Chat About Books

Today I am delighted to share a guest post with you from the author of Games People Play and Old Friends And New Enemies (Charlie Cameron series Book 1 & 2), Owen Mullen.

Over to you Owen…..

WRITING – THE EXPERIENCE

Dorothy Parker, the American poet, short story writer, critic, and satirist had some interesting things to say about writing. I like this one.

‘If you have any young friends who aspire to be writers, the second greatest favour you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re still happy.’

Surely she was exaggerating? Though maybe not. Unless you really want to write it’s best to give it a body swerve. I do want to and at times my resolve has been tested, not to mention my sanity. Why stick your head above the old parapet unless you have to?

I am not in love with the idea.

To quote Dorothy P again. ‘I hate writing, I love having written.’

I understand what she meant. It’s a tough discipline and now and then I could see it far enough. [Some days I do see it far enough. Sometimes I can’t see it at all.]

There are people who are in love with the idea of being a writer. If you are one of them that probably means you would fit right in with the posers on the Left Bank. Those guys in Paris in the twenties who spent the day sitting in cafes, smoking Gauloises and sipping Absinthe, in between jotting down a few pearls. Making sure all their pals saw them. [I expect somebody to remind me that Hemingway was one of them. Agreed. But he was only there for the drink]

In the long run that type runs out of steam because it takes a whole helluva lot to stay with it; there are easier ways to get noticed. So the next time you see a naked girl streaking through the test match at Lords, turn to the person next to you and tell them. ‘Wanted to be a writer, you know.’

——-

Writing was not something I decided to do when I was two years old. [Don’t you just loath those people who say they knew their destiny before they could find their way home without needing the address sewn on the inside of their clothes?]

Though I did start early; at ten I won a schools short story competition and didn’t scribble another word in anger for forty years. When I did…I just did.

And it was terrible. Really awful.

So awful I couldn’t do anything but improve. I poured over everything I could find on writing: Elmore Leonard, Stephen King. Even Dorothy Parker. I made lots of notes and memorised all their wonderful advice.

I would go to Waterstones on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, take a well known book off the shelf and turn to a page – not the first page – any page. A paragraph or two was always enough to convince me I wasn’t going to find what I was looking for. And what was I looking for?

The secret. The difference. The how.

If only I could discover whatever it was they had. No surprise I never did. That forced me to take the traditional route: open up the computer and start. Every writer will tell you the same. Read and write, and somewhere along the line you might…just might, become what you want to be. At least that’s the theory.

My books Games People Play and Old Friends and New Enemies have just come out on Amazon. The reviews are amazing. [although the one my sister posted isn’t too hot. Must speak to her about that].

People said about Games People Play, ‘I can’t believe this is your first novel.’

I study my shoes and pretend to be a modest genius who has been reluctantly found out. The truth is Games People Play isn’t my first novel; it’s my fifth. And Old Friends and New Enemies is my sixth. I’m not above a bit of showing off. Trouble is it won’t produce a story. The only way that will happen is if you set aside the time to learn the craft and write write write.

I wish you well with it. Must boot up the pc now and pretend to be creating. Somebody I know is coming down the street.

Games People Play and Old Friends and New Enemies by Owen Mullen. Available on

Worldwide Amazon http://authl.it/B01BAQYUU8

Owen has very kindly sent me a kindle copy of Old Friends and New Enemies, but I think I will have to read Games People Play first. Both are on my TBR list.

On a warm summer’s evening thirteen month old Lily Hamilton is abducted from Ayr beach in Scotland, taken while her parents are yards away. Three days later, the distraught father turns up at Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron’s office and begs him to help. Mark Hamilton believes he knows who has stolen his daughter. And why.
Against his better judgement Charlie gets involved in a case he would be better off without. But when a child’s body is discovered on Fenwick Moor, then another in St Andrews, the awful truth dawns: there is a serial killer out there whose work has gone undetected for decades. Baby Lily may be the latest victim of a madman.
For Charlie it’s too late, he can’t let go. His demons won’t let him.

The stunning first novel featuring Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron. Games People Play will have the reader guessing to the very last page.

Buy a copy here – Games People Play

The body on the mortuary slab wasn’t who Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron was looking for. But it wasn’t a stranger. Ian Selkirk had been stabbed through the heart and dumped in the loch.
Suddenly, a routine missing persons investigation becomes a fight for survival as Charlie goes up against a notorious Glasgow gangster. Jimmy Rafferty is ruthless. Even his own family are terrified of him. He wants to use Charlie to get something for him. And Jimmy Rafferty always gets what he wants.
Only one problem.
Charlie doesn’t know where it is.

