November 4, 2018 – Berit Talks Books

Happy Sunday! Did you remember to fall back??? We had a time change overnight in the US, so I got an extra hour!

Delighted to share with you today my review for this charming story many thanks to faith Hogan for reaching out and inviting me on her blog tour! 💕

9781788548588 Carrie Nolan is devastated when she is dumped by Kevin Mulvey after more than a decade without even a backwards glance! On reflection, she has sacrificed her own long term happiness establishing their critically acclaimed Dublin restaurant and pandering to his excessive ego.

Meanwhile Kevin can’t believe his luck. Valentina, their new waitress is a stunner, the kind of girl that turns heads when she walks in a room and surprise, surprise she has chosen him! He is living the dream!

Carrie seeks solace from a circle of mismatched friends who need her as much as she needs them. Jane, who struggles to run the pub on the opposite side of the street, Luke, who has stopped drifting while his father settles in a nearby nursing home and Teddy, a dog who asks for nothing more than the chance to stay by Carrie’s side.

With Christmas just around the corner, all is not quite as it seems and a catastrophic sequence of events leads to the unthinkable…

How far do you need to fall before you learn the true value of family and friends? And is it ever too late to start again…

My Thoughts

This was a delightful heartwarming story, comfort food for the mind!!!

Carrie is being added to my book BFF list! Loved her! She was such a wonderful character, who was going through such a terrible time, and she handled it like a champ! I loved riding the roller coaster of emotion with her throughout this book… I cried with her… I raged with her… I laughed with her… I smiled with her… Love reading a story that completely sucks you into the character’s life…

Carrie is devastated when her longtime boyfriend Kevin breaks up with her… even more devastating Kevin is also her business partner and his new girlfriend Valentina works at the restaurant that he and Carrie co-own… it sure was fun hating on Kevin and Valentina throughout this book, and they sure made it easy! Soon after the break up carry realized how much time she had spent not only taking care of Kevin but his high maintenance mother as well…. Carrie also made several new friends including: Jane an elderly lady, Luke a handsome potential love interest, and Teddy an adorable dog… I absolutely loved the bond that all these characters formed with one another, they were so there for each other… and for those of you who believe in karma, as carrie’s life was getting better and better, Kevin began to realize how much he needed her! Kevin my friend Karma is a bioch!

Such a charming story of new beginnings and second chances with a bit of a festive feel! As Christmas approaches there are some strange goings-on in the restaurant… there is also a question of romance between carry and Luke? Will these two find their way under the mistletoe? I strongly encourage you to pick this book up and find out for yourself! It is such a treat, a little escape that will give you hope!

*** many thanks to Faith Hogan and Aria for my copy of this book ***

Buy links

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Pv3cCJ
iBooks: https://apple.co/2BBjSpp

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2o3aMrV
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2OHDsSO

About the author

Faith was born in Ireland and currently lives there with her husband, four children and two fussy cats. She gained an Honors Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate from University College, Galway. She was a winner in the 2014 Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair- an international competition for emerging writers. When she’s not writing, she’s an enthusiastic dog walker and reluctant jogger.

Follow Faith

Twitter: @gerhogan

Facebook: @faithhoganauthor

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Facebook: @ariafiction

Instagram: @ariafiction

My Thoughts

I died yesterday, or so I’ve been told.

With an opening line like that I was quickly captivated by this book… a thriller with a bit of everything including a splash of romance… A twisted family drama with a bit of a somber tone…

Victoria and her stepsister Ness are surprised when they inherit a house from a complete stranger… now has this ever turned out well in a book? Seriously if I Ever inherit anything from a complete stranger I’m turning it down! Well unless it’s cash😉 being the more adventurous of the two Ness heads to Holland, to check out the house… leaving Victoria with her poodle Nigel… can I just say that Nigel was one fantastic dog! Soon after this Victoria receive a message from Ness letting her know that she is getting married and is heading off on a romantic Trip… after some time passes without any contact Victoria become concerned and heads to Holland with, Nigel in toe… then The thrills begin!

This was a dark story with plenty of twists… The kind of story that keeps you up way past your bedtime frantically turning the pages…. there are a few moments of confusion and a bit of impossibility, but it’s all tied up nicely in the end!

Recommend to those of you who enjoy a well written thriller with some family drama and a darker side…

*** A huge thank you to Rachel and the author for my copy of this book ***

Author Bio –

Jenny O’Brien was born in Ireland and, after a brief sojourn in Wales, now resides in Guernsey.
She’s an avid reader and book reviewer for NetGalley in addition to being a RoNA judge.
She writes for both children and adults with a new book coming out every six months or so. She’s also an avid collector of cats, broken laptops, dust and happy endings – two of which you’ll always find in her books.

In her spare time she can be found frowning at her wonky cakes and even wonkier breads. You’ll be pleased to note she won’t be entering Bake-Off.

Readers can find out more about Jenny from her blog: https://jennyobrienwriter.wordpress.com

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