A Mother's Second Chance by Sarah Lefebve

                                              

Ebook:  463 pages Kindle Edition

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Publisher:  One More Chapter, Harper Collins, Dec 2025

Source: NetGalley

First Sentence: There are times when you just know.

Review Quote: 'Moving and heartwarming’ Reader Review

My Opinion: 

'A Mother's Second Chance' is the second novel from an author previously unknown to me. After reading this I am definitely looking forward to reading more her work.

Zoe is the protagonist of the story of the emotional upheaval her life undergoes after the death of Lou, her best friend of thirty years. Recently divorced with almost grown up children she suddenly finds herself as guardian of Lou's very young children. With this new direction in her life come so many dilemmas for Zoe and her family to cope with. Will they get resolved?

An emotional beautifully written story that tugged at my heart strings. The characters all feel very realistic and one feels one can empathise with the situations they find themselves in. Recommended if you enjoy a family novel that will draw you in.

With thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

When Zoe Henry’s best friend Lou dies suddenly, her world shatters. But she must set aside her grief as she’s named guardian of Lou’s two young children – a role she never expected to be taking on.

With her own kids grown up, Zoe was finally beginning to rediscover who she was. Starting over as a mother was the last thing on her mind. But as sleepless nights turn into shared laughter, something begins to stir in her – a new sense of purpose.

But just as Zoe starts to believe this unexpected second chance might be the start of something beautiful, a secret left in Lou’s house threatens to unravel everything.

Now Zoe must face not only the secrets of her best friend’s past, but the fear that she might lose the fragile new family she’s come to cherish.

Author Profile:         

                                                  

                                                   Courtesy of  Goodreads

Sarah Lefebve is the author of two novels.

She grew up in a village in North Yorkshire before moving south as an adult. She now lives in Basingstoke, Hampshire with her husband and two children.

She is a former journalist who in her own words eventually "swapped sticking to the facts for making stuff up".

She wrote her first novel - The Park Bench Test - whilst forging a new career in event management, somehow fitting writing in around a full time job, being a mum, running as many miles every week as her love of red wine, cheese and chocolate dictates, and sharing the odd night out with her husband.

She values and treasures the friendships in her life and firmly believes that “friends are the family we choose”.

Her best friend loves and trusts her enough to look after her children if there were ever to come a day when she can’t, which provided the inspiration for her second novel - A Mother’s Second Chance. 

Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Goodreads Profile.     Amazon Profile.    Facebook Profile.    Instagram Profile

The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge by Rachel Hore

                                            

Hardback:   467 pages

Genre:  Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction,

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 2025

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: For a third night Nancy lay sleepless for hours, anxious thoughts chasing around in her head. Heavy rain battered the window and rattled through the downpipes, while the wind tossed the branches of the trees, made the landing ight flicker and the curtains shiver.

Review Quote:  'I loved it. I was completely immersed in the story and the setting. So clever and interesting and beautifully written' ELIZABETH BUCHAN

My Opinion: 

It was back in 2009 I first read one of Rachel Hore's novels and I have enjoyed them more and more over the years.  As with many of her novels, 'The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge’ is dual narrative, this one set in 1940's/1950's and 2010-2013. The author was originally inspired by the experiences of her mother and aunt whilst studying Zoology at Imperial College, London in the 1940's when they both obtained PHD's and worked as scientists. Much of the detail of their lives during this period that they shared with Rachel formed the basis of the story, although of course the narrative and characters are all fictional.

The novel is a fascinating read as through the main characters we learn of the difficulties that female scientists have encountered over the years. Stef Lansdown is a journalist whose latest project is to write a book about women in science. By chance whilst visiting her mother in Norfolk, where she has recently moved, she meets Dr Nancy Foster who gave up her career as a scientist in the 1950's. Initially she is far from keen to be part of Stef's research because of the secrets in her past. Eventually Stef wins the older woman over and the story that she learns from her is engaging.

Once again Rachel Hore has written a captivating story which I recommended to those readers that enjoy novels with plenty of secrets to be uncovered.

My reviews of other novels by Rachel Hore:  The Memory Garden   A Week in Paris

A Beautiful Spy  The Love Child.  One Moonlit Night.     The Hidden Years

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Nancy Foster has harboured a devastating secret that shattered her professional and personal life.  On meeting her, journalist Stef Lansdown realizes that she has the power to restore Nancy’s reputation and to heal the wounds, if only Nancy will trust her. But someone else wants to get to the bottom of the story first, someone who doesn’t want it to be told. 

Set in the beautiful environs of the Norfolk Broads in 2010, and in London in the '40s and ‘50s, when life for career-driven women was so different, The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is Sunday Times multi-million copy bestselling author Rachel Hore’s utterly compelling new novel, interweaving the past and the present. 

Author Profile:         

Courtesy of Amazon 

Rachel Hore is the author of fourteen bestselling novels, 

Full time writing only came after a career editing fiction at HarperCollins in London. She lives in Norfolk with her husband and they have three grown up sons.  

A full and interesting Profile can be found on the Amazon Author Page and even more on her Official Website

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page   Goodreads - Author Profile  Twitter - Rachel Hore

 Official Author Website

The Bordeaux Book Club by Gillian Harvey

                                                          

Ebook:  314 pages Kindle Edition

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Fiction 

Publisher:  March 2024 by Boldwood Books

Source: My Kindle Library via Amazon 

First Sentence: George was just stepping out of the cafe, takeaway coffee in hand, when he saw Grace appear in the window of the tabac opposite.

Setting: Bordeaux,  France

Review Quote: 'As delightful as it is moving – a true gem of a novel... enchanting, wise and wonderfully uplifting' Isabelle Broom - Author

My Opinion: 

Gillian Harvey is a prolific author who writes escapist stories often set in France. I only discovered her writing last year and ' The Bordeaux Book Club' is the third title I have read.

As the title tells us the novel is set around a Book Club in Bordeaux France when an eclectic group of ex-pats come together in a bid to make new friends.  The group consists of Grace, a divorced strong willed woman with an organised life, who is the instigator of the club. Leah, struggling with a moody teenage daughter and a seemingly depressed husband, living a life style she is not really enjoying. George a builder in the area whilst helping a friend with a renovation project. Alfie a sixteen year old who has only joined to please his Mum. Finally Monica, a new Mum finding herself struggling with motherhood and very lonely as her pilot husband is often away. This motley collection of individuals find the Book Club discussions draw them together as friendships and support networks form.

Real life dilemmas dealt with in a compassionate story. Just like the last title of hers that I  read I found this to be a touch of escapism that will appeal to those looking for a quick mood enhancing read.

Previous Review:   The Riviera House Swap.   The Little Provence Bookshop

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Love books? The Bordeaux Book Club is seeking new members!

When Leah and her husband moved to France, it was with the dream of becoming self-sufficient. But in truth, it’s not the ‘good life’ she’d imagined, as three hours of digging barely yield a single straggly carrot. Worse, her teenage daughter is acting up, and her husband seems to find every strange excuse under the hot French sun to disappear.

So when her friend entreats her to join the new bookclub she’s forming, Leah decides it’s something she will do for herself. The chance to make new friends, to drink a few glasses of wine, and to escape into stories that take her miles away from the life she’d thought would be her own happy-ever-after.

But the book club is a strange group of misfits. There’s prickly Grace, who lives alone and seems to know everybody and like no-one. Buttoned-up Monica, who says her husband is away and appears to be parenting her baby all alone. Handsome builder George, who has barely read a book before. And Alfie – who is a full two decades younger than everyone else, and is hiding a devastating secret…

As the stories they read begin to bring the new friends closer together, Leah is about to discover that happy-ever-afters don’t always look how you expect them to…

Author Profile:         

                                                                             

                                                   Courtesy of  Goodreads

Gillian Harvey is a British author and freelance writer, currently living in Norfolk, England with her husband and 5 children. She writes contemporary, uplifting and emotive fiction, often set in France where she lived for 14 years.

Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Gillian Harvey - Author Website.    Goodreads Author Profile    Facebook Profile

Instagram Profile.   Twitter Profile

How to Lose the Lottery by Jay McKenzie

                                                 

Ebook:  416 pages                                                                            

Genre:   Fiction

Publisher: March 26, 2026 by 

Source: NetGalley

First Sentence: The cars came before anything else.

My Opinion: 

Prior to reading 'How to Lose the Lottery' I had never heard of Jay McKenzie, despite the fact she has, I now know has had her writing published at least since 2019.

Edie and Ron are the protagonists of this story which is written as a dual time line, before and after the couple have a big lottery win.  Their lives are obviously richer in monetary terms and the financial struggles they had coped with for years were resolved. The couple had not had an easy marriage and they encountered difficulties from their very first meeting. Money certainly does not guarantee happiness though as Edie in particular very soon discovered.

