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Books
Follow me on Instagram for lots of book content. From book reviews and recommendations of my favourite reads to good ole book chat. I review published books and ARCs. Send me an email to discuss featuring your book on my page.
![[ARC] REVIEW: The Someday Garden - Ashley Poston📱4⭐️
Publication date: 16th June
Sophie is the gardener for Lilymoor, a beautiful house in coastal Maine. When a magical door appears—never in the same place—Sophie finds an overgrown garden and a handsome man trapped inside. As she starts to fall in love with this slightly grumpy man, can she free him and help Lilymoor's garden to bloom again?
Do you know when I said I had too many ARCs publishing in June? It was because I couldn't resist requesting this book, but I'm so glad that I did. 😍
Like Poston's other books, there's a heavy dose of magical realism and it makes this book feel so whimsical.
Sophie and the other characters she meets are relatable and the garden gives a charming setting for a romance. Even though there's a big theme of grief, the story is lighthearted and I really enjoyed escaping to Lilymoor.
Poston also names her chapters using untranslatable words: swipe for two Welsh ones! 🥰
If you're looking for a cosy, comforting and fun book for summer, pick this one up. 🌸✨️
#TheSomedayGarden #AshleyPoston #summerbooks #bookreviews #cosyreading](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/718906990_18111359360308616_5423301431083624250_n.webp?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=joydHdvYlaQQ7kNvwFGqSBs&_nc_oc=AdrWdX4T4auz9ZTyH7AfWELwG6yOhpPGAW2R4unFfUXxPLn8AOrb2LhSapIcuo07aK4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=EBHdt2NmP05aNISIFJKPTg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQEQEHRVv9Yq3_gSFBNuqiYXNypendlqY7i2hcIJHsTshj2ucNw0A2Spn51fGbzQXO77OT_ITnas&oh=00_AQE2P7S7h2xi93uQUI9j6x-Lm4ZVH3DSqmbv87fHcSTqnA&oe=6A7AC580)
![[ARC] REVIEW: Brave New Summer - Sarah Morgan 📱3⭐️
It just isn't summer without a new Sarah Morgan book, is it?! ☀️
Evie, the acting manager of a cosy hotel is contemplating a fresh start when Abby arrives. Abby has been sent undercover by the hotel’s owner and is navigating her own struggles. Join the two women as they forge an unexpected friendship, confront their pasts and find love along the way.
Like Morgan's other books, BNS is comforting and relaxing. I loved being transported to the Cornish seaside and meeting the hotel's characters. There's a flirty chef and a grumpy pub owner in the mix as well as some great female friendships.
I'm about 80% through but I'm calling it now: this is the perfect book to read in the garden with an iced latte. 😍
Have you started on the summer reads yet?](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/705237498_18109236506308616_1341646807065676789_n.webp?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=qguItZFOaLMQ7kNvwHtItZf&_nc_oc=AdpRBuXtBb16TxtYV1scTn5o4jpBgCDAsl_G4WDl8tBVuDD5hrPCwOBHbKAxVlTYKqY&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=EBHdt2NmP05aNISIFJKPTg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQFc4WLCgkQN6OI6-KWNWhW92O27UgY01xqkcgI5DG_dNUWO1yc53a5miEKn6q9iBrc5tgj0ImV1&oh=00_AQGpTMkGGVNc-Xeyj1-rM8FUnIMJmcgfCKFy9mH2CK69qA&oe=6A7AB1B1)
![[ARC] One Perfect Storm - Carley Fortune📱5R⭐️
UK pub. date: 7th May.
Firstly, this was my most anticipated read of 2026. I've loved every other CF book I've read (I still have Meet Me at the Lake to go) and did a very audible squeal when I got approved for the ARC so I had VERY high expectations for this book. Was it how I expected? Oh no, it was waaaaay better. 😍😍
Frankie and George have been best friends since they were 8. Now 30, when Frankie's husband-to-be leaves her before their wedding, George helps her to pick up the pieces and move on.
The story jumps between the modern day and the past and this is without a doubt, the BEST friends-to-lovers I've ever read. The slow burn, the tension, urrrrrgh. It's spicy but even if it wasn't, the story moves quickly and had me hooked.
It's told through Frankie's POV which makes it relatable. Her complicated relationship with her Mum adds so much and Frankie's family are fleshed out and believable. I want to hug young George so much!
Now on to adult George. 👀 I have been very vocal with how much I love Charlie Florek (from One Golden Summer) but he's been firmly relegated to position 2 as my fave CF MMC because George is now number 1. 😍 He's intelligent, nerdy, athletic, fun, easygoing, has a bit of a temper and supports Frankie's passions. He's actually very similar to my husband so that's worked out well. 😂
Like other CF books, Our Perfect Storm is a love letter to Canada (a country that's been at the top of my bucket list for a while!) It took a few chapters to get to Tofino but it was so worth the wait! The setting is beautiful—I felt like I was walking the rainforest, learning to surf and watching the wildlife right alongside Frankie and George. As Frankie is a chef, food is a massive part of the story and Fortune includes local businesses and meals organically and in such a clever way.
