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Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle by Jaimie Admans #Review

  Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle by Jaimie Admans was published by Boldwood Books on September 9th. A Scottish castle, a fake marriage… and one very real Christmas romance?   After a window display goes disastrously viral – thanks to a malfunctioning animatronic Santa and an unfortunate encounter with Paddington Bear – Lula Haines finds herself without a job just weeks before Christmas. So she jumps at the chance to decorate Hollybrae Castle in Scotland for the holidays. There’s just one complication: her handsome new boss, Oliver Bracewell, needs a fake wife for the festive season. To secure a promotion that could save his family’s castle, Ollie has been pretending to be a married father-of-two to impress the family-focused firm where he works. Now his bosses are coming to stay at Hollybrae over Christmas… expecting to meet his non-existent wife and children. At first, playing along is easy as Lula is swept up in the magic of turning Hollybrae into the perfect f...

The Sandycove Sunset Swimmers by Sian O'Gorman #Review #Publication

 

We are returning to Sandycove for Sian O'Gorman's latest novel: The Sandycove Sunset Swimmers which is published today by Boldwood on May 8th.

Can learning to say 'yes' change your life?

When Cat Jones is given the opportunity of a lifetime to present one of Ireland’s most popular live daytime shows, alongside TV royalty David Fitzgerald she isn’t sure she is ready for the challenge.

But after being pushed by her mother’s friend Lorraine to say 'yes' to everything for a month, she reluctantly agrees.

What follows is a whirlwind of opportunities where Catis forced outside her comfort zone with varying degrees of success.

Once she accepts the challenge to take the plunge with the eclectic sea swimming tribe The Forty Footers’in Dublin Bay, she never looks back. She is warmly welcomed into their lives, and learns to find reserves of strength she never knew existed which helps her deal with a toxic ex, and a growing attraction for a handsome TV executive.

With best friends, Becca and Sinead also in need of a re-boot, can Cat empower them to choose 'risk and adventure' or will they go back to their old, safe lives?

Say 'yes' and your whole life will open up in wonderful ways

My Thoughts

There is such a variety of characters and situations in this story that, as a read, it seems to fly by. At its centre is Cat who is persuaded to spend a month not refusing opportunities but saying yes. As she soon finds out, her life seems to open out as she tries new things and meet new people. She discovers a real love for swimming in the sea and finds it is something that helps her to relax and to take time out to think. 

    There is a rich seam of humour which runs through the story. Cat’s job as a TV presenter has plenty of scope for this and the antics of a certain celebrity chef certainly raise a smile. I enjoyed the slow burn romance but most of all the friendships which are highlighted and the uplifting family relationships which are on show. 

In short: heartwarming fiction full of humour and friendship 


About the Author

 










Sian O’Gorman
was born in Galway and now lives just along the coast from Dublin. She works as a radio producer alongside writing contemporary women’s fiction inspired by friend and family relationships.

 

You can follow Sian here:  Instagram  |  Twitter |  Facebook      

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Book links: Amazon UK

You can read my review of Life After You here and Life's What You Make It  here and The Sandycove Supper Club here.

Thanks to Sian O'Gorman, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book amd a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!


 


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