A delightful romantic escape sure to cheer up your summer, Helen Pollard’s The Little Shop in Cornwall is a funny, warm-hearted and spellbinding read perfect for Cathy Bramley and Philippa Ashley fans.

Two years ago Claudia had decided that enough was enough. She’d walked out on her unfeeling husband, quit the corporate job that was eating her up inside and made a solemn promise to herself that she would never set foot inside a gym ever again. Instead, she’d retreated to Cornwall and the majestic and breath-taking beauty of the coast has provide her with much-need balm to soothe the stressed out mind. Claudia might have swapped spreadsheets and deadlines for running a small run-down store, but she cannot remember a time where she had been happier. In the last two years, after finding the courage to step off the treadmill, she has finally found somewhere where she belongs and where she feels whole again. But drama is never far behind as she soon discovers…

Widower Jason and his teenage daughter Millie have come to town for the summer and while Claudia and
Millie soon become fast friends, architect Jason is not too sure about his daughter’s friendship with the free-spirited shop owner. Jason loses no time in telling Claudia that he hopes that she isn’t giving his daughter ideas about running away from it all to live a carefree and laidback life completely devoid of ambition and drive which naturally rubs Claudia up the wrong way. But when fate throws her and the widowed single father in each other’s path, she soon realises that there is more to the dour and practical architect than meets the eye.

Claudia has spent the past two years living life by her own rules. She has her freedom and her independence and she thought that was enough. But the more time she spends with Jason, the more she wonders whether the time has come for her to step out of her comfort zone and take a leap of faith and a chance on happiness…

I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough while reading Helen Pollard’s The Little Shop in Cornwall. Uplifting, witty, moving and romantic, The Little Shop in Cornwall is a touching and compelling tale about letting go of the past, taking chances and falling in love that held me spellbound throughout. I fell in love with Claudia and Jason and their story is sure to make you giggle, sigh and keep you hooked and entertained throughout.

Helen Pollard’s The Little Shop in Cornwall is an immensely enjoyable tale that will make you smell the sea air and feel the Cornish breeze on your face. Well-written, poignant and funny, The Little Shop in Cornwall is a must-read this summer.

It was charming, but they lost me at witchcraft, I didn't finish it. The New Age stuff was fine and the writing and characters were engaging, but I wasn't interested in the witchcraft stuff.

A well-drawn setting is always something I love, and the author does it just perfectly with Porthsteren, a Cornish coastal village beautifully brought to life. I’d love to walk on the beach, write my concerns on the sand to be washed away by the tide – or to browse the books in The Porthsteren Page Turner, chat with the friendly ladies behind the counter, then sit for a while on the mismatched furniture on the terrace with a cappuccino and a cake, enjoying the sunshine.

Then I might just pop next door and take a look at Claudia’s new age shop, Healing Waves, maybe buy some of her home-made soap, perhaps a crystal – and if I’m staying a little longer, I may go along to one of the workshops she runs, try some meditation. I’ll avoid the village shop though – too much gossip and rumour in there for my liking. And I’m as intrigued as everyone else by the new shop that’s about to open…

Porthsteren was Claudia’s escape from a toxic marriage, her opportunity for a new start – surrounded by good friends, living above the shop with characterful cat Pudding, becoming part of the community, finding out what makes her happy. Jason and daughter Millie are starting again too, after a particularly difficult time in their lives: Claudia’s drawn to the troubled teenager, and Millie’s enchanted by everything about Claudia’s shop and lifestyle. Jason isn’t quite as keen – he’s definitely not a fan of “all that woo-woo crap”, or the woman who’s selling it.

The story is very much “enemies to friends” in the way it unfolds – but my goodness, they do make it hard for each other as he raises his walls, repeatedly shouting and apologising, and it looks doubtful for a while that they’ll ever get beyond the scrapping and bickering stage. And then the new shop opens, and Claudia’s life becomes very difficult indeed – a tight community is the perfect place to be until it begins to turn against you.

