Spring at the Little Cornish Gift Shop by Rachel Griffiths

Spring at the Little Cornish Gift Shop

Rachel Griffiths

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

Jake Woodhouse has stayed on at Driftwood Cottage for longer than he planned, but he just can't seem to find the will to move on. It's partly to do with the fact that he loves the location, but also because he doesn't like the idea of leaving his friend Ruby Penrose behind.

Ruby is enjoying being back in Cornwall, working at the Little Cornish Gift Shop, eating all the delicious food her nanna makes and spending time with Jake. Her creative flair has also returned and she's been working on a few different projects.

A shock phone call from his mother forces Jake to consider his options. He still has issues from his past hanging over him and he knows he can't really move on until he deals with them.

When Jake leaves, Ruby knows it's for the best, but she can't help wondering what might have happened if he'd stayed.

This is the second short story in The Little Cornish Gift Shop series.

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I've really, really been loving these novels. I adore Rachel's style of writing so I couldn't wait to get stuck back in to reading all about Ruby and Jake. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, I love the little pink accents, such as the pink sky, tree and beautiful tulips! Everything blends together so beautifully and really catches your eye.

Onto the story itself, as I mentioned above, I couldn't wait to read more about Ruby and Jake's relationship and to see where it was headed. Jake is really enjoying his time at Driftwood Cottage, and most of that is down to meeting Ruby. The pair hit it off and had been growing close in the first novel. However, Jake then receives an urgent call from his mum which means he has to leave urgently. Ruby, as you can imagine, is upset about the whole thing and hopes that Jake can come back. However, it's really well thought out leaves you guessing so it was a really enjoyable and easy to read novel.

It's magical, the setting sounds absolutely idyllic and as well as main characters Ruby and Jake, I also loved Ruby's nanna - she was quite the character! I found myself warming to all of the characters and the delightful setting. It was just such a feel-good, heartwarming tale and I enjoyed every page. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next seeing as it was left on a bit of a cliffhanger!

Thank you to Rachel Griffiths for a copy of this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

Blog Tour: A Perfect Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley

A Perfect Cornish Summer

Phillipa Ashley

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

A brand new novel from the queen of Cornish romance.

For Sam Lovell, organising the summer festival in her hometown is one of the highlights of her year. It's not always smooth sailing, but she loves to see Porthmellow's harbour packed with happy visitors, and being on the committee has provided a much needed distraction from the drama in her family life (and the distinct lack of it in her love life).

When their star guest pulls out with only a few weeks to go, everyone's delighted when a London chef who grew up locally steps in at the last minute. But Gabe Matthias is the last person Sam was expecting to see, and his return to Porthmellow will change her quiet coastal life forever.

Curl up with this gorgeous novel and savour the world of Porthmellow Harbour.

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An amazing novel by an amazingly talented author. When I had an email asking me if I wanted to take place in the blog tour for Phillipa Ashley's new novel I jumped at the chance. I have adored Phillipa's previous novels and I absolutely fell in love with this cover so I knew I couldn't turn the opportunity down.

The cover really gives us a lovely feel as to what the novel is about. We have beautiful colourful cottages either side of the cover, with colourful and patterned bunting hanging overhead a female character. In the background is a beautiful, bright blue sea and I just love the use of all the flowers in the pots and the little sign pointing to the food festival. It's summery, feel-good and eye-catching and I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

I'd never been to Cornwall before, but Phillipa does such a fantastic job of describing the little town that you feel like you've been there yourself! The setting sounded idyllic and I fell in love with the little town of Porthmellow and the food festival that is hosted there. It's hosted by our main character Sam, who we learn has had her fair share of heartache throughout the years. What with losing her mum and then her brother, she also broke up with who she believed was the love of her life, so she's had a devastatingly hard time. After trying to find a way to make ends meet so that she can live a good life with her sister, she decides to set up the food festival and this particular novel is set around it's 10th anniversary.

The festival is doing really well but there are a few people that do not want the event to take place due to the crowds and the disruption to the seaside town. Sam learns along the way that someone is out to ruin the festival, after tearing down flyers and then causing damage to her work van. She starts to question whether this person is out to get the festival or if they're actually out to get her. The chef that was headlining the festival pulled out with not a lot of notice so the committee had to rush in order to find a replacement. Chloe, who is new to the area, contacted Gabe, a successful chef who originally grew up in the town. She believed him to be the best person for the job and so contacted him and booked him for the festival. Of course, not knowing about the connection between Sam and Gabe.

