The Dartmoor Bookworm

I bought this book myself after seeing so many positive reviews. I read it on my kindle.  The story is about Tiffy, and after leaving an abusive relationship and finally accepting it was over she needs to move out and find somewhere to live. Leon advertises his flat share, but it’s only a one bedroom flat but that’s okay as he works nights and spends  the weekends with his girlfriend.  It’s sounds ideal so after his girlfriends shows Tiffy around (checks her out) she agrees to move in. The relationship blossoms through the notes they leave each other. Until the inevitable happens. Tiffy oversleeps and Leon returns home. Their meeting not as expected.  The story is predictable, you know they end up together but it also looks at their friendships, Tiffy with Gertie and Mo and Leon with his brother, Richard and how they all help each other and help Tiffy get away from her abusive ex.  It is a great read and a good story which I really loved but there are topics cov...

For three days I moved this book between the coffee table and my bedside table. I didn't open it or read it, I just kept moving it, downstairs then upstairs and back. The thing is, when you read a good book you never know whether the next book will be as good, and if it's not then there's always the disappointment, the loss and the grief you feel. I didn't want to read this in case it wasn't as good as Can you See me? the book I read previously. When I did start to read it, it was at night in bed. I told myself that I'd just read the first couple of chapters. At just after midnight and seventy odd pages in, I had to stop and go to sleep, but even then I didn't want to put it down, I needed to know what happened, who each character was and how they were linked. To say this story gripped me is an understatement. I read the whole book in three nights. The story is based around a large (very large) house in Chelsea, that is owned by Henry and Martina and...

When I requested this book from Netgalley, it sounded ideal, a book about books, what more could a book loving girl ask for, and yet, there is a tell tale sign with me about how much I enjoy a book. The time it takes for me to write a review is the first giveaway. I can devour a book in an evening if it's really good, others take a few days, a week maybe, some when I'm three or four weeks in, you can tell I'm struggling and this one, however idyllic it sounded, is just one of those. I started reading it with great expectations.  I love historical, war stories and as this is set at the end of World War 2, I thought I'd love, but I just can't get into it. There is nothing in the first part of the story that inspires to read on. The story itself is very slow, the characters come across as quite dull and boring, and even though I'm a quarter of the way through it doesn't grab me like a book should, I can't even tell you what has happened because noth...

I was sent a free copy of this book by NetGalley in return for an honest review. This book tells the story of Poppy, a nanny working for a well off family who one days speaks her mind and finds herself out on the street. She is rescued by Drew, (Rich, good looking, older)  who offers immediate help and a whirlwind romance quickly materialises. Within weeks they are married and on returning to England , Drew buys a home in the country for them.  The house is big and beautiful but there is something about it that doesn’t sit right with Poppy.  Her one and only friend, Gina, comes to stay and helps Poppy make the house feel a bit more like home and Gina is amazed to discover that Poppy and Drew made a promise never to discuss the past (before they met). After a weekend with Drew’s friends, secrets start to unfold and the past eventually catches up with  both of them.  The book floats between the here and now throughout, looking back at Poppy’s past and gi...

I haven't  posted these for a while, I have a back log of photos of them to post but I'll start with this months box. Claire's theme for October was "Cute Autumn' and yet again she hasn't  disappointed! Autumn is definitely my favourite time of the year, even though I don't like the clocks changing, the early darker nights and the darker mornings, I love the cold crisp days, the rain on the Velux windows, that cosy warm feeling as you put the winter duvet back on the bed, hot chocolate, the woodburner lit, a good book in front of the fire. So what's in the box this month? Claire always puts an overview in the inside, so you know what everything is! Beautifully wrapped as always! Lots of different things - you never know what you are going to get! A cute little notebook. A selection of stickers, magnets and Washi tape. Postcards and art work. Two cute bookmarks. And Owl origami - I do love an...

This is my first time reading a book by Louise Jensen, even though The Sister and The Gift have both been on my kindle for ages, I haven't got around to reading them. The story is that of Laura, recently bereaved after the death of husband and Tilly her 17 year old daughter.  After her husbands death, the insurance company is holding the pay out and Laura is in financial hardship, set to lose her house and her business. Not knowing where to turn, she finds friendship and a safe place to stay with Tilly at Oak Leaf Organics, a farm, come commune, come cult. At the head is Alex who instantly attracts both the attention of Laura and Tilly. when someone dies unexpectedly Laura wants to leave but Tilly refuses to go... I was sent a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley, HQ and the author. The ebook I was sent was formatted incorrectly on the first page and things like that really annoy me and so I couldn't read it, so when I saw it for sale in my local supermarket ...

