Haunting Willows Cottage

 

Ingrid and her daughter Susan return to the Western Highlands of Scotland, staying at Strathbairn with Gertrude McCleod while their new home, a cottage by the loch, is redecorated. The very same day, the ghosts of Ingrid's past return when Gertrude's brother Miles arrives with his new bride and his friend Timothy.

When her former beau turned betrayer Hamish starts work on a barn conversion, Ingrid is desperate to leave Strathbairn. She rushes to move into the cottage only to find she is sharing her new home with a violent ghost.

Realising the haunting is somehow connected to Strathbairn and sensing that something at Willows Cottage must be returned, she makes every effort to discover what that it is.

While Hamish and Gertrude conspire to force Ingrid into marriage, Timothy becomes a regular caller with a romantic motive. With two suitors and two marriage proposals, who will she choose - and can she solve the haunting of Willows Cottage?

A gripping conclusion to a classic gothic mystery trilogy laced with dark family secrets.

Review

This book offers strong characters, beautiful settings and an intriguing mystery. I love a good gothic mystery, and this is one. The author keeps the mood taut, dropping the right number of hints to drive you through the novel. Gothic horror is largely psychological and eerie, rather than more overt horror. For me, that's the sweet spot, but others might prefer more grab-and-stab than this novel provides. 

This is part of a trilogy and I wish I had read the other books for a deeper understanding of the backstory and characters. So, consider reading these books in order for the best experience. 

Purchase Links

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/mYJzVp

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXJDKJQ3

APPLE BOOKS: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-haunting-of-willows-cottage/id6754550008

BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-haunting-of-willows-cottage-isobel-blackthorn/1148696029?ean=2940182364515

GOOGLE BOOKS: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=laCSEQAAQBAJ

RAKUTEN KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-haunting-of-willows-cottage

Author Bio –

Isobel Blackthorn is an award-winning author of immersive and inspiring fiction. She has penned over twenty-five books including a number of bestsellers. She majors in strong female leads and empowerment narratives.

Among her credits, Isobel’s biographical short story ‘Nothing to Declare’, which forms the first chapter of her biographical novel Emma’s Tapestry, was shortlisted for the Ada Cambridge Prose Prize 2019. One of her Canary Islands novels, A Prison in the Sun, was shortlisted in the LGBTQ category of the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2020 and the International Book Awards 2021. The Cabin Sessions was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award 2018 and the Ditmar Awards 2018. And The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards.

Blackthorn is the author of the world’s only biography of Theosophist and mother of the New Age movement Alice Bailey – Alice A. Bailey: Life & Legacy.

Isobel has a background in Western Esotericism. She holds 1st Class Honours in Social Studies, and a PhD from the University of Western Sydney for her ground-breaking research on the works of Alice A. Bailey. Her doctoral thesis has been downloaded over 13,000 times.

Isobel’s first work, which she wrote in 2008, is Voltaire’s Garden. This memoir is set in the mid 2000s and tells the story of building a sustainable lifestyle B&B in Cobargo on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, which gained international attention when a firestorm razed the idyllic historic village on New Year’s Eve 2019.

Isobel’s writing has appeared in journals and websites around the world, including Esoteric Quarterly, New Dawn Magazine, Paranoia, Mused Literary Review, Trip Fiction, Backhand Stories, Fictive Dream and On Line Opinion. Isobel was a judge for the Australasian Shadow Awards 2020 long fiction category. Her book reviews have appeared in New Dawn Magazine, Esoteric Quarterly, Shiny New Books, Sisters in Crime, Australian Women Writers, Trip Fiction and Newtown Review of Books.

Isobel’s interests are many and varied. She has a long-standing association with the Canary Islands, having lived in Lanzarote in the late 1980s. A humanitarian and campaigner for social justice, in 1999 Isobel founded the internationally acclaimed Ghana Link, uniting two high schools, one a relatively privileged state school located in the heart of England, the other a materially impoverished school in a remote part of the Upper Volta region of Ghana, West Africa. After working as a teacher, market trader and PA to a literary agent, she arrived at writing in her forties, and her stories are as diverse and intriguing as her life has been.

Isobel has performed her literary works at events in a range of settings and given workshops in creative writing.

British by birth, Isobel entered this world in Farnborough, Kent, UK. She has lived in England, Australia, Spain and the Canary Islands. She now lives and writes in Spain. She is currently at work on two novels composed in Spanish.