Although well written I found the storyline very slow and at times boring, however I do recommend the author for her writing style.

With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review.

 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Buy a lottery ticket✅Win your wildest dreams✅Lose everything…?One lucky ticket is about to change everything

Edie and Ron have been together for nearly fifty years, keeping each other afloat by the skin of their teeth. They’ve always been ordinary – until something very extraordinary happens.

Winning the lottery is everything they’ve ever wanted – well, almost.

Because for the last twenty years, Edie and Ron have been running from a secret that tore their family apart. And when you can suddenly buy everything you’ve ever wanted, you realise that the only thing you really want is the one thing money can’t buy.

Join Edie as she finally takes control. She’s had enough of playing the hand she’s been dealt – it’s time to risk it all.

Author Profile: 

                                                                                                                       

                                                                  Courtesy of Amazon

 Jay McKenzie grew up in the North East surrounded by storytellers and Catherine Cookson novels, before attending Bretton Hall College of the Arts in the beautiful Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Since graduating ( a long time ago! Her degree is old enough to have a degree!) she has worked as a holiday rep, a performing arts teacher, a life model and a street theatre performer in Greece, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and Australia. 

Her short stories and flash fiction appear  in adda, Bath Flash, Maudlin House, Fictive Dream, The Hooghly Review, Fahmidan Journal, Roi Faineant and others. She has won prizes such as the Exeter Story Prize, the Fish Short Story Prize, The Danahy Prize for Fiction, Quiet Man Dave and others, and shortlisted for the Edinburgh Story Award, Exeter Novel Prize, The Alpine Fellowship, Oxford Flash Fiction Prize, Bath Short Story Award, Bridport Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. 

Her novel How to Lose the Lottery will be published with HarperFiction in Spring 2026. 

She has a penchant for knitwear and lives with her husband, daughter and too many cardigans. She has a dog called Duck.  

Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

Facebook Profile.    Instagram Profile.  Jay McKenzie - Official Author Website

A Satchel of Richards by Lee Taylor

                                            

Ebook:  366 pages                                                                            

Genre:  Romantic Comedy, 

Publisher: January 20, 2026 by Periwink Press

Source: NetGalley

First Sentence: I pick my way across what could best be described as a moor.

My Opinion: 

'A Satchel of Richards' is the debut novel from Lee Taylor. It is a romantic comedy with frankly a ridiculous title.

Bridget an aspiring author and Josh a male model are the protagonists. Josh has dreams of becoming a script writer, so when Bridget's publisher recommends she spices up her writing , he is recommended as someone who may be able to help. Initially Bridget and Josh have rather different expectations of just how this help could be achieved! Their relationship is a confusing and chaotic roller coaster.

At times this was ok, at others so annoying. It feels like the basis of a good novel is there amongst all the confusion.  Lee Taylor is going to be an author to watch as one feels she could do so much better.

With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review.

 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Novelist Bridget Stanton’s life needs a massive rewrite. Between the mortgage on her first home, a perfect if teensy beach cottage, and the cost of feeding her horse-sized dog, she’ll never be able to quit her day job. Until it quits her.

Suspended for teaching the suddenly and inequably banned A Wrinkle in Time, her childhood favorite, she is desperate for a book advance. So she throws herself at the mercy, literally, of her brand new, witty, suave, unflappably charming agent, who has reluctantly inherited her.

His skip the Lit Fic and write steamy romance instead. Has he met her? Actually, no. But Bridget knows nothing about passionate sex. Ever ready with advice, he proposes a research—she needs to get herself a satchel of Richards.

Enter Josh, a wildly successful romance cover model with Hollywood screenwriting dreams. His vivid descriptions have helped numerous authors navigate their spiciest scenes, but Bridget, it seems, needs a more hands-on approach.

As their "research" heats up, she offers him credit on the book—a big break that could help launch his wished-for career. But her publisher balks. The God of Abs cannot share the byline.

Now, Bridget must do it their way and save her way of life or risk it all for a real-life love story.

Author Profile: 

                                                  

                                                                    Courtesy of Amazon

Lee Taylor lives and writes in one of the most bewitching forests in the Appalachians. You will find her most mornings before dawn in her "Yome Sweet Yome" (think yurt but better!) loving all the tropes, particularly the ones she turns on their heads. When not writing or hiking, she travels for a day job she loves, always on the lookout for an indie bookstore and if the city in question has a romance-only one---all the better!

Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

Amazon Author Profile.     Goodreads Profile