Looking for Captain Poldark by Rowan Coleman

Looking for Captain Poldark by Rowan Coleman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


How far would you go to find the perfect hero?

Four strangers, united by their shared love of POLDARK, come together on a trip to Cornwall in search of their hero...

Lisa has sworn off love and relationships after a really bad experience, but lately she’s been tempted to take a chance on a more exciting life. First she meets other fans of the TV show Poldark online. Then she proposes a very special road trip to Cornwall, in search of where their favourite show is being filmed.

But can four strangers find friendship, as well as a certain sexy hunk on their trip south?

Neatly packed little novella follows the road trip of 4 Poldark fans to Cornwall where they all hope to meet Aiden Turner (Captain Poldark) on location filming the popular series.

These 4 people are all strangers who meet through an appreciation Poldark site and decide to make this road trip together. All of these people have their own demons to lay and the trip takes on different meaning for each of them.

Amusing little tale, it does what it says on the tin, perfect for a quick plane ride read or by the pool entertainment. It could easily have been fleshed out to make a better novel but ok never the less. 3 stars for this one.

ROAR by Cecelia Ahern

Roar by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever stood at a crossroads, undecided…Have you ever had a moment when you wanted to roar?

From much-loved, international bestseller Cecelia Ahern come stories for all of us: the women who befriend us, the women who encourage us, the women who make us brave. From The Woman Who Slowly Disappeared to The Woman Who Returned and Exchanged her Husband, discover thirty touching, often hilarious, stories and meet thirty very different women. Each discovers her strength; each realizes she holds the power to make a change.

Witty, tender, surprising, these keenly observed tales speak to us all, and capture the moment when we all want to roar.

I love books by Cecelia Ahern, I always have, however I feel since I have got older I have more of a love/hate relationship with them. Sometimes I just find them a little bizarre, crazy and unbelievable. This book was very different, this is 30 short stories all about women, I love short stories as having a very busy job I can not always invest a lot of time in a story and I can feel very disappointed as I haven't given it the attention it deserves. With short stories this never happens, they let me read one feel like I have accomplished something before bed.

These short stories are all about women, at different periods of their lives, some stories are longer than others and some are quite bizarre, which I struggled with. Some of them really stayed in my mind for a long time after I had finished them and made me think. There were some I preferred to others.

Overall it is a nice short story collection, I think it would be better to read a few at a time, perhaps pick up another book and then return to these. It is a very interesting collection of short stories and was written very well, I rated this 3.5* rounded up to 4* for Amazon and Goodreads. The reason the rating isn't higher is because in my opinion some of the stories were just a little to far fetched and silly for me.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

The Killing Type: A short story from the bestselling author of My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry

The Killing Type: A short story from the bestselling author of My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Susie and her sister have never been close. These days they barely speak. So when Danielle messages her out of the blue and begs to meet, Susie knows something must be wrong.

But what Danielle tells her seems crazy. Her husband, Simon, may be a bully, but surely he wouldn't hurt her?

Then the accident happens. And Susie is forced to rethink everything.

Who is lying?
Who is telling the truth?
And who, really, is the killing type?

I have read other books by Corry and I really have enjoyed them. This, however I found way too short and the time in between the chapters jumped by a lot and at times I had hoped I knew what went on in between them.

The overall idea for this story I liked and I thought it could have developed well into a full length novel. Unfortunately I thought it was very rushed and at times felt a little under developed because of this.

I can't complain, it is currently free on Amazon and it is worth the read, don't let this put you off of other Corry novels if you haven't read anything by her as they are pretty good. I have decided to give this 3* due to the idea of the story as it was good, just rather rushed.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

The Text by Claire Douglas

The Text by Claire Douglas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A single text changed her life. Did it end his?

Emily Latimer is furious. Her boss Andrew is being so unreasonable, as always. She fires off a text to her boyfriend, only in her haste she sends it to her whole office group.

In it she says Andrew's being difficult about letting her have time off work. That she is angry. That she hopes he dies. The next day her face burns in the office. No one believes her when she says it was a typo, she meant to say does. She hopes he does.

It's a nightmare. But it gets worse - Andrew doesn't turn up for work. And then the police come knocking. Because Andrew Burton has been murdered . . .

