#BookReview SUMMER AT SEASPRAY COTTAGE by ANGELA BRITNELL

ABOUT THE BOOK

What would you do if you inherited a Cornish cottage by the sea?

If you’re Thea Armitage, sell it as soon as possible. Whilst there’s no denying that Seaspray Cottage has its charm, it just holds too many bad memories for Thea to consider keeping it – although at least spending the summer preparing it for sale gives her a distraction from troubles back home in Tennessee.

What Thea didn’t count on was her worst Cornish memory moving in right next door. Local bad boy Harry Venton played no small part in Thea’s decision never to return to Cornwall twenty years before – and now he’s her neighbour! Could things get any worse?

Except Harry isn’t the boy he was, and as Thea comes to realise that her opinion of him was built on lies and misunderstandings, perhaps things will start looking up for her summer at Seaspray Cottage.

PUBLISHED BY CHOC LIT

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: Summer at Seaspray Cottage: An uplifting, feel-good summer romance! eBook : Britnell, Angela: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Apple: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/summer-at-seaspray-cottage/id6442943846?uo=4&ls=1&at=1l3vpUI&ct=kgsztl%7Cchoc-lit.com

Kobo: Summer at Seaspray Cottage eBook by Angela Britnell – 9781781891179 | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

Google: Summer at Seaspray Cottage – Angela Britnell – Google Books

Nook: Summer at Seaspray Cottage by Angela Britnell | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

MY REVIEW

This was just delicious!! It’s one of those books that you just totally lose yourself in and start packing up your belongings so you can move to the location featured – and hope to bump into someone like Harry!!

The story centres around Thea and her return to an area she was desperate to get away from in her youth. She inherits a cornish cottage by the sea, idyllic for most people, but her plan is to sell it ASAP!

On her return she reconnects with her friend Kelsey, and also Harry, who was the main reason she left 20 years ago. He’s not liked by many of the locals, but had a tough upbringing and Thea knows him better than others so she’s always willing to fight his corner, despite their relationship ending on a bad note. But time is a healer eh, and now they’re all grown up maybe there is peace to be had and old feelings to explore!!

This is all about making peace with the past, and the more time she spends in the area, the more she grows and understands she’s right where she needs to be, despite her father back home in Tennesse wanting her to take the promotion he has offered her. There’s a lot about family relationships as there are many issues to sort out between various characters, and I really enjoyed seeing how they worked through their problems.

This is a story full of sexy seaside summer shenanigans!! I loved how the characters were mature about the more serious issues they were faced with and weren’t afraid to confront their feelings and see things from a different perspective! Now I just need to find a Harry of my own!!

★★★★★

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#BookReview THE LAMPLIGHTERS by EMMA STONEX

ABOUT THE BOOK 

They say we’ll never know what happened to those men.

They say the sea keeps its secrets…

Cornwall, 1972. Three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse, miles from the shore. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. The Principal Keeper’s weather log describes a mighty storm, but the skies have been clear all week.

What happened to those three men, out on the tower? The heavy sea whispers their names. The tide shifts beneath the swell, drowning ghosts. Can their secrets ever be recovered from the waves?

Twenty years later, the women they left behind are still struggling to move on. Helen, Jenny and Michelle should have been united by the tragedy, but instead it drove them apart. And then a writer approaches them. He wants to give them a chance to tell their side of the story. But only in confronting their darkest fears can the truth begin to surface . . .

The Lamplighters is a heart-stopping mystery rich with the salty air of the Cornish coast, and an unforgettable story of love and grief that explores the way our fears blur the line between the real and the imagined.

PUBLISHED BY PICADOR

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Blackwell’s

MY REVIEW

Holy Moly!! This is one of those books that leaves you feeling bereft when it ends! The characters take over your every thought and you’re left experiencing every kind of emotion as you read their stories unfold in front of your eyes. And all set against the backdrop of an imposing lighthouse and the unpredictability of the sea.

