This was a lovely book full of wonderful characters who all rallied round the cafe. I love books like this when the characters are so likeable and always willing to help others. I hope there is more in this series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review..

Tilly Tennant is one of my must-read authors, so I was keen to get my hands on her new book asap. It sounded like I was really going to love it with its riverside setting and cafe full of gorgeous offerings. Unusually, I found it took me a while to get into this story, but once hooked I was eager to follow the fortunes of its characters.


The central character in the story is recently-widowed Rosie. She finds herself living above the cafe at Marigold Marina, a river basin near to the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Renovating the rundown cafe and opening it once again was her husband, Fergus’s, dream and she is doing her best to succeed in his memory. When it is up and running again, Rosie finds she has little time for anything else, but a distraction comes along in the shape of Kit, who owns a book barge which he ties up nearby, and his sister Tabitha, who agrees to help in the cafe. Just as Rosie is beginning to believe that she might find happiness again, she learns a shocking secret that rocks her whole world and makes her want to turn and flee. She is faced with a terrible dilemma - should she give up all that she has achieved or should she stay at Marigold Marina and perhaps find love once more?

Although I, personally, found it took me longer than I expected to get into this book, I was glad that I did and can recommend it to other readers. It has such a lovely setting right on the river and I could certainly envy Rosie waking up to that view every morning. Rosie herself was an interesting character; on one hand strong and determined in relation to her business but incredibly naive in other ways, particularly in respect to the qualities of her late husband. I certainly didn’t like the sound of Fergus. Most of the other characters at the marina were warm and welcoming, in particular Kit and his sister. I would love to catch up with them all and find out what transpired in their lives - surely the sign of a good book.

After the small disappointment her last book meant for me, Tilly Tennant is back with one of those stories she’s made me fall in love with more than once, light and uplifting stories that will make you forget all the negativity and will imbue you with a strong sense of community.

Rosie followed her husband Fergus to Marigold Marina to fulfill his dream of running a café, and after his tragic death she felt compelled to make that dream true even though it wasn’t hers. A new arrival at the Marina will put on her way a new chance at happiness but, will she be able to move away from her grief?

Once again the setting was gorgeous and it made me wish I was living there. Most of Rosie’s new neighbors were charming and I loved how they were there for her during those hard times. I love how the author always manages to convey that sense of community where you know you can count on your neighbor no matter what.

I felt for Rosie so badly most of the time! It was really frustrating seeing her suffer when it soon becomes clear her husband was an undeserving piece of sh*t. I hated how he belittled her and then tried to justify it saying it was for her own good. He says LOVE, I say ABUSER! That part was certainly deeper than usual in this kind of stories. Though late, I was so glad when she found out his true colors, allowing herself to heal at last and start anew.

All the supporting characters were quite nice and Kit surely sounded dreamy. And to top it all he owned a bookstore! What more could a girl ask for?

Sweet and beautifully written story of love and friendship, dealing with some heavy issues, in a picturesque setting and with some lovable characters for whom you want to open their eyes to allow themselves a happy ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This has been a lovely read, entertaining and full on drama from start to finish. I wasn’t too surprised though as Tilly books are always good reads.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I have to say that Rose, the main character was not one of my faves, she quite annoyed me and frustrated me, in the sense that when the truth comes out re a certain person (obviously I can’t mention name as I really don’t want to give any spoilers away or ruin for anyone), how she put up with it in the past and why she thought it was normal behaviour and didn’t come to her senses sooner, and why she put up with it, but I guess the main thing is that she did get over it eventually and did come to her senses before it was too late.

I loved the characters of Kit and Tabitha, who are brother and sister, they really gelled well and clearly cared for each other and that of their friends/family.

Loved the setting/location, sounds like a truly nice place to visit or live for sure.

Favorite Quotes:

There were emotions, all jumbled up inside her, so many she was overwhelmed. She couldn’t pick out a single one and feel it.

‘You said you wanted to broaden your horizons and push yourself to do new things.’ ‘I meant like trying a new flavour of crisp.’


My Review:

This was an easy-to-follow and engaging small village read with a couple of challenging characters that I just wanted to give a good pinch or ten. The small riverside village and its populous of quirky residents were so well detailed I feel I could recognize and greet them in passing. The main character of Rosie was timid and anxiety-ridden and basically allowed herself to be a doormat, which was rather tedious at times yet the insights and observations written for this character were realistically true of many people. Tilly Tennant's stories are so well-honed and complete they could easily be transferred immediately to the screen as sharp visuals scrolled through my brain throughout perusal.

A lovely easy escapism read. Perfect for lazing in the sun! .... . . .

3.5*

What an interesting read Tilly’s latest proved to be. The Café at Marigold Marina was a story of discoveries in every sense of the word. It was from these realisations that life changing decisions were to be made and fresh starts embarked upon. All of this with a cast of solid characters in a beautiful locale.

‘… if she was going to move on, she had some old wounds to heal too. She had to start by putting things right that she had made wrong.’

The story revolved around Rosie, a thirty year old widow who, nine months on, is still grieving for the loss of her husband. She makes the decision to continue on with what had been a dream for her husband to run a cafe at the Marigold Marina. But is everything as they had foreseen? Drama and secrets unfold as Rosie learns of many new things with some surprises along the way.

