Tuesday, 24 March 2020

The Cornish Confetti Agency by Daisy James


The Cornish Confetti Agency
Daisy James
Rating: 4 stars

The first in a new sun-filled series from the author of the Villa Limoncello trilogy.

Welcome to The Cornish Confetti Agency!

When the grand finale of Lexie Harrington's catwalk show ends with a disastrous twist on the 'ice bucket challenge', she knew her highly-strung boss would fire her on the spot. What she wasn't expecting was to bump into her fiance cosied up with an attractive blonde in the restaurant opposite their apartment!

Desperate to escape her heartbreak, Lexie flees to her childhood home of St Ives to hold the fort at The Cornish Confetti Agency for her best friend Freya, leader of the yummy mummy network and firm believer in 'happily ever afters'. Little did she know that delivering a Caribbean-themed wedding in sunny Cornwall would rival the fashion industry for drama, tantrums and mysterious goings on.

Who is responsible for dousing the bridesmaid's dress with tomato ketchup? Or hiding the bride's beloved Jimmy Choos? Or attaching googly eyes to everything in sight?

The perfect Cornish wedding? Is there such a thing for The Cornish Confetti Agency?

------------------------------------------

I do love a novel by Daisy James. They're full of glitz and glamour and SO. MUCH. DRAMA! I am here for all the drama in her books. They make such fun, easy reads. I particularly loved this one due to it's setting, the characters and the fun storyline. The cover is so pretty and colourful and draws you in, making you want to read it.

The story follows Lexie, who is the main character in this novel. She's just been fired from her job AND found out that her fiance was cheating on her just weeks before their wedding. So, Lexie decides that it's best if she goes down to Cornwall to help out her best friend with her wedding business. She then has to become a fully fledged wedding planner and put together a Caribbean themed wedding, which as you might have guessed, has some mysterious goings on.

I really liked the character of Lexie, she seemed down to earth and had a lovely personality. I also really liked Theo, he seemed so sweet and helpful and they had a beautiful friendship, but you could tell from the way they were with one another that there was something deeper there. The location to the story sounded so glamorous and gals like me could only dream about having a wedding quite like the one that Zara had.

This novel was a fun, easy and lighthearted story that is perfect to while away a few hours, especially with all that is going on in the world right now. I really hope that we read more about these characters! Thank you to Daisy James for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

Friday, 13 March 2020

Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay by Katie Ginger


Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay
Katie Ginger
Rating: 5 stars

Escape to the cosy seaside town of Swallowtail Bay, the perfect place for a fresh start - but is Stella's new beginning over before it's begun?

Licking her wounds from her divorce, Stella impulsively buys a gift shop and two holiday lets in glorious Swallowtail Bay, hoping for a fresh start with her King Charles Spaniel Frank.

When the neighbours meet her with a warm welcome, Stella knows she's found the home she was looking for. Even gorgeous but grumpy local Miles can't take the shine off things. But then her ex-husband announces he's getting married again, and someone in the village starts gossiping about Stella...

Is Stella's dream over already? Or, with her new friends behind her, can Stella fight back and save her new life - and find the happy ever after she's been waiting for?

Fans of Cathy Bramley, Debbie Johnson and Jenny Colgan will fall in love with Swallowtail Bay!

----------------------------------

How have I never read a Katie Ginger novel before!? Wow, I was blown away by this story. It was such an enjoyable and happy read that I was gutted when it came to an end and I started quickly looking at what other novels she's written just so I could read more of her books! There is no way I could have given this less than 5 stars. The location, the characters, the storyline, everything just worked together so well and I was so hooked from start to finish.

There are 3 main characters in this novel; Stella, Lexi and Miles. Stella has just moved to Swallowtail Bay after a recent divorce and is hoping for a fresh start. Lexi is a single mum who is struggling to make ends meet and Miles is a local to the town but is having troubles with his fiance. Every character was relatable, I really liked each of their separate storylines. Stella was probably my favourite however as I wished I was as brave as her! Moving to a new town and taking on a new business all on her own.

The setting of this novel sounded so idyllic and beautiful. I loved the scenes where they're on the beach, or where the tourists are exploring around the town. It made me reminisce on similar holidays and gave me the urge to go on another one to a location similar to this! I loved when they all went to the pub with all the locals, the cafe with its friendly workers. It was all so lovely and I couldn't put it down. I think the storyline was well thought out and ended up working out really lovely (even though some parts *about Vivien in particular* made me feel quite emotional!).

Overall, a really brilliantly written and heartwarming story about friendship, new starts and new relationships. It was fabulous from start to finish and I really recommend you give this book (or maybe other novels from Katie Ginger!) a read. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.