The story is told as now and then! Looking back at the families of the men who worked on the lighthouse and how they dealt with the mystery of the men’s disappearance on one fateful night. There’s no sign of a struggle, they left no trace behind … so where did they go and what happened to them? The book is based on a real life event, but the author has a wonderful time reimagining the events surrounding the disappearance and the impact on the families left behind.

With the story being told from both the viewpoint of the men as they worked on the lighthouse, and to the women dealing with life married to them and the years that followed after their disappearance, you really get a wonderful sense of how the isolation the men often felt, alongside how the women coped and tried to come to terms with their lives after – their own theories of what happened and the letters shared between the women as their friendships shattered.

There’s so much going on within each chapter and revelation. I loved the way the story came back to life as the mystery was looked into by a writer who wanted to try and get to the bottom of it all. Old wounds are reopened and feelings have to be confronted.

A wonderfully evocative book that has a little bit of every genre in it and I adored every single second of it!!

★★★★★

#GuestPost A SUMMER TO REMEMBER AT HERRING BAY by ANGELA BRITNELL @ChocLituk

Always an honour to host a guest post, and today it’s the turn of Angela Britnell to take over my Blog on Publication Day for A Summer To Remember At Herring Bay! And it’s another stunning read from Angela so hurry up and grab your copy! I’ve added the links down below!!

So over to you Angela!!

 A Summer to Remember in Herring Bay by Angela Britnell

It’s a pleasure to be here with you on release day for A Summer to Remember in Herring Bay and I thought your readers might be interested in hearing about some of my inspirations behind the book. I grew up in Cornwall and it often features in my stories – the beautiful landscape is frequently a character in itself and its geographical remoteness makes it perfect for people trying to make changes in their lives. In this particular book the village of Herring Bay has echoes of Mevagissey, the Cornish fishing port where my mother was born, although it isn’t as large or picturesque. An abandoned Methodist chapel has a prominent part to play in my new book and it’s inspired by one in the village where I lived. Another spark came from Michael Portillo, or rather his unique sense of style – I definitely borrowed hints of that for Ruan’s character. I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know the community of Herring Bay and fall more than a little in love with Essy and Ruan.

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About the Book:

Essy Havers is good at finding things. Her company specialises in helping clients track down anything, from missing china pieces to rare vintage clothing. But now Essy has something more important to find: herself.

Essy has always been curious about her mother’s secret past and her Cornish roots. So, when the opportunity arises, she hops on a plane in Tennessee and ends up in Herring Bay in Cornwall; the village where her mother grew up.

But once there, she’s mystified by the reactions of the villagers when they realise who she is. Was Essy’s decision to visit Cornwall a mistake, or will it lead to a summer she’ll never forget?

Buying Links:

 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Remember-Herring-Bay-uplifting-ebook/dp/B08BLSR2X1/

Apple: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/a-summer-to-remember-in-herring-bay/id1519777017?mt=11&app=itunes&at=11lNBs

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-summer-to-remember-in-herring-bay

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Angela_Britnell_A_Summer_to_Remember_in_Herring_Ba?id=TOPvDwAAQBAJ

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-summer-to-remember-in-herring-bay-angela-britnell/1137210590?ean=2940162723844

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54248393-a-summer-to-remember-in-herring-bay

Website: https://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/a-summer-to-remember-in-herring-bay/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties!

A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to over three decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers. Her first novel ‘Truth and Consequence’ was published in 2006 and she’s now had over 30 novels published internationally and several short stories in women’s magazines.

If you’d like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (Advance warning: this may include references to wine, dark chocolate, Poldark and the hunky Aidan Turner) check out www.angelabritnellromance.com or follow her on www.facebook.com/angelabritnell, www.twitter.com/angelabritnell and on Instagram as Angela Golley Britnell

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#BookReview Lily’s Secret by Kirsty Ferry #PublicationDay #LilysSecret

ABOUT THE BOOK

‘There’s nothing logical about Pencradoc!’

Aspiring actress Cordelia Beaumont is fed up of spending summer in the city. So, when the opportunity presents itself, she jumps straight on a train to pay a visit to Pencradoc – the beautiful Cornish estate where her friend Merryn works. 

