The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas was a surprise hit when it was independently published last year. In fact, this romantic comedy was picked up by a big name in publishing, Simon and Schuster. So, what did I think of my second completed read of 2022? Did I fall in love with the charming Aaron Blackford? Did Lina Martin enchant me? Listen to the latest episode to find out in my newest spoiler-free and honest review.

Featured Podcast: The Crime Diner (formerly Wine, Dine and Storytime)

This duology had a massive impact on my reading in my tweens and early teens. The series has since become something of a cult hit, especially with girls who grew up in the 1980s. So, what makes this rockstar romance controversial (because it was not without controversy)? Find out why the Cathy Duology of Easy Connections and Easy Freedom still has a loyal following almost 40 years after its release. Is Paul Devlin really the perfect hero? And what made these Liz Berry books so different from others published for the same audience in the 80s?

This is a recent read and a brand new author to me. Lindsey Kelk's 17th contemporary romance, On a Night Like This, released in November 2021. In this spoiler-free review, I talk about the characters, elements of the story that were well-written (of which there were many) and what I did and didn't like. I also talk about my mental health over the last week.

Taking a look back at the last 12 months, all the books, all the films, all the TV shows. And giving you a glimpse into the future, an idea of what's coming up in 2022.

This film was the first project launched specifically for Disney+ in the US, released on November 12, 2019. A Christmas film with Enchanted vibes starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader. It's Christmas, so this is the perfect time of year to review it. So, here it is, Disney's Noelle. Surprisingly, no real big musical numbers, but there is a cute little reindeer, lots of hot chocolate and candy canes.

We're definitely getting closer to Christmas, so, this week I have a guest, Griff from The Paul and Griff Show. We start off by talking about one of Netflix's 2019 Festive offerings, Holiday in the Wild, starring Kristen Davis and 1980s heartthrob, Rob Lowe. We then get a little waylaid on the subject of avoiding spoilers, what makes a Christmas film and our current plans for the next few weeks.

This episode was recorded a few weeks ago and in it, I have introduced Lorraine from Once Upon a Nightmare to a film that is probably more horrific to her than anything she has reviewed before...yes, I made her watch Disney's High School Musical!

To find out exactly what she thought, you'll have to listen, and I hope you laugh at her reactions as much as I did!

In the final episode of Jennifer Aniston season, I am looking at a film that is definitely not all sweetness and light. Witness the breakdown of a relationship as Brooke and Gary do everything they can to make the break-up as painful as possible in 2006's The Break-up.

Watch the alternate ending here.

Today is an extra special Bookshop episode as not only do I discuss the first in the Percy Jackson the Olympians series, but I managed to persuade Kelsey and Kailin from the fantastic book podcast Touch Your Shelf to put a pause on their hiatus to talk about it with me. In the episode we talk about guilty pleasures, mythology, why bookshelves should (or shouldn't) be carefully organised and so much more. Give the episode a listen to find out what we really enjoyed about the book and the things that caused us to pause and stare blankly at the page for a few moments.