Srivalli Rekha (Semi-Hiatus)'s Blog, page 10

Red Runs the Witch's Thread by Victoria Williamson - Book Review

Publication Date: 11th April 2024 

Genre: Dark Historical Fantasy 

4.5 Stars 

One Liner: This was so much (in a good way)!  

Paisley, Scotland, 1697

An eleven-year-old Christian Shaw’s accusation of witchcraft led to the death of thirty-five people. 

Bargarran House, 1722

Christian returns home, intent on perfecting the bleaching process to revive her family fortune. She also hopes her attempts will purify their past sins. However, with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the witch hunt approaching, Bargarran House seems to have become a center of dark forces. This affects her sanity and safety to the point where she wonders if she can get what she wants. And what cost? 

The story comes in Christian’s third-person POV in 1722 and first-person POV (in present tense) in 1697. 

My Thoughts: 

I remember my friend Rosh reviewing this book last year. Later in 2024, I read and enjoyed the author’s MG Dystopian Adventure. When this was available on NetGalley, I didn’t even think and requested it right away. 

This is a novella of 185-195 pages that packs quite a lot. Almost from the beginning, I disliked the MC (there’s a strong reason for it). As the book progressed and more details were revealed, I couldn’t stop reading even for a breather. This was intense in many ways. 

I wanted a certain ending but felt unsatisfied with how it was resolved. However, the author’s note at the end explained the reason. The MC is based on a real person, so the author couldn’t deviate from the overall trajectory. Still, a part of me feels assured that the future wasn’t easy. 

The atmosphere gets 100/100. I love it! The ravens, darkness, madness, the house, and just about everything add to the narrative. 

The way the narration spirals aligns with the character development. Quite a few dark themes are used but without making things unnecessarily graphic. 

My heart bled for the witches. But then, this is just one story. The reality was a thousand times worse. All of it was presented in these few pages – Christian domination, pagan hatred, suppression of women, class differences, social hatred, and much more. 

What do I even say about the MC, Christian? Man, I tried my best to feel sorry but… Her obsession with perfecting the bleaching process to get the whitest thread is much more than entrepreneurship. 

The side characters, be it the family or the dutiful Meg, are so well developed within the limitations. Terrific! 

The title and the cover are clever. I love the title a lot more (wish I was this talented in naming my stories). If only the ending was a wee bit more detailed. I can see why it ended that way, I do! But I also want a little more from it. What happens doesn’t feel enough considering the events. 

To summarize, Red Runs the Witch's Thread is a gripping, dark, and atmospheric novella about witch hunts. It is best read in a single sitting (you can finish the book in 60-80 minutes). That said, the writing style may not work for everyone. 

Thank you, NetGalley, Silver Thistle Press, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #RedRunstheWitchsThread

From Provence, With Love by Alison Roberts - Book Review - Blog Tour

Series: A Year in France #2

Publication Date: 25th Feb 2025

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/ProvenceWithLove

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219294344-from-provence-with-love

Genre: Contemporary Romance

4 Stars

One Liner: Touching!

Book Blurb:

A life-changing encounter, a whirlwindaffair... an unexpected consequence

Laura Gilchrist has always made sensible choices.But a trip to Provence to sell an inherited stone house leads her face to facewith Noah Dufour. Her wild, irresistibly attractive real estate agent. Andwithin an instant, she’s bewitched. Without a second thought, she decides she’sgoing to accept his offer to ride on the back of his motorbike and see thebeauty of the South of France through his eyes. She’s never acted on impulsebefore, but Noah makes her feel spontaneous and free – and a little bit excited.

Weeks later, with the memories of their passionatefling refusing to fade, Laura waits for her life to return to normal. But shecan’t shake the feeling something has changed. And then her instincts areconfirmed by the sight of two blue lines. Their connection was a whirlwind;perfect yet brief. But Noah has become a chink in her buttoned-up armor and sheknows her news is going to blindside him. Now she must return to Provence tofind out whether they can both take a leap of faith based on one brief yetperfect holiday romance…

***

My Thoughts:

The story comes in Laura (more %) and Noah’sthird-person POVs.

This is the second book in the series. Though itworks as a standalone, reading the first book might help.

It is divided into three parts. The first part and asolid portion of the second occur parallel with the first book. They share thesame timeline but here the focus is on the other sister. There might be a bitof repetition but since we see it from Laura’s POV, it works (and fills thegaps for those who didn’t read book #1).

I love, love the description of the setting. SouthFrance sounds so beautiful with its old-world charm and nature's bounty. The sceneat lavender fields is my favorite; the descriptions were so vivid that I couldfeel myself breathing in the scent of lavender. While we also get details offood which I liked, the location takes the spotlight.

Laura’s arc in the first book, especially at thebeginning doesn’t do her much favor. We see her soft side later but this onereveals her layers wonderfully. Seeing her love for her little sister is like awarm hug. Her vulnerability is well presented, making it easy to empathize withher.

Noah is easy enough to like though he does make youwant to whack sense into his head at times. However, he is a good guy and hesteps up when necessary. He has a sad backstory which shows he is not an idiot;just someone afraid.

While the romance is a bit insta, there’s nopretense about it. Moreover, enough emotions are woven into the scenes toslightly slow the pace. I appreciate this decision.

I’m a bit surprised that there’s no real progress onthe overarching plot. I thought there would be some development. Maybe it’llhave more focus in book three. Also, we know almost nothing about the othersister, Fiona, so her book will be interesting.

To summarize, From Provence, With Love is aheartwarming story set in a beautiful location. While it is primarily aromance, the parts that appealed the most to me were family bonds and personalgrowth.

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources andBoldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honestopinion about the book. 

#NetGalley

***

About the Author – Alison Roberts

Alison Roberts is the author of over one hundredromance novels, joining Boldwood to write ‘Wish You Were Here’ fiction set inthe South of France.

Follow the Author:

X/ Twitter: @RobertsAli54060

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AlisonRobertsNews

Bookbub profile: @rosi3

***

This has been a stop on the #FromProvenceWithLoveblog tour by Rachel's Random Resources (@rararesources).Thanks for stopping by!

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker - Book Review

Publication Date: 25th Feb 2025

Genre: Mystery, Cozy Sci-Fi (?) 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: That’s interesting! Not for everyone 

Jane O. suffers a few strange episodes in the year after her son’s birth. She has blackouts, hallucinations, amnesia, and a sense of dread that doesn’t leave her alone. She visits a psychiatrist, Dr. Henry, who tries to understand her case in vain. 

As Jane’s situation seems to be getting worse, they need to find out the reason. Is it due to the overwhelming life as a single mother or the result of a long-buried and unresolved trauma from her past? Why did the dead man’s vision warn Jane of a disaster? Is her mind playing tricks, or is it something beyond science and human knowledge? 

The story comes in the first-person POV of Dr. Henry and the journals of Jane O. 

My Thoughts: 

TW: Pandemic 

The writing style can be a deal breaker. Despite getting two POVs, both have a detached sense of style. The psychiatrist’s POV is clinical despite his borderline obsession with the case. Even Jane’s journals carry a dry and matter-of-fact tone which aligns with her character arc.

The tone couldn’t have been better, if you asked me. It prevented the story from getting overly emotional or falling into pieces all over the place. I enjoyed the book as much because I liked the narrative style. 

Since there’s no garnish or seasoning (descriptions), the story is focused on the plot. The pacing is great too even if it feels like nothing much has happened. In fact, that’s the point. Something is happening even when it appears as if everything is good. The sense of unease lingers in the background without distracting the reader from the events. 

However, I feel the suspense (for the lack of a better word) went a bit too long. I’d liked the reveal and the explanation to come a bit earlier so that we’d have more time for the story to move ahead. 

While some questions have been answered, a few are left untouched. Also, I’m not sure about a particular development on a personal level. It may or may not work for everyone. I don’t mind it but I won’t say I liked it. 

The concept is actually cool. It’s exactly the kind of stuff that appeals to me. That’s why, I wanted it to be explored a bit more. 

However, the book has a massive trigger for the pandemic. This occupies around 30% of the content in the second half, so please be careful. 

Also, at one point, I was confused enough to go and check the news reports. Of course, the reveal explained the situation, but as an Indian I can’t say I particularly like the developments, especially considering what happened a year later, through a neighbor. 

To summarize, The Strange Case of Jane O is an interesting read with what some might call unreliable narrators (I don’t think so). Not sure who I can recommend it to. I did enjoy it though! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Random House), for eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheStrangeCaseOfJaneO

The Lamplighter’s Bookshop by Sophie Austin - Book Review

Publication Date: 01st March 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance 

3 Stars 

One Liner: Nice but too much drama  

1899, York 

Evelyn Seaton needs to find a way out of their financial situation. She finds an advertisement for an assistant in a little bookshop. She just wants a job and to keep people away from her personal life. 

William Morton is an aspiring writer with secrets of his own. Turns out, Evelyn and William’s paths are destined to keep converging. However, the way to the future is filled with secrets and lies they need to sort out. 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Evelyn and William. 

My Thoughts: 

This is yet another case of falling for the cover and ending up with a mixed read. Sigh! 

The first 2-3 chapters were terrific. They establish the FMC’s current situation, her family, and her character attributes. It’s easy to empathize with her and root for her to handle the situation. 

The said bookshop doesn’t appear for a while, so when it was first mentioned, I was truly excited. However, it is just one of the places where the story takes place. Yes, it has more importance but would it have been different if books were replaced by something else? Only a little! 

The side characters come in all types. My favorites have to the aunt and Naomi. Both are quite different but the kind we need around us. 

Despite being a romance, the book is more of a family drama. That’s still okay. We can’t really separate family from individuals, right? 

However, my major issue is with the MMC. It’s good to have a guy with flaws. But I couldn’t find anything worthy of him to be a hero. Getting support from others and having someone else literally step in and save the guy from trouble are different. Also, there isn’t anything enterprising about him. 

Of course, the FMC is a bit better but all those lies, omissions, secrets, and whatnot made me dizzy. Angst is nice but not when it is unnecessary for the plot. All they needed was a proper conversation which eventually happened (after I got bored). 

While I enjoyed the writing initially, it got a bit too excessive at times. This affected the pace along with all that miscommunication. The book would have been better with some experienced developmental editing to get rid of (some of) the fluff. 

Also, there’s a mention of possibly something magical about the bookshop but we never know what it is. Was that element removed at some point? If yes, then I have to say it’s a bad decision. Removing the unwanted drama and keeping the bookshop parts would been a better choice. 

The ending is nice but by then I was glad to reach that point. I do like how it presented the attitude and snobbery of the ton as well as the importance of having a title. 

To summarize, The Lamplighter’s Bookshop has a worthy premise that got lost in too much drama. It reads like a debut book and would have benefited from strict editing. 

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheLamplightersBookshop 

Murder at the Orpheus Theatre by Irina Shapiro - Book Review

Series: Tate and Bell Mystery #4

Publication Date: 25th Feb 2025

Genre: Historical Mystery 

4 Stars 

One Liner: This was good! 

1859, London 

Inspector Sebastian and Nurse Gemma didn’t expect their trip to a theatre would end up with a case on their hands. The lead couple playing Romeo & Juliet dies on stage. Sebastian is sure it was murder but solving the crime isn’t easy. 

Gemma wants to be involved in the case (as always), and Sebastian is worried for her. With no one being trustworthy, he knows the risk of trusting the wrong person. Can they find the killer before it’s too late? 

The story comes in Gemma and Sebastian’s third-person POVs. 

My Thoughts: 

As the fourth story in the series, this still works as a standalone. However, I’d suggest reading at least the previous book to get an idea about the relationship dynamics and main character arcs. 

The mystery is actually interesting since it involves death by poison (not me making notes). Moreover, the killer is a cool cucumber given the murder happened, so the MCs know they’ll have to work extra hard. I admit it took me a long time to guess the killer. I could get it only a few pages before the reveal happened. 

We need an array of characters and see the social conditions of the times. It is dark and has triggers (domestic abuse) but the details are not overly graphic. We see only what is necessary for the plot development and the injustice of the times stays true to the era. 

Since the theatre is the primary setting, we also get insights into the lives of the actors, running the showbiz, etc. Since I’ve read other mysteries with similar settings, I didn’t actually learn anything new. Still, I enjoyed the descriptions of the theatre. There’s something about the stage and the backend work that makes theatres feel larger than life. 

The MMC’s professional life also sees a shift. While I’m not sure yet, I feel hopeful about the situation (much like the guy himself). 

There are teeny developments in the personal track. At this point, I can’t wait for the FMC’s mourning period to be over. I also appreciate how a certain aspect has been considered but not directly addressed by the FMC. No unwanted drama. That said, the lead couple had very few scenes together. 

Maybe we can have a time jump for the next case? There’s a new entry too, and I hope she’ll become a permanent addition to the group. Everyone needs HEA if you ask me! 

To summarize, Murder at the Orpheus Theatre is an intriguing mystery with enough suspects and red herrings. The pacing is decent, though I wouldn’t call it fast. 

I’m glad I didn’t give up on the series. Have liked it better with each new release. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #MurderAtTheOrpheusTheatre

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego - Book Review - Book Tour

Publication Date: 11th Feb 2025

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/fatallyinvited-zbt

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213597331-you-are-fatally-invited

Genre: Mystery

3.7 Stars

One Liner: Needs suspended belief but fun

Book Blurb:

Six thriller authors. One writingretreat.

You’d die to be on the guest list . . .

The Host

Legendary mystery author J. R. Alastor’s books aresold all over the world, but no one knows his real name. After years of hidingin the shadows, he has sent out six invitations to an exclusive murder mysteryretreat on his private island.

The Assistant

Mila del Angél has been hired to ensure the weekruns smoothly. She has yearned for revenge on a ghost from her past for years –and this could be her chance to get it.

The Players

The six bestselling thriller writers accept theirinvitations without question – it’s an opportunity any author would kill for.

The Game

What should have been a week of trope-filled gamestakes a sinister turn when one guest is found dead, and the others findthemselves in the midst of a nightmare drawn from Alastor’s dark imagination.They may have written thrillers – but now they and Mila must survive one...

***

My Thoughts:

The story comes in the first-person POVs of Rodrigo,Mila, Cassandra, Olivia, Violet, Fletcher, and a few others.

So, this is like a locked-room mystery on an island.Yeah, a lot of Christie’s vibes but I won’t compare it with And Then There WereNone (I do love that book).

The execution is ambitious for a debut work butmanages to pull it off to an extent. Of course, the book is best enjoyed withsuspended belief. Don’t ask too many questions or think too much about the howsand whys.

The setting is atmospheric. The mansion and theisland have dark vibes and enhance the narration. I couldn’t zoom in on theblueprint at the beginning but I understood the layout and could picturize therooms.

Though we get the story from many first-person POVs,not all of them have the same number of chapters. Many come from Mila’s POVwhile the rest are scattered across the other writers. While this is helpful,the voices blend at times.

Not all characters are well developed but that’sokay. I got a rough idea of who they are. That’s enough for the plot. Giventhat the pacing is already slow, detailed backstories wouldn’t have helped.

Since many details at withheld until later, we haveto make a few guesses and connections. Half of my guesses ended up correct. Theauthor surprised me with a few twists. These make sense, so no complaints.

The reveal is a bit weak compared to the hype untilthen. It could have been a bit more dramatic. The conclusion is good though. Itmay not appeal to some readers (especially if they want hardcore thrillerstuff). I like it.

To summarize, You Are Fatally Invited is anenjoyable debut. Though it has a few issues and is slow-paced, I cannot denythat I was entertained by the book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House UK,Transworld Publishers (Bantam), for eARC. This review is voluntary and containsmy honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley

***

About the Author – Ande Pliego

ANDE PLIEGO began writing stories when shediscovered she could actually wield her overactive imagination for good.

A lover of stories with teeth, she writes booksinvolving mind games, dark humor, general murder and mayhem, characters pushedto the edge of themselves, and most importantly, finding hope in the dark.

When not reading or writing, she can usually befound dabbling in art, scheming up her next trip, or making constantexpeditions to the library.

Born in Florida, raised in France, and having leftfootprints all over the globe, Ande is settled in the Pacific Northwest, USA,with her craftsman husband and a little son.

Follow the Author:

X/ Twitter: https://x.com/andepliegowrite

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

***

This is a pitstop on the blog tour for#YouAreFatallyInvited by ZooLoo’s Book Tours. Thank you for stopping by! 

Remember, I Love You by Claudia Carroll - Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: 12th Feb 2025

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/rememberiloveyou

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205065081-remember-i-love-you

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

4 Stars

One Liner: Sweet and hopeful

Book Blurb:

Recently-widowed father of one Luke isdesperate for a sign.

Since his beloved wife Helen passed, Luke andsix-year-old Amy are just about keeping the show on the road, but he’d doanything to have Helen near him again.

Connie’s much-missed mum was everything to herdaughter. A friend, a cheerleader, a comfort, and the best housemate Connieever had. What she wouldn’t give to speak to her one more time…

Teenage twins Alex and Lucy both miss their dad desperatelybut neither have the words to put it right.

In the heart of Dublin, a quiet community isforming, drawn together by the loved ones they have lost, but kept together byfriendship and laughter. As Luke, Connie, Alex, Lucy, and the other patrons ofthe Leesom Street Café learn to smile again, none of them are quite ready tomeet the person who may be able to make all their dreams come true.

Because if you love and listen hard enough goodbyemight not be the end.

Heartbreaking and heartwarming, uplifting,and utterly unforgettable, Claudia Carroll’s latest novel is perfect for allfans of Ruth Jones, Jojo Moyes, Cecilia Ahern, and Shari Low.

***

My Thoughts:

The story comes in the third-person POV of Connie,Luke, and Lucasta.

Though the book deals with the grief of losing aloved one, it has many lighthearted moments that balance out the heaviness.

The pacing is steady almost throughout. Moreover,the narrative shifts between the three tracks with ease. The limitedthird-person POV helps as it is easier to go with the change (compared tofirst-person POV). 

The impact of losing a loved one comes acrossclearly in Luke and Connie’s tracks. Little Amy made me sad and happy. Luke’swork-life balance and Connie’s frustration about her job are realistic andthought-provoking.

Of course, I happily disliked the characters I wassupposed to hate. The other characters like Stella, Phoebe, and Will were goodand did their bit to support the plotline.

Since the official blurb mentions Lucy and Alex, Ithought their track would be just as detailed as the others. Turns out, that’snot the case. They get some attention but not enough to be mentioned in theblurb.

Lucasta is a key character – eccentric,straightforward successful, and kindhearted. While I could see her side, Icould also feel for her assistant. The resolution of their track is well done.

Though there are hints of love, there is no romance.The focus firmly stays on the central theme. I appreciate it a lot. Even theepilogue is just right – hopeful for a happy future but at their own pace.After all, we cannot rush through the grieving process.  

To summarize, Remember, I Love You is a storythat’ll make you a wee bit sad but also feel happy and hopeful for thecharacters. The concept of Bereavement Café is beautiful (there are quite a fewbranches in and around the UK).

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources andBoldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honestopinion about the book. 

#NetGalley

***

About the Author – Claudia Carroll

Claudia Carroll is a Dublin-based bestsellingauthor, actor and broadcaster. Her contemporary romances were most recentlypublished by Zaffre, but she is now turning her hand to multi-generationalwomen’s fiction for Boldwood.

Follow The Author:

Twitter: @carrollclaudia

Instagram: @claudiacarrollbooks

Bookbub Profile: @carrollclaudia

***

This has been a stop on the #RememberILoveYou blogtour by Rachel's Random Resources (@rararesources).Thanks for stopping by!

Bossman by Vi Keeland - Book Review

Publication Date: 18th Feb 2025 (first published in 2016) 

Genre: Romance 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Fun! 

Reese escapes to the washroom to send her friend an SOS voice message, a request to get her away from her boring date. Chase Parker offers free advice, which Reese doesn’t want. However, Chase brings over his date to join her table, pretending to be a childhood friend. Reese's boring date got better, and they parted ways. 

Then, Reese finds out after a month that Chase is her new boss. The spark is still strong, and workplace romance may or may not be a good idea! 

The story comes from Reese (more) and Chase’s POVs. 

My Thoughts: 

Last year, I saw many Goodreads friends read the author’s romantic suspense thriller. The general consensus was that it had a bit too much romance since the author excelled in the genre. I decided to read her book from that genre. Luckily, this one was available as a rerelease. 

I can see why she has so many fans. The banter is funny and hot. Despite the slowish pacing, the book doesn’t feel boring at any point. Yeah, it has a few weak points too. 

We get the FMC’s POV more while the MMC’s is mostly limited to the past track. I like how this works in the plot. It keeps things in their track while also showing us the character backstories. We can see that the MMC is the same yet different from the past to the present. This shift is subtle but noticeable after we read half the book. That said, I’d have liked a Chase chapter from between times to create a proper bridge between the past and present. 

The MMC is pretty much in from the beginning and makes no excuses for it. While I could see the FMC’s hesitation (all valid reasons), I don’t like that she thought it was okay to string along another (actually a decent) guy for that long. Maybe I should consider it a character flaw. 

Despite instant attraction, the push-pull dynamics go on for a good time. This works in favor of the relationship as readers have time to root for the characters. The steam is 3.5+ and quite a bit of dirty talk thrown in. However, it feels seamless due to the MMC’s arc. 

I like side characters too, especially Sam. The sister is great too and adds to the laughs. 

The book has many lighthearted scenes in the first 70%. After this, it gets a bit heavy (with reason). There are still a few light moments, though the mood shift is clear. 

While I like that the third-act breakup is handled in stages, I did want a bit more of a couple time with the lead pair before the epilogue. Moreover, the epilogue was over too soon. 

This rerelease has a bonus scene (I won’t tell you what it is) I enjoyed much. 

To summarize, Bossman is an entertaining read despite a few flaws. I’ll be sure to check out other books by the author. 

Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #Bossman 

Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering - Book Review

Publication Date: 17th Feb 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

3.3 Stars 

One Liner: Okay... nice! 

Andi (Andromeda) Glover has spent her life breathing books. With unconventional parents who live on a bus and travel for a living (successful though), she wants nothing more than a stable home. With no proper education, Andi has trouble finding jobs. 

However, when she gets a chance to catalog books in Templewood Hall’s library, she is determined to turn her life into a bookish story. A gothic house with an eccentric lady owner and her enigmatic son Hugo is sure to give Andi her HEA, isn’t it? 

However, Andi soon realizes that life doesn’t follow bookish tropes. And the odd sounds in the house might turn her life from classic romance to horror. Amidst the confusion, can she trust the gardener who appears and disappears at will? 

The story comes in Andi’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

Like the author’s previous book, this too is set in Yorkshire. However, most of it takes place in Templewood Hall. 

The descriptions are cool and some metaphors (food-related) were amusing. The overall tone had dry humor which made the book rather a funny read. At no point did I feel scared (I don’t think I was supposed to anyway). 

Andi is a quirky protag and not always easy to like. However, her characterization is true to her arc. She lives bookish dreams and wants to align her life to follow some romantic novel but doesn’t succeed. She can be whiny and repetitive (especially about her sister) but we can see her frustration. She just wants a stable and loving home. 

There is some romance, though the book is mainly about Andi growing up and realizing life cannot be fiction. There’s a bit of ‘searching for a lost object’ which doesn’t go anywhere in the first half. 

The side characters are okay. My favorite is the cat addressed as The Master (no one dares call him by his name which is not revealed). The cat had more personality than most of the characters, followed by Lady Tanith (whose development comes a little too late). However, I appreciate that one of them is partially deaf and it is woven into the narrative. 

The middle feels repetitive and boring. In the last quarter has decent progress. There are two major twists (reveals). Both are handled well and don’t seem odd or unrealistic. The second one was easy to guess due to a random dialogue by a character. 

The ending is HFN with no epilogue. I would have liked a short epilogue set a year later or so. It might have enhanced the storyline. 

To summarize, Happily Ever After is a timepass read with some useful themes but is pretty much a surface-level story. I like it okay, though I did like the author’s previous book better. 

Thank you, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #HappilyEverAfter

Starting Over in Starshine Cove by Debbie Johnson - Book Review

Series: Starshine Cove #4

Publication Date: 19th Feb 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance 

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Sweet and cute 

Connie Llewelyn was a successful and ambitious but unhappy Michelin-star chef in London. A random restless drive took her to Starshine Cove and changed her life forever. 

Twenty-five years later, Connie is warm, loving, and the go-to person in the magical town. However, she is trying hard to stay positive after her husband’s death five years ago and her children leaving home for studies. 

A face from the past enters her life unexpectedly and soon steps into her world in the town. Connie is torn about meeting Zack again but can’t deny the attraction. Will she get a second chance at love? 

The story comes in Connie’s first-person POV in the present tense. 

My Thoughts: 

The FMC has played a moderate to crucial role in all the previous books. Now, it’s her turn to find some love. 

As the fourth book in the series, this can work as a standalone but will have spoilers for the couples from previous books. Reading at least one of those will give you a better idea of Connie’s character. 

The book starts in the past, providing us with a quick rundown of Connie’s past and how she arrived at Starshine Cove. This gives a comparison between her past and present and shows how she has changed (but retained some of her core traits). 

Set in spring, we get some lovely descriptions of the town’s beauty in the season. As always, the community vibe is strong with people supporting and helping each other. 

The teens and new adults are quirky, silly, fun, and loveable. They add much lightness to the plot and are adorable even when annoying their elders. 

Being a small book (250+ pages), the story moves fast. This is still okay as the couple has a teeny history and spends some time together as friends in the present.

I like the discussions about mourning spouses, moving on, putting children first, and the changes that happen over time. Also, things are kept a bit realistic about age-related aspects (menopause, weak bladder, body pains, etc.). 

There’s some angst and lack of communication but I like how it’s dealt with. The FMC’s arc pulls it off, and the reveal presents another dilemma. It’s age-appropriate for them (or so I felt). There’s a happy ending, of course. 

To summarize, Starting Over in Starshine Cove is a heartwarming story about finding love again and being hopeful about the uncertain future. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #StartingOverInStarshineCove