I loved this book, just as I have loved every one of Jo Thomas’ books. It was a beautiful story of second chances at love, and at times it was very emotional. I loved Thea and her children, and of course, Giovanni, who comes to their rescue as soon as they arrive in town. There are some real characters, and great backstory to unravel both amongst the townspeople and for Thea and her young family. Plus, it has a renovation theme, which I always love. Everything about this book had me hooked. I’d love another story set in the same town in Tuscany. In fact, writing this review makes me want to read the book all over again!
It’s never too late to find where you belong…
Thea knew the holiday house her late husband Marco bought in Tuscany wasn’t pristine. But when she relocates to Italy for the summer with her children, she’s shocked by how much work Casa Luna needs. And she only has six weeks to fix it up ready to sell! Her only option is to ask the tight-knit Italian community for help.
In return, Thea and her children become involved in the community kitchen, working alongside handsome chef Giovanni and three very competitive nonnas. Gradually, Thea begins to open up to the people around her for the first time in a long while. But just as she’s beginning to wonder whether this small Tuscan town could become a new place to call home, a surprise visitor turns everything on its head . . .
This is the third book in the Skye sisters trilogy. I’ve enjoyed every one of the Skye sisters’ books equally, and I don’t think I can pick a favourite. What I have loved is being able to follow each sister and still keep in touch with their siblings. Valentina’s story is just as engrossing as her siblings, and in some ways more emotional as she has a young son and broken marriage to juggle whilst falling in love. Xander has his own issues, but he is the perfect match for Valentina – if only life, family and location issues didn’t get in the way for both of them. This was a lovely end to the trilogy, and I highly recommend the series – just as I recommend every one of Sue Moorcroft’s books.
One summer on a beautiful island could change everything…
Valentina Taylor’s life has been upended. With her marriage over, and unsure of what her future holds, she heads to the Isle of Skye for the summer with her young son, Barnaby.
But the journey there sets her on a new path, when she meets Xander Courage on the train – a charming American, running from problems of his own. After sparks fly, they go their separate ways. But on this small island, they’re never far from one another…
Skye offers Valentina the refuge she needs as she whiles away the long summer days at her beachside cottage, enjoying visits from her sisters, Thea and Ezzie. But when bad news from home throws her Scottish idyll into turmoil, Valentina finds herself pulled away from the place – and people – that she loves.
Valentina knows she must confront her heart’s desires – but can she let go of the past and embrace the future she deserves?
Wow, the start of this book throws you straight in the deep end, and it doesn’t stop as Kate’s life is thrown upside down. I couldn’t stop reading, hoping desperately that Kate would get her happy ever after. The storyline keeps you guessing as she tries to settle into a new community without giving away her past. I loved how everyone came to help her – the sense of community in Starry Cove is strong and I loved the mystery around Piers her love interest. It was a story I would read again and recommend to any romance reader.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC copy.
Life doesn’t always go to plan . . . After a messy breakup and a nightmare boss, Kate swaps the chaos of London for the calm of Starry Cove-the charming seaside village she loved as a child. She arrives hoping for peace and a fresh start. But life has other plans: Kate soon discovers she’s going to be a mother.
As she navigates small-town life (and morning sickness), Kate finds friendship in the ‘coastal girls’-a warm, welcoming group who help her land a job with Piers, the reclusive owner of the local manor. He’s guarded, grumpy and impossible to read… but there’s more to him than meets the eye.
As feelings grow and secrets slowly come to light, Kate must decide if she’s ready to open her heart again-and whether Starry Cove could be the home she’s been searching for all along.
It has become a ritual to look back at the year and check in on my achievements.
It doesn’t feel as if much happened in 2024 as I didn’t meet many of the goals for the year that I set rather optimistically in 2023. However, plenty of other things did happen, so it’s important to focus on the positive.
Writing
I published a new short story collection called A Little Christmas Magic on 28th November 2024.
I also made the decision to make a series of Christmas stories – Winter Warmers. This now includes my previous Christmas collection – A Christmas Wish.
