Member Reviews
This is a nice easy read without too much drama and suspense. I hadn't read any books by this author prior to this one so it was the location setting that was the drawcard for me.
Both the main characters Claudia and Jason are genuine and easily likeable enough although not without their faults. The backdrop of Cornwall added to the niceness of this book.
Overall, a nice easy feel good type of book, perfect if you want something light.
This is a fabulous holiday read or one to read at home and imagine you're in Cornwall which Helen Pollard evokes so well.
The book would be an especial delight to those who enjoy the 'hate to love' trope but although I found it difficult to really identify with the main characters, I was sufficiently invested in their story to care about what happened to them, along with the several interestingly drawn secondary characters.
Take a chance on Claudia and her friends, you won't regret it.
I am A moodreader.So I was so ready for a summer read. And this book was just what I needed.It has small town romance.It has second chances.It is about taking chances .it is about starting over. it had it all. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review
LOVED THIS STORY!!!
It was super cute and I was hooked from the beginning. Now I want to know more about what happened with the girls from the other shop.
And I would love to read Tanya's story.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!
Things I Loved:
The Setting: Having never visited Cornwall or knowing much about the coast of England, I really enjoyed the setting, and felt totally transported to the area. Pollard does a fantastic job of bringing the reader to Cornwall.
The Plot: With the exception of the last few chapters (see below), I felt like Pollard did a lovely job of creating a few different storylines, all of which were connected in some way. The story didn't feel repetitive (until the end) and Pollard did a beautiful job of layering dialogue, character development, and setting to create a really well thought-out book.
The Background Characters: I loved the cast of characters which made up the background of this story! The shopkeepers, the friends, the locals - they all added to the vibrancy of the story and really served to transport me to Cornwall.
Things I Felt Meh About:
The Main Characters: I know ... I know ... for how much I loved this book you would think I would love the main characters! I enjoyed them - but I found both Claudia and Jason becoming a bit tiresome towards the end.
The Ending: Without giving away any of the plot -the last 3 chapters or so felt a bit thrown together. Certain aspects of the story, which were integral to the rest of the plot, were wrapped up very quickly and felt rushed. I wasn't disappointed with the ending - but rather disappointed with the plot compared to the rest of the story.
Overall Feelings
I really enjoyed this book - it was a nice light and cozy read that took me away for a few days (particularly needed during the current state of the world). Would highly recommend for anyone looking for a need to be transported to a beautiful little English village!
ARC kindly provided to me from Net Galley.
A delightfully funny romance!
Claudia moved from London to Cornwall after a traumatic divorce and opened a store that sells crystals, soaps, candles, and the like. She is a little eccentric. She believes in the power of the moon, drinks goat milk, and is best friends with a witch.
Jason is an architect that moved to Cornwall with his teenage daughter after the passing of his wife. He has no time for what he thinks is silly superstition, and is less than thrilled to find out that his daughter Milly is constantly hanging around with Claudia.
The banter between Jason and Claudia is bewitching.
I loved that despite having very contrasting opinions about most subjects, both characters were very mature and relatable. They are this kind of person you cannot but like, even when you have to disagree with them.
There is a strong sense of family and community throughout the narrative. Jason's relationship with his daughter is realistic and his love for her palpable.
All this wrapped up in dreamy descriptions of Cornwall's beautiful coast and beaches.
A fun, light, feel-good summer read.
*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 06/16/2020 as part of the book's blog tour*
Thank you to the publishers for an opportunity to read this e-arc via NetGalley! The Little Shop in Cornwall is a delightful, quick read- the perfect story to kick off your summer reading list!
I loved this book, it was such a sweet read, perfect to lighten the mood as you are reading it. I love Cornwall very much and reading this book made it bitter sweet as plans to go there this year have been cancelled. I could picture the little shops and the beach with miles of warm sand and blue sea. The characters in this book were all lovely and this time there was a very happy ending, just what I like.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
This was a cute haters-to-lovers story set in a cozy little village in Cornwall.
Claudia and Jason couldn't be more different from each other: she is the bohemian owner of a new age shop, and he is a very practical and down-to-Earth architect. But both have in common that they have come to the village looking for a new start of their lifes. And when Millie, Jason's fourteenth-year-old daughter, comes to Claudia's shop and starts a friendship with her, Jason and Claudia start seeing more of each other.
I loved both the main characters and how their relationship develops. I also loved most of the secondary characters (Millie, Sarah, Evelyn, Tanya... even Puddings!), and I've really enjoyed imagining myself in this beautiful little cottage. I will definitely check for more books from this author.
** Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion **
After Claudia’s divorce, she packs her bags and heads to Cornwall, ready to embark on a whole new adventure. From big city girl to coastal shop owner, she leaves her old life behind to become the person she’s always wanted to be.