Buy your copy here – Old Friends and New Enemies

About the author:

School was a waste of time for me. Or rather, I wasted time; my own and every teacher’s who tried to get me to work. It took twenty years to appreciate what they were telling me. Life has rules. They aren’t written down but they exist nevertheless. I got that. Eventually. But by then I was thirty five.
Along the way I missed an important clue. At ten I won a national primary schools short story competition – and didn’t write anything else for forty years.
SMART BOY WANTED
APPLY WITHIN
As a teenager my big obsession was music. Early on I realised if I was successful I would probably be rich and famous and pull lots of girls.
So how did that turn out?
Well, you haven’t heard of me, have you? And this morning I caught myself worrying about the electricity bill. So the short answer is: one out of three ain’t bad.
Running around the country in a Transit van with your mates is fun. It’s your very own gang. You against the world. Until you fall out and the dream lies bleeding on the dressing-room floor.
When that happened I went to London
[everybody from Scotland goes to London, it’s like first footing at New Year, or ten pints of lager and a vindaloo on a Friday night; a sacred tradition]
and became a session singer. I also started gigging with different bands on the circuit.
Back in Scotland – most of us come back with wild tales of great success, none of them true – I wondered what I should do with myself and didn’t have to wait long for the answer. Her name was Christine. We got married, I went to Strathclyde Uni and got a bunch of letters after my name, and toughing it out at Shotts Miner’s Welfare, or dodging flying beer cans at the Café Club in Baillieston, was in the past. The long hair was short now, I wore a suit and pretended to like people I didn’t like because we were ‘colleagues’.
After many adventures I started my own marketing and design business and did alright. Christine and I were very happy, we travelled all over the place; India, Brazil, Botswana, Nepal, Borneo, Japan. One day I suggested we move. To the Greek islands. So we did. We bought land and built a beautiful villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Then the pan global financial crash happened, years of fiscal carelessness finally caught up with Greece; the exchange rate dived and the cost of living in Paradise went through the roof.
I had to do something. Then I remembered the short story competition. I had been good at writing, hadn’t I?
I wrote another short story called The King Is Dead…the first thing I’d written since primary school. When I typed the last word [Christine taught me to type] I held the pages in my hand then started to read. An hour and a half, rooted to the chair unable to believe what was in front of my eyes. For four decades I had shunned a god given gift. And as I read I started to understand why. It was awful. Not just bad. Bloody terrible.
But I kept going.
And now, eight years and seven books later, three literary agents plus two I turned down [they were reading a different book] I am a writer. My books are on Amazon. People buy them and come back for more.
One seasoned London agent has predicted I am destined to be ‘a major new force in British crime fiction.’
Yeah!
So is the moral: follow my example, find something you’re good at and stick with it. Hardly. I didn’t, did I? Do it your own way; it’s your life.

If you enjoy reading my novels please leave a review, it is immensely helpful and greatly appreciated.

Many thanks to Owen for joining me on my blog today.

What this space for my reviews.

I am over the moon to welcome Tanya Bullock to my blog today 🙂

Those of you who follow my blog and Facebook page will know I recently met Tanya at her book signing in Waterstone’s, Walsall. This was a lovely event and I even ended up in the newspaper with the lady herself…..

Tanya is a lovely lady and a very talented writer. If you haven’t read any of her books yet, you should give them a go.

Here’s Tanya’s Q&A. Enjoy!

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

Of course. I’m a college lecturer and mum of two from the West Midlands. I teach Drama and Media in a Special Educational Needs department, which is actually my ideal job. I’m very lucky because every day I get to be creative with words and ideas and to work with enthusiastic and inspirational young people. I’d always wanted to write a novel, but never found the time. Then, when I was on maternity leave in 2011, I missed the creativity of my job so much that it pushed me to sit down and write. It was hard work because obviously I was caring for my children, but I was so determined that I managed to coordinate writing time with nap times! My first novel, ‘That Special Someone’, is the story of a young woman with a learning difficulty and of her mother’s quest to help her find love. It’s all fictional, but was inspired by some of the amazing young people I’ve worked with over the years. My second book is a novella called ‘Homecoming’. Like ‘That Special Someone’, it’s a twist on the traditional romantic novel. I suppose that’s my genre, really… the ‘unusual romance’!

