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A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby #Review

  Having enjoyed Lynne Shelby's The Summer of Taking Chances,and Rome for the Summer,  I am delighted to be joining the celebrations for her new summer read, A Venice  Summer . It was published on May 12th by Shaldo Books.    Art conservator Rose Bennet is still reeling from a bad break-up when she is offered a dream job in Venice, restoring an art collection in the Ca’ D’Ambra, a six-hundred-year-old Venetian palazzo. Despite her fears about travelling to a foreign country on her own, Rose is soon heading to Italy for the summer. While she is awestruck by the breathtaking beauty of Venice, Rose finds the owner of the palazzo, the arrogant and short-tempered Luca Casserini, insufferable. When he questions her ability to do her work, she almost heads straight back to London, but decides that she won’t let herself be intimidated or driven away before she’s even had a chance to ride in a gondola. Losing her way in Venice’s picturesque maze of canals and al...

My Year of Saying No by Maxine Morrey #Review

This is another great read from Maxine Morrey. My Year of Saying No was published by Boldwood Books on April 16th. 

Lottie Wentworth has never been more pleased to hear Big Ben ring in the new year and wave goodbye to The Year of Saying Yes!

When a long-term relationship ended, her best friend’s scheme to get Lottie back in the swing of things seemed like a good idea. She’s kept her promise to Jess to see it through but, as a lover of the quiet life, Lottie couldn’t be happier to say hello to a brand new year – The Year of Saying No! 

Unfortunately, the one thing she still seems unable to say no to is the crush she has on her best client and now friend, Army veteran, Seb Marshall. But she’s working on it, and with rescue dog Humphrey at her side, she knows that she’ll manage just fine.
Lottie’s decision to stop trying to please everyone has brought a sense of relief beyond what she had expected. Her actions and determination have also begun to send ripples throughout her life and those closest to her, bringing about changes none of them could have expected.

But will all those changes be for the good?

 
                                                                                

                                                                                    My Thoughts

 I always enjoy Maxine Morrey's books and this one is no exception. There are some likeable characters in My Year of Saying No, none more so than Lottie. She gets your sympathy from the beginning and shows herself to be an independent and determined character with a kind streak and she shows all her feelings on her face. Her decision to take on a little rescue dog underlines her thoughtful side. 

    However, Lottie is not the only character who you feel empathy for. Seb is pretty unscrutable at times and it takes time to get inside his thoughts, but you always feel that there is a selfless and kind side to him. Jess and Harry are lighter characters but they have their issues to work through. With family relationships and friendships to discover, this is an enjoyable and feelgood read. 

 

In short: Time to move on from the past.

                                                                              About the Author

 

Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten.
 
As time went by, she continued to write, but 'normal' work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love.
 
In August 2015, she won Harper Collins/Carina UK's 'Write Christmas' competition with her first romantic comedy, 'Winter's Fairytale'.
Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found doing something vaguely physical at the gym.
 
You can follow Maxine here:  Website  |  Twitter  | Instagram
​                                                 Facebook    |  Pinterest

Book links: Amazon UK    
 
Thanks to Maxine Morrey, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the event.


Check out the rest of the tour!

 

 

 


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