My grateful thanks to Caitlin Raynor at Headline for sending me a surprise copy of The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. It’s my absolute pleasure to share my review today.

The Road to Tender Hearts was published by Headline imprint Mountain Leopard Press on 21st May 2026 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Road to Tender Hearts

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday should be the happiest man in town – but everything in Pondville is another reminder of the child he lost, and the way his marriage fell apart.

So, when PJ hears that his high-school sweetheart, Michelle, is unexpectedly back on the market, there’s nothing stopping him driving straight to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win her back.

But before he can hit the road, a spanner in the works: a tragic incident has suddenly left PJ as the only guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren.

Anyone else might be deterred, but it seems like the newly orphaned kids might enjoy the trip out of town. And PJ’s adult daughter, Sophie, has been roped in to help babysit.

There’s one final surprise passenger – Pancakes, a former therapy cat with a knack for predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home . . .

My Review of The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

PJ Halliday is about to find his life changing dramatically.

What a glorious book. I loved it.

The plot of The Road to Tender Hearts is, quite frankly, somewhat exaggerated and a bit bonkers at times but actually completely believable and totally absorbing. It’s fast paced and perfectly balanced between the most outrageous premise of the seemingly death dealing cat Pancakes, Luna’s obsession with her paternity and the sheer humanity of providing a family for those most in need of one. The initiating events are shocking and tragic, but whilst they introduce the theme of grief and lead to the creation of a dysfunctional group taking a road trip, they are never morbid and nor do they feel contrived. What Annie Hartnett provides for her readers is sheer entertainment that encompasses humour to sadness and everything in between. This is such fabulous writing.

I fell in love with PJ from the first moment and my goodness it was brilliant to have a middle aged man rather than a gorgeous hunk 30 something as the protagonist. I rarely make comparisons between books but I felt PJ was rather like an amalgam of Harold Fry, Ove and Don from The Rosie Project. He is, however, equally distinct and his own self too. He drinks, he’s had driving convictions, he’s often unintentionally reckless and irresponsible. He’s also generous, vulnerable, a dreamer and caring so that it is impossible not to want him to find Michelle and have his own happy ending.

I am not usually a great lover of children in fiction (or real life!) but here my heart was broken for Luna and Ollie because they are developed with conviction, realism and pathos. There is a moment between Luna and Sophie that will stay with me a very long time, but you need to read The Road to Tender Hearts to find out more. I didn’t so much want the children here to have a positive outcome, but NEED them to because I cared about them. More importantly is the understanding that the characters are ALL children, shaped by their past, their parents and their upbringing. Annie Hartnett teaches her reader not just about her characters, but about themselves in a supportive, funny and sensitive manner.

Whilst there is a physical road trip, the real road to tender hearts is an emotional journey, providing insight into the characters for the reader. However the greatest ‘journey’ is the level of understanding each person gains along the way. Wrapped in their own grief, Ivy, PJ and Sophie have lost sight of one another and themselves. They learn emotional honesty, compassion and connection as the adventure progresses. Here we see that real family may not be those with a genetic link at all.

I’m aware that this review is rather vague, but it’s so hard not to reveal crucial moments that a reader needs to discover for themselves. What I can say, totally unreservedly, is that The Road to Tender Hearts is a narrative that deserves spreading far and wide. It’s wonderful. It entertains. It’s funny and sad. It is packed with human understanding and written with skill to draw in the reader perfectly. I absolutely loved it.

About Annie Hartnett

Annie Hartnett is the author of three novels: The Road to Tender Hearts, Unlikely Animals and Rabbit Cake. Unlikely Animals was listed as one of the best books of 2022 by the Washington Post and BookRiot, and was long-listed for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Rabbit Cake was listed as one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2017, was a finalist for the New England Book Award, and was long-listed for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize.

Annie has been awarded fellowships and residencies from the MacDowell Colony, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Associates of the Boston Public Library. Annie co-runs Accountability Workshops for writers, helping writers commit to routines and embrace the long, slow, joyful, terrible process of doing the work. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog.

For further information, visit Annie’s website, and find her on Instagram.

My infinite thanks to the lovely Freya North for sending me a signed and dedicated copy of Spring at Flora’s House. Given that I adored Christmas at Flora’s House (reviewed here) I was thrilled to receive it. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Spring at Flora’s House today.

Spring at Flora’s House was published on 26th March and is available for purchase here.

Spring at Flora’s House

From the award-winning author comes an uplifting story of friendship, bravery and discovery.

Arriving on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland with swash and bluster, three young American students are set to run a marathon the islanders know nothing about.

At first, it seems the lads are more interested in partying. Gradually, however, their reasons for making this journey, for running this race, come to the fore. JB has an overbearing father to appease. Drew needs to find his feet in more ways than one. And Taylor has history here – his mother was born in Harris but left when she was a teenager, never to return. Hidden in his backpack are four old pieces of Harris Tweed with family secrets tightly woven through the iconic cloth.

It’s spring on the island; a time of renewal and growth, of sunshine and snow, for putting distance between the dark days of winter and the promise of summer. In the tiny holiday cottage on the windswept dunes, friendship, ambition and identity are put to the test. Is the race all about the finish line? What is it that these three are running from – and towards?

My Review of Spring at Flora’s House.

Three twenty-three year old American young men, JB, Drew and Taylor are heading to Harris to run a marathon.

Now, given that I adored Christmas at Flora’s House I was slightly anxious about Spring at Flora’s House. What if it didn’t live up to my expectations? Hmm. Maybe the question should be, ‘Why question the unique ability of Freya North to understand humanity, to make the reader love her characters and to transport anyone picking up her books to her location?’ Spring at Flora’s House is simply glorious.

What I adored here was being given an insight into the lives of three young men. So many books are from the perspective of 30 something women, but here we see the bravado, the impetuousness, the energy and, most importantly, the flaws and vulnerabilities of three close friends. They are magnificent. Physically they are on a journey, but emotionally and spiritually they travel the furthest in the remarkable setting of Harris and Flora’s House.

And what a setting it is. Freya North conjures the most glorious landscape. She made me determined to visit Harris and for those readers who can’t make it there, she gives such a vivid depiction that it’s as if you are actually there. The haunting surroundings, capricious weather, even the coos, all contribute to an achingly immersive sense of place that feels every bit as much a character as the people.

Speaking of people, whilst it isn’t remotely necessary to have read Christmas at Flora’s House to enjoy Spring in the same cottage, there is a real sense of coming home in encountering characters and places from the first book which feels so inclusive.

And coming home, community, friendship, finding oneself and deep, deep human understanding are themes that thread their way through the story in ways that resemble the soft and tickle of a Harris weave. Whilst the narrative might seem simple – three young men deciding to run a marathon in Harris – there is so much to discover alongside JB, Drew and Taylor.

I adored this novella. It’s beautifully written, evocative and immersive. I’d go so far as to say that Reading Spring at Flora’s House is balm for the soul. It re-establishes personal equilibrium not just for JB, Drew and Taylor, but for the reader too. Make sure you read it.

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.

My enormous gratitude goes to lovely Tracy Rees for sending me a very early copy of her latest book, The Golden Feather, all those months ago. I’m delighted that it is finally time to share my review. 

As well as being one of the first authors I ever met, Tracy’s Amy Snow was one of the first books I ever reviewed on Linda’s Book Bag way back in 2015 and I have read and reviewed many of Tracy’s historical novels and her contemporary fiction over the years. You’ll find those reviews here. 

The Golden Feather is published by Ronnald Press on 4th June 2026 and is available for purchase here. 

