Adventure · chick-lit · romance

*Spotlight* Just for the Summer – Fay Keenan.

Blurb; When Kate Harris accepts the job of redecorating her brother Aidan’s house in the picturesque town of Willowbury, she knows it’s just a stop gap before she has to decide what to do with the rest of her life. While her three sons spend the summer holiday with their father, Kate has an opportunity to prove to herself that there is a new life, after her divorce.

Harry Sinclair is the owner of Vale Volumes book shop on Willowbury High Street. Content, if a little bored with his lot, his shop, as well as his life, could do with freshening up. When Kate offers to spruce up Vale Volumes ready for the visit of a famous author, they find they have a lot more in common than colour schemes.

But both have secrets and responsibilities, and when the trials of family life threaten their burgeoning friendship, can they overcome the experiences of their pasts? Will Somerset’s most magical town cast its spell on them? Or will Kate and Harry have to concede that their friendship really is just for the summer?

About the author; Fay is a bestselling author of commercial fiction. Her debut novel, ‘The Second Chance Tea Shop’, was published by Head of Zeus in 2017, and two further novels make up the Little Somerby series, both also published by HoZ. She loves to base her books in the wonderful county of Somerset, and readers will notice many real locations in her stories, alongside brooding heroes, self-possessed heroines and more than a few flavours of the county. A lover of all things Somerset, her aim is to show what a heart-thumpingly passionate county it really is! Fay’s latest novel, ‘A Place to Call Home’, published by Boldwood Books, moves slightly further into Somerset and many readers will recognise locations in and around the iconic and spiritually diverse town of Glastonbury. It is the story of what happens when opposites attract but principles collide, and unfolds in both Somerset and Westminster. Her fifth novel, ‘Snowflakes Over Bay Tree Terrace’, is also due for release by Boldwood Books later this year, and explores the lives of a school teacher and an air ambulance pilot who just happen to live next door to each other. When she is not writing fiction, Fay is a secondary school English teacher, a wife, a mother of two daughters and the keeper of a large, demanding Weimaraner dog called Bertie. She can often be found on the Strawberry Line, being dragged from pillar to post by either dog or children, and is only now coming to terms with the fact that some of her students, current and former, occasionally read her novels. Sign up to Fay’s newsletter to find out the latest about her novels, her inspiration and her day to day ramblings with Bertie: http://bit.ly/FayKeenanNewsletter

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chick-lit · Christmas · romance

*BLOG TOUR* Snowflakes Over Bay Tree Terrace – Fay Keenan ★★★★

Blurb;

As the snowflakes fall, new love blossoms…

When teacher Florence Ashton receives a surprise inheritance, she decides to make the life-changing decision to up sticks to the charming town of Willowbury in Somerset. With a new house and a new job, she’s too busy putting down roots to think about love.

Air Ambulance pilot Sam Ellis is definitely not looking for romance either, especially not on his doorstep. When Florence, his new neighbour, complains about his noisy housemate, he feels more cross than star-crossed.

But as the nights draw in and both find themselves thrown together in Willowbury’s seasonal drama production, will they overcome their differences and allow a little bit of winter magic to fall along with the snow? And what secrets will be revealed by the box of memories Florence finds in the attic at Bay Tree Terrace?

My Review; First Christmas book of the year coming up! Too early? I think not. However, I must admit I did feel a bit silly and wierd about reading a Christmas book during a heatwave it certainly didn’t cool me down. Anyway back to the book…

The book starts off with a death but a gift from a distant aunts will leads to a new beginning for Florence. Exciting. It drew me in wanting to know more and where this would lead for Florence. She is a very independent person, prefers to keep to herself. She soon meets her next door neighbours Sam and Aiden…

A romance soon blooms between Sam and Florence when they both become the leads of the towns Christmas play. But it becomes apparent that Sam and Aiden were both in the Army in the past and it has affected them both but more so for Aiden. This leads Sam feeling the need to watch over his brother but this is affecting his own relationship and life. Christmas comes and goes and everything starts to change for all the characters after a nasty row.

It’s beautifully written, I will say it took me a while to get into it but then I was hooked. A beautiful Christmas love story. I loved all the characters and the outcome. It has a little bit of everything this book and I think I may have liked Sam a little myself. Phew. I enjoyed reading it.

For me it was a cute little Christmas town and a small but friendly community within it. A Christmas romance with some reality within. Both the high and lows of life but a happy ending. A well deserved four stars. Highly recommend. One to add onto your Christmas piles.

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