I'm a sucker for books based in the UK, and this was no exception. There was so much charm with the different characters, the Portsmouth summer festival as a backdrop to all of the storylines and interactions between the characters. I felt like I was a fly on the wall in every scene, observing each conversation in person, and I could visualize every scene so clearly. A great book to read.

This book had a lovely start, and I found that I could easily immerse myself in the story. I almost felt at home in the village community thanks to the vivid storytelling, and I like how the characters all knew each other. This made a change to some of the other women's fiction I have read recently as the protagonist wasn't new to the village which is a trope we see a lot. Instead, Sam already knew these people, and this was her home. Which gave more space for us to understand the side characters properly. This book told the story of a community, of family, friends and love and it was full of twists and turns that caught me off-guard.

Phillipa Ashley is a new author for me cherish.
Brilliant read enjoyed the plot , village community coming together to help each other.
Couldn’t put it down .it was a perfect summer read .
Definitely recommend this book.

A lovely feel good summer read. Perfect for whisking you away on a wet, rainy day to Cornwall and a chance to dream of the summer to come. A perfect summer holiday read or a pre holiday escape to cheer you up on a wt, rainy weekend.

Thank you the net Galley and the publishers for the chance to read an ARC and have an early escape to summer

First time I have read a Phillipa Ashley book but it won't be the last. Porthmellow sounds like an idyllic Cornish village. The story is mainly based around Sam and her family but there are also other locals who are not all they seem. Really enjoyed being transported to Cornwall and will miss the characters now I have finished the book. A lovely light hearted story.

This was just what I needed. A real feel good summer read. I'm trying to read more of this genre as I find myself always reading 'heavier' tops and some that can be quite dark. So this was a breathe of fresh air, loved it and will read more from this author.

Lovely feel good summer read. What’s not to love sun sea and sadly ur reading about it instead of living it. Easy to read and flowed well. Perfect summer book

This is like Bridget Jones meets the Great British Baking Show.

The primary story revolves around the reunion of Samphire "Sam" and her first love Gabe when he comes back into town as the featured chef in the local summer food festival. He left town ten years ago under a cloud of controversy breaking Sam's heart but now is returning as a local hero and celebrity. Sam isn't sure if she wants to see him ever again but as chairperson of the food festival she can't hardly avoid him. Sam and Gabe are also surrounded by a cast of lovable town characters who have fun stories of their own. However, the real star of the book is the fictional Cornish coastal town of Porthmellow. It made me want to travel to the dramatic coasts and the charming villages of Cornwall.

My only criticism of the book is that it drags a bit in the middle with lots of characters and their inner drama taking up long segments where not much is actually happening. Once the food festival kicks off then the action begins in earnest and there's some exciting drama where secrets are finally revealed. Overall, it's a pleasant sweet story that's perfect for reading on the beach or while sitting in a hammock in the shade.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy so that I could provide an honest review.

I really loved this book- I could really picture Porthmellow and the food festival that they are all planning. After having recently seen Fishermens Friend at the cinema which has a great sense of the Cornish community and reading Phillipa's book where you can imagine yourself living there and being roped in to delivering leaflets or phoning suppliers from the planning master list I am more than ready for my summer holiday!
I saw Phillipa Ashley recently at an author event where she was talking about her research for this book and her love of Cornwall shone through.
A book set in Cornwall is sure to be a winner for me- I would love to live there one day. The description of the food festival has me looking out for something local to visit.
This would be the perfect book to pack in your suitcase.

I'm wondering if the title of this is meant to be sarcastic, I could only read the prologue and first chapter, it's definitely not 'The Perfect Cornish Summer'. I was looking for a fun summer read and thought that this would be a great book. But I couldn't get into it, it didn't deliver what I thought it was offering and I decided not to continue.

I liked the setting and I was starting to get into it, but there was so much going on in the Prologue and Chapter One. So many people were introduced that I didn't really feel I could get to know the main character or apprecicate the setting. There wasn't really any action or atmosphere to draw me in. The Prologue was a conversation between the locals about how to improve the tourism in their village, which ended with them deciding at the end of the Prologue to start doing a summer festival.

Chapter One jumps ahead to when they are organising the festival. Again there's just too many characters introduced and it's just dull. It's meant to be a summer read but it's gloomy. There was a repeat of some back story about the main character's brother which was mentioned in the Prologue. I think that was what made me decide to stop reading. It was just repitition from the previous chapter being ellaborated on, Just an info dump really, not a slow progression of the story with drama unfolding. So I didn't feel like I'd got to know the main characters and wasn't giving a chance to enjoy the story. Too much exposition and back story and possible foreshadowing about the brother.

I feel like the story about how they decide to set up the festival could've been a novel on it's own. The first two chapters have way too much information and characters and I didn't really have any reason to read on. They are just setting up a festival and it's so miserable. I couldn't really get interested in this and the mention of her brother was just too obvious that he was going to appear later. After reading gorgeous books by Jenny Colgan where you feel like you're there and you love the characters straight away, this was disapointing.

A lovely, easy reading book perfect for a good summer chill out read. A slightly predictable storyline but with great, believable characters and a lovely setting.

I'd never read a Phillippa Ashley before, but I will certainly be reading more! The beautiful setting and the colourful array of characters makes for a rich, warm story of love and community that I just couldn't put down and the descriptions of the food were just delicious! Definitely worth a read.

This was the first book in a new series, based in a quiet coastal town in Cornwall, porthmellow, based around Sam, who started a food festival 10 years previously and her family.
When the celebrity chef who was supposed to headline the festival has to unexpectedly drop out Gabe another celebrity chef who had been a local years before steps in, but he has history with Sam.
The main characters are all strong, well written and the book draws the reader in. The community is close, working together with a few exceptions! It is hard to write the first book in a series, but I can see that this will be a brilliant series as the writer expands the various characters of the community and their stories.
Did I enjoy it? Yes I did and I would recommend it . It was a very enjoyable book, with numerous twists and turns, good descriptions of the locations and a good plot. The relationships explored within the book were all written well and I look forward to reading more of this series .
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon, and Phillipa Ashley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a truly wonderful read. Philippa has done it again. You never fail to disappoint me. As the storm gathers you can hear the waves on the stones and thevwind howling around the harbour. The characters are brought to life so I lived the story through them. Find out if Gabe, who was in love with Sam, short for Samphire, did the right thing all those years ago. Was it worth losing the love of his life? Does Sam regret it? It all comes together at a food festival when Gabe, who has become a famous chef steps in at the last moment to help his old hometown out. Sam is sent into turmoil when she discovers he is returning. Read this exciting novel to find out what secrets Gabe has kept. Thank you to Philippa Ashley and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Ten years ago, Porthmellow resident Sam Lovell and her friends came up with the idea of holding a food festival to attract tourists to their town. Over the years, the festival evolved and drew the attention of celebrity chefs. Despite running her own catering business Sam and her team always pull out the stops but this year at the last minute their celebrity chef pulls out and committee member Chloe steps in and books a replacement who is familiar with the area. The replacement turns out to be Gabe Matthias who left Portmellow several years before he became a famous chef. What Chloe doesn’t know is that Sam and Gabe already know each other and she has inadvertently stirred to pot – will it all work out or will it be a recipe for disaster?

I really loved this book and the characters were likeable and well written. The setting in Cornwall was fantastic especially as I read this on a rainy Sunday afternoon and I felt that I had been transported down to Doc Martin country, walking along the narrow streets to the sea front. I could smell the salt in the air and hear the food festival bunting fluttering on the breeze.

It was all so magical and really is a holiday within a book sleeve.

*I was given a free ARC in return for an honest and open review.

A Perfect Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley. Avon Books UK, 2019.

In this story, celebrity chef Gabe returns to his Cornish hometown for the first time in years to help Sam, his teenage sweetheart and food truck owner, with a food festival. The book is well written, the setting is wonderful, the hero and heroine are appealing and well-supported by a cast of interesting and likeable characters.

Gabe and Sam were one of several romances that I hoped would end well. Despite some family estrangements and some vandalism, there are no real crises; it is a pleasant and peaceful read perhaps because there is such a lot going on, readers will feel that at least some of it will be resolved happily.

I enjoyed the snapshot of small-town everyday life in Cornwall. I’d give it 3.5 stars if I could.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of A Perfect Cornish Summer for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the setting, the characters, the storyline, can't wait for the next book in the series, to see what happens next to Sam & Gabe

So-called “summer reads “ should warm our hearts and soothe our souls. A Perfect Cornish summer does just that. Set in a beautiful coastal town of Cornwall, we follow Sam, local resident, business owner, and chair of the annual food festival, as she prepares for this year’s event. As they deal with an unexpected loss of a celebrity chef, Sam finds herself in the uncomfortable position of working with the town’s own celebrity chef and former resident with whom she has a history. Can time heal wounds and will love win out? The story of Sam and the other residents revealed itself at a good pace. It wasn’t over done, and the author wrote in a way that has you feel empathy for everyone concerned. The setting of the festival and the wonderful characters of Troy and Evie, a beloved couple who interject wisdom at just the right moments, keeps the characters moving towards forgiveness and the recognition that community and love can restore us. This is the first book in a new series by the author, and I look forward to reading the next installment.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Perfect Cornish Summer was another fab book by Phillipa Ashley. Already looking forward to the next one in the series.
Beware this book will suck you in from the first few pages.

Cute and I liked the cast of town characters, but I found the main character a little too bitter. I enjoyed the Summer in the Cornish Isles book by Phillipa Ashley more.