#BlogBlitz The Secrets of Hawthorn Place by Jenni Keer

 

It's my turn on the BlogBlitz The Secrets of Hawthorn Place by Jenni Keer.

About the Author

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing commercial women's fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere, with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

Jenni is also the author of The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker and The Unexpected Life of Maisie Meadows. Follow @JenniKeer on Twitter, jennikeerwriter on Facebook, jennikeer on Instagram

About the book

Love will always find a way… Discover the intriguing secrets of Hawthorn Place in this heartfelt dual-time novel, filled with warmth and charm, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley and Cecelia Ahern.

Two houses, hundreds of miles apart...yet connected always. When life throws Molly Butterfield a curveball, she decides to spend some time with her recently widowed granddad, Wally, at Hawthorn Place, his quirky Victorian house on the Dorset coast.

But cosseted Molly struggles to look after herself, never mind her grieving granddad, until the accidental discovery of an identical Art and Crafts house on the Norfolk coast offers her an unexpected purpose, as well as revealing a bewildering mystery.

Discovering that both Hawthorn Place and Acacia House were designed by architect Percy Gladwell, Molly uncovers the secret of a love which linked them, so powerful it defied reason. What follows is a summer which will change Molly for ever... 

Review

Molly is used to having a safety net, which is probably why she is unable to adult by herself. Even now she wants her mother and stepfather to catch in the midst of her latest fall. This time they have decided to pull the rug out from under her - there is no net. There is nowhere else to go but to her grandfather, in the middle of the sticks with no internet.

It sets her on the path of self-discovery, to friendship, to love and to a story about a hidden love and even bigger secrets. I love the fact the author managed to do all of that so smoothly.

Hawthorn Place and Acacia House - I need that kind of exciting architectural secret in my life. Of course it's also the kind of secret that could be used for both good or evil. (Yup evil - I have a one-track mind).

Unfortunately I can't go into the details of what that secret may be, it's a creative one though, and one that casts a spell on more than one generation.

This dual timeline historical romance takes place in the present and the past. It's a moving tale of forbidden love, and also one about taking responsibility and being brave enough to grab love when it presents itself. It's a lovely escapism read.

Buy The Secrets of Hawthorn Place at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Headline Accent pub date 14 Oct. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

Giveaway to Win a Signed copy of the Secrets of Hawthorn Place, plus chocolate and a sparkly pen. (UK Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  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.*

#BlogBlitz The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer

Today it's my turn on the BlogBlitz The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer. It's magical realism with poignant storylines, vibrant characters and a romance that brews like nice cup of tea.

About the Author
Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women's fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker was published in January 2019. The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows is out in July 2019.

Follow @JenniKeer on Twitter, on Instagram, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit jennikeer.co.uk
Buy The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows

About the book
When Maisie Meadows finds herself single and jobless on New Year’s Day, she resolves that this will be the year she focuses on bringing her scattered family back together. Romance is all very well, but it’s the people you grew up with that matter the most.

But a new job working at an auction house puts her in the path of Theo, a gorgeous but unattainable man who she can’t help but be distracted by. As their bond begins to grow, Maisie finds herself struggling to fulfil the promise she made to herself – but the universe has other ideas, and it’s not long before the Meadows family are thrown back together in the most unlikely of circumstances…
Can dealing with other people’s treasures help Maisie to let go of the past, and teach her who she ought to treasure the most?

Review
I loved the idea of the inanimate object having an underlying magic. Nothing tangible or written in ceramic, just something special out there in the universe. I also thought it was beautiful how the tea set became a synonym for family. The compelling premise of the tea set being incomplete also equating to a family being broken or torn apart.

Maisie Meadows love a planned life, an organised life and everything has a place. After an unfortunate break-up she finds a new job, new friends and an item from her past. An old teapot of an elderly neighbour turns up in the auction house. It causes flashbacks and she spends a lot of time reminiscing about her family and childhood.

In her mind they were the perfect family with the perfect sound-bite memories, but perhaps that is just the way the little girl Maisie wants to remember it. The truth is her family split in so many directions and has been for many years.

Maisie feels a pull to reunite the pieces of the teapot. She isn't quite sure why it is so important, but she is determined to figure out the secret. Maybe she will find more than she ever hoped, perhaps it will help her to reconcile with some unacknowledged subconscious inner pain.

It's a story that will resonate with many readers, because family is something the majority of us share, and unfortunately a lot also have broken ones. Broken can also mean far apart or growing apart.

It's magical realism with poignant storylines, vibrant characters and a romance that brews like a nice cup of tea. I have to admit it made me laugh out loud quite a few times. Stickergate, that's all I'm saying. It also made me thoughtful and sad sometimes, but overall it is a brilliantly loving read. It's refreshingly perky and thought-provoking.

Buy The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway below to win a signed copy of The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker,  pack of Scratbag notelets,  pretty purple pen and a Maisie bookmark (Open to 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.