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See the Stars by Eleanor Ray #Review

  See the Stars by Eleanor Ray will be  published on February 5th 2026 by Piatkus .  Do you ever feel that life isn't going to plan?   When Alice Thorington collapses in the street after a particularly hellish day at work, she must finally admit to herself that her outwardly happy life - steady relationship, well-paid job, beautiful flat in the city - isn't everything she'd hoped it would be. Burnt out by long hours and living a life that doesn't fulfil her dreams, Alice returns home to Yorkshire.  Her childhood home brings complicated family dynamics, a rediscovery of her passion for stargazing and two new friends: Berti, a boy who finds it easier to count the stars than interact with people, and Matt, her brother's best friend and Alice's teenage crush. With each of them facing their own struggles, can the stars that meant so much to Alice in her past help them to find their way in the present?  Filled with heart and warmth, this uplifting novel...

The Secret Cove in Croatia by Julie Caplin Romantic Escapes Book 5 #Review


On its Publication Day,  I am happy to bring you The Secret Cove in Croatia by Julie Caplin, another great romcom holiday read.
Sail away to beautiful Croatia for summer sun, sparkling turquoise seas and a holiday romance that’s forever…



When no-nonsense, down-to-earth Maddie Wilcox is offered the chance to work on a luxury yacht for the summer, she can’t say no. Yes she’ll be waiting on the posh guests… But island-hopping around the Adriatic sea will more than make up for it – especially when Nick, her best friend Nina’s brother, is one of them.



Sparks fly when they meet on board and Maddie can’t believe self-entitled jerk Nick is really related to Nina.

But in a secret, picture-perfect cove, away from the real world, Maddie and Nick discover they might have more in common than they realise…

 My Thoughts
Well you certainly get to escape to a beautiful part of the world in this story. Julie Caplin's descriptions of Croatia sparkle in the sunshine. What can be more escapist than a luxurious yacht and a millionaire's lifestyle? Maggie is a great antidote to the excesses of the beautiful people who are its passengers. With her feet firmly on the ground, you see through her eyes the ludicrously shallow reactions of the models with their obsession with Instagram. Just like Instagram, she shows you that under the surface, all is not picture perfect and bulimia lurks. 

    I did find myself getting very impatient with Nick. A sheep farmer, he seems to be unable to say no and there are several times when I could hardly believe that he would go along with Tara's suggestions. Nevertheless, he proves to be an appealing hero, with a keen sense of home and family. There are some genuinely funny moments brought to us through the antics of the models who are completely over the top and self - obsessed. Although number 5 in a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone. It is a lovely, light read.

In short: Perfect holiday reading.
About the Author



Jules Wake announced at the age of ten that she planned to be a writer. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands, taking journalists on press trips to awful places like Turin, Milan, Geneva, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam and occasionally losing the odd member of the press in an airport. This proved fabulous training for writing novels as it provided her with the opportunity to eat amazing food, drink free alcohol, hone her writing skills on press releases and to research European cities for her books.

She writes best-selling warm-hearted contemporary fiction for HarperImpulse.

Under her pen name, Julie Caplin, her twelfth novel, The Secret Cove in Croatia published in ebook format this July.

You can follow her here: Twitter @JulieCaplin  
                                      |  Twitter @Juleswake |  Facebook  

Book link: Amazon UK  |  Amazon US

Thanks to Julie Caplin, One More Chapter and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Follow the rest of the tour!


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