Maddy's Book Blog

  Making Sparks Fly at the Highland Repair Shop by Kiley Dunbar  Although I’ve read the previous books in this series, this one can easily be enjoyed as a stand‑alone. That said, there’s something so comforting about revisiting old ‘friends’. Kiley Dunbar has created some wonderfully unusual characters in this series, all endearing in their own way, and this story was no exception. It was a lovely read.   Euan Sparks is back in town as a newly qualified electrician, but his first job — forgetting to switch a school freezer back on — doesn’t exactly set his career alight. Peaches McDowell has just finished creating the outfits for her Master’s showcase and suddenly finds herself in desperate need of a model for her menswear. When the two are thrown together, the sparks that fly have nothing to do with Euan’s wiring. Meanwhile, Roz McIntyre is increasingly unsettled by her husband’s strange behaviour — sneaking around, disappearing, taking secret phone calls and dressin...

  Fifteen Minutes by Amanda Prowse   Amanda Prowse is one of my very favourite authors, and I devour everything she writes with alacrity. However, this book is in a league of its own and might just be my new favourite of all her novels. Parts of it feel incredibly personal, and my only complaint is that it was far too short.   Chen tells each person, “I promise you that I have never and will never tell you a lie,” and then offers them something extraordinary — fifteen minutes with someone who has passed away. They can’t explain what’s happening, can’t give warnings, and can’t leave the room, or their time ends instantly. Each chapter follows a different meeting, and those brief fifteen minutes change that person’s life in some profound way. It’s impossible not to imagine what you would do with that chance yourself — to say goodbye, to say I love you, or simply to see someone’s face again. The whole concept is just incredible, and so beautifully handled.   ...

  The Sunshine Teashop by Jaimie Admans I’ve read loads of Jaimie Admans’ books and she has become one of my favourite romcom writers. I always know I’m going to get an amusing story, lovable characters, and a good old‑fashioned romance, and this one was no different. I just love them. Dolly is at the lowest point in her life. Just when she thinks she’s finally starting the café of her dreams with her best friend, she catches said ‘best friend’ having an affair with her partner of many years. Instead of apologies she gets attacks, and then discovers it’s been going on for six months. When she gets home, she finds her things dumped on her boyfriend’s front lawn in bin bags — clearly thrown out of the window, judging by the broken‑crockery rattle. Homeless, car‑less and with all her worldly belongings in bags, she does the only thing she can think of: ‘borrow’ his pride‑and‑joy camper van and drive off. She ends up heading to the village she remembers from childhood, where she pr...

  People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon We have all found ourselves putting others before ourselves, in a desperate attempt to please, to keep the peace, to make others happy, so the premise of this book really appealed to me. Bryony Gordon wasn’t a name I knew before, but she’s definitely one I’ll be looking out for. Olivia has spent her life pleasing others. It was so bad as a child that her appendix ruptured at school because she didn’t want to make a fuss. Her mother sees her as a difficulty and pours all her attention into her younger sister, and even at work Olivia finds herself pandering to a boss she hates while ignoring the misogynistic male journalists around her. When she’s passed over for the promotion she was promised and instead handed a nonsense new role she doesn’t want, she ends up in the pub to ‘celebrate’ with the colleague who got the job. There she meets Rose, and after a night involving cigarettes, a lot of alcohol and a blue gummy, Olivia suddenly starts speaki...

  Don't Fall in Love With Me by Paige Toon I’ve read a couple of Paige Toon’s books before and really enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to this one — and it didn’t disappoint. Paige writes a love story so well, and her characters always feel believable, which, alongside the beautiful French settings, makes for an excellent read. I flew through it in two days.   Grace has loved Jackson since she was a child, but they’ve always stayed firmly in best‑friends’ territory, even though it often felt like they were on the edge of something more. When they meet again in France and Jackson is newly single, Grace can’t help thinking this might finally be their moment. So, when her old friend Étienne suggests they make Jackson jealous, she’s happy to play along — until things start to get confusing. Where does her heart really lie, and why does Étienne seem to have such a problem with Jackson and his family? I really enjoyed watching Grace navigate the pull between her long‑hel...

  The Life Rules of Hilda Pride by Claudia Carroll   I loved this book. It reminded me a bit of ‘Eudora Honeysett is quite well thank you’ and   ‘A man called Ove’. It was so much fun. You start off finding Hilda, or should I say Miss Pride, just annoying, but she soon grows on you. I haven’t read any of Claudia Carroll’s books before, but I will be looking out for more. Miss Pride is an old‑school secondary teacher in Scotland who doesn’t take any nonsense — from pupils or staff. When she goes a bit too far telling off a student, she finds herself suspended, and the thought of sitting alone in her flat drives her mad. So when a woman turns up to tell her she’s inherited a manor house in Ireland, it feels like exactly the fresh start she needs. She arrives with all her usual curmudgeonly ways, but soon realises she can’t restore the house alone — and that letting people in brings rewards she never expected. I really enjoyed this story. Miss Pride might come across...

  Hopes and Dreams at The Chocolate Pot Café by Jessica Redland Another gorgeous, comforting read from Jessica Redland — full of heart, community spirit and characters you can’t help but care about. It’s exactly the kind of story you sink into and don’t want to leave. A real treat for Jessica Redland fans.   Tara Porter has worked hard to rebuild her life, moving from a difficult foster‑care past to running the much‑loved Chocolate Pot Café on Castle Street, with a cosy flat above it. She’s reconnected with her foster parents and finally opened her heart to Jed, the talented artist still adjusting to the upheaval caused when the little boy he once believed was his son was taken abroad. But when Tara’s sister — and Jed’s ex‑wife — suddenly reappear, old tensions resurface and the steady happiness they’ve built is put to the test. Overall, it’s another heartfelt, comforting visit to Whitsborough Bay, full of warmth, community and characters you genuinely care about. Jessic...