#Blogtour Counting Down To You by Sarah J. Harris

 
It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Counting Down to You by Sarah J. Harris, published by Lake Union Publishing 15th July 2025. Tour organised courtesy of #RandomThingsTour.

About the Author

Sarah J. Harris is an award-winning author and freelance education journalist who regularly writes for national newspapers. Meet Me on the Bridge, published by Lake Union, was an Amazon ebook bestseller in the UK and US.

Her debut novel, The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder, won the Breakthrough Author award from Books Are My Bag and was a Richard and Judy pick. She also published One Ordinary Day At A Time with HarperCollins.

The author writes YA thrillers as Sarah Wishart, including The Murder Hypothesis and Four Good Liars, which was shortlisted for the North East Book Awards.

Sarah grew up in the West Midlands, and studied English at Nottingham University before gaining a postgraduate diploma in journalism at Cardiff University.

She is a black belt in karate and a green belt in kickboxing. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. Follow @sarahsky23 on X

About the book

From the bestselling author of Meet Me on the Bridge comes a moving, feel-good novel that shows it’s never too late to look for happiness, perfect for fans of Holly Miller, Cesca Major and Rosie Walsh.

Sophie can see how long people have left to live. Her first love Adam is back. And he has just 24 days to go.

Ever since the accident that changed Sophie’s life, she sees numbers everywhere. From the leaves on a tree to the volume of a puddle, everything has its number. And every person she meets? Their number is counting down the number of days they have left.

Despite being lonely, Sophie has decided she’s not dating anyone with a number smaller than 20,000 days: 55 years together should be plenty. Which is fine, until Adam—her first love and most definitely the one that got away—suddenly reappears. And his number? Just 24 days…

Sophie has tried and failed to save lots of people in the past; she thought she couldn’t alter fate, no matter how hard she tried. But the way Adam looks at her makes her feel alive again for the first time in years. She questions everything, and a spark is lit. Could true love be powerful enough to rewrite the future? Maybe some rules are meant to be broken, and perhaps Adam is the one who will show her that not every ending is set in stone…

Review

Sarah spends a lot of her time living in a constant state of what happens next if I do or don't intervene. Her ability to see lifespans has a lot of negative consequences for her, despite her obsession with changing the inevitable. So what happens when love invites itself back inside her life and her obsession is torn between living in the here and now or the reality of death at her door everywhere she looks?

I really enjoyed the concept, it has a mathematical theory meets magical realism in number-space synaesthesia kind of way. I also welcomed the fact the author didn't feel it necessary to change the interesting concept to suit the needs of a romance driven read. Instead the concept evolves with the story, and in a way that allows for magical realism to walk hand-in-hand with reality.

It also plays a little bit with a butterflyesque effect Sophie's gift or affliction brings with it. Does trying to change the inevitable with sheer force or the elimination of possible threats change the outcome, slow the outcome, speed it up or make the event more severe? If that is the case, then why try to change the outcome at all. Does it throw up a question of morality if Sophie just leaves people to their end, regardless of what that end may look like?

It was an intriguing combination of contemporary romance read with a side dish of maths or rather a portion of individual doomsday counters. It does make you wonder whether the knowledge of expected time available would change the way people interact with others and indeed with themselves, it certainly does for Sarah.

Buy Counting Down To You at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.  Buy via Bookshop org.

#BlogTour Dream Café by R.J. Gould

It's my turn on the BlogTour Dream Café by Richard Gould.

About the Author

Richard writes under the pseudonym R J Gould and is a (rare male) member of the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA). His first novel was shortlisted for the Joan Hessayon Award following his participation on the RNA New Writers' Scheme. Having been published by Headline Access and Lume Books, he now self-publishes. 

He writes contemporary literary fiction about relationships, loosely though not prescriptively within the Romance genre, using both humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic journeys of his protagonists in search of love. Dream Café is his sixth novel, following The Engagement Party, Jack and Jill Went Downhill, Mid-life follies, The bench by Cromer beach and Nothing Man. [It is a rewrite of A Street Café Named Desire].

Ahead of writing full time, Richard led a national educational charity. He has been published in a wide range of educational journals, national newspapers and magazines and is the co-author of a major work on educating able young people. He lives in Cambridge, England.

Follow @RJGould_author on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit rjgould.info

About the book

“Why on earth am I here?” David wonders as he observes the juvenile antics of ex-classmates at the twenty-five year school reunion. Then he sees Bridget.

David draws up a list of all that he hopes to achieve to kick-start a new life now that his wife has moved in with his best friend – his ex-best friend. A relationship with Bridget is top of the list, opening an arts café is a close second.

Formidable women – an unfaithful wife, a reckless teenage daughter, a boss from hell, a disapproving policewoman – seem like insurmountable obstacles. But it’s still OK to dream, isn’t it?

Review

Why would anyone want to subject themselves to reliving the kind of school experience David went through. Some people never move beyond the caricature of their high school identity. Fortunately for the world, the majority of students do. 

As the reader is introduced to David, he takes us back to the events leading up to the decision to revisit his past, which in the end offers an open door to a brighter future for him.

I think David's character brings force a multitude of reactions, two of which are annoyance at his being a doormat and sympathy for being an easy target for so many people an reasons. The urge to shout encouragement and/or witty responses for him to use whilst he is in uncomfortable situations - well it is real.

