Book Review: The Gift of Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May. #BlogTour #TGOCB Includes a fab #giveaway.

I’m happy to be bringing you my review on this blog tour for Nicola May’s fantastic new book. The Gift of Cockleberry Bay.

 

* Firstly apologies for the layout of this post, due to lack of laptop and self isolating.  #StayAtHome

 

I have read and reviewed the previous 2 books in this series.

1. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay.

2. Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay.

Both were 5 star amazing!

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I was very happy when the brilliant blog tour organiser Rachel contacted me to ask if I would like to take part in this tour.

Nicola May is one of my favourite Authors and a lady that I find inspirational 💗

Please support the Author and all these other amazing bloggers on the tour. My review is raving and I know that many more of these reviewers will be giving rave reviews too. .

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Book Description:

From the author of the #1 BESTSELLING The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay.

All of our favourite characters from Cockleberry Bay are back in this final, heart warming story in the series. Including Hot, Rosa Smith’s adorable dachshund and his new-born puppies.

Now successfully running the Cockleberry Café and wishing to start a family herself, Rosa feels the time is right to let her inherited Corner Shop go. However, her benefactor left one important legal proviso: that the shop cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it.

Rosa is torn. How can she make such a huge decision? And will it be the right one? Once the news gets out and goes public, untrustworthy newcomers appear in the Bay . . . their motives uncertain. With the revelation of more secrets from Rosa’s family heritage, a new journey of unpredictable and life-changing events begins to unfold.

The Gift of Cockleberry Bay concludes this phenomenally successful series in typically brisk and bolshy style and will delight the many thousands of Rosa’s fans.

My Thoughts:

How nice it was to be reunited with Rosa, Titch, Mary and of course  Hot the cutest little Mr Sausage Dog. 
After reading many of Nicola May’s books and of course the two that preclude this book, there was no doubt in my mind that I would enjoy this one.
I slipped effortlessly back into Cockleberry Bay life and enjoyed catching up with the old residents and meeting a few new ones.
I just want to add that although I have read the previous 2 books in this series, it would be perfectly fine to read this as a standalone. The Author gives brief updates on past events. Not enough so previous readers will be bored, but enough so new readers know the story.

In this book, Rosa and Josh are married. Rosa now owns a share in the local cafe and she is considering moving on from her beloved pet themed corner shop. A stipulation on Rosa’s inheritance of the shop was that she does not sell it, but gives it away to someone who deserves it.
Rosa is a perfectly imperfect character. She has flaws, ( as do we all), but she is kind hearted, generous, empathetic and fun. I saw an interview that Nicola May did with another blogger where she says who she would like to play Rosa if she ever got to make a tv series of the books. I googled the name and found the image in my head was very similar to the actress I found. I feel from the narrative and descriptions I feel like I know Rosa and also Cockleberry Bay. What a lovely quaint place to be, despite the gossip and everybody knowing everybody.  It’s a place I would like to visit. 

Nicola May writes as she describes herself  ” chick lit with a kick “. There is tradegy , happiness , sadness and sometimes deceit in most of our lives. Nicola May writes real life themes in a fictional way, but adds humour and interesting plots so that she can write about harsher things that you might not find in chick lit fluff books.  ( not a criticism of these kind, just a comparison).

The plot in this book is centred a lot on who Rosa will give her shop too. I had my hopes pinned on who I would like to have it, but I didn’t know who Rosa would choose as she chose an interesting way to make the decision.

I think the series ended in a way that was perfectly suited to Rosa. And although I will miss hearing how Rosa and all the other residents get on in Cockleberry Bay. I am already excited to read whatever book Nicola writes next.

Ps. My favourite book of Nicola’s that made me fall in love with her writing is The SW19 Club. If you haven’t read this one, check it out plus the many others she has written. I have nothing but high praise for this talented inspirational author.

Thank you to  Eye Lightening Books for sending me a paperback book of The Gift of Cockleberry Bay. It will be taking a proud place on my bookshelf.

Author Bio:

Nicola May lives in the UK, five miles from the Queen’s castle in Windsor, with her black-and-white rescue cat, Stan. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon and devouring cream teas.

Her bestselling The Corner Shop in Cockleberry, the 1^st book in the Cockleberry Bay series, went to #1 on Amazon and stayed there for an unprecedented 6 weeks.

She classes her novels as ‘chicklit with a kick,’ writing about love, life and friendships in a real, not fluffy kind of way. She likes burgers, mince pies, clocks, birds, bubble baths and facials – but is not so keen on aubergines.

