An entertaining read from the reliable Phillipa Ashley. A lovely setting and engaging characters make for the perfect summer escape.

As usual phillipa Ashley does not disappoint, nice to be back with some old favourites and to a place that you cannot help but fall in love with.

Such a hear warning read. I loved everh second and every character

This was one of a series of books about the same town, and all three were engaging and made me want to visit the area.

This is your typical romance of a boy running away from his past who falls in love with a girl that's unlucky in the love department. I had trouble getting into the story because I found the plot to move along at a very slow pace.

Great read from Phillipa Ashley. Love the characters and the whole setting of the Cornish Isles. Great cosy story.

My favourite in the Little Cornish Isles series without a doubt! A quirky cat, a hot summer's day and Phillipa Ashley's amazing writing is all you need for a great novel.

This is another of those fantastic books that I need to know what happened next!! I was into the story right from the start and it was unputdownable. Well done, now can we have a sequel ;) ?

A sweet cozy book. It was easy to read and a pleasant book to bring on cacation. I liked the characters in the story as well as the setting.

This is a pure summer smash hit. I cannot get enough of Phillipa Ashley at the moment I am adoring her stories.
Full review to follow

A lovely well-written story with memorable characters and charming plot. I will certainly look for this author's books again.

Thanks Netgalley, Publisher and the Author. Another of my favourite authors for just being swept away in the great writing style the characters and most of all the emotion. Good read,

Nach einer hilfreichen Aufklärung, was die Cornish Islands überhaupt sind, taucht man gleich in die locker, leichte Geschichte ein. Gut gezeichnete Personen und Plots machen das Buch zu einem gelungenen Erlebnis.

Every time I read a book in 'The Little Cornish Isles' series, I think that's my favourite and #The Starfish Studio' is no different. I love the story, the chemistry between Jake and Poppy, the healing and forgiveness required to move forward and the friendly, loving, nosy community that supports Jake and Poppy find love and happiness again.

Full of vivid imagery, reading this story is like looking at a detailed canvas, you can feel the sea sway, enjoy the wildlife and scenery and absorb the warmth of the community.

After a moment of serendipity, Jake and Poppy go their separate ways, never expecting to meet again, not knowing their lives will change forever before they do. The chemistry between Poppy and Jake is undeniable if unwelcome, as Jake runs from his haunted past and Poppy's faces a future alone after her boyfriend's betrayal.

A romantic story of battling against life's troubles and learning to let your heart love again, perfect summer reading.

I received a copy of this book from Avon UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I don’t travel far from home in real life so I enjoy reading of places I will never see in person. I had never even heard of Isles of Scilly, so this book was an education as well as a joy to read. When I started reading ebooks I was not certain they would be my cup of tea. It turned out that I love reading them for many reasons. One is that I can highlight a word and immediately have an explanation or I can open the internet and receive a more detailed description. For example, I never knew what “Dreamies” are before reading this book (a snack for cats).

This is the first book I have read by Phillipa Ashley. I was attracted to the book cover and after reading the description of the story; I was drawn to read the story. I liked the author’s writing style immediately. She describes the scenery and action so well that I felt like I was living the story as well as her characters. Phillipa created such unique and well-rounded characters, full of emotion and history. Although this is the third book in this series, The Little Cornish Isles, I was able to completely understand everything without knowledge from the other two books.

The main plot of the book is carrying on after a major blow to future life plans. Both Jake and Poppy find themselves in a position to begin anew after a major change in their lives. While Jake was running away from facing his past, Poppy was moving forward - full steam ahead. The Isles of Scilly, its inhabitants and time will heal them.

It was lovely to visit St Piran and meet all of the residents. I do feel like I took a vacation there and I did not want it to end. Lucky for me, there are several other books that will take me back.

I want to thank NetGalley.com, AVON, Harper Collins Publishers for allowing me to read this wonderful book. I wanted to write my opinion of this book in hopes others will also discover this author and also enjoy her books.

If nothing else, this book has made me want to visit The Scilly Isles - the descriptions are gorgeous! I'd be perfectly happy to swap lives with Poppy too - the idea of running an art gallery in such an idyllic location fills me with longing. And Jake is positively yummy. 

This novel is escapism at it's best.

