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Don't You Want Me Baby? by Rachel Dove #Review

  I am delighted to be on the tour to celebrate the latest romcom by R achel Dove,   Don't You Want Mr Baby? which was published by  Boldwood Books on 15th November .    Amber Fitzpatrick is about to hit thirty and has achieved none of the things she hoped to have done by now. Her dreams of owning her own business seem out of reach. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and now her biological clock is clanging in her head. But maybe Amber doesn’t need a man for the next stage of her life? Maybe as an independent woman she can have a baby all by herself? There’s only one problem. Handsome but excruciatingly annoying best friend Tyler Williams. Tyler thinks Amber’s motherhood plans are plain crazy! She just needs to wait for Mr. Right to come along…and maybe he’s closer than she thinks? But with Amber hellbent on doing it alone, Tyler sets out to prove to her that being her best friend could also come with excellent benefits…if only she's brave enough to take the chance.

A Little Hotel in Cornwall by Laura Briggs #Extract #Review

I am delighted to bring you an extract from A Little Hotel in Cornwall by Laura Briggs, who is introducing the extract to you.



I’m so grateful for this chance to share an extract from my new novella, A Little Hotel in Cornwall, with the readers at Books, Life and Everything! The story’s heroine, an aspiring author named Maisie, is freshly arrived on Cornish shores, where circumstances have landed her a temporary job at a luxury hotel—and she’s already smitten with her beautiful new surroundings!

 Extract


Sunshine crept inside the little room, touching my face. I was curled on my side, wondering why I couldn't smell the pretzels that usually drifted through my windows from the vendor who parked outside the dry cleaner's every summer morning. It was garbage day, too, but I didn't hear the truck's gears grinding outside.
 

    My eyes blinked open, seeing blurry green walls. I sat up, remembering that I wasn't in my old apartment. Pushing back the sheets, I crossed to the window, pulling aside its curtain, to assure myself it was all still real. Outside, the sky was still pink, and mists gathered above the water, a fog skirting the black rock isles.


    A gorgeous morning. I tapped the screen on my tablet computer, and my screen awakened with its backdrop of a beautiful gothic illustration. There were two new emails — one from the Tucker program's administrators, and one from my mom — and there was my novel's first chapter waiting for revisions based on my final grade.


    I didn't feel like writing, for once, or like reading the workshop's newsletter. I felt like taking a quick walk, maybe even a dip in the ocean. Pulling open the bureau's drawers, I grabbed my red bathing suit and my red and white plaid stripe skirt, along with a pair of old sneakers underneath the bed. Popping the last few bites of an energy snack bar into my mouth, I let my dark tresses fly free as I tucked my key in my pocket.


    It was quiet in the halls, but I could hear the murmur of voices from the lobby and dining room. I walked the opposite way, past closed doors and a wooden bench, pushing open the terrace doors to step out on a little paved patio with lots of brightly-potted flowers.


    Yesterday, I thought I had seen a set of steps leading down to the sea from the hotel's cliff. I found a set of stone steps hewn and refined from natural ones leading down the cliff's most gradual incline, with wooden ones and rails wherever nature pitched too sharply. I reached the beach from them, standing before the beautiful waves rippling across the sand with mists of salt spray. 


    A blue and white fog in motion, against the pale pink cheek of the horizon, the high cliff rocks tinged reddish-brown in the first rays of morning. The water was cold and frigid against my hands, and I dodged a sudden wave against my ankles, emitting a loud shriek of surprise as that cool water touched my skin. 


    A place alive with stories untold. There were lost romances in the house above, and tragedies in the steep rocks descending below. I gazed up at the hotel in the distance, which looked like a miniature version of itself.


    The hotel. What time was it? I probably needed to hurry back and find someone who could tell me what time I started work, and what I was doing.


 What's the book about?
 
Struggling American waitress and aspiring novelist Maisie Clark dreams of becoming a full-time writer — even though in real life she's just lost her chance at an exclusive writer's mentorship program that would give her novel its big break. Desperate, she decides to take a chance and ask her favourite writer, a celebrated but reclusive English novelist, to help her find a second chance.


When she receives the author's reply in an envelope with a Cornish postmark, Maisie decides not to take the writer's half-hearted 'no' for an answer. With nothing to lose, she takes off for the author's last known location, a beautiful hotel on Cornwall's western coast. But when the hotel mistakes her for the latest applicant for a maid's position, Maisie finds herself given an opportunity too good to lose ... and a chance for a summer adventure far bigger than she ever imagined.

Surrounded by breathtaking Cornwall and working in an elegant hotel, Maisie's world becomes one of secret identities, quirky friends, and unintentional mishaps — and despite reminders of past relationship disasters, a certain handsome, charming local resident Sidney Daniels has her conflicted about her heart's desires, too.

Will Maisie find the chance she's been waiting for — and a possible new romance — in her perfect Cornish summer?

                                                                                     My Thoughts

I was looking forward to starting this novella as I had enjoyed Laura's previous series, A Wedding in Cornwall. This is the first in a new series and made a promising start in introducing the setting and characters who will be a major part of the new story. I particularly enjoyed meeting Maisie who is driven by the desire to be a published author and who follows her dreams to set out to make this happen. 

     The hotel itself yielded up some interesting secondary characters who all seemed to accept Maisie from the start. This is ultimately an uplifting read which welcomes you in and hints at some interesting situations. It is an excellent read for a lazy, summer  weekend.

In short: A new series which promises much.  
 
                                                                              About the Author



Laura Briggs is the author of several chick lit and romance stories, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.
You can follow Laura here:   Twitter   |  Facebook   |  Website

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Laura Briggs and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.  


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