There was a lot I liked about this book, and not only the well-drawn location. I particularly liked the female friendships, the warmth and support – and the relationship between Claudia and young Millie was really well done too. I did struggle with Jason a little – his volatility made him difficult to warm to, however “damaged” he might be or how challenging his parenting was proving, and it was difficult at times to see why Claudia kept coming back for more. But we do see his viewpoint too, and his softer side slowly emerges – and if anyone’s going to uncover it, it’s Claudia. When her life begins to go awry, the whole situation is extremely well handled – helplessness around what’s happening, the threat to her future, a mystery about the source, a few moments of real drama.

I very much liked the book’s themes too – its elements of grief and loss, that letting go of negative feelings, the healing power of relationships. And the author’s writing is as good as it ever was – well drawn fully-rounded characters, a naturalness to the dialogue, a deft emotional touch along with lovely descriptions of the Cornish setting. The new age – and more – elements of the story were fascinating too: I’ll admit I learned a little!

I enjoyed this one, a nicely light and feel-good summer read with a bit of a difference: it was a lovely escape, a story I was happy to immerse myself in, with a satisfying conclusion and a few surprises along the way.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

After finding out her husband would never give her the only thing she wanted - a family, Claudia leaves her corporate job and now ex-husband behind to start a new life in a little village on the sea cost. These days the only things that fill her time are doing things that bring her joy, which include running her new age shop, time with friends, enjoying the outdoors, and her mischievous cat Pudding.

A year after he lost his wife, Jason and daughter Millie move to town to get a fresh start. Millie immediately falls in love with Claudia's shop, but Jason doesn't believe in the nonsense and isn't afraid to speak his mind. But will Jason let down his guard enough and open up to possibilities that he couldn't imagine?

This was a super cute romance with drama, suspense, and comedy. Readers who are looking for a good, clean romance will definitely enjoy the book!

This book was given to me an an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book and for letting me take part in this tour. I haven't been to Cornwall for a long time but I remember it being beautiful so I was very excited about returning.

This book has 3 main characters Claudia, Jason and Millie. Claudia and Jason clearly have some sort of attraction but they are so opposite it seems like it can never work. This is a classic hate to love story. Jason speaks before he thinks which gets him into trouble on more than one occasion. I loved Claudia's way of life. She is living life on her terms and no one else's. I respect her for standing up for her beliefs even when others disagree so strongly. I couldn't relate to either Claudia or Jason as my life situations are very different to theirs. I did, however, relate to Millie quite a bit. I understood her anger and pain.

I loved the location and it definitely had me longing for a week in the south-west of the country. Walking along the beaches bear foot with an ice cream. I can almost imagine it! This was a good summer romance story that shows you things aren't always what they seem at first. It's a nice easy read that is perfect for lazy summer afternoons.

The Little Shop in Cornwall was an enjoyable and light book. I'm not familiar with the author but the setting in Cornwall attracted me to this story.
I liked most characters, my favourite being Millie, the teenager newly arrived in town and grieving for her mother. The secondary characters are nice and friendly but a little bit one dimensional, however I couldn't really warm up to the main characters Claudia and Jason. It started great but it became a bit repetitive, he kept yelling at her and apologising and she felt a bit righteous (he's always wrong, she's always right). I didn't see much of an evolution in their relationship.
The background of witchcraft was a nice twist but I felt the feud with the other shop wasn't very believable nor did it bring much to the story. It went on and on during the book but the end of that plot fell flat and wasn't really dealt with.
The last chapters wrapped up too quickly and the ending, although typical for a chick flick, was way too rushed.
3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

All in all, it's a light and easy read that I can recommend.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A New Ager's beach read

The charming little coastal town of Cornwall is the upbeat yet relaxed setting for this story of new beginnings. Claudia is starting over after the death of her marriage. And Jason is starting over after the death of his wife.

It's more antagonists-to-lovers than enemies, and the development of their relationship is handled in a believable way. The story isn't quite as light and fluffy as I had expected; Jason's daughter, Millie, is struggling with her grief over her mother's loss, but it's not a downer.

