Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

 

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in happily ever after. Until she learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, and her dreams are shattered.

Desperate to stop the wedding, and heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline's first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game - and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy . . .

I have been wanting to read this series for so long but they have been waiting on my shelves for me as I was advised to read the Caraval series first. I can see why people advise this because alongside our main character Evangeline in this book we also have a Fate named Jacks who is a character in the Caraval series which is where the Fates are a big part of the storyline so by reading that series first you have some background knowledge on the trickery the fates can play.

But one thing I can say after finishing the first book in this series, Once Upon a Broken Heart is I much preferred this one to the Caraval series of books. I think this is helped because Evangeline has an instantly likeable characteristics so you do have a care and interest in her well being and you don't want to see her wrongfully accused of wrongdoings. 

World building is certainly something this author does well in both series of her books she has such a wild imagination and then to have such a talented ability of bringing these creative worlds to life so vividly in the readers mind is remarkable. This is fantasy reading but with so much dark magic woven through what feels like a sweet storyline of a girl who just wants to find love.

This book was fast paced and eventful and I was whisked away in the storyline so much so I read the whole thing in a matter of hours BUT hello! That ending, I honestly thought there had been a misprint or someone had taken the last pages from my book!

So a word of warning do not buy this book without having the next one ready to go because you will instantly want to reach for book 2 in the series the minute you finish.

Available to purchase here

A Neighbours Guide to Murder by Louise Candlish

Her secrets will be the death of you…

When Pixie moves into Columbia Mansions, divorced Gwen is quick to take the younger woman under her wing. But as Pixie becomes entangled with her charismatic landlord Alec, the lines of friendship begin to blur.

With rumours of illicit goings-on swirling, Gwen soon realises Pixie isn’t the only one with something to hide. How well does she really know the neighbours she considers her friends?

As scandal erupts, old grudges resurface, leading to a crime that will destroy the peace of Columbia Mansions forever.

 

I have just finished reading A Neighbours Guide to Murder by Louise Candlish, an author whose books I have always thoroughly enjoyed. We meet the residents of Columbia Mansions, Gwen lives next door to Alec and when he takes in a new tenant a young beautiful woman called Pixie, Gwen sparks up a nurturing friendship with her but before long she starts to have suspicions about the goings on behind closed doors and worries about Pixie.

When Pixie confides in Gwen about her situation with Alec there then spirals a tornado of events that soon puts Gwen in an impossible situation.

This storyline starts off as a slow burn and took me a while to slot into but I persevered and I am pleased I did because the pace picked up and I found myself so engrossed in the story and also becoming as mind boggled as our main character Gwen, not knowing who to trust or who was telling the truth. This was certainly an unpredictable read, at times I felt like everything had been solved and had come to light but then the storyline would completely spin and show another side which left me with more questions rather than answers.

There is so much going on at the end of this book too so the author keeps you on your toes right until the very last chapter. My heart really went out to Gwen because you could really see she had such a loving, kind and caring nature but she never seemed to have anyone around her to match her character, it kind of felt like through her whole life she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the wrong people.

I was really invested in this storyline and although it may not be my favourite by this author it is still definitely one I would recommend if you're looking for an unpredictable thriller.

Available to purchase here

Snowed in at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop by Gracie Page

 

Ivy’s first term at art college hasn’t gone to plan. Lacking in friends and inspiration, she’s looking forward to a quiet, cosy, antisocial winter holiday working at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop.

Except, her sleepy small town is suddenly full of chirpy tourists, including Trip – her most annoyingly sunshine-y (and annoyingly handsome) new customer of all, who’s desperate for Ivy to show him the sights of Fox Bay.

Ivy doesn’t think there’s much of interest in her hometown, but can seeing it through Trip’s eyes give her a fresh perspective? And when they both get roped in to helping save the local school show, might Trip be the unlikely inspiration Ivy needs to get her creative sparks flying again?

This is the second book in the Wildest Dreams Bookshop series and is a perfect YA feel good read with a sprinkling of festivity thrown in. If you haven't read the previous book, not to worry it can easily be read as a stand alone.

I thought the book judging by the title was going to be set back in the bookshop again but although Ivy gets a job there for the season it isn't a heavy feature in the book this time which I was a little disappointed by.

But to make up for it we go on mini tours of the sights around Fox Bay which I loved but what I loved most was the blossoming if a little predictable romance that surrounds Ivy as well as her finally letting her walls down and accepting that people do actually want to be friends with her no matter how much she tries to stay in her loner corner.

This is a great YA book for those who have recently left school and are struggling to settle into the next chapter of their lives as it shows that you are not alone with the challenges you are facing and the uncertainty if you have made the right choice. A relatable and helpful message wrapped up in a sprinkling of romance and festivity.

The Secret Mistletoe Promise by Cressida McLaughlin

 

When Imogen leaves her fiancé at the altar and escapes to her grandmother’s cottage by the sea, the only thing she wants to do is disappear.

But in a village curious about their new arrival, Imogen finds hiding out harder than expected, especially with the charming local baker Dexter around to distract her.

As secrets unravel and the festive season draws near, Imogen wonders if she’s been running from the wrong things all along.

Will the runaway bride find her happy ever after under the mistletoe?

My first festive read of 2025 was a no brainer for me as I am a HUGE fan of Cressida McLaughlin and with her new release The Secret Mistletoe Promise set in Mistingham which is the same cosy seaside town her previous book was set in I was ready to be re-united with the community I fell in love with including the troublesome Jumper wearing goat Felix!

