One More Page

One summer, property seeker, Serendipity Parker finds herself on the beautiful west coast of Ireland, hunting for a home for a wealthy Irish client. But when she finds the perfect house in the small town of Ballykiltara, there’s a problem; nobody seems to know who owns it.

‘The Welcome House’ is a local legend. Its front door is always open for those in need of shelter, and there’s always a plentiful supply of food in the cupboards for the hungry or poor.

While Ren desperately tries to find the owner to see if she can negotiate a sale, she begins to delve deeper into the history and legends that surround the old house and the town. But for a woman who has always been focussed on her work, she’s remarkably distracted by Finn, the attractive manager of the local hotel.

But will she ever discover the real truth behind the mysterious ‘Welcome House’? Or will the house cast its magical spell over Ren and help her to find true happiness?

The escapist, magical stories that Ali McNamara creates are always lovely reads and I look forward to her next book each year. This year, Ali takes us back to Ireland (her previous novel, Breakfast at Darcy’s was also set there) and amidst the beautiful scenery of The Ring of Kerry, Ali conjures up mystery, magic and romance for an excellent summer read.

I love the word ‘serendipity’ but I’ve never come across a character named it until now. Serendipity Parker prefers to be known as Ren and is a successful business woman, having found her talent for seeking out and finding special houses for her clients. The Summer of Serendipity sees Ren and her assistant Kiki heading to Ireland to look for a dream home for one of Ren’s clients.

Ren and Kiki are a great pair and they made me laugh throughout the book. Ren is the more serious and considered of the pair with Kiki frequently getting her words mixed up and taking the wrong meaning with often hilarious results. Kiki is also the romantic of the pair and I felt like I knew her well straight away. Ren is more mysterious and I enjoyed how Ali fed in little thoughts and comments that made me wonder about Ren’s past.

The mystery doesn’t stop there though as Ren and Kiki explore they begin to learn about the legends and stories that tell of the land surrounding them. With beautiful lakes, historical places and larger than life locals, I loved reading about Ballykiltara and the surrounds and being swept up into the story as Ren tries to find the owner of the mysterious Welcome House. Ali’s love of Ireland is apparent throughout the book and the descriptions are lush!

Fans of Ali’s previous books will enjoy a little update on some of her previous characters. This books is a standalone story but if you like it I’d highly recommend checking out Breakfast at Darcy’s (and all of Ali’s other books of course!)

I love stories with magic in them and The Summer of Serendipity has plenty of that. Ali draws upon real legends and stories to create her own special blend of Celtic magic and I thoroughly enjoyed reading as both Ren and Kiki went on their adventures and were drawn into trying to unravel the secrets that surround them.

The Summer of Serendipity is another warm and funny love story from Ali and I highly recommend escaping with it this summer.

4/5

The Summer of Serendipity is out now in paperback and ebook formats.

Find out more about Ali and her writing at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

The sun is shining in the quiet little seaside town of Sandybridge

Sandybridge is the perfect English seaside town: home to gift shops, tea rooms and a fabulous fish and chip shop. And it’s home to Grace – although right now, she’s not too happy about it.

Grace grew up in Sandybridge, helping her parents sort junk from vintage treasures, but she always longed to escape to a bigger world. And she made it, travelling the world for her job, falling in love and starting a family. So why is she back in the tiny seaside town she’d long left behind, hanging out with Charlie, the boy who became her best friend when they were teenagers?

It turns out that travelling the world may not have been exactly what Grace needed to do. Perhaps everything she wanted has always been at home – after all, they do say that’s where the heart is…

I’ve read every single one of Ali McNamara’s books and enjoyed them all but her last book, The Little Flower Shop by the Sea and the summer release Letters From Lighthouse Cottage have become favourites because of their lovely seaside locations. Letters From Lighthouse Cottage is set on the Norfolk coast and although the actual town in the book is fictional, it has made me want to visit the coast there soon!

