Roberta Reads

The Little Village Library by Helen Rolfe My rating: 1 of 5 stars Village Library: 1 star This book was really not to my taste. The first quarter had continual ominous hints that something had happened to Adam and Jennifer. It seemed like these occurred every paragraph, with no more information revealed. This made the first 25% so tedious that I almost gave up. However, some editing would sort that out. The other thing I didn’t like was the amount of (off page) domestic violence. I do think it is important to have stories about this out there, but the blurb gave me no indication that this might be included in the book, it looked like it was a light hearted romance. I read to escape from the horribleness of real life, not to experience more of it. I thought the library of shared things was an excellent basis for a book, and the plot with Jennifer and her husband was good. The sense of community in the village was also enjoyable to read about. I think ...

The Gift of Happiness by Holly Martin My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a wonderful book, full of funny, hilarious moments, and lovely, heartwarming moments. It’s full of Christmassy spirit and just the thing to curl up with on a cold day. I hope we get a third book set in the village of Happiness. Though I’ll pretty much read anything written by Holly Martin. View all my reviews

Ivory by Lola Dodge My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was a fun introduction to the Manhattan Ten, a group of superheroes that work together in New York. I really loved this book, it was short and to the point, with an excellent plot, sizzling chemistry and a good few witty one liners. I’m not usually a fan of possessive men, but Ivory more than meets Jag in terms of power, so the balance is there in their relationship by the end of the book. I love the set up of the world, I love the various powers of the ten (which I look forward to discovering more about in the future), I love the pacing (exciting action, but not too stressful for me). The author has really got this spot on, and I’ll certainly be reading future volumes! I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Wicked Wisteria by Angela Pepper My rating: 5 of 5 stars AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: This series is so much fun. I love Zara and her whacky sense of humour. I love the relationship between her and Zoe. Not only is the story brilliant fun, but the narration is excellent and lifts it to a whole new level of entertainment. Highly recommended! View all my reviews

Scaredy Bat and the Frozen Vampires: Full Color by Marina J Bowman My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was a lovely little story about a young vampire who wants to be a detective. It was great fun, easy to read and ended happily. The story was inventive and interesting. View all my reviews

A Cowboy's Secret by Vicki Lewis Thompson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This series (and Vicki Lewis Thompson books in general) is my go to series for when I want a quick, fun and lighthearted romance with respectful men and a happy ending. They all have their own story, but I’m always left feeling happy and satisfied. This one lived up to expectations. View all my reviews

A Kid’s Guide to Cats: How to Train, Care for, and Play and Communicate with Your Amazing Pet! by Arden Moore My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is an excellent and informative guide to looking after cats, designed for children. It has lovely, colourful illustrations and photographs throughout. It is packed with useful information, not only on how to care for your cat, but also on how to cheaply make toys, boxes, scratching posts and so on. I really love the fact that as well as the basics (food, water, vets etc), it also tells you how to train your cat - both for fun, and to make necessary things (eg nail trims, vet trips etc) far less stressful for you and your cat. This guide wouldn’t be suitable for very young children (though you could read it to them), but is very much aimed at the child (or children) taking responsibility for looking after the pet themselves. If I had a child who wanted a cat, this would definitely be the guide I’d buy for them. I w...

Meant to Be Yours by Susan Mallery My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was a fun and entertaining romance. The characters are well rounded, and the setting is diverting. I enjoyed watching Jasper and Renee fall in love without realising it, and working through their issues. The themed weddings make a fun background to this slightly unconventional love story. View all my reviews

Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin My rating: 5 of 5 stars I absolutely loved this book. It is incredibly well written and entertaining. It is so easy to read, with funny, gentle humour. The characters are all realistic, you really get the feeling that they all have their own stories going on, even if you don’t get to see all of it. I loved the nods to Jane Austen (and especially Pride and Prejudice). I loved the way that Ayesha and Khalid worked their way up to being brave about what they wanted from life. To me, them falling in love was more natural than Elizabeth and Darcy. I loved the sense of family and community, the fact that all the characters had their own family and friends. I’ll be looking out for future books from this author. View all my reviews

One Night on Ice by Mandy Baggot My rating: 2 of 5 stars This book wasn’t really my cup of tea. I’ve enjoyed others by the author, but this one didn’t hit the spot. It took me a long time to warm up to Samantha, to start with she seems a bit shallow. Once I got to know her a little more, I realised that actually she’s just insecure and suffers from anxiety. I liked her a lot better after that. One of the good points about this book is the fact that both Samantha and Jimmy have their own struggles, and falling in love doesn’t magically fix them, they work at them. However, I really didn’t like Cleo, she’s shallow, and consistently unkind and undermining to her sister. She thinks all people who have to go to the job centre are benefit cheats (except her of course). And then she’s skiving off work with her colleague so they can have sex. Her attitude to others just really stinks. I did thoroughly enjoy the scene where Cleo finds out that Samantha really...

