2025 travel: the round up

With getting married this year, travel took a *bit* of a back seat. But you know, it is my absolute favourite thing so I couldn't do a whole year with barely any trips, could I? Here's a round up of my 2025 travel...

24 hours in Hay-on-Wye

Right at the beginning of the year, we spent a night in gorgeous gorgeous Hay-on-Wye, aka the UK's first book town. We went with my parents, and my dad kindly drove us all there; I'd booked us a cottage through Airbnb, which was really sweet and within walking distance of the numerous book shops dotted throughout the town. We of course went in every single one, as well as some charity shops, and visited in the castle too. The next morning we went for a nice walk along the river before heading home, and it was just the bets way to kick off our 2025 travel.

Read about our 24 hours Hay-on-Wye

A week in Italy 

I absolutely LOVED this week; we based ourselves in beautiful Verona, and spent time exploring the city and some nearby areas like the Venetian lagoon, the Dolomites and Lake Garda. The weather was perfect and we saw so many incredible sights. 10/10 would recommend! I've written plenty of blog posts about our time in Italy, and it's a trip I look back on with such fond memories. Honestly, Verona has shot into my top 5 city break destinations and I'm itching to go back again already.

Check out our 7 day northern Italy itinerary

A long weekend in Wales

As we headed into August, we really just needed to get away for a couple of days due to some ongoing stress - but it was impossible to find anything that would work with my limited annual leave and wouldn't break the bank while we were still saving for our wedding. We ended up booking 4 nights in a caravan in Towyn, Wales, and we had a ball. We got the train there and just relaxed the whole time, visiting Rhyl and Llandudno, playing cards and board games, watching the F1, exploring the caravan site... we did end up coming home a day early due to a storm absolutely rattling the caravan, but it was a trip that made me feel nostalgic for my childhood and we had such a lovely time.

Poznan: our minimoon

If you don't know, Poznan is my absolute favourite city - my second home, really. I just love it and naturally, there was nowhere else I'd want to go for our minimoon. Luckily my other half loves it there too, and we booked a few days there to relax after the chaos of our wedding. We stayed at Palazzo Rosso Old Town and spent the whole time wandering around, eating good food, drinking amazing mocktails and just soaking up our newly wedded bliss. It was absolutely perfect, and the best way to wind down after the big day.

24 hours in Oxford

I've always wanted to visit Oxford - but there's never really been the right opportunity. My wife decided we should just do it, so with my one solitary remaining day of annual leave I booked a Monday off and we headed there on a Sunday morning. When we arrived we went straight to watch the final grand prix of the season before our night away really started! We had dinner at the Ivy and did a really interesting walking tour, and it was just lovely.

24 hours in Oxford

Kanuas weekender

Me, my wife and our two best friends put £5 each into a Monzo pot every week, and we use the money to book trips or experiences. We'd booked a night at the darts for an early Christmas night out, but as we had plenty of money left over in the pot due to a cancelled Christmas 2024 cottage weekend (thanks to a huge storm in the area), we decided to book a weekend away. The cheapest return flights that went Saturday-Sunday in December were to Kaunas in Lithuania, so we booked it. 

Read about our weekend trip to Kaunas

We also did plenty of hikes and day trips, including Moel Famau, Llangollen and Castel Dinas Bran, exploring Hebden Bridge and Haworth, and a thwarted day in Conwy where I fell off a rope swing and injured my calf. And I visited London for work approximately 8 times!

So that's everywhere we went in 2025, including UK trips and some places a bit further afield in Europe. We've already got four trips pencilled in for 2026, including a cruise for our honeymoon, visiting family down south, a weekend in Wales and a week in Turkey. Let me know in the comments where *you* want in 2025...

A weekend in Kaunas, Lithuania | December 2025

Every week, myself and my wife along with our two best friends put £5 each into a Monzo pot - we let it build up for roughly six months then book something to do together, and it's a great way being able to plan and do something without needing a chunk of money at the time. Last year we visited York in the summer, and we had a two night trip to north Wales booked in December. The latter was cut short due to a storm, meaning we had plenty of funds left in the pot. With 2025 being such a busy year with our wedding, we didn't end up using any of the money earlier in the year so we opted to book a night at the darts (a lot of fun) and a Christmas market break.

But where to go? We were initially thinking Edinburgh, but it was turning out to be tricky to plan with the dates we were all available/lack of flights/long train journeys etc. And so, after a quick look on Skyscanner, the idea to visit Lithuania was born...

