Ancestral VirginsGuest Post

Written by Fiona J. Mackintosh Published by     Midatlantic Press June 26th 2026 Genre Historical WWI Fiction Pages 433 ASIN B0GX3WKT1Z B0GY9LQZ5Y B0GX2YT6QD ISBN-13 979-8993482330 979-8993482330 979-8993482354

The Lynmouth Stories:Beautiful places hide dark secrets

Written by L V Hay Compulsive Reading ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     B2W Books 4 Dec. 2018 Genre Mystery, Crime Pages 35 ASIN B07L3TS5XM

The 20 Books of Summer 2026 Round UpReading challenge #20BOS26

The 20 Book of Summer 2026 Reading Challenge drew to a close on 31st August and despite all the challenges that life inevitably throws at me when I set myself a time-sensitive task to complete, I can report that I have successfully completed the challenge by reading 20 books. Although not necessarily the 20 I originally planned to read!

I love this challenge because it's almost impossible not to succeed! Everything is fluid except the reading dates. The goal can be reduced to as few as 5 books, and as there is no minimum number of pages to consitute a 'book', 5 books should be easily achievable. The titles selected at the outset are not set in stone, so again, if I'm struggling, I can drop a larger book for a shorter story.

I always begin this challenge expecting to reduce my TBR list but in previous years I've found that I'd somehow added more than I'd taken off!

Here are the books that I did manage to read and review:

1. Secret Psychic Stories: Volume 1 by Margaret Solis
2. #Lola (#Toots 0.5) by Lin Le James
3. Swept Away (The Larkford Series) by Penny Parkes
4. Staff Wellbeing Programme: For Staff Working In Schools, Colleges And Residential Settings by Cathy Shuter
5. Ferry Godfather (Cute Shorts #2) by Laurie Baxter
6. A Charlie Browne Christmas (Cute Shorts book #4) by Laurie Baxter
7. Escape the Volcano by Stephanie Dagg
8. A Wordsmith’s Guide to Writing Authentic Dialogue (The Wordsmith's Guides) by Elizabeth M. Hurst
9. Finding Forever in Pelican Crossing (Pelican Crossing Book #9) by Maggie Christensen
10. The Secret Dressmaker (Threads of Resistance Book #2) by Jenny O'Brien
11. The First Christmas (Christmas On The Close Book 1) by Stephanie Wood
12. Snow After Christmas by D. Allen
13. A Dog in the Manger Part One by Victoria Wallin
14. The Apple Orchard by Veronica Henry
15. Five Old Flings by Stephanie Dagg
16. Christmas at the Chateau by Lorraine Wilson
17. Before the Garden on Holly Street: Valentine's Day by Megan Attley
18. A Christmas Gift by Stella Wilkinson
19. Snow by Cora Brent
20. Loving Spirits at the Vintage Tearoom by Sharon Booth

My original list has seen only 5 changes. I swapped a couple of titles for books on blog tours in series that I've been enjoying and could not possibly miss out on. Two books failed to load on my e-reader - guess I need to get a new one! - so they've been put to one side, as has Death at the Village Christmas Fair which I still hope to read before the year is out.

Something I haven't counted towards my 20 books total, I read an early draft of Jenny O'Brien's next novel in her Threads of Resistance series, The Crocheter's War, as a beta reader and am very much looking forward to reading the final copy when it is published in the New Year.

Have I reduced my TBR list this year? I began the challenge with 838 ebooks, 5 audiobooks and at least 12 paperbacks. I haven't touched the paperbacks or audiobooks but I did a stock take and deleted some titles that I was never going to read and I've been really good and not bought or acquired any more... Ahem! ...that many more titles! My digital TBR List today stands at 821. Oops! Well it is down a bit...

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Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop Ghosts of Rowan Vale Book #2

Written by Sharon Booth I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Boldwood Books 25th Jun 2025 Genre Romance Pages 344 ASIN B0DYHQZ7B4 ISBN-10 1836567588 ISBN-13 978-1836567585

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #20

SnowA Gentry Boys Christmas Story

Written by Cora Brent ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independently Published 3 Dec. 2016 Genre Women's New Adult & College Fiction Pages 98 ASIN B01N2Q86WN

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #19

A Christmas GiftYoung Adult Seasonal Romances

Written by Stella Wilkinson Enjoyable Story ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independently Published 12Dec. 2014 Genre Young Adult Seasonal Romances Pages 31 ASIN B00QZF4D70 For readers aged 10 - 18 years