 

Social Media Links –

https://isobelblackthorn.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Author.Isobel.Blackthorn/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5768657.Isobel_Blackthorn

https://www.instagram.com/isobelblackthorn/

@isobelb-author.bsky.social

Review: Bad Moon Rising

 

Rock and roll relationships are complicated. They’re even worse when one of you is a werewolf.

Stevie Vane, nightclub manager of Dusk, prefers London’s nightlife to life in the pack — fewer claws, fewer challengers, far less bloodshed.

But when tragedy strikes, Stevie is forced back into a world where dominance of the pack is won by strength… and every weakness is punished. Some new members begin a brutal contest for control, and they soon discover his greatest weakness is Kat Matthews.

Kat’s band has just landed the best gig of their career at Dusk. And the instant chemistry between her and the charismatic manager is undeniable — but so are the secrets he’s keeping. Secrets that come with sharp teeth.

As the rival wolves close in and old grudges resurface, Stevie realises it isn’t just his pack at risk. It’s the woman he loves.

Witty, romantic, and gripping, Bad Moon Rising is the third book in The Immortals of London series– where feelings run wild and loyalty can cost you everything.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Moon-Rising-thrilling-Immortals-ebook/dp/B0GQCBNSNK

https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Moon-Rising-thrilling-Immortals-ebook/dp/B0GQCBNSNK

 

Author Bio –

Berni Stevens lives in an ancient cottage in Hertfordshire, which sounds like it's in the depths of the countryside, but really isn't (because the green bits keep getting built on!)

Berni spent four years at art college in Sussex before starting her first job in publishing as a book cover and promotions designer and then solely as a book cover designer for many of the big London publishers. She's now freelance, and designs for both publishers and many self-published authors. Although she still makes sure to leave time for her writing, and various hobbies. Berni was a finalist for the RNA Cover Designer of the Year Award both in 2021 and 2023.

Berni's first full-length novel was a paranormal romance, called Fledgling, which was first published in the US in 2011, and retitled Dance Until Dawn, made its UK debut three years later, followed by the sequel, Revenge is Sweet and so beginning the Immortals of London series.

Veering away from the paranormal for a while, Berni's first festive RomCom, One Magical Christmas, took some people by surprise - including herself. So much so, that she wrote three more!

With the re-appearance of the Romantasy genre ... a new paranormal romance has finally broken free – Bad Moon Rising – the third book in the Immortals of London series.

Berni can be found on Facebook, X, Linkedin, Instagram and Threads ... come and say hello!

 

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/BerniStevens1620Author/

https://x.com/Berni_Stevens1

https://www.instagram.com/berni.stevens.5/

https://www.threads.com/@berni.stevens.5

https://www.linkedin.com/in/berni-stevens-palmer-75242a14/

Promo: The Relentless Lady

 

With a modern mindset trapped in a traditional world, will this young Brazilian woman discover a path to education, travel, and love?

In Brazil during the early 2000s, Francesca Silva craved more. Born into a family struggling financially and bound by her father’s rigid religious beliefs, the smart dreamer longs for a brighter future. So, when fate delivers a handsome American missionary, Francesca opens her heart and rebels against her traditional machismo culture.

More determined than ever to expand her mind, the naïve woman battles familial expectations amid eye-opening foreign customs. But with domestic drama, romantic complications, and a language barrier, the go-getter fears that more than a visa and an airplane flight will prevent her from claiming her true self.

Can Francesca embrace her destiny and find enduring fulfillment?

The Relentless Lady is the enthralling first book in the Relentless Lady women’s fiction series. Those who love tenacious heroines in real-world settings and finding enlightenment will adore Eva Harris’ emotional tale.

Read The Relentless Lady today and take yourself on a captivating journey about finding love and exploring one’s true self.

Purchase Link - https://booksevaharris.com/

Author Bio –

Eva Harris is a women’s fiction author who writes emotionally rich stories about identity, resilience, and the quiet courage it takes to choose your own life.

Born and raised in Brazil, Eva draws deeply from lived experience to explore themes of cultural displacement, faith, gender expectations, immigration, and forbidden love. Her novels often center on strong, imperfect women navigating rigid traditions, financial hardship, and emotional crossroads as they search for independence, belonging, and meaning beyond the limits imposed upon them.

Eva’s writing blends intimate character development with real-world social issues, creating stories that resonate with readers who love coming-of-age journeys, cross-cultural relationships, and transformative self-discovery. Her work speaks especially to women who have felt out of place—at home, in love, or in the world—and dared to imagine more.

Besides writing, Eva enjoys learning about human behaviour, exploring different cultures, and turning real-life struggles into stories that offer both hope and honesty.

