women’s relationships

Harper-Collins Tour for The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick

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This was such a fun novel to read – so clever and engaging. Main character Greta wants her life to be different and finds a way to do that by visiting a magical coffee shop that puts her into the coffee commercials that she used to star in long ago. The premise reminded me a bit of the movie Pleasantville (which I also love!). Greta needs to learn that she doesn’t need magic to find happiness, but can make her own magic. I was thinking that this would be a good Hallmark movie and I see that her previous novel was made into a Hallmark movie!

A fun read – thank you for having me as part of the tour and for my copy!

Here’s the “scoop” (pun intended!):

The Time Hop Coffee Shop 

Phaedra Patrick

December 9, 2025

 Park Row Books Paperback Original

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0778310906/keywords=magical%2Brealism 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-phaedra-patrick/1146709761 

harpercollins:  https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-phaedra-patrick?variant=43812618010658 

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-original-phaedra-patrick/22162824 

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.phaedra-patrick.com/ 

X: https://x.com/phaedrapatrick

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/phaedrapatrick/   

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14203653.Phaedra_Patrick 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phaedrapatrick 

Author Bio: 

Phaedra Patrick is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, which has been translated into twenty-five languages worldwide. Her second novel, Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, was made into a Hallmark movie. An award-winning short story writer, she previously studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organizer and communications manager. Phaedra lives in Saddleworth, UK, with her family.

Book Summary:

Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, everyone’s favorite TV wife and mom. Now fame has faded, that once-glittering career a distant memory. Her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter is distant, and she can’t even book any acting jobs.

When Greta stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, she’s waking up in the idyllic town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial? And what will happen when Greta has to choose between perfection and real life, with no turning back?

The Woman Downstairs by JD Kirk

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Bookouture publishers in the UK always sends me the most tantalizing books! I love psychological thrillers and this was a great one.

Here’s the scoop:

‘Hi,’ she says, ‘I’m your new neighbour.’ Her smile is bright but her shoulders are tense as she stands on the leafy green Edinburgh street. She seems friendly. But soon I’ll discover her dangerous secret…

On the first day I meet my new neighbour, we share a glass of wine and talk into the night. We swap numbers and I vow to get to know her better. But as I get closer to her, I discover something about her past that changes everything. She isn’t who I thought she was.

Then when I step into her home, my jaw drops. Everything in here is identical to my own flat – every cushion, every picture on the wall.

Except for the knife, covered in blood. My heart pounds in my chest. What has she done? What is she capable of?

I should never have come here. I should never have got close to her. I need to run.

But then I hear a creak outside the door. And I realise, it may be too late…

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller from multi-million-copy, bestselling author JD Kirk. This book will have you flipping the pages until the final jaw-dropping twist! For anyone who loves Freida McFadden, John Marrs and T.M. Logan.

This was SO GOOD – I could not put it down!

Thank you for my review copy!!

HTP Blog Tour for OTHERWISE ENGAGED by Susan Mallery

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I don’t read many books like this, but this one appealed to me. It was laugh-out-loud funny for me in parts, and serious and touching in others. I enjoyed the main characters and the storylines. Susan Mallery is a fairly prolific writer and she can make characters come alive as they are so realistic and relatable.

Thank you for my copy and for having me on the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

Otherwise Engaged

Susan Mallery

Fiction / Family Life / Siblings

368 pages

About the Book:

A twisty, tender and wise look at how secrets can transform the powerful—and sometimes problematic—bond between mothers and daughters, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.

When Shannon gets engaged, her beloved mom, Cindy, is the first person she wants to tell—and the last. Cindy’s engaged, too, and has already hinted at a double wedding. The image of a synchronized bouquet toss with her mom fills Shannon with horror. She’ll keep her engagement a secret until Cindy’s I-dos are done.

Victoria has never been proper enough for her mother, Ava, so she stopped trying. She lives on her own terms and amuses herself by pushing Ava’s buttons. Ava loves but doesn’t understand her stuntwoman daughter. When a movie-set mishap brings Victoria home, Ava longs to finally connect.

Chance brings the four women together at a wedding venue, where a shocking secret comes tumbling out. Twenty-four years ago, desperate teenager Cindy chose wealthy Ava to adopt her baby—then changed her mind at the very last second. The loss rocked Ava’s world, leaving her unable to open her heart to the daughter she did adopt, Victoria. As Shannon and Victoria deal with the fallout from the decisions their mothers made, they wrestle with whether who they are is different than who they might have become.

About the Author:

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that shape women’s lives―family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree―40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live. She’s passionate about animal welfare, which shows in the many quirky animal characters she has created. Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband and adorable poodle. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

Social Links:

Website: https://susanmallery.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanMallery 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanmallery 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/susanmallery 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/susanmallery/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/susanmallery 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-mallery 

Mailing List: https://susanmallery.com/join-mailing-list.php 

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778387267 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/otherwise-engaged-susan-mallery/1146329150?ean=9780778387268 

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/otherwise-engaged-original-susan-mallery/21831943?ean=9780778387268 

Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781488234927 

Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Otherwise-Engaged/Susan-Mallery/9780778387268?id=9291789850619 

Target: https://www.target.com/p/otherwise-engaged-by-susan-mallery-hardcover/-/A-93825000#lnk=sametab 

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Otherwise-Engaged-Hardcover-9780778387268/12368102155?classType=REGULAR&from=/search 

Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/otherwise-engaged-a-novel/9780778387268.html  

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/otherwise-engaged-26 

AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/otherwise-engaged/id6714475620 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Susan_Mallery_Otherwise_Engaged?id=jvUjEQAAQBAJ 

Bookouture Tour for The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House by Natalie Meg Evans

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I’m here today as part of the blog tour for a new historical novel by Natalie Meg Evans – The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House – the first in a new WWII series highlighting different women’s stories.

Here’s the scoop:

London, 1940. Walking up the steps of the lodging house at No. 34 Hill Street in Mayfair, Grace Whelan is full of hope, despite the bombs raining down on London every night. But is this the fresh start she craves, or will the family she’s desperately running from catch up with her?

Nurse Grace Whelan’s Irish accent isn’t out of place on the hospital wards in the East End. But she hides it, and so much more, when her work takes her to the other side of the city. Her roommates at the lodging house and her potential beau, RAF pilot Owen, can never know the secrets she’s keeping about her family…

The three girls may share a room in the cosy lodgings, but they are very different. Jess is a country girl not used to the city, and Betony is adjusting to life without her aristocratic father’s money. But as they go through terrifying air raids and family heartbreak together, a sisterhood starts to form.

Until Grace’s criminal brother tracks her down, looking for money. And when it’s revealed she’s not the only one involved with Owen, the scandal threatens to tear the three apart for good.

Devastated, Grace is torn. Will she lose her new friends as quickly as she found them? Or can confessing all her secrets bring them closer together, as the war comes to their doorstep?

A heart-wrenching story full of love, loss and friendship during the darkest times. This wonderful new series is perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe.

I liked this one a lot but just know that it’s part of a larger series, so don’t expect resolution for everyone on the last page!

Thank you for having me as part of the tour and for my copy. I look forward to the next book in the series and seeing these characters’ stories continue.

About the Author:

Natalie is a RITA nominated, USA Today best-selling author of ten historical novels: The Dress Thief, The Milliner’s Secret, The Wardrobe Mistress, A Gown of Thorns, The Secret Vow and The Paris Girl (featuring sisters, Katya and Tatiana.) Two further novels are set in southern Italy: Into the Burning Dawn and The Italian Girl’s Secret, both featuring young women facing tough choices.

The Girl with the Yellow Star takes the reader to wartime Cornwall and introduces Gwenna and little Lotti, the motherless child who comes unexpectedly into her life. The Locket is a split timeline novel featuring Irene, a country girl living next door to a new American airbase and her grandaughter Ruby who uncovers Irene’s lost past. The Paris Inheritance is her latest novel, a split timeline between an English painter caught in Paris by enemy occupation and Hope, an Englishwoman who comes to France looking for a new life. Both women are on the knife edge of life-changing events. Natalie writes page turning stories of wartime, love and challenging choices.

From February 2025, look out for Natalie’s country house crime novels under the name Kay Blythe. One and the same, Natalie/Kay aims to delight the reader with immersive, twisty historical adventure. Happy reading!

Bookouture Blog Tour for A Very Bookish Murder by Dee MacDonald

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I love these Ally McKinley cozy mysteries! This one was about a murder at a writer’s retreat (loved how the murder happened right away! That pulls you in!). I did NOT figure it out before the end and enjoyed this installment.

You don’t need to read them in order (but I did). I always appreciate having a protagonist who is “mature” and not a 20-something, too.

Thank you for my copy!!

Book Description:

Welcome back to the tiny Highland village of Locharran, where Ally McKinley – guesthouse owner and accidental detective – is about to stumble upon another dead body… and her next case.

When Ally McKinley hears that well-known novelist Jodi Jones is going to host a writers’ retreat at the hotel just down the road, she’s delighted to offer rooms at her little guesthouse for some of the attendees. Ally is thrilled to join the group for one of their first sessions – but the retreat has barely begun before she finds the famous writer strangled in the ladies’ bathroom!