What an idyllic place that author Phillipa has taken me to in this book!! Poppy takes over the little gallery/studio on the island, and that's where it all starts!!!
How frustrating 'Love' is and can be, when people don't tell each other how they are actually feeling!! Well this is true of Poppy & Jake. The what was a 'forbidden love' between Jake's Grandfather Archie and and a lady called Fen!! And then there's the cat called 'Leo', that causes you to laugh at the small antics he gets up to!!
What a wonderful read, loved it!!

A nice light read typical of what you would expect from this genre. Delivers on the charming characters and escapist setting. Overall, an enjoyable read.

This is a lovely read. The 3rd book in the series, but you don’t need to have read the others to read this.

When Poppy and her boyfriend Dan visit the Cornish Isle and the Starfish Studio gallery, they fall in love with the place.

Months later, weeks before taking on the running of the studio, Dan drops the bombshell of saying he’s in love with another woman and Poppy is dumped. Poppy decides to move to the studio anyway and with the help of the studio’s owner’s grandson Jake, sets about renovating the now run down gallery and finding happiness again.

This is a fab summer read and I enjoyed this much more than the second book in the series.

Poppy is a great character, strong but not superwoman and Jake is a great character too, struggling with his attraction to Poppy but still struggling with the guilt after his fiancé died.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unpaid review.

Poppy and Dan were a couple, three years on Dan has left Poppy and Poppy meets Jake again when he visits the Isle's.



Jake is back after his grandfather becomes ill to oversee his house and his artistry work. During his time there though getting over the loss of his fiancée as well he meets Poppy and the pair together manage to get a gallery display set up in The Starfish.



As good news, bad news and miracles happen, the pair grow a bond between them as they find a light in the darkness from each other. It's heartwarming, fun but also serious too dealing with loss and finding life again.

Summer on the Little Cornish Isles: The Starfish Studio by Phillipa Ashley
Book #3: The Little Cornish Isles Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating 3/5 stars

After a single visit, a magical visit, Poppy and her long-time boyfriend, Dan decided life on a small island running a gallery is just the life for them. And so, after three years of plotting and planning and packing, everything is set. Except . . . .

Nearly every resident of the small Isles of Scilly are expecting Poppy and Dan to arrive, bright-eyed and bushy tailed ready to take on the long-neglected Starfish Studio. What the residents get is a bleary-eyed, seasick Poppy who has recently been dumped by her feckless and unfaithful boyfriend. With little left in her, other than determination, Poppy is ready to take on the Starfish Studio and begin rebuilding her shattered life. As her luck runs, Poppy finds the Starfish Studio is no condition to be re-opened anytime soon. Poppy also finds a stunningly handsome man trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

Jake swore he would never set foot on the Isles of Scilly again! After the tragic loss of his fiancé, Jake has kept to his promise by packing his days, weeks, and months with enough travel and work for three men. Unfortunately, his time of running away from the past is over and he must return to the small island he once called home. His grandfather’s Starfish Studio has been rented and in his grandfather’s absence, it’s Jake’s job to get the place in shape for the new renters. Right up until the moment he meets Poppy, Jake is determined to fulfill his commitment and get the hell off the island. Poppy, however, changes everything.

As Poppy and Jake soon figure out, life, and the universe often have plans that aren’t on an individual’s personal agenda. Poppy wants to stand on her own two feet, but the Starfish Studio is a wreck and she needs help. Jake wants to continue ignoring his pain and guilt, but Poppy needs help and he is more than capable of helping her. With more than a bit of wariness, Poppy and Jake begin the arduous task of cleaning up the Starfish Studio and preparing it for a grand re-opening. What the two find is an easy friendship, a lot of unexpected obstacles, some secrets from the past, and an attraction that shouldn’t be denied.

The Bottom Line: I can’t say I jumped for joy over this light summer read, but I did like it. The Starfish Studio is a rather typical recovering from tragedy romance with a woman scorned and a man running from his past. Poppy and Jake are connected by sadness and a desire to help one another which ultimately helps each heal from their respective tragedies. Along the way, friendship and love develop as both begin to reconcile their past and look forward to a bright and happy future. In so many ways, this is a very typical sweet/low heat romance with a few twists and turns thrown in for good measure. The Starfish Studio is the third book in a series and though I haven’t read the first two, I don’t feel like I missed anything or was confused by any of the characters, settings, and/or relationships. I did buy the first two books and will eventually read them, but as I mentioned, I wasn’t jumping for joy over The Starfish Studio, so I don’t think there’s any rush to get caught up.