A Place To Call Home by Carole Matthews.

Like all Carole Matthews books this one welcomes you from the first page, and you'll soon find yourself lost within the story.  The book was filled with such warm characters who I fell in love with from the moment I started getting to know their story.

We meet Ayesha who makes the brave decision to leave an unhappy relationship, and in the dead of night flees her home town to start a new life in London with her daughter.  When she gets to her new accommodation she meets three new fabulous friends who support her as her new journey begins in the shadow of her past.

I really bonded with the character of Ayesha despite us coming from completely different worlds; she was so strong and was able to remain positive in adverse conditions.  I also really liked the character of Crystal who was so bubbly it was infectious, and seems like the perfect friend to have to help lift your spirits when you're feeling down as Ayesha sometimes was.

The house they all lived in seemed to be such a wonderful retreat from real life, and I loved reading about how lucky Ayesha was to have found herself in such a caring, supportive new home.

There are some dark topics in this book; from domestic violence and death to anxiety; but the overwhelming vibe throughout the story is one of positivity.

Like all Carole Matthew's books, this will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy, and is a book you will be sad to finish.

The back page blurb:
In the dead of night, Ayesha takes her daughter, Sabina, and slips quietly from her home, leaving behind a life full of pain. Boarding a coach to London, all Ayesha wants is a fresh start.

Hayden, a former popstar, has kept himself hidden away for years. He's only opened up his home to two people - Crystal, a professional dancer with a heart of gold, and Joy, an ill-tempered retiree with a soft spot for waifs and strays. 

When Crystal asks Hayden if Ayesha and Sabina can stay with them, he reluctantly agrees and, as different as they may be, they quickly form an unlikely bond. So when enemies threaten their peaceful home, they will do all they can to save it and each other.

Title: A Place To Call Home
Author: Carole Matthews
Buy A Place To Call Home

Callings Mrs Christmas by Carole Matthews.

Snuggle up beside your tree and read this wonderful story to get you feeling fabulously festive.

If you're looking for a heart-warming story packed full of Christmas cheer then you need to read this novel from the Queen of chick-lit Carole Matthews.

We meet Cassie Smith, who after being made redundant and struggling to find a new job decides to make her love of the Christmas season into a career and starts up a business to help people create their perfect Christmas.

There are loads of lovely characters in this book, from millionaire Carter to the wonderful Jim, Cassie's boyfriend.  Jim was my favourite character, he does a very honourable job working in a young offender's institute and is the perfect boyfriend, being loyal, reliable and romantic.

As always with Christmas books written by Carole Matthews you are guaranteed a story stuffed full of festivities, and this book really does get you in the mood for Christmas.  Not only does Cassie's Calling Mrs Christmas business means she's wrapping presents, decorating trees and organising Christmas parties; she also takes a trip to Lapland.  Reading about Lapland was so interested, it sounds amazing.  Then to top it off there's an idyllic family Christmas to end the story.

This books explores what Christmas might be like for people who have money to throw away compared to those who have nothing at all and really makes you think for yourself what the truly important things are at Christmas time.

There is friendship, romance and family relationships a plenty in this story, all tied together with very likeable characters.  A really heart-warming story.

The back page blurb:

Cassie Smith has been out of work for a while but she has an idea. Drawing on her love of Christmas, she begins charging for small things: wrapping presents; writing cards; tree-decorating. She's soon in huge demand and Cassie's business, Calling Mrs Christmas, is born.

Carter Randall wants to make Christmas special for his children, so he enlists Cassie's help, and his lavish requests start taking up all her time. Thank goodness she can rely on her loving partner Jim to handle the rest of her clients.

When millionaire Carter asks Cassie to join his family on a trip to Lapland, she knows she shouldn't go . . . Suddenly Cassie finds herself facing a heart-breaking choice that could change her entire life.

Title: Calling Mrs Christmas
Author: Carole Matthews

Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews.

This is another lovely warm book from Chick-lit extraordinaire Carole Matthews.

It's a very simple story, there's no page turning mystery carrying you through the book, but it's so enjoyable because it's so simple.  This book really does just take you into Nell's world with her as she attempts to start up her dream business whilst juggling family life, friends and finances.

Despite having no money Nell really does seem to have the perfect life;  this being a wonderful daughter and a loving husband.  Much like 'The Only Way Is Up' (a Carole Matthews favourite of mine) Carole is brilliant at reminding us that family and friends are the important things in life, and if you're lucky enough to have money too well then that's just a bonus.

This is a heartwarming story that is very easy to read.  Perfect for holidays and sitting in the sunshine.