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #18

Before the Garden on Holly Street: Valentine's Day

Written by Megan Attley I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Orion 14 Feb. 2019 Genre Women's Short Stories Pages 29 ASIN B07MBBCFTT

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #17

Christmas at the Chateau (A French Escape #2)

Written by Lorraine Wilson ⭐ ⭐ Published by     One More Chapter 1 Dec. 2019 Genre Holiday Fiction Pages 43 ASIN B081L2GYHY

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #16

Five Old Flings(Twelve Wordplays of Christmas Book 5)

Written by Stephanie Dagg An entertaining short story ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independently Published 7 Dec 2025 Genre Contemporary Short Stories Pages 39 ASIN B0G5KM27Q6

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #15

The Secret Dressmaker(Threads of Resistance Book 2)

Written by Jenny O’Brien I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Storm Publishing 4th Aug. 2026 Genre Historical WWII Fiction Pages 320 ASIN B0GSVGSK36 ISBN-13 978-1837004874

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #10

Finding Forever in Pelican CrossingPelican Crossing Book #9

Written by Maggie Christensen Highly Recommended ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Cala Publishing 6th Aug 2026 Genre Later in life romance, Fiction Pages 262 ASIN B0GGLXY5NJ ISBN-13 978-1764496100

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #9

Mrs Clutterbuck’s Christmas EmporiumCover Reveal

Written by Nicola May Published by     Nowell Publishing 6 Nov. 2026 Genre Christmas Holiday Romance ASIN B0HB5W3CFD

The Apple Orchard

Written by Veronica Henry ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Orion 13th Apr 2017 Genre Contemporary Short Stories Pages 84 ASIN B06Y17NZG8

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #14

House of ThievesWritten by Rachel Walkley

Interview With The Author Published by     Spare Time Press 4th Aug 2026 Genre Contemporary mystery Pages 325 ASIN B0H9HY2WZL ISBN 13 978-1838328979

A Dog in the MangerPart One

Written by Victoria Wallin ⭐ Published by     Independently published May 8, 2018 Genre Short Story Pages 30 ASIN B07CX4PLSF

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #13

Snow After Christmas

Written by D. Allen ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     David Neth Books 7 Nov. 2015 Genre Short Story Pages 38 ASIN B013YWMFP8 ISBN-13 978-0990517757

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #12

The First Christmas (Christmas On The Close Book 1)

Written by Stephanie Wood ⭐ Published by     Independently Published 7 Nov. 2015 Genre Christmas fiction, Short story Pages 104 ASIN B017QJXXKG ISBN-13 979-8327474901

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #11

Mandarin RoadGuest Post

Written by Ann Bennett Published by     Andaman Press 16 Jun. 2026 Genre Women's Literary Fiction Pages 334 ASIN B0FL58XPDF ISBN-10 1738430359 ISBN-13 978-1738430352

A Wordsmith’s Guide to Writing Authentic DialogueThe Wordsmith's Guides

Written by Elizabeth M. Hurst A Really Useful Resource ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independently Published 30 Jun. 2026 Genre Nonfiction, Writers' Guides Pages 175 ASIN B0GQQ28D5C

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #8

Escape the Volcano

Written by Stephanie Dagg ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Mentor Books 1 Aug. 1998 Genre Children's Story Pages 91 ISBN-10 1902586026 ISBN-13 978-1902586021 For readers aged 9 - 12 years

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #7

The Time of My LifePromo

Written by Samantha Tonge Published by     Boldwood Books 10 March 2026 Genre Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Fiction Pages 363 ASIN B0FTF3Y5KL ISBN-10 1806580373 ISBN-13 978-1806580378

Charlie's Last Angel

Written by Maggie Christensen I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Cala Publishing 9th Jun 2026 Genre Later-in-life romance Pages 293 ASIN B0GM9YTW2K

A Charlie Browne ChristmasCute Shorts book #4

Written by Laurie Baxter I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Zuzu Bailey Books 1 Dec. 2017 Genre Holiday Fiction Pages 39 ASIN B077VF5194

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #6

Ferry Godfather Cute Shorts #2

Written by Laurie Baxter ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Zuzu Bailey Books 27 Oct. 2018 Genre Ghost Paranormal Romance Short Story Pages 42 ASIN B07JQK117F

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #5

Staff Wellbeing Programme: For Staff Working In Schools, Colleges And Residential Settings

Written by Cathy Shuter ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independently published 10 Mar. 2026 Genre Self-Help, Stress Management Pages 48 ASIN B0GS372M12 ISBN-13 979-8251538366