So this gets one of my pretty rare "5R" ratings: a 5-star book that I loved so much, it earns a place on my shelf and will definitely be re-read. 😍
TL;DR the characters, the location, the slow burn, the relationships, all of it adds up to a really incredible book. 🌊🏄♀️⛈️💜](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/684208527_18107315966308616_3389696415624801715_n.webp?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=102&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=Be6_nKIidnkQ7kNvwHAmWpH&_nc_oc=AdoR_KGZDSkObCE9K31QebuUpyupIDj5Ftrj6VzTRvwLuXYBcZNK4QgQZSwO8q8HHuc&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=EBHdt2NmP05aNISIFJKPTg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQE4cmsKXgGvhDjnsSRNnGUB5JrOJGk2Z1R9Utcvr3rZz2Csn2zk4ot_snAsj2zk5pE8cuCDZE_7&oh=00_AQEaQCFGt5i8NML-mIXM97eFhMWlR0dmIY40FT2PTIZK7g&oe=6A7ABE88)
![[ARC] REVIEW: Caller Unknown - Gillian McAllister 📱3⭐️
You're on holiday in Texas with your adult daughter when she gets taken. How far would you go to get her back?
This was such a great book for a roadtrip (see photo 2 as we drove past Stone Henge) I'll sum up my thoughts below:
Love:
- The story threw me straight into the action.
- McAllister writes motherhood PERFECTLY, like in Famous Last Words (that I adored!)
- Speech is believable and funny.
- Characters are realistic.
- It's very well written and thoroughly researched.
- The twist was insanely good!
Didn't love:
- It felt slow in the middle.
- I wasn't racing to pick it back up.
- I didn't gel with the American setting.
- The majority is just one character's POV, which I don't love. It did change to dual-POV toward the end and that's when it picked up for me.
I found it really tough to give this a rating because even though it's a fantastic idea and is brilliantly written (seriously, that twist!), I just didn't want to read it. So, for me, this was a good read that I did enjoy but it didn't jump out at me.
Have you read this yet? It published on 9th April and I imagine the audio is amazing!
#thrillerbooks #bookreviewer #ARCreader #bookrecommendations #bookchat](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/684228852_18106529237308616_4373591949366925001_n.webp?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=tEgmqY4BOQUQ7kNvwGu2qfy&_nc_oc=AdpSdmVBYF1VwCeeKOIplGhteSnMZvGd0Tq_lqEKySvIQtn-aTuApRzSKg964fkSjXo&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=EBHdt2NmP05aNISIFJKPTg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQFKh1YhTZTU68-ub0kusA14Akl9tMLRSZyzaU5_f_sIFTGcKiTTpHJGLxiaTI6HOsVgVmMrGDdH&oh=00_AQHaujt3Y2Dfyf45EIMQFvo7IxschdkkesubOdiykegGXw&oe=6A7AB02E)
![[ARC] REVIEW: Don't Fall in Love with Me - Paige Toon 📱5⭐️
Publication date: 23rd April
Firstly, stop what you're doing and pre-order this book/ add it to your TBR! It's that good! 😍
"What if the person you love the most is the one you can’t have?"
Grace has loved Jackson since she was fifteen—they were best friends until he married someone else. When newly-divorced Jackson offers Grace a job on his family's French estate, she sees it as her chance to show him what he's been missing. And what better way to make Jackson jealous than to fake-date her old friend, Étienne, right in front of him? But are the sparks between them pretend or actually something more? 👀
Despite what the title asks, I completely fell in love with this book! The European summer setting is dreamy and picking it up felt like a holiday—it's pure escapism. Think ☀️🍷👙 in rural France, aka, the perfect summer!
There are tropes galore: second-chance, friends-to-lovers, fake dating, unrequited love and Toon handles them all brilliantly.
I like that it was told from Grace's POV as she's a funny and relatable character. The tension between Grace and both Jackson and Étienne is believable. I'll warn you now, prepare to fall in love with both MMCs. 😂
The minor characters are great and add layers to the story, Grace's grandmother and Étienne's friends, especially. As well as a brilliant romance storyline, there are secrets and difficult family dynamics woven in that kept me guessing until the end.
This is a fun summer romance but it's also a heartwarming and emotional read that will transport you to 30-degree France as soon as you turn the page.
A massive 5 stars from me! I'm kind of ashamed to say that this is my first Paige Toon, but it absolutely will not be my last! ✨️
#bookreview #ARCreader #romancebook #summerbooks #5starbook](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/657383959_18102780551308616_4265895808169868481_n.webp?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=QqLApNy_8PkQ7kNvwEkuXt0&_nc_oc=Adrkn11PqK9CEhMGTxFvT9YQlc4XnHs0AfjKF8mO5Kb9ryZ_rXZIJPb1y723CTZxzrg&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=EBHdt2NmP05aNISIFJKPTg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQGYGVxSFh5xZQ1FBhqp4dkrWnniaa8NWsu92Jle1KH3ekFxYt09vSyRRp6sQ1FDYTZ5qoqcUgA-&oh=00_AQH-ZEBAM0Gxgc4YloYJTGs5D84jGA0RO2hwGYgXIx_ROw&oe=6A7AC120)
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