This time we arrive in the town alongside a new character Imogen who is a runaway bride who has come to hide out with her grandmother but there this community welcomed her with open arms and rather than hiding away we watch as Imogen begins to flourish as she helps the locals with goat hunting, decoration making as well as taking part in Christmas festivities. There is a sparkling gentle romance fizzing through the pages and new friendships made making this the perfect foundation for a winter romance which I adored. Dexter was a character who I loved from the previous book and I was so pleased that Cressida featured him in this book so heavily as I was hoping for a happy ever after for him.

If you haven't read The Secret Christmas Bookshop yet you can read this one as a stand alone however that was a wonderful read where we really start to get to know the characters and where the antics of Felix the naughty goat will have you chuckling away so treat yourself to both this Christmas.

Available to purchase here

One August Night by Victoria Hislop

 

25th August 1957. The island of Spinalonga closes its leper colony. And a moment of violence has devastating consequences.

When time stops dead for Maria Petrakis and her sister, Anna, two families splinter apart and, for the people of Plaka, the closure of Spinalonga is forever coloured with tragedy.

In the aftermath, the question of how to resume life looms large. Stigma and scandal need to be confronted and somehow, for those impacted, a future built from the ruins of the past.

Many years ago I remember reading The Island by Victoria Hislop and it well and truly left its mark on me as it was a remarkable story that opened my eyes and gave me an insight into the history of Spinalonga and how leprosy suffers were treated. 

Fast forward and I am now on holiday in Crete and thought what a better time to reconnect with the characters we met in The Island in the sequel One August Night. 

A cure has now been found and the surviving patients are ready to leave the island but the thought of Maria’s return is unsettling for both Anna and Marteau who have kept a secret romance all this time. 

But the day of Maria’s turn sparked a dramatic change for all our characters.

The storyline bounces between our characters as Maria spends time building her life in Crete with her new family but also but fulfilling what she feels is her duty visiting the prison whilst Manolis escapes to Athens to find a new life and come to terms with his loss.

This author has such a wonderful writing style that brings our characters to life but also creates such awareness and intrigue into the places she writes about and issues that are faced and she has done such a great job of piquing my interest that after finishing this book I have now booked on a trip tomorrow to visit Spinalonga.

I was once again enraptured by this storyline, maybe not so much as The Island but none the less it held my attention the whole way through and is certainly one I would recommend.

Available to purchase Here

A Scar in The Bone by Sophie Jordan

 

It’s been a year since Tamsyn transformed from the enemy in Fell’s bed to the wife he sacrificed himself to save. From an ordinary girl to Penterra’s best hope to keep magic from disappearing forever.

With Fell torn from her side in the dangerous swirling mists of the Crags, Tamsyn is alone among the dragon pride. An outsider learning to survive in her new home, she trains until her muscles burn and her blood spills. And slowly, a warrior emerges.

But is Fell truly beyond Tamsyn’s reach? Their bond pulls at her, as does the fierce drive to protect both humans and dragon kind from a relentless enemy determined to destroy her – and all magic.

I was a big fan of A Fire in the Sky so I was looking forward to reconnecting with Tamsyn and in this follow on A Scar in the Bone we watch as Tamsyn is adapting to life living with her kind in the Crags but she still has a strong bond with Fell despite being told his brother telling her he has died. The former whipping girl is growing in strength and self worth and as the storyline progresses we can see that after being controlled her whole life she craves a life of freedom and a life where she can live peacefully embracing both her human and dragon form.

I enjoyed this book although I did find it lacked the adventure and excitement of the first book and I feel that Fell's absence from this book was a big contributor to this. At times the pace felt slow and like there wasn't much going on but then on the flip side the last 20% felt like it was rushed. 

I loved the introduction of the new characters as they were from the Dragon pride and I wanted more dragon content in the Fire in The Sky and this was definitely stepped up in this book which I was pleased about. This is definitely not a book to read as a standalone so be sure to immerse yourself in the storyline of A Fire in the Sky before picking this one up.

Bea's Book Wagon by Julie Haworth

 

After impulsively jacking in her dead-end temp job and investing her life savings in a ramshackle old horsebox, Bea sets about turning her dream of running a bookshop into a reality, and opens Bea’s Book Wagon. But it’s not all smooth sailing, and as Bea struggles with the challenges of running her own small business, she can only hope that her love of literature and the power of reading can help transform the lives of her friends, her community and herself in the process.

I have been really looking forward to the release of Bea’s Book Wagon because I love books about fictional entrepreneurs especially when it involves bookshops!

This book really didn’t disappoint it was such a wholesome read that I didn’t want to put down, I was routing for Bea to make a success of her mobile book business and I was also rather envious of her courage to take such a big risk and put everything she has into this business. 

The support she receives not just from family and friends but also from the community who she is managing to bring together with thanks to a mutual love of books which was so comforting. With the book being set around Rye it all felt very easy to visualise with the thanks to the authors descriptive writing but also this was helped with this being a location not too far from where I live so this gave the book an added sense of excitement and familiarity.

Although the romance side of this book had a predictable outcome I still loved watching every moment unfold, I could smell a bad egg straight away when meeting one of the love interests and also could see early on that there were a couple whole were clearly meant to be so the romantic in me was cheering from the sideline!

This is one of my favourite reads of this year full of ambition, love, friendship and a love of books. If your looking for a wholesome feel good read then this book will tick all the boxes.

Available to buy here