A nice quick short story, it has been years since I have read a book by Claire Douglas, so kind of forgotten what to expect.

This is currently free on Amazon and well worth a read if you have a spare hour or so, it is short but a lot is packed into it.

Emily wants to go away with her friends but her boss Andrew isn't keen on her having the time off, this sparks anger with Emily and she sends a text to her boyfriend to complain about him. Thing is she isn't concentrating and she ends up sending it to her Whatsapp group which includes the majority of her work colleagues. The following day Andrew doesn't turn up for work and it turns out he is dead.

Although this is short there are a few twists and turns in it, which make you continue reading. Overall this was an enjoyable short read.

The Beach Wedding by Dorothy Koomson

The Beach Wedding by Dorothy Koomson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Will your past always catch up with you?

Tessa Dannall is excited and happy when her daughter, Nia, arrives at their family’s tropical beach resort to get married.

Tessa is also trying to forget the last time she went to a wedding on this beach and how that day changed her life for ever.

But as the big day draws near, Tessa realises she must face the deadly ghosts from her past – or they may ruin her daughter’s future...

I love the time of year when Quick Reads release their titles for the year. These are perfect for people on the go, who have a little time but really want to feel like they have read and achieved something.

Koomson is a popular women's fiction writer and has written some very popular books. This is less than 100 pages but didn't feel rushed and had many twists and turns in it.

Nia and Marvin are due to be getting married at Nia's family home in Ghana, this was the same place that her mother was meant to marry her father, but something happened on that faithful day that she doesn't like to speak about. Nia's mother is not so sure it is a good idea that her daughter is to marry in the same place, surely it is bad luck? Things look like they are going ahead anyway and when Marvin's parents turn up a few days early, everything changes.

This was a short story that I devoured in a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a small escapism but can't commit to a full length novel.

Flytrap by Simon Kernick

Flytrap by Simon Kernick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Also includes a sneak preview of Simon Kernick's blistering new thriller, The Bone Field.

Him
He has an addiction that he cannot quench. His solitary life sailing the Caribbean is the only way he can survive. That is, until, he meets…

Her
A widow with nothing left to lose, she finds herself on his sleek forty-foot yacht. He’s handsome and charming; exactly what she’s been looking for.

But the night doesn’t go exactly as they had planned, and only one of them will get out alive.

An excellent little thriller!

I was looking for something to get my teeth into just before I started another large novel, this was perfect. I was very quickly transported to the Caribbean, to a beach bar, where we meet our characters of the book. Although it is a short story, I really liked the format of the chapter changes entitles him and her. This is a fast paced thriller and Kernick really added a lot into it.

I really enjoyed this short story and after reading this I would be tempted to pick up a full length novel by Kernick, the best thing about this was it is currently on kindle for free. This can allow you to check out his writing style before you commit. If you are anything like me though you will race through it and go searching for his full length novels.

A brilliant little thriller.

The Apple Orchard by Veronica Henry

The Apple Orchard by Veronica Henry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the charming town of Peasebrook, there's a place for everyone. War vet Joe has made new friends and a new home for himself here, overlooking a beautiful apple orchard. But when tragedy strikes and Joe is left out in the cold, it will bring them all together in entirely unexpected ways . . .

The Apple Orchard is a truly feel-good short story about friendship and kindness. It's the perfect introduction to Veronica Henry and includes an extract of her upcoming novel The Forever House.


When I downloaded this I am not sure what I was expecting, although reading other Henry novels I thought it would be chick lity and a lovely read. Don't get me wrong this was a lovely read, just not what I was expecting.

This is a very short story, most of it is a sample of her new book which I believe follows on from this. I found this story very moving and it did bring me to tears, I did enjoy the story more than I thought I would, however I think it was almost too short and that the characters were wasted. I would like to have learnt more about Joe and perhaps read about more of his previous life and how he ended up living where he was, perhaps the relationships he had in more detail.

Although these were addressed I would have liked that to have been a full length novel as I really felt connected to him and Digby.