The Relentless Lady is her debut novel and the first in a women’s fiction series inspired by true events.

 

Social Media Links – 

Website: https://booksevaharris.com/

Promo: Summer Nights at Hillview Farm

 

Some rules were made to be broken… especially when it comes to love.

After a tragedy left her heart shattered, deputy headteacher Adele Robson has rebuilt her life in Glenbriar, keeping her grief hidden behind a polished, no-nonsense exterior.

Rugged farmer Owen Lyndell is having a hard time with his wayward teenage son Max, and the summer holidays at Hillview Farm aren’t going well.

Term-time clashes over Max have made Adele and Owen loathe each other, so discovering her new dream cottage is next door to Owen’s farm is unwelcome news, especially when she’s finally built up the courage to carry out the summer bucket list she and her late fiancé dreamed of. And when Owen shows up accidentally during one of her bucket-list activities, they start to see a different side to each other.

Between horse riding, wild swimming, and sunsets over Loch Briar, both Owen and Adele have a chance to rediscover love. But only if Adele can overcome her past heartbreak… plus the immovable fact that she's Max’s teacher, and when summer ends, she and Owen must return to a professional relationship.

But perhaps the last item on the bucket list is one already written in the stars.

 

Purchase Link -  https://mybook.to/hillviewfarm

Author Bio –

Margaret Amatt is a bestselling Scottish author, professional daydreamer, and certified chocolate addict. She’s been making up stories for as long as she can remember – some of them even made it onto paper (and, tragically, onto floppy disks that no computer can read anymore). After two decades of writing in secret, she finally unleashed her first novel on the world in 2021, kicking off a ten-book series set on the stunning Isle of Mull.

But why stop there? She’s also the creator of The Glenbriar Series, where romance, small-town drama, and a pinch of spice keep readers coming back for more. This series is still going strong, with more books planned!

Margaret has spent her whole life in Scotland’s breath-taking Highland Perthshire, despite her entire extended family coming from the Glasgow area. Her books are romantic and emotional, sweet and funny, and each one can be read as a standalone, but long-time readers know the joy of familiar faces popping up, adding to the chaos.

So, if you love relatable characters, sizzling chemistry, and plenty of banter, you’re in the right place – just don’t blame Margaret when you stay up way too late reading just one more chapter.

Social Media Links –

https://www.margaretamatt.com/subscribe

https://www.facebook.com/MargaretAmattAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/margaret_amatt_author

https://ko-fi.com/margaretamattauthor/shop

Review - Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits

Join Stikki and his mate Rella on their second exciting adventure—full of mystery, danger, and the wonders of magic found in the most unexpected places.

Winter has arrived in Hazy Hills Wood, covering everything in a blanket of snow. Food is hard to find, and the animals are getting hungry. To make things worse, there is a scary food thief on the prowl.

Stikki heads out into the cold to find his secret stash, but when he doesn’t come home, Rella goes searching for him. A frightening journey looms ahead as Stikki and Rella are forced to confront their enemies and the dreaded longlegs.

Deep in the heart of the ancient wood stands the animals’ sacred ash tree. When Brodboar the badger spots something strange high on the tree’s branches, he is shocked by the discovery and begins to worry. Is it a warning?

With Stikki and Rella still missing—can the woodland animals work together to find their friends before it’s too late?

Review

This is a fun book series reminiscent of Beatrix Potter series. The fun and goodly characters take care of each other in their small wood. The book is full of good descriptions that make the wood feel lively and inviting. The story is not complex and should be easily followed by the target audience. It was exciting enough for a small child to stay engaged but interesting enough that I was eager for the next day's reading session. I loved that the short chapters gave us great flexibility on how much we could read each day.

I would recommend this as a read-aloud for children under age 8 due to elevated vocabulary. My precocious reader stumbled across many words that were unfamiliar, including "dastardly" and "mischievous." It's perfect for a cozy, little read before bed.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stikki-Squirrel-Jane-H-Wood/dp/183574351X

https://bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/young-children/stikki-the-squirrel-bLc1

https://www.waterstones.com/book/stikki-the-squirrel-tree-spirits/jane-h-wood/9781835743515

https:///books.apple.com/gb/book/stikki-the-squirrel-tree-spirits/id6758389931

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=JGO5EQAAQBAJ&pli-1

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/stikki-the-squirrel-tree-spirits

https://amzn.to/4aWo4i3

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GHZMQPC8

Author Bio –

Jane H. Wood is a multi-award-winning author who enjoys writing stories for children and young adults. Jane’s wonderful animal adventure books have captivated readers of all ages, earning her acclaim for her vivid storytelling and enchanting illustrations that feature in her Stikki the Squirrel books.

