Book Review: Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok

Unorthodox Love is a romantic comedy based upon Orthodox Judaism. Written by Heidi Shertok, the main two characters are Penina, an Orthodox Jewish fashion blogger who also works in a jewellery store, helps her family out and volunteers at the local Nicu and their cuddle program. Sam Kleinfeld, who is Jewish (but not Orthodox) and is her new grumpy store manager. 

Penina still strictly follows the Orthodox Jewish teaching that everyone has a soulmate but as she is still unmarried at 29 despite being sent on lots of disastrous dates by her matchmaker and working in a jewellery store which sells engagement rings to happy couples every day she is starting to wonder if this is actually true. Unfortunately for Penina she is sadly unable to have children and as the family is a central tenant of the Jewish faith this means her options are limited. She needs to get married in order to help out her sister and brother in law otherwise they will lose their home in three months time. 

Sam is the jewellery store’s bosses son. He has come to manage the shop whilst his father battled cancer. Sam is grumpy and whilst he is Jewish he is not from the Orthodox branch. As he isn’t an Orthodox Jew he can see beyond the fertility/ brood mare aspect and sees Penina as a fashionable, caring fun person who wants to help everyone. He takes the time to talk to her at every opportunity and slowly their relationship shifts. 

Zevi is a guy she meets via the dating app. He is very rich and has an intriguing proposal for her. He will pay her to marry him as he want to please his mother before she died and hide the fact that he is gay. 

Penina had two choices marry a rich gay guy in order to help her family or marry Sam who will either have to adapt to the Orthodox way of life or she will have to give up her religion which she holds dear to her heart. 

The ending is very uplifting and the epilogue ties the whole book together. 

I enjoyed how I was gain a tiny insight into  Orthodox Judaism and it’s customs. It is a fascinating religion. I follow a few Orthodox Jewish fashion/ family Tiktokers and I don’t think I would ever be able to live their lives. There are so many rules and customs. 

I thought this book was fascinating and went way beyond the traditional rom-com novel. I enjoyed that Penina wasn’t depicted as the archetypal frumpy Jewish girl but as a fashion blogger (who had modest success on ins) she was interested and blogged about kosher food, fashionable modest clothing and their religion’s customs and teachings. The infertility/ still a virgin at 29 aspect and how uncomfortable Penina was with feeling that she didn’t fit in to the social hierarchy despite being there to help anyone who needed it is rather sad and as a reader I felt for her. I also felt sorry for Zevi who had to hide his sexuality from his dying mother and presumably the wider community. The banter between Sam and Penina was fun and more interesting than if they had just fallen into bed together. I really enjoyed this novel, it is a funny yet poignant read and would love to read other books by this author.

I received this book via Netgalley and Embla Books in exchange for a honest review. 

Book Review: Second Chance Hawaiian Honeymoon by Cara Colter

This is a second chance at love romance. Written by Cara Colter, it is part of the Mills and Boon True Love imprint.  Second Chance Hawaiian Honeymoon is the first in the Blossom and Bliss Wedding series. Blossom and Bloss run a wedding planning agency together, and the 3 novels follows their lives as they navigate romance and hopefully their HEA.

Blossom DuPont is engaged to Joseph Blackwell, the richest man in Vancouver. She is a very insecure about herself due to her disruptive childhood and having to live in a car with her family when they were homeless for 3 months. She has reinvented herself for Joe, what she wears, interests, faking enjoyment of camping etc. just before the last fateful meal in the restaurant  when she calls the wedding off Joe is told his father has a rare form of dementia. His mind is confused and stressed and he doesn’t share the news with Blossom and makes an off the cuff the remark about doing the wedding differently. She explodes,  gives the ring back and storms out. 

They meet again in what should of ban their honeymoon, Hale Alana, a family friend’s house on the Big Island in Hawaii. She has travelled commercial, him a private. She is on a very strict budget, he isn’t. Joe sees the old Blossom return. Not interested in impressing him anymore he is intrigued and loves  the new argumentative Blossom who keeps to a budget. They have fun and slowly all the secrets emerge, but will Joe finally revealing his father’s health woes be the final straw as she wasn’t included in a family secret even though they are almost married?

I enjoyed this book, it isn’t a highly sexed, rip their clothes off at every chance romance but a novel about two individuals rediscovering what they love about each other. Both individuals had their flaws but were essentially likeable people. Their childhoods and recent issues had shaped them and it was interesting to see how the author developed their characters. I enjoyed the background descriptions - Hawaii sounds like a beautiful place!

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

 

Book Review: Sailing To Singapore With The Tycoon by Ruby Basu

This is a new author in the Mills & Boon world of romantic fiction. Sailing to Singapore is part of the True Love series. Ruby tells the story of Matteo and Deepti, as they sail towards Singapore. Deepti has got a job on Matteo’s yacht in order to escape  London after losing her job. They are caring for Matteo’s niece who has lost her parents. Some matchmaking by the nanny. Will the romance unravel when Matteo discovers that Deepti lied about why she lost her job?

