Roberta Reads

Melt My Heart by Bethany Rutter My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is such a sweet story, all about a girl who is pretty stressed out and not confident of what she’s doing, and how she moves forward over the course of one summer. It’s a little too angsty for my taste, but it really is a lovely story and very well written. I like the fact that as well as the main character development theme, there’s also other strands in there about racism and homophobia, and about being truthful and true to yourself. I love the diverse characters. And I love the way the whole thing is just done in a gentle, subtle way. Oh, and I love the cover, it’s cute and bold all at the same time. I can’t really say much more without revealing important plot points, but if you love some gentle romance, character development, diverse characters and don’t mind a little angst, then this is the book for you. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View a...

Agent Zaiba Investigates - The Poison Plot by Annabelle Sami My rating: 5 of 5 stars I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was excited to read this one. I wasn’t disappointed. It was so much fun to come back to Zaiba and her pals. This time around, a teacher is poisoned during a baking competition, and the Snow Leopard Detective Agency - UK Branch is determined to solve the case before the police arrive! The plot is great, the characterisation is great, the setting comes through well, I just enjoyed myself so much. I particularly liked the developing relationship between Mariam, Zaiba, and Poppy.  Oh, and the illustrations were delightful this time around too. If you fancy a fun detective romp, carried out by a bunch of intelligent and appealing children, then this is the book for you. I’m hoping there will be many more in the series. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews ...

Summer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts My rating: 3 of 5 stars I loved the beginning scenes, the hen do was lovely. I also loved the wedding scenes, they were romantic and heart warming. A great pay off for the 3 books it’s taken for Rachel and Tom to finally get married. I very much enjoyed returning to the farm, and to the characters I like, the community atmosphere of the village. However, the rest of the book really wasn’t my cup of tea. It was far too stressful to read. There were too many separate strands of things going wrong. I really hated the malicious posting of negative reviews, it was so nasty. I felt like the middle parts of the book didn’t hang together very well, with so many different things going on, and many of them were sorted out really easily. It just felt like there wasn’t an overarching plot. But perhaps that is far more realistic! I also find Rachel and Tom’s inability to talk properly to one another s...

In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk My rating: 3 of 5 stars I’ve been a fan of Lindsey Kelk for quite a number of years now, but this one just wasn’t my cup of tea. I found Ros a little judgemental - especially at the beginning. I think it was also the fact that two thirds of the way through, she’s still with an arrogant guy who really doesn’t care about her at all. In fact, she was unhappy with all aspects of her life for most of the book. However, having said all that, this book was well written and easy to read. The characters are fun, and there’s a happy ending. I’ve given it 3 stars, which means it’s a good, enjoyable book. It was just missing something for me. I think Ros went from being miserable about everything, to everything being magically fixed, far too quickly - it felt squashed into the last 10%. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews

First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was hugely enjoyable. It is full of hilarious scenes, and I really felt like Georgie and Nicholas were well suited to each other. They seem to actually listen to each other, unlike some characters. The epilogue was lovely, and definitely needed to tie up the loose ends left at the conclusion of the final chapter. The sex scenes are definitely very steamy, but they do move the plot along, and are not just there for titillation. Overall, this was a humorous and romantic story, perfect to relax with, with a satisfying happy ending. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Escape to the French Farmhouse by Jo Thomas My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was a lovely book. Jo Thomas is a new author for me, and I was slightly concerned the story would be too emotional for me. The cover was very appealing, so I went ahead anyway, and I’m glad I did. I really liked the variety of characters in this book, many of them have been through a difficult time. I enjoyed seeing Del and Stephanie, in particular, come into their own. The setting is lovely, the lavender farm and town shine through as a character in their own right. I also enjoyed the gentle romance(s), which are interesting without excessive drama. The theme of found family is strong, and heartwarming. This would be a great book for anyone looking for a gentle romance, full of found family. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Gracie Fairshaw and the Mysterious Guest by Susan Brownrigg My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s great to read a story where the protagonist is “disabled” - I write it that way, because I’m pretty sure Gracie doesn’t view herself as disabled - but is just a normal person. So many books are written as either disabled = woe is me, or the main character overcomes huge difficulties to become a hero, or do some amazing feat of sport. Whilst there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, it’s lovely to read a book where a disability (or overcoming one) is not the defining characteristic of the main character. The plot itself is a great mystery. Gracie and her family move into a boarding house, and their mother promptly disappears. The children then (with the help of new friends) dash around Blackpool solving the mystery and saving the day. All great fun, not too stressful, but still exciting. I hope there will be a sequel (or several), as I’d enjoy reading mo...

  To Liberty! The Adventures of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas by Catherine Johnson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book tells the story of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, the father of the author Alexandre Dumas (The Three Musketeers etc), who believed in liberty and equality for all. It is an excellent, exciting and lively tale, and easy to read. It gets the facts in about an often overlooked, but important, part of history, but without harrowing details that would be upsetting for children. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, informative and exciting account of Thomas-Alexandre’s life. I also recommend it for children looking for an exciting tale of bravery. I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book was really easy to read, and very enjoyable. I really liked Samantha, and her character development over the course of the book was great to see. I liked quite a few of the other characters too, Josh, Samantha’s father, her friend Hannah particularly. However, I there were several I really didn’t like - mostly her mother, who was just incredibly horrible and unkind. I thought that the story of Hedgehog Hollow was charming, I love hedgehogs (one of the reasons I picked this book), but it was so much more lovely than I thought.  There were too many deaths in this book for my taste, but they are written in such a way that it is not too horribly sad. The setting of Hedgehog Hollow came through very strongly. Overall, if you can cope with a couple of deaths, and one really nasty character, this is a lovely gentle romance, but also a personal development story....

