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 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.

My Rating:

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.