Quick Book Reviews with Philippa Hall

In this special Wednesday episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa chats to bestselling author Laurie Gilmore, creator of the hugely popular Dream Harbor series, which has sold over 4 million copies.
Laurie joins the podcast to discuss her latest book, The Daisy Chain Flower Shop, as well as the magic of cosy small-town romance, why readers have fallen so hard for Dream Harbor, and how comfort reads can help us through difficult times.
In this episode
Laurie Gilmore on The Daisy Chain Flower Shop
The story behind the Dream Harbor series
Why cosy small-town romance is having such a huge moment
Writing books that feel like a hug
Why each Dream Harbor book can be read as a standalone
Christmas romance, seasonal settings and reader comfort
Sprayed edges, special editions and bookish merch
The pressure of following a much-loved bestselling series
What’s coming next with Big Bad Wolf
Laurie’s dream and nightmare writing locations
About The Daisy Chain Flower Shop
The Daisy Chain Flower Shop follows Daisy, who runs the flower shop, and Elliot, a shy architect who has somehow stayed under Dream Harbor’s radar.
Both are nursing heartbreak and neither is looking for love — until a fake dating arrangement begins and, naturally, chaos, chemistry and cosy romance follow.
Expect:
fake dating
small-town charm
emotional warmth
seasonal Dream Harbor vibes
familiar faces from previous books
Books mentioned
The Daisy Chain Flower Shop – Laurie Gilmore
The Pumpkin Spice Café – Laurie Gilmore
The Gingerbread Bakery – Laurie Gilmore
Big Bad Wolf – Laurie Gilmore
For the Wolf – Hannah Whitten
For the Throne – Hannah Whitten
Perfect for listeners who love
cosy romance
small-town settings
fake dating
seasonal reads
comfort books
Christmas romance
book series you can dip into at any point
Biscuit verdict
Laurie chooses a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie — with sensible dunking rules. Soft cookies should not be dunked. Harder biscuits may proceed with caution.
Coming next
Philippa will be back on Friday with more bookish chat, author interviews and spoiler-free reviews.
Follow Quick Book Reviews for book recommendations, author interviews, and weekly podcast episodes.
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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by Ilona Bannister to talk about her striking new novel Five — a tense, original and deeply thought-provoking thriller set over just a few minutes on a train platform.
What would you do if you had only five minutes left and didn’t know it?
That chilling question sits at the heart of Five, a novel about five strangers, interconnected lives, hidden stories, and the ripple effects of tragedy. Ilona talks about the real-life inspiration behind the book, the creation of its unforgettable narrative voice, and why this story led her naturally into the thriller space.
Philippa also reviews:
The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray
In this episode
Ilona Bannister on the inspiration behind Five
Why the novel begins on a train platform
How the book explores fate, connection, mortality and missed moments
The challenge of writing a fast-paced novel set across such a short time frame
The creation of the book’s sharp, unusual narrative voice
Why one character had to be cut and another took her place
Writing through lockdown, parenting, and difficult life circumstances
Why thrillers can be powerful spaces for emotional and literary storytelling
Philippa’s latest reading updates and reviews
Follow Quick Book Reviews for book recommendations, author interviews, and weekly podcast episodes.
📧 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram & Threads:
@quick_book_reviews
🎵 TikTok: @quickbookreviews
🐦 X: @quickbookrevie3
🦋 Bluesky: quickbookreviews
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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by bestselling author Tom Rob Smith to talk about his moving and deeply personal new novel, 20 Years Together.
Known for acclaimed books including Child 44, and for screen work such as London Spy and The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Tom discusses why 20 Years Together is such a different book from his previous work, why he chose to write it now, and how it grew out of real emotional and philosophical questions around love, commitment, and marriage.
This is a conversation about writing, relationships, storytelling, hope, and the challenge of creating an ending that truly lands.
In this episode:
Why Tom Rob Smith wrote 20 Years Together
How the novel was inspired by real questions about marriage and long-term relationships
Why this book is so different from his crime and thriller fiction
The overlap between love stories and thrillers
The challenge of writing emotionally honest fiction
Why endings matter so much
How a book can leave readers in tears
Tom’s thoughts on adapting stories for television, film, or fiction
How place, views, and writing environments shape the creative process
What Tom is reading right now
Books and authors mentioned:
20 Years Together – Tom Rob Smith
Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith
London Spy – Tom Rob Smith
The Assassination of Gianni Versace – based on the book by Maureen Orth
Aftermath – Rachel Cusk
The Swimming-Pool Library – Alan Hollinghurst
The Line of Beauty – Alan Hollinghurst
Our Evenings – Alan Hollinghurst
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Jean-Dominique Bauby
What to expect
This episode is perfect for listeners who love:
thoughtful author interviews
behind-the-scenes writing conversations
literary fiction
emotionally powerful novels
discussions about relationships, marriage and identity
Tom Rob Smith’s books, television work, and creative process
Philippa and Tom also talk about dream and nightmare writing locations, how different stories reveal themselves as books or screen projects, and the emotional complexity of writing a novel that draws more closely on personal experience.
A conversation about hope
One of the most striking themes in this interview is hope — in fiction, in relationships, and in the stories we tell ourselves about the future. Tom reflects on setting 20 Years Together against the backdrop of 2012 London, and why he wanted to capture a sense of optimism and possibility.
Biscuit verdict
A controversial moment for the podcast: Tom Rob Smith is not much of a biscuit eater. However, there is a nostalgic nod to the chocolate digestive, plus a writing fuel combination of dates and dark chocolate.
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In this episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by Bella North to talk about her Oakwood Ranch series, beginning with Score to Settle.
Bella also reveals the story behind her different author names, having previously appeared on the podcast under her thriller-writing identities. Together, they chat about sports romance, writing under multiple pen names, the rise of spicy fiction, and why readers are falling in love with the Oakwood Ranch books.
Philippa also shares reviews and first impressions of several recent reads, including a brilliant new crime novel from Simon Mason, thoughts on The 10:12 by Anna Maloney, and an early look at The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage.
In this episode:
Bella North on the inspiration behind the Oakwood Ranch series
Why sports romance is having such a major moment
Writing romance after psychological thrillers
The pros and cons of publishing under different pen names
How much sport is really in a sports romance novel
Spice levels in fiction and why they are so subjective
Why romance readers are such a passionate and supportive community
Bella’s ideal writing retreat — and her nightmare writing scenario
The reality of balancing events, deadlines and creative energy
Books discussed as reviews and in the interview:
Score to Settle – Bella North
Game Over – Bella North
Playing for Keeps – Bella North
The Dangerous Stranger – Simon Mason
The 10:12 – Anna Maloney
The Heir Apparent – Rebecca Armitage
The Nanny – Heather Burnside
The Bridge Kingdom series – Danielle L. Jensen
What to expect
This is a conversation about:
romance tropes
enemies-to-lovers
friends-to-lovers
escapist fiction
commercial fiction
writing fast-paced books
author events
and, of course, biscuits
There is also an important discussion about how different genres are perceived in publishing, and why commercial fiction deserves respect for doing exactly what readers want it to do: entertain.
Biscuit chat alert
Bella reveals her writing biscuit of choice — the chocolate Hobnob — and there is serious debate about whether the Marks & Spencer version might be even better.
If you enjoy this episode
Please follow, rate and review Quick Book Reviews, and share the show with a fellow book lover.
Get in touch
Philippa loves hearing from listeners. Contact details:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram & Threads: @quick_book_reviews