Claudia ends up helping Millie process her emotions in a healthier way. Claudia & Jason slowly learn to appreciate their differences (though Jason is mostly the Grug Crood of the story to the women's Guy - which is ok since Guy was a total mary sue, lol). It's a sweet story that leaves you feeling warm & fuzzy

*Clean romance level: sexual attitudes are casual but not recreational, descriptions are limited to some heavy petting and the sex is fade out, & the now virtually requisite same sex besties

*Language: light to moderate use of d--n and h--l

*Religion: New Age, Wicca/witchcraft and moral relativism

A nice summer read. I enjoyed parts of this book, but it was not my favorite. I wasn’t expecting the talk about witchcraft. It made me lose interest in the story. If you enjoy that kind of thing, then you might enjoy this book more than I did!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of the book!

This is another fantastic read from this talented author. She brings this seaside Cornish community to life in the pages of the book and I'd really love to visit it and Claudia's shop! In fact, this is a bewitching, fun read with great characters in a delightful setting and an added mystery, too.

After discovering her husband is a manipulative liar, Claudia divorced him and moved from her corporate job to run a little shop at the end of the beach in Porthsteren where she sells crystals, oracle cards, soaps and other such materials. When a sullen teenager, Millie, comes in with her disbelieving father, Jason, the two females connect but with Jason the sparks fly. He is definitely not reticent about expressing his disbelief in everything Claudia sells but Millie is fascinated by it all. However, a new shop is opening soon, Millie needs help coping with the untimely death of her Mum, Jason has his own problems, too, and what with unexpected storms, rotten rumours and malicious damage life is going to be anything but calm for Claudia and her friends!

This is a story of challenging beliefs, being open to new ideas, learning to control your temper, working together and finding love. It is a laugh out loud fun read which is delightful to escape into whatever the weather and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. This is another great read from this talented author and I have no hesitation in highly recommending it and everything else I've read by her! I look forward to reading more from her in future and really hope there will be more involving these characters in future stories - I'm sure Tanya would make for an intriguing leading lady in such a story!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.

An enjoyable summer read. Beautiful setting. I would have liked more details about the characters and a little less about the shops.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I love books that are set in Cornwall, it is a beautiful place, and I very much miss visiting there at the moment. This book, set in Cornwall along with the bright and cheerful cover drew me in.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, it is normally the type of book that I love. I found it very difficult to get into. I persevered, but I struggled to read it. I put it down for a couple of days and went back to it, but I still found it hard to finish.
Fundamentally there is nothing that I can say is really bad with this book. It has a lot of good reviews too.
I liked the character of Millie, she was lovely, and it was nice to see how she was dealing with her grief.
I did not like her Dad Jason very much, I think that he blew hot and cold to quickly, and too often, although it was obvious that he and Claudia would fall in love.It was admirable how Claudia handmade a new life for herself, and she did deserve a happy ending.
This is fun and lighthearted in places. I enjoyed most of the book, it was just a little slower paced than I am used to, and not as easy to get into.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Absolutely fun book about two hurt people learning to love again. My first foray into author Helen Pollard's writing was gentle and entertaining. Delightful characters and small town atmosphere pulled me into the story.

Claudia had been hurt years ago. She reinvented herself and opened up a shop with crystals and soaps. Entered a single father Jason with daughter Millie who wanted to try the New Age stuff. Clashes and arguments led to acceptance and love.

A happily ever after love story was this, but the road leading to the natural destiny was long and filled with arguments. One step forward and two back was the way Jason danced in the entire book. The dialogues caught my attention, they were emotive and brought out the flavor of the story. It was fun to see Claudia trying to open up Jason's mind to accept things he did not see.

The lovers had their ups and downs, some toward the end felt repetitive. A new business competitor and effects of ineffectual gossip added a new twist to the story.

Overall, an entertaining read on a lazy Sunday evening.

It’s a heartwarming and funny rom-com but it also a a travel into people overcoming grief and getting to know and love each other.
Claudia, Molly and Jason are complex and well thought character and you cannot help rooting for them. The people of the village are fleshed out and likeable. I loved Tanya, an interesting and well written characters.
The plot is well crafted and flows, it kept me hooked till the end and I loved the twists and turns.
I wish I could live in a small town like the one described in the book, it’s lovely and the descriptions made me feel the sound and the smell of the sea.
It’s a book I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The complications of life in an insular coastal town: do they leave room for romance?!

4🌟stars
🌊I found that this largely sunny Cornish beach story had its good points and some I was not so taken by.

Good
- the beautiful Cornish coastal setting. 🌅Author Helen Pollard includes some lovely descriptive passages about the area's natural beauty;

- the basic second chance romance between newcomer widower Jason and New Age shop owner Claudia;

- Millie, Jason's teenage daughter. She's actually one of the lead characters and I really appreciated the author's sensitive treatment of her issues;

- Claudia's supportive friends Tanya, Sara and Evelyn.

But
- I did not like Jason; he never seemed to learn from his mistakes and was pretty close-minded. I also found his apologies lame and his outbursts of temper unjustified and off-putting.

- The repeated discussions of Wicca and witchcraft got a bit too down in the weeds and lost my interest.

Claudia's numerous problems with her business provided drama, but give the woman a break! I found her battle against nature, sneering critics and competitors and mystery malfactors became so constant it brought me down😨.

Thanks to publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Jason and Claudis are bothe starting new lives. Throw in a teenage daughter, some witchcraft, and the beautiful Cornwall Coast and you have a great story. Read this and enjoy!

The Little Shop in Cornwall was an expected good surprise. I was expecting to read a cute little romance story, but instead, I was greeted with depth, true life struggles and the obstacles people go through to overcome them.

The story of a new age shop owner, Claudia and the newcomers Jason, a widower, and his daughter, Millie was a charming take on starting life over after leaving behind painful memories. I enjoyed reading the slow burning love that blossomed between Claudia and Jason as it took on a realistic and understandable pace. Although they are polar opposites in their beliefs, they are able to come to an understanding and respect for each other as they realize they want their friendship-turned-relationship to work.

A nice touch Helen Pollard did was successfully describe the Cornish landscape, which makes this book a fitting beach read, or at least, makes you feel like you’re seeing the rolling waves right by Claudia’s shop.
I especially loved the growth the author portrayed Millie in the story as she started off as an angry teen who slowly opened up due to Claudia’s insightful and understanding ways. It brought a smile to my face when I read Millie took ownership during Claudia’s cat fiasco by stepping up and taking initiative.

Jason’s struggle of connecting with a daughter who is grappling with the grief over her mother’s death the year prior, was heartbreaking and the author completely makes you feel that frustration that he was experiencing.

Although there were moments where the cycle of Claudia and Jason coming to an understanding, then fighting, then doing it all over again was a bit too much and repetitive, the story of their relationship gave the book a good deepness to it. Let’s just say that the cover, although very cute, through me for a loop and delivered a story that was completely unexpected (in a good way!)

This was a fun and light summer read. I do wish that the characters had a little more depth - they were a bit one-dimensional. I know that for this kind of book that is not unusual, but I still would have enjoyed a bit more development.

**** Provided by netgalley for review****
Who doesn’t love a love story about reinventing yourself, finding love, a little witchcraft and healing broken hearts? Claudia leaves a life in the corporate world to find herself and what makes her truly happy in life. She finds it in a quirky tourist town with lovable fellow shop owners who become like family. When Jason and his teenage daughter, Millie, come into town he doesn’t appreciate his daughters interest in Claudia’s holistic, hippy store. However, when a new shop comes to town and Claudia’s store is in jeopardy, he feels the need to protect her and everything she’s worked hard for. This is a perfect summer read about new beginnings, friendships, finding yourself and a little healing sprinkled in!

I would love to visit this little Cornish village to meet the people living and working there.Although there was some trouble there I would never have guessed who was behind it all. I sat up all night reading this lovely book, I just couldn't put it down, very well written and a joy to read it. I am giving this 5 stars and recommend you read it.

I loved this book, it was so fun and uplifting! I adored the loveable characters and their wonderful personalities.
The story was fun, easy to follow and a great reading experience!