Giveaway:
To win a signed copy of The Gift of Cockleberry Bay –
all you have to do to be in with a chance is enter via this rafflecopter link. Press the link and follow the instructions. It’s easy and it’s international. 

Press here for rafflecopter link.

Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  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.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Find and follow Author Nicola May here.

Links:

Website – www.nicolamay.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NicolaMayAuthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/nicolamay1

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/author_nicola/

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Buy The Gift of Cockleberry Bay using these links.

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

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Book Review: Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May. #BlogTour #MMICB #Giveaway

I am very happy to be hosting my stop on the blog tour for Nicola May’s latest book, Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay. Thank you to Author Nicola May for my advanced copy. I was honoured and excited to read this before it was published. And thank you to the brilliant Rachel from RachelsRandomResources.com for organising this blog tour. I don’t take part in many blog tours now, but for Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay, I most definitely was very keen to get my place.

Description:

The cast of the runaway bestseller, The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, are back – including Rosa, Josh, Mary, Jacob, Sheila, new mum Titch and, last but by no means least, Hot, the adorable dachshund.

Newly wed, and with her inherited corner shop successfully up and running, Rosa Smith seems to have all that anyone could wish for. But the course of true love never did run smooth and Rosa’s suspicions that her husband is having an affair have dire consequences.
Reaching rock bottom before she can climb back up to the top, fragile Rosa is forced to face her fears, addiction and jealousy head on.
With a selection of meddling locals still at large, a mystery fire and Titch’s frantic search for the real father of her sick baby, the second book in this enchanting series will take you on a further unpredictable journey of self-discovery.

My Thoughts:

Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay is the sequel to The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. I loved the first book as much as I enjoyed this one. You can read book 2 as a standalone, but reading the first book would give you a better introduction to Cockleberry Bay and the characters you will meet. I found myself getting a good reminder of the residents of the Bay and a short recap of some of what happened in book 1. So as I said you can read as a standalone if you wish.

Coming back to Cockleberry Bay was like coming back to a place I know and love. Catching up with Rosa, Titch, Mary and the boys from The Lobster Pot was great. I felt comfortable that I knew their characters and was looking forward to seeing what everyone had been up to. Of course it was great to hear from Hot the little sausage dog too. Hot also got up to his own escapades.

Rosa is now married and running the corner shop in Cockleberry Bay. But is she happy? Is she content with her life? Come along on Rosa’s journey of self discovery. Along the way I shared Rosa’s pain, joy, laughter, friendships and much more.

The character development of Rosa in this book is fantastic. You can tell from the writing that Author Nicola May knows ‘life’. Life is not easy, you find love, get married find a job…. and et voila …happy ever after. No! life has bumps and some of them are mountains. Yet the author writes with emotion, care and humour.

“No, Ed Sheeran hasn’t moved to Cockleberry Bay.”

The writing is current with even a mention of Meghan and baby Archie (British Royals).

When I finished book 1 and read some reviews, many readers were asking the author to write book 2. I am embarrassed to admit that I was hesitant because book 1 was so good. But I was a fool, I know and love Nicola May’s writing and her books so I should have known and have had faith that book 2 would smash it. …….and it did. Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay is as good as The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. I loved Rosa’s story. The author has the ability in her writing to make us care for her characters. When Nicola May describes her books as “chick lit with a kick”, she describes this book better than any reviewer could. Nicola May has smashed it again with another amazing brilliant book. Great characters, perfectly descriptive location and a plot that has humour, romance, friendship and unexpected escapades. Highly recommended and I predict like book 1, this too will become an Amazon bestseller.

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About the Author:

Award winning author Nicola May lives in Ascot in Berkshire with her rescue cat Stanley. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks and enjoying a flutter on the horses. Inspired by her favourite authors Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews, Nicola writes what she describes as chicklit with a kick.

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Giveaway

Yes, you lucky folk! There is a giveaway here too. You could win a signed copy of the first book in the series . The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. You can read my review of it HERE! But based on the reviews of this book, you know you want it. Plus its signed! So enter the rafflecopter below. Just press the link and fill it in. Easy. Good luck.

RAFFLECOPTER – CLICK HERE

Win a signed copy of The Corner Shop on Cockleberry Bay (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. 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 be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Check out the rest of this blog tour. There are some amazing bloggers sharing their thoughts on Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay.

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Links:

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

www.nicolamay.com

facebook/NicolaMayAuthor

Twitter/nicolamay1

Instagram/author_nicola

 

Book Review: Star Fish by Nicola May.

 

 

Today on ChocolatePages, I’m bringing you a book review from one of my very favourite Authors, and a wonderful lady, Nicola May. This is an older book that the Author got published in 2015. The great thing about finding an Author that you love, after they have already released a few books is that you can go back and read all their other books. This is how I came to read Starfish, I wanted to go back and read all of Nicola’s books.

 

Description

Amy Anderson has a plan: to find her ‘soul mate’ by dating her way through the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Tired of looking for love, the dreamy Piscean decides than an astrological dating agency is the only way to meet the man of her dreams.
Who will finally win Amy’s love? Will it be Ted the Arian photographer with a passion for ice skating, or Laurence, the Libran IT whizz kid who likes to get behind the wheel of a fast car?

Or how about Capricorn Chris, the owner of Starr & Son, the dating agency?

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Published May 5th 2015 by Accent Press

My Thoughts:

‘Star Fish’ is a complete chick lit, easy reading, comedic read. You can tell from the blurb that it will be a fun and ‘escapism’ type read. The type of book that takes you out of the stresses and regularities of your days, and excerts some excitement where you can go dating with Amy. You can follow the fun dates, the hot dates and the incredibly cringy dates. Dating her way through the star signs and getting peeks of the guys and Amy’s horoscope was a mixed up bag of laughs and fun.

Along with Amy and the blind date guys that she met, we also see a lot from Amy’s friends. Of course being fun chick lit, there is a gay best friend which boosts plenty of fun, sympathy and great friendship with.

I’m not sure if the Author researched what is typically the characteristics of each star sign, but I’m not sure I believe all that really anyway. It did take my interest though, how each star sign was characterised, particularly my own…… just out of general interest you know!

“Scorpions are passionate and intense beings, filled with desire. They are secretive and complex. Don’t try to get too much out of them or they’ll become suspicious and leave. They are particularly resourceful characters”.

Well, whether these are true or not, the descriptions fitted with each guy of that particular birth date, and that is part of what made the book fun.

Another fab book by Nicola May, British humour and chick lit fun all the way. I loved it.

p.s Nicola May has lots of books published, all available from Amazon and other bookstores.

Nicola’s latest book The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay has nearly 700 5 star reviews on Goodreads. (One from me of course).

 

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Links:

Goodreads

Amazon.co.uk

Twitter/nicolamay1

www.nicolamay.com

 

 

Happy Publication Day. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, by Nicola May. Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway. #TCSICB

Today I am very happy and honoured to be on the Blog Tour on Publication Day for the brilliant new book by Nicola May. As you will know if you saw my Cover Reveal post for this book, I love Nicola May’s books. I think Nicola is a talented, inspirational woman. (Nicola would be one of my literary tea party guests!). Her new book ‘The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay’ is a 5 star read for me. It lived up to my very high expectations and I loved it. 

Today is the start of a brilliant blog tour, whereby there will be lots of rave reviews for this book, and a lovely giveaway. So be sure to check out the rest of the bookbloggers on this tour, and enter the giveaway which is at the end of this post. 

Some high praise for Nicola’s books by some famous names!

‘This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings’ – Milly Johnson
‘A fun and flighty read’ the Sun
‘A funny and fast-paced romp – thoroughly enjoyable!’ Woman

 

Description:

Rosa Larkin is down on her luck in London, so when she inherits a near-derelict corner shop in a quaint Devon village, her first thought is to sell it for cash and sort out her life. But nothing is straightforward about this legacy. While the identity of her benefactor remains a mystery, he – or she – has left one important legal proviso: that the shop cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it. 
Rosa makes up her mind to give it a go: to put everything she has into getting the shop up and running again in the small seaside community of Cockleberry Bay. But can she do it all on her own? And if not, who will help her succeed – and who among the following will work secretly to see her fail?
There is a handsome rugby player, a sexy plumber, a charlatan reporter and a selection of meddling locals. Add in a hit and run incident and the disappearance of a valuable engraved necklace – and what you get is a journey of self-discovery and unpredictable events. 
With surprising and heartfelt results, Rosa, accompanied at all times by her little sausage dog Hot, will slowly unravel the shadowy secrets of the inheritance, and also bring her own, long-hidden heritage into the light

MY REVIEW:

 The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay is typically Nicola May brilliance. Her plot, characters and portrayal of chick lit escapism is perfect. Nicola’s writing pulls the reader right into Cockleberry Bay so that we can feel the cold air and smell the sea air and sandy beaches of Devon. We can feel the warmth of some of the characters and the bitter taste of others.  As you can tell I loved this book. I was engrossed in Rosa and Hot’s life, decisions, highs and lows. 