This is a nice short story and worth a read if it is free. I would suggest this is too short to justify purchasing it, however this may encourage you to pre order/buy Henry's new novel. Overall I would give this 3.5*

Dead Simple by Harry Bingham

Dead Simple by Harry Bingham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A woman reports a crime to the police, with unexpected results
The grieving widow who finds that she's about to lose more than just her husband
When a man attempts the perfect murder, it's not quite as easy as he thinks
Two men in prison play a deadly game of Scrabble
A young woman tries to trick an old man and gets more than she bargained for
Sometimes crimes are solved in ways you can't explain
A murderer about to be hanged finds that's not the worst thing that can happen
You never know who's going to turn up at your door

Original stories from Mark Billingham, Clare Mackintosh, James Oswald, Jane Casey, Angela Marsons, Harry Bingham, Antonia Hodgson and CL Taylor - specially written for Quick Reads.


By now you know that I love short stories as I can finish something during week after a busy day. It really makes me feel like I have accomplished something.

This is a collection of eight short stories from best selling crime authors. This is where I have a confession, I have never actually actually read any of these authors, so I was excited to get started to see if I will discover a new favourite. I do have quite a few novels by these authors though on my shelf to read soon!

These stories range from a couple of pages to 20-30. I didn't enjoy all of the stories, however my favourite three were: The Funeral by Clare Mackintosh, Old Tricks by Jane Casey and The Perfect Murder by Harry Bingham. I really managed to get into these and I would have enjoyed fuller length novels featuring these I think.

Overall this is a good Quick Read, it allows you to try authors work perhaps you haven't before and You can finish a story in around 15 minutes. Some of the stories I felt did need to be longer as it didn't give the reader long enough to get into it, however I think this is a brilliant book to release fo the Quick Reads program this year and recommend you to pick this up. Like me, you may discover some brand new authors.

A Very Distant Shore: Quick Reads by Jenny Colgan

A Very Distant Shore: Quick Reads by Jenny Colgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wanted: doctor for small island. Must like boats, the seaside and having no hope of keeping a secret...

Lorna lives on the tiny Scottish island of Mure, a peaceful place where everyone helps their neighbour. But the local GP is retiring, and nobody wants his job. Mure is too small and too remote.

Far away, in a crowded camp, Saif is treating a little boy with a badly-cut hand. Saif is a refugee, but he's also a doctor: exactly what Mure needs.

Saif is welcome in Mure, but can he forget his past? Over one summer, Saif will find a place to call home, and Lorna's life will change forever.


I haven't had much time to read lately and was feeling like I was in a little reading slump. When I saw that 'Quick Reads' had released their new books for the year, I couldn't wait to get my hands on them. I decided to pick up this one by Jenny Colgan.

I have read a few Jenny Colgan books and I have always really enjoyed them. This is a short story (145 pages) and I managed to read this in a few hours. I really enjoyed this story, it was different to others I have previously read, focusing on a Syrian refugee and a small town in Scotland.

I really got into this and couldn't believe how quick I was whizzing through it. I don't want to mention the story line as it is so short and would be worried about giving it away. Although I did really enjoy it and felt like I was in Lorna's world, I also did find that at the end of the book I had many unanswered questions and the book did feel very unfinished. I do believe that these characters will be featuring in Jenny Colgan's new book which is of full length, we get a sample of this at the end of story. I believe this though follows Lorna's best friend Flora, who we do meet in this book.

Personally I would have preferred to have this a little longer as I was enjoying it so much and felt it came to an abrupt ending. I also was a little shocked by the book as I didn't expect it to pan out in the way it did, I am hoping that in the full length novel Lorna is a prominent character as I am hoping to discover some of the answers to my questions. This short story is completely heartbreaking and it felt a lot longer than it actually was due to everything that happens in it.

The Reading Group: January by Della Parker

The Reading Group: January by Della Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anne-Marie has always considered herself a bit of a matchmaker - never mind that she's only got one real success under her belt. And this year she's determined to up her game: Little Sanderton's singles could certainly benefit from her expertise! But while Anne Marie thinks she knows what's best for everyone else, her own life couldn't be less of a fairytale romance. Between looking after her cranky father and running her own business, she doesn't have time for a relationship. Her friends in the Reading Group know better though: after all, love can be found in the most unexpected of places . . 


This is the second installment by Della Parker. The Reading Group is a fun new series, where we follow the lives of those in the reading group. Each month they choose a book and we delve into one of the members lives. This month was the turn of Anne - Marie, she believes after running a successful cleaning business, she could be just as good as match making. She recently set a friend up and now they are sending out their wedding invites! After a dinner party of singles, she thinks perhaps it isn't a great idea, especially when she ends up getting unwanted attention herself.

I really enjoyed this installment and I am very much looking forward the February edition. These are light-hearted, easy going books and if you are looking for a little romance to get you though the month then I suggest picking these up. Although this is only the second one I have read I would recommend this series to busy people who don't have too much time to dedicate to reading.

I would like to thank netgalley for providing this in exchange for an honest review.

The Year of Saying Yes Part 1: It Started with a Dare: The ultimate laugh-out-loud, feel-good rom-com by Hannah Doyle

The Year of Saying Yes Part 1: It Started with a Dare: The ultimate laugh-out-loud, feel-good rom-com by Hannah Doyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Join Izzy on her journey from January blues to joy. THE YEAR OF SAYING YES by Hannah Doyle will make you dirty-laugh, feel warm and fuzzy, and rediscover life's magic - all thanks to one little word: yes. Fans of Lindsey Kelk, Mhairi McFarlane and Lucy-Anne Holmes, you're in for a real treat.

The first of four exclusive part-serialisations of THE YEAR OF SAYING YES by Hannah Doyle.

Dear Readers

It's drizzling outside, which totally matches my #currentmood. Pigs in blankets, all the mince pies and a festive Baileys or five are distant memories. You know the drill - it's January. Everyone's banning booze (terrible idea) or cutting carbs (impossible). To add to the misery pile, my plans to seduce the man of my dreams at the stroke of midnight flopped spectacularly.

I'm Izzy. I don't just need a New Year resolution, I need a whole new life. And I need YOU. My dreary life is about to get a total makeover - it's my 'Year of Saying Yes'. And this is where you come in. It's up to you to #DareIzzy. I'm saying yes to your challenges, no matter how nuts, adventurous or wild they are. The sky's the limit - I'm at your mercy, readers!

Wish me luck. I have a feeling I'm going to need it.

Love

Izzy x


I picked this up one afternoon, I was in the mood to really get my teeth into something and as it was only just over 80 pages I thought this would be a good one. I am so glad I picked this up. I had no idea what it was going to be about, (I had an idea looking at the front cover but that was it.)

This was such an easy and fun read. We get thrown into Izzy's life one new years eve. It is the same as always, at her parents house and the rest of the family, with her 'perfect' sister and her wonderful boyfriend. After the evening takes a bit of a U turn, Izzy decides things are going to be different this year and after arriving at her desk (At a magazine firm) after the holidays she realises for the last 3 years, her resolutions have always been the same and she has never managed to stick to them.

After a discussion with her boss and work colleagues, it is decided, Izzy is going to start saying yes to things this year. These 'dares' are going to be sent in from the readers of the magazine and which ever ones are chosen she needs to say yes to. This is a massive step out of Izzy's comfort zone but after having a think she decides that doing the same old has never got her anywhere and this could be the start of something great. She accepts the challenges and we go on a journey with Izzy to discover what these are.

Part one takes us up to the first 3 months of the year and each month she has had a different 'dare' so far I am loving this story, it is such an easy read. It is funny and I felt I could relate to it. I really like Izzy as a character and cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for us. Lately I have thought my reading has been a bit 'flat' and it has taken me ages to get into a book and really enjoy it, this one has got me out of my reading slump and reminded me why I enjoy reading so much.

If you are looking for a little 'pick me up' I would recommend this, this is just what you need to cheer you up on a dull and damp January evening. The other mega bonus is that this book is currently free on Amazon Kindle right now, so you have no excuses, go and buy!


I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review. 

Three Men and a Maybe by Katey Lovell

Three Men and a Maybe by Katey Lovell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A free short story…the perfect treat for yourself this Christmas

It’s the age-old saying. You wait all day for a bus, and then three come along at once. But proposals? That’s just ridiculous. And yet, on New Year’s Eve, as the countdown finishes and the whole pub erupts in celebrations, Cerys finds herself staring at her ex-fiancé, Ricky. Who just so happens to be kneeling on the floor, ring in hand, asking her to marry him. Again.

And if that weren’t enough, hot barman Angelo, and longtime friend Huw also decide to pop the question. At the exact same time.

Three men, two real contenders, but just one choice. What on earth will she do?

This is a cute short story for the festive season. It begins one New Years Eve, Cerys is at the pub with her friends. Just before midnight two of her ex's and her best friend all go down on one knee. This is only 60 pages or so, so you can easily read it in one sitting. Although it is so short, it does feel like a full length novel. By going back in time to discover what things were like for Cerys when she was going out with these men and how she feels about them, really gives the reader character description and understanding.

By the time the clock strikes midnight we have visited Cerys flashbacks and she has made her decision.

This was a very enjoyable read and the best thing is this little gem is currently free on Amazon so you have nothing to lose.

The Witnesses by James Patterson

The Witnesses by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The family next door has a very dark secret.

The Sanderson family has been forced into hiding after one of them stumbled upon a criminal plot. Or so they think. No one will answer their questions. And the terrifying truth may come too late...


I love James Patterson books, I think they are faced paced and they always grab me from the first page. This little book was no different.

James Patterson has released many short stories this year under the 'bookshot' series to encourage reluctant readers, this is the first I have read in this series. I love the idea of them as I can fit in a story into my busy day. As this was free on kindle I decided to start with this one.

This story focuses on the Sanderson family, who are on witness protection and have been moved from Tunisia to a small town in America. Ronald ex police lives next door and had to retire due to ill health but never really gave up on the job. He is constantly on the look out for any suspicious behaviour. When the Sanderson family move next door, which as far as he can work out is a body guard he knows something is not right. Perhaps they are terrorists? He will keep an eye on them.

I don't want to say too much about the plot as the book is so short, but I did enjoy the book. The only negative I have is that the ending felt a little rushed compared to the rest of the book. I would recommend this to others and I will be reading the others in the bookshot series.

The One With The Engagement Party by Erin Lawless

The One With The Engagement Party by Erin Lawless
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Save the Date

For fans of romantic comedies like Bridesmaids and Four Weddings & a Funeral, and bestselling authors Mhairi McFarlane and David Nicholls, this is a hilarious new romantic comedy series about one bride and her four best friends.

Nora Dervan is ready for her Happy Ever After. With her darling Harry waiting at the altar, and all her family and friends around her. She is certain that her special day will not be forgotten/will be one to remember…

But with her four bridesmaids hiding more secrets, than bottles of champagne. Will her big day be remembered for all the right reasons?

Bea has barely gotten past the fact that her two best friends are dating, and now they’re engaged, whilst cupid’s arrow points in a forbidden direction for Cleo. She is so distracted by her off limits, hot new colleague that she has forgotten Daisy, who has been left dreading the singles table. There’s more romance in the cheesy pick- up lines than Sarah’s own marriage, which hasn’t turned out as she hoped it would be.

With her wicked sense of humour and refreshingly honest voice, Erin Lawless brings to the life the romance (and horrors!) of wedding season.


This was the first book I have read by Erin Lawless, I knew this was going to be a series of 4 books, which I enjoy so couldn't wait to get started with it.

The book has got a really good premise and I thought it was going to work really well. This story is about the bride and the bridesmaids discussing the wedding and scouting out locations for the big day. There are lots of characters in this novella, obviously the bridesmaids and their partners as well as Nora the bride and Harry her other half. This was an issue I had as I got a little lost in places and couldn't remember who was with who. This could have been done to the fact I was reading it late at night just before sleeping, however this is why I enjoy novellas as I feel I can accomplish something after work.

I did enjoy the novella and I will hopefully continue with the series.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Wildflower Bay: Part One by Rachael Lucas

Wildflower Bay: Part One by Rachael Lucas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Serialized as three short ebooks, this is the stunning first part of Wildflower Bay, by Rachael Lucas.

Isla's got the designer clothes and dream job as head stylist at the most exclusive salon in Edinburgh. The fact that she's been so single-minded in this quest that she's forgotten to have a life has completely passed her by - until disaster strikes.

With her flaky flat mate AWOL and even her reliable old dad a bit distracted, Isla is out of options.

Forced into a corner, she heads to the remote island of Auchenmor to help out her aunt who is in desperate need of an extra pair of hands at her salon.

Finn is thirty-five and reality has just hit him hard. Now his best friends are about to have a baby and everything is changing. When into his life walks Isla . . .


