Category: Small Town Fiction

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Surprised Me

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

I know it’s Wednesday, but I couldn’t post yesterday, so here’s Top Ten Tuesday a day late. Below are ten books that surprised me.

A girl in a field, facing away, holding a pack of letters behind her back.
a Coffee Cup with Butterfly perched on the side.
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Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green: The reason this one surprised me is that this was Amy Lynn Green’s debut novel, and it was completely epistolary (comprised of letters, articles, and other written communications). It was so well done!

The Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber: This was the first book I read by Heather Webber, and I discovered she writes wonderful small-town fiction with a touch of magical realism. What shocked me was she had already written 25 books and I’d never discovered her before.

The Thin Place by C.D. Major: This one surprised me because sadly there really is a place in the world where dogs inexplicably jump to their deaths.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg: The ending surprised me, as it did a lot of people.

A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver: I was pretty tired of WWII novels, but this is about a safe-cracking criminal family that helped British Intelligence during the war, so surprisingly I found myself reading another WWII novel.

The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee: This is so well written, and again set during WWII, but in the Philippines, and I learned a lot of shocking things about what went on there during the war.

The Exchange by John Grisham: Sadly, this one surprised me because it was so bad. It was supposed to be a sequel to THE FIRM, but it felt like Mitch McDeere was added into a totally unrelated novel just to make some sales.

Horse Show by Jess Bowers: This one is shocking and surprising. This is a collection of short stories, many about how horses were abused and neglected, such as in circuses, on movie sets, and even in the military.

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor: Everyone who reads this blog knows Jodi is my favorite author. But what you may not know is that she didn’t publish her first book until she was 60. That was when she self-published the first book of The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series. She is now a best-sellling author with a major publisher. I bought this book for 99 cents when it came out because I like time travel fiction. I had no idea I was going to read a series that would become like an old friend.

The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor: I read this one just because Jodi Taylor was the author. It isn’t Time Travel, so I was skeptical. What it is is a fantasy about how a young girl’s life was saved by a magical golden horse. And it’s so good that I like it just as much as St. Mary’s. That’s what surprised me.

*Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with “Springy” Covers

BonnieReadsAndWrites24 Comments

Thank you to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday.

Hi everyone! I’m back from vacation and HOPEFULLY back to posting normally since my retirement. You would think I’d have more time than ever, but retirement has brought its own challenges to my schedule. I’ll provide more of an update after Top Ten Tuesday. The topic is: Top Ten book covers that remind me of Spring. See below.

I love the Spring flowers on the cover. I discovered Heather Webber WAY late in the game. She’s already written over 25 books, but when I read this one, and learned she writes small-town mysteries with a touch of magical realism, I was hooked! Now I seek out her books whenever I can. My review is here.

A really sweet “best friends” romance with a lovely Spring cover. My review is here.

The “Your Words” Poetry Collection by Louise Belanger includes beautiful photos of flowers along with wonderful inspirational poems and story poems that will draw you closer to God. The covers are so captivating! My most recent review is here.

This is historical fiction set in Switzerland during the time of discovery that adding iodine to salt will cure hypothyroidism. My review of the book is here.

A novel about starting over, and about women helping each other through tough times. My review is here.

This is an inspirational “married strangers” romance set in Appalachia in 1910. I love the Spring flowers and birds on the cover. Here is my review on The Historical Novel Society website.

The dress and flowers give this a “springy” feel to me. It’s a fascinating novel about a time when wealthy American families basically traded their daughters for titles and raised social standing. See my review here on The Historical Novel Society website.

Kim Vogel Sawyer is one of my favorite authors of Christian Historical Fiction. This novel is about a Mennonite Women’s organization in 1890s Kansas. The flowers on the cover give it a Spring feel. My review is here.

This Spring cover speaks for itself. It is set in 1930s Appalachia when many families had to relocate for the creation of the Smoky Mountain National Park. My review is here.

This could be a Spring night, and I love the Starling. This is another fantastic small-town book with a touch of magic by Heather Webber. It is set in Starlight, Alabama. My review is here.

UPDATE

I was on vacation in Florida last week visiting my friend Lyric, so I didn’t post at all. I am back in the swing, hopefully. The thing about retirement is I get up whenever I want, putter around, and I often look at the clock, surprised it’s almost dinnertime and wondering where the time has gone! I am working on that! I have missed blogging!