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #4

Swept Away The Larkford Series

Written by Penny Parkes An introduction to the series ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Simon & Schuster UK 9 Feb. 2017 Genre Women's Fiction, Short Story Pages 41 ASIN B01MYPM8Q1

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #3

#Lola #Toots #0.5

Written by Linh Le James Prequel to #Toots ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independently Published May 17, 2020 Genre Short story, humour Pages 60 ISBN-10 170060192X ISBN-13 978-1700601926

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #2

Secret Psychic Stories: Volume 1

Written by Margaret Solis Interesting experiences ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     STARWISH BOOKS 20 July 2021 Genre Spiritual Self-Help eBooks Pages 136 ASIN B099ZZPNVT ISBN-10 1915040019 ISBN-13 978-1915040015

#20BOS26 Reading Challenge Book #1

The 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge

It's that time of year again when the 20 Books Of Summer Reading Challenge begins and I am motivated to hit my TBR pile and dig out some of those books which I thought sounded great when I acquired them, but have found their way to the bottom of the pile!

This year the 20 Books Of Summer Reading Challenge is being hosted by AnnaBookBel, running from 1st June to 31st August. The hashtag this year is #20BOS26. If you would like to join in, follow the link to AnnaBookBel to read the "rules" and sign up.

What Fools We Have Been

Written by Hank Williams Thought Provoking ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Chiselbury Publishing 1st Mar, 2026 Genre Literary Fiction, Jewish Fiction Pages 150 ISBN-10 1917837453 ISBN-13 978-1917837453

No More Tomorrows

Written by Olivia Lockheart I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independently published 3rd Feb. 2026 Genre Military Romance Pages 410 ASIN B0GL99YM7Q ISBN-13 979-8272427007

Something in the Air in Pelican CrossingPelican Crossing #8

Written by Maggie Christensen I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Cala Publishing 2nd Apr 2026 Genre Later in Life Romance Pages 246 ASIN B0FN8G299W ISBN-13 978-1763667785

If I Had My Time Again

Written by Linda Green I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Boldwood Books 13 Mar 2026 Genre Contemporary Fiction Pages 338 ASIN B0DXK5CMM1 ISBN-10 1836339836 ISBN-13 978-1836339830

The Lumberjills Take a Stand The Lumberjills (Book #2)Guest Post

Written by M W Arnold Published by     The Wild Rose Press 25th MAr. 2026 Genre Historical Fiction, WWII, Women's Fiction Pages 370 ASIN B0GF9Y2QTM

Magical Beginnings in Little Beaubrook Promo

Written by Bella Brightside Published by     Naughty Beagle Publishing 5th Mar. 2026 Genre Uplifting Women’s Fiction, Romance Pages 351 ASIN B0FVNQC7S8 ISBN-10 1919310215 ISBN-13 978-1919310206

Hidden Truth Joe Wilde Investigation Series, Book 3Extract

Written by C.D. Steele Published by     Independently Published31 Dec 2025 Genre Mystery Thriller Pages 280 ASIN B0GDKW3HZG ISBN-13 979-8242083332 For readers aged 16 - 18 years

The Silent Resistance

Written by Anna Normann I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Allison & Busby 19 Jun. 2025 Genre Military Romance Pages 352 ASIN B0D2TM4BVH ISBN-10 074903226X ISBN-13 978-0749032265

The Resistance Knitting Club(Threads of Resistance Book 1)

Written by Jenny O’Brien Highly Recommended 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 Published by     Storm Publishing 6th Feb. 2026 Genre Historical Fiction WWII Pages 359 ASIN B0FZ6F8397 ISBN-10 1837002568 ISBN-13 978-1837002542

Charlie & Spud and the VictoriansInterview with the Author

Written by Penny Byrne Published by     Independent Publishing Network Dec 2025 Genre Children's Books ISBN-13 978-1-80605-138-0 For readers aged 6 - 12 years

How did I do with my goals this year?

So these are the goals I set myself this year and I'm delighted to say that I have achieved the vast majority and therefore consider it a win!

Goals for 2025 Set and achieve target for Goodreads Reading Challenge: 33 books ✅ Read and review Cold Grave, which has been on my Netgalley shelf since April 2022 ✅ Read the 10 books on my 2019-DecTheShelves shelf ❎ Read 10 books from my short stories shelf ✅ Take part in 10 blog tours ✅ Read 2 books that I've won in giveaways ✅ Take part in Reading Challenges to encourage me to read 33 books this year: 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge which runs 1st June to 1st September ✅ Audiobook Challenge. ❎

I managed to read 51 books including Cold Grave, and ticked off 10 short stories during the #20BooksOfSummer2025 challenge. I also took part in 40 blogtours - 18 review blog tours and 22 content or promotional blog tours.

