The Little Library Project

In terms of go-to reads, romance has always been top of my list. There's something about the cosiness of a traditional love story that warms my (cold) heart and I hope I never get disillusioned with it.  Has it given me unrealistic expectations of men? Probably.  Have I fallen in love with numerous fictional men over the years? Definitely.  Do I regret my decisions? Absolutely not.  So here is a list of my favourite romance books and authors to get you in the mood for love this valentines! Jenny Colgan Jenny has been a constant in my life since I was in my mid teens. After getting a free copy of Looking For Andrew McArthy with a copy of a Cosmo many many years ago, I have since awaited pretty much every release Jenny Colgan has had and there's something about her writing that just makes me feel like I'm catching up with an old friend. With many books in her back-catalogue, Jenny has perfected the -"move to a small town, start again, that grumpy man is kind of handsom...

Raff and his family have arrived for the wedding of his sister to William. Shrouded in the unknown (as was common for arranged marriages), they have no idea who this noble is but it's an important day for Raff - he is finally able to let go of his promise to keep her safe; this will be Williams job now.  The night before the wedding, in the heart of Hartswood forest, Raff meets Penn - a servant to the nobles and a chain of events that will lead him to the one thing he is avoided for so long - love. I adored this story so much. an LGBTQ+ novel set in medieval times, the attitudes are far advanced for what we'd expect of the era and as a result , the feelings that develop between William and Penn come across as unfiltered and heartwarming,  A must for fans of They Both Die at the End. 

  Leni is in a slump - so much has changed since her last birthday and she just wants to everything to go right but he mums late to the party, her sister is acting strange, her brother's brought his new girlfriend along and her Dad? Well, he's nowhere to be seen... What started off as a story discovering the last few weeks of Leni's short life turns out to be a quest for closure for her family as they all come to terms with her untimely death, 6 week after her birthday. The Best Days of Our Lives is beautifully written; the nuances and differences between everyone's grief is sensitively illustrated and Lucy Diamond masters the fine lines from each of their perspectives.  Not my normal read about family dynamics but a welcome addition to my collection and a well earned 5 stars. 

I'm really glad that I was approved an advanced reading of The Situationship. As a thirty-something female, I'd be lying if I said i hadn't found myself in a similar situation.  And that's why I'm convinced this book is going to do well. It will be a struggle to find someone that hasn't been impacted by the always existed by newly labelled relationship status of a "situationship" - the prelude to the "What Are We?" conversation.  Tia is such a loveable character, and seeing the conversation around POC in the workplace, education and the expectations in those environments was well done in the subplots. We couldn't help but root for Nate (we've all had a Nate I'm sure) but at the same time, his language and behaviours are all too familiar.  I'm excited for this book to be read. It echoes the message that we all know but rarely listen to - don't settle for less than you deserve and in a world where communication is expected s...

  I was excited to have an advanced copy of The Walled Garden; the book promised to be an insight into the after effects of the second world war; not just of those who were on the front line, but those who were left behind. And the book delivered so much more. I found it tricky to get into at first; but it soon became apparent that this was for a reason. As soon as each of the characters stories started coming to light that I found I couldn't put the book down.  The mixture of decisions that had to be made, and the subsequent repercussions on the mindset of those that had to make them was insightful and elegantly done.  It's a dark book and at some points, it's difficult to read. But I enjoyed it and it carries a deep lesson that trauma can come from many different places. 

  This was such a fun book. It's very suitable for the YA (Young Adult) market though it could easily - and gratefully may I add - be adapted into a saucy romance if the writer wanted to.  The story focuses on Alessandra, an ambitious and power hungry young women that sets her sights on the Shadow King. But he keeps her at arms length, instead, proposing a mutual agreement that gives them both what they want.  The book had some serious and well thought out feminist undertones, with both Alessandras encouragement of her friends, the Kings desire to change the way social norms are expected as well as Alessandra's own exploits in knowing her own mind and body.  the only thing that threw me off was the time period - though the story is clearly fantasy (you'll be able to tell this early on), the presence of electricity threw me off, combined with the clothing which is described at length, and then the social boundaries and class standings. Overall, I enjoyed it and would ...

Having worked in the property industry since I was 16(!), I have been looking to expand my knowledge and understanding of all things property investment so I can 'level up'. The problem is... when you've done it for 20 years, there isn't much more to learn Andy Wen's guide to Short Term Rentals and Serviced Accommodation is a great starting point for a new investor. Whilst he focuses on the the more conventional types of financing, the checklists and pointers throughout have a wealth of value for the more modern investor looking at no-money down options and Rent to Rent. The book is written in a really personable way that made it easy to digest and even though it's framed in the US market, the theories and analogies translate easily to the UK market too, especially given the increase in the SA market here in Britain. Overall - a great starter book for property investors and even agents who work with investors. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read ...