The Golden Feather

Saul Bonnytop – penniless, uneducated and very, very old – has a secret dream: to enter the mighty Emperor’s storytelling competition. But the contest, to find the most marvellous tale in all the land, is out of reach for someone like Saul – until the arrival of a mysterious golden feather. Despite the impossible odds, Saul and his family embark upon the ultimate road trip, making an unlikely assortment of friends and a dangerous enemy. If Saul fails, the Bonnytops will return to poverty. If he succeeds, they’ll be in greater danger than ever. Saul’s journey is full of splendid tales told in grand halls – but his own quest might be the most remarkable story of all.

My Review of The Golden Feather.  

Being used to Tracy Rees’s historical fiction in particular, it took me a little while to attune to The Golden Feather because it felt so different and initially I was unsure if I’d enjoy it. However, I didn’t just enjoy the story of Saul et al, but I absolutely adored it. 

In effect (and magnificently given that this is a narrative about story-telling) elements of whatever genre of book a reader enjoys can be found between the pages of The Golden Feather. Drawing on the great traditions of oral story-telling, here we have fairy story and fable, romance and fantasy, a touch of horror and a great epic journey, quest and self-discovery, magic and rags to riches to name but a few. There really is an aspect of The Golden Feather that appeals to everyone. The layers of the story can be accessed and appreciated in many ways so that the narrative could be read simply as a magical adventure whilst simultaneously being a love letter to narratives, to life and to what makes community, friendship and humanity so special. The plotting is so deftly handled that there are some true surprises along the way. 

The characters in The Golden Feather are superbly created and the links between them are spun together in such a satisfying way that I found myself completely drawn into the circle of Bart and the Bonnytops. It’s simply wonderful that the aged, poverty-stricken Saul learns just as much about himself, others and what is important in life as does the initially brash, conceited Bart. Even the near-perfect Marralda learns something in the narrative, but you’ll need to read the book to discover what it is! This has the effect of avoiding cliche where the worst character simply learns to be a better person, and instead illustrates how all of us have the potential to change and grow, even if not all of us choose to do so. It gives realism amongst the magic and is a powerful and affecting combination.

More importantly, I feel, is the awareness that dawns on the reader. I found myself finding a childlike, but never childish, delight in rediscovering the power of story, of being drawn into an imaginary world where I had no idea how events might resolve themselves, but being able to relax in the wonderment of knowing they probably would. It’s no exaggeration to say that The Golden Feather is highly entertaining, captivating and compelling, but equally that it brings the most glorious joy to the reader. Having begun the first few pages unsure about the register of the story, I found myself ensnared in the magical quality of plot and authorial style. I could not draw myself away from the people between the pages. 

At the risk of being hyperbolic, I can honestly say that reading The Golden Feather restored my soul. I felt uplifted, as if I’d been privy to the innermost thoughts and actions of people I care about, and I closed the story with the most warm feeling of deep satisfaction. For those, like me, who usually eschew anything bordering fantasy (and there are fantastical aspects here), I urge you to put aside any preconceived opinions and read The Golden Feather. It’s an absolute gem!

About Tracy Rees

Tracy Rees was the first winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition. She has also won the Love Stories Best Historical Read award and was shortlisted for the RNA Epic Romantic Novel of the Year. A Cambridge graduate, Tracy had a successful career in non-fiction publishing before retraining for a second career practising and teaching humanistic counselling. She has also been a waitress, bartender, shop assistant, estate agent, classroom assistant and workshop leader.

Tracy is the bestselling author of ten published novels and is currently working on a historical trilogy for Quercus. She divides her time between beautiful south Wales and London. In her rare spare time, her interests include singing, walking, learning languages and film-making.

For further information visit Tracy’s website or find her on Instagram and X @AuthorTracyRees. 

It’s well over six months since a surprise copy of Every Lifetime After by Jennifer Ross dropped into my post box. My huge thanks to Rhiannon Morris at Harper Collins for sending it to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Every Lifetime After today.

I have previously reviewed one of Jennifer’s Jenny Ashcroft books, Echoes of Love, here.

Published in other formats by HQ in January 2026, Every Lifetime After is coming in paperback on 16th July and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Every Lifetime After

Can they find each other in every lifetime after…?

Claudia is searching for her past.

Suffocating in the glamour of Hollywood, A-list star Claudia Baxter is desperate for an escape. But when she arrives at the Yorkshire estate of Doverley for her next project – an epic romance set in the throes of war – Claudia is astonished to find herself slipping into the story, into the life of her heroine, into time…

Iris can’t unsee her future.

Radio operative Iris Winterton sits in the grounds of Doverley on a moonless night, watching planes depart for Europe. Her stare is fixed on one plane in particular – inside is the man she has loved since childhood. But Iris already knows that this time he’s not going to come back, and she will be the reason why.

Together, can they complete their story?

Pulled together by the past and the future, Claudia and Iris begin to unravel the threads of their connection. But in doing so, will they discover a secret bigger than they could ever imagine…?

Discover this spellbinding time-slip romance, perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Paige Toon.

My Review of Every Lifetime After 

Actress Claudia (Claude) Baxter is playing the part of Iris Winterton in a movie.

What a wonderful, wonderful book. I don’t often read time slip novels but Every Lifetime After has made me an immediate convert to the genre. This isn’t a book that takes yet another well known character from history and transports them to a modern setting for a bit of a romp, but rather one that examines the impact of the Second World War on ordinary people and one which delves into the possibilities of different, congruent, echoing lives through a kind of string theory of connection in a soaring love story. I adored it.

The plot is fascinating, weaving in historical detail, a variety of relationships and an interconnected story that ensnares and mesmerises the reader. This is historical, romantic, mystery, psychological writing wrapped into one glorious narrative.

Reading Every Lifetime After isn’t always easy because the depth of emotion is profound. The reasons for the complex relationship between Claude and Nick are heart breaking. They illustrate the ways in which we truly can hurt the ones we love. The parental, authoritarian and societal control exerted over those in both the 1940s and 2018 timeframes indicate just how a simple moment might alter a whole lifetime and there are moments in the story that left me enraged by the interference in other people’s lives.

I thought the depiction of the two timeframes was perfect. The war setting of the airforce base at Doverley is vivid and clear so that I could picture the men flying off on raids and feel the anxiety of those awaiting their return as if I were there with Iris, Clare and Prim. Equally impactful was the way Jennifer Ross gave me insight into making a film in the modern spotlight of media intrusion. This thread is absolutely believable. There’s such a wonderful balance in the prose between historical and modern eras and I must comment on the brilliant variety of sentence structure in Every Lifetime After. Often the shortest of sentences or phrases have the greatest impact. 

The characters are so engaging. It’s impossible not to get to know Iris and Claude intimately because there are echoes of one life in another, with parallels that shift and reverberate in a gripping narrative. Every Lifetime After feels less like reading a novel and more like watching the ripples in a pool when a stone has been dropped into it. These ripples hold all manner of emotions for those involved, from guilt to grief, and pure love to jealousy and control, and because Jennifer Ross’s writing is so effective, it’s impossible not to feel those emotions deeply too. 

There’s huge sadness in Every Lifetime After, and I did shed a tear several times, especially for those who carry burdens they could have put down and forgiven themselves for years ago. However, it is also the most gloriously uplifting tale. Jennifer Ross shows that whilst we may make mistakes and life doesn’t always work out as we want, there is always hope. There are other connections and possible lifetimes that provide opportunity and joy as well as more difficult times. This is a very moving aspect to the story.

Every Lifetime After is a beautifully written narrative that completely transports the reader and I recommend it without hesitation. I was thoroughly entertained by the story, finding it immersive, tender and mesmerising. 

About Jennifer Ross

Jennifer Ross is the pseudonym for Jenny Ashcroft, author of the historical novels, including Secrets of the Watch House, The Echoes of Love, Beneath a Burning Sky and Island in the East. 

She previously spent much of her life living in, working in and exploring Australia and Asia and now splits her time between Australia and the UK.

For further information, you’ll find Jennifer on Instagram. 

I cannot thank enough Jess Barratt of Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of Body Of Lies by Jo Callaghan. I have adored this series and cannot believe Body of Lies is supposed to be the final book. I’m devastated and refuse to accept it! It’s my pleasure to share my somewhat inadequate review of Body of Lies today. 

You’ll also find my reviews of Jo’s In the Blink of an Eye here, of Leave No Trace here and of Human Remains here. 

Body of Lies is published by Simon and Schuster on 21st May 2026 and is available for pre-order here. 

Body of Lies

The brand-new thriller featuring DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock from the award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of In the Blink of an Eye.

Human suspicion. AI manipulation. Who can you trust when truth has no meaning? 

DCS Kat Frank returns to work at the Future Policing Unit after a tragic loss, only to find herself thrust into a new high-profile case. On the night of Halloween a local MP is found murdered, with a taunting message written in binary code that seems to target Kat specifically: Catch me if you can.

The victim’s anti-AI sentiments suggest a political motive, and as Kat investigates with her partner AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI detective – she finds herself once again battling her own prejudices about the technological future he represents. But when a cyberattack takes out the National Grid, Kat and Lock have to race against the clock to track down the hacker before thousands die.

Tangled in a web of suspicion and deception, Kat must choose who and what to believe when the truth seems to defy both instinct and logic.

Can she set aside her old doubts and put her faith in her AI partner one last time?

Or will this case send Lock down a path she just can’t follow – a path that will leave humanity behind for good?

My Review of Body of Lies

Kat’s got a new case on Hallowe’en.

I am at a complete loss to know how to review Body of Lies. I thought it was utterly fabulous. There are so many aspects to Jo Callaghan’s insightful writing that each book rewards multiple reads and Body of Lies is no exception.

Obviously plot is of supreme importance and in Body of Lies there is a breathtaking, gripping, terrifying (just choose your own superlative and apply it) story. The intriguing police procedural element is layered with aspects of national and international importance and has such resonance in today’s world that the real life potential of this fiction is unnervingly plausible. I cannot stop contemplating what happens, so that the effect of reading Body of Lies is profound. It’s impossible to review Body of Lies without spoilers, but I cannot stress strongly enough how good it is or how fitting the title is.

With Kat’s partner, Lock, being AI, the effects and implications of how we create, use and control AI all feature throughout the book and I adore Jo Callaghan’s skill in presenting both positive and negative aspects without steering the reader to one particular viewpoint. Body of Lies is a book that is intelligently written and not only entertains flawlessly, but that makes the reader think long after the final page is read. 

However, amongst a superb plot are themes of humanity that thrum with sensitive understanding, and affect the reader emotionally too. Kat’s PTSD following events in Human Remains, her ongoing grief at losing her husband, her desire to protect her adult son Cam as well as give him freedom and autonomy, her professionalism and strength as a DCS and her vulnerability, loneliness and compassion, all combine to make her a sublime character. Add in politics, national and international security, cyber attacks, trust, betrayal, zealousness and professional relationships, and Body of Lies transcends mere entertainment.

I realise this review is slightly vague as I really don’t want to spoil the story for others, but let me just say that Body of Lies is magnificent. It appeals to a wide range of emotions, and engages the reader completely. Indeed, I defy any reader not to shed a tear in reading it. Jo Callaghan is not only a sublime author, but her writing illustrates her as a superbly human individual who cares about her characters. Body of Lies is completely wonderful and not to be missed. 

About Jo Callaghan

Author photo courtesy of Edward Moss

Jo Callaghan works full time as a senior strategist, carrying out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce. She was a student of the Writers’ Academy Course (Penguin Random House) and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Writing Competition and Bath Novel Competition. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing In the Blink of an Eye, her debut crime novel, which explores learning to live with loss and what it means to be human. She lives with her two children in the Midlands.

For further information, follow Jo on Twitter/X @JoCallaghanKat  or find her on Instagram and Bluesky.