But far from the relaxing break Cordy imagined, she soon finds herself immersed in the glamorous yet mysterious world of Victorian theatre sensation, Lily Valentine. Lily was once a guest at Pencradoc and, with the help of visiting artist Matt Harker, Cordy comes to discover that the actress left far more than memories at the old house. She also left a scandalous secret …

PUBLISHED BY CHOC LIT

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lilys-Secret-secrets-romance-Perfect-ebook/dp/B089T2R6VK/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/search?query=Lily%27s+Secret

Apple: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/lilys-secret/id1517403239?mt=11&app=itunes&at=11lNBs 

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lilys-secret-kirsty-ferry/1137150436?ean=2940162924333

MY REVIEW

This is the 2nd book in the Cornish Secrets series – A Secret Rose being the 1st – and the ghostly goings on are back in full force and I loved it!  Any excuse to revisit Pencradoc is fine by me, and it was glorious to be seduced by the history of the house once more and the intriguing characters who have lived out their lives in the house and grounds.

This story is seen through the eyes of Cordelia, an actress who finds herself seeking time out at Pencradoc with her friend Merryn, to escape an ex and issues with her flat! She’s looking foward to a different pace of life for a while and finds herself falling for the charms of the house, the history of past inhabitants and a friend of the owners!!

As the story flits from the now back to the past, we’re introduced to Lily Valentine who was a star from the Victorian era, and ends up living at Pencradoc with her new husband.  I found both timelines to be captivating  but especially the story of Lily as she is facing an uncertain future as an actress, and fearing the past may be going to catch up with her, no matter how hard she tries to distance herself from it.  And we get to see the world through the eyes of little Elsie who is a whirlwind of a personality in the body of an 8 year old!!

I always love these dual timeline stories as there is so much to explore with these characters,  it’s fun and exhilarating to see their worlds combine throughout this story.  There are a few scary moments to get the heart thumping but you’re mostly left feeling with a warm fuzzy feeling and a real bond with these characters.  I’m just hoping there’ll be another book in this series very soon!!

★★★★★

#BlogTour A Cornish Summer Holiday at the Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green #bookreview @rararesources

A huge pleasure to be here today as part of the Blog Tour for the wonderful A CORNISH SUMMER HOLIDAY AT THE LITTLE DUCK POND CAFE by ROSIE GREEN.  My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for letting me be part of it all!!

A Cornish Summer Holiday at the Little Duck Pond Café

The Little Duck Pond Cafe girls are looking forward to a well-earned break in the Cornish seaside town of Pengully Sands, where Sylvia’s sister, Aggie, owns a holiday home. With the glorious golden sands, sparkling azure sea and an ice-cream parlour only yards away, it seems like the perfect location to relax and watch the surfers riding the waves (and maybe even have a go themselves). But when they arrive, the girls find it’s not quite the seaside idyll they were expecting. The house is less ‘holiday home’ and more ‘creepy, dilapidated haunted house.’ 

Gracie, who runs the ice-cream parlour, has problems of her own and the last thing she needs is a bunch of high-spirited girls arriving to disturb the peace and isolation she craves. And when a handsome stranger looks set to destroy her livelihood, it seems like the last straw. Will Gracie get her happy ending – and maybe even make friends with the girls next-door? This wasn’t the relaxing break the Little Duck Pond Cafe girls were expecting, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be the holiday of a lifetime!

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/2slp10U

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosie has been scribbling stories ever since she was little.

Back then, they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ‘the baddies’.

Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger involved at all – unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.

Her series of novellas is centred around life in a village cafe. The latest, ‘Lemon Drizzle Mondays at the Little Duck Pond Cafe’, is out now.

Rosie is currently writing a full-length book, ‘Lucy’s Great Cornish Escape’, which – in a fun twist – will feature favourite characters from the Little Duck Pond Café series.

