Book Review: Destination Weddings And Other Disasters By M. C. Vaughan

Destination Weddings And Other Disasters is the second in M.C. Vaughan’s mini series- Belize Dreams. This is an Mills & Boon Afterglow novel, aimed at the under 35 year old reader with lots of spice and a diverse storyline as the characters find their best lives.

Michelle and Jim live in LA and are currently planning their wedding (Michelle is on her 4th). Carson Miller, Jim’s son, after a serious car accident which destroyed his sports career, runs a successful events planning business whilst Julia Stone, Michelle’s daughter is currently living in NYC after attending graduate school to study working in the hotel industry. Carson bullied Julia mercilessly during high school and she has gone out of her way to avoid him since their parents started dated, after all with 4 million men in LA how could her mum meet/date her high school nemesis’s father? She finally has to meet him and is surprised that he is truly sorry for everything he put her through in school. They establish a working relationship in order to plan their parents’ wedding and travel to Belize to ensure all is ready for the nuptials in 2 weeks time. 

As the heat of Belize gets hotter the chemistry between the pair increases. They visit waterfalls, have great meld with Julia’s sister and her fiancé but will their relationship survive the wedding? 

This novel was readable but not memorable and I wouldn’t rush to read the other books in the series. The storyline isn’t particularly spicy/ raunchy in fact it is quite tame in comparison to some of the M&B Modern novels I have read. The characters seemed nice individuals who learned and appreciated that they had made mistakes in their youth and wanted to fix them, I liked the secondary storyline of their parents and Carson “s father panicking that Michelle was too good for him, so the book isn’t a total flop it just doesn’t really fit into the Afterglow criteria apart from the fact they get their HEA which happens in all romance novels. 

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

 

Michelle Jim 

Carson Miller, Julia Stone 

Mills & Boon Afterglow Imprint

Gerald Mills and Charles Boon published their first Mills & Boon novel, Arrows from the Dark by Sophie Cole, in 1908. Mills & Boon have now been publishing romance novels for over 100 years, are the number one romance novel publishing company, selling 200 million novels a year worldwide. In 1971 they merged with Harlequin books and became an imprint. HarperCollins acquired Harlequin (and M&B£ in 2014.

M&B have ventured into many different themes and imprints, some more successful than others! The most recent venture being the Afterglow Books series. Launched in January 2024 the books are aimed at the under 35 readership. This imprint aims to:

“feature(s) authentic and relatable stories, characters you can’t help but fall in love with and plenty of spice!”

Certainly TikTok #booktok and #spicytok (which has well over 4.3 billion views) indicates there is a gap in the market for this type of book. At the moment 2 novels are published per month. 

“Lisa Milton, M.D. and Publisher said: ‘Everyone deserves a love story that’s true to who they are, and from showing up to glowing up, each book features characters who are on the path to leading their best lives and finding romance along the way. TikTok has encouraged a younger generation to read more diversely, and the community has built a new and exciting way to reach readers. Afterglow Books aims to reach these readers where they are and delivers all the tropes,characters and romance that they want!”.

I have finally found another Afterglow book that caught my interest (see my review in the next post. This  is the link to my first review). To be honest I don’t see how the series will last. The remit is so wide and the category seems to be so catchall and vague. I don’t see any afterglow in either of the novels I have read. The reason their existing imprints are successful is because they are cohesive and specific. If you want a medical romance - choose the medical imprint, a story about a billionaire finding love with a waitress- M&B Modern. The series’ covers, which look cheap, remind me of the huge amount of chic flicks that were stacked up at Bookworks years ago when they cost £3.99 for 3! Maybe I’m just getting old - I’m not the target audience anymore! 

The views expressed in this blog post are my own.

Mills & Boon Announces New Imprint, Afterglow Books:

https://corporate.harpercollins.co.uk/press-releases/mills-boon-announces-new-imprint-afterglow-books/

Review: XTI Black Espadrilles for Girls

Over the years I have seen the brand XTI when I have been in Barcelona and also here in the UK. I have small (35EU) feet but I need them to be wide fit. I have some Pisamona ones and they are fine until my feet swell and they aren’t black. I put black flat buckle espadrilles into Google and an online shop called Esdmarca  popped up. As they are in Madrid as I was concerned the postage would be expensive but it was only £5.49 tracked and my shoes were with me within 2 weeks. 

The espadrilles are vegan and PETA approved which as a vegetarian I love. The shoes are flat but have a lot of foot support and cushioning because the sole is thick. The black fabric is a knitted macramé material so it stretches as my feet swell, it feels like I am wearing comfortable slippers. The strap doesn’t dig in but it can be a pain to fasten as it is soft band. This is great but it makes it harder to get the buckle to go through and fasten. I am thrilled with these espadrilles. The jute on supporting the back of the heel is also soft and doesn’t rub/blister my heel. 

I am thrilled with is purchase, they are one of the most comfortable items I own. As I have neuropathic pain in my feet I am very picky about shoes. I have always wanted a black pair as most of my clothes are either black or a dark colour! They are so comfy and look smart to wear with long skirts and dresses. 

Review: GemeShou Gypsum White Ring display holder

The Gemeshou Gypsum ring holders isre available in a set of 3 in two different sizes (£13.86) from Amazon. I got one of the taller ring holders as a sample gift and I really like it. The design and material it is made from is quite unusual. Mine measures 3.5x3.5x6cm. The holder is quite striking and the rings sit nicely on the cone. I don’t think I would have chosen this design myself but now it is in front of me I really like it! 

Book Review: My Baby's Billionaire Daddy: A Billionaire, Enemies-to-Lovers, Surprise Pregnancy Romance (Billionaires After Dark) by Heidi Rice

 

My Baby’s Billionaire Daddy, written by Heidi Rice, is a reboot/ updated version of the 2008 novel Pleasure, Pregnancy and a Proposition published by Mills & Boon. It is part of her new mini series, Billionaires After Dark.  I have both versions, I won a copy of the 2025 reworked version and P, P &P is part of a Mills & Boon trilogy - One Amazing Night Baby! (no longer available in Kindle/ ebook format) which I purchased years ago. 

The storyline remains the same in both novels. Louisa DiMarco is a writer for Blush. Luke Devereaux, Duke of Berwick was named in her yearly Eligible Bachelors list which he did not appreciate. He took his revenge by having a one night stand with her and then revealed his identity. Three months later he tracks her down and makes her take a pregnancy test as he had realised she may be pregnant.  They go to his house - Havensmere to discuss the future. There is still chemistry between the pair but will they be able to build a future together?

In the original version only a small amount of the book is written in the first person. In the reboot the story is rewritten so it is in the first person from the point of view of either Luke or Louisa. There are also small changes that bring the storyline upto date. The Eligible Bachelors feature, for example,  is an article in the original book, a YouTube vlog in the new version. When Louisa is told she is pregnant in the original version she is in an alternative zone. In the new she is in her version of the American Horror Story. These tweaks and small updates make the book more interesting and fun for the reader. There are lots more quips and humorous asides in the new version whilst the language and sex scenes are much more explicit. The changes and additions do not alter the storyline but make it realistic and the characters seem more up to date and relatable to the reader. 

As the original is no longer available in ebook format the new version is definitely worth getting if you haven’t read it before. Even if you have read the original it is over 20 years old and the revamp makes it seem like a totally new read!

I was gifted one book and purchased the other but this did not effect my review. 

Why do Disney villains love and wear powerful jewelry/ jewellery?

I have recently been deindexed by Google (please search for sparkling magpie Disney on Google to show them I exist if you see this post). I signed up with a free SEO sit to see how I could fix it (as yet I haven’t and can only be found on Bing). There is an AI post function that I looked at and one suggested post caught my eye - Why do Disney villains love and wear powerful jewelry/ jewellery? 

I haven’t copied and pasted the ai article as it was rubbish but the question got me thinking/ why do Disney villains wear/ hold Jewellery that defines them? 

Ursula’s nautilus gold shell necklace was used to capture Ariel’s voice when she agreed to swap her voice for leg and the pendant was assumed to have magical properties as it glowed when Ursula started certain spells. 

Although Maleficent is portrayed as a heroine, her headpiece with protruding horns adds a devilish  aspect to her personality. 

Jafar’s ruby eyed cobra staff was used to  hypnotise those he wanted to control. An ostentatious piece it made Jafar seem in control, larger than life and EVIL

Certainly the jewellery helps makes the villains  spear more evil. The enchanting world of Snow White is destroyed by the iconic evil Apple, Ursula’s necklace has magical properties etc. On a more consumerist level the villanesque aspect to the jewellery adds to the possibility that they will be licensed and made into wearable pieces, charms, earrings etc. items can be found anywhere from Alliexpress (for a few pence) to more high end websites. I don’t think the original Disney artists envisaged that the villain jewellery would become such a money maker but as the characters’ popularity has increased and viewers want something to remember a movie by, villain jewellery will remain popular.  

The Little Crystal Lounge Rose Quartz Semi Polished Point

I was looking for a way to display and store my Rajput Spinning Bangle from Charlottes Web Jewellery and I came across The Little Crystal Lounge. This is a UK company which specialises in semi precious stones. My favourite stone for mounting jewellery on to use as a blog prop is rose quartz as I find that it complements rather than overpowers the piece I am photographing. I also want to store my bangle where I can see it otherwise I either forget to put it on or panic that I have lost it. I decided I wanted some type of rose quartz stone. Not too tall. My only criterion was that the diameter had to be 60ish mm or it wouldn’t sit on the stone. I found that not many sellers provide the dimensions of their products or provide photographs of the actual item. The Little Crystal Lounge does both so I purchased my stone from her shop. My point is 10” in diameter and weighs 258g. It cost £25 plus £3.75 shipping and arrived well packaged and in a timely manner. 

The stone is beautiful, it is just what I wanted and more. The stone’s inclusions and imperfections complement my bangle perfectly and it sits just right on the crystal. I love looking at the stone as o notice something new every time I look at it. I find it relaxing just to sit turning it in my hands. 

I didn’t purchase the stone for its magical properties but for anyone who is interested rose quartz is supposed to be a calming influence, boost feelings of romance, self love, compassion, friendship and also relieve stress. 

The Little Crystal Lounge was set up by Kate, a certified crystal healer. All her stones are ethically sourced. She sells from an online crystal shop based in Widnes. She has been interested in crystals for over 30 years but that interest really took off after she had a very stressful few years. She started meditating and incorporated crystals into the process. She has studied crystals healing, crystal healing for pets and chakra healing with crystals. She provides advice and free mini guides and unlike some shops I have browsed doesn’t just her use of crystals as a way to make money but as a way to help her and customers  through life. 

I would use her shop again - I love the rose quartz coasters and the price range for all her items seems very reasonable. 

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