Both books had a book tour on Instagram in December which I enjoyed immensely. There’s nothing better than seeing what reviewers think of the heart-warming stories I’ve created. And it was great to be able to share so many review snippets and posts on Instagram throughout the month. Both were run by Love Books Tours and went very smoothly. Highly recommended service if you are wanting a book tour next year.
Aside from writing, I attended several writing events in 2024. There was a weekend event just outside of Stratford Upon Avon hosted by Alison May and Janet Gover. A whole weekend of food, writing workshops and talking writing with fellow writers. Plus some excellent 1-2-1’s that helped me move my ideas forward. I would recommend both Janet and Alison for the services they offer to writers, and they also run the Debut Author Club together.
The Romantic Novelist Association conference was held 10 minutes for my home at The Royal Holloway College, so I couldn’t resist attending the whole weekend event. At times I found it a struggle socially as I didn’t know anyone, but it was a wonderful opportunity to mix with both aspiring and published writers. The workshops were great as well.
I kept up with my monthly writing sessions at my local library, and attended several author events in libraries and Waterstones.
The not so successful side of 2024….
Fantasy genre
I made the decision to park my new fantasy series Starlight Prophecy for a while. I need to go back to the planning stage and really get to know the world and the history before I commit to working on the half completed trilogy.
I also toyed with the idea of writing a collection of short stories in the world of my Silent Sea Chronicles, but I think it’s a hard one to pull off. I want to provide extra content for readers who’ve enjoyed the series and also entice new readers without giving too much of the various storylines away. Maybe I will revisit this idea in 2025.
Romance genre
I’ve made great headway with The Mermaid Hotel Series (news I will share in a New Year’s post). However, 2024 has seen a lot of work editing and re-editing the story, reshaping major points of the character arcs etc. I’m almost happy with the way it is now, so I’ll share more about that very soon.
Reading
I met my Goodreads goal of 24 books. That seems like a sensible amount, though of course I’d love the time to read more. I did not however get around to reviewing many books, which I am not pleased about. I enjoying reviewing books on my blog and see it as a way to score some good karma points! Hopefully people will review my books more in 2025. Fingers crossed!
I would love to put a post together celebrating my favourite reads of 2024, but will have to see if time allows.
Other
I love the little graphic I made to show off my books. It will need to be changed soon because it is very festive, but I will enjoy it for now.
And that is about it for 2024. It’s had its ups and downs, but I’m confident 2025 will be a bigger and better year!
I loved Bella and Jack’s story, from the moment they meet over a falling Christmas tree in a church, right up to the last page. It was a very entertaining read for any time of year.
Bella was a great character to follow. She has a big heart and puts family above everything else. This causes a few issues in her life, the biggest losing touch with Jack after a magical few hours together. I was desperate to read on to see if the couple would get their happy ever after.
I enjoyed being back at Halleybrook, and getting little glimpses into characters lives from the previous books in the series. This can be read as a standalone without an issues, though I highly recommend all the books, whichever order you read them. Oh, and I just found out last night that Claire’s book ‘Clues to You’ won the book bloggers novel of the year 2024 competition. I loved that story and think you should definitely check out all of Claire Huston’s books.
Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.
Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.
A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.
But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas …
This standalone festive romance is set in the village of Haileybrook. The Haileybrook stories can be read in any order.
I’m back with my favourite thing – more quotes from reviewers!
This is a continuation of the book tour taking place on Instagram for A Little Christmas Magic.
Day 3 reviews
planteachread ‘…It brings so much to the table and at the heart of the stories a connection between people, brought to the fore at Christmas time. A couple of stories brought me to tears, which is pretty impressive for a tale told on a few pages…’
CosyMidlifeBookNook ‘This festive collection is a delight! …it feels like unwrapping a bookish gift wrapped in a big red bow. In just 80 pages, you’ll find heartwarming tales of missing pets, the kindness of strangers, overcoming trauma, and a father racing home for Christmas. Each story tugged at my heartstrings and left me satisfied.’
Plumbobmummy ‘They are uplifting stories that capture how Christmas is truly a time when people come together as a community and help others. Some of the stories deal with current topics and feel relevant to us all. My favourite short story in the book is Last Minute Dash about a mum struggling to pay for her food shopping on top of Christmas – something I’m sure many people will be struggling with this year.’