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988

MY REVIEW

And so we meet again!! The Little Duck Pond Girls are back in my life once more, albeit playing a slightly lesser role in this book, as they venture away from the Duck Pond Cafe and introduce us to Pengully Sands in Cornwall and some new characters and it’s blooming wonderful to be back amongst old friends – I can’t actually believe this is the 10th ‘visit’ to the Little Duck Pond Cafe series. It still feels as fresh as book 1, and has progressed so much in the topics and genres it covers….. 

This is a story told from 2 points of view – from the viewpoint of The Little Duck Pond Cafe girls as they embark on a girls holiday to Cornwall, and a new voice on the block, that of Gracie who has returned to Pengully Sands to run Beachside Ices. It’s a place that she has very fond memories of but the customers are dwindling and she finds herself living life a little aimlessly and wondering what is next for her – other than baking (and eating!) more cakes which is where she finds comfort.

I love the mix of characters that the author puts together – each has their own story to tell and are given time to express themselves and support one another.  In Gracie, we have a character who we can see is having trouble moving on and finding it difficult to find herself and focus on the future, and with the help of her new, albeit temporary, next door neighbours she begins to see a chink of light and trying to find a way forward for her and  way to let go of the past. And to stop hiding away and embrace the company and help of others who want to do what they can for her.

Add to the mix some ghostly goings on, mysteries from the past revealed by an old diary, a renovation project and some soul searching and you’ve got a pretty  perfect package of a story within the pages of this book! Love Love Love!!  I can’t wait for the next installment!!

★★★★★

#GUESTPOST DANIEL'S DAUGHTER by VICTORIA CORNWALL #PublicationDay @ChocLituk @VickieCornwall

Delighted to be able to share a guest post today from the lovely VICTORIA CORNWALL on publication day for DANIEL’S DAUGHTER! Go buy your copy now!! Links below!

Victoria Cornwall chats Cornish history and her new historical novel, Daniel’s Daughter

In each of the novels in my Cornish Tales series, I have tried to bring alive something of Cornwall, whether it is its smuggling history, the class divide on the grand estates, ancient traditions, myths and legends, or characters with the Cornish pragmatic sense of humour and wit. As a backdrop to each tale, I have used Cornwall’s unique landscape, whether it’s formed from nature’s beauty or its industrial past. In Daniel’s Daughter clay mining forms the backdrop to the events that play out and the hurdles the characters face as they strive for happiness.

Why clay I hear you ask? I must admit, clay would not inspire me to pick up an historical romance, so why should it for any other reader? Let me try to explain why I used this part of Cornwall’s history as a backdrop …

As a child growing up in Cornwall, I gave little thought to why one of our local cinemas was called White River. I also did not fully appreciate the history behind the triangular white hills and artificially bright turquoise lakes which I could see from my car window when I travelled to the south coast. They are all linked to the production of clay. It was only when I became an adult I discovered the significant role Cornwall played in the china clay industry … so significant that the clay produced was nicknamed ‘White Gold’. The industry expanded at an alarming rate and employed vast numbers of people. It would take a certain type of man to keep his business competitive in the cut-throat world that emerged. It would take a man like Talek Danning, the troubled hero in Daniel’s Daughter. However Talek’s world is a very different world to the one Grace Kellow, the heroine, grew up in, which is the untamed, natural beauty of Bodmin Moor. When Grace discovers the terrible family secret, she flees her home and finds herself in Talek’s world which is so alien to her. Each landscape reflects the main characters’ traits, one industrious, serious and cut-throat, the other wild, beautiful and open. These two opposite characters are brought together, and the story of their time together begins to unfold …

Today mid Cornwall is very different. Time has moved on and many of those peaks of clay spoil, nicknamed the Cornish Alps, have been camouflaged by re-sculpting and the growth of vegetation to attempt to blend the manmade hills into the landscape. However, if you look carefully you can still see them reaching for the sky, now silent witnesses to Cornwall’s industrial past.

Although this part of Cornwall’s history plays a significant role in the tale, Daniel’s Daughter is more about truth … discovering it, facing it, learning from it, accepting it. And it is also about the damage that can be done to trust and loyalty, when telling or hearing the truth becomes a problem.