The cake tin and teapot come out at the little guesthouse in the Highlands as Ally begins to question her bookish guests. Accusations of plagiarism and infidelity start flying and it’s clear that more than one of the retreat attendees had a grudge against Jodi. But could any of them have resorted to murder?

When Ally discovers a diary in Jodi’s bedroom at the guesthouse with several pages ripped out of it, she thinks she’s close to cracking the case. But the plot thickens when another of the aspiring writers is found dead, only hours after she said she knew the identity of Jodi’s killer.

Not only is the murderer still in Locharran, they’re desperate to stop Ally getting to the truth. With her faithful puppy Flora by her side, can Ally unravel the clues and solve the mystery before she’s written out of the story for good?

A totally gripping and bookish cozy mystery set in the Scottish Highlands from bestselling author Dee MacDonald. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Clare Chase.

Author Bio:

Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.

She has worked in Market Research, Sales and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.

Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!

Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeeMacDonald
https://twitter.com/dmacdonaldauth

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Dee MacDonald here: https://www.bookouture.com/dee-macdonald

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DXJ2WY73social

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Bookouture Blog Tour for Two Perfect Couples by Renita D’Silva

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I’m on the blog tour today for a new psychological thriller that is SO twisty and SO fast-paced that it left me breathless! The twists and turns kept coming in this story and I couldn’t put it down. It’s the perfect summer escape!

Here’s the scoop:

We seem like perfect families. But our secrets must never come out…

I trust my best friend Lydia with my life. We share everything, even the things we can’t tell our husbands. So when we go on a beach holiday together, it’s a dream come true. One night, we treat ourselves to dinner on the beach with our husbands while our children sleep soundly in the cottage behind us.

But when I go to check on them, my entire world shatters. My son’s bed is empty, the window wide open, his favourite teddy left between the crumpled sheets. I stifle a scream as my worst nightmare comes true. My little boy is gone. It’s all my fault.

As the police question us, Lydia gives me a nervous look. She’s the only one who knows I’ll have to lie. Because there’s something about my son that not even my husband knows. And if anyone discovers the truth, they’ll never let me see my darling boy again.

No one can find out my secret. No one knows just how far I’ve gone to have the perfect family. And I will stop at nothing to get my son back…

A completely addictive thriller that will keep you flipping the pages into the early hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of Shalini Boland, Sue Watson and K.L. Slater.

Author Bio:

Renita grew up in a picturesque coastal village in the South of India, the oldest of three children. Her father got her first story books when she was six and she fell in love with the world of stories. Even now she prefers that world, by far, to this.

https://www.facebook.com/ RenitaDSilvaBooks/

https://www.instagram.com/ renita_dsilva/

https://twitter.com/ renitadsilva

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Renita D’Silva here: https://www.bookouture. com/renita-dsilva

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon:  https://geni.us/B0F8CVCNC1social

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay

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I love Juliette Fay’s writing, so I was excited to get this novel from Net Galley. It publishes in August, 2025.

I found this story so interesting because I really didn’t know much about the real Harvey Girls (beyond seeing the Judy Garland movie when I was very young). It is such an interesting piece of history to learn about, a little bit like a 20th century take on the Lowell Mill girls – young woman who left their homes to work hard and make a living, earning independence and pride.

The storyline in this novel is quite engaging: two very different young women, both with much to hide, come together to help each other find success as Harvey Girls and to make new lives for themselves.

This would be a great book club discussion book as you could focus on the Harvey Girls era, women in the work force, marital rights, relationships, friendship, and more!

Thank you for my copy!

Here’s the scoop:

Juliette Fay—known for her “well-drawn characters and vibrant historical backdrops” (Library Journal)—transports us to 1920s America with this big-hearted tale of two very different women who must learn to trust each other as one tries save her family and the other to save herself. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Kristina McMorris.

1926: Charlotte Crowninshield was born into one of the finest Boston society families. Now she’s on the run from a brutal husband, desperate to disappear into the wilds of the Southwest. Billie MacTavish is the oldest of nine children born to Scottish immigrants in Nebraska. She quit school in the sixth grade to help with her mother’s washing and mending business, but even that isn’t enough to keep the family afloat.

Desperate, both women join the ranks of the Harvey Girls, waitresses who serve in America’s first hospitality chain on the Santa Fe railroad. Hired on the same day, they share three things: a room, a heartfelt dislike of each other…and each has a secret that will certainly get them fired.

