Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles: The Driftwood Inn by Phillipa Ashley

Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles ~ The Driftwood Inn

Phillipa Ashley

Rating: 4 stars

Amazon UK (K £2.49 / P £9.99)

Synopsis:

Christmas has arrived on the Cornish Isles of Scilly, bringing mistletoe, surprises and more than a sprinkle of romance . . . Fans of Poldark and Carole Matthews will love this brand-new festive read from the author of the bestselling Cornish Cafe series.

For Maisie Samson, this Christmas is going to be different. After years working in a busy Cornish pub, she's moved back to quiet Gull Island where she grew up, to help her parents run the family inn.

But even though she can't wait for the festive season to arrive, Maisie cannot shake the memories of what happened to her last Christmas - the day she lost everything. She keeps herself busy, setting up the tree and hanging mistletoe ready for her first proper family Christmas in years.

Until a new arrival to the island walks into her bar and changes everything. Australian backpacker Patrick is looking for a job for the low season. When Maisie takes him on, she doesn't expect him to last the week, but to her surprise, Patrick is the perfect fit. Charming and handsome, could Maisie allow herself to hope that she and Patrick could be more than just colleagues?

As Christmas approaches, Maisie finds herself dreading the spring, when Patrick is due to leave. With the help of a little Christmas magic, can Maisie get the happily ever after she always dreamed of?

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What a beautiful start of a new series for Phillipa Ashley. I simply adored the setting and found myself really relating to the characters and getting totally absorbed into the storyline. Can Ijust quickly say as well how beautiful this cover is? It's so cosy and Christmassy and it makes you wish you were the character sitting on the bench! This was my first Christmas novel of the year and lets just say that it certainly set some high expectations for the rest! It was also my first book by Phillipa Ashley which I'm shocked about because I really enjoyed it.

The setting of Gull Island sounded really beautiful and serene and the descriptions was drawing me in, making me want to visit! Of course, as it is a Christmas book, Christmas does play a huge part but then what else were you expecting? It was joyful and heartwarming and it was just what I wanted to get from a book about Christmas.

The story follows main character Maisie Samson on her return to Gull Island to run Driftwood Inn for her parents and backpacker Patrick McKinnon who has come all the way from Australia to spend the off season on the island. The pair meet at a festival and along the journey of the story it shows them dealing with their problems from their pasts and trying to make a better future for themselves.

Maisie is hoping for a better Christmas than last year and Patrick is running from a few demons himself... They both need a fresh start but will they get it this year? About three quarters through the book you're hit with a massive twist that I for one certainly didn't see coming! From then on I just found it harder to put down. I loved seeing the development of Maisie and Patrick's relationship.

Overall, a really enjoyable first book of the Little Cornish Isles series. One full of drama, romance and some humour along the way too. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a chance to read this novel which I have reviewed honestly.