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

With my first two books, I was inspired to write about groups of people who are often neglected by the mainstream. I get my ideas from being really passionate about social injustice. If I think a person or group of people are being denied a voice/their human rights/justice then I’ll jump into the argument brandishing my pen!

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

I’ve been inspired by real people, but have been careful not to write about them. The idea for ‘That Special Someone’ came to me about twelve years ago when the mother of one of my female students told me her daughter wanted to get married after she finished college and that she intended to find her ‘a suitable boy’. Although I’ve never found out what happened next, this conversation really got my cogs whirring. Similarly, ‘Homecoming’ was initially inspired by conversations I’d had with my paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather about their past lives, achievements and adventures.

How do you pick your characters names?

I don’t think I do. The names just come to me as I’m writing. Funnily enough, afterwards I realise that I’ve subconsciously picked a whole host of names of people I actually know and then wish I’d picked different ones.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

Firstly, I have to be HUGELY inspired (by a person, group of people, theme or event). If I’m not inspired, then I can’t write…at all. I’ll go for months and months without picking up a pen when I just focus on my work and my family. Then, when I’m motivated, I feel an intense impulse and the words flow out of me. For a few weeks after that I’ll behave very strangely (e.g. pull over when I’m driving to make notes, wake up in the night to scribble down thoughts, duck out of conversations to speak a memo into my phone) until I get all my ideas together. Finally, I have to find the time in between working and being a mum to string my ideas together into a comprehensible final copy. This part of the process can be quite tiring as the only time I usually find is when I actually should be sleeping.

Do you have a favourite author?

My dad, Keith Bullock. He writes short stories, poems, novels and film scripts. He’s writing a feature film script for a director friend of mine at the moment. He’s been telling me stories since the day I was born and I wouldn’t be a writer today without his influence. I’m a big fan of Russian and French literature. I read most of the great authors as a young woman; Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Flaubert, Balzac etc.

If you could meet any author, who would it be? And what would you ask them?

I saw Salman Rushdie do a talk at the Hay festival a few years ago. He’s a jaw-droppingly good public speaker. I’m very nervous with people I don’t know, so if I met him face-to-face I would probably ask him for advice on public speaking.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes I was. I was obsessed with The Famous Five and read and reread all their adventures. Then later, I loved to read the Sweet Valley High series, about the life and loves of teenaged Californian twin girls. After that, my parents discreetly put a few classic my way and I never looked back.

When did you start to write?

I’ve always been a writer. As a child I kept a diary, as a young adult I wrote poetry and short-stories, when I went travelling, I kept a journal, as a mother I make a note of my children’s milestones and, in my job as a drama teacher, I write scripts on a regular basis. I really can’t remember a time when I didn’t identify myself as a writer.

What are you working on right now?

I’m writing a detective novel. It’s very character driven and the protagonists are rather eccentric. I’ve written about forty pages so far.

When can we look forward to a new release?

Not for a while. I haven’t worked on my detective novel since March, but I’m hoping to get a bit of writing time in during the summer holidays. Life is pretty full on for me, so writing a novel is a very slow process. I’m not complaining, though – being a published author is a dream come true!

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Blog: www.tanyabullock.wordpress.com
Twitter: @TanyaBullock15
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tanyabullockwriter
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8145635.Tanya_Bullock

Big thanks to Tanya for answering my questions. I’m looking forward to the release of your detective novel!

Publisher: Blackbird Digital Books (5th April 2014)

Life as the single mum of a learning-disabled teenager is tough and gets even harder when puberty hits. To Izzie’s alarm, all her daughter Jaya, 18, wants from life is to get married and have babies. This creates a moral dilemma for Izzie. How she can continue to protect Jaya whilst at the same time letting her go?

With little prospect of meaningful employment or continuing education for Jaya, Izzie wonders if perhaps finding a ‘suitable husband’ via an arranged marriage wouldn’t be so crazy. But when Jaya falls head over heels for a teaching assistant in her college’s Special Educational Needs department, it sets in motion a disastrous sequence of events which turns things around in a way that nobody could ever have foreseen.

“Local author’s debut novel manages to combine a sensitive subject with Black Country Humour”. ‘Waterstones Loves’, Waterstones, Walsall

What readers are saying:

“If you enjoy Mike Leigh films you will love this book.”

“Utterly engrossing and innovatively written. The complex issues surrounding learning disability are addressed in an honest and thought-provoking manner.”

“A brilliant debut novel. One regret – it finished too soon! I want to know more!”

“A refreshingly different book – thoroughly recommended!”

“One of the best autism books for kindle out there.”

“Autism fiction: Akin to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time this novel will hopefully inform people, in much the same way, about young people living with disability, and their individual rights and feelings.”

“This is not like any other novel I have ever read – It tackles major taboos head-on, but the author does it in a way which is so sensitive and witty, you wonder why they were ever taboos at all!”

“The lightest, most entertaining, of reads on a serious dilemma facing many parents of autistic teens, single parent or not.”

‘A wonderful, poignant and witty story about the life, loves and struggles of a young woman with learning difficulties.’ JILL FRASIER, Founder and Director of healthcare charity, KISSING IT BETTER

Buy your copy here – That Special Someone by Tanya Bullock

Publisher: Blackbird Digital Books (1st April 2016)

All that mattered to Rosie, all that had ever really mattered, was that she loved Tom and he loved her

Rosie and Tom belong together.
For too long, war and its devastating aftermath have kept them apart.
Now that Tom has finally returned home, Rosie hopes that they will be able to put the past behind them.
But when a mysterious sequence of events unfolds, their love is put to the test once more
With a shocking secret hanging heavily over their relationship…
With circumstances conspiring against them at every turn…
Rosie and Tom find themselves caught up in the biggest battle of their lives.
Will their demons ultimately consume them?
Or will love conquer all in the end?

An intriguing novella by the award-winning film-maker, a finalist in The People’s Book Prize and The Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award 2016 for her first novel That Special Someone Awards ceremony 12 July 2016, Sky TV News.

What readers are saying…..

‘A beautiful love story. Quite simply stunning and poetic.’ Adele, Goodreads librarian

‘Read in one sitting. Definitely the strangest love story I have ever read.’ Nats, Goodreads

‘Homecoming…is unique which is truly difficult to find in modern fiction … For originality and excellent character development and for living up to the hype, I rate this novella as 5 out of 5 stars.’ — Amie Gaudet, Amie’s Book Reviews, Top #50 Canadian Goodreads reviewer

‘Just read the book until it reaches your heart … every page you turn, there is something new but very unusual.’ — Laura Prime, Goodreads

‘A novella that falls far from the mainstream love stories we find ourselves consuming these days. Being someone who truly appreciates beautiful writing, it wasn’t hard for me to complete this book in one sitting.’ — Nihaad Gamieldien, Read and Seek

‘This author has a real gift for word craft. Homecoming is a uniquely told love story … a lovely, lovely read.’ — T.S Harvey, Author

‘I loved it.’ Sarah, By The Letter Book Reviews

‘One of the most touching romantic tales I’ve read in a long time … a wonderful surprise; a twist on a well-loved genre that will delight and tug at the heart strings.’ — Shelley Wilson, Author

‘Love weaves through it in colourful strands, radiating out from the funny, plucky heroine to those around her … A beautiful and satisfying read.’ — Sandra Peachey, Peachey Letters Blog

‘This is the type of story that makes you feel a certain way after you read it. For me, it was a bittersweet longing … a lovely story told in an interesting way.’ — Kerrie Irish, Chat About Books  **(not this Chat About Books obviously. I wasn’t aware there was another blog of the same name.)**

If you haven’t already and would like to, you can read my review here – Homecoming: Quite Possibly The Strangest Romance Ever Told by Tanya Bullock

Buy your copy here – Homecoming by Tanya Bullock

This weekly meme is hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open to all to participate. Why not join in and let us know what’s on your reading list this week…

To join in, just answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What I’m currently reading…..

I received an e-book copy of this via Blackbird Digital Books. I’m looking forward to being part of the upcoming blog tour.

Publisher: Blackbird Digital Books (1st July 2016)

When Glasgow journalist Shona McGilvery moves with her partner Mikey and their baby to an idyllic cottage in rural Scotland, they believe that all that lies ahead of them is happiness.

But with Mikey working offshore, the frightening isolation of the Aberdeenshire countryside begins to drive her insane…

That is, until she is rescued by a new friendship with the enchanting Valentina.

She has the perfect home, the perfect man, and a charismatic new best friend – or does she?

As her fairytale life begins to unravel, the deep dark wood becomes the least of her fears…

A hauntingly intelligent, addictive psychological thriller from debut author S. E. Lynes.