 I was sent a copy of this book in return for an honest review. Edie  Browne, 32 had everything, and after dumping her boyfriend she decided to jump out of a plane to show herself how independent she has become but after tripping over the champagne bucket things take a turn for the worse. Edie  suffers a stroke. To aid her recovery she decides to spend some time in Cornwall with her aunt who has recently been widowed and the journey of recovery begins for both of them. The characters in this book are brilliant, warm and friendly and you feel like you are part of village life. The descriptions of the landmarks and locations are vibrant and you feel like you are there with them. Edie is a lovely character, warm friendly and funny and even though the storyline and the romance are predictable from the start, you want Edie to find happiness in St Aidan and not return to Bath as she says she is going too. With Edie’s help Aunty Jo transforms her cottage and her life t...

I was sent a  copy of this (ebook) for free in return for an honest review. Tessa is 16 years old, homeschooled and a poetry blogger. She lives at home with her grandparents who have raised her since birth. (Her father is unknown and her mother moved away to find work.) One day Tessa and her grandmother are involved in a car accident, being hit by a drunk driver and as a result of the accident Tessa experiences temporary blindness. Her reaction, as I'm sure most peoples would be is panic, self hatred and a longing to stay safe, safe inside her home. She is unhappy and frustrated at not being able to see and do the things she used to do.  Her grandparents think the best thing for her is to get her back blogging again, but how can she when she can't see? They go to place an ad in a local paper asking for an assistant, but Tessa finds out and makes them pull the ad before it's published. Weston is also 16 years old and helping at his dad's workplace (the newspaper)...

I was given a prepublication copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. Quinn is something of a swimming prodigy, but having failed to make it to the Olympics, she is still piecing her confidence back together and is now aiming for the World Championships. She cannot let herself become distracted by anything or anyone, no matter how pretty they are. At high school everyone knows about Quinn's sexuality but her best friend deserted her when she moved away and since coming back their relationship has been non existent. Kennedy Reed won't even look at Quinn, let alone have a conversation with her and Quinn is unsure why. Go back to when they were 13 and Kennedy was about to move away and a kiss between them on the front porch of Kennedy's house and the story starts to unwind. To add to the confusion, there is also the relationship between Quinn and her twin brother Liam, who also has a massive crush of Kennedy, and the problems that creates. The s...

Claire's theme for June was a really gorgeous one and one of my favourite books from my childhood, "The Secret Garden," it was as always beautifully thought out and the box was so exciting to receive. As always I opened it on my own, with a cup of tea and took the time to enjoy every little item as I opened them. As always Claire wraps everything in tissue paper (pink) and everything is neatly packed inside the box. So what was inside this month? First off we have some lovely flowery stickers, a cute fabric button badge, and some washi tape (also floral). There is a little craft project for you to make, with everything you need to make it. This time it's how to make a paper flower. Then we have three art prints, i really love these this month and they'd look great framed somewhere in the house. Two are prints and the third is one to colour! Then we have notecards and gift tags - all matching and floral - these are lovely! ...

I was actually away on holiday last week when my happy post arrived. It's always a nice feeling when you see it on your doormat but even nicer when you know it's at home waiting for you. We arrived home early on Monday morning and no I didn't open it straight away. Later onMonday afternoon i got to sit down and open it on my own. This months theme is Spring Clean, very apt for my house at the moment. We have been having lots of work done over the past seven weeks which includes a new kitchen which arrives this Monday! I'm a little excited about that! So in amongst all the chaos of my house - I get this, and as always its perfect. Inside wrapped in tissue paper as always, is a journal, a Paperchase pen, three organisation sheets to help you organise your life, a decluttering one, a cleaning one and one for things you like doing. There is also an art card with the quote, "This could be the beginning of anything you want." That's going i...

I was sent a pre publication copy of this book in return for an honest review by Netgalley. The first thing I will say about this book is that it is the third in a series - I haven’t read the other two and you don’t need to. From what I understand a few of the characters and settings are the same but this book is fine to read on its own without the prior knowledge of storylines or characters. The book is set in a small Cornish village and the main character is Pippa Parkin, a teaching assistant, full of life, bubbly and who brings a smile to the room whenever she enters but who’s love life is not so flamboyant! Her mother is desperately trying to get her together with childhood and family friend James, who is polite and courteous when he needs to be but Pippa sees straight through him and decides he’s not the man for her! When her class teacher leaves on maternity at Easter, her temporary cover teacher, Kam, (male, good looking- we know where this is going) joins th...