When I saw this was a freebie and a short story I couldn't wait to read it.

Many of you who follow my reviews will know that I enjoy serialisations as it means I can get into a story and really feel like a sense of achievement after reading it after a long day at work.

So far I am loving this series, we follow Isla, a top hair stylist, however she has had a bit of a sad past. Her mother pasted away when she was young. I really got into this story and I found it to be sad in places. I really felt for Isla and was rooting for her from early on. When she is called upon to look after her aunts salon in a remote part of Scotland, it doesn't thrill Isla as she remembers dull summers there as a child. However her options are limited and her dad keeps suggesting she goes, so she decides it can't be that bad and heads off there.

The only disappointing part to the story is the point where we leave it. Isla has only really arrived at the salon and starting to sort things out. I honestly have no idea where this novel is going to go, however it is written so well and flows easily that I cannot wait for the next installment. I think this is a very easy and quick book to read.

I am so pleased I decided to download and give this book a go, it has been the first of Racheal's books I have read, but it certainly won't be the last. I have one of her other books sitting waiting to be read and I am very impressed with this little delight so I will probably get to the novel soon.

I cannot wait for the next part of the story, if you haven't read this or downloaded this yeat, what are you waiting for? Grab yourself a copy!

The Snowflake Valley Advice Fairy by Holly Tierney-Bedord

The Snowflake Valley Advice Fairy by Holly Tierney-Bedord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The author of Right Under Your Nose: A Christmas Story brings you another sweet, festive holiday novella.

At just twenty-five years old, Elinor has landed the job of her dreams: She’s going to be Merry the Advice Fairy for the Snowflake Valley Gazette. She’s ecstatic that she’s about to embark on a fun, cushy career while living in the cutest, quaintest town she’s ever known.

She’s barely settled into her desk at work when that famous Snowflake Valley shimmer starts to fizzle. The real Snowflake Valley bears little resemblance to the picture postcard tourist destination she and her family loved when she was a child. Her new co-workers are uninspiring, to say the least, and the problems that people are submitting to the Gazette are much weightier than what she was expecting.

Losing faith in herself, Elinor considers cutting her losses and moving on. However, the attention of hot young reporter Nile might be enough to get her past her chilly start in Snowflake Valley, and back to seeing its charm once again.

This is a novella length book.


This was a free ebook that I downloaded over Christmas and I am so glad that I did.

Elinor is twenty five and has just moved to Snowflake Valley, she used to love visiting as a child so when a job came up in a newspaper office in the Valley to become the advice fairy she thinks this would be the perfect job for her. As soon as she arrives Elinor thinks straight away this is not the right job for her. She even is regretting moving to the Valley. The problems she is having to answer seem impossible and her colleagues seem to hate her and constantly compare her to Trudy.

Although this is only 95 pages I really enjoyed it and it was well paced and a really easy quick read. My only negative about the book is that I wish it was a bit longer as when I was just getting into it, it felt like it was over.

Even though this is not free anymore I think this is worth it, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a short story and a little bit of romance.

Granny's Christmas Wish by Julia Williams

Granny's Christmas Wish by Julia Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A little festive eShort treat from the author who brought you, MAKE A CHRISTMAS WISH

**A 35 page short story**

All Felicity wants this Christmas is to share it with her daughter, Livvy. There’s just one problem, Livvy died last Christmas.

As Felicity struggles to come to terms with the anniversary of her daughter’s death, it seems everyone around her is moving on.

But could a mysterious friend make her Christmas wish come true after all . . .

Out of all of Julia William's short stories this winter, this has to be my favourite. Again we meet the characters from the previous ones and I enjoyed how this one crossed over slightly with Dad's Christmas Wish.

This is from Felicity's perspective of coming to terms with her daughters death and how she deals with it over a period of a year. You are faced with raw emotion and although this is so short I felt that I was completely hooked with the story. I wish it had been a little longer actually.

This is one to add to your collection if you have bought the others. As it is only just over 30 pages I don't want to say too much as I would end up giving everything away. I did though enjoy this. The best thing was that it was also free, so make sure you check it out now.

Dad's Christmas Wish by Julia Williams

Dad's Christmas Wish by Julia Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A little festive eShort treat from the author who brought you, MAKE A CHRISTMAS WISH

**A 43 page short story**

A widower of five years, silver fox Kenneth Harris has no trouble finding women to date. But only one woman has ever captured his heart.