It was nice to read a contemporary domestic romance with a male character in the lead role. Refreshing to experience the opposite gender as the fool, the downtrodden and ultimately the person who is awakened by circumstance and fate to the world outside of their small fenced in life.

Buy Dream Café at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour A Year of Chasing Love by Rosie Chambers

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour A Year of Chasing Love by Rosie Chambers.

About the Author
Rosie Chambers loves writing uplifting, feel-good stories set in sun-filled locations around the world. Her stories are filled with fun, friendship and foodie treats, which Rosie hopes will bring a smile to her readers' faces.

She's always in the market for quirky stationery and is never happier than with a pen in one hand and a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit in the other. A Year of Chasing Love is her debut novel.

Follow @RosieCbooks on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Buy A Year of Chasing Love

About the book
One moment can change a lifetime…

The last thing top divorce lawyer Olivia Hamilton ever expected was to be served her own divorce papers! To escape her marriage troubles, she agrees to go on a year-long trip to find the ultimate guide to love.

Travelling the world, surrounded by stories of love and happiness, it’s not long before her thoughts turn to Nathan, her soon-to-be ex-husband, and she starts to take note of her own lessons in love…

But with Nathan over a thousand miles away, will it be too late?

Review

Olivia is a highly successful divorce lawyer, so it comes as a bit of a slap in the face when she is served divorce papers by her own husband, rather viciously in fact, in front of her entire firm.

After being asked to take a long sabbatical Olivia goes on a long trip to research why people divorce and why they stay together. It's a journey that opens her eyes to everything that led to the demise of her marriage. It also helps her to understand that she has neglected herself, her family, her friends and her husband.

This is a contemporary romance with an Eat, Pray, Love vibe. A journey of self-discovery and exploration. The main character believes her research is a way of distracting herself from her pain and disappointment,, and doesn't realise she is about to dissect her own failed relationship by looking inwards from the outside.

I think the premise is rather interesting from a work-life balance and gender perspective. Women who work are often received and treated quite critically for putting their careers first, and yet a man can neglect family, friends and themselves without drawing the ire of the same critics.

I enjoyed the way Chambers made this story into a learning experience of sorts and not just a good read. Learning about the divorce statistics and the statistics on marriages with longevity, especially the differences depending on the country, was interesting.

It makes you take a long hard look at what is really important in life, and perhaps in a way also throws in a friendly suggestion about enjoying what life has to offer.

Buy A Year of Chasing Love at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Digital; pub date 6 Jan. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogBlitz It Started With a Note by Victoria Cooke

It's a pleasure to take part in this 1 day Blog Blitz for It Started with a Note by Victoria Cooke. It's a contemporary romance and it is also a story about a woman finding herself by walking the path of her ancestors past.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a Signed copy of It Started With A Note (UK Only)

About the Author
Victoria Cooke grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the Pennines in pursuit of her career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield with her husband and two young daughters and when she’s not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in her hand, she loves working out in the gym and travelling.

Victoria was first published at the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she’s always had a passion for reading and writing, undertaking several writers’ courses before completing her first romantic comedy novel, 'The Secret to Falling in Love,' in 2016. Cooke's third novel, Who Needs Men Anyway? became a digital bestseller in 2018.

Follow @VictoriaCooke10 @HQDigitalUK on Twitter,
Follow Victoria Cooke on Goodreads, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit victoria-cooke.com
Buy It Started with a Note

About the book

One lost letter. A chance to change her life!
Superhero single mum Cath always puts other people first. But now that she’s seen her son safely off to university (phew!), life seems a little, well…empty.

So when Cath unexpectedly discovers some letters written by her great-grandfather during the First World War, she decides to take herself on an adventure to France to retrace his footsteps.

Cath expects to spend her holiday visiting famous battlefields and testing out her French phrase book. What she doesn’t anticipate is that her tour guide, the handsome Olivier, will be quite so charming! Soon Cath isn’t simply unearthing the stories of the past – she’s writing a brand new one of her own, which might end up taking her in a very unexpected direction…

Review
I think Cath is a perfect example of why the majority of women spend a lifetime neglecting their own desires and needs for those of their loved ones. Most of us have been hardwired to be caregivers and never to be takers. To give our last penny and the shirt off of our backs to those we love the most.

When women do take what they want or need they are often considered selfish and ruthless. Perhaps more women need to be brave enough to make so-called selfish choices and let themselves be happy. To let themselves experience something other than being the person who takes care of everything for everyone but themselves.

When Cath finally stands up to her mooching brother and her entitled son, they belittle and laugh at her decision to visit France. Specifically to see the places her great-grandfather saw and experienced as a soldier in the First World War. To follow his journey along the battlefields, which led to his untimely death.

For me, this was the most interesting and enjoyable part of the story. It's nostalgic and poignant in equal measures. I can imagine many of us want to and already have tried to connect to the past, and the brave men and women who gave their lives for their country. It's even more emotional when you have a personal connection to someone who was part of the horror, whether they returned home or not.

The relationship that blossoms between Cath and someone who shares her passion for the past is perhaps stronger because of the emotional turmoil surrounding the trip they take together. Either way the past and the romance of the present walk together hand in hand in this lovely little story. It's a contemporary romance and it is also a story about a woman finding herself by walking the path of her ancestors past.

Buy It Started with a Note at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Digital; pub date 21 Feb. 2019, Buy at Amazon com, at Kobo

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a Signed copy of It Started With A Note (UK Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.