Can Kerra’s Cornish hometown offer the fresh start she needs? When Kerra left the quiet Cornish town of Penvennan Cove for the bright lights of London she didn’t look back. But after the death of her mother, she’s decided it’s time to face her past and return to the place she called home. Her father needs her, and perhaps she needs him more than she’s willing to admit? Tackling town gossip, home …
Tackling town gossip, home renovations and a flame from her past, it’s not quite smooth sailing for Kerra. Ross is the bad boy she was meant to forget, not a man who still sets her heart aflutter. As he helps bring her dream home to life, they begin to break down the barriers that have been holding them back and in the process learn things about themselves they never thought possible.
As friends old and new come together, the future in Penvennan looks bright.
Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Phillipa Ashley and Julie Houston.
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I do enjoy a good homecoming story and this was definitely a good one.
Kerra was brought up in a quiet Cornish town – the Penvannan Cove in the title – but left for London where she set up an extremely successful business. With her business now sold, there are no more ties in London other than her good friend, Sy, and the time has come to return home and be around for her dad who she suspects has been struggling more than he’ll admit it since Kerra’s mum died.
Life back in Penvannan Cove is so different to life in London. With speculation running rife as to why she’s returned home after all of these years and trying to adjust to a small cottage that simply isn’t her, she’s struggling to settle. When her neighbour, Drew, shares plans to extend his cottage, she sees a way to turn her adjoining cottage into the home of her dreams. She’s excited when work gets underway but is not prepared for the builder, Ross, to be a blast from the past; the one who got away.
This is a lovely story of returning home and recognising the value of friends and family, new and old. There are some fabulous characters in the community and I particularly adored the star-turn from Drew’s cat, Ripley, who clearly identifies more as dog than cat!
There is a lovely romance thread but I’d say this book is more about Kerra and her journey in starting over and finding herself. I loved how she’s actually a really strong, successful businesswoman rather than someone fleeing from a negative experience. This gave her a very different character arc to what we might typically see in a homecoming tale. There’s also an intriguing mystery that adds a sense of danger and, again, something a little different.
This is a warm hug of a book that draws you into a beautiful setting and friendly community. I’m delighted to see it’s the first part of a series and look forward to returning to Penvannan Cove and catching up with Kerra and her friends – including those of the animal variety.
Favorite Quotes:
You never get over the first one, do you? All those fantasy ‘what if?’ daydreams, although in my case it was more if only… I was way too shy, in those days, to let my feelings be known.
That’s another thing about village life. There are circles. And some you don’t want to join. Others, well, you need an invite. Me, I’m going to create my own little circle because I’ve suddenly remembered one of the reasons why I left in the first place. Square peg, round hole.
It’s funny how life can begin to feel more like a treadmill than a path, and we don’t even notice it happening.
Love is the thing that grows over time, lust is the thing that tempts you to hang around long enough to find out if it has a chance of going anywhere.’
I want a cat’s life, I decide. Sleep, eat, have people fawn over you, put the world to rights in cat talk and pretend you can’t understand when anyone talks back. Sounds like heaven to me.
My Review:
This was an enjoyable, gentle, and slowly evolving character-driven story with real-life issues and concerns. I took pleasure in the author’s relaxed pace, easy to follow, and tender and warm style. The story was written in the first person POV of Kerra, a successful and intelligent young businesswoman who had more than achieved her business dreams at age twenty-nine and felt at loose ends, exhausted, and disengaged. Returning to her small village in Cornwall to assist her recently widowed father became Kerra’s new agenda.
As the story unfolded, I noticed all the characters primary and secondary appeared to be experiencing upheaval and significant transitions. I enjoyed Kerra’s inner narratives, personal epiphanies, and insightful observations of her neighbors, adopted cat, friends, family, and small village life. The storylines flowed at a leisurely pace and were filled with a large cast of knowable and engaging characters to care for and about.
After nine years, Kerra Shaw is returning home to spend time with her dad. Her mom died from cancer over six months ago and he’s still struggling with his grief. She sells her very successful company, so now she’s jobless. I loved this beautiful story about putting family first and it’s a bonus, if she finds love along the way. I won’t leave any spoilers, but I will say I really enjoyed my first book by Linn B. Hilton. Grab your copy and see if you find a new author to enjoy like I did.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.