It's clear from the very beginning that Sam and Gabe have a history, and we learn as the novel goes on what he done to break Sam's heart. However, although I know why they split, I still couldn't help but hope that they would end up back together! They seem to have such a great connection and I couldn't help but love reading about them together. Other characters which I really liked were Chloe, Drew, Troy and Evie. All of the characters are part of the committee and the whole novel does have an amazing community feel to it.

The novel is summery, heartwarming and easy and enjoyable to read. This novel had wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It made me long to visit Cornwall! Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

Summer at the Old Boathouse by Hannah Ellis

Summer at the Old Boathouse

Hannah Ellis

Rating: 4 stars

Amazon UK

Of all the guys, she falls for the one who's off limits...

Emily Winters would do anything for her best friend Josie. Every week they meet for a catch up at the Old Boathouse - an idyllic little cafe by the Thames where Josie's boyfriend Jack works.

As the summer draws on, life seems perfect. Emily's writing career is taking off and she's throwing herself into the dating scene.

There's just one problem: she compares all the men she meets to Jack.

And none of them measure up.

Now all she needs to do is figure out how to fall out of love with her best friend's boyfriend. Because even when Josie moves to the countryside, and her relationship with Jack crumbles, Emily knows there are rules to friendship that you should never break.

But can they be bent in the name of love? Is there a way Emily can get the man of her dreams without ruining her friendship with Josie? One thing's for certain: when you're in love with your best friend's guy, the course of true love will be anything but smooth...

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I was so happy to be back reading another novel by Hannah Ellis, however I was a bit disappointed because it wasn't set in Hope Cove! I wasn't sure if I'd like it being set in a different location and with some of it being set in the past. So when I first started reading it, I didn't know what to make of it at first. The cover is quite dark in colours, so not as eye-catching but I do love the theme that goes throughout all of the covers in the series.

This novel follows Josie's best friend Emily. She's shy and quiet and is trying her hardest to get her writing career off the ground. When I read the synopsis and saw that Emily had fallen for Jack, I wasn't sure I enjoy reading it. One because I wasn't a huge fan of Jack in the second novel, and two because Emily wasn't one of my favourite characters either! When I started reading it, it was during an argument between Emily and Josie and I have to say I was really confused. Then it went back to a couple of years before and I was even more confused!

However, once the story got into it. I started enjoying it more and more. Jack started to seem like a nicer person and if anything I went off Josie a bit! She seemed quite spiteful and selfish and wasn't very nice to Emily. It was interesting how a different perspective can change the way you feel about someone. I also really did end up liking the location of the novel, where the Old Boathouse was set sounded idyllic and really sweet.

Overall, not my favourite of the series but enjoyable all the same. I've really liked reading about these characters and I'll be sad once the series is over!

Escape to Oakbrook Farm by Hannah Ellis

Escape to Oakbrook Farm

Hannah Ellis

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

Village life is supposed to be quiet...

Josie Beaumont is a free spirit. She changes jobs about as often as she changes her relationship status. Frequently! The only constants in her life are the comfy old shoes that she refuses to part with.

When unemployment looms again, she's intrigued by a job opportunity at a dog kennels in rural Devon. As someone who thrives on change, a move to the sticks doesn't faze her at all. She's expecting life in the country to be quiet and uneventful.

What she's not expecting is Sam.

The charming, sensitive neighbour makes life much more interesting. In fact, when she gets involved in the local community, things really aren't as dull as she anticipated. But just when she finally feels settled, she's offered the job of her dreams back in London. It's time to move on.

Or is it?

Being part of a small community has stirred something in Josie and she begins to question what she really wants. Can she turn her back on her new life and say goodbye to Sam? Or is she ready to hang up her running shoes and stay put? Maybe she's finally found something worth sticking around for...

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I really enjoyed being back in Hope Cove. And I was delighted when I read the synopsis and saw that this time we were going to be reading about Lizzie's sister, Josie (Lizzie from the first in the series). I prefer this cover a lot more than the first one, it's altogether a lot more brighter and I like the simpleness of the cover.