Liverpool to Kaunas

We paid just over £70 each to fly from Liverpool to Kaunas with Ryanair (and back), hand luggage only but with extra leg room seats. Our flight out was 7.35am on Saturday, with our return flight at 9.30pm on Sunday - we drove to the airport and paid around £32 for parking which I booked via Holiday Extras. As with any Ryanair flight, it was nothing spectacular but got us there safely and on time!

Saturday in Kaunas

We jumped in an Uber from the airport to the city, which cost £14. It dropped us off at Laisves Aleja, the main pedestrian avenue of the city, and we headed straight for lunch at Casa Della Pasta - a gorgeous Italian restaurant. We all went for pizza, and it was proper woodfired pizza which was utterly delicious!

After lunch we checked into our hotel (more on that later...) and freshened up before heading out to explore properly. Our first stop was the Aleksotas Funicular, one of two funiculars in the city; the other one was closed which is why we opted for this one, which is around a 20-25 min walk from Laisves Aleja and across a bridge. It's cash only, so do bring some euros if you want to ride it - it's 1 euro per person each way. The funicular goes every 10 minutes, and it's only a short ride; at the top there is a nice view of the city, and it was snowing when we got up there which made it that little bit more magical.

We then headed back to the city via Rebels, an Irish bar, for a drink and a warm up. Then we headed to Town Hall Square which had a *huge* Christmas tree and little igloos selling mulled wine, hot chocolate, waffles and more. It was spectacularly pretty! We also popped into the beautiful Archcathedral Basilica of Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul of Kaunas, although we did walk right into mass... it's a stunning building though, so I definitely recommend having a look.

A lot of our day on Saturday was spent around Laisves Aleja, and I just wanted to say how absolutely gorgeous it looks at Christmas - all of the shops and restaurants and businesses go really all-in when it comes to decorating. Everything from trees to gonks to reindeer, bows and baubles and twinkly lights galore. It was so special!

Most of the restaurants in the city seemed to be completely booked up at dinner time, which is definitely something to note. We ended up back in Rebels with some bar snacks, before a mooch around a supermarket (a must during city breaks, don't you think?) for snacks. Then it was time for a few games of cards in the hotel bar before an early night after being up since 3.30am...

Moxy Hotel, Kaunas

We stayed at the Moxy Kaunas Center, and we paid £70 per couple for a room for the night. It was absolutely spot on - the perfect location, just off Laisves Aleja and within walking distance of everything we wanted to see. The rooms were spacious, warm and clean with a comfortable bed, en suite bathroom with sink, toilet, shower & good toiletries, a TV, free WiFi, space to hang a couple of clothing items, USB ports on one side of the bed and plenty of plug sockets, a small seating area, a full length mirror and a fold down table. Downstairs there was free water, lockers to store luggage, and a large bar area with board games. The bright pink Christmas decorations were a hit, too! I was really happy with our choice of hotel in Kaunas city centre.

Sunday in Kaunas

If you're looking for breakfast in Kaunas on a Sunday, you're most likely going to be eating a pastry of some sort - we ended up at a branch of Caffeine, a chain of coffee shops which started in Vilnius and has now expanded throughout the Baltics. It was warm and bright, and there was plenty of choice. We all opted for ham and cheese croissants, and I also treated myself to a Lotus cinnamon bun because when on holiday...

After breakfast we explored a bit more, including King Mindaugas Bridge and some more Christmassy spaces as well as the obligatory trip to Flying Tiger. Then it was time for our chosen museum of the trip: the Devil Museum, which is home to 3,000+ depictions of the devil - from statues to paintings to pipes and everything in between. It was really interesting and we all enjoyed it!

From here we started walking towards Kaunas Castle; along the way we admired the architecture and took a detour through a 'yard gallery' which was really cool. We stopped for a drink at Hop Doc, a craft beer bar, and then we got to the castle itself. It's closed on Sundays but we really only wanted to see the outside, which was interesting, and the big #KAUNAS city sign is there for a nice photo opp. 

We'd been recommended Berneliu Uzeiga for dinner, which was really close to the castle, so we headed there at around 3pm. It's a really cute, cosy and traditional-looking restaurant; we had to wait around 20 minutes for a table as it's so popular, but we got seated in the lovely upstairs area away from the queue itself which was a bonus. The menu has a lot of traditional Lithuanian foods as well as standard meat options; I had fried bread with cheese for my starter (which could definitely be shared...) and for my main I went for a traditional potato dish with beetroot cream and fried chicken bites. I enjoyed my dishes, but the consensus throughout the group was a mixed bag - for example, my wife ordered the pork chop but it was actually a pork schnitzel, and our friend had to send his starter back as it was still frozen inside. They had a couple of mocktails on the menu, but I went for the orange and passionfruit lemonade!

From here we mooched back through the city centre, stopping to buy souvenirs and also to grab a donut (not that we needed more food but again, when on holiday...) from Holy Donut - this was one of the best donuts I've ever eaten, so I'd highly recommend.

And this brought us to the end of our trip, as we headed back to the hotel to pick up our bags and book an Uber to the airport!

Total spend for a weekend in Kaunas, Lithuania

Flights - £73.22 per person

Reserved plane seats - £23 per person

Hotel - £35 per person

Airport parking - £8 per person

Petrol/tunnel money - £5 per person

After paying for actually getting to Kaunas, we were left with £346 in the pot - around £172 per couple. But would this be enough for 36 hours in this Baltic city? Here's approximately what me and my wife spent while we were there...

Saturday spends

Uber from the airport - 15 euros

City tax - 4 euros

Lunch @ Casa Della Pasta - 35 euros

Coffee from Vero - 4 euros

Two soft drinks @ Rebels - 5 euros

Funicular - 4 euros

Soft drinks and bar snacks @ Rebels - 15 euros

Supermarket - 16 euros

Coffee and a soft drink in the hotel bar - 7 euros

Sunday spends

Breakfast @ Caffeine - 18 euros

Devil Museum - 16 euros

Two soft drinks @ Hop Doc - 7 euros

Dinner @ Berneliu - 44 euros

Souvenir magnet - 3 euros

Two donuts @ Holy Donut - 10 euros

Soft drink in the hotel bar - 3 euros

Coffee and a soft drink in the aiport - 9 euros

So in total we spent 215 euros or around £190, so just over what we had saved in our little Monzo pot. I haven't included the bits I bought at Flying Tiger or the tablets/cream I had to buy in the pharmacy after having an allergic reaction to my eyeshadow (perks of travelling with a skin condition...) and as you might have noticed, we didn't drink. I'm alcohol-free anyway and my wife doesn't drink within 24 hours of flying, so this definitely kept the cost down for us!

If we break that down for the two of us, for getting there, the hotel and our spends, the total cost for a weekend in Kaunas was £239 per person - which I don't think is bad at all...

I absolutely love a weekend city break, especially when you don't have to use ANY annual leave, and we all really enjoyed our time in Kaunas, Lithuania. Let me know what you think of what we got up to and what we spent...

AD | Natural solutions for cleaning your bathroom

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Sound like your kind of upgrade? Keep reading to learn more.

The Natural Advantage

Before we dive into the fun DIY recipes, it’s worth taking a moment to understand why natural cleaning methods are such a smart swap. After all, you’re not just trading one bottle for another; you’re changing the whole feel of your home.

For starters, many traditional cleaners come with strong scents and long ingredient lists. So, if you’re someone who deals with allergies or eczema, you’ll probably appreciate the difference straight away.

And then there’s the environmental side of things. By using natural cleaners, you’ll be sending fewer harsh ingredients down the drain and protecting waterways and wildlife.

Your wallet gets a win, too. A packet of baking soda or a bottle of vinegar typically costs far less than their commercial counterparts, and because they’re so versatile, one purchase goes a long way. You’ll get multiple cleaners in disguise without the cupboard clutter.

Plus, if you have kids or pets that bounce around the place, you can rest assured that your cleaning routine isn’t leaving behind anything you’d flinch at them touching.

Eco-Cleaning Staples

Now, let’s talk about the real stars of the show. You don’t need a fancy toolkit or a secret recipe passed down through generations—just a few humble household staples that quietly outperform far pricier products.

Take baking soda, for example. Its gentle, gritty texture helps you lift stubborn dirt and soap scum without scratching your bathroom surfaces.

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Of course, we can’t forget about lemons. Slice one open, and you immediately get that fresh, uplifting scent that makes your bathroom feel cleaner.

Plus, the natural acidity breaks down water marks and leaves taps looking shiny enough to admire your reflection in.

Finally, if you enjoy a bit of aromatherapy while you clean, a few drops of essential oils, like tea tree or lavender, can elevate the whole experience. They smell lovely, add an extra antibacterial boost, and make the process feel more like a ‘spa day’ than ‘cleaning day.’

DIY Recipes

Now that you’ve met your natural cleaning dream team, let’s put them to good use. You don’t need to be particularly crafty or patient. These recipes are simple, safe, and satisfying to whip up.

Baking Soda & Vinegar Scrub

If you want a reliable all-rounder for sinks, tiles, and general bathroom grime, this paste should be your go-to cleaner.

Mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar in a bowl. While it’s still fizzing, dip a damp sponge into the mixture and gently scrub your surfaces. Then, rinse everything with warm water and enjoy that fabulous shine.

Lemon-Scented Disinfectant

For a fresh, zesty spray that lifts your mood as much as it cleans your surfaces, try this simple mix.

Combine a cup of distilled water, two tablespoons of lemon juice, and ten drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle.

Give it a good shake, spritz it onto dirty surfaces, and let it sit for a minute before wiping it off. Your bathroom will carry that sunny, just-scrubbed citrus smell we all secretly love.

Fizzing Toilet Cleaner

When your toilet needs a refresh, this little duo works overtime so you don’t have to.

Pour half a cup of baking soda into the bowl, followed by half a cup of vinegar. Let it fizz away for about ten minutes, then scrub with a toilet brush. The reaction will loosen stubborn stains, making the process far less exhausting.

Mirror & Glass Spray

If streaky mirrors drive you up the wall, this gentle solution will bring back that crystal-clear finish.

Blend two cups of water with two tablespoons of vinegar in a spray bottle. Lightly mist your mirrors and shower panels, then wipe them using a microfibre cloth in circular motions. Voilà—clean, clear, streak-free glass.

Smart Cleaning Shortcuts

You’ve got the recipes sorted, so the next step is figuring out how to use them in a way that makes bathroom cleaning feel easier, not endless. Here are some tips you can try out:

Declutter First

Start by giving yourself some space to work. Clear the counters, move products off shelves and relocate anything that doesn’t belong in your bathroom.

Once the surfaces are bare, every bit of grime will become easier to reach, and you’ll avoid the frustration of cleaning around small piles of bottles. A tidy starting point will also help your brain switch into ‘let’s get this done’ mode.

Clean From Top to Bottom

If cleaning feels chaotic, you probably need to change your technique. Begin with the highest surfaces, like the light fixtures, shelves, and mirrors, and work your way down to sinks and countertops.

The floor always comes last, because it catches every stray speck of dust on the way.

This hack will save you from cleaning the same spot twice. Trust us, once you get used to it, you’ll wonder why you ever did it any other way.

Build a Routine

If you’ve ever tackled a bathroom that’s been ignored a bit too long, you already know it’s not the most fun way to spend an afternoon.

Luckily, there’s a simple fix. Sticking to a simple routine will keep things manageable without turning cleaning into an event you have to mentally prepare for.

Every day, wipe the sink, give the toilet a once-over, refresh the mirrors, and deal with whatever’s landed on the shower surfaces that week.

If you’ve got time, run a cloth over frequently touched spots like taps and door handles. Those tiny touches will make the whole room feel cleaner, even if you haven’t done a deep scrub. And if life gets busy, you can always call in an eco-friendly apartment cleaning service for a deeper refresh, then slide right back into your regular routine without missing a beat.

Conclusion

You’ve got the tools, tricks, and the confidence to keep your bathroom in great shape without the harsh chemicals weighing you down.

So, grab a sponge and start with the easiest recipe. You’ll see results before the enthusiasm wears off. And yes, you’re absolutely allowed to feel smug about it.

24 hours in Oxford

Sometimes you just have a rogue day of annual leave left to take and nothing much to do with it - and when that happens, it's always best to try and get away! I also had a TrainGift voucher burning a hole in my pocket, a birthday present from lovely family members, so myself and my wife decided to book a night away in Oxford. Here's what we got up to...

Liverpool to Oxford

As mentioned, I booked our trains using a voucher for TrainGift - it was super easy to book our tickets, and I just paid the difference myself. Then disaster struck as we remember it was the final race of the F1 season the day we were travelling, and our train would get us into Oxford midway through the race. My wife is a big Lando fan, so this simply wouldn't do. I was a bit unclear as to whether the tickets I'd booked would allow us to travel on the earlier train, as the ticket split showing for the prior route was different - but the customer service team at TrainGift were really helpful and very friendly, and we got it all sorted.

Watching the F1 in Oxford

We arrived around 45 minutes prior to lights out, and legged it through the rain to one of a few places in Oxford that show the F1 - O'Neills on George Street. It's a chain, it's nothing special, and we'd been unable to reserve a table, but we did manage to squeeze onto some stools in between two other tables and got chatting to some locals before the race started. The drinks were around the price I expected - it was just over £11 for a pint of Coors and a bottle of non-alcoholic cider, of which they promptly ran out after I'd only had one. Never mind. Anyway, we watched the race and I left O'Neills with one very happy wife, ready to properly start our 24 hours in Oxford!

Premier Inn, Oxford City Centre

While there are plenty of lovely boutique hotels in Oxford, we were booking quite last minute and a lot of places were either booked up or way out of our budget. We opted for the Premier Inn, which is right opposite Westgate shopping centre and around an 11 minute walk from the train station. I booked us a Premier Plus room, which was really fresh, clean and well decorated with some extra features you don't see in their standard rooms...

• Choice of pillows
• Rainfall shower
• Luxury toiletries (Baylis & Harding 'Goodness' range)
• USB ports next to the bed
• Comfy chair
• Coffee machine and mini fridge
• Sweet treats
• Iron & ironing board
• Ultimate Wi-Fi

We were really impressed, and we added breakfast to our stay as we had a busy full day on the Monday so it was definitely the convenient option.

Sunday in Oxford

Anyway, back to Sunday. After checking in, we went for a wander through town - we visited the famous Covered Market, which was really nice, and popped to see the Christmas market too. The latter was much smaller than we expected and quite disappointing in all honesty, but hey it's festive! We also had a quick look at some of the colleges, but this was our main plan for Monday so we didn't want to spoil it for ourselves too much. By this point it was raining and miserable, so we went back to the hotel (via a mooch in a Japanese supermarket) to chill, read and freshen up for dinner.

The Ivy, Oxford

For dinner I thought we would be spoilt for choice, but again this was a last minute trip so most places were completely booked up! We opted to eat at The Ivy, having never been there before together. We had a 7pm booking on the Sunday night and it was fairly quiet, so we were served really quickly and everything was very positive. The restaurant is beautifully decorated during the festive season, and they had some excellent Christmas drinks on the menu.

I opted for the Wild Berries mocktail, which has spiced berries, passion fruit, and Wild Idol sparkling white. It was honestly delicious, even at £10.50! For my dinner I had the The Ivy Truffle Burger and my wife opted for Traditional Fish and Chips. We honestly couldn't fault the food or service at all, and we really enjoyed the whole experience.

Monday in Oxford

We got up, got ready and headed down for our Premier Inn breakfast, then it was off out into the cold (but thankfully dry) weather to explore. 

We had a little wander around the castle area before heading into town to meet our guide as we had booked a "free" Oxford walking tour. Our guide was hilarious, such a dry sense of humour, and of course really knowledgable about the city. Some of the highlights we got to see were:

• The Sheldonian Theatre 
• The Bodleian Library
• The Bridge of Sighs
• A tree and a window both featured in the Harry Potter films
• The Radcliffe Camera
• All Souls College (from the outside)
• The door that allegedly inspired The Chronicles of Narnia
• The house where Edmond Halley lived
• The Turf Tavern
• Mansfield College grounds

So all in all a great list of famous places, with some great stories to go along with them. The tour was around 1.5 hours, and we did end up paying £10 each - you're not exactly forced into paying, but we did feel like we had to!

After the tour we visited Blackwell's, a huge bookshop where I bravely bought NOTHING, then visited the spot where three martyrs were burnt at the stake in the 1500s. We headed round to the Ashmolean as I really wanted to stop for a mocktail in the rooftop restaurant, but they put us in dreadful seats where we couldn't soak in any of the view - presumably because we weren't eating! Instead, we headed to the gorgeous Morse Bar at the Randolph Hotel. I had an utterly delightful mocktail here by the fire.

From here we headed back round to visit University Church of St Mary the Virgin, and then popped into the grounds of All Souls College for a peek in the chapel and to catch some lovely views. Our last stop before heading back to the train was St. Phillips, a secondhand bookshop, where I picked up a very old copy of Tom Sawyer. 