An interesting storyline, affable, likeable characters, amazing descriptions of the backdrop and scenery. I didn’t enjoy, however,  the pages of internal monologue, my interest drifted off. A great debut novel, just needs a little work on the execution which will come with time.  

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: Innocent's Wedding Day With The Italian by Michelle Smart

Innocent’s Wedding Day with the Italian is written by Michelle Smart and a Mills & Boon Modern romance.  Set over 24 hours Rebecca runs from the Altar when Enzo who is  her fiancé mother tells her that due to her clause in her father’s will if she married him her inheritance will go to him rather than her. She runs from the Altar as she doesn’t know if Enzo is marrying her for love or money. 

The runaway bride was planning to return immediately to the UK. Enzo persuaded her to stay for 24 hours to see if by going over the past they can still (re)build a future together.

Unusually for M&B in this storyline Rebecca is firmly in control of their future. She can walk (or run) at anytime. It is Enzo, the billionaire, who is begging her to understand why he did it. 

An interesting read. The plot line is well written and well paced over 24 hours and the characters are both believable and relatable.  

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase: http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

What I have Learnt From My Life Limiting Illness

As I have mentioned before, I have a fused neck, symptoms of M.E., a pinned shoulder and degenerative spinal condition.  I am also in constant pain. What I have learnt from being ill/disabled is that you are seen (or unseen) as invisible, unintelligent and a drain on society.

Not All Disabilities are visible or defined by age:  I do not look disabled (just small). The main comments I get (and this includes from vaunted medical professionals) relate to age: You are to young to be this ill and therefore shouldn't use certain services etc. Especially during COVID certain services just didn’t take into account people my age or with my health issues.   You can’t see that I am in pain, but I am. Just like people with other invisible disabilities  my disabilities are dismissed or minimised  because they cannot all be seen.

There is a need to be competitive: I have extreme fatigue, for example, certain people are at pains to tell me that they get tired to sometimes, so I should either take a nap or push through it.  If combating fatigue was that easy there would be no need for most of the M.E. services, we could fix our selves!

"I'm sure if you really tried you do ...". Yes I really want to live a restricted lifestyle, I should just try harder.  I and my physio know exactly what I can do, the one time I tried to push myself I smashed my shoulder.  Restrictions are there for a reason.

People can be tactless, insensitive and feel they have the right or knowledge to comment about every aspect of your life. You almost become public property, asked about all aspects of your life then proffering their (unwanted)  opinion.  

Someone always wants/envy  my life. Apparently I stay at home all day, potter about and relax.  It must be fantastic.  In reality I would swap in an instant and you would hate my life.  I miss human interaction, working, going out. When you have a long term illness friends drop off, busy with their own lives. I exist in an insulated boring bubble!

To combat all of the above, I always try to look for the positives, no matter how miserable I am feeling, but in a perfect world I wouldn't need to!

Book Review: Urgent Vows by Lucy Monroe

Urgent Vows is the second novel in Lucy Munroe’s mini series Syndicate Rules. The mini series is based around Mafia storylines so expect lists of explicit violence, language, domestic violence and sexual scenes.

Catalina is forced by her father, Francesco Jilani, to marry Svereu Genovese, a New York Mafia Don when her sister Madonna Carlotta runs out on her wedding day. The wedding goes ahead as planned and storyline shows how their characters develop as their marriage progresses.

I have read all of Lucy Monroe’s Mills & Boon Modern novels. The last few seemed forced, as though she wasn’t really enjoying writing them. The storyline/ writing style in this book seems more relaxed, slightly freer and more explicit than M&B offer. It seemed as though she really got behind, understood and carefully crafted the characters’ development. I don’t normally enjoy novels which flit between telling the storyline from the main characters point of the view, in the first person but I really enjoyed this novel and I am am looking forward to the publication of the other two books in the miniseries.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Book Review: Convenient Mafia Wife: Mafia Romance Series Prequel

Convenient Mafia Wife is the prequel in the Syndicate Rules mini series written by Lucy Monroe. This new series marks a new era in Lucy Monroe’s vast array of novels, her most popular being Mills & Boon Modern. These new novels focus upon characters from the US mafia cartels. They are much more explicit, raw and graphic in terms of violence, language, scenes of a sexual nature and storylines. 

The prequel is setting the scene/ characters for the next three books in the series. The storyline set in New York sets the scene for the first novel in the series,  Urgent Vows. The Jiliani and De Luca (The Genovese) families attempt to strengthen their hold on the city with a marriage arranged between Severu, the Don, and Madonna Carlotta, the daughter of his consigliere, Francesco Jiliani. The marriage ceremony doesn’t go to plan and is left on a cliffhanger, will Carlotta step into her sister’s shoes and marry Sev? setting the scene for book 1. 

