A pocket of my life

Book 8 of 2026 is in full swing, this book has really been the change that I had needed.  As a reader I am very good at sticking to a certain author for a very long time and I do feel like I really needed to venture out a little more, Debbie Johnson's book, Summer at the comfort food cafe, has really shown me this.  The story starts with Laura, a widowed Mum of two from Manchester who makes a life changing decision to apply for a summer job the other end of the country to try and find herself again. This story delivers sweet treats with its characters and the stories that follow them who help he to rebuild her world, including someone sweet in her eyes too. You certainly join a rollercoaster of emotions with this one, from laughter to crying and all that comes inbetweeen. This is the start of an 8 book series which follows the seasons and much more, I am certainly intrigued where this story will take me and what adventures there will be in the future.  I am ve...

Book 7, and I am not going to lie this one has been a lot harder to get into. This could change everything is a book filled with romance, friendship and finding yourself after disaster. This story starts with Essie, a young women who finally feels like she has fallen on her feet, this all comes crashing down after someone presses SEND on a email never intended to be seen. This turns her world upside down and now she has to work her way back up. We also meet Zillah, a women who is later in life and seems to know what to do a when to do it. Connor, the person who lives in the same building as her who is great with a camera and Lucas, her new boss who Essie struggles to work with. I am finally feeling the vibe off the book and definitely want to find out where this story goes but unlike previous Jill Mansell books I had read in the past I havent been sucked into the story as well, its taken a third of the book to get hang of the characters. Victoria 

 Book 4 of 2026 is well on the way and I am so far loving it. Johnny be good is the first one a 2 and a half books, including 2 full books and a novella. The story starts off with a young girl, Meg getting the job that all her friends envy, a personal assistant to a hot, well known rock star, the only problem is she starts falling for him whilst on the job. With a mixture of humour, romance and all inbetween its certainly a book that I struggle to put down and that has me hooked already. I want to know more with the end of every chapter and feel the emotions that Meg is feeling through the story. I found out about this story from the short story book that Paige created called One perfect Christmas and other stories  and i was intrigued. If your looking for an easy read that makes you smile then this is the book for you.  Victoria x

This year I have set a reading goal, I would like to try and read at least 10 book by the end of 2026. So far it is going well, this book is technically my second with my last book having many different stories. The story starts off with Alice leaving for a holiday with her Mum, soon after arriving she catches the eye of the local barman (Joe) and falls head over heals, but before the end of summer Joe flees leaving Alice heartbroken. Will Alice move on or will there paths cross again? I have been hooked since the first page and struggle to put it down at night. Its a beautiful, easy read and one that really sucks you in. I am around half way through so far and there have already been tears and laughter. Finding this story after reading the sequel novella, one perfect summer is lovely being able to find out more about the characters and there background but I do wish that I had read this before the sequel.  I would definitely recommend this story if you are into a roma...

Christmas time is the perfect time to slide into a festive story and take your mind of the pressure for a bit. My book of choice this year is One Perfect Christmas and other stories by Paige Toon. The first story is a novella of another book called One Perfect Summer.  The story starts with and girl called Alice getting ready for her uni friends wedding, and is set in Cambridge. Each character is introduced with a small backstory making you familiar with them quickly.  We eventually meet Joe, Alice's love interest and a huge movie star. They have managed to keep there relationship under wraps but Alice's wonders how long she can keep her normal life before it becomes unravelled. From the first sentence you are sucked into the story, Paige adds so much detail so you feel like you are there. ★★★★★   Victoria x

I am on a mission in 2025 to read more, I absolutely love reading but go through spurts of it then stopping. I love falling into a story and feeling like I am in the scene, one that really grips you. My first book of the year is   The Magpie Society  written by Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch. I am around half way through (which is good for me) and so fas I a hooked, I just want to know what happens next and often find myself struggling to put the book down.  The story is set in a boarding school in the south of the UK and starts the term after tragedy has struck when a student, Lola, was found dead. Following the stories of two students, Ivy, a prefect who wants to know what happened to her friend and Audrey, a new student from America who needs to find her way in this new school. The school is rattled when a podcast comes on stating that Lola was murdered! I am really intrigued on how this story will continue and whether the truth about how Lola died will co...

Book 3 of 2024 |  Wilde like me  by Louise Pentland Now I have read this before but I now have the sequel which means that I need to refresh my memory of what happens. This is a beautiful story which starts with a Mum, Robin and her daughter, Lyla and how single parenting life isn't always easy but she makes it work whilst being an aspiring make up artist. The book is written in a diary style staring from January to December and follows her through a year of her life. The story is so well written with you being able to feel the emotions of the characters and always wanting to know more. With it being diary style it feels a little like you are part of the story and is so relatable to every day life. Wilde like me really is a great pick up story and is an easy light hearted read with a few heart string moments, it one that you find hard to stop reading. I am excited to finish this one and get on to the next story. Victoria x Book 1 of 2024 Book 2 of 2024

Booked number 2 of 2024! I am a terribly slow reader but do love a good book to emerse myself with and this one is definitely one that I am enjoying. Promise me by Jill Mansell has had me hooked from page 1, it's a story of romance, loss and a cantankerous old man who you can't help but have a soft spot for. Lou is trying to cope with the loss of her husband and job finds a fresh start in the Cotswolds. Jill Mansell manages to captivate me with every book that I have read of her and I am intrigued to see how this story falls together. I love the fact that 'Promise me' is unpredictable and I have no real insight on how this story is going to end.  If you like a good romance that holds the heart then I would certainly check out anything by Jill Mansell. Victoria

A story from 3 sides, a story of love, loss and adventure, that's what you get with this beautiful novel from Giovanna Fletcher. I have been reading this book for around 2 weeks now and I'm around half way through (which is fast for me). I am so far loving the story and the way that it flows between characters with ease. Walking on Sunshine revolves around three main characters, Mike, Vicky and Zaza, and there families too, each chapter is dedicated to a different character and there perspective of what is happening within the scene.   Giovanna knows how to pull at your emotions with every book she writes and this one is no exception, I have laughed and cried so far and I'm sure there be more tears before the end. I would highly recommend if you love a romance / friendship story.