Although there is still clay mining undertaken in Cornwall, it is now on a lesser scale. Today mid Cornwall is threaded with a network of paths, named the Clay Trails, where walkers, cyclists and horse riders can explore the manmade landscape, which now happily sits alongside the natural one (https://www.claytrails.co.uk/).

So if you ever find yourself in Cornwall, consider walking one of the many Clay Trail routes. I have walked some of them and it could be said that it is where Talek Danning’s character first made himself known to me. Did their characters live happily side by side as the two differing landscapes do today? You will just have to read Daniel’s Daughter to find out.

About the book:

Sometimes the truth is not easy to say and even harder to hear …

Cornwall, 1895

Grace Kellow is a young woman with a strong sense of who she is and where she comes from. As the daughter of a well-respected Cornish dairy owner Daniel Kellow, her existence in the village of Trehale is comfortable and peaceful.

But then handsome Talek Danning comes striding over Hel Tor, and soon after his arrival Grace is hit with a revelation that leaves her questioning her identity and her place in the Trehale community.In her hour of need, Talek and his sister Amelia offer Grace sanctuary but wherever Grace runs, her secret will follow …

About the author:

Victoria Cornwall grew up on a farm in Cornwall and can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century. It is this background and heritage which is the inspiration for her Cornish based novels.

Victoria is married and has two grown up children. She likes to read and write historical fiction with a strong background story, but at its heart is the unmistakable emotion, even pain, of loving someone.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Buying links: 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2vHmaRt 

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3boRFPl 

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2QEuEjv

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#BookReview The Cornish Cream Tea Bus by Cressida McLaughlin #publicationday #thecornishcreamteabus #bookblogger

ABOUT THE BOOK

Next stop, Cornwall! Hop on The Cornish Cream Tea Bus for a delicious, romantic adventure…

‘Captivating’ Heat Magazine ‘Beautiful… heartwarming’ Zara Stoneley ‘A wonderful ray of reading sunshine’ Heidi Swain

Baking fanatic, Charlie Quilter, is surprised when her late uncle bequeaths his vintage bus to her in his will. Keen to give the bus a new lease of life, Charlie thinks it will be the perfect mobile café for afternoon tea, and when her friend, Juliette, suggests Charlie comes to stay with her in the picturesque Cornish village of Porthgolow, she’s thrilled at the chance of a new start.
Charlie and her cute dog, Marmite, make new friends wherever their bus stops – except for the sexy but reclusive owner of the posh spa up on the hill, Daniel Harper, who isn’t very pleased that her bus is parked outside his lovely hotel.
Has Charlie’s Cornish dream developed a soggy bottom? Or can she convince Daniel that her bus could be the start of something wonderful for the little village – and for them?

published by HarperCollins

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon UK

MY REVIEW

This is the kind of book that just makes you want to run out, purchase a vintage bus and start your own baking business!! It’s made me want to do just that and it was a really enjoyable read that is the perfect slice of escapism!

Charlie inherits a vintage bus from her late uncle, and she wants to honour him by restoring the bus to its’ former glory but finding a way that she can use it to start her own business.  And her business is baking so she comes up with a plan to start a mobile cafe – sounds perfect to me!!

She ends up taking the bus to Cornwall to stay with a friend and to start some trial runs of how it could all work – everyone she meets is receptive to the idea apart from the owner of the local exclusive Spa, Daniel, who isn’t too keen on an old bus being parked in sight of his business so the relationship between him and Charlie doesn’t get off to the greatest start! 

But with her determination the business starts well, and maybe even Daniel can be persuaded that it’s good for the tourists visiting his spa too!  She knows how to use social media to create a buzz about her bus and it’s lovely to see how well the old and new sit alongside one another. It’s not all plain sailing though and she wonders who is out to cause trouble for her when things start going wrong.

I loved the different personalities within the pages of this book and the thought of all those cream teas on the bus just made me crave a scone or three!! The use of the bus was such a lovely idea and the character of Charlie was a joy to spend time with – very driven and focused on making the most of the opportunity given to her.  Very inspiring!!  A lovely read!!

★★★★

#BlogTour #BookReview A Cornish Affair by Jo Lambert @rararesources @RubyFiction

Delighted to be the latest stop on the Blog Tour for the wonderful A CORNISH AFFAIR by JO LAMBERT.  My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for putting it all together and letting me be part of it all and sharing my thoughts.

A Cornish Affair

 In the close-knit community of Carrenporth in Cornwall everyone knows everyone else’s business. Luke Carrack is only too aware of this. He’s been away for two years but nothing has changed – from the town gossips who can’t see past the scandal of his childhood, to the cold way he is treated by some of his so-called family. The only person who seems to understand is local hotelier’s daughter Cat Trevelyan, although even Luke’s new friendship with her could set tongues wagging. But Carrenporth is about to experience far bigger scandals than the return of Luke Carrack – and the secrets unearthed in the process will shake the sleepy seaside town to its core …

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Bio –

 Jo Lambert lives on the eastern edge of Bath with her husband, one small grey feline called Mollie and a green MGB GT. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. She has been writing since 2008. Her first five books, a set of linked romantic sagas following the lives of several families in West Somerset, was followed in 2015 by Summer Moved On, a contemporary romance set in South Devon. A sequel, Watercolours in th Rain followed in 2017, In June 2018 Jo signed to Choc Lit and her debut A Cornish Affair, set in North Cornwall, has just been published. Jo is currently working on another coastal romance, this time set in South Cornwall. When she isn’t writing she reads and reviews. She also has an active blog. Jo loves travel, red wine and rock music and she often takes the odd photograph or two.

Social Media Links –

Website: http://jolambertbooks.com

Blog: http://jolambertwriter.blog

Twitter: @jolambertwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jolambert185

Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jo-lambert-6 4644530

Instagram: jolambertwriter185

MY REVIEW

I found this to be a book that has a little bit of everything – romance, drama, dark family secrets and plenty of twists and turns throughout  which made for such an entrancing read that I loved!

Set in Cornwall, the stunning backdrop adds to the whole scene and you’re soon immersed in the lives of these characters – mainly Luke and Cat.  Luke Carrack has been away for a couple of years and seems to have a bit of a reputation with rumours about him never far away, so he’s happy to keep to himself and just try and get on with his life.

Cat Trevelyon is the local hoteliers’ daughter and is back to start the events managment job at the hotel and her first meeting with Luke gets things  off to an interesting start! Definitely a case of mistaken identity which breaks the ice but soon starts off a connection between them – they both seem to have trust issues so that helps them bond and they find it very easy to talk to one another although you still get the feeling they’re holding things back from one another.

Add to the mix the local gossips who are out to cause trouble and it really sets things up for some very intriguing circumstances and to delve into the past which brings up a lot of bad feeling, jealousy and some startling revelations.

I really enjoyed the whole feel of this book – it never felt twee or too light as it dealt with some serious and darker issues which made it feel more real and added to the tension.  In Luke and Cat you have 2 very relatable characters who you warm to through their attitudes to life and  the things they find themselves facing.

An excellent read and I look forward to more from this author in the future.

★★★★★

#BlogTour One Summer in Little Penhaven by Angela Britnell #BookReview @rararesources

Extremely thrilled to be the latest stop on the Blog Tour for this fabulous book! My thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for putting it all together and letting me be part of it!

One Summer in Little Penhaven

 Could one summer change your life? When high-flying American lawyer Samantha Muir finds out she’s lost her partnership whilst on an assignment in London, she has a dramatic reaction. Rather than returning home, she resigns, leaves her business suits behind and jumps on the first train to Cornwall at the encouragement of a friendly stranger. The village of Little Penhaven, where Samantha eventually ends up, is a world away from her life in Knoxville, Tennessee – and local farmer Cadan Day is certainly a world away from any man she has met before. But could the Cornish village and Cadan play a part in Samantha’s summer of self-discovery?