When mysterious feathers keep blowing in his path, will Kenneth’s only wish come true this Christmas…


This is a sweet, heartwarming, sad novella. I haven't yet read Make a Christmas Wish, but I have read My Christmas Wish, another short story and I enjoyed this as an addition. I didn't feel like I had to of read the novel to understand this. I have heard though the characters have come from that.

This is a story about Kenneth, he has lost his wife and each chapter is a new month of the year, him trying to come to terms with her death. Although the story was only about 40 pages, I felt you could really feel for Kenneth and Julia Williams managed to get across the loneliness he feels.

Kenneth is Emily's father, who I believe goes out with the main male lead in the novel. Emily briefly features in this short story.

I enjoyed this, although it was quite sad I feel it has made me want to read the full length novel.

It was currently free on Amazon when I downloaded it, if you haven't already, this is a nice short story to download. I also thought the story was a lot better than My Christmas Wish.

My Christmas Wish by Julia Williams

My Christmas Wish by Julia Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Dear Mum,
I miss you…

As a way of coping with his mum’s death, fifteen-year-old Joe writes letters to her. As Christmas comes around, Joe only wishes for one thing. Will his Christmas wish come true.

I love a short story, it allows me to be able to escape during my busy life and be able to devour a whole story at once, which doesn't seem to happen often these days!

This story is very short, just over 30 pages and is written in letter form. I do really enjoy books that are written in letters/emails they tend to be quirky and fun reads. Unfortunately this book was not fun at all. It became apparent this was written by a child, a child who had lost his mum around Christmas time. The story was set over a period of a year, the fact it was so short didn't allow me to get into it and I found it quite difficult to discover the story line. Apart from trying to cope with loss and grief there wasn't much too it, which was disappointing. Saying that it is only a novella and after all it was free.

I am going to read the others in the short stories and hopefully things will become a bit clearer. Perhaps I just read these in the wrong order.

Exclusive Short Story by Emylia Hall - The Seashell

I am extremely excited to the able to bring this post to you today. I recently entered a competition to win a short story by Emylia Hall. Emylia has got a new book out today and to celebrate this she has written me an exclusive short story!!! 

This short story you will find no where else, so you can imagine how pleased I was when I found out I was the winner! 

Anyway back to the short story! - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Seashell

Emylia Hall

I stood in my kitchen, holding in my hand a dogwhelk. It was pretty enough, with its pointed end and so smooth shape, but not an uncommon shell, not, to many, an object of particular curiosity. But I folded my fingers around it, and held it tightly. To me, it was one of the most remarkable things I’d ever seen.

Ever since I left home, I’ve been a gatherer of seashells, a collector of shoreline curiosities. I’m the person you see skirting the edges of the tide, with their head dipped, eyes fixed. I stoop to pick up rounded fragments of sea glass, lengths of razor clam, a piece of cuttlebone looking just like a bar of soap gone dry in a dish. I’ve made many a necklace threaded with periwinkles, the sound of clicking and clacking accompanying me wherever I’ve gone - and on the infrequent occasions when my path has crossed with my mother’s, a tut-tut-tut joining in, the sound of her obvious disapproval.

My mother was never one for trinkets, and certainly not the salvaged kind. There were no rings on her fingers, no flowers in her hair. Apart from a single string of pearls, an occasional bracelet, she was an unadorned woman. Starchy, in truth. She always told me that she didn’t believe in happy endings, and yet when her time came she was sleeping in a chair by the fire, her old cat Sammy curled in her lap. She was eighty-three, and I know those years of hers will have contained mysteries I’ll never, ever fathom, but I thought I had the basic measure of her, all the same. I thought I knew the person she was. Brisk, and tightly buttoned. A hard hand, and a harder tongue. For most of my childhood she rode a blue bicycle without any sense of pleasure. The socks she wore were always beige, and always matched.