I'd say our 24 hours in Oxford was a roaring success; it's a very pretty city with plenty of gorgeous architecture to see, lots of filming locations and some great history. We really enjoyed this last minute staycation and I'd definitely recommend a visit!

November 2025 reading round up

I can't believe this is the penultimate reading round up of 2025 - this year has flown by! Without further ado, here's everything I read in November 2025 and what I thought of them...

The Hidden Girl by Lucinda Riley

I picked this up in Waterstones when I was spending my birthday gift vouchers, and my wife actually chose this for me as she liked the cover. It's not my typical genre of choice, but I was absolutely awed by this book. I ended up choosing it for our mini bestie book club, and I was so pleased I did. It's a beautiful story about a young girl who is whisked away from her quiet Yorkshire life in the 60s to become a model; intertwined with her life, and the tragedies that happen to her, is the story of two young siblings during World War Two. The way the story seamlessly weaves between the decades and shares so many perspectives is expertly done, and it's just honestly fantastic. 5 stars from me!

Their Double Lives by Jaime Lynn Hendricks

I listened to this one as an audiobook while working; it's a mediocre thriller about a woman who's been paid to kill a man at a country club and what happens when she can't go through with. Told from the dual POV of her and the man's fiancée across two timelines, it's relatively well-written and the twists, though not too difficult to guess, are tied up nicely. I gave this 3.5 stars.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

What a whole lot of fun! This is the kind of fantasy I can get behind; I'm not an ACOTAR girly and I don't read about faes and dragons etc, but cute witchy urban fantasy with cosy vibes? That's a bit of me. This book had been on my TBR since last autumn, so I was really happy to finally get around to reading it this year. A very enjoyable, easy read - well written and cute with a fast paced storyline and good spice! 4.5 stars from me.

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus

I read this for our November pick at the main book club I go to, and I loved it - YA thrillers are definitely one of my favourite genres, and this didn't disappoint. I *had* seen the TV show, quite a while ago, so I had a vague sense of what was happening but I'd forgotten the twist and had a completely different suspect in mind. It's really well told and a very interesting story; I gave this 4 stars, though it's more of a 4.5, and I'll definitely continue the series.

On The Ferry to Skye by J A Forde

I absolutely loved this - books set in Scotland really seem to do it for me. It's a lovely romance about two childhood friends who never quite get together, then completely lose contact. When life brings them back together, it's a bit of an enemies to lovers, second chance romance situation and it's gorgeous. With the exception of some really questionable decisions by the FMC, I really enjoyed everything about this. 4.5 stars!

What Have I Done? by Teresa Driscoll

This was a thriller ARC, and it was good! It follows a family who have been drawn into the orbit of a cult, lead by a very dangerous woman, and the whole family get completely wrapped up a whole lot of drama which all stems back to one horrific event a year or so prior to when the book is set. The twist was really good and I enjoyed the subplots too! 4 stars from me; releases January 2026.

Dove by Paisley Hope

I adore Paisley Hope - her writing style is honestly brilliant. I believe this book is set before the first book in the Soldiers of Bedlam series (confusing but whatever) and it follows Sean, ex-soldier and member of the town's very intense motorcycle club, and Layla: struggling student/server who has been left orphaned after her parents were killed by another MC. The spice is intense but so well done, and the plot is of course very insta-love but also very cute. Overall I just really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars,

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer

My 100th book of the year and my first holiday romance of the season! This is a retelling of A Christmas Carol, but with a Jewish twist and set in NYC. It follows a TV producer who is married to the job, and still reeling from her divorce - throughout Hanukkah, while preparing for a big live action TV show, she is visited by eight 'heartbreaks' who take her on a journey through her life to see what she can learn. With a second chance romance plot too, this was an enjoyable read although I found it a bit odd in places where the character literally explains she is living in a retelling. That felt a bit jarring! Overall though, 3.75 stars!

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade

Rather unimaginative title aside, this was a really sweet... second chance romance, of course, set in a small town following an audiobook narrator who goes back home upon learning about the death of her old best friend, who actually turns out not to be dead but running a cute bakery. The two rekindle and things go from there, but there are plenty of fun subplots and the romance is an enjoyable slow burn. 3.5 stars!

Some really good reads in November, and I was thrilled to hit the 100 books mark for 2025 - I'll probably end the year at around 108, but we'll see in my December reading round up...