Sunny Days and Sea Breezes by Carole Matthews My rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoyed this book, it is well written and mostly easy to read. I didn’t notice any spelling or grammar errors. Jodie has obviously been through a really tough time and doesn’t know what she wants. It’s lovely to see her come out of her shell and start to reconnect with life again. However, I do dislike the fact that she didn’t break up with one person before starting with another. To me, it’s just common decency to do so. She put Ned in a really intolerable position. The sense of place is really well done, particularly on the Isle of Wight, I felt like I was there. I loved the descriptions of Ned’s wood carving too. Overall, this was a great and not too emotional story of someone beginning to move on, that was well written and sympathetic. It just unfortunately had aspects that are just not my cup of tea. I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own. ...

Fangs by Sarah Andersen My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this, it’s hilarious and touching in equal measure. A beautiful story of a vampire and a werewolf who fall in love, and the reality that entails. The drawings themselves are beautiful, and I love the cover too. I can’t really say much more without giving away too much of the story. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes vampires, werewolves or quirky love stories. I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own. View all my reviews

The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson My rating: 2 of 5 stars I chose this book expecting a relatively lighthearted romance about a woman who starts up a lending library in her home when the local library shuts. It turned out to be far more emotional than that - many very difficult things happen to  Dodie, including a very important character dying unexpectedly. Consequently, although this is a good book, it is really not my cup of tea. If you’re looking for a well written, very emotional journey with a happy ending, this is the book for you. However, if the cover and description have lead you (like me) to expect an (at least relatively) lighthearted romance, you’ll be disappointed. View all my reviews

A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book was not as lighthearted as I was expecting from the cover and description (I’m used to more silliness in my Regencies), however it was still very enjoyable. It was great to read a Regency romance/adventure with more diverse characters than most I have read. The plot itself was compelling and kept my interest throughout, though it was slightly more stressful than I prefer! I thought the secret society (the Widow’s Grace) was an excellent invention, something that was definitely needed in that era, where most women had very little power. As other readers have mentioned, I found the switching of tenses/points of view disconcerting. It seems odd to me to have one POV written as “I” whilst the other is written as “Busick”. However, other than that and using the word eminent instead of imminent (I’ve assumed that was the intended word from the context), this book is well written. If you’re l...

Murder at the Playhouse by Helena Dixon My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was so pleased to receive a copy of Murder at the Playhouse, the 3rd book in the Miss Underhay Mystery series - many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I love this series, and this one lived up to the previous two. The cover is also lovely, just like the previous two covers. As always, the writing quality was excellent, and the setting and atmosphere of the book very pleasing. I enjoyed coming back to Kitty and Matt, and the author always manages to come up with different and intriguing plots and settings. The characters are well realised and sympathetic, and it was interesting to see Matt having to take more of a back seat in this investigation, and how the pair of them cope with a slightly different dynamic. The murder mystery itself was engrossing and elusive, with the evidence always just slipping away before the police can get hold of it, thanks to the mysterious “thin man” who is constant...

Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay by Katie Ginger My rating: 4 of 5 stars Having enjoyed Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay, I was pleased to be approved for a NetGalley copy of Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay. I wasn’t disappointed by this sequel. It was easy to read, and a very enjoyable story - even more so than the first book in the series. I liked the vast majority of characters (though I took a fairly immediate dislike to Ben, who seemed arrogant, and as the story went on, juvenile). John, Hetty and Macie were especially lovable people. There were also many secondary characters, who felt just as real as the main ones, with their own stories and motivations going on. It was great to see the main characters from the previous book popping in here and there. The setting - both Thornhill Hall and the food festival itself - was interesting and entertaining. There were plenty of humorous moments throughout the book, keeping it lighthearted even when there we...

Summer Island by Natalie Normann My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book. I love reading books set in different countries, as I can’t travel myself, so I get to visit them through the books I read. The setting for this story was excellent, the descriptions of the island and the way of life of its inhabitants were enjoyable and not intrusive. I liked all of the characters, but Ninni and Jack especially. Frikk was also delightful (and didn’t die, for anyone who is also averse to pets dying in books). There was plenty of gentle humour too. I was slightly disappointed that we never learned why Agnar never got in touch with Jack. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a gentle romance, and a happy ending. View all my reviews

Sleep Like the Dead: A Charleton House Mystery by Kate P. Adams My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sophie has stumbled over another dead body, this time on a sleepover for sixty at Charleton House. Can she find out who the killer is? Of course she can! This series is fast becoming one of my favourites. This one has all the best features of the series: a nice murder mystery to solve, some gentle humour, a fun setting, I could go on... In addition, we get to spend more time with a great collection of characters, and find out a little more about Joyce’s interesting life! I can’t wait for Sophie to come across another corpse, so I can join her in solving the mystery. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy crime with gentle humour and a fun setting. I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Lori and Max by Catherine O'Flynn My rating: 4 of 5 stars I chose this book because I love children’s/middle grade crime (for example Robin Stevens). It is usually told in a way that is less tense than adult crime. I liked Lori a lot, she seems smart and determined. I liked the way she befriended Max, even though she tried to keep her distance. Max seemed even smarter than Lori, though I think it’s just that she’s more experienced. I enjoyed the plot, and the fact the Lori tried to give information to the police, even if they didn’t really listen. I loved the bit at the end where it goes through all the characters and says what they’re up to now. Unfortunately, I did find this story to be a little more tense than I prefer. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting children’s crime story, that brings in realism, but without getting too scary for middle grade aged kids. I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own. View all my...