Roberta Reads

The Wisteria Tree Cottage by Holly Martin My rating: 5 of 5 stars I absolutely love Holly Martin books. There’s nothing like them for pure enjoyment! The Wisteria Tree Cottage is again set in the Wishing Wood, which is forest full of treehouses - and what a wonderful setting! Reading these books feels like a holiday. The story follows Meadow and Bear, who have loved each other for a long time, but life has got in the way. Now they are best friends, and don’t know how to change that without losing their friendship. I just loved this book so much. So much so, it’s hard to say why. I love both Bear and Meadow, and I love how they gradually come to realise the other loves them too. I loved Star too, and her love of animals. The way they function together as a family (along with Heath) is lovely to see. There are plenty of humorous moments as well as heartwarming ones. And the epilogue just rounds it off perfectly. Overall, this was a delightful and roman...

The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott by Sharon Gosling My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved The House of Hidden Wonders, so when I saw that Sharon Gosling had written The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott, I snapped it up! I loved this book, it was such a fun adventure. I couldn’t put it down, I had to keep on turning the pages to find out what Katy would get up to next! Katy is such a great character, full of determination to make her mark on the world. I loved the journey that she went on - how what she saw altered her and made her think about the consequences of her actions. I loved loads of the other characters too - all the friends Katy made on the ship, and in Brazil. Oh, and there’s a brilliant cat too! Overall, this was such a fun adventure, full of heart. I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it. I strongly recommend it! I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Midsummer House by Rachael Lucas My rating: 5 of 5 stars Midsummer House is the latest instalment in Rachael Lucas’s Applemore Bay series. This book focuses on Charlotte, who has an out of character one night stand with Rob, who then appears in Applemore. It was lovely to return to Applemore, and see how all the characters are getting on, and to spend more time with Charlotte, who I’ve always liked. You don’t need to have read any of the other books in the series to enjoy this one, however. I also enjoyed exploring a new location, Midsummer House, which was a delightful place, with some animals that were great characters themselves! This book was really relaxing to read, with things moving at a gentle pace. However, it kept my interest too, I was drawn into the story and the concerns of the characters. Overall, this was a lovely, relaxing story, that felt like a pleasant summer’s day. I’m looking forward to Christmas at Applemore, which is the next book in ...

Small Miracles by Anne Booth My rating: 5 of 5 stars Anne Booth is totally new to me, so I had no idea what to expect from Small Miracles. But I loved the cover and the description sounded interesting, so I went for it. I certainly didn’t regret it. I really loved this book. It’s quite different to a lot of the books I read, but it was so enjoyable. It’s centred around three religious Sisters, who have had a tough couple of years with changes and deaths. But it also covers the community they serve. I loved the way that all the characters stories intertwined, and the way that small actions (and small miracles) had such an impact on their lives. I really liked the characters, especially Sister Margaret and Sister Bridget. I loved the emotional journey that they both went on, and how they learned to better understand each other. Sister Cecelia is a little harder to love, but I feel like there’s some real pain behind her behaviour. Perhaps we’ll find out...

Flyin' Solo by Peggy O'Neal Peden My rating: 3 of 5 stars Peggy O'Neal Peden is a new author to me. I was enticed by the photo of an aeroplane on the cover, but unfortunately the book didn’t involve any flying. This book was not really to my taste. The first half seemed to pass very slowly, and nothing much happened. The second half seemed very stressful and upsetting. Thus, as my rating is based on my enjoyment, I have only been able to give 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3). However, the mystery plot was a good one, and the characters are realistic and well drawn, though I didn’t particularly click with any of them. I especially didn’t like Sam, who was never there for Campbell when she really needed him. I can see how lots of people would enjoy this mystery, once it gets going, it’s quite exciting. I just prefer my crimes more cosy, and my love interests to be more kind. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. Vie...

Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have loved all the Hedgehog Hollow books so far, and Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow has been no exception. It was a joy to be back with so many characters that I’ve come to love. It’s wonderful to see Sam and Josh enjoying their honeymoon and starting to work on their next steps together. There are several other characters that have had difficult times in previous books, and it’s so rewarding to see them being happy now. I loved the variety of settings in this book. It was great fun travelling to Tanzania (especially the hedgehog), and seeing more of the places where Lauren spends her time. There was also plenty of time spent at Hedgehog Hollow too. I also really enjoyed exploring Lauren’s past and getting to know her better. I love the way that she and Sam support one another. I can’t say much more without spoilers, but I loved her storyline so much. I don’t know what else to...

Murder at the Country Club by Helena Dixon My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Miss Underhay Mystery series is an absolute favourite, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of Murder at the Country Club. I was not disappointed! This time around, Kitty and Matt are having a relaxing at the country club, and you’ll never guess what happens - Kitty stumbles across another dead body! I really loved this book. It was a joy to read, and to see all my favourite characters again always brings me happiness. The plot was an intriguing one, and although I was pretty sure that the culprit was guilty of something, I didn’t figure out what was actually going on until the big reveal. As well as the murder mystery plot, it was great to see Kitty and Matt taking a few more steps towards working out what their future together will look like. I love a series where there’s a slow romance going on, as well as the main plots of each book. Overall, this was another fascinating murder...

The Midnighters by Hana Tooke My rating: 5 of 5 stars I very much enjoyed The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke, so as soon as I saw The Midnighters, I snapped it up. I really enjoyed reading this story. I think that Ema is such a great character. Although she has a large and loving family, she is somewhat isolated by being so different (and not well understood). I loved her character arc across the book. Seeing her come into her own was so rewarding, and I was rooting for her the whole time. I loved Silvie too, and the way the two of them interacted. I also loved the plot, it’s hard to explain why without giving things away. The Midnight Guild is both a wonderful invention, and rather creepy. The book is so well written, that it feels like you are really there with Ema and her friends. I really liked the way they worked together to solve the murder mystery. Overall, this was a fun and interesting adventure. I loved the illustrations at the top of each chap...

  Review - 5 out of 5 stars: The Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series is a firm favourite, so I was eager to get my hands on The French for Murder. This time around, Eleanor is on holiday in France, naturally bringing her entourage with her! And, naturally, they stumble across a dead body. This is followed by shenanigans with the French police, the local mayor, a group of Americans filming nearby, some artists, some musicians, and a couple who have booked out an entire hotel! As always, it’s lovely to return to the familiar cast of characters. I very much enjoyed seeing them in a different setting, with different challenges to overcome. The plot was an interesting one. There were so many possible culprits, and quite a number of them were up to no good (though not necessarily murder). This left plenty of opportunity for trying to work out who had done the dastardly deed, and kept me guessing right up to the end. As with the previous books, I loved the banter between our main characters...