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The Castle in the Bay by Margaret Amatt #Review #BarraSeriesBook1

  We are travelling to the beautiful island of Barra for Margaret Amatt's new Barra Series, The Castle in the Bay. The first in this new series was published on 12th April by Leannan Press .   What if the castle has the key to mend their broken hearts? After a miserable few years, fun-loving Iona McKenzie tossed her corporate job to the wind, swore off long-term relationships, and escaped to the Hebridean island of Barra to teach water sports. Recently dumped by an ex who labelled him 'boring', Monty MacNeil is having a tough time. When he's tasked with carrying out his late father’s last request to scatter his ashes at Kisimul Castle – the famous castle in the bay – he doesn't expect his trip to Barra to begin by running smack bang into a feisty and gorgeous woman, knocking her off her bike, and almost dropping his father’s urn into the sea. Iona turns out to be the person he needs to take him over to the castle, but Monty soon sees another way she ca...

Escape to Giddywell Grange by Kim Nash #BookReview

I am so happy to be taking part in the celebrations for Kim Nash's Escape to Giddywell Grange, which was published on September 18th. It is a romantic, uplifting book- just right for a cosy weekend in.



Maddy Young thought she had it all.


Swanky city apartment? – yep. Fancy car? sorted. High-flying career? – tick.


Even if she’s lost most of her friends because of spending all her time at work, and can’t remember when she last had fun, it’s worth it.


Until she’s suddenly made redundant. Now she’s 37, jobless, and after the breakup with the former love of her life, unhappily single.

Enter Maddy’s childhood friend, Beth, the owner of Growlers, the doggy daycare centre at Giddywell Grange, on a mission to make Maddy see there’s more to life than work.


Soon, Maddy is swapping spreadsheets for volunteer duty at the library, daily Starbucks for cups of tea with elderly neighbours, and her Prada handbag for doggy poo bags… And with Beth’s gorgeous brother, Alex, back from the States, Maddy starts to think that Giddywell Grange might just be her happy place.


But when her old life – and her old boyfriend - comes calling, will Maddy go back to the job she loved so much? Or will she discover that the key to happiness lies in making others happy?


An uplifting romantic comedy that will warm your heart – perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Milly Johnson and Katie Fforde.


My Thoughts

In this warm and endearing read, you get to follow Maddy's transition from her career driven existence, as she learns what actually makes her happy in life. It takes her by surprise, somewhat, but she is a believeable and likeable character who is not afraid to admit that she may have been going up the wrong path.

    A strength of the writing is the cast of characters who are part of her life, especially Beth who enables her to take on a new perspective on life. Maddy's past has influenced how she reacts to people she meets and it is quite a shock to her to realise how few actual friends she had in her work-driven life. 

    There are plenty of slow burn plot lines simmering under the surface. The meat of the story centres on Maddy's development but you glimpse the person she may become in her dealings with the people she meets in the village. Taking a chance and savouring each moment for what it is are major themes behind the story, as is how you measure success. Is it in material terms or in simpler pleasures? Friends and family are shown to be key to Maddy's happiness. With a fluent writing style and excellent pacing, this is a lovely read, which leaves you with a smile on your face.

In short: Thoughtful, inspiring themes underpin a great romance.

About the Author



Kim Nash lives in Staffordshire with son Ollie and English Setter Roni, is PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture and is a book blogger at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk



Kim won the Romantic Novelists Association's Media Star of the Year in 2016, which she still can't quite believe. She is now quite delighted to be a member of the RNA.



When she's not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog, reading, standing on the sidelines of a football pitch cheering on Ollie and binge watching box sets on the TV. She's also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Cannock, Staffs.



Amazing Grace was her debut novel with Hera Books and came out in April 2019. You can read my review here.



Escape to Giddywell Grange is Kim's second novel and will be published on September 18th 2019.


You can follow Kim here: Twitter   |  Facebook                                           | Instagram


Book links: Amazon UK   |  Kobo   |  Apple

Thanks to the author Kim Nash, Hera Books 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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