#Review By Lou of Second Chance Summer By Phillipa Ashley #SecondChanceSummer @PhillipaAshley @RandomTTours @PenguinUKBooks

Second Chance Summer
By Phillipa Ashley

Summer is upon us and as our minds turn towards that perennial question as to what to read this summer, I am recommending Second Chance Summer.

Blurb

From the moment Lily Harper arrives at a remote retreat on the breath-taking Scilly Isles, she is itching to get back to civilisation – and her thriving business.

Slowing down simply isn’t in her vocabulary, and so she quickly clashes with the gorgeous but dour Sam who runs the retreat.

Just as Lily is about to give up and leave, disaster strikes, and she is involved in an incident that changes her perspective on everything.

Lily is no longer sure she wants to return to the life she thought she loved. But will she have the courage to give the retreat, and Sam, a second chance?

Review

Meet Lily Harper, a woman, a bit like myself, always on the go, yet the idea of a retreat is always idyllic. Lily actually tries out a retreat and where better than in the heat and beauty of Sicily. She knows she has to slow down and her body tells her to in quite a dramatic way. She’s also at the sharp end of the press when she becomes the craft business woman turned craft judge on a tv show.

When Lily goes to the retreat, she isn’t exactly enamoured and old habits are hard to kick, so she naturally wants to go home and get back to her business and be as busy as ever, but not before clashing with retreat owner, Sam, whose business could do with a bit of her oomph.

What unfolds is a gorgeous summer read to sink into your sun lounger with and soak up the rays and feelings of being on holiday, whether it’s a staycation or away somewhere. It’s a heart-warming book with a lot of hope and promise that life, even when tragic circumstances occur, not all is lost, even when there are twists and turns in rebuilding yourself.

Thanks to Random T. Tours for the blog tour invite for this summery read.

#Review By Lou of The Christmas Holiday By Phillipa Ashley @PhillipaAshley @AvonBooksUK #ChristmasReads #Snow #Christmas

The Christmas Holiday
By Phillipa Ashley

Cosy up to The Christmas Holiday, oozing with festive spirit and romance. Thanks to Avon Books UK for the review copy. Below is the blurb and my review.

Blurb

Krystle didn’t have a normal childhood and longed for warm family Christmases with presents under the tree. Now she makes sure everyone else has the perfect Christmas she never had, bringing beautiful decorations to cheer as many people as possible.

With her festive business booming, she decides to celebrate by renting a secluded house in the Lakes, with a plan to make this the ultimate yuletide getaway.

But fate immediately throws a spanner in the works in the form of a broken-down car, a flooded river and Max; a man who despises Christmas.

Krystle becomes determined to show Max the joys of the holiday. She won’t take no for an answer.

Can she melt Max’s Grinch-like heart? And can he show her that life doesn’t need to go to plan to take you somewhere magical…

Let Sunday Times bestseller Phillipa Ashley whisk you away to the Lakes this Christmas, with a story full of unexpected romance, second chances, snowflakes and starlight! Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Karen Swan and Heidi Swain.

Review

Being transported to the Lake District at Christmas is a delight! This book oozies Christmas, especially with Krystle trying so hard to make everything absolutely perfect. Max, on the flip side is that classic grinch, who Krystle feels the need and desire to win over. If you like the HBO movies, this book would hit the spot. There is warmth and all the spirit of Christmas within these pages.
The supporting cast are strong and lead interesting lives too.
The message within the book about life not always going to plan is a strong one and brings that heartwarming feel that’s lovely for this time of year.
This takes readers on a trip through lovely scenery, Christmas atmosphere and second chances in life as well as making it a time to feel more complete and reconcile memories and heal from times of old.
It is a book of pure festive escapism!