The week prior to my vacation we had a wildfire in the area (Alarka in Bryson City) that consumed around 2000 acres! It was between four and seven miles from my house, but thankfully our brave firefighters got it contained. We had planes coming in from as far away as Montana to help fight the blaze, and God helped too, with a huge rainstorm right before I left. I believe one house was lost, but it could have been a lot worse. No lives were lost. I am thankful.

Have a wonderful week!

Book Review: Kinfolk by Sean Dietrich #Alabama #1970sfiction #smalltownfiction #SouthernFiction

BonnieReadsAndWrites14 Comments

Alabama 1970s. When Nub Taylor decides to initiate a drunken car chase in Park (temporarily renamed Papk), Alabama, he ends up in the hospital next to 15-year-old Minnie Bass, who has just lost her mother due to suicide. Theirs is an unlikely friendship, for Nub can’t even stay sober long enough to have a relationship with his actual daughter, Emily, who has just received a terminal cancer diagnosis. In a series of events that can only happen in a small town, Nub applies to be Minnie’s foster parent. But there are secrets that are about to be revealed that will change everyone forever.

I started this at night and finished it the next morning. I loved it so much that I gave it ten stars, even though my rating system is based on five stars. Because it was just that good, and I felt like breaking my own rules. This is an amazing story of love, forgiveness, redemption, and second chances. The Southern small-town cast of characters–good, bad, and judgmental–is a delight. Throw in bullies, organized crime, and a mysterious protector, and this is a book you won’t want to put down. I laughed and sobbed. That’s how good this was. I want to read everything this author has ever written. Apparently Sean Dietrich has written 31 books, so I have 30 to go.

If you love Southern Fiction, read this! If you love Small Town fiction, read this. If you love redemptive stories about found family, read this! If you want to laugh and cry, read this. Read it. You won’t be disappointed. I loved it so much I’ve already preordered the audiobook.

I received a free copy of this book from Harper Muse via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Kinfolk will be released on November 14, 2023.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (FROM HIS WEBSITE)

Sean Dietrich is a columnist, novelist, and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Southern Living, Reader’s Digest, Garden and Gun, The Tallahassee Democrat, the Birmingham News, and The Mobile Press Register. His column appears in newspapers throughout the U.S. He has authored fifteen books and is the creator of the Sean of the South Podcast. He also makes appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.

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Audiobook Review: At The Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber

BonnieReadsAndWrites6 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

A mysterious letter. An offer taken. And the chance to move forward.

When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. A normal life. Ava has always been too fearful to even travel, so no one’s more surprised than she is when she throws caution to the wind and drives to the distant beachside town.

On the surface, Maggie Mae Brightwell is a bundle of energy as she runs Magpie’s, Driftwood’s coffee and curiosity shop, where there’s magic to be found in pairing the old with the new. But lurking under her cheerful exterior is a painful truth—keeping busy is the best way to distract herself from the lingering loss of her mama and her worries about her aging father. No one knows better than she does that you can’t pour from an empty cup, but holding on to the past is the only thing keeping the hope alive that her mama will return home one day.

Ava and Maggie soon find they’re kindred spirits, as they’re both haunted—not by spirits, but by regret. They must learn to let go of the past to move on—because sometimes the waves of change bring you to the place where you most belong.

Maggie is the heart and soul of Magpie’s Coffee and Curiosity Shop. The shop had belonged to her mother, who was caught in a riptide, disappeared years ago, and is presumed dead by everyone but Maggie. Although her father has been talking about selling the shop lately, Maggie is determined to hold on to Magpie’s, which she still considers her mother’s shop. Maggie also has concerns about her father’s strange behavior lately and is thinking about hiring an aide to live with him. She creates and then discards an ad for someone to care for a cantankerous old man. When Ava receives a strange letter and a crumpled advertisement for a job as an aide to an older man in Driftwood, Alabama, she decides this is the perfect fresh start after the death of her ex-boyfriend. Ava closely guards two secrets. She had epilepsy as a child, and she developed some extrasensory abilities after her last grand mal seizure.

I loved every bit of this book, from the coffee shop, to the town, to the quirky characters. Driftwood is a typical small town where everyone is in everyone else’s business, but it also has some very unique residents. Estrelle, who always dresses in black, might just predict your future or give you bad breath if she chooses. Maggie has a gift for picking out the perfect “curiosity” for friends and customers, and the newcomer Ava’s gifts are special indeed. In addition to gifts, the town holds many secrets, and so much love that the reader will feel pulled right in. There is romance in every corner, but the themes of loss, trusting others, and moving forward shine through. I hope there will be a sequel, because this town already has a place in my heart.

The narration of the audiobook was very well done by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, who perfectly captured both the characters and magic of this small town.

I received a free copy of this audiobook via Macmillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather Webber, aka Heather Blake, is the author of more than twenty-five novels. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book.

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ABOUT THE NARRATORS

Hallie Ricardo

Originally from Bloomfield, New Jersey, Hallie was introduced to the performing arts by her Broadway performer parents. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting from the University of Southern California’s School of Theatre in Los Angeles and now works as a professional film and television actress and audiobook narrator. She has narrated over 100 titles over the past five years across various genres, including  bestselling series Ivy+Bean and most recently the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award winning series Beak and Ally. Hallie is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and is unabashedly obsessed with her two cats, Vinny and Josie.

Stephanie Willis is a professional actress, instructor, and voice-over artist. She is a graduate of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and has taught with Georgia Shakespeare and several other performing arts schools. She also records narration for videos and audiobooks.

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Book Review: Hang The Moon by Jeannette Walls #ProhibitionEra #bootlegging #HistoricalFiction

BonnieReadsAndWrites10 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

From Jeannette Walls, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle, comes a riveting new novel about an indomitable young woman in Virginia during Prohibition.

Most folks thought Sallie Kincaid was a nobody who’d amount to nothing. Sallie had other plans.

Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.

Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.

BOOK REVIEW

This is a sweeping saga of a town and a family during the days of prohibition. It is also a tale about how one man’s actions can affect a whole generation. It is so captivating that I read it in one sitting. The characters are easy to connect with, especially Sallie. The way that layers of family mystery are slowly, painfully unpeeled is masterful.

I especially appreciated the way Walls describes how someone with a magnetic personality can captivate and sometimes destroy others. I’ve seen it happen myself. The way Sallie grows from castoff child to a leader in the family is a true coming-of-age story. I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction, prohibition-era fiction, and anyone who wants to read the work of a talented author.

I received a free copy of the book from the publisher, Scribner, via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeannette Walls was born in Phoenix, Arizona and grew up in the American Southwest and Welch, West Virginia. She graduated from Barnard College and was a journalist in New York for twenty-five years, writing for New York Magazine, Esquire, and MSNBC. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, has been a New York Times bestseller for more than eight years, has been translated into more than thirty languages and was made into a film starring Brie Larson. She is also the author of the best-selling novels The Silver Star and Half Broke Horses, which was named one of the ten best books of 2009 by the editors of the New York Times Book Review. Her new novel, Hang the Moon, was published by Scribner in March 2023. Walls lives in central Virginia with her husband, the writer John Taylor.

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Blog Tour and #bookreview: Elodie’s Library of Second Chances #RachelsRandomResources

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Elodie’s Library of Second Chances

An uplifting story about fresh starts, new beginnings and the power of stories, from the bestselling author of Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop!

When Elodie applies for the job of librarian in peaceful Willow Grove, she’s looking forward to a new start. As the daughter of a media empire, her every move has been watched for years, and she longs to work with the thing she loves most: books.

It’s a chance to make a real difference too, because she soon realises that there are other people in Willow Grove who might need a fresh start – like the homeless man everyone walks past without seeing, or the divorcée who can’t seem to escape her former husband’s misdeeds.

Together with local journalist Finn, Elodie decides these people have stories that need sharing. What if instead of borrowing books readers could ‘borrow’ a person, and hear the life stories of those they’ve overlooked?

But Elodie isn’t quite sharing her whole story either. As the story of the library’s new success grows, will her own secret be revealed?

BOOK REVIEW

I love books about libraries, but this is more than just a book about a library. This is a book about people, and getting the chance to tell your own story. The beginning of the book which describes Elodie’s experiences as the daughter of media moguls is not as interesting, but it takes on a completely different life when she arrives in Willow Grove and starts planning to save the library. I am not always a fan of the “poor little rich girl” theme, but this book won me over.

I especially loved the way Elodie was drawn to the town outcasts and wanted to know about their lives. The misunderstood, ostracized, bullied, and betrayed were given a voice. They became living books in the People’s Library, which I think is an extraordinary part of this novel. Elodie’s idea to have library patrons meet with a person at the library for 30 minutes and hear their story is completely inspired. I can think of so many people I would like to “check out” at the library in real life. There is a sweet romance, and somewhat of a villain in this novel, but overall this is not a complicated book. Elodie’s Library of Second Chances is a meaningful book that teaches us an important lesson–everyone has a story to tell, if we are willing to listen.

I received a free copy of this book from the pubishers via Rachel’s Random Resources. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romances from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once-in-a-lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.

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#AudiobookReview: In The Middle of Hickory Lane

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Emme Wynn has wanted nothing more her whole life than to feel like part of a family. Having grown up on the run with her con artist mother, she’s been shuffled from town to town, drawn into bad situations, and has learned some unsavory habits that she’s tried hard to overcome. When her estranged grandmother tracks her down out of the blue and extends a job offer—helping to run her booth at an open-air marketplace in small-town Sweetgrass, Alabama—Emme is hopeful that she’ll finally be able to plant the roots she’s always dreamed of. But some habits are hard to break, and she risks her newfound happiness by keeping one big truth to herself.

Cora Bee Hazelton has her hands full with volunteering, gardening, her job as a color consultant and designer, and just about anything she can do to keep her mind off her painful past, a past that has resulted in her holding most everyone at arm’s length.

In the magical neighborhood garden in the middle of Hickory Lane, Emme and Cora Bee learn some hard truths about the past and themselves, the value of friends, family, and community, and most importantly, that true growth starts from within.

#BookReview

Emme is an outsider–cast aside, neglected, and abused by her con artist mother and desperately looking for a family to be part of. When Glory, her father’s mother, finds her and offers her a job, Emme warily accepts, hoping for a family, although she knows something Glory does not. Cora Bee has experienced rejection, heartbreak, and betrayal of her own, and is dealing with the aftermath. Slowly Cora Bee and Emme form a friendship, but can either of them ever trust anyone? At the same time, a body has been discovered in a sinkhole in the community garden. Do some of the residents of Hickory Lane know more than they are telling? Rejection, secrets, judgments, and missing pieces all come together in this wonderful novel set in Sweetgrass, Alabama.

When I think of small-town fiction, this is what I want. I want a community of interesting characters who are so fun and engaging that I feel like I’ve joined the town myself. I want secrets, big personalities, loss, misunderstandings, and hope of belonging. This book meets all of that and more. Now here’s the kicker: throw in a bit of magical realism! I was hooked! I laughed and cried, and I wondered how in the world I missed Heather Webber’s 25 other books! I definitely want to go and live on Hickory Lane, but in the meantime, I’m going to be catching up on this author’s other works, which I hope are as delightful as this one. This book is perfect for fans of Fannie Flagg’s small-town novels.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed an absolutely stellar performance by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather Webber, aka Heather Blake, is the author of more than twenty-five novels. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book.

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Book Blogger Hop #Audiobooks #MacmillanAudio

BonnieReadsAndWrites12 Comments

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book-related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog. See the latest question below:

Never. I love audiobooks, and I usually listen to them when driving or laying down. I really get immersed in the audiobook when I’m listening to it and have no need to follow along with the print version.

Also, since I usually listen while driving, reading along would definitely be frowned upon by the State of Tennessee!

Here is a link to an audiobook I just listened to that is going to get a 5-plus star rating from me in my review next week: If you like small-town fiction, click on the cover and pick this up for a fantastic audiobook experience.

What about you? Do you follow along with the print when you listen to an audiobook? Any great listens you want to recommend?

#Audiobook Review: Secrets of Magpie Cove #smalltownfiction

BonnieReadsAndWrites8 Comments

Lila has fled the city and is reinventing her life in Magpie Cove. She’s attending patisserie school and working in Serafina’s cafe. Serafina is a loving, outgoing, and kind woman who keeps the town going. When she passes, Lila is left with a lot of uncertainty, including whether or not she still has a job. When Lila’s son takes over the cafe, things get even worse. Will Lila have to leave Magpie Cove?