Letters From Lighthouse Cottage also ticks the boxes for me as it features a little bit of magic! Grace  discovers and old typewriter when she is helping her parents to clear out Light house Cottage as a teenager. There’s a sweet and slightly mysterious note addressed to her and she christens the typewriter Remy and takes it home with her. From that point forward Remy gives Grace advice in the form of letters. The thing that surprised me about this novel was that Remy’s advice sometimes strayed into difficult events and seemed to have outcomes that weren’t entirely happy and it added a complexity and plenty of emotion to the book to see how Grace coped with the sometimes life changing events that were thrown at her.

Ali is a big fan of the 1980s and her depictions of growing up that era are spot on – I loved the little references to music, film, fashion and foods that brought my own teenage memories back and made me smile. Grace is just trying to fit in and its at this time that she meets the two men who will have a big influence on her life; Charlie and Danny. Charlie and Danny are great contrasts and at different times in the book I was rooting for each of them. Ali is skilled at weaving romantic story lines that keep the reader guessing and it was fun watching Grace grow up and finding out what happened to her and her friends next.

Letters from Lighthouse Cottage is another lovely read from Ali. I loved that it wasn’t a predictable story and the element of magic. This is a book full of heart that examines what ‘home’ really means and how our choices define us. A great book to curl up with this Autumn!

4/5

Find out more about Ali and her writing at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

This book isn’t out until July but I couldn’t resist sharing the gorgeous cover with you. As regular readers will know, by the sea is my favourite place to be and I can’t wait to read Ali’s new book. Letters From Lighthouse Cottage will be released on 14th July in paperback and ebook formats. Keep up to date with all of the news from Ali and her books at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

 

The sun is shining in the quiet little seaside town of Sandybridge

Sandybridge is the perfect English seaside town: home to gift shops, tea rooms and a fabulous fish and chip shop. And it’s home to Grace – although right now, she’s not too happy about it.

Grace grew up in Sandybridge, helping her parents sort junk from vintage treasures, but she always longed to escape to a bigger world. And she made it, travelling the world for her job, falling in love and starting a family. So why is she back in the tiny seaside town she’d long left behind, hanging out with Charlie, the boy who became her best friend when they were teenagers?

It turns out that travelling the world may not have been exactly what Grace needed to do. Perhaps everything she wanted has always been at home – after all, they do say that’s where the heart is…

The blossom is out in the little Cornish harbour town of St Felix

But Poppy Carmichael’s spirits aren’t lifted by the pretty West Country spring. Inheriting her grandmother’s flower shop has forced her to return to Cornwall, a place that holds too many memories.

Poppy is determined to do her best for the sake of her adored grandmother, but she struggles with the responsibility of the more-shabby-than-chic shop. And with the added complication of Jake, the gruff but gorgeous local flower grower, Poppy is very tempted to run away…

The pretty little town has a few surprises in store for Poppy. With new friends to help her and romance blooming, it’s time for Poppy to open her heart to St Felix and to the special magic of a little flower shop by the sea!

By now I think most regular readers of this blog will know that I love books set by the sea and especially the British seaside. Combine my favourite type of setting with one of my favourite authors and surely it’s a recipe for a brilliant book? The answer is of course a resounding ‘Yes!’ As soon as I saw that Ali McNamara’s new novel would be a seaside set summer release I got very excited and I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I think The Little Flower Shop By the Sea is Ali’s best book yet.

Why did I love this book so much? Firstly, the setting; the story takes place in the town of St Felix in Cornwall, a town that Ali has admitted is based on St Ives. I’ve visited St Ives for the last two years and love it there – it’s the place I’d choose to live if it wasn’t an epic commute to my job! Ali has taken the essence of Cornwall and St Ives and captured it in the book. I had no trouble imagining the streets, sights and sounds of St Felix and I could easily picture Poppy’s wonderful little flower shop tucked away by the sea.

The characters were my second reason for enjoying this book so much. I often find that I like the lead character in a story and a couple of the supporting cast but what surprised me most about this novel was how much I remembered about a lot of the individuals in it and how I looked forward not just to finding out what would happen to Poppy next but also to all of the other inhabitants and newcomers to St Felix. Although Poppy is pivotal, Ali has created a full and blossoming community in St Felix.  From a love interest with teenage children to Poppy’s new age new flatmate and an eccentric castle owner, the book is populated with a brilliant variety of characters of all ages.