Katieluvstoread ‘This is the second collection of short stories that I have read by this author and I loved them all. This one had all of the fur babies that my little heart could take and making sure they were all included in the Christmas cheer. I want more and could have read longer versions of the stories as well. I will be adding this author to an auto read list for me.’
Day 4
Dorianhellfire ‘Here’s another wonderful collection of holiday shorts to uplift us and bring in the spirit of Christmas. Tales to show that people can come together as family and as a community.’
nadz_sargent ‘Another brilliant set of little tales of love, compassion and community. Neighbourly spirit was strong in a couple of these and served to remind us to check on those around us.’
book_a_holic_17 ‘I loved the different themes within this collection – although all festive – each one showed what the festive period really means to different people in different situations – reminding us to think of others at this time of year too.’
Day 5
bookswithstacie ‘I can’t choose my favourite but the cat one, I loved I have a cat myself and if she ever went missing I would cry. Whichever story becomes your favourite you’ll find that they all pull on your heart strings. Perfect for Christmas lovers.’
I’ve be sharing more snippets at the weekend. Please take a look at the reviews above and if you’re looking for a way to get festive, you could try one of the Winter Warmers collection.
So far on the book tour for my new festive collection of short stories I’ve been loving the reviews coming in. It’s always fun to share a few of my favourite quotes with you. Please click the link for the full review on instagram.
weebelfastbookshelf ‘…Each story was perfect for an easy, cosy read at this time of year 🎄 the author has beautifully captured what this time of year is really about, even in such short stories. I found them all to be believable & relatable – I didn’t want them to end!’
Daisyhollands ‘…What a charming little collection of stories this is. If you are looking for something quick and stress free to read over the festive period, it should be this. Each story is different to the one before but there is Christmas magic weaved through all of them, like a glittery thread…’
afelton6212 ‘…this book just has all the Christmas magic I may be an adult but I fully believe In the magic!!’
currently_readingx ‘…Every story has a meaning behind it. From helping others to making sacrifices. When I was reading this book it made me feel so lucky to be surrounded by people I love…’
mommy_and_books ‘A perfect Christmas and winter anthology. The stories are short, enveloping, and everyone will find something for themselves here. An additional asset is the wonderful cover that catches the eye.’
lozzieloves ‘This is my first read by Suzanne Rogerson and it was a thoroughly enjoyable one. A collection of festive short stories which cover all the Christmas themes of love, kindness, family and friendship.’
bianca_reads_books ‘The underlying theme across all of these is kindness. They vary in length from a couple of pages to 18 pages, so they are very easy to race through. It’s a great read to curl up with your christmas cuppa and enjoy.’
Thank you to all the reviewers who’ve posted so far. As you can see from the list below, there are still plenty more to come.
In case you’re interested in this festive read, or want to get a gift for a friend or family member, below is the all important link. You can still order the paperbacks / hardbacks in time for Christmas or even gift an ebook to someone special.
Firstly I love the title, Coldplay is one of the best bands in the world!
It was wonderful to get back to Skye and pick up with the three sisters and their lives. I love the set up in the country house estate, and it’s also a pleasure to experience the island in winter this time.
This story is packed with family, emotion and love.
Ezzie is a great character with her fair share of issues, and Mats is suitably swoon worthy. The difficulties the leads face to love seem impossible to overcome, and I couldn’t stop reading to find out how a happy ever after was possible with so much against it.
Mats young kids were adorable. And Ezzie meeting her birth family led to plenty of teary moments.
A brilliant read and I’m looking forward to the last story in the trilogy next year (though it will be a shame to leave the Isle of Skye).
This was another great cosy Christmas read by Jo Thomas. And with lots of chocolate – what’s not to love!
Clara was such a lovely character who seems to naturally help everyone she meets and brings people together. Gabriel was the perfect, brooding leading man.
I loved the Swiss location with all the vivid descriptions of the snowy conditions, and especially the chocolate school and Gabriel’s farm.
It was a stay up all night kind of read and I just didn’t want it to end.
Both books are 5 star reads – I’m never disappointed with a Sue Moorcroft or Jo Thomas book!
