Tag Archives: Reviews

Hot Romance Books For 2024

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The Bookbinder’s Guide to Love by Katherine Garbera

The Bookbinder’s Guide to Love is the ultimate witchy rom-com, set in a magical bookshop and featuring the perfect enemies to lovers romance. Readers who loved The Ex Hex and The Pumpkin Spice Café will love this bewitching storyline, and its spicy romance scenes. Out now.

As a lonely foster child, Serafina Conte sought refuge in handmaking journals – and writing her wishes into their pages. Now, in the witchy shop she shares with her two best friends, her journals have catapulted into the spotlight and are rumoured to manifest remarkable things.

But her plot hits a twist.

After the death of her mentor, Ford Sitwell, her only comfort is the box of antique books he left her. Except Ford’s suspicious grandson, Wes, wants them back! Sera won’t back down, but it’s clear Wes is seeking more – an emotional connection no book can replace. So, he offers to work in her shop for six weeks if she’ll help him get closure by sharing memories of his late grandfather.

Wes may seem grumpy, but he is devastatingly good looking…and maybe even kind. Surely nothing’s going to happen between them, or will Sera’s story take her where she least expected?

The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovksy

For readers of Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston and The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun, The (Fake) Dating Game is the sizzling, laugh out loud romantic comedy where the fun of a reality show competition meets the undeniable chemistry of two men who are only dating for the cameras. 

Things are not going well for Holden James. His chance to audition for his favourite game show, Madcap Market, should have been great – a tribute to his mum, who died six years ago. Instead, he’s destroying the minibar in a grim hotel room… recently dumped and sliding into misery. But at least he has room service. It even comes with a sexy (smart-ass) concierge who arrives with pizza, Monopoly, and rather distracting forearms.

All Holden knows about Leo Min is that he’s beautiful, unexpectedly sympathetic, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. Maybe it’s even enough to convince the show’s casting directors that they’re a real couple. And if they can win the competition and the huge cash prize, all of Holden’s problems – his broken heart, buried grief, and complete lack of money and direction – will be solved.

Of course, nothing ever works out as planned. And love is an entirely different game…

Love Game by Emma Rae

Set in Wimbledon, South West London with a lot of real setting, this one was of particular interest to this SW Londoner.

Can a player on the court be a keeper at home?

Elle’s love language is food. But finding the right kind of work in her industry is difficult. After multiple different stints and temporary work, she lands her dream role: a personal chef to huge tennis star, Nicky Salco. It’s just a bonus that he’s handsome and athletic…but totally off limits.

The pressure is on, and not just in the kitchen. As Nicky trains for hours on the court for Wimbledon, Elle treads carefully around his brutally judgemental fiancée, while also trying to ignore her own boyfriend’s cheating habits.

But the temperature rises when Nicky’s training leads him to get hungry late at night and Elle is the one tasked with keeping his belly full. Despite being worlds apart, their late night rendezvous seem to lead to more than what they intended.

Should they risk the lives they have already built, for the lives they truly want?

A sizzling, forced-proximity sporting romance that fans of Hannah Grace and Ali Hazelwood will fall head over heels for.

It’s out on May 24th and I loved it. Great characters and setting.

Still Unwritten by Caroline Khoury

Loved this. Great characters and story. Drew me in from the first page.

Forty-eight hours to find her passion. Seven days to find his way back on stage. One chance to take a risk on love.

If Fran doesn’t nail this audition for a major TV role, she’s officially done as an actress. She just needs to tap into her inner seductress… who doesn’t seem to exist.

Enter stage right: Jae-seung.

To Fran, he’s just her landlord’s ridiculously hot nephew, helping her rehearse. To the rest of the world, Jae-seung is lead singer of global sensation, JYNKS – and he’s missing in action.

Together, they embark on an international journey of discovery: Fran, to track down her estranged mother and unlock her tightly guarded heart; Jae-seung, to continue (reluctantly) with his tour rehearsals. The chemistry between them is off the charts. But Jae-seung’s life is in South Korea, under strict contracts and constant scrutiny. Would a fling unleash Fran’s passion, or break the heart she’s learning to open?

A fast-paced, forbidden romance for fans of Helen Hoang, Lindsey Kelk and Ali Hazelwood.

Frenemy Fix-Up by Yahrah St John

Accountant Colin Anderson is a workaholic. Shay Davis is finally living her dream of owning a yoga studio. They may have gone to school together – but that’s where their similarities end. He’s Mr Corporate, hustling late into the night, while she flows through sun salutations and half-moon poses.

So when a health scare pushes Colin to make a few life changes, he knows where to turn. If he’s going to alter his work-life balance, he’ll need the right woman – and to do that, he must prioritise his health. Who better than Shay to help whip him into shape so he can win back his high school girlfriend?

The catch is, she only has ninety days to do it. And they can barely stand each other. But as their sessions start to heat up the studio, Colin and Shay move further and further away from what they thought they wanted…

***

Perfect for fans of:

Frenemies to lovers 🔥

Spice 🌶️

Opposites attract ❤️

The Devil in Blue Jeans by Stacey Kennedy

Deal with a devil

Moving to Montana to buy a dive bar with her two best friends sounded like the perfect plan to Charly Henwood. And after her cheating ex-boyfriend destroyed their relationship and their nightclub, she’s determined to focus on herself, her friends, and their business.

But it turns out the regulars resent newcomers swapping their craft beer for an extensive cocktail menu. Especially The Naked Moose’s previous owner, Jaxon Reed. The last thing Charly needs is a cocky cowboy telling her how to run her bar, or her life. But they make a deal – if Jaxon agrees to be the prize in a charity auction, Charly will make the bar a little more cowboy-friendly.

Except Charly finds herself doing battle with a man who is determined to win her over. And if her resolve goes up in flames, her heart is sure to follow…

***

Perfect for fans of:

Enemies to lovers 🔥

Small-town settings 🏡

Cowboy romance 🤠

Discover endless possibilities of creativity with Connetix Tiles UK 62-Piece Set

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There are no words for how much I love the Connetix Tiles UK 62-Piece Set. This is one of the best toys you can buy a child. It keeps them entertained for hours and fosters their creativity. My two-year-old spends hours making the most beautiful creations. They are the best antidote to screen time.

These award-winning magnetic building tiles are designed to inspire young minds and encourage open-ended play. With 62 vibrant, translucent tiles in various shapes and sizes, your child can build and construct anything they can dream of. From towering castles to futuristic spaceships, the possibilities are truly limitless. The unique magnetic design allows for easy connection, ensuring that every creation stays strong and sturdy.

Not only do Connetix Tiles foster creativity, but they also promote important cognitive skills, including problem-solving, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination. Whether your child is a budding architect, engineer, or artist, these tiles provide the perfect platform for their growth and development.

Crafted from high-quality materials, Connetix Tiles guarantee durability and longevity. The smooth edges and strong magnets ensure a safe and enjoyable play experience for children aged 3 and above. Plus, the convenient storage box keeps all the tiles organized, so cleanup is a breeze.

 

But don’t just take my word for it—experience the magic of Connetix Tiles for yourself.

Unleash their imagination, fuel their curiosity, and watch their creativity soar with Connetix Tiles UK 62-Piece Set £65 from Connetixtiles.com

 

Perfect Toys For Budding Scientists

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Make Your Own Hydraulic Claw

Teach your kids about robotics. Explore engineering and learn how to build your own hydraulic lifting claw! Kit includes die-cut cardboard pieces, pvc tubing 10ml syringe & screws. Fun and educational.

Geomag E-motion Magnetic Spinning Top Eco Recycled 32 Piece Building Set

The Geomag E-Motion 100% Recycled line is an inventive system of simple construction made of rods and spheres produced in Switzerland. Use the strength and energy of the Geomag magnets and spheres to build crazy spinning tops and suspended models that will spin for ages. Put your building and spinning skills to the test with these sets!

We love Geomag at Frost. Wonderful, inventive toys which give hours of fun.

Kikkerland Handheld Wooden Animal Classic Pinball Game, Owl/Bear/Frog, Picked at Random, for Kids. Small and cute. Perfect for traveling.

Leaping into Summer with LeapFrog and VTech

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We love VTech toys at Frost. They are so imaginative and great for learning.


LeapFrog Ironing Time Learning Set (18+ months)

£18.99 | Smyths Toys Superstores

Children can press into learning about shapes, colours and counting with the motion-activated Ironing Time Learning Set™! This interactive iron plays songs, silly phrases and sound effects when kids move the iron back and forth. Join the iron in 10+ learning activities! Count to five or sing along to the alphabet song as you iron the included play clothes. Turn the temperature dial to hear about colours, fabrics, and low, medium and high heat.

2-in-1 Touch and Learn Tablet (2+ years)

£23|Argos

Children can flip and twist their way through learning this summer with this two-sided, screen-free, pretend tablet. Cleverly switching from portrait story mode, to landscape activity mode, children can read along to their favourite stories and enjoy 14+ touch-sensitive interactive learning areas covering shapes, animals, numbers, emotions and early science concepts.

VTech Toot-Toot Drivers Airport (1-5 Years)

£34.99 | Argos

Fly in to Summer with the Toot-Toot Drivers Aiport. Let’s get ready to fly to your destination! Spinning cloud lets you fly the jet around the control tower! Launcher will send the jet speeding down the runway! Also includes Toot-Toot Jet, 4 SmartPoint™ locations, spinning radar, wind meter, runway lights & more.

VTech Marble Spiral City (4+ years)

£24.99| Smyths Toys Superstores

This exciting colour coded play set features all the pieces you need create a wild Marble Rush™ city. With 5 marbles included and 62 building pieces to assemble, there is plenty of fun to be had for both beginners and pros! Watch as the marbles rush around the swirling funnel, corkscrew and out of the launcher! This play set is compatible with other VTech® Marble Rush™ items! Includes easy to follow assembly instructions!

 

Frost Loves KidiZoom PrintCam For Christmas & Beyond

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I love it when my kids get creative, and I love pictures of them, so this VTech KidiZoom PrintCam is more of a present for me, albeit one that they will love. This super-smart camera lets your kids instantly print pictures of themselves, no ink required. It has over 150 photo effects and activities. What’s more it can print up to 80 black & white photos per roll. It has three games and it also records video.

What’s more it has a comic strip maker, and you can even print off your own cards and pretend money. It’s a fantastic present and I cannot recommend it enough.

Move over David Bailey, step aside Mr Rankin – it’s time to meet the next generation of photography pros with the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam.

   kidizoom , print cam, christmas, kids, camera, creative,

Just in time for Christmas, VTech has got a fresh new addition to its KidiZoom line with the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam – a children’s camera for 5+ years that lets budding photographers print their images immediately, on the go, within minutes. No more waiting to get to a printer!

 

Unleash little ones’ creativity with included special photo effects, stamps and borders, as well as 3 games, panoramic prints, and a comic strip maker! It’s just as easy to create whacky selfies with the flip up lens that allows full use of the camera without changing hand positions! You can also turn your photos into line drawings to colour or use the print shop to print games, design and print your own cards, or even pretend money and accessories.

 

That’s not all though, when combined with a micro-SD Card (not supplied), it functions as a normal digital camera, enabling children to keep their images forever, whether that’s to print them out again in full colour, or for you to save and treasure them for years to come.

 

This is the ultimate device for imaginative and curious children and will unlock a world of creative and artistic opportunity – while you hopefully get some well-earned downtime!

 

RRP: £69.99 | Available from: Smyths Toys Superstores / Argos / Very and Amazon. 

 

Frost Loves Spanish Skincare brand Sepai

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With the last couple days highlighting that summer is nearly upon us, many of us realise that after the year we’ve had, our skin needs some TLC.
Spanish skincare brand, Sepai delivers ultra-performing, customisable skincare that mimics the effect of a personal trainer for your skin, with the ultimate concoction to condition your body. This bodycare cocktail hydrates, firms and revitalises skin.
I love Sepai Sublime Youth. This all-purpose rescue oil is deeply nourishing and leaves skin glowing. You can use it on its own or mix it in with your regular products. I cannot recommend it enough. It has left my skin looking so much better.
sepia , beauty, reviews

New Launches for ESPA & Christophe Robin

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We are super-excited about two new launches from Christophe Robin and ESPA. First up is Christophe Robin Healthy Glow Duo – RRP: £17.00

This contains minis of Cleansing purifying scrub with sea salt and Hydrating melting mask with aloe vera. The perfect ritual for a healthy scalp and deeply hydrated, shiny hair. A 2-step routine to gently detoxify the scalp and deeply hydrate and illuminate hair. This duo really works wonders. It smells great too. We cannot recommend it enough.

ESPA , Christophe Robin, new launches

Next up is ESPA Herbal Tea Infusion RRP: £15.00
Partnering with the mood-boosting benefits of the aromatherapy products in ESPA’s Signature Blends collection, these handcrafted wellbeing teas with their delicious flavours and beautiful aromatics are companions for modern living. With a choice of 6 blends in total, each infusion expertly blended to create moments throughout your day to pause, reflect, connect and inspire, from when you wake in the morning until you’re ready to turn out the lights at night.

Everything about this herbal tea infusion is perfect: the caddy is stylish and elegant. The tea is delicious and relaxing.  It brings instant joy every single time you use it. Love.

 

Oppo Brothers Ice Cream: Famous for Flavour, not Calorie | Frost Loves.

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We have fallen completely in love with this delicious ice cream which is healthy for you and the planet. It is all of the indulgence with 60% less calories and sugar (they use stevia and other natural ingredients) than regular ice cream. The warm weather is coming and there is no better way to celebrate it than with Oppo Brothers Ice cream. The ice cream has protein in it and lots of other natural ingredients that are good for you. I am a particular fan of the Double Chocolate Brownie flavour. 

Even my children love this ice-cream. If it pasts the kids test you know it is a winner. It tastes good and it does good. What more could you want?

Launched in 2014 by brothers Charlie and Harry Thuillier, Oppo’s mission is to create feel good indulgence, without compromising health or planet. Ice cream gives everyone a little lift, and with the sun shining and temperatures rising as we head into summer, Oppo delivers the most indulgent flavours, with up to 60% less calories and sugar than regular ice cream, and no compromise on taste. The first major ice cream brand in the UK to launch a nationwide ice cream delivery service, Oppo customers can get hold of exclusive flavours not available in the shops – arriving in perfect frozen condition. Furthermore, 10% of online profits go to the NHS, meaning #GoodTemptation has never felt better!

oppo brothers ice cream oppo brothers ice cream

Feel good

Ice cream sales exploded last year as Brits treated themselves at home, with an extra 54 million litres going through the tills in 2020₁. Whilst some sought out comfort in calories, others embraced healthier lifestyles during lockdowns and tucked into better-for-you treats like Oppo, with this healthier brand seeing a 40% global increase in sales, and 140% in the UK, more than any of its competitors in the marketplace. In the last 6 years Oppo has saved 5.23bn calories from people’s diet, or 600,000kg of fat, when they choose Oppo over standard ice cream, showing that feeling good can taste good too! 

Only the finest natural ingredients

Oppo brings indulgence without compromising health, using all-natural ingredients from all corners of the earth to provide an all round feel-good ice cream. Fresh meadow-grazed cow’s milk is sourced from a sustainable dairy local to the Oppo creamery. Hero ingredients, which keeps the % of sugar and calories at bay include organic Peruvian Lucuma fruit, known as the ‘Gold of the Incas’ which naturally provides a rich caramel flavour for the Double Salted Caramel. Pure Columbian Cacao Fino de Aroma is ethically sourced and used in chocolate ice cream flavours. Stevia leaf brings the sweetness, without the calories or any nasty additives, whilst Madagascan vanilla seeds, cinnamon from the jungles of Sumatra and fruit are bursting with flavour. 

Flavour is everything

Natural ingredients combine to create the ultimate frozen treat, whatever the weather. With combinations ranging from zingy lemon to crunchy buttery biscuits and mouth-wateringly rich chocolate, there is something for everyone, including a growing list of plant based vegan options:

  • Caramel Cookie Melt

  • Vanilla Pecan Praline Crunch

  • Colombian Chocolate & Hazelnut

  • Double Chocolate Brownie

  • Double Salted Caramel Swirl

  • Canadian Maple Walnut Crunch

  • Very AlmondBerry (vegan)

  • Simply the Zest (vegan)

  • Madagascan Vanilla & Roasted Almond Ice Cream Sticks

  • Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sticks

  • Colombian Chocolate & Hazelnut Ice Cream Sticks

The Oppo Ethos

Oppo believes in #GoodTemptation, doing right by people as well as the environment. Oppo sources their milk locally, from cows that are free to roam naturally, and where circular farming methods are used to control waste and secrete it into a local forest to reduce C02 impact. For every sustainably-managed tree cut down  for the packaging, Oppo plants five more, and their packaging plant runs on green energy. Removing the gold foil from Oppo packaging means that it is easier to recycle, and reduces the energy used in producing it. Cocoa farmers are paid above the market rate, and profits are invested into the local community to build schools and other infrastructure. 

About Oppo Brothers

Brothers Charlie and Harry Thuillier conceived the idea for ice cream that makes you feel-good (indulgence at no expense to health) in Brazil in 2011 whilst breaking the world record for the longest distance travelled by kite. It took 2.5 years to create their first recipe.

Entrepreneurs Charlie and Harry Thuillier pitched their idea on Dragons’ Den, asking for a £60,000 investment for a 7% share of the business. Despite failing to secure the investment, the brothers went on to quickly raise over £1.1m in funding through the Seedrs platform, of which investors have now sold for significant profit. In 2016 tennis champion Andy Murray tried Oppo and loved it so much he invested in the ice cream dream, helping to introduce Oppo to over 140k people. Since then they have become the only lower calorie ice cream brand to win Great Taste Awards, and refuse to compromise on health or taste. Charlie and Harry believe that their success is down to Oppo’s focus on quality of product and premium, natural ingredients, plus an understanding that consumers are unwilling to compromise on taste. 

Oppo is sold in 12 countries worldwide and is stocked in Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose, M&S, Booths, Ocado and more in the UK, as well as being available online for delivery. 

RRP is £4.50 for a 475ml tub 

www.oppobrothers.com

 This Summer they launch two new flavours – Double Chocolate Brownie and the UK’s first CBD ice cream – Choc ‘n Chill with CBD.