Welcome to My Favourite Reads, where I share the books I’ve most adored reading over the previous month, and feel very chuffed when you share yours!

November turned out to be a pretty solid reading month, with eight books read, although one of them, which won’t appear below, took me about five months to complete. If it hadn’t been by an author I normally adore and I hadn’t bought it in paperback, I wouldn’t have bothered finishing. Oh well. These things happen, and I’ll probably buy her next one anyway.

I have two overall favourites this month, both of which are stories about female strength and bonds and both of which I urge you to read. They are brilliant.

They are…

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Oh, my goodness… THIS BOOK!

I don’t read many war-set stories, but The Nightingale has had so much buzz and so many rave reviews since its release in 2017 I thought I’d better see what the fuss was about.

There’s good reason for that fuss. This book was extraordinary. A complete page-turner with incredible characters, beautiful writing, and an intense emotional impact. There were times when the story made me so anxious and fearful for the characters I had to stop reading. As for the ending… so many tears!

The Nightingale is a war story but it’s also about familial bonds, women’s courage, strength and resilience, and bravery and love.

Read it. It’s amazing.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

The first thing I want to say is: Read this book. It’s WONDERFUL.

The second is… I don’t know. Read the book? Honestly, I just adored Weyward. The characters were compelling and interesting, the writing fabulous, the pacing excellent, the drama… the list goes on.

Weyward is a serious page turner about three women across five centuries, all related, and all with difficulties. We meet Alice in the 1600s, on trial for witchcraft. Violet is suffering not only the deprivations of the Second World War but what amounts to house arrest by her father, while Kate is fleeing an abusive relationship.

This is a magical story about female strength and resilience that will leave you breathless.

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Those Who Perish by Emma Viskic

I’ve so enjoyed this Caleb Zelic PI series, of which Those Who Perish is the fourth and I believe final in the series. It’s sad that there won’t be any more but at least Those Who Perish wrapped up the arcs nicely.

I really like the way Viskic writes. Caleb’s point of view is loaded with short, punchy thoughts and actions that made me feel like I was experiencing the same as Caleb in real time. It was fun and fast and exhilarating.

Those Who Perish sees Caleb back in Resurrection Bay (the title of the first book – you can read my thoughts on that here) with his very pregnant wife Kat. Except, as usual, Caleb manages to get himself mixed up in something dangerous. Then there’s the added scandal ravaging the Resurrection Bay Football Club (aka the Numbats) that Caleb’s been commissioned to solve.

Wonderful small-town Australian mystery, with plenty of rollercoasting emotions and twists and thrills. Fab.

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The Duke Says I Do by Anna Campbell

Ah, I do love an Anna Campbell historical romance. They’re spicy and entertaining and oh so romantic, and I’ve been hankering for this story since reading The Last Duke She’d Marry (my thoughts on that here). I couldn’t wait to find out what eccentric, animal rescuing Frain sister Lady Portia would get up to.

Mischief, that’s what!

And she drags poor, boring, twice-jilted Granville into the mess too. Naturally, many shenanigans ensue.

As I expected, The Duke Says I Do was a hoot. Portia is clever and passionate, and it was satisfying to watch straight-down-the-line Granville get bent into knots. Then there’s the dog… Can’t say anything more about that. You’ll just have to read and find out.

Highly recommended, along with the whole of the Scoundrels of Mayfair series.

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The Perfectly Simple Complicated Life of Maggie Halloran by Trish Morey

Who can resist a book set in Cornwall? Not me. I loved the area when I visited, and still get a regular fix watching reruns of chef Rick Stein’s cooking shows. But I digress.

The Perfectly Simple Complicated Life of Maggie Halloran was a lovely read. Heroine Maggie is a hugely sympathetic character. A woman enjoying a perfect retirement only to have it turned upside-down by the selfish behaviour of others. Watching Maggie come to terms with what members of her family have done and what she’s allowed them to do was so relatable. There were many times when I felt furious on her behalf. But there were also times when I cried over the story’s loveliness and laughed over a certain person’s antics.

Fortunately – and I’m not giving away any secrets here – there’s a very happy and very satisfying ending.

I’m going to have to read The Remarkable Rise of Amanda Appleby now.

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All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate by Amy Andrews

My first Christmas read of the season!

And a beauty too, but I don’t expect anything less from Amy Andrews. Her books are sexy, snappy, romance goodness. Seriously, what’s not to love about a book that features a super-hot small-town cop, a sexy and clever chocolatier, Christmas magic and a chocolate war?

All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate opened with a bang. Literally. Such a blast, and with undeniable chemistry between heroine Vivian and hero Reuben. Laugh out loud scenes combined with some deeply emotional moments followed, along with heartwarming family and community get-togethers and sexy times. All that, along with some slick writing, made for a super-fast and super enjoyable read. One that I was happy-sad to put down when it ended.

I’m going to grab the next in the series, You Had Me At Chocolate, for more choccie-Christmas goodness.

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What have you read lately that you want everyone else to read too? Share away!

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