Thirdly I enjoyed the twist that Poppy who has just inherited a flower shop actually hates flowers. The Little Flower Shop by the Sea has many moments that made me smile but also addresses grief, loss, anxiety and loneliness in a poignant yet truthful way. The writing is heartfelt and I suspect Ali put a lot of herself into this book. I found Poppy’s struggle to move forward from the events of her past very moving and believable.

And finally – I loved the magic and romance of this book. There have been many books focusing on a character moving to a new town to take on a business they’ve inherited in recent years but Ali has done a brilliant job of making the theme her own and adding a good spoonful of romance and magic to the mix. I thought the flower theme very well done and I liked the little touches such as flower chapter headings with their meanings and the anecdotes that are told about how the flowers bought from the shop over the years have affected the recipients.

If you enjoyed Lucy Diamond’s Beach Cafe you will love this book. I very much hope Ali revisits St Felix or some of it’s occupants in future novels.

5/5

The Little Flower Shop by the Sea is out now in paperback and ebook formats.

I’d like to thank the publisher for providing a review copy via Netgalley.

Find out more about Ali and her writing at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

 

As I was browsing for bookish treats the other day this lovely cover jumped out at me. As regular readers will know, I love all things seaside so this sounds like the perfect book for me and the fact that its by one of my favourite authors is the cherry on the cake. I can’t wait to grab a copy to take on my seaside summer holiday this year!

 

Poppy Carmichael, 30, certainly never intended to own a florist. But when she inherits her grandmother’s beloved flower shop on the beautiful Cornish coast, Poppy has no choice but to return to the pretty harbour town of St Felix where she spent much of her childhood. Returning to St Felix brings back sad memories for Poppy. But when she makes new friends such as local flower grower Jake, a young widowed father of two teenagers, Poppy begins to overcome her fears, and discover for herself what’s so special about this little flower shop by the sea.

The Little Flower Shop by the Sea will be released in July. You can keep up to date will all the news on this and Ali’s other books at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

 

How many lifetimes would you travel to find a love that lasts for ever? 

When single career girl Jo-Jo steps onto a zebra crossing and gets hit by a car she awakes to find herself in 1963. The fashion the music her job even her romantic life: everything is different. And then it happens three more times and Jo-Jo finds herself living a completely new life in the 1970s 80s and 90s. The only people she can rely on are Harry and Ellie two companions from 2013 and George the owner of a second-hand record store. 

If she’s ever to return from her travels Jo-Jo must work out why she’s jumping through time like this. And if she does make it back will her old life ever be the same again? 

Step Back in Time is a brilliant addition to Ali McNamara’s collection of romantic comedies; with fun, romance and mystery – this time travel adventure is Quantum Leap meets 13 going on 30 and is my favourite of Ali’s books to date. As Jo-Jo finds herself flung back through the decades, this is a nostalgia packed trip down memory lane and had me happily reminiscing about my pink puffball skirt and dodgy perm!

There’s something for everyone in this book and because it spans from the 60s to the present day, it will appeal to a wide age group of readers. Ali has really done her research and I loved the way she picked up on the subtle little differences in each decade as well as the big trends in music, fashion, film and television, all cleverly woven into the story to give an immediate sense of time and place.

I love time travel books but even if you’ve never read one before this is a great place to start. As Jo-Jo jumps through the decades, the book moves at a really good pace and I found myself wanting to rush ahead to find out what happened next to the people she met. The time travel element of the story is well thought out and really didn’t feel far fetched.

Jo-Jo has a different life in each decade but characters from her present are there too in different guises and this gives the story a gripping extra dimension. I thoroughly enjoyed finding out how the other key characters (Jo-Jo’s best friend Ellie and new acquaintance Harry especially) would appear in each time period and Ali threw in plenty of surprises along the way.

With the help of record shop owner George (another constant throughout the decades) and his wise words, Jo-Jo begins to take stock and work out why she’s on her whirlwind adventure and although this is a fun and fabulous read there are some very poignant moments in the book and a lovely underlying message about taking time to step off the treadmill every now and again.

