The Next Chapter by Rebecca Ryan

 

Lily Brown is ready to turn the page and see what adventure awaits . . .

Lily Brown prides herself on her organised, surprise-free life. Whether it's charity yoga for polar bears or crafting a ninety-six-piece balloon arch, Lily always goes the extra mile. But when her adoptive father asks her to reconnect with her birth mother, Lola Starr – a legendary pop punk singer who vanished from fame – Lily decides to venture off the well-trodden path.

With her best friend Seb, Lily tracks Lola to her humble hotel on the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland, far from the glamorous life she imagined. Hiding the truth, Lily gets to know Lola and finds a kind, free-spirited woman. If life wasn’t complicated enough – she meets Noah, a charming travel writer on a quest to discover hidden gems.  

As Lily takes a chance and embraces new possibilities, she begins to question whether the safe rules she’s built her life around are what she really needs.

This is my first book by Rebecca Ryan so I wasn't sure what to expect but one thing I can definitely say is her style of writing certainly appeals to me as she held my attention from start to end meaning I finished this book in one greedy sitting.

This is perfect beach reading because it is fast paced and easy reading as we watch Lily as she connects with her birth mother Lola. Lily was incredibly easy to like and is an overthinker like myself so she was easy to relate to and she is a people pleaser too so she finds herself in some situations that are out of her comfort zone that also provides a little humour to the story.

There is a little romance blossoming on the sidelines with the handsome and adventurous Noah which I loved but it was the parts involving Lola and Lily that I really enjoyed as Lily began to build a picture of her birth mums life and also get some answers to those long lingering questions that had been rolling through her mind over the years.

The setting of this book was on the Isle of Skye which just seems to be breath-taking, a real place of peace and calm to escape the rat race of life and I am definitely putting this on my bucket list of places to visit.

I really enjoyed this book and watching Lily grow as a person as she slowly peels back some of those safety guards she has put herself behind giving her a chance to actually take a chance and live a more fulfilled and exciting life, letting people in and creating her own new family was so heartwarming.

Available to purchase here

The Girl with the Suitcase by Lesley Pearse

 

London, 1941

When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn’t be more different. Elizbeth is beautiful and charming, about to set off on a dazzling adventure to Ireland where she’s inherited a grand house. Mary, shy and meek, has nothing to look forward to but the dreary life of a maid in Hampstead.

But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary’s life is suddenly changed forever. After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth’s money and tickets to Ireland inside.

This is Mary’s chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.

Will she take it and what could go wrong?

I am a big Lesley Pearse fan and have read the majority if not all of her previous books so I picked up her new release A Girl with the Suitcase without hesitation.

When I read the synopsis for this novel I was instantly intrigued and when I began reading this book being introduced to both Mary and Elizabeth I soon found myself engrossed in the story and was surprised how quickly events took place leading to the death of Elizabeth. When Mary took her identity it wasn’t done in a way that made it feel wrong but ultimately it was illegal and as we watch as Mary or as she became known as Beth as she navigates through the following years of her life with her new identity we are always waiting with bated breath to see if the truth will catch up with her eventually.

I was hooked from start to finish and Beth was an easy character to like. With the book being set in war times we get to see how rationing and romances were navigated in life. Abuse is a part of this book too which I feel needs mentioning incase this is a trigger for you.

Now as much as I enjoyed this book and at no point did my interest waiver I have to be honest and say that the first quarter of the book is when it feels like all the action happens and the remainder of the book felt a little like we were floating along in life with Beth with not a lot happening.

It didn’t put me off because I loved watching Mary reinvent herself as Beth creating a life she deserved but was denied because of her dreadful upbringing.

This is a captivating wartime novel with a main character who you are routing for from start to finish, a heart-warming novel to come out of such tragic events.

Available to buy HERE

The Wildest Dreams Bookshop by Gracie Page

 

Seventeen-year-old Anna is not having a good summer. She’s pretty sure she’s flunked her exams and to make matters worse, her boyfriend, Max, has unceremoniously dumped her. All her friends have incredible summers lined up, while her diary is looking worryingly empty. So when her aunt invites her to stay at her bookshop by the sea for the summer, she reluctantly takes her up on her offer. 