The main character Rosa inherits a shop from an unknown benefactor. So she and her beloved dog Hot travel down to see the shop and investigate what could be her new life. Here the adventures begin, with new people to meet, adventures and trials to keep Rosa and the reader intrigued. 

This isn’t the kind of chick lit book that you can predict exactly what will happen. There are surprises throughout the book. I kept wanting to read more and see how Rosa would manage, what she would do next, and who out of the new people she meets would she trust or avoid. There is a brilliant set of side line characters in Cockleberry Bay, and along with Rosa we have to decide which ones are nice and which are nasty!

Rosa has had a tough life, and I like that Nicola May is able to show Rosa’s nature which would depict such emotions from a scarred life. 

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Khalil Gibran. 

I can relate to Rosa, she is a girl after my own heart! She loves a J D and Coke, and has an outlook on life which shows strength and an awareness that life is not fair, but you have to make the best of what you have. Rosa grows throughout the book, and character growth and believe-ability shows the talent of an Author who knows lifes ups and downs and can write it so.

“Life isn’t black and white, Joe. There is no rule book – well apart from the one bloody society throws at us”. – (I hear you Rosa and Nicola!). 

In any review of this book, there has to be a mention of the co-star main character, Hot the little sausage dog is adorable and Rosa’s love, companion and pride and joy. You can see Hot on the cover of this book, but you will have to read it to find out the double entendre of his name and more cute-ness from the lovely sausage.

If I had read this book as a mystery book and you didn’t tell me who the Author was, I would take a guess that it was written by Nicola May! I love her writing style, her ideas and the way she invents her characters that come to life in the readers head. If you haven’t read Nicola May’s books before, read this one…..and the go read all her others. 

5 out of 5 stars brilliant.

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About Nicola May​

Award winning author Nicola May lives in Ascot in Berkshire with her rescue cat Stanley. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks and enjoying a flutter on the horses. Inspired by her favourite authors Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews, Nicola writes what she describes as chicklit with a kick.

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Follow Nicola May

Website – www.nicolamay.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NicolaMayAuthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/nicolamay1

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/author_nicola/

 

Giveaway – Win x 3 Paperback copies of The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  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 I reserve 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 I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

 

CLICK ON THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW TO ENTER AND WIN A COPY OF THE CORNER SHOP IN COCKLEBERRY BAY BY NICOLA MAY.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c6949475/?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Reveal: The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May.

If you know ChocolatePages at all, you will know I love love love Nicola May and all her books. She is an inspirational woman to me. So, I was very happy to be involved in this cover reveal organised by Rachel from rararesources and Nicola.

Description:

Rosa Larkin is down on her luck in London, so when she inherits a near-derelict corner shop in a quaint Devon village, her first thought is to sell it for cash and sort out her life. But nothing is straightforward about this legacy. While the identity of her benefactor remains a mystery, he – or she – has left one important legal proviso: that the shop cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it.
Rosa makes up her mind to give it a go: to put everything she has into getting the shop up and running again in the small seaside community of Cockleberry Bay. But can she do it all on her own? And if not, who will help her succeed – and who among the following will work secretly to see her fail?

There is a handsome rugby player, a sexy plumber, a charlatan reporter and a selection of meddling locals. Add in a hit and run incident and the disappearance of a valuable engraved necklace – and what you get is a journey of self-discovery and unpredictable events.

With surprising and heartfelt results, Rosa, accompanied at all times by her little sausage dog Hot, will slowly unravel the shadowy secrets of the inheritance, and also bring her own, long-hidden heritage into the light.

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Expected publication: April 9th 2018 by Nowell Publishing.

There has been high praise from many for Nicola May’s books, these are just a few.

‘This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings’ – Milly Johnson

‘A fun and flighty read’ – the Sun

‘A funny and fast-paced romp – thoroughly enjoyable!’ – WOMAN Magazine

…………and of course many rave reviews from me here at ChocolatePages for Nicola’s previous books. There will of course be another raving review of ‘The Corner Shop on Cockleberry Bay on publication day, which is April 9th.

But for now, take a look at this gorgeous cover! Isn’t it so lovely, that you can’t wait to get the pages turned and see what happens?!

There is a Pre-order Link, so you can get the book on release day.

 

About Nicola May

Award winning author Nicola May lives in Ascot in Berkshire with her rescue cat Stanley. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks and enjoying a flutter on the horses. Inspired by her favourite authors Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews, Nicola writes what she describes as chicklit with a kick.

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While, we patiently wait for publication Nicola has teased us with a little excerpt from the prologue of The Corner Shop on Cockleberry Bay. So, read below and get your bookish imaginations around what will happen next…..

Excerpt

PROLOGUE

‘Are you sure you’ve got the right person?’

Rosa took off her bright red woolly hat and scratched the back of her head furiously, causing her dark brown curly hair to become even more unruly.

The tall, pinched-faced solicitor nodded. ‘Yes, of course we have. Evans, Donald and Simpson do not make mistakes. You, Miss Larkin, are now the official owner of the corner shop in Cockleberry Bay.’

He handed the bewildered twenty-five-year-old a battered leather briefcase and pointed to a small combination padlock on its brass clasp.

‘Here. The will stated that you – and only you – can open this, using your date of birth.’

‘This is all very strange,’ Rosa said. ‘And where exactly is this Cockleberry Bay?’

‘Devon, dear, Devon.’ The solicitor looked under his rimless glasses. ‘I take it you know where that is?’

‘I may have a cockney accent, Mr Donald, but I’m not stupid.’

‘Well, open it then.’ The solicitor was shifting from foot to foot in anticipation. He

confided, ‘We’ve been wanting to know what’s in there for days.’

Showing no emotion, Rosa gazed at him with her striking green eyes and asked coolly: ‘Is there anything else I need?’

‘Er, no – but are you not going to . . .?’

‘I need to get to work.’ Rosa put her hat and scarf back on, zipped up her fur-lined bomber jacket and headed for the door. ‘Thank you so much for your help.’

And she was gone.

‘Rude!’

The solicitor peered crossly out of the window of the offices in Staple Inn and watched as the young woman, the briefcase in her arms, strode across the frosty cobbled courtyard and out into the bustle of London’s ancient legal quarter.

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Now, you are intrigued aren’t you? Well, here is the link again where you can buy ‘The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, by Nicola May. And below are the links where you can find more about the Author and her books. Happy Reading.

PRE-ORDER PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/ B07B8KML35/

 Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/ B07B8KML35/

 Amazon CA – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/ B07B8KML35/

 Amazon AU – https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/ B07B8KML35/

Links:

Goodreads.

Twitter/nicolamay1

www.nicolamay.com

www.rachelsrandomresources.com

Let me know what you think of the lovely cover, if you are going to read this book, and if you have read any other of Nicola May’s books?

 

#FREEBOOKS, Yes free for YOU, this weekend!

We all love a freebie or two don’t we, so here are some amazing recommendations that you can download for free this weekend.

First, Nicola May has made ALL 8 of her books free on Amazon!! So prepare for your tbr’s to grow rapidly!

With her marriage in pieces, shy Cali Summers is faced with this decision and hits the world of fast love on an internet dating app.

Using room 102 in the hotel where she works as her dating ‘lair’, she opens herself up to a world of sex, lies, deception, as well as personal discovery and passionate love.

With a charming F1 engineer, a handsome army officer and her adulterous ex all on the scene, a predictable love match is far from on the cards.

My Review:

Love Me Tinder Book Review.

Link to buy FREE:

 AMAZON.CO.UK/LOVEMETINDER

AMAZON.COM/LOVE ME TINDER.

 

 

Tired of looking for love Amy Anderson decides that an astrological dating agency is the only way she is going to meet the man of her dreams. Star Fish follows Amy’s hysterical search for her ‘sole mate’ as she dates her way through the twelve signs of the zodiac. So who will finally woo Amy? Will it be Ted the Arian photographer with a passion for ice skating, or maybe Laurence, the Libran IT whiz kid who likes to get behind the wheel of a fast car? Or, how about Capricorn Christopher, the owner of Starr & Son, the dating agency? You’ll be kept guessing until the very last page!

Links to buy for FREE:

Amazon.co.uk/StarFish

Amazon.com/StarFish

 

At 3.10 pm every weekday, parents gather at Featherstone Primary to collect their children. For a special few, the friendships forged at the school gates will see them through lives filled with drama, secrets and sorrows.

When Yummy Mummy Alana reveals the identity of her love-child’s father, she doesn’t expect the consequences to be quite so extreme. Ex Czech au pair Earth Mummy Dana finds happiness in her secret side-line, but really all she longs for is another child. Slummy Mummy Brenda’s wife-beating husband leads her down a path she never thought possible, and Super Mummy Joan has to cope when life deals her a devastating blow. And what of Gay Daddy Gordon? Will he be able to juggle parenthood and cope with his broken heart at the same time?