What I recently finished reading…..

I received an e-book copy of this via Netgalley. I’m lucky to have auto-approval for all Bookouture titles.

This lovely book is also published today so go grab yourself a copy!

Publisher: Bookouture (15th June 2016)

Help yourself to a generous slice of Victoria sponge, a perfect cup of tea and a big dollop of romance. Welcome to the Little Village Bakery.

Meet Millie. Heartbreak has forced her to make a new start and when she arrives at the old bakery in the little village of Honeybourne she is determined that this will be her home sweet home. Her imagination has been captured by the tumbledown bakery but with no running water and dust everywhere, her cosy idea of making cakes in a rural idyll quickly crumbles.

Luckily the locals are a friendly bunch and step in to help Millie. One in particular, Dylan, a laid-back lothario, soon captures her attention.

But just as Millie is beginning to settle in, an unexpected visitor from her past suddenly turns up determined to ruin everything for her. It’s time for Millie to face the skeletons in her closet if she’s going to live the dream of running her little village bakery, and her blossoming romance with Dylan.

A charming heartwarming novel about love, life and new beginnings perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Debbie Johnson.

If you haven’t already and would like to, you can read my 5* review for this lovely book here – The Little Village Bakery (Honeybourne Book 1) by Tilly Tennant

What I think I will read next…..

I requested this title on Netgalley a while ago, but only received approval yesterday, so I’m highly unlikely to read it before publication, but I will start it once I’ve finished Valentina.

Publisher: Cornerstone Digital (16th June 2016)

Clover Quinn was a surprise. She used to imagine she was the good kind, now she’s not sure. She’d like to ask Dad about it, but growing up in the saddest chapter of someone else’s story is difficult. She tries not to skate on the thin ice of his memories.

Darren has done his best. He’s studied his daughter like a seismologist on the lookout for waves and surrounded her with everything she might want – everything he can think of, at least – to be happy.

What Clover wants is answers. This summer, she thinks she can find them in the second bedroom, which is full of her mother’s belongings. Volume isn’t important, what she is looking for is essence; the undiluted bits: a collection of things that will tell the full story of her mother, her father and who she is going to be.

But what you find depends on what you’re searching for.

Have you read any of the above?

What are you reading this week?

Happy Publication Day to Tilly Tennant and Bookouture!

This lovely book is out for you all to enjoy today…..

Buy your copy here

Publisher: Bookouture (15th June 2016)

Help yourself to a generous slice of Victoria sponge, a perfect cup of tea and a big dollop of romance. Welcome to the Little Village Bakery.

Meet Millie. Heartbreak has forced her to make a new start and when she arrives at the old bakery in the little village of Honeybourne she is determined that this will be her home sweet home. Her imagination has been captured by the tumbledown bakery but with no running water and dust everywhere, her cosy idea of making cakes in a rural idyll quickly crumbles.

Luckily the locals are a friendly bunch and step in to help Millie. One in particular, Dylan, a laid-back lothario, soon captures her attention.

But just as Millie is beginning to settle in, an unexpected visitor from her past suddenly turns up determined to ruin everything for her. It’s time for Millie to face the skeletons in her closet if she’s going to live the dream of running her little village bakery, and her blossoming romance with Dylan.

A charming heartwarming novel about love, life and new beginnings perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Debbie Johnson.

If you haven’t already and would like to, you can read my 5* review of this lovely book here – The Little Village Bakery (Honeybourne Book 1) by Tilly Tennant

About the author –

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing, graduating in 2009 with first class honours. She wrote her first novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. It was followed by Mishaps and Mistletoe, The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, the Mishaps in Millrise series and the Once Upon a Winter series. Find out more about Tilly and how to join her mailing list for news and exclusives at http://www.tillytennant.com

Happy Publication Day to Stina Lindenblatt and Diversion Books!

Buy your copy

Publisher: Diversion Books (14th June 2016)

Some games are hotter off the ice…

Sofia Phillips feels cursed. Her father cheated on her mother, her boyfriend cheated on her—she’s done with dating. A summer work-exchange program in Finland is the perfect escape. But instead of gaining experience as an athletic trainer, she’s cleaning toilets. Awesome. The trip is a disaster, and even better, she meets Kyle Bennett. In the sauna. Naked.