Through twelve-hour days of training in Topeka, Kansas, they learn the fine art of service, perfecting their skills despite bouts of homesickness, fear of being discovered, and a run-in with the KKK. When they’re sent to work at the luxurious El Tovar hotel at the Grand Canyon, the challenges only grow, as Billie struggles to hide her young age from would-be suitors, and Charlotte discovers the little-known dark side of the national park’s history.

“Juliette Fay’s gift for creating complex, exquisitely human characters” (Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author) is on full display in this deeply moving and joyous celebration of female empowerment, loyalty, and friendship.

About Juliette Fay:

Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of eight novels, including City of Flickering Light and the USA TODAY bestseller The Tumbling Turner Sisters. A graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, she lives in Massachusetts. Visit her at JulietteFay.com.

Bookouture Blog Tour for Not My Greek Wedding by Sue Roberts

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I’m happy to be here today to promote a new summer read from Bookouture: Sue Roberts’ Not My Greek Wedding. This was an engaging and positive read about a young woman who is getting herself back on track after a big break up and who is headed to Greece for her bestie’s wedding. There’s romance, humor, and more in this memorable novel with realistic characters and a storyline that many will relate to.

Thank you for my copy and having me here on the tour!

Book Description:

She might not be the bride, but could this wedding be the start of her perfect future?

Mia is reeling from a breakup with her fiancé. And now her best friend Tasha is getting married on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini – where Mia once planned on having her own wedding.

Arriving at the resort, Mia’s breath catches at the sight of the sun-soaked terrace and vases overflowing with pink and white blooms. And with guests like local hunk, Christos, walking around like statues of Greek gods come to life, there’s even more to celebrate… so Mia promises to put her own heartache aside and make sure everything is perfect for Tasha – especially as she’s the Maid of Honour!

But with embarrassing speeches, champagne corks popping everywhere, and guests getting caught up in the energetic Greek dancing, there are too many problems to tackle alone. If she opens her heart, can Mia and Christos make sure the day runs smoothly, and could she even start her own new love story in Greece?

This absolutely gorgeous and unputdownable beach read is perfect for fans of Kate Frost, Mandy Baggot and Holly Martin. Pack your bags and get ready to be swept away to the stunning beaches of Greece!

Author Bio:

Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.

She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.

The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!
https://www.instagram.com/ suerobertsauthor/
https://twitter.com/ suerobertsautho

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Sue Roberts here: https://www.bookouture. com/sue-roberts

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F4KD2C6Bsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Finding Flora by Elinor Florence

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Elinor Florence is one of my favorite Canadian authors. Her books are generally historical fiction and feature strong, female protagonists. I’ve gotten to “know” Elinor through social media and she seems like a truly nice person who loves her heritage and her family.

I was very excited for her to send me her new novel Finding Flora, which publishes at the end of April. This novel centered on a young woman who was a sole, female homesteader in the Canadian West in the early 1900s. It was an interesting story, and I learned several new things about homesteading in Canada.

Here’s the scoop:

Description

A rollicking historical novel set in turn-of-the-century Alberta about a young woman on the run from her abusive husband who uses a legal loophole to claim a homestead in the Wild West—perfect for fans of Outlawed and The Giver of Stars.

Scottish newcomer Flora Craigie jumps from a moving train in 1905 to escape her abusive husband. Desperate to disappear, she claims a homestead on the beautiful but wild Alberta prairie, determined to create a new life for herself. She is astonished to find that her nearest neighbours are also female: a Welsh widow with three children; two American women raising chickens; and a Métis woman who supports herself by training wild horses.

While battling both the brutal environment and the local cynicism toward female farmers, the five women with their very different backgrounds struggle to find common ground. But when their homes are threatened with expropriation by a hostile government, they join forces to “fire the heather,” a Scottish term meaning to raise a ruckus. To complicate matters, there are signs that Flora’s violent husband is still hunting for her. And as the competition for free land along the new Canadian Pacific Railway line heats up, an unscrupulous land agent threatens not only Flora’s livelihood, but her very existence.

Not only Flora, but her female homesteader friends were all interesting characters and I was cheering them on during this story. I was so glad to have a chance to read this novel and I can say with certainty that I do NOT have what it takes to be a strong female on the prairies like the women featured in this book!

Thank you, Elinor, for sharing your work with me – and for teaching this American a bit about Canadian history!

A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner

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I LOVE the writing of Susan Meissner, so I was excited to see that she had a new novel coming out this month. This was an interesting and engaging story, set in Southern California during the McCarthy era. I always love Ms. Meissner’s characters and how they change over the course of a novel. I find her stories always end on a note that, while not always happy, is affirming.

Here’s the scoop on this one. I got mine through Net Galley – thank you!

1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter’s agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He’s her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.

Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood’s sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don’t see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?
 
As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it’s a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke…