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His Last Christmas Gift by Debra Borchert #Review

    His Last Christmas Gift by Debra Borchert will take you to a different country and season. It was published by Le Vin Press on 1st November 2025. Widowed, fired, and 50, Claire is one hot mess. This later in life romance hits like a snowball packed with grief and hope and mystery and the kind of second-chance that says, “I didn’t think I’d ever feel this again, and now I’m terrified, but… Hi.” Romance that’s frost melting off a windowpane. It’s “I forgot my heart could do this.” It’s love doesn’t have an expiration date. Twinkly lights, mulled wine and flaming crêpes so immerse you in Christmas markets—you’ll book a flight to France before the fares go up. A book club fiction favourite, Claire’s journey of self-discovery is perfect for fans of women’s fiction and stories about strong women over 50 navigating reinvention with inspiration, humour, with a delicious frosting of romance. “Give yourself the gift of a lush, romantic, French adventure and be swept away ...
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The Poor Relation by Susanna Bavin #Review

  I am delighted to be featuring Susanna Bavin's historical family saga, The Poor Relation which is published by Allison & Busby.
1908, Manchester. Mary Maitland is an attractive and intelligent young woman determined to strike out on her own and earn a living. Finding work at a women’s employment agency, her creative talent is soon noticed and Mary begins writing articles for newspapers and magazines.

But being of independent and progressive mind are troublesome traits when those you hold dear must constantly live up to the expectations of the well-to-do family to which they are linked. With increasing pressures from the powers that be, can Mary find the fine line between honouring her family and honouring herself?
  
My Thoughts

When I realised that this historical family saga was set in Manchester in Edwardian England and was going to cover social and political issues to do with women's suffrage and the place of women in society, I knew that this was going to be right up my street. I wasn't disappointed. The style is fluent and engaging and the central characters are not all sympathetic, but definitely well drawn. The passing on of wealth and inheritance and the paternalistic attitudes which kept some women in their place are starkly shown.

    As the twists and turns of Mary's life unfolded, I could not help but get enraged at the attitudes which conspired to keep her back. The other shocking aspect turned out to be the acceptance of the social order by the Maitland family. However, there was also some genuinely brave moments. There is plenty of period detail to bring the story alive. The attempts to get funding for Nathaniel's clinic and the rules and regulations as to who are the 'deserving poor' took me by surprise. This is a story you can get involved in.

In short: Edwardian Manchester which shows you the virtues and faults of a generation..  
About the Author

 Susanna Bavin lives on the beautiful North Wales coast with her husband and their two rescue cats. She is originally from Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester, where her family has lived for several generations and which provides the setting for her family sagas.

Susanna Bavin also writes as Polly Heron.

 
You can follow Susanna here: Website  |  Twitter 

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Susanna Bavin, Allison and Busby and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the event. 

 
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