When she passed away, she left me her jewellery box. Even though some part of it seemed familiar – the black lacquered lid, perhaps, or the pale velvet lining – I’m sure I don’t remember it from my childhood. I’m surprised, in truth, that she owned enough pieces to warrant a box to keep them in. Although, perhaps this last makes sense, because for my mother, everything

had its place. All was boxed. Where else to keep a string of pearls? Certainly not on her bedside table, coiled like a sleeping snake. Inside, alongside her necklace, I found a plain brooch, her silver bracelet, a scattering of hairpins and… a seashell. I’d taken it out, so very carefully, holding it between my finger and thumb. I’d held it to the light, as though looking for a silver mark, or the kind of hologram that appears on banknotes. I’d peered inside it, its interior as pale and delicate looking as the underside of a wrist. The faintest traces of beach sand were still caught in its groove.

I’d thought of him, then. My father. Or the few pictures I’d seen of him, anyway. Their wedding day, with the two of them standing side by side on the steps of a registry office in a landlocked town. Him in a suit, straight-legged, narrow shouldered, a mass of wayward curls throw up by the wind. Her in an uncharacteristically flouncy, high-necked dress, a modest bouquet of garden flowers gripped in her hand, a nervous not-quite laughing mouth. Another version of him – this time holding me, the baby me, the only picture I have of the two of us together. I’m curled in the crook of his arm, tight as a limpet to a rock, and on his face he wears a look of puzzlement – as though he’d seen the world in a grain of sand and found it to be nothing like he’d imagined.

I know he’d been living by the sea when they’d met, and that she’d lured him inland, briefly, to a place where seagulls still wheeled in the skies but didn’t know how it was to steal a chip from a holidaymaker’s fingers. My parents lived in a terrace of miners’ cottages, with a fire that spat sparks on a grey rug and a wailing baby in the room upstairs. My mother hadn’t held on to him for long. Nor I, despite the mollusc me, the limpet me, soft-headed and pudgy-handed and wrapped in a blanket that my grandmother would never have knitted us. He went back to the waves, she said, followed that siren song all the way to the sea, leaving the pair of us tossing grimly in his wake. I suppose that was the reason why, throughout my childhood, we never went anywhere near this island nation’s shore. There were no sandy sandwiches for me. My hair never grew salted and tangled. I never stood on the shoreline,

icy water stopping my tracks, only to go running in with my skirt held up above my knees, my voice coming shrill and unguarded. I discovered these things for myself at a much grander age, my own children happily in tow, them not understanding what strange beauty it was to kick through beach sand, how very precious it was, for me, to lie as human starfish, bobbing on an incoming tide.

Now, somewhere behind me a kettle was boiling. My toast popped and stayed put. Later I’ll find it, cold and rigid. I’ll make a cup of tea with lukewarm water, and probably drink it anyway. There has always been much I haven’t known, but life has found its way of tricking me, just as it tricks so many. It has permitted me to drift, unquestioning, from one day into the next.

And now I know this: My mother kept a seashell in her jewellery box.

I release it from my hand, reluctantly, and place it on the table. The light from the window catches it, sends its surface gleaming. For a moment it appears just-washed, sea-wet, a dazzling little dogwhelk on the shoreline, ripe enough to pluck. Precious enough to pocket. While the memories it holds can’t be mine to know, I try to imagine them all the same. Or, to be more accurate, I try to imagine my mother in possession of them. Permitting herself this much, after all. Sitting on the edge of her bed in her brown slippers and stiff housecoat, a certain look, one I never once saw, or perhaps never recognised, lighting her eyes. Or dozing in an armchair by the fire, lulled by the softest sound of the sea, not an uncomplicated sound, but neither a wholly unwanted one. Or, only really for the first time, I see her walking by the water, back when she was young, and breezy, and, I like to think, in love. The world is at my mother’s feet, and in her hand she holds a seashell.

The Sea Between Us is Emylia's new novel out today! 

The blurb:

In a remote Cornish cove, on one of the last days of summer, Robyn Swinton is drowning. She is saved - just - by local boy Jago Winters, and it is a moment that will change both of them forever.

Over the next seven years, Robyn and Jago's paths lead them in different directions, to city streets and foreign shores. Will the bond forged that day Jago dragged Robyn in from the sea be strong enough to bring them back to one another, or has life already pulled them too far apart? - Taken from Amazon

To buy a copy of this stunning book here

I would like to thank Emylia for writing this short story and for allowing me to feature it on The Book Corner, I would also like to thank Headline for running the competition.