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My Chance to Fly by Samantha Tonge #Review #PublicationDay

  A BRAND NEW sparkling, uplifting story about love, friendship and learning to spread your wings from Samantha Tonge ✨🦋 Perfect for fans of Shari Low, Faith Hogan and Evie Woods! Una Lowe lives a perfectly edited life in London. Other than her best friend, she’s careful about who she lets in. Emotional complications are just that – complicated. That is, until she rescues a rare white swallow… who might have just flown in to change her life. Because, when her beloved swallow fails to return from migration one year, Una’s world crumbles. But a viral social media campaign brings a miraculous response from a man in Bavaria named Konrad, who claims the bird has also visited him. Which leads him to invite Una to his picturesque village for the chance to see their shared feathered friend together. Stepping out of her comfort zone, Una flies to Germany. Amidst snow-dusted streets, local festivals, and Konrad’s undeniable charm, Una’s protective walls begin to fall down. But wh...
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The House That Alice Built by Chris Penhall #Review


I have great pleasure to welcome you to the celebrations for Chris Penhall's debut novel, The House That Alice Built. 
 
Home is where the heart is … 

Alice Dorothy Matthews is sensible. Whilst her best friend Kathy is living it up in Portugal and her insufferable ex Adam is travelling the world, Alice is working hard to pay for the beloved London house she has put her heart and soul into renovating. 

But then a postcard from Buenos Aires turns Alice’s life upside down. One very unsensible decision later and she is in Cascais, Portugal, and so begins her lesson in ‘going with the flow’; a lesson that sees her cat-sitting, paddle boarding, dancing on top of bars and rediscovering her artistic talents. 

But perhaps the most important part of the lesson for Alice is that you don’t always need a house to be at home.


My Thoughts

This was a breath of fresh air in the midst of Autumn. Transported to Portugal, there are some fine descriptions of the scenery and local life there. There are some vividly portrayed characters, especially Alice herself. It is easy to empathise with her as she tries to escape from her ex, Adam's, selfishness and control. Kathy, her friend, has her best interests at heart and at times feels like her guardian angel.

    As Alice slowly digs within herself and find reserves she did not know she had, it is great to see her creativity begin to blossom. I did find Adam to have a whiff of the pantomime villain about him. As Alice learns to stand on her own feet, she finds friendships to support her. This is just the novel to help you escape from the cares of everyday life. A debut novel, it is enjoyable and confident writing. 

In short: A slice of Portugal to banish the winter.

     
About the Author



Chris Penhall is a freelance writer and radio producer.

Her book, The House That Alice Built, won the Choc-Lit Search for a Star Competition 2019. 

Born in South Wales, she has also lived near London and in Portugal, which is where The House That Alice Built is set. It was whilst living in Cascais near Lisbon that she began to dabble in writing fiction, but it was many years later that she was confident enough to start writing her first novel, and many years after that she finally finished it! She is now working on her second. 

A lover of books, music and cats, she is also an enthusiastic salsa dancer, a keen cook, and loves to travel. She is never happier than when she is gazing at the sea. 

Chris has two grown up daughters and lives in the Essex countryside. 

Chris is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association.

You can follow Chris here:  Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook

Book links: Amazon UK  |  Ruby Fiction  |  Kobo
                 |  Barnes and Noble  |  Google

Thanks to Chris Penhall, Ruby Fiction and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy f the book and a place on the tour.

                                                   Catch up with the rest of the tour


 

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