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His Last Christmas Gift by Debra Borchert #Review

    His Last Christmas Gift by Debra Borchert will take you to a different country and season. It was published by Le Vin Press on 1st November 2025. Widowed, fired, and 50, Claire is one hot mess. This later in life romance hits like a snowball packed with grief and hope and mystery and the kind of second-chance that says, “I didn’t think I’d ever feel this again, and now I’m terrified, but… Hi.” Romance that’s frost melting off a windowpane. It’s “I forgot my heart could do this.” It’s love doesn’t have an expiration date. Twinkly lights, mulled wine and flaming crêpes so immerse you in Christmas markets—you’ll book a flight to France before the fares go up. A book club fiction favourite, Claire’s journey of self-discovery is perfect for fans of women’s fiction and stories about strong women over 50 navigating reinvention with inspiration, humour, with a delicious frosting of romance. “Give yourself the gift of a lush, romantic, French adventure and be swept away ...

The Problem with Perfect by Megan Mayfair #Review


 I am delighted to welcome Megan Mayfair's third novel to the blog today. Following on from Tangled Vines, it returns to the Doyle family, concentrating this time on the eldest daughter, Marigold.

Marigold Doyle’s life was perfect, with a successful career and wonderful marriage. But when her husband, Julian, passes away, her life is thrown into turmoil as she discovers a trail of secrets Julian was hiding in the months prior to his death. Struggling with her grief, she knows she needs to find out Julian’s actions to help her move on.

Finn Schröder, a former police officer and now private security consultant, is focused on an uncomplicated, unattached life and growing his business. He agrees to help Marigold find out the truth about Julian, but as they become closer, he realises his feelings for her may be developing beyond simply professional.

As Marigold and Finn work through the web of Julian’s deception, will they learn to face the reality that things aren’t always exactly as they seem? 


My Thoughts

I must admit that when I started this book I hadn't realised that it would carry on the Doyle family story. As aspects of Marigold's family were explained, I was absolutely delighted to realise that we were going to discover the next steps in Frederick and Amelia's lives and to see how things were working out for them. I found Marigold to be a great character. On the surface she seemed formidable but you gradually find out that she has a vulnerable side. Similarly, Finn is grappling with issues from his past which have to be resolved.

    The mystery around Marigold's husband, Julian, adds another aspect to the book and I had plenty of theories as to what could have happened swimming around my brain. The story is well paced and never obvious. As the outside veneer of perfection around Marigold's life is shown to be cracked and wanting, you get to see how she is able to react to these changes. 

In short: A well written and enjoyable romance with a slice of mystery.
    
About the Author


Megan’s stories are about families, intrigue and love. Every book contains a bit of humour and a lot of heart.

Megan lives in Melbourne with her husband and three children, and has a background in public relations and higher education.

She drinks far too much coffee and has an addiction to buying scarves. She interviews with other authors for her blog series, Espresso Tales, and loves a bit of #bookstagram.

Her debut novel, The Things We Leave Unsaid, was released by Crooked Cat Books in 2018, followed by Tangled Vines. The Problem with Perfect is her third novel. 

You can read my reviews here: The Things We Leave Unsaid 
                                                |  Tangled Vines



You can follow Megan here: Website   |  Facebook   |  Twitter 
                                             |  InstagramBookbub

Book link: Amazon UK
 
Thanks to Megan, Crooked Cats Publishers and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
 
Check out the rest of the tour!
 
 

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