*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: All eight novellas in the UK bestselling series A LITTLE HOTEL IN CORNWALL are now available in one collection! Follow aspiring young author Maisie Clark as she stumbles into a role as a maid in the idyllic hotel by the sea, where there’s never a dull moment, from her quest to track down a reclusive English novelist, to her brush with jewel thieves and a whirlwind trip through Paris and London to name a few. All the while, she finds herself falling for the handsome and enigmatic groundskeeper Sidney Daniels. Could the key to unlocking her dreams be right in front of her?
This collection contains A Little Hotel in Cornwall, A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores, Sea Holly and Mistletoe Kisses, The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise, A Train from Penzance to Paris, A Cornish Daisy’s Kiss, A Stargazy Night Sky, and The Cornish Key to Happiness.
In my opinion, this box set of all eight ‘Little Hotel in Cornwall’ stories is definitely the best way to read this series, as they are less standalone stories and more of a continuing saga, that begins when Maisie starts her journey to follow her authorial dream from America to Cornwall, and ends with her finding her ‘Cornish Key to Happiness’ in book eight.
Along the way, Maisie makes new friends, uncovers some surprising secrets, visits Paris and London, does a bit of sneaky matchmaking, and even solves a couple of mysteries – this is not the simple rom-com I was expecting from the titles, cover and blurb!
In fact, the story of Maisie’s search for truth and happiness is quite a complex one as it spans the novellas, and the main focus underneath the surface questions about missing jewels, multiplying typewriters and elusive authors, was Maisie growing as a person – as well as a writer – and learning that she alone is in charge of her life, her feelings and her future.
Of course, there is romance as well, of the sweet, clean kind. All of the couples featured in these novellas seem determined to strew the path to their HEA with as many thorns as possible, in terms of not speaking when they should and often speaking when they probably shouldn’t, but it is nice to see how the relationships develop into much deeper, realistic bonds than the average meet-cute allows for.
I will admit that I did make a note at the end of the first novella that if I was wrong about the secret identity of Alistair Davies I would ‘eat my notes’, and as I hope you can tell from my review, I wasn’t forced to that extreme, but there were definitely a number of occasions when I thought the author was going to make me swallow those words as the story unfolded. I was thoroughly impressed with how cleverly the overall story arc was plotted for such an easy and entertaining read. And I particularly loved all of the inside details of a writer’s life from idea and drafting, to revising and querying – ideal book-lover material!
Anyone looking for a clean, sweet romance that has more depth, intrigue and writerly secrets than most, then look no further. And the box set is by far the best way to binge the whole of Maisie’s story in one glorious go!
‘Cornwall. Until now, it had only been a place in a geography book, and in books I had read. I had seen Doc Martin and Poldark on PBS, of course. I had read Rebecca dozens of times. But the scenery was more beautiful in person than I had imagined when it was only words on paper or pictures on a television screen. With the balmy breeze on my cheek, palm trees in the distance, and the sand glittering in the sun, I almost felt a little at home, even standing on the threshold of the Celtic Sea.
– Laura Briggs, A Little Hotel in Cornwall
I lifted my suitcase again, the one containing most of my important stuff — my books, my tablet computer, and my clothes, along with all my assignments from the Tucker class, and Mr. Bubbles, too. I didn’t have much to pack, or much to leave behind. Since I didn’t know how long I was going to be here, I didn’t know what to bring.
Somehow I’ll bet this wasn’t quite what Wallace Scott pictured when he told me to take a chance for my dream.’
Giveaway to Win a PB copy of A Little Hotel in Cornwall: Books 1-8 and a scarf with cover art from the series printed on it (Open to UK and US Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK & US entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
A Little Hotel in Cornwall Giveaway – Rafflecopter link
About the Author
Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.
Author Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI
Twitter page: http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ
Purchase Link – http://mybook.to/LHboxset
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