romance

Book Review: For Better For Worse by Elisabeth Bickers

Posted on by Libby Price

So I have to confess I have more than a passing interest in you reading this book. Not financial – just because it’s been written by someone I have known for ALL OF HER LIFE! She entrusted me with a very early draft – and I have to say I loved it. Thank goodness. I’m nervous when people I know ask me to read things they’ve written – as you never want to tell someone their baby is ugly (historic guest blog reference for those who have been here since the start!) but I need not have worried, this baby is gorgeous!

Here is the blurb:

“This spicy, second-chance rom-com is a dual POV, set within the small town of Malvern. The first in a series of books, following a quirky, found family as they banter and battle to find love.

He thought there was nothing left to fight for …
He was so WRONG.

Amos is back. He is ready to move on and finally accept that their marriage is over.
But life is never that simple.

Nel has worked hard to heal after the tragedy that nearly destroyed them both and is ready for a fight.
She is not alone … Their meddling friends and his feisty Nanna are Team Nel, are happy to sabotage his plans and are willing to play dirty.

The broken, unforgivable woman he left is no longer broken, seems almost forgivable and is utterly irresistible.
Forced to live together, Amos doesn’t stand a chance.

Nel has just six weeks to prove that she is not the enemy but still the mighty woman he fell in love with.

Because some love deserves a second chance.“

Now I think this needs to come with a couple of warnings up front.

Firstly, this has a few VERY SPICY scenes! The author’s big sister was quite stressed reading these (and was more comfortable giving advice on the placement of semi colons than body parts) but they were a necessary part of the storyline and didn’t feel shoehorned in (and I’m fairly sure no shoehorns were involved). But I do think the spiciness is worth highlighting (and I wouldn’t have bought this for my Nan – although I’ve said that and realised I am someone’s Nan and I was fine!)

Secondly, and it’s mentioned beautifully in an author’s note in the book as seen in the photo below, the author has used her own experience of baby loss as part of the back story. I personally think this was written incredibly well (and obviously it made me cry – both in the book’s storyline, but also because I knew what the author was drawing on) but if it’s something that could be a trigger for you, then you do need to be aware.

So – moving on from my warnings – this is a really great book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked both Nel and Amos from the off and really wanted them to work everything out. The supporting cast of family and friends is eclectic and fabulous – and I suspect Nanna will be most people’s favourite. The multi generational friendship group is lovely.

The setting of Malvern – and references to Birmingham – are always going to please me as a Brummie now residing in Worcestershire.

I don’t want to give too much of the storyline away – and I also think there have been some tweaks since I read it – so I do need to re read the final book, but the twists and turns are plentiful and interesting. As well as the aforementioned babyloss – there were other elements of the authors own life experience that I recognised and made it super moving for me (the father of the bride wedding speech had me crying again) but even without the insider knowledge, I still think it would be a fantastic read. I personally love when a book with sexy bits also has a proper storyline and packs some punches on serious topics too – they are definitely not mutually exclusive in real life or literature!

I read a pdf of this last year – but was delighted to receive a hard copy today – which looked beautiful and I’ve taken some sneaky photos (with the author’s permission of course)

The book is out on 28 July 2026 but you can pre-order it for Kindle already. It would make a perfect holiday read, and is a bargain – and you get to read my name in the acknowledgements!

And I’ve possibly never immediately burst into tears when reading a dedication before. #IYKYK

Book Review: Hopeless Romantics by Mhairi McFarlane

Posted on by Libby Price

If anyone asks me for a book recommendation, my first question is ‘Have you read all of Mhairi McFarlane’s books?’ She is definitely my ‘go to’ author, and I’ve loved every book she’s ever written – so requesting an ARC of her new book is a given – and here’s the blurb:

“Ever wondered if one choice, one weekend and one person can change everything?
Writer Tess has always been accused of being overly romantic by her best friend Carys.
And when they meet cheerful stranger Spencer and his more reserved wingman Ryan on the sleeper train to a wedding, Carys is all-in with the shared champagne while Tess holds back. Yet there’s a jolt of attraction between her and Ryan that Tess can’t ignore – a sense of recognition that feels real.
As the weekend unfolds, with a twist that nobody saw coming, she asks herself – how do you know when it’s your life-changing moment?”

Having been forced into a reading slump by my previous book, I was delighted to be back in familiar territory of an incredibly well written, clever, insightful, funny book – and devoured ‘Hopeless Romantics’ in just over 24 hours!

I have to say I was a little nervous before I started reading – having at the end of 2025 read and enjoyed a book by Lindsey Kelk (IRL friend of Mhairi I believe?) set on a sleeper train to the Highlands, and I was concerned it could feel too similar – but I need not have worried, the sleeper train experience was completely different (and I still don’t ever want to experience it myself!)

You kind of know that something good is going to happen to Tess professionally from the start of the book – but then it loops back 10 years to Tess and Carys heading off to a Uni friend’s wedding in Scotland and meeting Spencer and Ryan on the train. I really liked all of the characters in different ways – and how the relationships developed over the decade of the book was brilliant.

And who doesn’t love a Deacon Blue reference early doors (weirdly, I’d also referenced Deacon Blue in an Instagram post the night before reading this – as I was sat in Crete sipping down raki, and suggested I might read some Maynard Keynes later #niche)

Whilst it is not straightforward (when is life?!) you know the twists and turns of the storyline are going to be worth it in the end. I’d read reviews saying readers had laughed and cried loads – so I have to say I was nervous of more trauma – but I definitely erred more on the side of laughing. I’m not sure sex on a sleeper train could be anything other than amusing?!

I don’t want to give too much away – but it’s another sure fire hit for Mhairi McFarlane.

A huge thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC. It’s not out until February 2027, but I would suggest pre ordering it now – so future you has a nice Valentine’s surprise!

Book Review: The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

Posted on by Libby Price

I realised I’ve previously read a book by Rosie Walsh, but when she wrote as Lucy Robinson – but I requested this advance review copy based upon the other authors singing its praises on Net Galley! It came out on 4 June 2026 so is available now if you like the sound of it. Here’s the blurb:

“HE PROMISED HER A LIFETIME. HE GAVE HER FOUR HOURS.
Twelve years ago, Carrie said ‘I do’ on a sun-drenched beach in Thailand. Four hours later, her world shattered when her husband, Johan, was snatched away in a violent abduction. He was never seen again.
Today, Carrie is a working mum, navigating the beautiful chaos of raising premature twins and rebuilding her life with a man who truly loves her. She has finally found peace. The past is a closed book.
Until she sees his face on a computer screen.
Johan is alive. He has a new life. And he never tried to find her.
Driven by a desperate need for answers, Carrie risks the stability of her marriage and the safety of her family to uncover the truth of what happened that day in Thailand. But as she peels back the layers of Johan’s double life, she is forced to face a devastating question:
Is the truth worth the destruction of her second chance at happiness?
A love story with the pulse of a thriller, The One Day You Were My Husband is a ‘gasp-inducing’ journey through secrets, motherhood, and the high cost of a first love that refuses to stay buried.“

I absolutely loved this book – and stayed up far too late on consecutive nights to finish it!

The book runs on two timelines – the present day, and back 12 years ago when Carrie was starting out in her career as a doctor. I thought the medical elements of Carrie’s profession – as well as her premature twins – were written really well.

Carrie’s current – and historic – romantic relationships are unpicked, as well as those with her family, friends and colleagues – many of these spanning both of the time periods.

It was a real rollercoaster – and whilst I predicted some of the twists, others were total OMFG moments. (I actually like that in a book – I still want to be shocked and surprised, but equally like to feel a bit smug that I guessed some of the storyline!)

This is a hard recommend – and a perfect book to *pack* (physically or electronically) for your summer holiday.

A huge thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Review: People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon

Posted on by Libby Price

I’ve enjoyed previous non fiction by Bryony Gordon, so was delighted to be granted an advance review copy of her foray into fiction. Subsequently I saw it all over my social media – with Bryony sending copies to seemingly every person I follow on Instagram!

Here’s the blurb:

“Olivia Greenwood has been trying very hard to please people for a very long time.
But today is going to change Olivia in a big way. A soul-crushing career disappointment, a fiery young woman with a chip on her shoulder and a cigarette in her hand, and one single blue hallucinogenic gummy all lead to a raucous night out and one hell of a hangover. And when Olivia wakes up the next morning, it seems she’s unable to please anyone but HERSELF.
So who actually is Olivia Greenwood, when she’s not trying to be what everyone else wants her to be?”

I could immediately identify with Olivia – being a similar age and similarly a people pleaser!! Her night out and encounter with a younger colleague, Rose, along with booze and a gummy – transforms Olivia’s attitude. I have to say (and perhaps this is because I am so stuck firm as a people pleaser) – I found her to be a little bit unlikeable and unpleasant in some ways when she had this epiphany – although appreciate that may have been to move the story along.