The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen by Ada Bright My rating: 5 of 5 stars I thoroughly enjoyed The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen, so when I was invited to read and review an ARC of this sequel, I jumped on the chance. I was not disappointed! This book has all the charm of the first one, only this time around, some of the characters travel to the past at Jane Austen’s request. I enjoyed seeing the Austen family brought to life, and it was particularly interesting for me as I lived in Alton (very close to Chawton) for most of my life. The various people were all well written, and the development of the main characters from the first book seemed realistic. The ending was also far less of a cliffhanger than the previous book, which made it more satisfying for me. Overall, this was a fun and charming time travel adventure. I look forward to reading the next book (if there is one). I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest r...

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause My rating: 2 of 5 stars This book was not really my cup of tea. There was just too much crudeness, violence and death for my taste. The end was happy(ish) and satisfying, but it left me feeling sad. View all my reviews

Christmas at Silver Dale: the perfect Christmas romance for 2019 - featuring the original characters in the Animal Ark series! by Lucy Daniels My rating: 4 of 5 stars I enjoyed the Animal Ark books as a child, and so I’ve been reading this series since it began. It’s fun to read what Mandy and her friends get up to as adults. This instalment is a little more emotional than the previous ones (apart from Summer at Hope Meadows), a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I can’t really say much more without giving away plot points. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable, and the happy ending was satisfying. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another excellent adventure. One of my favourite universes. View all my reviews

Annie's Holiday by the Sea by Liz Eeles My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book was very enjoyable. I liked Annie’s slow discovery of the truth about her family, and the romance element. View all my reviews

Summer Days at Sunrise Farm by Lucy Daniels My rating: 4 of 5 stars An enjoyable and relaxing book to read. I like the way each book focuses on one particular relationship, whilst continuing everyone’s stories. I enjoy all the bits about the animals, and the community feel. View all my reviews

A Christmas Wish and a Cranberry Kiss at the Cosy Kettle by Liz Eeles My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was a lovely Christmassy book. The plot mostly revolves around Becca, who is an anxious person, and wants to change. I can’t say too much without giving away the plot, but it was lovely to see her character development. The gaggle of supporting characters were fun and sympathetic, they all seemed like real people. If you enjoy Christmassy stories about cosy cafes and people coming into their own, then this is the book for you. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman My rating: 5 of 5 stars It was wonderful to return to a favourite world - or universe, I should say, or possibly even multiverse! I have been looking forward to the next Invisible Library adventure, and it didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the heist theme of this book, it was a marvellous adventure. It was fun to see Irene and Kai teaming up with new people - though obviously not trusting them. And the bits of information about the true history of the dragons were interesting - I hope that we will learn more in future books. If you’ve delighted in previous books set in this multiverse (as I have) then you’ll love this one. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

The Little Bakery of Hopes and Dreams by Kellie Hailes My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was a wonderful book. I really enjoyed it. It has lots of little funny moments, some heartwarming moments, excellent character development and a lovely Christmassy atmosphere. I love the relationship between Callan and Mia, in fact Mia was brilliant altogether. The way that the people in the village care for each other is marvellous. Callan and Josie each working through their issues - I liked the way that they each thought it through in their head, they weren’t magically fixed by being in a relationship. Overall, a great book to curl up with on a cold wintery day. I definitely recommend it. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

A Reputation Dies: A thrilling combination of detective fiction and romance by Alice Chetwynd Ley My rating: 5 of 5 stars I chose this book because I have read and enjoyed several of Alice Chetwynd Ley’s Regency romances, so I thought I might enjoy A Reputation Dies, though it is a different genre. I was not disappointed. Although I knew who the murderer was about half way through, I was still very interested to read how the investigators found the evidence. And I could not quite be 100% certain - one never can! The plot was satisfyingly twisty, but not too exciting and threatening for my tastes. I will just mention that there is no love story whatsoever - which for me is not at all a down side, but if you’re looking for a romance and a mystery, you won’t find both here. I’m making such a point of this because the tag line on the cover mentions romance. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves cosy crime, or murder mysteries that are not gru...

