Roberta Reads

Winter at Cliff's End Cottage by Sheila Norton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sheila Norton is a new author for me. And the story is a little different to my usual fare. However, it sounded appealing, so I gave it a go. I loved it! The plot is delightful, really gentle and enjoyable. I loved the flashbacks to Stella’s life, and although horrible things happened to her, it’s written in such a way that it didn’t feel traumatic to me. I really liked Holly and Stella, and the way their friendship grew. I loved the way that they encouraged each other, and helped each other out. Alec was a great character too, and I really enjoyed the slow development of the relationship between him and Holly. Altogether, this was such a lovely, gentle story, and yet compelling enough that it kept me reading until I’d finished. I’ll definitely be looking for more books by Sheila Norton. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my rev...

An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins My rating: 5 of 5 stars I thoroughly enjoyed A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem, so I grabbed An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire as soon as I could. I was immediately swept up into the story - both the romance and the mystery. I loved the characters, and the plot was immensely satisfying on all counts. The story is also full of funny moments. Basically, it has every element I enjoy about reading. Overall, this was a fun romp that seamlessly weaves two of my favourite genres into a coherent and entertaining story. It was a joy to read, from start to finish; I highly recommend it! I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own View all my reviews

Just One Day - Winter by Susan Buchanan My rating: 4 of 5 stars Susan Buchanan is a new author to me, but the blurb looked fun, so I thought I’d give it a go. As soon as I started reading, I was immediately absorbed into the busy whirl of Louisa’s family life. I took to Louisa and her children very quickly. The individual characters of Gen, Hugo, and Aria came through very clearly. I really empathised with Louisa, how hard she works, and how difficult it must be to have her husband away half the time. I really enjoyed reading about the friendships that Louisa had too, and how her sisters and friends support one another. The only slight niggle I had, was the way every single male left most of the work of parenting and organising to the women. It would have been nice to have one example of a really equal parenthood. As well as all the dramas of family life and friendships, there are plenty of moments of gentle humour. The children are especially good a...

The Untold Story by Genevieve Cogman My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have been loving the Invisible Library series since the beginning, so I was excited to be offered an ARC of The Untold Story, the final volume of the series (for now at least). It did not disappoint! I enjoyed reading this so much that I stayed up way past my bedtime. It was wonderful to be back with favourite characters, and to finally find out the truths that have been hinted at throughout the series. It’s hard to say much about the plot without spoilers, but it really was excellent. It tied up so many loose ends, and there was a happy ending for most. The world building, as always, was excellent. If you’ve been loving the series like I have, get yourself a copy as soon as possible! It will keep you up past your bedtime, and leave you feeling satisfied and happy. I can’t wait to see what Genevieve Cogman writes next. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. ...

The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd My rating: 4 of 5 stars Dani Redd is a new author for me, but I loved the beautiful cover, and the general idea, so I gave it a try. I really enjoyed this book. The writing is really easy to read (even if some of the subject matter isn’t), it flows well. The characters are well written, I really liked Maya. I thought the portrayal of her anxiety came across well. The setting was great, the snow, and the cabins. I liked the fact that Maya struggled with the cold and darkness, it makes a nice change from all the stories where people love it, and seems more realistic. I loved all the descriptions of food, I could almost taste some of the dishes. And I liked the fact that, although by the end of the story, Maya was more confident, she still had anxiety. Overall, this was a great story of self-discovery, friendship, and persisting when times are difficult and uncertain. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions a...

Call of the Penguins by Hazel Prior My rating: 5 of 5 stars Away with the Penguins was one of my favourite books of 2020, so I was thrilled to be offered an ARC of Call of the Penguins, the sequel. I was concerned I wouldn’t remember the previous book well enough, but reading Call of the Penguins was like coming home. It’s absolutely stuffed full of characters that I love (human and penguin). Veronica and Daisy are my favourites, but I love all the others too. As before, the penguins run through the story, with their irrepressible characters, and ability to draw people together. It was fun to see a variety of different species this time. I very much enjoyed the plot. It was great to delve deeper into the links between Veronica and Patrick. Away with the Penguins only really scraped the surface. Overall, this was another beautiful, wonderful story, full of penguin (and human) goodness. I can’t really find the words to say how much I loved it, I would ...

A Winter in Wonderland by Isla Gordon My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been enjoying Isla Gordon’s books (including those written under other names) for many years now, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of A Winter in Wonderland. I loved the setting of this story. I loved reading about the snowmobiles, reindeer, huskies, northern lights, snow, and everything else that makes this a wintery paradise. The characters were great. I particularly loved Esteri, she was very up front about how she felt about things. The friendship between her and Myla was my favourite thing about this book. I also enjoyed Myla’s story, how she gradually realised not everything about Christmas is bad, and learned to put her past in its proper place. Overall, this was a lovely, relaxing read, full of Christmas magic. Perfect to get you feeling festive. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Kingscastle by Sophia Holloway My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love Regency romance, so I thought I’d give Kingscastle a go. Captain William Hawksmoor unexpectedly becomes Marquis of Athelney, and inherits Kingscastle, with the clause that he must marry to be in full control. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It took me a little bit to get into it, as it’s not fast moving. However, it soon resolved into a gentle story of William learning his new place in the world, and there were a number of fun moments with Eleanor. I really enjoyed the sense of connection between them. There’s also a gentle touch of humour. I found the second half really frustrating, as William and Eleanor believed various things about each other, but didn’t bother to actually communicate to resolve things. Admittedly, they had virtually no opportunity to do so, but I found it irritating. I loved the subplot between Harry Bitton and Anne Greenham, in fact I think I liked them...

Kingscastle by Sophia Holloway My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love Regency romance, so I thought I’d give Kingscastle a go. Captain William Hawksmoor unexpectedly becomes Marquis of Athelney, and inherits Kingscastle, with the clause that he must marry to be in full control. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It took me a little bit to get into it, as it’s not fast moving. However, it soon resolved into a gentle story of William learning his new place in the world, and there were a number of fun moments with Eleanor. I really enjoyed the sense of connection between them. There’s also a gentle touch of humour. I found the second half really frustrating, as William and Eleanor believed various things about each other, but didn’t bother to actually communicate to resolve things. Admittedly, they had virtually no opportunity to do so, but I found it irritating. I loved the subplot between Harry Bitton and Anne Greenham, in fact I think I liked them...

Kingscastle by Sophia Holloway My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love Regency romance, so I thought I’d give Kingscastle a go. Captain William Hawksmoor unexpectedly becomes Marquis of Athelney, and inherits Kingscastle, with the clause that he must marry to be in full control. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It took me a little bit to get into it, as it’s not fast moving. However, it soon resolved into a gentle story of William learning his new place in the world, and there were a number of fun moments with Eleanor. I really enjoyed the sense of connection between them. There’s also a gentle touch of humour. I found the second half really frustrating, as William and Eleanor believed various things about each other, but didn’t bother to actually communicate to resolve things. Admittedly, they had virtually no opportunity to do so, but I found it irritating. I loved the subplot between Harry Bitton and Anne Greenham, in fact I think I liked them...