Roberta Reads

Coming Home to Brightwater Bay by Holly Hepburn My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve read (and enjoyed) all of Holly Hepburn’s previous books, so I’ve been looking forward to this one too. It definitely didn’t disappoint me - in fact it exceeded my expectations. As soon as I started reading, I immediately felt right at home. This book is so relaxing to read. The atmosphere of the islands really comes through, and I love the croft and the sea so much. Merry is a hugely relatable character, and she comes to Orkney at a low point in her life. I also loved all the other characters, especially Niall, and Sheila. But all the characters are well written. I enjoyed the fact that although there is a “bad guy” at the beginning of the book, the man she doesn’t end up with is not a bad guy, it just doesn’t work out. If you’re looking for a romance with great characters and a wonderful setting, look no further. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own...

Murder in the Belltower by Helena Dixon My rating: 4 of 5 stars It is always a pleasure to return to the world of Kitty Underhay. In Murder in the Belltower, Kitty continues to try and solve her mother’s murder, as well as the mystery (or possibly mysteries) that crop up whilst she is staying with her aunt and uncle for Christmas. I really enjoyed the wintry, Christmassy atmosphere of this book. It was fun to see more of Lucy (Kitty’s cousin) and her other relatives. I also enjoyed the development of her relationship with Matt - they are beginning to trust each other a little more. The plot was great - there was a lot going on in this one, with three different (though potentially related) main threads. I thought it was handled well, as it would be easy for it to become confusing. Overall, this was a fun murder mystery, which kept my attention all the way through. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. I was given a free copy of this book...

Ice Creams at Emerald Cove by Holly Martin My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been a Holly Martin fan for many years now, and I especially love the Jewel Island series. I enjoyed Sunrise Over Sapphire Bay and Autumn Skies Over Ruby Falls immensely, so I was thrilled to be given an ARC for Ice Creams at Emerald Cove. I loved returning to Jewel Island, to Sapphire Bay Hotel, and to all the characters that I know and love. This book is Skye and Jesse’s (and Bea’s) story, and it also had a little bit about Sylvia too, which I particularly enjoyed. It was wonderful to see Jesse and Skye fight for each other, and work through their own issues in order to do so. Holly Martin’s book always have excellent characterisation, and this is no exception. Oh, and I loved Bea so much, she’s brilliant. The setting comes through strongly, and I loved it. I thought the pudding parade, and the search for the secret ingredient, was a lot of fun. It balanced out some of the more...

The Transylvania Twist: A dead funny romantic comedy by Angie Fox My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the second book in the Monster MASH series by Angie Fox. Angie Fox is a favourite author of mine, I’ve been reading her Southern Ghost Hunter series for years, and l love the lightheartedness of them. The Monster MASH series is full of things I don’t usually like to read about - war, gods, hell dimensions, horrible injustice. However, Angie’s trademark witty writing style makes these books enjoyable for me. There is also an interesting love interest, though I was slightly discombobulated by it being a different person than the love interest in the first story. However, it’s definitely a believable plot line. The Transylvania Twist follows on from not that long after The Monster MASH ended. It has all the same excitement and adventure that the first book did. I enjoyed this book far more than the previous one, partly because I was already used to the unfa...

When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep by Antonio Zadra My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have always avoided books about dreams before, as although I find the whole topic interesting (I’m a lucid dreamer), I’m highly sceptical of dream interpretation. However, this book sounded like it approached things from a scientific perspective, so I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. This book first covers some of the history of dream research, and previous theories about why we dream. This was all interesting to me, as I’ve never read about dreams previously. I feel that it would also be useful summary for those who have read other books on the topic. The book then moves on to discuss what dreaming is, possible reasons why the brain dreams, and then moves on to cover the authors’ theory of dreaming. To me, it presents a compelling argument, NEXTUP seems like a plausible explanation for most dream phenomena, and why we have evolved to dre...

Murder on the Safari Star by M.G. Leonard My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved the previous two books in this series, so I was really excited to receive a review copy of Murder on the Safari Star. I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. Both Hal and his uncle Nat are excellent characters, who I’ve grown to love over the course of the series. This book has a great cast of supporting characters, and, as always, they are all well drawn, with their own motivations. There are plenty of amusing moments, as well as exciting ones. As always, I love the illustrations by Elisa Paganelli. They really bring the story to life, and add a whole new layer to my enjoyment. I particularly liked the little mongoose drawings at the beginnings of the chapters. Having read the previous two stories in paperback, I was concerned that the illustrations would not come across well in the ebook edition - however, they are just as brilliant as in paper...

The Monster MASH by Angie Fox My rating: 3 of 5 stars I’ve been a fan of Angie Fox’s Southern Ghost Hunter series for quite a while now, they’re great, lighthearted, murder mysteries, with a paranormal twist. I highly recommend them. So I was excited to read this book, but also a bit apprehensive, as it’s a very different genre to my normal reads. This story is set during a war between two sets of gods. I normally avoid books with gods and/or war in, but this is Angie Fox. The main character is a mortal doctor who has been forced to serve by treating the wounded soldiers, both mortal and immortal. I was so angry at mortals being forced to work their entire lives away, with no choice, or holidays, that it made it very difficult for me to enjoy this book. The story is well written, I didn’t notice a single error or typo (most unusual for me). The writing flows well, and the pacing is good throughout. The characters are believable, and even the people w...

A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain My rating: 4 of 5 stars TW: book begins at funeral of the mother of the main character due to cancer. Having read and enjoyed several books by Heidi Swain, I was pleased to receive a review copy of this one. I enjoyed this book. Fliss travels to the farm her mother grew up on, and finds things are not as she expects them to be. I loved the setting of the fruit farm, and I enjoyed the way Fliss and her grandfather gradually get to know one another. I also liked Eliot, he seems kind and caring. It was fun to see brief appearances from characters in previous books. As well as the more serious bits (I can’t say much without spoilers), there was plenty of light hearted parts. There were several amusing scenes, and I loved the way Fliss gradually felt more at home. I found it frustrating the way she allowed Anthony to gaslight her, and manipulate her, but I think it’s a lot harder to see when someone’s up to no good when you’...

The Cherry Tree Cafe by Heidi Swain My rating: 4 of 5 stars Audiobook Review: Narration: The Cherry Tree Cafe is narrated by Karen Cass. I enjoyed the narration, the expression and feelings of the writing come across well. The narrator does a good job of differentiating between the different characters. The male and female voices were both good. The speed and pacing were well done, with gaps in all the right places. The narration definitely adds something to the story, bringing it to life. Story: I didn’t enjoy all the betrayal, and friends keeping secrets from one another. However, I really enjoyed the good bits of the friendships. I loved the cafe, the way Jemma, Tom and Lizzie built the cafe and the crafting up. The relationship development was good, and the characters were well rounded and believable. Ella was especially delightful. The ending was somewhat abrupt, but at least there was an epilogue. I suppose it might be a little dull to get int...

Sherlock Holmes: The Empty House by Arthur Conan Doyle My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is an adaptation of a The Empty House designed for children. I enjoy murder mysteries, especially children’s ones, so I thought I might enjoy this one. I have not read the original of this particular story, but I have read several Sherlock Holmes stories. I thought this was well adapted - it has a good feel of the Sherlock Holmes books, but without being too tense and frightening. I found it very short, but the pace is good. It conveys the characters of Holmes, Watson, and Hudson really well. The illustrations are great - both expressive and amusing - whilst showing the events of the story well. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I think it would be an excellent way for children to enjoy the Sherlock Holmes story, without the darker parts that would be too frightening. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews ...