#BookReview #TheBreakupBeforeChristmas #JoffeBooks #ZoolooBookTours

 ✨ Meet Your Next Favourite Author! ✨

🎉 AUTHOR 🎉

 

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Who is AUTHOR?

 

Charlotte Barnes is an academic, crime writer, and poet based in Worcester, UK. Her crime writing covers everything from psychological thrillers to good old-fashioned detective work. She is currently working on a new psychological thriller. 

 

 

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Where can you find them?

 

 

Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/CharleyBarnesWriter/
Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/charleyblogs/
X (formerly Twitter)	https://x.com/charleyblogs
Website	http://www.charleybarneswriter.com/

 

 

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Book Links

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239909536-the-break-up-before-christmas

 

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/breakupchristmas-zbt

 

 

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Blurb

 

 

 

This holiday season, love is going off-script.

Celebrated advice columnist ‘Dear Dotty’ Ellison has made a name for herself by solving everyone else’s problems.

But her life is upended when she unknowingly advises her girlfriend of ten years to break up with her. Through her own advice column.

Newly single, Dotty realises her life behind the picture-perfect brand wasn’t as flawless as she thought. Determined to rediscover who she really is, she decides it’s time to learn how to take her own advice. She begins writing letters to herself through her column.

But everything she thought she’d learned through her journey of self-discovery is thrown into question when she meets the gorgeous Alia at a cooking class.

Now, with Christmas approaching, will she discover that love and life aren’t something you can write, edit or schedule?

The Breakup Before Christmas 

Written By Charlotte Barnes

Review By Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews

First, I want to thank Charlotte Barnes, Joffe Books and Zooloo Book Tours for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review. 

The Breakup Before Christmas by Charlotte Barnes is a very fun, quick and easy read that had me smiling from all the pop culture references in the book. 

I loved how Charlotte dedicated the book to her Mum and says that she is the best Mum in every story she writes. 

Fans of advice columns will love this book because it revolves around Dear Dotty, an advice columnist. I enjoyed reading the letters that Dotty received from the people needing her guidance.  

I got a kick when Jenny totally was fangirling over Dotty when she ran into her! Both Dotty and I were shocked when she said she dumped her boyfriend because of her! 

The Breakup Before Christmas was not as fast paced as I would have liked it to have been and it took me a while to get into the book.  

 

#BlogTour #TheChristmasSpirit #SusanBuchanan #PromoPost #Giveaway #RachelsRandomResources

 

A Taste of Christmas Spirit

AN ALL-NEW CHRISTMAS SPIRIT BOOK FOR 2025

CAN LARA ADD A DASH OF MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS?

The Sugar and Spice bakery sparkles with holiday spirit as Jacob serves up more mouthwatering festive treats, and Christmas spirit Lara tries to sprinkle her magic over those finding the time of year difficult.

Ollie is at his wits’ end. A debt from years ago comes back to haunt him just as he and his girlfriend are buying their dream home.

Rose is dejected as her college sweetheart has dumped her now they’re in their final year. She’s not looking forward to Christmas alone, nor her twenty-first birthday on Christmas Eve.

Sacha has recently moved to Winstanton following the failure of his business. He’s too embarrassed to confide in his family, but can he find the friendship he so desperately needs and begin to trust again?

Diana tries to find her new normal after the unexpected death of her husband earlier this year. All her plans for retirement have been thrown out the window and she feels lost. She needs a renewed sense of purpose and to find her place in the world.

Can Lara provide the answer to a joy-filled Christmas?

A story of hope, love, friendship, community, and of course, Christmas spirit.

For fans of Sarah Morgan, Philippa Ashley, Jenny Colgan and Cathy Bramley.

Praise for the Christmas Spirit series:

‘Christmas all wrapped up!'
'Right from page one you are drawn into all the joys of Christmas!'
'A lovely story about love, friendship and hope all wrapped up in a lovely Christmas jumper!'
'You can taste the hot chocolate, see all the Christmas lights and feel the warmth of a Christmas hug.'

Purchase Link - https://books2read.com/u/4997jw

Author Bio – 

Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction and romantic comedies, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship, community – also Christmas!

Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, A Little Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Leap Year Proposal and You Can’t Hurry Love

As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.  

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors. 

She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador. 

When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.

 

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/susancbuchananauthor

X @susan_buchanan and Instagram @AuthorSusanBuchanan and Threads @authorsusanbuchanan and BlueSky @susanbuchanan.bsky.social

And on her website www.susanbuchananauthor.com

 

Giveaway to Win a signed and dedicated paperback of A Taste of Christmas Spirit (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

https://gleam.io/lJuA1/win-a-signed-and-dedicated-paperback-of-a-taste-of-christmas-spirit-open-uk-only

#BookReview #TheEmptySideofOurBed #AJourneyThroughLoveLossandMovingForward #BillBeckett

 

Synopsis: The Empty Side of Our Bed
by Bill Beckett

When Bonnie died, so did the life we built together. The laughter, the routines, the quiet glances across a crowded room that said, “I’ve got you.” One moment I was her husband, her caregiver, her partner of decades. The next, I was a widower, walking through our house like a ghost, surrounded not by her absence but by the traces of her in every room.

The Empty Side of Our Bed is a raw, deeply personal memoir about what happens after the funeral, after the casseroles, after the sympathy cards stop arriving. It is about waking up in the middle of the night and instinctively reaching for a hand that is no longer there, and about trying to be strong for your children when you can barely stand on your own. Grief here is not a clean arc of healing. It is a relentless tide that crashes and recedes without warning.

The story begins in the immediate aftermath of Bonnie’s passing, when I take a road trip with my son Billy, more zombie than man, trying to put distance between myself and the hospital bed where I watched her take her last breath. What follows is a year of unraveling, and slowly, thread by thread, a quiet reweaving.

I explore the brutal bureaucracy of death, the surreal pain of “firsts” without her, the cruel math of identity, and the way memory can both comfort and wound. I write about how work fell apart, how friendships changed, and how even family could not always reach me. I share the awkward, guilt-filled steps of dating again, and how love after loss is never a clean slate but something written over grief that never fully fades.

This is not just a chronicle of sorrow. It is a story of stubborn, ordinary resilience, of how children, grandchildren, therapy, and even a magic show or two can pull you back from the edge. It is about learning that the empty side of the bed may always be there, but you can still find a way to rest beside it.

Written for anyone who has lost a partner, this memoir refuses tidy resolutions or false uplift. Instead, it offers companionship and a voice that says, “I know this place. I have been here too. You are not alone.”

Link to purchase - https://www.amazon.com/Empty-Side-Our-Bed-Journey/dp/B0FK25R39C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=140X81OZX9WOP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8oLyI8GLbFneCgPRdBhNY_fHM0LxH3URfWaEUHbHE-XGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.sy5uUHduF0kzOjVggQxJ0oG6e0Q0M8wtrbAL64kFMuM&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+empty+side+of+our+bed&qid=1754918070&sprefix=%2Caps%2C531&sr=8-1#customerReviews

Why I wrote the book"

I wrote The Empty Side of Our Bed to keep my wife, Bonnie, alive on the page...to honor the kind, spirited, and unforgettable woman she was. I wanted to tell this story through a lens that is rarely shared, that of a widower learning how to live in a world that feels permanently off-balance. But above all, I wrote it for those who are grieving, especially those who wake to an empty side of the bed. My hope is this story serves as a companion for those navigating loss, reminding them they are never truly alone.

Author Bio & Credentials – Bill Beckett

Bill Beckett is a widower, father of three, and grandfather whose writing is rooted in emotional honesty and lived experience. After spending decades in the IT industry, including a distinguished period working in digital forensics, he turned to writing as a way to process grief and reconnect with purpose following the death of his wife, Bonnie.

His debut memoir, *Love, Family, Cancer*, chronicled Bonnie’s three-year battle with cancer and the love that sustained them through it. The book was praised by readers for its sincerity, warmth, and vulnerability, and received a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite.

In *The Empty Side of Our Bed*, Beckett continues that story, exploring what happens after the loss, how grief evolves, how identity is reshaped, and how family remains both an anchor and a reason to keep going. His writing is deeply personal but widely relatable, resonating with readers who seek comfort, solidarity, and meaning through life’s most difficult seasons.

Bill lives in Georgia, where he enjoys storytelling, time with his children and grandchildren, and writing from the quiet corner of a life forever changed by love and loss.

The Empty Side Of Our Bed

Written By Bill Beckett

Review By Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews 

First, I want to thank Bill Beckett for providing me with his book so I can bring you this review. 

Bill, words can’t express how truly sorry I am for your loss of your wife Bonnie. Thank you for opening up your heart and sharing your story with us. You both shared an incredible love and were so blessed to have each other. Nobody could ever replace her; she was special and one of a kind. 

Bill Beckett’s Empty Side of Our Bed: A Journey Through Love, Loss and Moving Forward was a very emotional read. It is a follow up from his memoir Love, Family, Cancer. It is a quick read that can be read in one sitting. Warning you may need tissues. 

This book was difficult for me to read emotionally because I am still grieving the loss of my Dad who passed 8 months ago. Like Bonnie was Bill’s person my Dad was mine (well my best friend). Many aspects of the book I could relate to. Some hit me harder than others. For example The ashes in the urn once being his physical body no I will never get over that. I don’t know how Bill stayed so calm but I didn’t.

Intertwined in this book you will find pictures of Bill, Bonnie and their sons (Matthew, Billy and Nathan) cards, and written letters. 

The Empty Side of Our Bed would be perfect for a bereavement group, hospice group, family/friend that passed away, or even a book club.