#Review of A Cornish Christmas By Phillipa Ashley @PhillipaAshley @AvonBooksUK #Christmas #ContemporaryFiction #Fiction

A Special Cornish Christmas
By Phillipa Ashley

Get into that Christmas cosiness with A Special Cornish Christmas. It has all the ingredients needed for those magical vibes. Thanks to Avon Books for gifting me a copy and check out the blurb and the rest of my review below…

Blurb

For Bo Grayson, Christmas has always been the most wonderful time of the year. Well, until she had her heart broken last December…

At a local summer fete, Bo and her friends meet the mysterious fortune teller Madame Odette, and they are each given the same prediction: You will meet the love of your life by Christmas Day.

With just a few months until the festive season, they dismiss the predictions out of hand. Bo’s attentions are focused on creating the best seasonal menu for her Boatyard Café, and her rock and roll dance group – the Falford Flingers – who are hard at work getting ready for their Christmas Spectacular show.

The last thing she imagines is that she’ll be ready to open her heart again. But will fate – and perhaps a sprinkle of Christmas magic – change her mind?

Review

Christmas, it can either be fabulous or can have a pang of sadness, if someone has broken your heart and that’s what happens to Bo. She vows never to fall in love again. This, however is a sparkly feel-good book, so it doesn’t end there. There’s food to feast your eyes on at her Boatyard Cafe and music from her band, which brings a bit of Christmas cheer and the atmosphere, despite of that, is divine. There’s some seasonal eccentricity with Madame Odette telling her fortunes, although they are met by some cynicism by Bo and her friends. Romance is also of course in the air and the setting in Cornwall is beautiful, in this story, which has all the magical Christmas ingredients stirred together and baked just right. It’s a bit Christmas movie like in many ways. It is cosy and lovely for pure escapism as you prepare for Christmas.

#BookReview by Lou An Endless Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley @PhillipaAshley @AvonBooksUK #Summer #SummerRead #Fiction

An Endless Cornish Summer By Phillipa Ashley ★★★★★
Rating: 5 out of 5.

An Endless Cornish Summer is a great summer read that will take you on a heartrendering mission to find a donor. It’s quite a story that has some heartache, but an overriding warmth and escapism with some romance. It’s a great book for on the beach. Find out more in my blurb and check out the rest of my review too. I thank Avon Books for allowing me to review and gifting me the book.

Blurb

Escape to the seaside with this gorgeous new series from the Sunday Times bestselling author – perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley and Heidi Swain. Rose Vernon is headed to a quiet Cornish village – to find the man who saved her life. For Rose, every day is a gift. She narrowly survived a life-threatening illness and owes everything to her anonymous donor. Determined to thank him, Rose follows a trail of clues that lead her to the little Cornish fishing village of Falford. But things become complicated when Rose is drawn into local life, becoming involved in the legendary Falford Regatta and meeting the handsome Morvah brothers – one of whom might just be the man she’s looking for. But which one? Can Rose find the answer she’s searching for, or will she lose her heart before the summer is over?

Review

This has a great summer feel and a great story. Rose has had a life-threatening illness and has been in hospital in an isolation ward, where even stem-cell treatment crops up. Fast forward 4 years later and things are much better, but sad events still occur in her life, but it is heartwarming that Marge lleaves a powerful, beautiful letter, which persuades her to start to hunt for her donor. It’s quite a story that has heartache, is heartrendering and affairs of the heart. Rose meets Finn Morvah and he and his family own Morvah Marine, but business is complicated on the backdrop of gorgeous scenery, boats and boatyards, that make the area colourful and come to life, along with the other characters she meets. There’s even the potential for a spot of romance and it keeps you guessing whether she will fall for Finn or Joey or neither of them. They also have to work her out too, whether she will be interested in either of them, or so dedicated to her job as an archeologist that she doesn’t have time for that sort of thing. It also brings some light humour to what starts out as quite a heartbreaking situation and moves to being heartwarming, romantic in a way that is great for lounging in the sun with. It is all such a joy to escape to Cornwall and its coastal scenery. It really does make you wish summer would never end. It has that sunshine glow written all over it that makes it a great summer read!