Featured blog posts
I’ll see you at the bookshop!
Layne Fargo Books in Order
Currently residing in Chicago, Layne Fargo has a background in theatre, women’s studies, and library science. Her books are unapologetically feminist, and have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
I recently read The Favourites, which adds a dark spin to the current sports romance Booktok trend, and thought it was absolutely fantastic.
Bal Khabra Books in Order
Bal is a Canadian romance author who published her first book in 2024. Her spicy sports romances are sprinkled with references to her South Asian roots, celebrating the beauty of being raised within two cultures.
With two published books and one more to come in 2025, Bal is certainly a writer to watch.
Inside Waterstones Gower Street in London
Here’s my review of London’s historic branch of Waterstones on Gower Street in Bloomsbury.
Known to be the second largest bookshop in Europe that sells both new and used books, Waterstones Gower Street is based in a beautiful grade two listed building in Bloomsbury.
Here you’ll find five miles of books to browse, spanning across five floors - four of which are non-fiction. There’s thought to be around 200,000 titles available in the shop as well as records, board games and art supplies.
The Book Elephant - Bookshop Review
I visited Elephant and Castle’s brand new bookshop, The Book Elephant.
Opening for a soft launch in January 2025, The Book Elephant is located in Elephant and Castle, making it the first bookshop in the area since The Kennington Bookshop closed in 2015.
Inside Hatchards Piccadilly in London - Bookshop Review
Here’s everything you need to know about London’s oldest bookshop.
Founded in 1797, Hatchards claims to be the oldest bookshop in the whole of the UK, and is held in high regard as the bookseller to several generations of the royal family.
Their flagship shop is based in Piccadilly Circus, in the same premises that it’s occupied since 1801. The shop has a gorgeous dark green facade, with dark wood interiors and five floors filled with books.
The Best Bridget Jones Quotes
Helen Fielding is the author of the legendary Bridget Jones book series, which has sold millions of copies around the world.
The first book, Bridget Jones’s Diary, was first published in 1996 and adapted into a highly successful movie starring Renée Zellweger. Fielding later wrote an additional 3 books, with the last being penned in 2016. The fourth movie in the Bridget Jones series, Mad About the Boy, was released in 2025.
All of the Bridget Jones Books and Movies in Order
First published in 1996, Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding has sold millions of copies around the world, with an enduring appeal that relates to several generations of women.
The books themselves were published in an order that doesn’t follow the story chronologically, and I have to admit, it’s something that I’ve found incredibly confusing in the past. The movies, on the other hand, do follow the chronological order of the story, instead of the publication date of the books.
16 Pride and Prejudice Quotes About Life and Love
Dating back to 1813, Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s second novel, and explores the expectations that society places on women - particularly within marriage and romance.
Despite its popularity, Pride and Prejudice was initially published anonymously and Austen only ever received an initial sum of £110, losing out on any further royalties. The first edition published in three separate volumes, before it was later compiled into the novel that it is today.
Pride and Prejudice has an enduring appeal that has seen it adapted into a number of films, stage shows and television series over the last 200 years. Most notably, this includes a 2009 film adaption that features Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett, as well as a 1995 television series where Mark Darcy is portrayed by Colin Firth.
Here are some of the best quotes about love and life from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Talia Hibbert Books in Order
Here is everything you need to know about Talia Hibbert’s books.
With more than 15 novels to her name, Talia is a bestselling romance author currently living in Nottinghamshire.
In a similar way to many other romance writers, Talia started out by self publishing their first novella before being picked up by a traditional publisher. They specialise in writing diverse and inclusive romance stories, inspired by their own long term relationship and experience of living with fibromyalgia.
Lucy Score Books in Order
Here is everything you need to know about Lucy Score’s work.
Now a New York Times bestselling author, Lucy Score originally self published her first novella, selling 36 copies before it was picked up by a small publisher.
Several years later, Lucy signed a print publishing deal with Things We Never Got Over, which became hugely popular on TikTok and was the first of her books to hit the New York Times bestseller list.
Is Lucky Claw in Birmingham Worth the Hype?
I visited during a trip to Wolverhampton after seeing the arcade explode in popularity on TikTok.
I’ve loved arcades since I was a small child, when my dad would try to win me soft toys from the crane machines while we were on holiday.
My adult claw machine attempts have so far been less satisfying, and last year I spend £20 on Brighton Pier while attempting to win myself a prize from one of their many machines. Sadly, I left empty handed as the machines would not grip the toys properly, dropping them unceremoniously after every well aimed plunge of the claw.
Loop Earplugs Review - Do They Actually Work?
Here is my honest review of Loop Earplugs
First launched in 2016, founders Maarten and Dimitri wanted to revolutionise the way that we experience sound, inspired by their desire to enjoy concerts without damaging their hearing.
Nearly a decade later, Loop has now sold more than 4 million earplugs around the world for reasons that go beyond attending concerts, with products for different purposes and preferences.
Today they’re particularly popular within the neurodiverse community, as a way to help people who have a sensitivity to noise.
Inside Mayfield Garden Centre’s Refurbishment (2025)
Run by charity Solent Mind, Mayfield Garden Centre is a not-for-profit plant nursery, cafe and community centre based in Mayfield Park. I was invited to celebrate their reopening after an extensive renovation which saw the main greenhouse’s roof and floor completely replaced.
I visited during their official reopening which was attended by the mayor and a local television crew, who filmed the cutting of the ribbon, followed by a tour of their fantastic new space.
Stepping inside the garden centre, the first thing you’ll see is the main greenhouse, which is home to the centre’s shop and cafe, with a wide variety of plants, gifts, gardening accessories and decorative ornaments available to purchase.
Is the Therme Spa in Bucharest Worth a Visit?
Here’s everything you need to know about the largest spa in Europe, the Therme Spa in Bucharest.
I visited the viral Therme Spa in Bucharest as part of my 30th birthday celebrations, and while I technically knew that it was the largest spa in Europe, I still wasn’t prepared for just how enormous it really is.
The spa itself has three zones which you’ll find after changing in the locker room: The Palm, Galaxy, and Elysium. Each of these has different facilities and tickets are sold accordingly.
Blooms Cafe in Emsworth - Review
Tempted by their delicious looking hot chocolates and Instagram worthy decor, I stopped by Blooms Cafe to give their brunch menu a try.
Located just a short walk out of Emsworth town centre, Blooms Cafe is based on the same site as the Emsworth B&B Hotel.
Their new premises, the tea room, is located inside the hotel, while their previous space remains for visitors with four legged friends (dogs are not allowed inside the hotel).
Inside Heffers Bookshop & Cambridge Bookshop Guide
As one of England’s historic university cities, Cambridge has a wide variety of fantastic bookshops to explore.
Heffers is one of those - a vital and well regarded part of the literary scene in Cambridge, having been present in the city for over 100 years.
Formerly owned by the Heffer family, the shop was founded by William Heffer in 1876, initially selling stationary and later adding books. Heffers was eventually sold to Blackwell’s in 1999, but retains its independent charm.
Abby Jimenez Books In Order
Abby Jimenez writes fantastic contemporary romance novels, publishing her first in 2019 and bringing out a new book each year. I’ve only read a few so far but love what I’ve read and plan to finish reading through her backlist this summer.
Here are each of her books in order, starting with the most recent.
What to Pack for a River Cruise
Here are the essentials that you need to pack for your next river cruise.
If you’re reading this blog post then you’re probably about to set off on a river cruise.
You’ve made a great choice - river cruises are a fantastic way to travel, and the small size of the ships means that you’re able to dock right in the centre of the action.
The Best English Language Bookshops to Visit in Paris
A city beloved by bibliophiles, Paris is packed with stunning bookshops, libraries and literary cafes.
For those interested in literary history, you really are spoilt for choice. Follow in the footsteps of Hemingway by dining at Brasserie Lipp, and sip coffee with Oscar Wilde at Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. You can even visit the home of the famous French author Victor Hugo, who penned The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Misérables.
Paris has continued to embrace and champion the written word, and you’ll find dozens of bookshops to visit around the city. There are even a number of booksellers that specialise in English language books, making these shops a must visit for English speakers.
Shakespeare and Company, Paris - Bookshop Review
I explored Paris’ famous English language bookshop and literary meeting place, Shakespeare and Company.
I arrived at the bookshop on one of those cold yet sunny winter mornings as part of an excursion with Viking Cruises. The tour guide had allocated us an hour of free time to spend as we liked, and as most of the tour group pottered off to peruse the nearby Christmas market, I rubbed my hands together with glee, knowing that I was about to visit one of my bucket list bookshops.
Although many people report having to wait in line to enter Shakespeare and Company, I was fortunate and ended up walking straight inside.
Welcome to the Viking Skaga - one of Viking Cruises’ noble river ships. She takes her name from an ancient Norse myth, where the Valkyrie Skaga rode into battle and escorted the dead to Valhalla, before preparing them to fight in the epic battle of Ragnarok.
A relatively new ship, the Viking Skaga only entered the fleet in 2020. At just 410 feet and carrying 168 guests and 48 crew, she was built specifically to sail down the Seine in France, although the specific itinerary will vary depending on the time of year. I was fortunate enough to join the ship for her week long Christmas on the Seine cruise, which starts and ends in Paris, calling at Vernon, Caudebec-en-Caux, Rouen, Honflour (via an excursion) and Les Andelys along the way.