If nothing else, at least she can hide out there and ignore the fact her real life is quickly going down the drain. What Anna didn’t factor into her summer plans was the oh so irritating but distractingly good looking local surfer, Jacob, who keeps crossing her path and who she finds herself inexplicably drawn to… 

When disaster strikes the bookshop, Anna has to work with Jacob if she’s to save the bookshop’s end of summer party. Along the way she might just discover that real life can be a whole lot sweeter than fiction…

This book arrived at the perfect time having just finished a couple of heavy books back to back I needed something light and uplifting and The Wildest Dreams Bookshop was a pure tonic. This is more of a YA romance but I know many of you who interact with my reviews have commented recently how romance books all seem to be full of spice recently well this one is perfect for you because there is zero spice in this book just a touch of romance running alongside the main storyline.

Being a big bookworm running a bookshop is a dream so I was certainly envious of Anna heading off to work in her aunts bookshop and I was pulled right in as she began making changes to make this bookshop turn a corner and start bringing in a profit. 

Anna seemed a lot older than 18 in this book especially how capable she was in tackling the publishing event and whole bookshop make over! I love how it touches on the pressure and stress of exam results when your at that scary point in life where you need to find out what path your going down.

I actually really enjoyed this book it was such a light easy read that I flew through in a day so this is a perfect Summer beach read.

Love at First Sight by Laura Jane WIlliams

 

 

He’s the perfect guy. There's just one problem...

Jessie knows that love at first sight doesn’t exist. But, one sunny Saturday in London, a fire alarm in Whole Foods throws her into a stranger's arms. Cal is charming and funny: their chemistry is instant.

Quick-fire flirting turns into the most enchanting day of Jessie’s life. But that evening they're forced apart before swapping numbers. Jessie is devastated – what if she’s just lost the one?

After weeks of searching, imagine her surprise when Jessie opens the door at her nannying job to Cal holding two dozen red roses.

 

The only thing is, they’re not for her…

This is my first read by Laura Jane Williams but I am incredibly thankful to her as Love at First Sight has just pulled me out of a big reading slump. This is a fast paced romance that will divide readers as you choose if your team Cal or Team Leo! 

I was firmly Team Leo.

Jessie really kept me on my toes not quite knowing if she was going to end up with either guys or if she was going to end up on her own.

Alongside the romantic side of this novel we also get to see Jessie who is so passionate about the care and growth of children and has a brilliant idea for a new community idea but she lacks the confidence to make it happen. 

This book does show the effects that rejection and also poor work relationships that overstep the mark can have on someone's confidence and the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people to help find confidence and belief in yourself.

This is certainly an ideal beach read it is an enjoyable easy read that will keep you guessing on how the book will end and I for one couldn't guess what way things were going to go.

Available to buy here

A Cornish Love Story by Cressida McLaughlin

 

The most romantic house in Cornwall has got a new owner…

Journalist Georgie Monroe has watched as it has been transformed into a high-tech glass palace, renovated by a mystery buyer.

When she’s invited to report on an event there, she comes face to face not only with her first love, architect Ethan Sparks, but also with their complicated past. Finding themselves trapped inside when the house malfunctions, Georgie realises that they ― and the house ― are still keeping secrets.

But have Georgie and Ethan left it too late to start again, or can they write the next chapter of their love story together?

Cressida McLaughlin is a go to author of mine so I didn't hesitate to start her latest release A Cornish Love Story the moment it pinged onto my kindle. 

This is a perfect light holiday read with its forced proximity romance set on the idyllic setting of Cornwall which this author always charms us with her exceptional descriptive writing that brings the Cornish setting to life.

In this story we meet Georgie and Ethan who were childhood sweethearts whose relationship ended abruptly but they still hold a torch for each other years later. When the two meet again and find themselves in extraordinary circumstances but will it pull them together or push them further apart?

I love a character who seems lost in life who then turns their life around and finds their path in life and so I think this is why I loved Georgie in this book. We get to know her and Ethan from both the current day and also hopping back to their early years too so we get a rounded view on their relationship. 

I enjoyed this storyline and I certainly think it makes for an ideal holiday read as compared to her previous books this one is a lot lighter so it is easy to pick up devour a couple of chapters here and there. Although I wouldn’t say this was one would leave a lasting impression on me it was still none the less an enjoyable romantic read. 