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee. A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels. After more than three decades of marriage to her American husband she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after. Over the last twelve years she’s been multi-published and sold over 25 novels. She also writes short stories for women’s magazines. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers.

If you’d like to find out more of what Angela gets up to (Advance warning: this may include references to wine, chocolate, Poldark and the hunky Aidan Turner) check out 

http://www.angelabritnellromance.com or follow her on http://www.facebook.com/angelabritnell , 

http://www.twitter.com/angelabritnell and on Instagram as Angela Golley Britnell.

MY REVIEW

There’s just something about the way that Angela writes that has a real warmth about it, and I adored this story of Samantha who sees her way of life change overnight all down to a chance meeting with someone at a train station, and it was wonderful to follow her journey and bounce back after being dealt a huge blow to her career as a high flying lawyer.

She hears that she’s lost out on the promotion she’d been dreaming of while in London and feels so despondent, but a conversation with a stranger at a station leads her to board a train to Cornwall and escape the ‘real world’ for a while, until she decides what to do with her life next.  

The little village of Little Penhaven is a world apart from what she is used to and she becomes a bit of a novelty amongst the villagers and soon finds herself renting a cottage and helping out the local jumble sale!

She’s warned off Cadan who she meets there – he’s a local farmer with a bit of a bad reputation, if ou listen to the local gossips, but there’s something about him she finds intriguing – and he feels the same about her.

I loved seeing how well she fitted in to the new way of life and getting to hear all the local gossip. She finds the slower pace of life is just what she needs and it helps her to reassess her life and where she thinks she is heading. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty too and impresses a  few people with her DIY skills – not what you expect from a city girl used to the corporate life!

With a small village there’s always rumours and hearsay and it’s knowing who to believe, especially when your dealing with someone appear contrary to what you’ve heard!  Cadon is also dealing with family issues and it’s fun to see how his brother is such a different personality to him and how Cadan feels so protective over him.

 Another fabulously rewarding read from this author!!

★★★★★

#BookReview Daughter of the House by Victoria Cornwall #PublicationDay

About the book

Evelyn Pendragon is spirited but lonely, and largely ignored by her parents whose attentions are taken up with her brother, Nicholas: the expected heir to the family’s Cornish estate and the one who will carry on the Pendragon name. 

Stifled by her aristocratic existence, Evelyn finds companionship in an unlikely place when she befriends Drake Vennor, an apprentice gardener on the estate.

But When Evelyn’s life is thrown into turmoil by a tragedy, she realises just how much she has come to rely on Drake. Will family expectations and the burden of the Pendragon name mean she must turn her back on him when she needs him the most?

Published  by   Choc Lit

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MY REVIEW

An enthralling story that encapsulates the struggles of a young woman growing up in a world where inequality is all around her, and trying to find a role for herself when her family are ignoring her in favour of their son and heir. I never really considered what it must have been like to have been born into a family and have so little importance placed upon your existence, but in this story the very spirited Evelyn is not one to take things lying down, and with a new friendship with the young apprentice gardener, Drake, she gains more confidence in herself and begins to find her way in the world despite the obstacles placed in her way.

The pressure of inheritance has caused splits in the family and with the health of young Nicholas in the balance, Evelyn is left facing up to a future she and her parents had never considered. Evelyn has been used to a caring governess while she grew up, but things change and under the care of her new tutor and family Doctor, she is now facing new battles that are quite shocking to read about but thankfully in Drake she has a wonderful support when she most needs it.

The story follows the families over a few years, and it is clear just how important the family name and bloodline was to people, despite the fact that it made the role of women so unimportant. It also brings to light the shameful way that women were treated and even diagnosed as having mental illness if they dared to stand up for themselves and speak their minds. With Evelyn, it really gives you a taste of what it was like for her growing up in a man’s world and how very little choice women had in affairs of the heart.

A stirring historical story full of engaging characters and guaranteed to make you feel a wide range of emotions!

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