they can’t always say – the secrets, the heartbreak, the highs and lows. It’s where they see the best and worst of each other.

Falling in love is easy but staying in love is where the story begins…

This is The Book of Love.

2019

2019 was a jam packed year and once again I failed to choose just one book as my overall favourite and again there was a repeat author in my choice! You’ll see all my favourite reads of 2019 here. The two books that really stood out for me were the short story collection Witches Sail in Eggshells by Chloe Turner, reviewed here:

‘Witches sail in eggshells,’ I heard Meg say from behind me, and I looked back. She was pounding the shells, hard, with the palm of her hand on the flat of a knife.

Bewitched by ‘the sort of girl who’d batter your heart like a thrush with a snail on a stone’, a woman overlooks the one who really loves her.

A seaside community is overwhelmed when the sea begins to expel its life forms. But the villagers would rather raise the sea wall, whatever the cost, than confront their past mistakes.

A woman’s beloved garden withers as the baby inside her flourishes. When the pregnancy reaches its end, the progeny is not as she expects.

A widower feels like his life might have been a quiet nothing, but he’ll end it with the flight he’s always dreamed of. Even that fails, but instead of indignity, in the attempt he finds peace.

Perceptive, intriguing, and beautifully told, Chloe Turner’s debut collection explores the themes of love, loss, the little ways we let each other down, and how we can find each other again.

And Messy, Wonderful Us by Catherine Isaac, appearing for the second year in a row! My full review is here.

One morning in early summer, a man and woman wait to board a flight to Italy.

Allie has lived a careful, focused existence. But now she has unexpectedly taken leave from her job as an academic research scientist to fly to a place she only recently heard about in a letter. Her father, Joe, doesn’t know the reason for her trip, and Allie can’t bring herself to tell him that she’s flying to Italy to unpick the truth about what her mother did all those years ago.

Beside her is her best friend since schooldays, Ed. He has just shocked everyone with a sudden separation from his wife, Julia. Allie hopes that a break will help him open up.

But the secrets that emerge as the sun beats down on Lake Garda and Liguria don’t merely concern her family’s tangled past. And the two friends are forced to confront questions about their own life-long relationship that are impossible to resolve.

The dazzling new novel from Richard & Judy book club author Catherine Isaac, Messy, Wonderful Us is a story about the transforming power of love, as one woman journeys to uncover the past and reshape her future.

2020

Well 2020 wasn’t quite what we expected was it? Looking back, here, I managed to do more in a pandemic than I might have expected. Books became even more important for us all and – you’re beginning to expect this now – once again I failed to choose just one as my book of the year. This time my top two reads were Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton reviewed here

Three hours is 180 minutes or 10,800 seconds.

It is a morning’s lessons, a dress rehearsal of Macbeth, a snowy trek through the woods.

It is an eternity waiting for news. Or a countdown to something terrible.

It is 180 minutes to discover who you will die for and what men will kill for.

In rural Somerset in the middle of a blizzard, the unthinkable happens: a school is under siege. From the wounded headmaster in the library, unable to help his trapped pupils and staff, to teenage Hannah in love for the first time, to the parents gathering desperate for news, to the 16 year old Syrian refugee trying to rescue his little brother, to the police psychologist who must identify the gunmen, to the students taking refuge in the school theatre, all experience the most intense hours of their lives, where evil and terror are met by courage, love and redemption.

And Amelia Henley’s The Life We Almost Had reviewed here.

This is not a typical love story, but it’s our love story.

Anna wasn’t looking for love when Adam swept her off her feet but there was no denying their connection, and she believed they would be together forever.

Years later, cracks have appeared in their relationship. Anna is questioning whether their love can really be eternal when a cruel twist of fate delivers a crushing blow, and Anna and Adam are completely lost to one another. Now, Anna needs Adam more than ever, but the way back to him has life-changing consequences.

Is a second chance at first love really worth the sacrifice? Anna needs to decide and time is running out…

A beautiful and emotional love story that asks, how far would you go for a second chance at first love? Perfect for fans of The Man Who Didn’t Call and Miss You.

2021

I don’t know about you, but I found 2021 a really difficult year. Despite all kinds of opportunities for which I should have been grateful, I was definitely depressed and struggled to engage in life, so books were a glorious escape (along with the motorhome). You’ll find my books of the year here. However, the one I loved the most was the wonderful Always, in December by Emily Stone and you can find out why I adored it so much in my full review here.

