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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 Lottery Win by Rosie Green #Review #LittleDuckPondCafe

 

I am delighted that it is time for another visit to the Little Duck Pond Cafe for another novella by Rosie Green. The Lottery Win is number 28 in the series which is amazing!

 
Krystle has always yearned to live a different kind of life, so when she hits the jackpot, quite literally, she's over the moon. At last she'll get the chance to live in a gorgeous house, drive the car of her dreams and maybe even track down that elusive soulmate at last! It all sounds perfect – but can reality ever live up to your dreams?


 My Thoughts

I found Krystle to be quite an interesting central character in this volume, and I was quite surprised that I had to struggle really hard to warm to her until quite far into the story. As she made one infuriating decision after another, my patience with her was really stretched! However, as I hoped, she went through quite a bit of growing up and I am sure, looked back at her choices through different eyes.

    You are also kept guessing about some of the other characters and kept in the dark about their motivations. It showed up quite clearly how difficult sudden wealth can be for people, due to other people's reactions and suddenly, Krystle struggled to know who was genuine and who wasn't. With the nearby setting of Sunnybrook and some of the familiar characters who make an appearance, this is a lovely addition to the series and fits in well with its predecessors.

 

In short: money, money, money



About the Author

Rosie’s series of Little Duck Pond Café novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. ‘The Cheesecake Challenge’ is out now. Look out for ‘A Kiss under the Stars’, out in August 2023.

 

You can read my review of more of this series here:

 
You can follow Rosie here:   Twitter
 
Book link: Amazon UK
 
 

Thanks to Rosie Green and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the event.  



 

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