Whilst the aim was to read 10 books on my 2019-DecTheShelves shelf, I only managed to read 2.

I didn't listen to any audiobooks this year and therefore did not take part in the Audiobook challenge. I did, however, take part in the #20BooksOfSummer2025 and managed to read 20 books. The aim of participating in these challenges is to help me to accomplish my overall reading goals - which I almost have.

Thinking about what is achievable in the coming year I have set myself the following:

Goals for 2026 Set and achieve target for Goodreads Reading Challenge: 35 books Take part in 10 review blog tours Read 2 books on my 2019-DecTheShelves shelf Read 2 books that I've won in giveaways Read 2 books on my Instafreebie (now Prolific Works) shelf Read 2 books on my Smashwords shelf Read 10 short stories Take part in Reading Challenges to encourage me to read 35 books this year: 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge - which runs 1st June to 1st September Beat The Backlist Challenge Write 2 more sections in my family history Continue to support Indie Authors

I have been writing my family history story for a few years but added nothing last year as my focus was on reading, reviewing and taking part in blog tours. My intention has always been to produce a book of my memories and any oral history that holds water for my grandchildren. I love looking at what I've already written as it makes me smile remembering all the colourful characters I have known. I thought I'd add this to my goals to ensure I do take time to add a bit more to this story.

I begin this year with three blog tour reads, Jenny O'Brien's The Resistance Knitting Club, The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann and Maggie Christensen's Something in the Air in Pelican Crossing. Keeping my blog tour participation down to 10 review tours is not going to be easy, methinks!

Good luck with your own reading goals and Happy New Year to you all!

I Temporarily DoCordially Invited Series Book #1

Written by Ellie Cahill Enjoyable RomCom ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 8 Aug. 2017 Genre Women's Romantic Fiction Pages 218 ASIN B0744NDPD4 ISBN-10 1974477428 ISBN-13 978-1974477425

A World of Folktales & Legends

Written by Penny Byrne & Kiera Melville Illustrated by Liz Wackett Highly Recommended ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independent Publishing Network 30 Oct. 2025 Genre Children's books, Fairytales, Legends Pages 44 ISBN-10 1836889046 ISBN-13 978-1836889045 For readers aged 6 - 12 years

My first Jersey abc

Written by Penny Byrne Illustrated by Liz Wackett Brilliant! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Independent Publishing Network 30 Oct. 2025 Genre Children's picture book Pages 24 ISBN-10 1836887051 ISBN-13 978-1836887058 For readers aged 2 - 5 years

A Christmas Caroline

Written by K L Crear Absolutely brilliant! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 Published by     Crear Publishing Dec 1st 2024 Genre Women's Humorous Fiction Pages 161 ASIN B0DHS6QXMQ ISBN-10 1068583401 ISBN-13 978-1068583407

2025 Blog Tour #37

Evelyn Weaver is a Later Life DivaBook 3 of 3: Teapots & Tequila Shots

Written by K L Crear A heart-warming story ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Crear Publishing 24th May. 2025 Genre Later in life romance, Romcom Pages 287 ASIN B0D2LZGWB8 ISBN-10 1068583444 ISBN-13 978-1068583445

The Cornish Girls Before the StormThe Cornish Girls Book #9

Written by Betty Walker I loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Published by     Avon 1 Jan. 2026 Genre Historical Fiction Pages 384 ASIN B0FBLLKYWR ISBN-10 0008715173 ISBN-13 978-0008715175

The Secret Sauce Interview with the Author

Written by MJ Porter Published by     MJ Publishing 28 Aug. 2025 Genre Historical Mystery, Cozy Mystery Pages 234 ASIN B0F4PCVJWP ISBN-10 1917374739 ISBN-13 978-1917374736

2025 Blog Tour #40

Ripples Through Time Guest post

Written by Christina Courtenay Published by     Headline Review 20 Nov. 2025 Genre Dual time line, Viking romance Pages 350 ASIN B0FBZDR7Z3 ISBN-10 1035418630 ISBN-13 978-1035418633

2025 Blog Tour #39

The Starling Dance

Written by Lucy Elena Interview with the Author Published by     Rolling Wave Books 2nd Aug. 2025 Genre Humorous Women's Fiction Pages 187 ASIN B0FL12DQ34 ISBN-10 1838211942 ISBN-13 978-1838211943

2025 Blog Tour #36