Roberta Reads

Summer on a Sunny Island by Sue Moorcroft My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: I loved Let it Snow, so picking Summer on a Sunny Island was a no brainer for me. I really love the fact that Sue Moorcroft includes characters who have mental or physical illnesses. This is a lot more realistic than many books that have no characters with illnesses at all! I liked Zach, and the way he tries to help people. Rosa and he seem like a good match as they have many of the same values. I love the way that Rosa and her mum really stand (and speak) up for themselves. To be honest, I liked pretty much all the characters. The Sunny Island of Malta comes across with a good sense of location. The writing is done very well, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the story - it’s always a sign of a great book when I don’t even notice the grammar and spelling. Conclusion: the perfect summer escape if you prefer your romances with realistic characters.  You can buy a copy here:  https://www.am...

The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans My rating: 5 of 5 stars What a beautiful story! I loved it so much. I thought Hallie and Dimitri were lovely characters, and the whole book was just like a fairy tale. The setting (both Once Upon a Page, the bookshop, and the surrounding area) was marvellous. I loved the idea of all the messages in books, though I wouldn’t actually write directly on one myself. And the idea of being given a bookshop is rather a fairytale all by itself. Then add in the gentle love story, and you have a delightful tale. If you’re looking for a wonderful love story to sweep you away, and you love books, then pick this one. You won’t be disappointed. I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Sunrise over Sapphire Bay by Holly Martin My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been a fan of Holly Martin for many years now, so I naturally downloaded Sunrise over Sapphire Bay right away. It certainly didn’t disappoint. The writing is excellent quality (as always), both in terms of grammar, spelling etc, and content. The story itself is lovely, relaxing and a joy to read. Aria and Noah are both genuine, kind people. It was wonderful to see them overcome their difficulties and fall in love. One of the things I love about Holly’s stories is that the characters seem very real, and don’t flounce about being over dramatic. I can’t finish my review without mentioning the beautiful cover. It really draws you in, and conveys the idyllic setting of the book. I love Jewel Island and the villagers. If you’re looking for an enjoyable romance that will leave you with a warm, happy feeling, then this is the book for you. View all my reviews

Death by Dark Roast by Kate P Adams My rating: 5 of 5 stars I enjoyed this even more than A Stately Murder. The mystery was more involved (not surprising when this is a full length book, rather than a novella), and it was lovely to return to Charleton House and the characters that work there. The plot was interesting, and appeared to have several separate strands initially. I enjoyed getting to know Joe, Sophie, Joyce and Mark more - I’d really love to see more of their characters and backgrounds being revealed in future books. It’s nice to see a cozy crime book where the main character who, whilst obviously going off and investigating on their own, actually keeps the police informed on what they’ve found out. Pumpkin provides some amusing interludes. In conclusion, an interesting and enjoyable cozy crime. The only thing I felt was missing, was getting to know the characters in more depth. Hopefully this will happen in later books in the series. I was given a fr...

A Stately Murder by Kate P. Adams My rating: 4 of 5 stars I very much enjoyed this introduction to the characters at Charlton House. It was a fun, short murder mystery. I didn’t guess who the culprit was until more than halfway through (a definite win for me), and it was fun seeing behind the scenes at a historic house (as well as enjoying the mystery). I look forward to returning to Charlton House and getting to know the characters in more depth. View all my reviews

Madame Koska & the Imperial Brooch by Ilil Arbel My rating: 3 of 5 stars I picked this book because of the striking cover - it just stands out from all the rest. This was a fun and interesting mystery, centred around Madame Koska and her business. I enjoyed reading about all the various characters, many of whom have been through difficult circumstances and are making new lives for themselves. There were plenty of suspects to keep us guessing, and I whiled away a few hours very happily reading. I hope there will be a sequel, I’d love to know more about Madame Koska. I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Wishful Wisteria by Angela Pepper My rating: 4 of 5 stars 🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧 I greatly enjoyed this audiobook, another interesting, and not too stressful, magical mystery set in Wisteria. I liked the way that the characters from the different strands of the Wisteria books are gradually coming together, and I’m definitely enjoying Zara and Bentley’s ongoing relationship. After all the hassle with Chet, it’s lovely to see her in a happy relationship. I did miss Zoe though, she hardly came into this one at all. I hope that she’ll be a bigger part of the next one. The narration was excellent, as always. Tiffany Williams has a way of bringing the story alive, and her expression is always spot on. I’d definitely recommend this audiobook, no doubt I’ll be doing another listen through of this series at some point in the not too distant future. I was given a free copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own. View all my reviews

The Georgian Rake: An intriguing historical romance by Alice Chetwynd Ley My rating: 5 of 5 stars I think this is one of my favourites by this author. I like Amanda so much, and she does get herself into such fine tangles! I will definitely be reading this one again. View all my reviews

Grave Magic Bounty by Shannon Mayer My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was so much fun, it made me laugh quite a few times. I’ll definitely be continuing with the series when the next book comes out. If you’d like to read a book with magic and a kick-ass female who is 40+ instead of a teenager, here’s a book for you. View all my reviews

Wisteria Warned by Angela Pepper My rating: 5 of 5 stars 🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧 I particularly loved this audiobook. It had all the things I like so much about this series - the characters, the humour, the snark (especially between Zara and Zoe - have I mentioned how much I love their relationship), the mystery and the magic. It was not easy to see what was going on with this story, but the conclusion was so, so satisfying, the culprit was someone I’ve long found creepy! I can’t say any more without spoilers. The narration from Tiffany Williams was absolutely spot on, as always. She takes an excellent, enjoyable book, and raises it to a whole new level. I also didn’t find Zara’s father’s accent (I’ve forgotten his name) as irritating this time around. I’m unsure if it’s just that there’s so little of it, or I was just less irritable, or whether it’s actually changed. This series just gets better and better, I definitely recommend it, and specifically enjoying it...