thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition
5.0
The first in a gorgeous new series from the author of Summer at the Cornish Cafe. A Perfect Cornish Summer is the first book I have read by Phillipa Ashley. I am glad I decided to try a Women's Fiction for a change as it was a very entertaining, fun filled read.
Summer is on the horizon, and the people of Porthmellow are eagerly awaiting the annual food festival. At least, most of them are... 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 for ever. Curl up with this gorgeous novel and savour the world of Porthmellow Harbour.
My parents are British and I visited Cornwall 2 years ago the way this is written I was transported back and could picture it in full colour. The author was good at describing the every day life in a Cornish harbour town, as well as the feelings of the locals and the volunteers with respect to the festival.
I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. There were lots of twists and turns and multiple sub-plots to keep you engaged and interested in the outcome. It's the story of a woman, her family, her friends and her community and how they all work together to help one another succeed, despite hard feelings, and past differences. I will definitely read other books by this author.
I requested and received an advanced readers copy Courtesy of NetGalley and Avon publishing. All opinions are my own.
Summer is on the horizon, and the people of Porthmellow are eagerly awaiting the annual food festival. At least, most of them are... 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 for ever. Curl up with this gorgeous novel and savour the world of Porthmellow Harbour.
My parents are British and I visited Cornwall 2 years ago the way this is written I was transported back and could picture it in full colour. The author was good at describing the every day life in a Cornish harbour town, as well as the feelings of the locals and the volunteers with respect to the festival.
I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. There were lots of twists and turns and multiple sub-plots to keep you engaged and interested in the outcome. It's the story of a woman, her family, her friends and her community and how they all work together to help one another succeed, despite hard feelings, and past differences. I will definitely read other books by this author.
I requested and received an advanced readers copy Courtesy of NetGalley and Avon publishing. All opinions are my own.
littlemisscass's review against another edition
2.0
A Perfect Cornish Summer had a lot of potential, but only capitalised on about half of it. While offering what could have been a cool subplot of sabotage and a dark side to a cute harbour town, it merely fumbled its way through and let it become as boring as all the other storylines.
It had an excellent start, giving me a bit of background but also engaging me enough to want to keep reading, but didn’t pull me in much more than that. The writing was good, but the dialogue was quite stilted and awkwardly-phrased in the middle to end of the book. I could understand awkward conversation, but it was the phrasing itself that just didn’t sound realistic.
I didn’t love the changing POV - Chloe’s were SO boring, despite what could have been an engaging storyline - and it didn’t really contribute much to the story. Gabe was definitely not a likeable character, even though he was portrayed as one.
The romance did not grab me at all, and I honestly would have enjoyed the book a lot more if they’d just become friends.
Decent read, but not one I’d probably pick up for a second time.
*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It had an excellent start, giving me a bit of background but also engaging me enough to want to keep reading, but didn’t pull me in much more than that. The writing was good, but the dialogue was quite stilted and awkwardly-phrased in the middle to end of the book. I could understand awkward conversation, but it was the phrasing itself that just didn’t sound realistic.
I didn’t love the changing POV - Chloe’s were SO boring, despite what could have been an engaging storyline - and it didn’t really contribute much to the story. Gabe was definitely not a likeable character, even though he was portrayed as one.
The romance did not grab me at all, and I honestly would have enjoyed the book a lot more if they’d just become friends.
Decent read, but not one I’d probably pick up for a second time.
*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
trm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
beckee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
wanttobeprivate's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kirstyoughton's review against another edition
5.0
‘A Perfect Cornish Summer’ is my first read by Phillipa however her books have been on my TBR pile for a while, now I regret not reading one of her creations before now.
Anything that involves food is a must for me so when I read the synopsis of the book I knew it was my kind of read. The festival had me going hungry and wanting to be part of the festival myself!
Meeting Sam, Gabe and the other residents of Porthmellow was like a breath of fresh air. The town of Porthmellow sounds idyllic, especially in the summer and I wouldn’t hesitate to visit a place like this. As they prepare for their annual food festival (with Sam in charge of course!) the sense of community shines through the pages. As well as the light heartedness of the food festival there are also a few more serious back stories happening for Sam and Gabe. We also hear from the perspective of Chloe who is also a good friend of Sam’s and also is a huge help for the festival! I really don’t want to reveal any spoilers! I loved Phillipa’s writing style it flowed very freely.
I wanted to savour the story so I didn’t want to read it too quickly but then I wanted to know what happens in the end and I can’t wait for the next instalment of the Porthmellow Harbour series. This story is about love, family, forgiveness and most importantly community spirit ❤️
I give ‘A Perfect Cornish Summer’ a deserving 5*/5* 😊
Thank you to Avon Books for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.
Anything that involves food is a must for me so when I read the synopsis of the book I knew it was my kind of read. The festival had me going hungry and wanting to be part of the festival myself!
Meeting Sam, Gabe and the other residents of Porthmellow was like a breath of fresh air. The town of Porthmellow sounds idyllic, especially in the summer and I wouldn’t hesitate to visit a place like this. As they prepare for their annual food festival (with Sam in charge of course!) the sense of community shines through the pages. As well as the light heartedness of the food festival there are also a few more serious back stories happening for Sam and Gabe. We also hear from the perspective of Chloe who is also a good friend of Sam’s and also is a huge help for the festival! I really don’t want to reveal any spoilers! I loved Phillipa’s writing style it flowed very freely.
I wanted to savour the story so I didn’t want to read it too quickly but then I wanted to know what happens in the end and I can’t wait for the next instalment of the Porthmellow Harbour series. This story is about love, family, forgiveness and most importantly community spirit ❤️
I give ‘A Perfect Cornish Summer’ a deserving 5*/5* 😊
Thank you to Avon Books for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.
alexiasophii's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very soft and cozy book to read. I admit the plot was a bit more confusing than I was expecting and honestly . I really enjoyed the vibe of Porthmellow and the festival description, with the food and scents. The author was really able to bring us to the location and feel like we were there. The characters were nicely developed even if I think the story was a bit rushed and weird at some key points.
It's not a bad book and it's a nice fast reading for someone who wants a cutesy chick-lit with a happy ending.
Spoiler
it might be because I'm an only child but I don't understand why Sam got the grudge against Gabe for giving Ryan to the police. I'm sorry but even if family, a criminal is a criminal and should be persecuted as such. But oh well.It's not a bad book and it's a nice fast reading for someone who wants a cutesy chick-lit with a happy ending.
hayleysnextpage's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book by Phillipa Ashley. Set in Cornwall, it follows Sam and her friends/fellow committee members as they prepare for their annual summer food festival. I liked that it was told from multiple points of view - though the focus was on Sam and Gabe's relationship, it also delved into Chloe's family troubles and budding relationship. I couldn't get enough of the back and forth will-they-won't-they between Sam and Gabe. If you like romance novels, pick up A Perfect Cornish Summer immediately.
I received an ARC in exchange for review, but all opinions are my own.
I received an ARC in exchange for review, but all opinions are my own.
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
3.0
Bit mixed on this loved it 80% of the book, but just felt the ending let it down. I didn’t think the way the MC reacted to the news was believable and everything felt resolved far too quickly when it had been in turmoil the rest of the book. I think it could have been 2 separate books and would have been dealt with better
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion