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See the Stars by Eleanor Ray #Review

  See the Stars by Eleanor Ray will be  published on February 5th 2026 by Piatkus .  Do you ever feel that life isn't going to plan?   When Alice Thorington collapses in the street after a particularly hellish day at work, she must finally admit to herself that her outwardly happy life - steady relationship, well-paid job, beautiful flat in the city - isn't everything she'd hoped it would be. Burnt out by long hours and living a life that doesn't fulfil her dreams, Alice returns home to Yorkshire.  Her childhood home brings complicated family dynamics, a rediscovery of her passion for stargazing and two new friends: Berti, a boy who finds it easier to count the stars than interact with people, and Matt, her brother's best friend and Alice's teenage crush. With each of them facing their own struggles, can the stars that meant so much to Alice in her past help them to find their way in the present?  Filled with heart and warmth, this uplifting novel...

The Five Year Plan by Carla Burgess #Review

I am delighted to feature Carla Burgess' latest romcom, The Five Year Plan which was published on March 20th by HQ Digital.  

Two people. One epic love story. What if?

The perfect fun and heartwarming romance to escape with from the bestselling author of Marry Me Tomorrow

Orla is a trainee reporter with a five-year plan: work her way up the career ladder, move to London and secure a job on a big national newspaper. She doesn’t want a boyfriend, he’s only going to hold her back anyway.

Aiden spends his life travelling the world and living in a tent. He knows his goal: to photograph animals and raise awareness of global warming and wildlife conservation. He’s definitely not looking for a relationship past the odd casual hook-up!

So when Orla and Aiden’s lives collide, they do everything to not fall for each other – with the opposite effect. But they stick to their plans, and go their separate ways…

Five years later, they meet again…

If you love Mhairi McFarlane, Jo Watson and Paige Toon, you’ll LOVE Carla Burgess. The Five-Year Plan is the perfect fun and feel-good escapist read.

My Thoughts

I loved the structure of this book which gave us two stories in a way.We saw Orla and Aiden when they first met and saw how their relationship developed. Then in the second half of the story, we came forward in time by five years and saw what happened when they met again. There are some lovely touches in the story. I loved the part where they were staking out the otters and of course, Orla's talent for falling over adds quite a spearkle to the story.

    This is a light- hearted story but at the heart are two great  central characters. Aiden almost seems too good to be true but who can dislike him? Orla is set on becoming a reporter in London but of course, sometimes it is a case of be careful what you wish for... This is a lovely second chance story which is a bright read where you are genuinely rooting for the characters. 

In short: A fun read with vividly drawn characters and some moments to make you smile.
 
About the Author

 Carla Burgess lives in Chester, UK, with her husband and three children. She loves animals, the countryside and the sea. She has a degree in English Literature and Psychology and worked as a magazine editor before writing fiction. 

You can follow Carla here: Twitter   |  Website  |   Facebook 

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Carla Burgess, HQ Digital and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

 

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