Today I am joining in with Zoe at Zooloo’s Book Diary as she has a fabulous “Author Take Over” feature where she puts an Author and their books in the spotlight. Zoe’s current Author Take Over is with Kim Nash and I am delighted to join in to shout about Kim’s books, they are amzingly brilliant reads.

My mum is also a fan of Kim’s books and she says that “Kim’s writing feels honest and has a good realistic feel”. This was something my Mum mentioned a while ago, it just goes to show that I do listen to what she says, and this little inclusion will come as a surprise to her 😉😁 xx

When I first saw that Kim was releasing a book I immediately signed up for the Blog Tour. I was sent a digital copy of the book and read it that afternoon, yep the whole book in one sitting and I knew I had found an author who I was going to immediately add to my list of must read authors. This list is one that I have where any new books by these authors come available I will read without even glancing at the synopsis. Yes Kim made that list with her first book!

The first book is Amazing Grace, and Amazing is just what it is. Here is the synopsis…

She’s taking her life back, one step at a time…

Grace thought she had it all. Living in the beautiful village of Little Ollington, along with head teacher husband Mark and gorgeous son, Archie, she devoted herself to being the perfect mum and the perfect wife, her little family giving her everything she ever wanted. 

Until that fateful day when she walked in on Mark kissing his secretary – and her perfect life fell apart. 

Now she’s a single mum to Archie, trying to find her way in life and keep things together for his sake. Saturday nights consist of a Chinese takeaway eaten in front of the TV clad in greying pyjamas, and she can’t remember the last time she had a kiss from anyone aside from her dog, Becks… 

Grace’s life needs a shake up – fast. So when gorgeous gardener Vinnie turns up on her doorstep, his twinkling eyes suggesting that he might be interested in more than just her conifers, she might just have found the answer to her prayers. But as Grace falls deeper for Vinnie, ten-year-old Archie fears that his mum finding love means she’ll never reconcile with the dad he loves. 

So when ex-husband Mark begs her for another chance, telling her he’s changed from the man that broke her heart, Grace finds herself with an impossible dilemma. Should she take back Mark and reunite the family that Archie loves? Or risk it all for a new chance of happiness? 

Here is my full review for this wonderful book…

Oh My Goodness this book is superb and my poor emotions have gone through the wringer, crying and laughing to myself one moment to anger within the turn of a page. This author has a story that is so very realistic and one that can be related to.

Grace has gradually got stuck in a rut after the breakdown of her marriage. Her son Archie spends the odd evening and weekend at his Dad’s house. During these times loneliness creeps in for Grace, weight goes on, clothes are black and shapeless…then the intervention by her friend Monica.

It seems that things after this intervention tart to fall into place, or is it because Grace starts to feel confident? A phone call to landscape gardener Vinnie sees a spark of interest flicker back to life in Grace again. Mark, her ex, however, is not going to make things easy.

The characters in this book are just brilliant, the dilemmas are very real and the scenarios they find themselves in are also ones that I found it very easy to relate to. The uncertainties of new relationships combined with the guilt of old add tension.

There are so many thought-provoking moments in this book. They start from the dedication at the very beginning of the book, yep even before I even got to the start of the story I knew I was going to like this book. In fact, I didn’t just like it, I bloody loved it, every single word.

I did mention emotions, anger yes that was there and also a surprising little comment from a young boy, and there are some very special moments in italics, these you will discover for yourself. But these had me reaching for the tissues time and again.

It was one of those books that just wrapped me up immediately and held me in its embrace. It is a stunning, beautifully written story about Grace and life, she discovers she needs to love herself more, occasionally put herself first, to take a chance on life, start to live and to stand up for herself.

This is a book I would absolutely and most definitely recommend.

Kim’s second book is…

A dog’s life is just what Maddy needs

Maddy Young thought she had it all.

Swanky city apartment? – yep. Fancy car? sorted. High-flying career? – tick.

Even if she’s lost most of her friends because of spending all her time at work, and can’t remember when she last had fun, it’s worth it.

Until she’s suddenly made redundant. Now she’s 37, jobless, and after the breakup with the former love of her life, unhappily single.