The second storyline is based in Las Vegas. Giulia De Luca and Raffaele Mancini, the underboss of the Cosa Nostra territories. His father, Patrizio is the boss. The marriage was an alliance between the two families but slowly Giulia has fallen in love with her family. They have one son but unbeknownst to Raf she has been using contraception to prevent another pregnancy. He and his father send her to see a fertility specialist without consulting her and everything explodes from there. Being left on her own during their honeymoon, his father’s interference. All the past resentments bubble to the surface. Finally Raf realises he need to work on his marriage as he cannot let her go. 

The writing style, genre and storyline are a step away from her more popular Mills & Boon Modern novels. The storylines and language are more graphic, explicit and sexual. As the novels focus upon members of the mafia violence/ torture is not skimmed over but has its place in the story. I would have preferred two separate short stories within the prequel rather than the chapters jumping from one storyline set in NYC to another in Vegas. The prequel can get slightly confusing and disjointed with the different characters and storylines, even though they are interlinked and set the scene for the next 3 books in the series. 

I purchased this novel myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.

Book Review: Demanding Mob Boss by Lucy Monroe

Demanding Mob Boss is the third in Lucy Monroe’s mini series Syndicate Rules. All four of the novels are centred around Mafia mob boss enforced proximity romance. 

Anna is neurodiverse. She cannot cope with excessive noise or stress. Cian Doyle is the boss of the Chicago Irish mob, Doyle and Byrne. He is a psychopath and has a dark personality although he is loyal to his family and those he loves, some may say excessively so. 

Surprisingly Anna feels that she has found the perfect job/ relationship working for and living with Cian. She slots right in and his family love her. Rightly so her friends try to persuade her to distance herself from his influence but she is determined to stay with him despite being harassed by the police and drawn into the murky underworld. 

Cian ruthless is when it comes to protecting and expanding his empire and family. Now he is obsessed with and by Anna. She brings calm and love into his life. Finally he has found his version of happiness and she enjoys being under his protection, even though at times it is rather excessive!

I enjoyed the interaction between the pair and the emphasis placed on neurodiversity. I didn’t enjoy all the secondary characters, found them confusing and felt that they cluttered up rather than enhanced the storyline.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Postcards From Paradise: Australia, #romanceyoursummer

Mills & Boon are currently running a #romanceyoursummer campaign. A selection of their summer reads regularly has 40% off (up to 9 September 2023). I was kingly sent a M&B notebook, pen and Postcards from: Australia.

Postcards from:Australia is a 3 book anthology. It contains: Saving Maddie’s Baby by Marion Lennox;  The Incorrigible Playboy by Emma Darcy and The CEO’s Baby Surprise by Emma Lacey. All are enjoyable summer reads perfect for this late heat wave the UK is experiencing. 

#romancingyoursummer  

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Classic Canes Purple Floral Elite Folding Walking Stick

The Classic Canes Purple Floral Elite Folding Walking Stick (£44) is certainly elite. This isn’t a proper review as it was used as a competition prize and I didn’t have it cut to my size. I don’t normally like floral patterns on anything, but the combination of purple and the vibrant flowers make this an eye catching walking stick. When folded the stick measures 31cm. The length of the stick is adjustable from 82-92cm. The stick is light, weighing 405g. The handle is a Derby design which is really comfortable for smaller hands. It also has the Classic Canes logo embossed on the brass collar. This is a stylish and comfortable to use walking stick.  

Save The Bees: Bee Revival Kit

 

Even though bee season has nearly ended there are still a few buzzing around (I have taken the photographs) and readers may find this useful for next year. I have several 4ft lavender bushes in my front garden and kept finding exhausted/dying/dead bees on the flowers. I hate seeing any animal in pain or suffering. So I researched causes and solutions to the poor little bees plight. 

Bees collapse/ die because they are overworked, need a boost of energy or a drink of water. The bee revival keyring/ bee thirst aid kit is from the revive a bee store from Amazon. The keyring is £11.49 and the paper hang tag is plantable wildflower seed paper. The gold key ring unscrews to reveal a glass vial containing Invertbee, a combination of fructose and glucose liquid. Unlike sugar syrup this will not crystallise as it dries out. This will give the bees the boost they need. Do not offer it to bees that don’t need it, they won’t thank you for it! A percentage of every sale is donated to Rewilding Britain. 

A useful tool to help a tiny much needed member of the wildlife community which is often overlooked or seen as scary! I have used it several times and the bee did seem to be revived- it flew off. I know one definitely did survive as it only has three legs and I saw it back at work the next day. This is a great concept and I like that a donation is made to a worthwhile charity. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.