Four very different mothers. One adorable dad. And the intertwining trials and tribulations that a year at the primary school gates brings.

Links to buy for FREE:

Amazon.co.uk/TheSchoolGates

Amazon.com/TheSchoolGates

 

 

 

A page-turner… a terrific read’ Susan Sallis “A powerful tale of survival and hardship, very well crafted and with strong characters” – Publishing News Past Remembering – Book Six of the Hearts of Gold series by Catrin Collier 1941. In Pontypridd, Ronnie Ronconi has returned home from war-torn Italy. The family are certain he will once again take charge of the family in his own forceful way, but Ronnie’s escape from Italy has left him a much changed man. He accepts the rights and freedoms of his younger siblings as he never has before, and even finds time to help others, particularly Alma, whose husband has been sent on a most dangerous mission. After the loss of his beloved wife, Ronnie is certain he will never look at a woman again; he certainly doesn’t expect to fall in love – particularly with the wife of a friend… Diana is locked in an unhappy marriage – but can Ronnie and Diana put their own personal happiness ahead of that of an entire family?

Links to buy for FREE:

Amazon.co.uk/BetterTogether

Amazon.com/BetterTogether

 

Ruby IS BACK and never expected to be starting over…but after a shocking bereavement, she begins to question whether or not she will ever be happy again.
A chance encounter with handsome author Michael Bell throws her fragile heart into turmoil. Plus, a dark family secret and completely unexpected love interest add to her confusion.
Encouraged to face her demons, she volunteers at The Bow Wow Club – (Boyfriends of Widows, Wives of Widowers).
In this charming sequel to Working it Out you will laugh and cry along with a myriad of eccentric characters as Ruby searches for her inner peace. But will she let love win? Or allow her past to continue to haunt her

Links to buy for FREE:

Amazon.co.uk/LetLoveWin

Amazon.com/LetLoveWin

 

‘This book will twang your funny bone – and your heartstrings. I totally loved it. Nicola May is a talent to watch!’ Milly Johnson

‘A funny and fast-paced romp … thoroughly enjoyable’ Deborah Hughes, Woman

‘The kind of special book that only comes along once in a while’ Miranda Dickinson

What would you do if you were told you could never have children?

Faced with this news, Gracie Davies is at an all-time low. But with the support of some new Wimbledon friends, an unorthodox therapist, her hippy-chick sister Naomi and Czech call-girl Maya, she sets up The SW19 Club and begins her rocky journey to inner peace and happiness. Add in a passionate fling with handsome landscaper Ed, a fairytale encounter with a Hollywood filmstar and the persistence of her adulterous ex, life is anything but predictable…

My Review: The SW19 Club

Links to buy for FREE:

Amazon.co.uk/TheSW19Club

Amazon.com/TheSW19Club

 

It is January 1957 and Helen’s husband Jack returns from National Service. Happy to be reunited, they resume their life together. Their friends, Lily, pregnant and married to Jack’s brother Martin, Katie, pregnant and married to Helen’s father John, and Judy, engaged to policeman Sam, form part of their everyday life. Then Helen is utterly shattered when Jack tells her that a brief fling with a sergeant’s widow has left the woman pregnant. Helen can’t have children so handling her friends’ pregnancies has been difficult enough; this is more than she can bear. She starts divorce proceedings but their fierce love for each other cannot be extinguished. Finally she has to make a decision which requires courage but could be the answer to their differences.

Links to buy for FREE:

Amazon.co.uk/WorkingItOut

Amazon.com/WorkingItOut

 

It’s two days before Christmas and Evie Harris finds herself both manless and jobless. After a chance encounter with handsome Greg (and egged on by her toy-boy-eating friend, Bea) she agrees to work at a homeless shelter on Christmas Day.

Striking up an unlikely friendship with homeless Yves, Evie begins an unwitting journey of spiritual awakening, all set against the sparkling winter backdrop of London.

A New Year’s Eve revelation is on its way … but will it leave Evie with a happy heart, or will she allow the pre-Christmas past to dictate her future?

My Review: Christmas Evie Book Review

Links to buy for FREE:

Amazon.co.uk/ChristmasEvie

Amazon.com/ChristmasEvie

 

 

Ben Whittle’s father, a private investigator, has been taken captive by a cult whilst investigating the case of a missing girl. When Ben receives a desperate call from his father asking for help he is drawn into a dark underground world.

As Ben retraces the last known steps of the missing girl he discovers his only option left is to join the cult and rescue his father from the inside.