Onto the story, it starts where Josie is at Lizzie's wedding and I loved the location. Everything sounded perfect and I enjoyed reading about their big day and how Sam and Josie first met and how they got on. I also loved the involvement of Max's (Lizzie's husband) aunt Annette, she's a great eccentric character and I really warmed to her. I really hoped that Josie would accept the job to work on her dog kennel farm! It sounded like my ideal job and I wanted to live through Josie!

When Josie does accept the job, she's full of great ideas to get the business back up and running. She wants to spruce the place up, get set up on social media and start a website. She finds herself very busy during the week, then on the weekends she travels back to Oxford to visit her on-off boyfriend, Jack. She bumps into Sam from time to time, as he doesn't live too far from where Josie is staying and she finds herself getting more attracted to him and, as much as she doesn't want to, she's falling for him.

As the story progresses, it's clear that Josie has fallen for Sam and she decides to end things with Jack. She then gets together with Sam and their relationship is going from strength to strength - until Jack comes to the farm to bring her a very important letter. A letter with a job offer that was once upon a time, her ideal career. Josie is in two minds, she loves Sam but on the other hand she really wants to take this job. In the end, she does take it but spends the time moping around and being clearly upset with being away from the love of her life.

The ending of this novel was so joyous and heartwarming that I found myself loving this novel more than the first in the series. I really liked Sam's character, he seemed so caring and lovely and I actually warmed to Josie a lot more in this novel. Overall, a really happy and lovely read.

The Cottage at Hope Cove by Hannah Ellis

The Cottage at Hope Cove

Hannah Ellis

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

The summer that changed everything...

Lizzie Beaumont has it all: a great career, a wealthy fiancé, and the wedding of her dreams just months away. But when her fiancé puts work before her again, she sets off for a week in the picturesque town of Hope Cove. She's hoping for time away from the chaos to find herself.

Instead, she finds Max.

When the gorgeous guy next door asks her for decorating help, Lizzie finds herself all too eager to please. The week she expected to drag suddenly flies by, and before she knows it, she has to return to her other life. The life with the impending marriage and the fiancé she loves.

Or does she?

One week with Max has left her questioning her life choices. Is her fiancé the man of her dreams, or just the man who asked? Now Lizzie must decide what her life will be. Will she go for the safe and predictable route, or take a chance on a man she hardly knows? No matter what she does, someone's heart is going to break. She just doesn't want it to be hers.

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Wow, I loved this novel! I'd never read a novel by Hannah Ellis before nor had I really heard of her, but this came up on my recommendations and the blurb sounded right up my street. The cover isn't very magical but it is quite pretty, I like the sea in the background, the cute cottage and the winding hills. It all looks very eye catching so I was looking forward to giving it a go.

I'll be honest and say that this novel took a little while to get into, it was a bit different to what novels I normally read, but having said that once I got into the story I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. I couldn't really relate to Lizzie (or Elizabeth as she's known at first) at the beginning. She seemed really moany, and to be honest, quite a horrible person. She was rude to her sister and to Emily, a girl who is interning at the magazine she works at, and she didn't come across as a nice character at first.

However, having said that, when Lizzie then went to Hope Cove, she started to come out of her shell and seemed happier away from work and her fiancé Phil. I started liking her more and was excited to read about where her life will go. Don't get me wrong, at the first of the novel, Lizzie seemed quite happy with her life and with Phil so I was quite shocked when she started feeling towards Max and then when they kissed it put me off a bit. How could she cheat?! It was awful to read and the aftermath of her actions was a little bit depressing to be honest. I was just so drawn into the story that I honestly couldn't put this down. I started off taking a while to read it and thinking I'd take days to finish it but I finished it in only a few.

Once Lizzie finally realised she wasn't happy with Phil, as much as I was sad for him, I felt happy for Lizzie because she is finally living her life the way she wants! It was great to see her feeling so uplifted and enjoying life. She moved to Hope Cove and her life began there. She finally met up with Max again and I was so happy and pleased with the ending! I fell in love with Hope Cove and I can't wait to read the rest in the series.

A Bakery at The Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green

A Bakery at the Little Duck Pond Cafe

Rosie Green

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

Ellie's dreams of opening a bakery in Sunnybrook are coming true and best friends Fen and Jaz are happily rallying round, helping her to plan a fabulous grand opening day. Everything in their garden seems to be rosy - until the arrival of a newcomer brings chaos to the village and tests relationships to the limit.