A Secret Escape by Sarah Morgan

 

A lifelong friendship

Childhood friends Milly and Nicole had always been more like sisters so Milly never understood why Nicole dropped out of contact all those months ago. Milly buried that hurt and moved on with her life.

A call for help

Now, suddenly, Nicole is begging for Milly’s help. She needs somewhere private to hide, and the only safe place she can think of is Milly's holiday home business in the Lake District. Milly knows she should tell Nicole no, but she can’t ignore the desperation in her old friend’s voice so, despite her misgivings, she agrees to let Nicole stay.

A summer to reconnect

Over a summer of tentative conversations, the two women begin to reconnect, and there’s a potential new romance for Milly too. But then the biggest bombshell of all lands and their delicate friendship is put to the test once more …

Can the friends come together in this time of need, or will this summer break their bond forever?

Sarah Morgan is always one of my go to authors when I need a feel good uplifting read as she has hit that spot every time with each and every one of her books. Her new release A Secret Escape does just that as we meet best friends Milly and Nicole whose friendship goes back to childhood making them feel more like sisters than friends. But in Milly's desperate time of need Nicole ghosts her and they have had no contact in 18 months but with the tables about to turn and Nicole's hour of need is here can Milly forgive her and help Nicole as well as get their friendship back once she finds out why she was ghosted?

Usually in Sarah Morgan's books we alternate between three female leads but this book focuses on Milly and Nicole's points of view with only an odd chapter from Connie and Zoe ( Milly's mum and daughter ) but this worked perfectly for this book because it revolves around friendship, loyalty , heartbreak and forgiveness and I didn't want to be distracted from them as they navigate their emotions, trying to not hurt each other further but also still having that need for the air to be cleared.

They both are likeable characters and you can see why they have such a strong bond but they also live completely different lives with both of them feeling like the other has the perfect lives but not truly appreciating the struggles they each  face.

The supporting characters were all great too some offering support others a touch of romance so each held an important part in the story. I was surprised how attached I become to these two characters and I didn't want their story to end.

Available to buy here.

By Your Side by Ruth Jones

 

Linda Standish has been a friend to the friendless for the past thirty-three years, in her role at the council’s Unclaimed Heirs Unit. And now she’s looking forward to the joys of an early retirement.

But before she hangs up her lanyard, Linda takes on one last case – that of Levi Norman – a Welshman who made his home on a remote Scottish island for the five years before he died. Linda must visit Storrich to track down Levi's remaining relatives . . .

What brought Levi here? And who did he leave behind? Obliged to travel (by hearse!) with her arch nemesis, and helped (and hindered...) by the local residents, Linda searches for clues to a life now lost. And in the process unexpectedly makes new friends, and discovers things about herself she never knew.

By Your Side is one of the most captivating books I have read in 2025 and Ruth Jones has such an easy flowing writing style that whisks you away into the lives in the current day of loveable Linda and in the past the adorable and gentlemanly Levi. 

The book is centred around death however it has a wonderful balance of emotion and humour so this was actually a heartwarming read rather than all doom and gloom. 

I haven’t read a book like this before and Linda has a job I haven’t come across before in books where she has to find out information about people who have died that appear to have no heirs as is the case with Levi who has passed away and as she begins to work her way through his home looking for clues to point her in the direction of any loved ones he may have or have had we then switch to Levi’s life and uncover heartbreaking secrets and also get to know this beautiful man who may have done wrong but only from a place of love.

Usually I am not a fan of dual time frame and I find myself leaning more towards one story desperate to get back to that particular one however, with this book I was equally invested in both Levi and Linda’s storylines and they really were skilfully weaved together so well that I felt that we was getting to spend enough time with both to really feel like I was getting to know both characters so well. 

This storyline really does make you question your morals, your rights and wrongs and see that sometimes things are not always clear cut and wrong decisions are made from a place of love and protection even if it will look to others as harmful and selfish.

I love how tender and intriguing the author made Levi’s chapters feel but then flipped to Linda and managed to bring more dry humour to the storyline it really helped to keep this book and the character engaging and intriguing I really struggled to put this book down it was a pure joy to read.

I can not recommend this book enough and we are now into May and this is my first 5 star read of the year. Levi really did touch my heart and I think that at the end of the year when I come to do my yearly wrap up he will still be in my mind then and this book I wouldn’t be surprised would be on my top 10 list.

Available to purchase here on Amazon ( associates paid link )