Olivia is very much sandwich generation – brought up in the 90s being told women could ‘have it all’ – but still juggling childcare and older parents (one of whom is living in her garden shed!) You also learn about a horrible misogynistic experience Olivia had early in her career – with which I could completely empathise. Young women today just wouldn’t put up with it – but I remember being groped by a partner of the accountancy firm I worked for and asked if all of the women in the Birmingham office were as sexy as me! At the time I just removed his hand from down my dress and laughed it off, as it was just considered ‘normal’ (although some years later, the aforementioned partner was personally fined £250k and banned from being an accountant for 3 years, which did prompt a wry smile……)

Some of the storyline did make me appreciate how much my own husband and children do around the house as a matter of course – although I completely recognise this is not the norm for many!

Overall I enjoyed the book and Olivia’s story arc – and agree that people, and women of a certain age in particular, should be able to stick up for themselves and not be perpetual people pleasers – but I also think it’s easier said than done! Maybe Rose’s gummies should be on prescription with HRT?!

Also loved the Erling Haaland cameo!

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance review copy – the book is published next month if you fancy pre ordering.

Book Review: The Truth About You and Me by Emma Cooper

Posted on by Libby Price

Having very much enjoyed previous books by Emma Cooper, I was delighted to be granted an advance review copy of her new book The Truth About You & Me. I actually read it before the publication date in November 2025 – but have been slow in reviewing it, sorry, but that does mean you can buy it instantly (and I recommend you do!)

Here’s the blurb:

“When two strangers find themselves locked in a cinema overnight, it could be the start of a perfect meet cute… but as Maggie is about to discover, real life is so much more complicated than fiction…
Every Friday, Maggie attends the last showing at her local indie cinema. Then one night, bookseller Jack goes to the same screening. These two strangers are about to fall in love – there’s just one complication: Jack knows nothing about Maggie. Maggie knows everything about Jack.
Over a series of Fridays, Maggie and Jack get to know each other, but the closer they grow, the bigger the secrets that could tear them in two. Because Maggie has a unique gift: with just the lightest touch, she knows exactly what someone is thinking. That’s how she knows how Jack’s picture-perfect life has fallen apart. And that she isn’t the total stranger he thinks she is.
Will she risk everything to tell him the truth – or is true love something that only happens in the movies?”

I really enjoyed this book. The ‘different’ side of it – with Maggie being able to know what people are thinking just by touching them – is woven into the story in clever ways. I’m not a huge ‘supernatural’ fan – but this felt really real and not far fetched.

I also really liked both Maggie and Jack as people. I’m not saying you have to like the protagonists to enjoy a book – in fact sometimes I thoroughly enjoy disliking someone – but in this case, I loved them both – and the surrounding cast of characters of their friends and family.

The book twists and turns and the storyline makes you want to carry on reading to see where everyone will end up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this rom-com of a book (meant in a good way – just like the rom-com films that Maggie and Jack discuss) and would thoroughly recommend it as a feel good read. It made me laugh and cry – which is always the sign of a good book.

A big thank you to Net Galley and Boldwood Books (I didn’t realise that Emma Cooper is now one of their authors, as I have a friend who is one of the publishing Directors there, but that has not coloured my judgement, as I loved this book anyway!)

Book Review: Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk

Posted on by Libby Price

“Is a fake boyfriend really just for Christmas?

One fake romance. One magical Christmas. One chance to fall in love.|
Laura was all set for a quiet solo Christmas – just her, a bottle of wine, and flat-sitting for a stranger. But when the stranger’s parents mistake her for his mystery girlfriend, she’s swept off to the snowy Scottish Highlands with Callum and his whole family.
Between the cosy sleeper train, charming pubs and breathtaking views, this could be the no-strings-attached Christmas of Laura’s dreams.
But stranger Callum is hot, hilarious and their ‘fake’ chemistry is off the charts.
So is this just a Christmas fling? Or the start of something more?”

As my multiple previous posts will attest, I love a Lindsey Kelk novel – and so was delighted to be granted an advance review copy of her latest book which is out in October – and makes a perfect festive gift / read!