The leader of the cult, Edward Ebb, is a psychopathic egocentric who uses his position to control his small group of followers in The Sons and Daughters of Salvation. When he initiates Ben into the group it soon becomes apparent how sick and twisted Ebb is.

Ben must find his father and the missing girl, but the odds are stacked against him and time is running out.

Can Ben rescue his father and the girl and escape with his life?
And what is the gruesome secret concealed in the Revelation Room?

The Revelation Room is the first in a new series of psychological mystery thrillers

Links to buy for FREE:

Amazon.co.uk/RevelationRoom

Amazon.com/RevelationRoom

 

 

So, there you go!! A lovely weekend treat for all who want to download some brilliant books for free. Let me know which ones you choose and what you think of them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Top Books of 2016.

This is a post I have been thinking about for a few weeks. I have read a lot of good books over the past year, and to list my top ten is a good reminder to me how much I enjoyed them. It is also a nice way to thank the Authors for their talent. 

I met my Goodreads challenge of reading 40 books this year. I know this is not a huge amount compared to other bookbloggers, but its good for me. I prefer to read my books slower and more thoroughly so I really enjoy them and soak up the story that it is telling me. 

These books are in no particular order, but all are 5 stars worth brilliant. I have linked my review to each one, incase you want to read my thoughts on them. The links for each book will be in the review post.

TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2016 BY CHOCOLATEPAGES.

Cut Throat Defence by Olly Jarvis. A brilliant gripping crime thriller based in the UK. Olly Jarvis is my favourite legal thriller Author as his knowledge flows brilliantly into his fictional characters drawing me right into the gritty underground and clever legal cases. You can read my review and more about it HERE!

Out of the Darkness by Katy Hogan, was a wonderful uplifting spiritual story. This book has stayed with me and brings hope and appreciation to its readers.  I always think of this book as I go on my walks and pass the boats. You can read more about my thoughts HERE!

The SW19 Club by Nicola May. I only discovered this Author this year and have been missing out. I have read 3 of her books, but The SW19 Club was my favourite as it was therapeutic, brilliant and made me laugh and cry. You can read more about it HERE!

A Stranger’s House by Clare Chase. This was a twisty turny suspence which is just the kind of book I love. Clare Chase is a wonder at writing these kinds of novels. I have her next one on my kindle ready to go. You can read more about A Stranger’s House and my thoughts HERE!

Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean and Me by Caroline James. I have read all of the Coffee, Tea books that Caroline has written and I just love her main characters Jo and Hattie. The tales are heartwarming while making me laugh, feel hungry for the delicious cakes they eat and go into a whole bookish world of Caroline’s imagination. You can read more about my thoughts HERE! 

Novelista Girl by Meredith Schorr. In my review of this book, I gave the Author the huge compliment of saying that I loved the main character Kim Long as much as I love Sophie Kinsella’s Becky Brandon. This book was pure chick lit at its very best. It was perfect! You can read more about my thoughts HERE!

Daisy In Chains by Sharon Bolton was a brilliant book with a really interesting storyline. It spoke of prison wives and fan clubs of convicted murderers. The end was so fantastic and so much of a twist, I loved it. You can read more about my thoughts HERE!

Boyfriend by the Book by Laura Briggs. This was an indulgent chick lit easy read. It was frivolous and complete fun. Perfect for cosy days where you want to go to a bookish world of imagination. You can read more about my thoughts HERE!

 

The Death of Anyone by DJ Swykert. This was another gripping crime thriller and it had the unique points within the tale about ethics of using familial DNA as evidence. Really interesting while being a fantastic crime thriller. You can read more about my thoughts HERE! 

 

Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. This was a wonderful surprise of a book, as I didn’t know there was an Anne Shirley book that I hadn’t read, then I got this! It is a really nice prequel where we can see how Anne got to Green Gables. Although it is by a different Author to the original Green Gables books, it was written with a real insight into the original books by LM Montgomery to celebrate 100 years of Green Gables. You can read more about my thoughts HERE!

So, there are my Top Ten Books of 2016. I hope that 2017 will be full of plenty more, I’m quite sure it will be as I already have a full ‘to be read’ pile. 

Have you read any of these? What were your best reads of the year, link your posts here and I will take a look at yours too. 

Until next time, Happy Reading! 

 

#Festive Book Review: Christmas Evie, by Nicola May.

This is the time to enjoy really festive books, to curl up on the sofa with mugs of hot chocolate with cream and cinnamon, and for me some spiced chocolate gingerbread and of course a festive book. Today, I’m reviewing a short story by the brilliant Nicola May.