Jason, recently widowed and looking for a new life in Cornwall after exhausting himself in Edinburgh, is searching for a new start for him and his grieving, angsty teenage daughter Maddie, proving a difficult task when he can’t even get her to open up to him about how she’s feeling.
When Maddie forms her new friendship with Claudia, and becomes drawn to her shop, Jason isn’t happy about the stores stock and it’s healing properties that Maddie seems so interested in,
But isn’t it a good thing that Maddie is finally opening up? Albeit a stranger she met on the shore instead of her father. Will he ever suspend his disbeliefs and trust this new woman who has entered his daughters life?
Can opposites attract? Will the grief of losing a loved one consume you forever or does time heal all wounds?
The cover, name of the book and blurb drew me in immediately, I was after a more lighthearted read and this book didn’t fail to satisfy my needs. After visiting Cornwall once as a teen, I desired to be transported back to the sea breeze, crashing waves and little shops along the shore.
The visuals I was able to conjure up whilst reading this book was second to none; beautiful ocean views, sparkling crystals, dog walkers, coastal walks... I now want to pack up my life, say goodbye to my old self (like the main characters Claudia and Jason) and live beside the sea in a small community where you know everyone, even though in the book, the coastal town of Porthsteren is not a place for privacy, everyone knows your business.
The main themes of the book centred around loss, grief and love. The main characters heartache were revealed in relatable ways and i found myself forming a strong love for Claudia and Jason, their paths intertwining when they needed it the most.
Claudia’s shop, the Healing Waves store, her meditation classes, her mindfulness activities such as drawing pictures in the sand and watching the waves take the pain and worries away back to sea was beautifully described, pulling me in to this new way of thinking like a wave storming into the grains of sand. I really resonated with the anxiety in this book, and found Claudia’s teaching actually helping myself along the way. Claudia not only helps Jason’s grieving, teenage daughter Maddie, she helped opened my mind as a reader to letting negative energy go, to want to put positive affirmations into the universe.
I thought The Little Shop in Cornwall was very emotional, a breath of fresh air (or one full of sea salt), and written extremely well, I was on the adventure with Claudia and Jason, embarking on my own journey. I want nothing more than to visit Claudia’s store, attend her workshops, hold her crystals in my hand and feel the sand beneath my feet, a blaze in the scorching heat.
I did find the ending a little rushed, but nonetheless I truly adored this story and I would love to hear more from these characters.
I’ve never read one of Helen Pollard’s books before, but I am now on a mission to read them all. I can’t wait to start a new adventure to the Little French Guesthouse.
Really enjoyed The Little Shop in Cornwall. This is my first read by Helen Pollard, I will be looking into her other books. This is a perfect beach read, which actually now also means it is a perfect coronavirus quarantine read. Beautiful descriptions of the beaches in Cornwall, great characters. Thanks very much to Net Galley and the publisher Bookouture for providing an advance reader copy.
The Little Shop in Cornwall is a wonderful enemies-to-lovers tale. It's set in a cozy seaside village in the English countryside. The story tells the delightful tale of a divorced New Age shop owner named Claudia, a teenager named Millie who is grieving the loss of her mother, and her father Jason, a socially awkward architect. I loved reading about three characters and watching as their lives intertwined. This was such a wonderful book!
The Little Shop in Cornwall is a heartwarming and cozy tale of rediscovery, personal growth, family, and love set in the ocean-side city of Porthsteren. We follow the lives of Claudia, the proprietor of the New Age store Healing Waves; Millie, a grieving teenager finder her way; and Jason, an architect who somehow always manages to say the wrong thing. This trio of dynamic and strong characters is paired with an ambling story story laced with New Age beliefs, Wicca, and a strong dose of sea breeze air. Pick up this book for a delightfully slow, heartwarming story of growth and happiness.
Thanks NetGallery for the opportunity to read a free E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of my thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book was a classic hate-to-love story set in an English village. After Claudia has decided to divorce her husband as well as leave her career in the city of London, she finds herself opening a "New Age" wellness shop in the small village of Cornwall. After some years have past, a recently widowed man named Jason and his teenage daughter, Millie moved into the small village in order to make a fresh start. At their first meeting Jason and Claudia butt heads. Jason is a sceptic toward Claudia and her shop and Claudia is not so easily taken in by a man, who is not open to different ways of thinking, but what draws them together is the angry yet sad teenager Millie. After Jason finds his daughter is drawn to Claudia's shop and her ways of thinking, Jason has no choice, but to confront Claudia on her "influences" on his daughter and that is when sparks begin to fly. As Jason sees how Claudia is able to reach his daughter in ways he has be unable to do, he is willing to allow their relationship to grow into a friendship, but when a new shop opens up in the village, Jason is once again drawn to Claudia by helping save her shop from closing. As the locals begin to give Claudia the cold shoulder, Jason can't help but try to champion Claudia and see how wonderful she truly is. Their relationship begins to grow deeper the more time they spend together. Can opposites truly attract or is it all just hocus pocus?