Heartbreaking. Life-affirming. Truly unforgettable.  Always, in December is the timeless, stay-up-all-night love story you’ll take straight to your heart.

If you loved One Day, Me Before You and the hit movie Last Christmas, this is the perfect book for you.

Josie Morgan never looks forward to December. It’s always a reminder of the life she lost, twenty years ago. Now, she always switches off the radio when Christmas music comes on. She always wants to tear down the tinsel her flatmate insists on pinning up. And she always posts a letter she knows will never be read.

Max Carter never expected to find himself stranded in London just days before Christmas. He never expected it would be so hard to say goodbye to a woman he hardly knows. Then again, he never expected to fall in love.

But, this December, when Josie’s letter leads her to Max, a chance encounter will change their lives in the most remarkable way. And their story is only just beginning . . .

From London to Manhattan, from Edinburgh to the English countryside, Always, in December is a romantic journey that’s impossible to forget.

****

So there you have them. My favourite books of the last 7 years. I hadn’t realised how much an emotional response is so important to my enjoyment of a book.

I hope that you’ll find a book you love that you’d forgotten about or had been previously unaware of. If you’d like to go in the hat to receive your chosen book from those I’ve featured, just leave a comment. If for some reason the comment box doesn’t work for you, you can always tell me on Twitter @Lindahill50Hill, Instagram @ljh50hill or comment on Facebook. Good luck.

Entries close at UK midnight on Friday 11th February 2022.

I wonder which book, or books, will end up on my list in 2022. Any suggestions?

I’m absolutely delighted to share my review of The Maid by Nita Prose for the blog tour today. My enormous thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate.

Published by Harper Collins on 20th January 2022, The Maid is available for purchase through the links here.

The Maid

I am your maid.
I know about your secrets. Your dirty laundry.
But what do you know about me?

Molly the maid is all alone in the world. A nobody. She’s used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests passing through. She’s just a maid – why should anyone take notice?

But Molly is thrown into the spotlight when she discovers an infamous guest, Mr Black, very dead in his bed. This isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up. And as Molly becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth, following the clues whispering in the hallways of the Regency Grand, she discovers a power she never knew was there. She’s just a maid – but what can she see that others overlook?

Escapist, charming and introducing a truly original heroine, The Maid is a story about how the truth isn’t always black and white – it’s found in the dirtier, grey areas in between . . .

My Review of The Maid

No-one notices Molly.

The Maid is utterly wonderful and I loved every moment of being in Molly’s company.

Molly’s narrative voice is glorious. Her attention to detail is so vivid that she places the reader in the room with her in a visual manner that is refreshing, entertaining and engaging. Her literal approach, especially to language, is witty, intelligent and innovative, making her such a memorable individual. Whilst some of the plot outcomes are obvious to the reader, the joy in The Maid is finding out how Molly finally understands what is happening to her. I found myself berating aloud some of the other characters in their treatment of Molly, cheering for her when events went her way and shedding a quiet tear at a particularly poignant moment or two. Her difference is what makes her so endearing.

Set over a working week the structure is perfect because it illustrates just how quickly lives like Molly’s can change. The ending to The Maid could not be better. I loved how the plot raced to its conclusion, leading me on so that I could not put this book down, savouring every moment.

Although The Maid is set predominantly in the Regency Grand Hotel, the cast of characters is relatively small so that the reader truly gets to know them. This has the effect of creating an intimacy between the reader and the narrative and enhances the plot brilliantly. Perhaps it is Gran who is the most pivotal character even though she is not physically present in the story. Her guidance for Molly is touching, endearing and pitched to perfection through Molly’s memories.

Nita Prose’s style is absolutely absorbing, and so diverting. I found myself reading with complete joy. However, The Maid might be quirky, funny and thoroughly entertaining – indeed it is all of those things – but underpinning the story are themes that made my blood boil. Molly’s exploitation by those she works with, Cheryl’s dishonesty, and the bullying, lack of understanding and unfairness directed at Molly made me seethe, so that reading this story had a depth and gravitas belied by Molly’s cheerful, direct persona. Identity and coercion in many forms, the blurred lines between right and wrong, justice, cowardice and bravery and so on are all present. All these elements make The Maid so much more than the cosy mystery I was expecting.

I adored The Maid. I hope this isn’t the last we hear of Molly. This dear girl is delightful. She feels like an old friend and I’d really rather like to enjoy her company further.

About Nita Prose

Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean.

For further information about Nita, visit her website or follow her on Twitter @NitaProse. and Instagram.

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