A Girl Called Owl by Amy Wilson My rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoyed this fantasy adventure story. It didn’t get too dramatic for my taste, and it was an interesting plot that was different from others I’ve read. View all my reviews

Bring Me Sunshine by Laura Kemp My rating: 4 of 5 stars I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. I liked the fact that it is spread over a longer bit of time, that the characters actually consider their actions, rather than just acting on impulse. Charlie’s character development was great over the course of the book, and lovely to see her gain confidence. The other characters also had good development. View all my reviews

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was so much fun. A Regency romance crossed with a magical adventure, this book is good, clean, gentle fun. I’d definitely recommend it. View all my reviews

A Cosy Christmas in Cornwall by Jane Linfoot My rating: 3 of 5 stars I chose this book because the author is constantly being referred to on the covers of books I like to read, so I thought I might enjoy it. I did, but it’s not quite my cup of tea. The first half seemed to be very slow going, the plot was good, but it just took forever for anything to happen. There were also so many characters that I didn’t like at all, only Fliss and Ivy appealed to me. However, the pacing felt much better in the second half, and many of the characters appeared to mellow out and become a little more likeable. The atmosphere of the book (especially the second half) is very Christmassy, and Will/Bill redeems himself as his history is revealed. If you don’t mind a slow start and a few unlikeable characters, this is a Christmas romance that is a little different. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews ...

The Company of Eight by Harriet Whitehorn My rating: 2 of 5 stars This is an exciting and well written book. However, it is not quite my cup of tea. There is too much danger and threat for me! But for anyone wanting to read an exciting and adventurous story about a young girl, this could be the book for you. View all my reviews

The Christmas Tea Shop at Rosewood by Darcie Boleyn My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is well written and has a lot going for it. It has a festive, family feel, funny and heart warming moments. The pregnancy test scene in particular was hilarious. The main characters are all lovable, and Tilly was brilliant. Overall, this was a fun and festive Christmas romance. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

His Bride for the Taking: A Regency Romcom novella by Tessa Dare My rating: 5 of 5 stars A very entertaining and amusing romance. I can’t say too much without spoilers, but it was excellent fun and I recommend it. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

I'll Be Home for Christmas by Karen Clarke My rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoyed this fun, Christmassy read. Not only did it have family, self-discovery and romance, there were also several very amusing scenes that made me chuckle. Perfect for a gentle Christmas escape. I don’t quite understand why it’s called I’ll be home for Christmas, as no one goes home for Christmas. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

The International Yeti Collective by Paul Mason My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was so much more than I anticipated. I was expecting a fun tale about a girl discovering, and consequently protecting, yetis. What I got was so, so much better. A vividly and beautifully imagined yeti society - similar to our own, yet different - that could, almost, be real. I absolutely love the yetis, and their purpose (can’t say more without spoilers). Their names are brilliant too. I wish I could give more than five out of five stars. This is my second favourite book of 2019 (I read 200-300 books a year, so that’s really saying something). Highly recommended, to children and adults alike. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Christmas at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was an enjoyable follow on from Rachel’s Pudding Pantry, which I read a few days ago. Once again, I enjoyed the lovely farm setting, and all the characters. It was good to see that the Pudding Pantry was finally starting to bring in a bit more of a profit towards the end of the book - it’s probably realistic having quite times and the business taking time to get going, but it was nice to see progress. One thing I did find a little irritating about Rachel, was that for at least a month, she seemed to make no effort to spend time with Tom. She was extremely busy, but she could have invited him to join in with more of the things she was doing. Tom seems to do rather more than his half of the running and romantic gestures in their relationship. I really hope that Rachel will be a little more proactive (in terms of their relationship) in the next book. Overall, this wa...

Murder at the Dolphin Hote l by Helena Dixon My rating: 4 of 5 stars I enjoyed this cozy crime from Helena Dixon, which is set in the 1930s. It is well written and easy to read. The mystery itself is not hugely intricate, though it does keep you guessing for quite a lot of the book. I enjoyed the character development of Kitty, at the beginning of the book, she seems quite feeble and is frightened by all the untoward events (as anyone would be), but by the end of the story, she comes into her own a little. I look forward to seeing further developments in future books. I liked Matt’s character too. He obviously suffered greatly during the war, when he was still very young, and this has affected him. Again, I’m expecting to see character development in future books. Overall, this is a strong start to what I hope will be a fun series to follow. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews