I’ve been meaning to read Philippa East for years, so I was thrilled when I’ll Never Tell turned out to be this month’s U3A book group choice. I’m delighted to share my review of I’ll Never Tell today. 

I’ll Never Tell was published by HQ on 5th January 2023 and is available for purchase here.

I’ll Never Tell

Keep your family close, and your secrets closer…

To the outside world, the Goodlights are perfect.

Julia is a lawyer, Paul a stay-at-home dad who has dedicated his life to helping their daughter Chrissie achieve her dreams as a talented violinist.

But on the night of a prestigious music competition, which has the power to change everything for Chrissie and her family, Chrissie goes missing.

She puts on the performance of a lifetime, then completely disappears. Suddenly every single crack, every single secret that the family is hiding risks being exposed.

Because the Goodlights aren’t perfect. Not even close.

My Review of I’ll Never Tell

Chrissie is in a prestigious music competition.

I’d heard good things about Philippa East’s writing, but until I read I’ll Never Tell I didn’t appreciate just what an accomplished and gripping writer she is. I thought I’ll Never Tell was excellent. It sounds slightly bizarre or even patronising to say I felt in safe hands because I thought the author’s narrative style felt authentic and authoritative but I’m not sure how else to articulate the way this fast paced plot felt so convincingly constructed.

The plot is claustrophobic and often enraging because so often the characters behave dreadfully. They are selfish, reckless, controlling and delusional. Frequently I wanted to shake Paul and Julia until the truth dropped out of them and to make them realise the harms they were causing Chrissie, one another and themselves. With Chrissie as the catalyst of the action, it felt perfect that her point of view was never directly presented in the alternating chapters belonging to Paul and Julia whose own machinations cause them to lose sight of reality and truth, and indeed, of themselves. The structure of the book reflected perfectly the content of the narrative.

Indeed. I thought the pendulum swing of chapter viewpoints was really clever as it seemed both to echo the beat of a metronome in keeping with the musical theme as well as the ticking of a timebomb’s clock as all the secrets and lies of the Goodlight family gradually become exposed. I found the plot gripping and compelling. 

The psychological aspect of I’ll Never Tell is sophisticated, unnerving and brilliantly crafted. Although I guessed a couple of aspects from Julia’s early life, I was never completely certain who could be trusted, who was to blame and how the narrative might be resolved. The title is inspired because it represents the way characters withhold secrets from one another, but also from themselves.

The themes woven into the psychological strand are fascinating. Class and social status, coercion and control, dependence and a variety of forms of abuse including drugs and alcohol, family dynamics, nature and nurture, talent and vicarious living – all have a cadence like Chrissie’s playing – they are spellbinding. As a result, I’ll Never Tell is a book that keeps the reader completely engaged, often unsettled and totally absorbed. 

I thought I’ll Never Tell was terrific. I thoroughly, thoroughly, enjoyed it and recommend it unreservedly. 

About Philippa East 

Philippa East grew up in Scotland and originally trained as a Clinical Psychologist. Her debut Little White Lies was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Award, and she has since published three further psychological thrillers. Philippa lives in Lincolnshire with her spouse and cat, and alongside her writing continues to work as a psychologist and therapist. A Guilty Secret is her fourth novel.

For further information, you can find Philippa on Bluesky. She is also on Facebook.

It was back in October at the smashing Romance Writing Festival in Bournemouth that lovely Bella North gave me a copy of Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World and I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published on 25th September 2025 Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World is available for purchase here. 

Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World

Romance readers aren’t just readers.

We’re emotional athletes and trope-identifying, banter-craving queens.

Part love letter, part romance novel celebration, part unapologetic power move—this manifesto is for anyone who knows that a happy ever after isn’t silly…
It’s sacred.

Proud to love love? This is your official crown. Wear it well!

Warning: May cause excessive swooning, emotional validation, and uncontrollable urges to recommend romance novels.

My Review of Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World 

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

I loved this little book – from its vibrant pink cover, through the illustrations to the opportunity to read the opening of Bella’ North’s novel Score to Settle.

There is such a lot of snobbery about romantic fiction that Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World is the perfect book to present a counter argument. Everything I’ve ever thought about the genre is explained with humour, intelligence and total sassiness that celebrates the romantic fiction genre and the millions of readers who enjoy it. It’s huge fun and I found myself laughing aloud on several occasions.

However, whilst it can be read as a light-hearted exploration of its genre, Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World has considerable depth too – just like the romantic fiction so many eschew, erroneously believing it has no intellectual acuity. Bella North explores with aplomb the qualities of the genre. She examines the right way to live; here you’ll find emotional intelligence, a means by which corrupt public figures might better behave, a wealth of humanity, connection and cooperation. If everyone took the lessons from romantic fiction that Bella North examines in Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World, the world would be a much, much better place!

If you’re a lover of romantic fiction then Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World will make you feel seen and give you a heart-warming joyous sense of belonging. If you’re one of those readers who’ll never pick up a romantic book or read something with a pink cover – try Why Romance Readers Should Rule The World. You’ll find out what you’re missing and you might be very surprised!

About Bella North

Bella North writes spicy sports romances with equal parts heart-racing chemistry and heartfelt emotion.

Her debut series, Oakwood Ranch, introduces readers to the sizzling lives of three gorgeous brothers who play for the NFL, blending the thrill of the game with the heat of romance. Book one, Score to Settle, and book two, Game Over, are out now!

When she’s not writing, Bella enjoys walking her dog or hitting the gym and dreaming up new swoon-worthy stories.

For further information follow Bella on Instagram and find her on Facebook and Bluesky.

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

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

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

Estella’s Fury

Daughter. Murderer. Saviour.

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

My Review of Estella’s Fury

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Barbara Havelocke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bee Spotter’s Guide

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

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

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

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

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

My Review of The Bee Spotter’s Guide

An illustreated A-Z of bees!

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

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

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

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

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

About Dave Goulson

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

For further information, follow Dave on Instagram and Bluesky.

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

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

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

The Truth About Ruby Cooper

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

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

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

Not that Ruby wants to think about the past.

But it can’t stay a secret forever.

My Review of The Truth About Ruby Cooper

Ruby Cooper is envious of her beautiful older sister Erin. 

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

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

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

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

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

About Liz Nugent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lottery Winner Widows Club

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Review of The Lottery Winner Widows Club

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

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

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

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

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

About Elly Vine

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

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

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

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

A Bad, Bad Place

What happened to the dog walker who found the body?

Glasgow, 1979.

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

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

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

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

And neither can the killer…

My Review of A Bad, Bad Place

Janey has found a body.

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Frances Crawford

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

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

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

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

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

Book of Biscuits

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

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

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

My Review of Book of Biscuits

Over seventy biscuits recipes across 7 sweet and savoury themes.

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

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

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

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

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

About Linda Collister

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

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

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

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

Six Little Words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Review of Six Little Words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Sally Page

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

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

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

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

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

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

 The Last Page Café

Sometimes the last page is just the beginning…

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

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

My Review of The Last Page Café

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Kate Storey

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

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