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Jo Callaghan joins Philippa to talk about Body of Lies — the gripping fourth and final Kat Frank and AIDE Lock thriller.
We talk about:
Why this series ends with book four
The emotional challenge of writing the final Kat and Locke story
AI, humanity, grief, and what makes us human
Plot twists, rewrites, and bringing a series to a powerful close
Jo also shares what she’s been reading:
Please Help Me by Gytha Lodge — a tense, high-concept crime thriller
Eden Falls by Ajay Chowdhury — a smart, ambitious sci-fi thriller
The Correspondent (recommended after Philippa’s chat with Alison Barrow)
After You’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell — a powerful love story
Running and Jumping by Stephen Keady — an unexpectedly fascinating dive into elite athletics
Plus, Jo reveals her ideal writing conditions (hint: it’s all about uninterrupted time) and the very specific cheese-and-biscuit combination that fuels her writing.
Perfect for fans of smart crime fiction, emotional thrillers, and thought-provoking mysteries.
Follow Quick Book Reviews for more author interviews and spoiler-free book chat.
Pre-order Body Of Lies here:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/body-of-lies/jo-callaghan/9781398535565
https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/body-of-lies-the-crime-thriller-of-2026-from-the-award-winning-and-sunday-times-bestselling-author-of-in-the-blink-of-an-eye-jo-callaghan/cbbcf2c82f6b5367?ean=9781398535565&next=t
https://amzn.eu/d/0bmnarRm

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