The back page blurb:

Nell McNamara has a happy life: her boyfriend Olly adores her, their four-year-old daughter Petal is the centre of their world and Nell has a steady job in the local chip shop. When the chippy needs a makeover, Nell jumps at the chance to unleash the creativity fizzing inside her. Inspired by what she can achieve – and encouraged by the best friends a girl can have – Nell is determined to try something new. Waving goodbye to the chip shop, she starts up a new business making her own line of must-have handbags, which are soon flying off the shelves! It seems Nell’s dreams are finally coming true, but her success doesn’t come without a price. Before too long, Nell has to ask herself if it’s really possible to have it all…

Title: Summer Daydreams
Author: Carole Matthews

Sunshine With a Chance of Snow by Carole Matthews.

I'm not normally a fan of short stories, preferring to get my teeth into a 'real' book, but I really enjoyed this one.

I felt like I knew the characters straight away.  The storyline was moving and quite unexpected, which I felt reflected the theme of the story very well.  The twist creeps up on you unexpectedly, much like I imagine it would if played out in real life. (You'll understand when you read it!)

It's available for free download now, but hurry, it's only free until the end of July.

The back back blurb (if Kindle's have back pages)
Beth and Michael have worked hard all their married life to give their children everything they want. It hasn't been easy but it's been worth it. Now, as Beth enjoys quality time with her family on their beach holiday, she knows she has a lot to be thankful for. But it's not until she's faced with her biggest challenge yet that Beth really begins to understand how lucky she is. 

Title: Sunshine With a Chance of Snow
Author: Carole Matthews
Short Story

A Cottage By The Sea by Carole Matthews.

A lovely warm tale of friendship and romance.

I found this book a little slow to start and if I'm honest a little predictable but don't let that put you off, it's a brilliant book to read to cheer you up and as ever with books written by Carole Matthews the writing is warm and makes you fall in love with the characters straight away.

Books by this author always have characters that are so relateable and quite frankly you'd love to be friends with, and in this book these characters are Grace and Ella, but all the characters were strong and interesting in their own right.

I particularly loved the setting of this book.  I'm probably quite like the main character Grace, in that I love being outside by the coast, enjoying nature (if only on a lesser scale, there'd be no coasteering for me, just a nice long walk watching the wildlife) so reading about the beautiful scenery, weather and activities they enjoyed in the book made me want to rush out and check myself into my own cottage by the sea!

Definitely a book to take away on holiday with you.

Title: A Cottage By The Sea
Author: Carole Matthews

More To Life Than This by Carole Matthews.

As a lover of Carole Matthews' books I've decided to read through her back catalogue whilst I wait for the release of her new book, A Cottage By The Sea.

This book appealed to me as I think we've all had a moment when we've gotten bogged down in the repetition of daily life.  As always with Carole Matthews her characters are very relateable and draw you into the story straight away.

I enjoyed the majority of the book, but was slightly disappointed by the last part, I think I would have preferred the characters to have made different choices.

I loved the description of 'the morning after the night before', there's nothing like trying to tart yourself up in less than five minutes, when you have none of your own cosmetics and are trying not to make a noise!

All in all this was a pleasant book, not my favourite Carole Matthews, but a good read nonetheless.

Title: More To Life Than This
Author: Carole Matthews

With Love At Christmas by Carole Matthews.

...a book about family and friendship, I absolutely adored it.

In the past I have read one book by an author, enjoyed it, gone on to read more and been disappointed   So when I read 'The Only Way Is Up' by Carole Matthews earlier this year and loved it, I went out and bought a few more of her books but never got round to reading them.  I picked this one up hoping that I would enjoy it just as much; and I did, this is a wonderful book.  In fact it's now up there as one of my two favourite books of the year.

The story is a wonderful Christmas tale, but it's more than just a fluffy Christmas book; you'll read about life, death, births, marriages, illness but mostly it's a book about family and friendship; I absolutely adored it.

Carole's writing is beautifully detailed, she pulls you straight into the story and I felt just like I was there with the Joyce family sharing their Christmas.  I found myself unable to put the book down, but the more I read, the more I worried that I was just getting nearer the end... and I didn't want the pleasure of reading this book to stop.

I really would recommend this book, it's the perfect Christmas read and will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.  On one page I was having to read the words through tears of sadness, before the next page literally had my laughing out loud.

I never read books more than once but this may become the exception to the rule, I can imagine snuggling up with this book every Christmas, a brilliant way to start the season.

Title: With Love At Christmas
Author: Carole Matthews

The Only Way Is Up by Carole Matthews

This book is a really easy read, it's light hearted storyline reminded me of Sue Townsend's 'The Queen and I'.  I thought the characters where interesting and it's another one I didn't want to put down.

I'd love to try some more of Carole Matthews books now, because if they're all like this then I have a feeling I will enjoy them!

Title: The Only Way Is Up
Author: Carole Matthews