This is a sweet and fairly uncomplicated romance, but it really doesn’t need many complications. The descriptions of Lila’s small-town life, her supportive friends, and her constant tension with Nathan make for a great story. I loved the inclusion of Lila’s fight to help feed the elderly in her town and the descriptions of the food she was making in the cafe or patisserie school. The fact that so many people have food insecurities they might be keeping secret is a major theme in this book, to its credit. Lila’s struggles to deal with a past miscarriage are explored as well. The characters are interesting and endearing. Anyone who loves small-town romances should plan a visit to Magpie Cove.

I listened to the audiobook and Katie Villa does a great job with the narration.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Saga Egmont Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kennedy Kerr is a USA Today Bestselling fiction author. She adores beaches, lochs and stone circles, and loves writing about small communities, mysteries and family secrets. She has a very cuddly cat called Twinkle who spends her days sleeping: Kennedy aspires to having Twinkle’s nap schedule one day.

Kennedy’s Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

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Blog Tour and Book Review: A Secret at Tansy Falls #Bookouture #BookTour

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The old farmhouse at Tansy Falls. A little patch of paradise in the hills of Vermont. Home to happy couple Connie and Nate. And a long-buried secret that will ignite a devastating spark…

As the summer sun sets over the sleepy Vermont town of Tansy Falls, Connie is reminded of how lucky she is. Every day, when she leaves the job she loves, managing the Covered Bridge Inn with her best friend Piper, she looks forward to returning to the farmhouse she shares with her husband Nate. At home, her flowerbeds overflow with day lilies and the weathered brick walls of her beautiful house glow in the evening light. The air is filled with the scent of the puffed apple pancakes she prepared that morning.

But one night, when Nate returns home, he is distant. He and Connie have been married for a long time, and while the laughter and lingering kisses have dwindled, Connie believed they would be together forever. So when a stranger arrives on their doorstep with a shocking secret about Nate, Connie’s life changes beyond all recognition.

Connie never thought she’d need to start over and live a life without Nate by her side. But as her heart breaks, Piper and the team at the inn are ready to help stitch it back together, with thoughtful advice washed down with warm spiced cider. As Connie begins to feel whole again, distraction arrives in the form of olive-skinned, broad-shouldered newcomer James. Nate has taught Connie that she doesn’t need a man, but James’s arrival helps her discover that she can follow her own dreams too. But as more secrets come to the surface, Connie wonders if she’ll ever truly be able to leave behind her past for good…

If you love gripping, heartbreaking romantic stories by Elin Hildebrand and Robyn Carr, you will be hooked by A Secret at Tansy Falls. A completely compelling read about secrets and betrayal that will have you reaching for the tissues.

BOOK REVIEW

We are back in Tansy Falls, where the manager of the Covered Bridge Inn, Connie, has a lot of challenges going on. The biggest of those is that her once-solid marriage seems to be on shaky ground as her husband struggles with unemployment. On top of that, her father is dating someone young enough to be his granddaughter, and her son seems to be in serious trouble at college. How does she handle all of this, on top of turning 49 and trying to manage a major event at the Inn? Follow Connie and the other residents of Tansy Falls on another enjoyable and enlightening adventure, and find out. This second book in the Tansy Falls series can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the first book to really meet the town and its residents.

I really enjoy this town and these characters, and Cate Woods keeps things interesting by introducing new people and new situations. The Inn is delightful, and we get to see old friends we met in book one, The Inn at Tansy Falls, which I also read and reviewed. I liked that the main focus of this story is on an almost-50-year old woman and some of the challenges we face in our 50s. Tansy Falls is a place I would definitely want to visit, and the town residents are a cast of characters the reader will enjoy getting to know. This book is hard to put down, and checking into the Covered Bridge Inn again is a fun way to spend a day. Fans of small-town fiction and family stories will love this heartwarming novel.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites without a half-star option.

I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cate Woods

Cate Woods made the most of her university degree in Anglo-Saxon Literature by embarking on a career making tea on programs, including The Big Breakfast, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and French & Saunders. After narrowly missing out on the chance to become a Channel 5 weather girl, she moved into the world of magazine journalism, then ghostwriting and now writes novels under her own name. She has written two best-selling romantic comedies – Just Haven’t Met You Yet and More Than a Feeling – and a festive novel, The Christmas Guest, under the name Daisy Bell. Cate lives in London with her husband and two children.

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