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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 ...

The Personal Shopper by Carmen Reid #Review

 

Here is another great romcom, published by Boldwood Books on February 24th. Carmen Reid's The Personal Shopper is a bright and cheerful read.

There's just one accessory Annie Valentine can't find...the perfect man!

Meet Annie Valentine: stylish, savvy, multi-tasker extraordinaire. As a personal shopper in a swanky London store, Annie can be relied on to solve everyone's problems . . . except her own.

Because as a busy single mum to two kids, Annie’s realised there’s a gap in her life as well as her wardrobe. But with her heart still hurting from losing the love of her life, Annie’s discovered that finding the perfect partner is turning out to be so much trickier than finding the perfect pair of shoes!

Can she source a genuine classic? A lifelong investment? Or will Annie realise that her perfect man is already sitting on the front row of her life…


 My Thoughts

This is the first in a series of novels about Annie Valentine which Boldwood has re-released. I haven't read any of the series but found the book to be a bright and humorous read with a sparky central character and plenty of amusing secondary ones. In The Personal Shopper, you find Annie as a resourceful and determined woman who is striving to do her best for her family. Working in an exclusive store by day, she gets to dress and sell designer clothes to a wide range of the rich and famous. With each she manages to find out what makes them tick and alters her approach. It is not surprising that she is the top seller.

    Not afraid to admit when she has made a mistake, Annie is a resourceful and amusing central character. In her personal life, she finds herself in some hilarious situations and her two children add to the chaos she feels she is surrounded by at times. Ger quest for a partner adds to the humour but always in a gentle, harmless way. If you are looking for an amusing read with some finely observed social situations, you will love this.

In short: Feisty central character and plenty of humour.

About the Author


Carmen Reid is the bestselling author of numerous woman's fiction titles including the Personal Shopper series starring Annie Valentine. After taking a break from writing she is back, introducing her hallmark feisty women characters to a new generation of readers. She lives in Glasgow with her husband and children.

You can follow Carmen here: Facebook   |  Twitter    |   Instagram |   Bookbub profile

Book link: Amazon UK

Thanks to Carmen Reid, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

 

Check out the rest of the tour!


 

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