#AndThatsAWrap – The Ballynoon Friendship Circle @paulinemorgan56 @SpelloundBks #BlogTour #ZooloosBookTours

Well if I am writing this post it means that the blog tour for The Ballynoon Friendship Circle has sadly come to an end – collective sigh.

Instead, let us recap what has happened on the tour!

We kicked off the tour on Thursday 20th May and met these lovely ladies,

Emma at EmmabBooks shared this exclusive extract, “Driving at a crawl, in front of me is an impressive entrance, double iron gates towering between massive stone pillars, an endless wall that marks the boundary of Ballynoon House. My mouth opens, but no words come out. I’ve only seen it in photographs, and now, after two days of driving, and a ferry crossing over the Irish Sea, I’m here, and at the end of a wooded drive, is the Gate Lodge that will be my new home.”

*What a lovely way to start the book and the tour*

Carol at Reading Ladies says, “My curiosity was piqued by quirky characters+quaint village+Ireland+a catchy title+mature characters. I also love to support debut authors.”

*Glad this one captured your curiosity!!*

Shell at Baker’s Not So Secret Blog has this exclusive extract, “What a relief; the coolness of the house calms me down. I enter the small front room and step over a stack of books I’ve collected from years of teaching history and English. Staring at the piles reminds me I did sell some, but I kept my rare collection of first editions. The shelves either side of the fireplace are the perfect place for my reading material. I start to stack and continue until I pop the last volume onto the ledge.“

*A book that has books in it!! Yes please!*

It’s FRI-21st May-YAY and these awesome ladies kicked the weekend off for us!

Sharon at Beyond the Books sares her thoughts, “‘The Ballynoon Friendship Circle’ by Pauline Morgan is a charming story that makes you all warm inside as soon as you start reading it.”

*I love the warm fuzzy feeling!*

Els at b for Bookreview shared this exclusive extract, “The sound of the siren deafens us – the blue flashing lights of the fire engine take on an image of an outdoor discotheque. I lift my head to gaze at this rude man, who, with his quick thinking, not only saved my home but rescued me from a fate worse than death.”

*This sounds intense for a Friday!!*

Steph at Cover2CoverBlog recommends this book, “The Ballynoon Friendship Circle is a realistic, yet fantastical tale of romance and friendship. It is a cosy and adorable story including themes of friendship, ageing, grief, finding love again, and finding joy in the little things.”

*I do love all these things!*

Start of the weekend, Saturday 22nd May saw us reading this!

Donna at Donnas Interviews Reviews and Giveaways (FB) has these words, “This is such a lovely story, it made me smile, made me laugh and cry. As I got closer to the end i wanted to read quicker to find out what was going to happen and whether my suspicions were true. I wanted to scream at the characters sometimes, why can’t you seem.”

*Note to self have tissues ready!*

Joanne at Portobello Book Blog put Pauline under the spotlight, find out what Pauline is working on next and what book she would recommend, plus so much more.

Before the rain hit on a Sunday 23rd May, we welcomed these posts!

Amanda at GingerBookGeek has discovered a new author! “Pauline describes Ballynoon so vividly and realistically that I got a real sense of the place and of the people who live there. This book did take me on a bit of an emotional journey too and I found that I went through all the emotions that Edel went through. I felt part of the story and that’s thanks to Pauline’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.”

*This has made me want to pick up the book right now!*

Hayley at HayleyReviews10 has this extract, “With a heavy heart, I cross the threshold to see Martin Crawford standing in the kitchen. The man, all the villagers hate, washing dishes in my kitchen. My gaze rests on him; what if these ladies from the Stitch and Bitch Club could see me now. What if they have got this man’s character all wrong? Or am I just naïve, trying to see the good in everybody? Maybe I’m still in shock? I lift the butter dish and milk jug to return them to the fridge; and from nowhere, humble words spill from my lips.”

*Colour me intrigued!*

It is a windy 24th May so why not stop by here,

Sarah at Bookworm1346 (IG) shares her thoughts, “I read this book in between moving and starting a new job and it just fit into my life perfect. It was the perfect escape. I felt part of the book. The author does a tremendous job at characterisation and the reader becomes absorbed.”

*Sounds like this was the perfect book for you to escape in.*

Kate at Portable Magic has also put Pauline under the spotlight! Find out which 3 people Pauline would have got dinner, who would she cast in her book and her favourite biscuit!

Tuesday was a sunny morning on the 25th May and these ladies shared their posts

Dawn at Dawn’s Book Reviews (FB) shares her thoughts, “”The Ballynoon Friendship Circle” is one of those books that instantly has a warm feel. There is an atmosphere of cosy that just seeps into you and stays throughout the book. I enjoyed Pauline Morgan’s writing. The plot is fairly simple, but the characters really fuel the life of this story and make this a fun and enjoyable read.”

*Aw I love the cosy feel in a book*

Ronnie at Ronnie Turner shared this extract, “A cheeky little robin lands close by. I watch him bob about before he erupts into the most beautiful birdsong before flying away. It leaves me thinking that life is marvellous, and must go on, no matter what the circumstances. My thoughts drift to Martin. What’s he like in his own surroundings? From what the ladies at the Stitch and Bitch club said, he doesn’t mix well with the locals.”

*I love the #StitchandBitch club name! Epic!*

It is the final day of the tour, Wednesday 26th May, I’m not crying, you are!

Lynn at Books In My Opinion enjoyed this one, “Do you want to escape to Ireland and live in a little gate house? – then this is the book for you”

*Well now I am sold!*

Cheryl at Cheryl M-M’S Book Blog thought this was a great story, “It’s an uplifting escapist read with plenty of home truths and a premise that veers close to reality. It’s also a relatable read, because regardless of who you are, being welcomed into a circle of friends and being uplifted enough by them to enjoy your life to the fullest – that’s always a good thing.”

*What a lovely review, wow thank you*

Rae at Rae Reads liked this one, “The Ballynoon Friendship Circle has a heartwarming combination of friendship and romance. At its heart, there is a feel good story of second chances with a great cast of quirky characters that made me smile!”

*What a way to end the tour, with this review to make you smile.*

And that is a wrap! What a week it has been!

Until the next tour xxx

You can buy The Ballynoon Friendship Circle on Amazon UK, Amazon US

After finding her dream cottage in a magazine whilst at the hairdressers, Edel Marston, a fifty-year-old retired teacher, makes the life-changing decision to relocate back to Northern Ireland after the death of her husband Ben.
A rocky start with the neighbours and the knowledge of her past is a little too close for comfort, leaves Edel full of self-doubt. Her emotions have become a law unto themselves and she keeps wondering if she’s made the right decision.
After giving herself a good talking to, she decides to join a local over 50’s club, in a bid to embrace her new life. However, after meeting the friendly ladies of the self-proclaimed Stitch & Bitch group, she’s left with further feelings of uncertainty.
Realising quickly how gossipy these ladies can be, Edel finds herself keeping more and more secrets, especially when her relationship with one particular friend develops into something much more.
Ultimately, Edel has to decide whether to trust again and let all of these new people into her life, warts and all or go back to being lonely but safe and with her secrets intact.