I’m hoping to squeeze in a few more Christmas reads this year, and am already 80% through Claire Hutson’s new book – Bella’s Countryside Christmas. Another book that is most definitely worth a read.
Another year has flown by. I don’t feel it’s been the most productive, but I do have some achievements worth remembering.
Looking back at the post of my goals for 2023I could probably copy and paste it and try for the same goals in 2024. Not a good sign!
But I’m feeling positive for 2024, so while we wait for the New Year celebrations to begin, here are some of my successes worth celebrating;
I got a part time job in April 2023 and I don’t hate it! It has taken time away from writing, but it feels good to have funds to support my writing endeavours.
The opening of book 1 in the Mermaid Hotel series won second place in the Flash 500 novel opening competition. See my post here.
I wrote 50K of book 3 in the Mermaid Hotel Series during Nanowrimo 2023 and finished the draft in December.
I’ve written plans for books 4, 5 and 6, plus a prequel in the Mermaid Hotel series.
I’ve planned some short stories for a new Christmas collection that I want to release in 2024.
I managed to get my first ever international Book Bub deal for The Lost Sentinel and hit some best seller lists on Australia! It really helped with sales and proves that you can easily make the huge cost back. I would have done that and more if I hadn’t booked in other ads at the same time. A lesson learned.
I’ve taken part in several month long online writing workshops with Jessica Redland run by the Romantic Novelist Association. One was all about setting, and the other about writing a series. They were informative, fun, and I learnt a lot, and I’ve made some new friends with other writers. I would definitely recommend online courses.
Reading achievements.
In 2023 I set my Goodreads challenge to read 26 books. To date I’ve only read 22. I don’t think I will manage to add anymore to that in the next few days, but I’ve read some excellent books and all have been 4 to 5 star reads. Here’s the link to my Goodreads challenge.
I usually share my fav books of the year, but it will be a struggle to pick the best – they have all been so good. I may do another post with the books I’ve read, perhaps sharing those authors that have inspired me whilst I write my romance series.
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That’s about it for my year in review. How did you do in 2023?
Did you reach your goals, whether that’s writing, reading or life related? Or do you hate setting any goals and prefer to take life as it comes?
I love setting goals and making plans and I’ll back soon to share what I hope to achieve in 2024.
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories
Heart warming and at times heart wrenching, but so, so good!
Blurb
A secret romance was just the start of the story…
Tucked into a crook of the Norfolk coast lies Nelson’s Bar – an idyllic village where time seems to stand still. Maddy Cracey has called this beautiful spot home all her life, as had her husband Adey – until an epic row sent him storming out into a blizzard, with no sign of him since that fateful night.
Six years on, and Maddy’s life in the village has settled into a gentle pattern with her young daughter and Great Aunt Ruthie. However, when handsome stranger Raff turns up with a handful of long-forgotten love letters, their quiet life is upended as family secrets from the past are unearthed.
As Raff and Maddy get to know each other, they grow closer and a love story of their own seems inevitable. But when Maddy receives a mysterious message, she can’t help but wonder whether her own past is as distant as she’d thought it was…
My review
I really loved this book, as I do with every one of Sue Moorcroft’s stories. She has earned her title ‘Queen of Christmas feelgood novels’!
The characters were great and the situations they were in gave plenty of opportunities to tug at the heart strings. I found myself needing tissues quite a few times throughout this story.
Maddy is a strong woman, she’s had to be after her husband disappeared and left her in debt. She’s caring and always puts others above her own happiness, but with Raff there seems a chance for her to find love and happiness.
I loved Raff as the hero of the story, and I especially loved that he’s an author. A fantasy author at that!
The setting really came alive and the vivid depictions of winter in Nelson’s Bar transported me there. The supporting cast were excellent, Great Auntie Ruthie especially. It’s her backstory woven through the book that leads to so many of the emotional moments.
I love an epilogue and this one rounded off the wonderful tale perfectly.
Another excellent Christmassy 5 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC, the publishers and of course thanks Sue Moorcroft for another fantastic story.
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Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories
Suzanne Rogerson Fantasy Author 