Sexy hockey player Kyle was the star right wing for an NHL team. But after an accident killed his wife and left him injured, Kyle has appreciated the “therapeutic” benefits of booze and puck bunnies. Now in Finland for the summer, he’s coaching in an elite hockey-training camp for teens. When Sofia’s grandmother decides to set her up with a nice Finnish man, Sofia recruits Kyle as her make-believe boyfriend. Neither expects their first kiss to sizzle. And neither expects, while stranded on an island during a storm, to have a scorching night of passion.

But as their charade, and then their attraction, develops into something deeper, the past comes back, threatening to destroy them. They must decide if their feelings for each other are strong enough to survive—or it will be game over.

“These two characters’ storylines wove together flawlessly and made for one hot read that had me wanting to pack my bags for my own Finland adventure.”—Cindi Madsen, USA TODAY bestselling author of ANATOMY OF A PLAYER

About the author –

Born in England, Stina loves to travel, and has lived in England, the US, Canada, and Finland. She spent a semester in graduate school living in central Finland, and a summer during her undergrad degree working in Helsinki, where she cleaned bathrooms and saunas in a recreation center. She has a Master’s of Science degree in exercise physiology and has worked with elite athletes.

In her free time, Stina is a photographer, mother, devoted wife, and loves getting lost in a great romance novel. She currently lives in Calgary, Canada.

Stina can be found on her website: stinalindenblattauthor.com

If you haven’t already and would like to, you can read my review here – Heat It Up: Off The Ice Book 1 (Heat It Up Trilogy) by Stina Lindenblatt

Publisher: Bookouture (15th June 2016)

5/5*

I finished The Little Village Bakery late last night and must have had a big cheesy grin on my face by the end 🙂 What a lovely book!

The Little Village Bakery has the most wonderful characters. Almost all are instantly likeable. One not so much! I think I might be a little bit in love with Dylan 😉 Jasmine, Spencer and Ruth were my other favourite characters.

When Millie moves to Honeybourne to make a fresh start she finds herself with more to contend with than the run down bakery she’s bought, without so much as carrying out a survey prior to purchase. I was instantly intrigued by Millie as it’s obvious from the start that there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Dylan is instantly drawn to her and her to him, but she worries her past might have a negative effect on any relationship they might have. Dylan is obviously still grieving for his parents and masks this by occupying his time with drink and women. That is until Millie moves in.

When a blast from Millie’s past turns up on her doorstep, determined to make her life a misery, I was even more intrigued to find out what she had done that was so awful.

I loved how the close-knit community is portrayed in this book. I think it’s a shame that a lot of communities are no longer like this. Of course, the residents have their ups and downs, but this makes the story very believable and all the more satisfying when everything works out in the end.

Overall, The Little Village Bakery is a fabulous read, with lovable characters, an intriguing storyline and a feel-good happy ending which is certain to leave you with a smile on your face. I will be more than happy to recommend to anyone. I’m looking forward to visiting Honeybourne again, hopefully soon.

Many thanks to the author and to Bookouture for  my auto-approval on Netgalley.

Description (via Amazonuk) –

Help yourself to a generous slice of Victoria sponge, a perfect cup of tea and a big dollop of romance. Welcome to the Little Village Bakery.

Meet Millie. Heartbreak has forced her to make a new start and when she arrives at the old bakery in the little village of Honeybourne she is determined that this will be her home sweet home. Her imagination has been captured by the tumbledown bakery but with no running water and dust everywhere, her cosy idea of making cakes in a rural idyll quickly crumbles.

Luckily the locals are a friendly bunch and step in to help Millie. One in particular, Dylan, a laid-back lothario, soon captures her attention.

But just as Millie is beginning to settle in, an unexpected visitor from her past suddenly turns up determined to ruin everything for her. It’s time for Millie to face the skeletons in her closet if she’s going to live the dream of running her little village bakery, and her blossoming romance with Dylan.

A charming heartwarming novel about love, life and new beginnings perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Debbie Johnson.

The Little Village Bakery will be published on 15th June 2016. You can pre-order your copy here – The Little Village Bakery by Tilly Tennant

About the author –

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing, graduating in 2009 with first class honours. She wrote her first novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. It was followed by Mishaps and Mistletoe, The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, the Mishaps in Millrise series and the Once Upon a Winter series. Find out more about Tilly and how to join her mailing list for news and exclusives at http://www.tillytennant.com

Check out Tilly Tennant’s author page over on Amazonuk here – Tilly Tennant, author