This book was very light and fun. It kept a good pace of developing great plot points and story lines that helped make the characters realistic. I enjoyed how strong Claudia was as well as the network of friends and support systems she had around her. Jason was very closed off for most of the book and often made assumptions without hearing people out or doing research simply do to the fact it made him uncomfortable. I felt Claudia was a little too understanding of Jason's reasons. The journey of their relationship was enjoyable and led to a satisfying conclusion. Overall, I would recommend this book to those who love a light heart romance story. I look forward to reading more books by this author!
I have to say this book was a lot more action packed then I originally thought it would be. The characters were all mostly likeable, Claudia and Jason were okay they weren’t the best characters but I liked some of their chemistry together but I got tired of the constant bickering between the both & I felt the ending was really rushed. The book shop owners Sarah and Evelyn were great I really liked them and Claudia’s best friend Tanya was likeable and Jason’s teacher daughter Millie was actually likeable saying she was a teenage character, my heart went out for Jason and Millie after Gemma passed away and the backstory to Claudia’s divorce.
Now it’s time to complain: this book takes a while to get into the book was incredibly slow paced to start with honestly it felt as if it dragged on. The character Libby was so infuriating I did not like her one bit she was selfish & a bitch she practically used Claudia for her ‘gossip’ and claimed to be a good friend and care for her but was never to help her. I wish the ‘beef’ with the other shop owners was resolved between the owners and Claudia, it was just a main plot drive and then pushed to the side. I just felt like the book could of done with more wrapping up.
Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC !!
After her divorce and leaving her corporate city life behind, Claudia escapes to a coastal paradise and settles into her new life in Cornwall. She opens a new age gift shop called "Healing Waves" and builds community of loyal friends who feel more like family.
Recently widowed Jason moves to town with his teenage daughter Millie, looking for a new start for both of them. Millie is instantly drawn to the delights of Claudia’s shop but Jason is less than thrilled about his daughter’s new interests. He doesn’t shy away from telling Claudia exactly what he thinks and sparks fly every time they meet.
But what Jason does expect is Millie opening up to Claudia as well as finding himself getting attracted to Claudia. Of course it doesn't help further when Claudia's best friend is actually a witch!! But when a new mystery shop opens along the seafront that is the same style as Claudia’s and causes a few problems for her, Jason is always around to help.
It was an enjoyable and fun filled read and the twists at the end were an additional delight!! Highly recommended!!
What do you do when one day you realise that you are nothing like the person you have become under the influence of others. Well, the answer is quite simple: you leave everything behind and you start living the way you want to.
It's not easy, starting all over again, but when you put your mind to it, you will succeed.
You meet new friends and life treats you well and then suddenly the tide turns and things seem to be going from bad to worse. Who is behind all those disasters? And why is the one person you like the most also very often the one you dislike the most?
The future does not look very bright anymore or can things be worked out?
I would not mind meeting Claudia and Tanya, because I am very interested in what they might teach me too.
A lovely story that shows that chalk and cheese do go together. 4 stars
Thank you, Helen Pollard and Bookouture
Claudia has escaped to the beautiful Cornish seaside village of Porthsteren after a difficult divorce in the hope of a new, happier life and opens a spiritual new age shop along the beach front. Jason, a widower, has also relocated for a fresh start with his teenage daughter Millie. He is hoping this is the change they both need after a difficult year and that Millie will feel happier in her new hometown.
When Millie finds solace in the healing crystals and oracle cards from Claudia’s shop it starts a difficult relationship between Jason and Claudia. Jason doesn’t believe in the new age approach to life, and he wants Millie to be able to grieve in her own way without Claudia interfering and he thinks she is trying to make a profit from her.
However when a new mystery shop is set to open along the seafront that is the same style as Claudia’s it causes issues to Claudia's now perfect life.
This was a delightful, charming beach read, I devoured it on a sunny day and it was like being transported to Cornwall, I could almost hear the waves crashing next to me! I sympathised with Claudia and her frustrations and was able to relate to her character. I enjoyed the unexpected twists of this book and Claudia and Jason’s up and down relationship and was pleased there was an air of mystery from the start which enticed me to read more and more.
Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I loved this book, loved the location, the characters and most of all the story. Would recommend.
Claudia and Jason had me loving this book!! It is a brilliant easy read with moments where you think you know where it's going and then it twists and turns onto another direction! Definitely give this one a read!