Can the bakery succeed in the face of such upheaval? And more importantly, can firm friendships survive?

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Ah, the last one in the Little Duck Pond Cafe series! I'm so sad that it's over! I'm really hoping the author goes back to this series because it was just so heartwarming and enjoyable to read. I love the cover for this last novella, it's bright, it's colourful and eye-catching and just so cute! I love that every cover has included the little ducks.

When I first read this synopsis, I really thought the main story would be based around the main girls - Ellie, Fen and Jaz. But in reality, we didn't really read much about Jaz at all, and Ellie and Fen weren't hugely main characters. In this novel, we read about Katja (or rather Kate as she's known in Sunnybrook) and how she moves to Sunnybrook to help run the bakery. However, when she gets there she realises that she's in competition for her job. There's another person who's also wants the job and her name is Madison. Kate first meets her when she's sitting in the bakery and for want of a better term, she doesn't warm to her.

Kate is hiding a big secret and I really felt for her that she didn't want people knowing about her past. However, when I was reading about her past, I found it so fascinating! I also really felt for her when Richard appeared on the scene, it was obvious that she was falling for him - but with Madison trying hard to win his affections, I started really disliking Madison! The story was interesting throughout and it was actually very nice to read about a fresh and new character. I also liked Kate's grandma, she seemed like such a lively character and I got a bit teary at some points when an accident happens! It's just a shame there isn't much mention of other favourite characters, such as Sylvia and Jaz.

Overall, a really enjoyable read. A perfect way to spend a few hours. I would really recommend you give this series a read - I'm really hoping there's another one coming our way!

Snowed in at the Little Duck Cafe by Rosie Green

Snowed in at the Little Duck Pond Cafe

Rosie Green

Rating: 4.5 stars

Amazon UK

The biggest snowfall in years has blanketed Sunnybrook, cutting the village off from the outside world. For Fen, who finds herself snowed in at The Little Duck Pond Cafe, it's little more than a minor inconvenience. Her love life is finally running smoothly; it looks as if she's found the perfect man for her.

But then a shocking secret threatens to destroy Fen's new-found happiness.

Will being snowed in be the final straw? Or will Fen find a way through the snowdrifts to the perfect love?

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I loved being back in Sunnybrook once again. I have absolutely fallen in love with these lovely characters and they're amazingly close friendship and community. The cover of this novel just screams Christmas, and although it's the wrong time of year to read Christmas novels, I enjoyed every page and I was left feeling all warm and cosy inside - as well as fancying a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows! I love the snow along the top and bottom of the cover, the cute little cottages covered in snow and the little ducks parading along the middle!

This story also follows Fen, and I'm glad it did. I loved reading more about her, there seems to be quite a lot of drama in her life at the moment and I just really felt sorry for her what with everything that she had been going through. Fen is a shy but tough cookie, and I loved getting to know more about her personality. She'd been entered into a baking competition and what a palaver it was to get her there! There's also a huge, and unfortunately horrible, accident which takes place at The Little Duck Pond Cafe and once again I'm feeling so sorry for Ellie. All of the three main girls (Ellie, Jaz and Fen), seem to be going through so much in their own lives- I just hope everything comes together and that they have their happy endings!!

Fen has also been having a bit of relationship trouble with Rob. Rob at first seems like the most sweetest and caring man but along the way we do tend to see that he makes a few mistakes! Now, I know everyone is only human at the end of the day, but I didn't like the way he kept some secrets and lied to Fen. If I were Fen, I'd react in exactly the same way and I wouldn't be as forgiving! There is no relationship without trust. And Fen seems to be struggling to get that from Rob.

Having said that, he really does put up quite a big fight to win back her affections, and I have to say that it works out really well and at the end everyone seems to be on the happier side! All of our lovely ladies have been through so much in these last 4 novella's and as I'm nearing the end of them all, I'm getting quite sad! I'm hoping that it ends on a high - either that or that it ends on a cliffhanger and we need to come back and find out more about what's going on! I certainly won't say no to another book.

One thing that I thought would be better however, was to have Sylvia making more of an appearance. I love Sylvia, she's so sweet and just so lovely that I was quite sad when we don't really hear much from her at the moment! But other than that, I can't fault these novella's - they've all been fantastic and such a joy to read. I would really recommend you give them a read.