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A Sky Full of Stars by Fay Keenan #Review #PublicationDay

  Here we are on the outskirts of Bristol for a visit to the countryside with Fay Keenan . A Sky Full of Stars is published today by Boldwood Books on March 18th. Charlotte James prefers having her head in the stars to having her feet on the ground. Moving around for her job as an astronomical archivist gives Charlotte plenty of opportunity to avoid putting down roots. When she accepts a post in the idyllic Somerset village of Lower Brambleton to archive an old observatory before its demolition, all that is on her mind is a chance to preserve the treasures of this remarkable place and another summer without having to settle down. Tristan Ashcombe is managing the development of Observatory Field and as far as he’s concerned, the sooner the observatory is razed to the ground the better. The building holds complicated memories for him and his family, memories he’s ready to put behind him. But as Charlotte’s work begins to unravel mysteries from a complex past, she realises t...

A Typical Family Christmas by Liz Davies #Review

I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour to celebrate the release of Liz Davies' festive novel, A Typical Family Christmas.

For once, Kate Peters would like a happy, family Christmas; the kind of Christmas seen in the movies. She wants harmony and happiness, smiling, glowing faces, tables groaning with food, carol singing around the tree. She wants love, kindness, and goodwill to all men, especially in
her own house.

What she doesn’t want is drama. Absolutely no drama, whatsoever.

But what she gets is three stroppy children, two equally stroppy grandmothers, a husband who can’t manage to change a lightbulb, and Pepe the poodle.

It’s no wonder she feels unappreciated, overworked, and ignored. At the end of her tinsel-coated tether, and with the only Christmas spirit being in the form of a bottle of raspberry gin, Kate decides to leave them to it, and see how they manage without her.

A quiet little hotel somewhere near the sea, where she can pretend Christmas doesn’t exist, is just the thing she needs. Isn’t it?


My Thoughts

 This Christmas novel fizzes with life. There are so many laugh out loud moments and reading the story is a joy. Liz Davies has created a delightful cast of characters, all with their own voice. The rivalry between the two grandparents genuinely makes you smile. This is certainly no sugary, candlelit picture of a cosy Christmas. Many will recognise within its pages, the chaos and confusion of aspects of family life. 

    You can't help but sympathise with Kate as she struggles to cope with all her family's self-centred demands. Another interesting aspect is her working life and the people she comes into contact with at the Charity Shop. This keeps the story grounded and lets you see Kate outside of the home and how she deals with other people and how they regard her qualities. Full of light and laughter, this novel will set you up for your own 'Typical Family Christmas'.

In short: A Christmas cracker of a story. 

About the Author 





Liz Davies writes feel-good, light-hearted stories with a hefty dose of romance, a smattering of humour, and a great deal of love.

She’s married to her best friend, has one grown-up daughter, and when she isn’t scribbling away in the notepad she carries with her everywhere (just in case inspiration strikes), you’ll find her searching for that perfect pair of shoes. She loves to cook but isn’t very good at it, and loves to eat - she’s much better at that! Liz also enjoys walking (preferably on the flat), cycling (also on the flat), and lots of sitting around in the garden on warm, sunny days.

She currently lives with her family in Wales, but would ideally love to buy a camper van and travel the world in it.

You can follow Liz here: Twitter  |  Facebook
 
Book links: Amazon US   |  Amazon UK

Thanks to Liz Davies 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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