Skip to main content

Featured

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...

Coming Home to Brightwater Bay by Holly Hepburn #Review

 

I am delighted to feature a new series from Holly Hepburn, Coming Home to Brightwater Bay. Set in the Orkneys, it is a true escape.

On paper, Merina Wilde has it all: a successful career writing the kind of romantic novels that make even the hardest hearts swoon, a perfect carousel of book launches and parties to keep her social life buzzing, and a childhood sweetheart who thinks she’s a goddess. But Merry has a secret: the magic has stopped flowing from her fingers. Try as she might, she can’t summon up the sparkle that makes her stories shine. And as her deadline whooshes by, her personal life falls apart too. Alex tells her he wants something other than the future she’d always imagined for them and Merry finds herself single for the first time since – well, ever.

Desperate to get her life back on track, Merry leaves London and escapes to the windswept Orkney Islands, locking herself away in a secluded clifftop cottage to try to heal her heart and rediscover her passion for writing. But can the beauty of the islands and the kindness of strangers help Merry to fool herself into believing in love again, if only long enough to finish her book? Or is it time for her to give up the career she’s always adored and find something new to set her soul alight?


The brand new series from Holly Hepburn, first published as four ebook parts: BROKEN HEARTS AT BRIGHTWATER BAY, SEA BREEZES AT BRIGHTWATER BAY, DANGEROUS TIDES AT BRIGHTWATER BAY and SUNSET OVER BRIGHTWATER BAY


 My Thoughts

 This is one of those stories which I've kept dipping back into after I finished the book- always a good sign! The setting is fantastic and there are plenty of lovely descriptions of various sites in the Orkneys which really make the place and its history come alive. Merry turned out to be a thoroughly likeable central character who stands on her own feet and sorts out her problems as much as she possible can. There are plenty of colourful characters who she gets to meet and her friend Jess is an entertaining friend. She could certainly carry a story of her own. 

    Writing and books are intrinsic parts of the story and I enjoyed following Merry's quest to kickstart her own writing. I'd have loved to go to one of her writing sessions! Of course, the two male leads are a great contrast. I always knew which one I hoped she would pick, but it must have been a close-run decision! For a wonderful escapist read, full of warmth and a touch of wit, you need to look no further!

In short: A warm and endearing story full of the romance of the Orkneys.


About the Author


Holly Hepburn is the much-loved author of commercial women’s fiction. She lives near London with her grey tabby cat, Portia. They both have an unhealthy obsession with Marmite. 

You can follow Holly here: Twitter 

 

Book link: Amazon UK

Thanks to Holly Hepburn, Simon and Schuster and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy oft the book and a place on the tour. 

 

Check out the rest of the tour!

 


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts