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The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander #Review

  The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander was published by Avon Books on September 25th.  A charming literary-themed novel about a young woman determined to save her great-aunt’s beloved bookshop from extinction by the shiny new competition—which also happens to be run by the handsome son of her family’s rivals. The cute, seaside town of Portneath has been the home of Capelthorne’s Books for nearly a hundred years… The shop, in the heart of a high street that stretches crookedly down the hill from the castle to the sea, may be a tad run-down these days, but to Jules Capelthorne, the wonky, dusty world of literary treasures is full of precious childhood memories. When her great-aunt Florence gets too frail to run it alone, Jules ditches her junior publishing job in London and comes home to make the bookshop’s hundredth birthday a celebration to remember. Jules quickly discovers things are worse than she ever imagined: The bookshop is close to bankruptcy, ...

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!

 


 

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