The ‘fake relationship into actual lovers’ has obviously been done many times before – but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. Laura being a neurosurgeon was certainly unusual for a main character in a rom com (although I do wonder if her speciality changed during the writing process, as at one point the lack of ‘cardiac’ unit was mentioned) and I liked the different ‘vibe’ that gave the book. Callum was lovely – even though he could do with a shake sometimes!! Laura’s friends Desi and Joel were brilliant (definitely reminded me of Bridget Jones and her gang of mates) and really added to the colourfulness of the storyline.

The Scottish Highlands are described beautifully – and you could almost feel the chill off the page. I also liked the modern issues – phone reception (or lack of) and a major life incident in an M&S petrol station! It has also made me think I never want to the Caledonian Sleeper train!

It was a fabulous escapist read – and would be PERFECT to read over the Christmas holidays all cosy and warm curled up in a comfy chair with a hot chocolate (or mulled wine!) There were laugh out loud moments, scenes of great sexual tension – and the chaos of an extended family festive season.

A huge thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC.

Book Review: Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

Posted on by Libby Price

I have thoroughly enjoyed Josie Silver’s back catalogue, and so was delighted to be granted an advance review copy of her new book Slow Burn Summer. I actually read it much earlier in the month and totally forgot to post a review – but that means it’s now out, so if you like the sound of it you can order it immediately for your sun lounger!

“Sometimes pretending to be someone else helps you figure out who you really are…
Freshly divorced and in need of a job – Kate Elliot’s life needs a rewrite. So when she unearths an old letter from her ex-talent agent, Jojo Francisco – she takes it as a sign from the universe to brush off her old acting skills and become someone else entirely.
Meanwhile, Charlie Francisco is back from LA, leaving his dumpster fire of a life behind. He may be well over his head in filling the shoes of his late eccentric father but he is determined to prove he can, and he might just have the job for Kate: to pose as the author for a novel that the real writer wants nothing to do with. It’s not quite the glamorous gig she was hoping for, but he’s looking for a nobody and she needs cash fast.
When Kate and Charlie meet they’re all friction and sparks, but they have one thing in common – they’re determined to play their parts. But as the summer heat ups and the lies get bigger and bigger, can they stick to their lines or will they go off-script?
A steamy and sweet love story set in the heat of a London summer, from the queen of the ‘what if?’ romance Josie Silver.”

Yet again Ms Silver did not disappoint. Whilst she writes lovely romances – and you’re rooting for Kate and Charlie to get it together throughout the book – it’s the supporting cast, the humour and the storyline that all wraps it up into a perfect summer escapist read.

I loved Katie’s relationship with her brother and sister in law, and Charlie’s with his new business partner – who’d previously worked with his Dad for many years. And Katie has a 19 year old daughter – so very similar in age to some of my children – and the interactions between them was written brilliantly too. I even enjoyed the sports fans on the train! The sexual tension builds brilliantly along the way as well – so I can definitely see where the title came from.

Overall a fabulous easy read (and I don’t say that in a derogatory way, and I’m not implying an easy read is an easy write) it’s just perfect when reading for fun on holiday after drinking a cocktail or two!

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Review: The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith

Posted on by Libby Price

Sometimes I get a bit confused with Net Galley! I was granted an advance review copy of this in January 2025 for publication in August 2025 – but it appears it’s been out for AGES. I can only assume it’s a different geographical market that it’s being released in next month – but I have read and reviewed it none the less – and at least if you like the sound of it you can purchase it immediately!

“In a shockingly twisty, addictively dark, engrossingly intense psychological suspense for readers of Freida McFadden, Adele Parks, and B.A. Paris, a woman’s world is shattered when her sister returns 16 years after she was abducted from their childhood bedroom.
“Do you have a sister, Ms. Fairview?” The little girl’s question, in all its buttery innocence, slices through me, and the answer catches in my throat. It isn’t as simple as yes or no. It hasn’t been, in nearly sixteen years.
The evening Caitlin and Olivia’s parents leave them to go to a dinner party, both girls are bubbling with excitement. At ages 10 and 13, they are at last old enough to stay home alone. After all, in their idyllic town no one even bothers to lock their doors.
As the summer light fades, after TV and popcorn, the sisters finally put themselves to bed. They’re unaware of the figure watching them through an open window. Or of the back door opening once they’ve fallen asleep.
When their parents return, they will find Olivia’s bed empty. Their golden-haired, long-limbed, eldest daughter gone. Never to return. Until now.
But is the woman who claims to be Olivia all she seems? Is everything Caitlin said she saw that night the whole truth? Their family have dreamed of this moment, but both sisters are keeping more than one secret. What price will they all pay if they end up believing the wrong daughter?“

The book starts around the anniversary of Caitlin’s sister Olivia being kidnapped at knifepoint 16 years ago when Caitlin was just 10, and her sister 3 years older. This has clearly changed the trajectory of the entire family’s lives – as nothing has been seen of Olivia since that night.

Then, intertwined within the chapters about Caitlin, is a story from the point of view of Elinor. She is an orphan, living with her older brother in a remote hall in the middle of the countryside, where their Uncle comes to visit them at weekends. Clearly these stories are going to have to merge at some point – otherwise it would be a very strange book!

It twists and turns hugely – in both timelines – and I was wondering for almost the entire book how and when it would be explained how they meet up! I have to say some of it was pretty far fetched, and the double / triple crossing quite confusing – but that didn’t stop me enjoying the book.

It explores Caitie’s relationships – with family / friends / boyfriend – and how easily external factors can influence these – I have to say I felt very sorry for her quite often during the storyline and was rooting for her throughout.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my review copy – be it advanced or not!!

Book Review: One August Night by Victoria Hislop

Posted on by Libby Price

When I posted my review of The Island, Victoria Hislop’s novel about Spinalonga, a couple of friends asked if I’d also read the sequel – One August Night. I hadn’t, but I’m very easily lead, so immediately bought it – and then saved it for when we were in Crete on holiday.

The view of Spinalonga from the village of Plaka

Here’s the blurb:

“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.
Number one bestselling author Victoria Hislop returns to the world and characters she created in The Island – the award-winning novel that remains one of the biggest selling reading group novels of the century. It is finally time to be reunited with Anna, Maria, Manolis and Andreas in the weeks leading up to the evacuation of the island… and beyond.”

The sequel cleverly interweaves the final chapters of The Island – starting just as the leper colony is going to be disbanded – so you know some of the storyline already (but having said that, One August Night would work as a standalone book – but I would suggest you should read The Island first anyway!) I’d expected it to bridge the gap between the ‘present day’ and historic elements of The Island – but it’s actually only for a very short period, and doesn’t bring in the more recent characters at all. It focusses on Maria and Manolis and their supporting family and friends, old and new.

Maria has stayed locally – albeit just down the coast in Agios Nikolaos – whilst Manolis leaves immediately after that fateful August night – and his travels and subsequent new life are well described and evocative. The fall out from that evening is examined from all of the people it has affected, and it is really well written.

It was lovely to be reunited with all of the characters – and reading the book whilst being able to see Spinalonga from the hotel was amazing. We visited Spinalonga by boat one day, walked to Plaka another, and drove to Agios Nikoloas in torrential rain another day and Mum and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing both books brought to life. And obviously the rest of the family loved us sharing everything we knew!!

Book Review: Albion by Anna Hope

Posted on by Libby Price

“The Brooke family are gathering in their eighteenth-century ancestral home – twenty bedrooms of carved Sussex sandstone – to bury Philip: husband, father and the blinding sun around which they have all orbited for as long as they can remember.
Frannie, inheritor of a thousand acres of English countryside, has dreams of rewilding and returning the estate to nature: a last line of defence against the coming climate catastrophe. Milo envisages a treetop haven for the super-rich where, under the influence of psychedelic drugs, a new ruling class will be reborn. Each believes their father has given them his blessing, setting them on a collision course with each other.
Isa has long suspected that her father thought only of himself, and hopes to seek out her childhood love, who still lives on the estate, to discover whether it is her feelings for him that are creating the fault lines in her marriage.
And then there is Clara, who arrives in their midst from America, shrouded in secrets and bearing a truth that will fracture all the dreams on which they’ve built their lives.”

This book is a sweeping family drama, based in Sussex between the death and funeral of Philip Brooke – with flashbacks filling in the back story of all of the family and associated cast. I really wanted to enjoy this – but I have to say I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable and I found the story arc not incredibly thrilling. It’s also told from the point of view of many different characters – which felt somewhat disjointed.

I also found there were some really ‘preachy’ elements of the book – be that on environmental issues, historic slavery, inherited wealth. It’s been described as beautifully written in reviews – but it just didn’t pique my interest much at all. I persevered and read the whole book – but it just didn’t hit the mark for me at all.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for my advance review copy. If it sounds more of your bag than mine, it’s out now!