Enter Maddy’s childhood friend, Beth, the owner of Growlers, the doggy daycare centre at Giddywell Grange, on a mission to make Maddy see there’s more to life than work.

Soon, Maddy is swapping spreadsheets for volunteer duty at the library, daily Starbucks for cups of tea with elderly neighbours, and her Prada handbag for doggy poo bags… And with Beth’s gorgeous brother, Alex, back from the States, Maddy starts to think that Giddywell Grange might just be her happy place.

But when her old life – and her old boyfriend – comes calling, will Maddy go back to the job she loved so much? Or will she discover that the key to happiness lies in making others happy?

Here’s my review for Kim’s second fabulous book…

The synopsis gives a wonderful idea as to what the book is about. I met maddy as she is nervously waiting for her meeting where she is expecting to be promoted. This is something that Maddy feels she deserves due to all the hard work she has being doing over the years in PR. Work has been her life she has missed family and friends important events and not seen them as much as she should have done because she has been too busy with her work. So from anticipated nervous excitement she is suddenly dropped into a devastated place where she feels she is now surplus to requirements.

I immediately felt my heart go out to Maddy and I quickly found myself caught up with the story within a matter of a few paragraphs. This is the second book by this author and yet again she has absolutely and completely had me hooked and wrapped up within her writing.

I love how quickly the author shows the extreme emotions with Maddy, from enthusiasm to dejected in just a few words. It is this empathy that she brings out in the reader that shows how well she engages with this reader. I think this is why she is going to be a writer whose future books I will always buy without giving it a second thought. I know this is only the second book she has written but I am already a huge fan.

So, from starting the book I spent a few delightful hours devouring the story, I learned about Maddy, her Mum and her best friend Beth. I love how the once best friends had drifted due to Maddy’s work, but instantly connected when Maddy decides to come home again. I must say I also love the characters of Uncle Tom and Alex. They, along with Mum and Beth are full of advice and support as Maddy tries to find her feet and are on hand with loads of love and hugs with the occasional kick up the backside for good measure.

I loved watching the transformation in Maddy from a highflying PR career woman to one who pick up poo as she helps in Beth’s Dog Kennels. The author got the balance so right as it would have been so easy to stray into that feeling of “how the mighty have fallen”, but instead of that she created a character who is warm, helpful and supportive, as I said she got the balance right! The author has created little situations where Maddy is not expected to take part, but she when she surprises people and does these little tasks, it makes for humorous reading.

Life is not straight forward for Maddy and even though she has taken a step back from the PR world, she still has her eye out for another job while helping Beth out. I loved that nothing was straight forward and I wasn’t sure how things were eventually going to pan out and I discovered some nice little surprises along the way!

The author has once again created a story that completely wrapped me up for the few hours that I sat and read. I loved watching the characters develop through the story and how they react and interact with each other. The feeling of warmth, love and family at Giddywell Grange is fabulous and sounds a wonderful place that I would quite happily love to live in.

This is a story about searching your soul and doing what is right and best for yourself. Maddy is fortunate to have a great cast behind her as she learns and discovers things about herself, what makes her happy and I loved watching her discover that there is more to life than a high flying stressful career.

This is a wonderful heartwarming story the I would absolutely Recommend because it is just fabulous. And left me wanting to read more by this author.

So here’s a bit more about this wonderful Author…

Kim Nash is an author of feel-good, heart-warming, romantic comedies. She lives in Staffordshire with son Ollie and English Setter Roni, is Head of Publicity for Bookouture and is a book blogger.

Kim won the Romantic Novelists Association’s Media Star of the Year in 2016, which she still can’t quite believe. She is now quite delighted to be a member of the RNA. When she’s not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog, reading, standing on the sidelines of a football pitch cheering on Ollie and binge watching box sets on the TV. She’s also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Cannock, Staffs. 

Amazing Grace was her debut novel with Hera Books and came out in April 2019.Escape to Giddywell Grange is Kim’s second novel and was published on September 18th 2019. 

Follow Kim on- Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Instagram

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or a share would be amazing 🙂 xx