Jane lives in the sunny seaside town of Worthing on the south coast of England, with her husband, Peter. She has two grown-up sons and is a proud grandmother as well. Jane enjoys art, photography, hand crafting activities, and writing children’s stories. Jane is an animal rights advocate and environmentalist, and she supports a few animal welfare charities.

Social Media Links –  https://www.facebook.com/JaneHWood16

https://www.instagram.com/janewood705

https://www.twitter.com/JaneHWood1

website: https://janehwood.com

Promo: A Venice Summer

 

Art conservator Rose Bennet is still reeling from a bad break-up when she is offered a dream job in Venice, restoring an art collection in the Ca’ D’Ambra, a six-hundred-year-old Venetian palazzo. Despite her fears about travelling to a foreign country on her own, Rose is soon heading to Italy for the summer.

While she is awestruck by the breathtaking beauty of Venice, Rose finds the owner of the palazzo, the arrogant and short-tempered Luca Casserini, insufferable. When he questions her ability to do her work, she almost heads straight back to London, but decides that she won’t let herself be intimidated or driven away before she’s even had a chance to ride in a gondola.

Losing her way in Venice’s picturesque maze of canals and alleyways, the last person Rose wants to see is her employer, but when they meet by chance and, to her surprise, he offers to show her around the city, she feels it would be churlish to refuse.

Spending sunlit summer days exploring Venice with Luca, Rose discovers a passionate side to him, very different to her first impression, and her feelings towards him begin to change …

Rose knows she can restore a damaged painting, but can she mend Luca’s damaged heart?

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Venice-Summer-sunlit-summer-romance-ebook/dp/B0GGX58TWJ/

https://www.amazon.com/Venice-Summer-sunlit-summer-romance-ebook/dp/B0GGX58TWJ/

Author Bio –

Lynne Shelby writes contemporary and dual-timeline women’s fiction/romance. Her debut novel, ‘Meet Me In Paris,' (originally titled French Kissing), won the Accent Press and Woman magazine Writing Competition, and her fifth novel, Love On Location, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novelists' Award. When not writing or reading, Lynne can usually be found at the theatre or exploring a foreign city, writer's notebook and sketchbook in hand. She lives in London with her husband, and has three adult children who live nearby.

 Social Media Links – 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LynneShelbyWriter

Instagram: lynneshelbywriter

Website: www.lynneshelby.com

 

Promo: Wishing on a Star in the City

 

Everyone thinks Ivy Macomb’s life is perfect as she’s a teen actress on a TV show, part of a well-known family, and has just started college with her football star boyfriend, Ryan. However, as Ryan’s on campus fame grows, the two break up leaving Ivy heartbroken. She makes up a cover story to save face about how they’re taking time apart, but she’s devastated and unsure how to handle things. She ends up having a crying meltdown in front of her great-uncle who is better known in the media as the most ruthless man in business. However, she learns there’s another side to Uncle Alfred as he not only offers advice, but helps her with her podcast.

Her cousin tries to get her to go out and show people she’s doing fine after the breakup. Enter freshman hockey player, Konrad Gorski. Ivy and Konrad become fast friends as he’s a shoulder to cry on for her as she deals with her feelings. He’s also been through a bad breakup and has trust issues. Konrad is selected to go overseas for a hockey opportunity and the two stay in touch daily. They begin to have feelings for each other, but she’s worried about getting hurt. Can Ivy open her heart to love again?

Purchase Links

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Wishing-Star-City-Stars-Book-ebook/dp/B0GGZCH781/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GGZCH781/

Amazon CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/Wishing-Star-City-Stars-Book-ebook/dp/B0GGZCH781

Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Wishing-Star-City-Stars-Book-ebook/dp/B0GGZCH781

Amazon universal link: https://mybook.to/UeOTh

Author Bio – Krysten Lindsay Hager is a bestselling author of YA and contemporary romance. She writes romance because she loves bringing people swoony moments and hope-filled happily ever afters. She writes about falling in love, fame, fitting in, frenemies, first loves, and finding your way in the world. She loves reading, watching movies, and lipstick.

Social Media Links –

Website: https://www.krystenlindsay.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/
Facebook Page Link  https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor
XLink – https://x.com/KrystenLindsay
TikTok Link – https://www.tiktok.com/@krystenlindsay