It’s two days before Christmas and Evie Harris finds herself both manless and jobless. After a chance encounter with handsome Greg (and egged on by her toy-boy-eating friend, Bea) she agrees to work at a homeless shelter on Christmas Day.

Striking up an unlikely friendship with homeless Yves, Evie begins an unwitting journey of spiritual awakening, all set against the sparkling winter backdrop of London.

A New Year’s Eve revelation is on its way … but will it leave Evie with a happy heart, or will she allow the pre-Christmas past to dictate her future?

Published August 31st 2015 by Accent Press

My Thoughts:

This is a fantastic Christmas short story that will warm the hearts of even those who don’t love Christmas. Evie has been cheated on, and is expecting the worst Christmas ever. But she meets Greg who invites her to help the homeless over Christmas. There are just enough characters in this story so that we get a good taste for all of them. 

Bea, Evie’s wacky friend who is always on hand for a laugh and a sherry. Greg the handsome man who helps the homeless. But the stand out from all the rest character is Yves. Evie meets Yves and spends a little time with him. 

Through Yves, we the readers and Evie are shown a side of Christmas that many of us forget. Christmas doesn’t need to be expensive, or hectic or anything we don’t want it to be. 

“See, you don’t need money to do things that make you feel good.” says Yves. This is one of the best festive reads I have read in a while. It really encourages the good in people and allows positivity to flow from the book, and encourage us to be grateful for what we have in the present.

Yves is a spirtual soul and gives Evie some wonderful quotes, one particular from The Prophet by Khali Gilbran, which let me see the wonderful thoughts of the Author also mirrored in her previous book ‘The SW19 Club‘. 

This is a festive easy reading book filled with hope, beauty and positivity. This is the third book I have read by Nicola May, and although I knew before how talented she is. This book made me realise that Nicola May, in the words of Anne Shirley is a “kindred spirit”. 

*Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery.

 

 

Links:

Goodreads

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Twitter/nicolamay1

www.nicolamay.com

 

 

Book Review: Love Me Tinder, by Nicola May.

When Author Nicola May asked me if I would like to read and review her new book, Love Me Tinder, I jumped at the chance. The title itself, just oozes comedy. I was sure it was going to be good. I have read only 1 of Nicola May’s books before and that was The SW19 Club. I loved the way that this was written, and it was a book that made me both laugh and cry. I was hoping Love Me Tinder would just make me laugh…..and it did. I loved it. I am also happy to know that there are quite a few more books by this Author that I have yet to read. Always a good thing after enjoying one of a talented Author’s books. 

Description:

Dull security or risky freedom – which would you choose?

With her marriage in pieces, shy Cali Summers is faced with this decision and hits the world of fast love on an internet dating app.

Using room 102 in the hotel where she works as her dating ‘lair’, she opens herself up to a world of sex, lies, deception, as well as personal discovery and passionate love.

With a charming F1 engineer, a handsome army officer and her adulterous ex all on the scene, a predictable love match is far from on the cards.

Published July 31st 2016 by Accent Press

My Thoughts:

Well, this book was a bit of a eye opener for me to the world of online dating! Cali was cheated on by her Husband and decides to put herself out there on Tinder. Before I read this I knew nothing of Tinder, after reading this I can see how it could bring love and it can bring laughter, mix ups, disappointment and fun! For Cali , it brought a novel load of laughs and a few experiences that she won t forget! 

There was a brilliant side line character called Lady P, who is an African Grey Parrot. He would say the most inappropriate things at every opportunity and you can just imagine the things a fictional parrot could say when a young lady enters the world of Tinder. It’s brilliant.

Nicola May’s writing style flows easily and well. I think this Author  must have a brain full of imagination as she has written quite a few books and all get amazing reviews. She writes fictionally  about characters that you can empathise with, you can laugh and cry with. She writes stories that could be true, but you are glad you are not embroiled in all those mix ups and  craziness. 

Will Tinder work out for Cali?? You will have to read to find out. But prepare for a good read, some laughs and some cringes along the way. 

Cali enjoys her Tinder fun in Room 102 .  If I ever stay in a room 102 again, I will always think of Cali and Nicola May. This is definitely a  book I recommend to all chick lit lovers and especially anyone who has any experience of Tinder. If like me you haven’t then I still recommend this book to you for the amusement it will give you. 

A funny easy read with great characters and a lot of Love Me Tinder- ing! ❤😉

Links:

Goodreads

Twitter/NicolaMay1

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

NicolaMay.com