Beatles fans will absolutely love this book as there are loads of hidden references to the Fab Four throughout the story. Jo-Jo’s adventures really did make me smile and as Harry pops up again and again through Jo-Jo’s lives, I loved the way the romance side of the story developed. This is a really great twist on the rom-com theme and although I’ve said it before about Ali’s books, this one really should be made into a film!

I can’t wait to see where Ali takes us next – highly recommended!

5/5

Step Back in Time is out now in ebook and paperback formats.

I’d like to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

You can find out more about Ali and her writing at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

Today I’m delighted to be stepping back in time to the 1970s with Ali McNamara as she visits One More Page for the latest stop on her fabulous Time Travelling Tour! With a brilliant combination of time travel, romance and nostalgia Ali’s latest release, Step Back in Time is my favourite of her books to date! Ali is the author of three previous novels: From Notting Hill with Love . . . Actually, Breakfast at Darcy’s and From Notting Hill to New York . . . Actually. Ali lives in Cambridgeshire with her family and two Labrador dogs. Welcome Ali!

Thinking of having a 70s party? Here’s how…

Outfits:

Dressing up is easy! Think Disco – flares and sparkly outfits; or Hippy – flowers, tie-dye and faces painted with flowers and peace symbols.

Or why not ask your guests to dress-up as 70s icons, like movie, pop or TV stars.

Décor:

A glitter ball is an absolute must! Or why not print out posters of your favourite 70s pin-ups to decorate your walls with? Or use garish wallpaper patterns as table cloths and coasters.

Music:

It HAS to be disco – Abba, Gloria Gaynor, Grease and The Bee-Gees are always popular. Any 70s Disco album will provide all you need to get your guests boogieing the night away!

Food & drink: 

Baby-Cham is the ultimate kitsch 70s drink! For food, what about serving vol-au-vents, or cheese and pineapple sticks made to look like a hedgehog, or a fondue – very popular in the 70s.

Entertainment:

Download popular 70s TV adverts to amuse your guests, or classic TV programmes that they might remember! Or what about a 70s trivia quiz?

The list is endless!

But most of all just have fun with it, because everyone loves the 70s!

Thanks Ali – my next party is definitely going to have a 70s theme! 

Step Back in Time is out now in ebook and paperback formats.

Find out more about Ali and her writing at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

What else would you add to the party plan? Please do check out the other stops on the tour and pop back here later for my review of Step Back in Time.

I’m a huge fan of Ali McNamara’s books so I had to share this exciting cover news about her new novel, Step Back in Time which is out in November. Some of you might have seen the news post that I put up way back in April about this book featuring a lovely bright cover but earlier this week Ali announced that the final version of the novel would have a different cover!

I have to admit to being a bit nervous when I clicked on Ali’s reveal link as I was quite fond of the old cover but look what I found …

Isn’t it fab? This is actually my favourite of all of Ali’s covers so far and I love that it is in keeping with her previous covers. The dark blue makes it really stand out and the little stars are so cute. You can read more about the reasons for the change over on Ali’s lovely website.

I’m lucky to have been sent a proof of this book and having read the first few chapters I can tell you you’re in for a treat so if you haven’t already done so, add Step Back in Time to your wish list now

Step Back in Time is released on 7th November in ebook and paperback formats.

Find out more about Ali and her writing at: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/

Oooh I love this cover – definitely a favourite of the year so far! I’ve been a fan of Ali’s books right from the start but the time travel element of this one has me even more excited than usual. I can’t wait and can already imagine a fab soundtrack to this one  Step Back in Time will be released on November 7th!

How many lifetimes would you travel to find a love that lasts for ever?

When single career girl Jo-Jo steps onto a zebra crossing and gets hit by a car, she awakes to find herself in 1963. The fashion, the music, her job, even her romantic life: everything is different. And then it happens three more times, and Jo-Jo finds herself living a completely new life in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. The only people she can rely on are Harry and Ellie, two companions from 2013, and George, the owner of a second-hand record store.

If she’s ever to return from her travels, Jo-Jo must work out why she’s jumping through time like this. And if she does make it back, will her old life ever be the same again?