‘The root cause doesn’t go away just because you try to stop life upsetting (you), and you can’t control everything that happens, no matter what you do.’

So whilst there is the second chance at love, it's not all flowers and romance. First, Rosie has many issues to wade through - and not all of her own making - with many obstacles along the way. Whilst I am sure that is the lesson Tilly was hoping to convey - we can be our own worst enemy at times - it was still hard to understand Rosie and her actions at certain stages. She comes good towards the end of the novel but at times it was a struggle for Rosie and the reader!

‘The longer she was at Marigold Marina, the more she believed it herself. Going there had changed her life in so many ways.’

The Café at Marigold Marina is a story about second chances, not only in love with another but, more importantly, with yourself. To find what is true for you and your heart's desires and life path.





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

What a lovely feel-good novel. I smiled; I cried; I was sympathetic; I was happy; I was reminded of my ex-husband (unfortunately); I read the last half of the book in 2 hours! I was glued to it. Rosie is getting on with her husband's dream of opening a cafe, miles from her home town; she gets to know the locals while getting the Cafe ready. As she gets to know more people, she learns more about her dead husband and is in denial. Loved it

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'My Best Friend's Wedding' by Tilly Tennant.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Tilly Tennant, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 8th April 2022.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Hotel At Honeymoon Station' and 'My Best Friend's Wedding' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Shari Low, Heidi Swain and Nicola May will fall in love with The Café at Marigold Marina.' I am a huge fan of Shari Low and Heidi Swain so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Tilly and if this is half as good as 'The Hotel At Honeymoon Station' and 'My Best Friend's Wedding' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 22 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Stratford-on-Avon, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧 The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Rosie Ross. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'The Cafe At Marigold Marina' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Tilly discusses/includes domestic abuse.

Congratulations Tilly on yet another gorgeous unputdownable read!!!

This book is very well written with vivid descriptions that helps the reader see the waves crashing and feel the wind in their hair. The cover, title and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

This book is a very easy and smooth read and I completely absorbed it in one sitting. Once I picked it up I jist could not put it down so clear your schedules before starting!! I absolutely loved visiting the gorgeous atmosphere of Marigold Marina and Tilly portrayed the community of a small seaside village perfectly. This book is filled with love, loss, friendships, family, betrayal and everything you could hope for in a contemporary romance. The pace was absolutely perfect and I was devasted when I came to the end and realised I had to pack my bags and leave the cafe. I would love to see what happens in the next chapter of Rosie, Kit and Tabitha's lives as well as to see how the cafe gets on. I absolutely loved that Kit owns a book barge as there's nothing better than a book that contains any sort of subjects or characters surrounded by books whether a Librarian, author, bookseller, etc. I thought Kit's book barge was an absolutely gorgeous idea and I would love to see one in reality.

This would make an absolutely gorgeous movie thay I would love to see made!!! This book is a sweet rom com which will have you feeling warm and fuzzy inside at times and yet screaming and shouting at certain people at other times. The atmosphere was gorgeous and I loved the setting. It made this book a perfect fire place read anywhere and anytime from on the beach in the middle of the day or curled up in fire in the middle of the night.

The characters were are well defined, strong and realistic. I became completely invested in not only Rosie but in Kit and Tabitha along with many of the other characters such as Grant. I really clicked with Rosie and my heart completely went out to her but there was several times where I had to grit my teeth to stop myself shouting at her for not seeing what myself and others could see in a certain 3 characters. I won't name who those characters are as not to spoil it for future readers. However, I did enjoy watching her grow in confidence and go from a self pitying wreck to a much loved friend and strong woman. It would be lovely to see where she gets to in a few "book" years. I absolutely adored Kit as soon as I "met" him. Kit is handsome, sweet, friendly and owns a book barge!!! What more could you want in a man?? I didn't trust Nicole at all when I first met her and I thought she was quite stuck up her own butt and definitely someone who cared more about herself than others. Grant was another lovely character who had a large heart and was the pillar of the community as well as a great friend to Rosie, Kit and Tabitha. Tabitha was another character I clicked with immediately and I adored watching her and Rosie relationship develop. The only thing that confused me really is that if the cafe was doing so well and Rosie was working extra shifts then I'm sure there could have been a way around a certain something involving 2 people at the same time. I won't say more as I'm on the fence there and very close to saying too much. I can't say I was shocked when a certain person's true colours were revealed well 2 actually, I didn't like either of them from the start and my suspicions were proved correct. However, you can't love each character or it would be a very boring book. Love them or hate them each character played their role in this storyline absolutely perfectly.

I'm glad that Tilly wrote about a certain aspect of domestic abuse as I don't belive it is talked about enough. If you have read this book and recognise signs that you are going through the same things Rosie was put through please contact victim support, the police or a friend. Thank you Tilly for including this subject. It is not an easy one to include in a storyline but you have woven it in perfectly and it may help readers recognise the signs and get help.

Well done Tilly on another fantastic book!!! Here's to your next success 🥂!!!

Overall a perfect page turning romance that will sweep you off your feet and take you on a gorgeous break away.

Genres covered in this novel include Romance Novel, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance and Women's Contemporary Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Shari Low, Heidi Swain, Nicola May, Jill Mansel and Jenny Colgan


371 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4 /5 (I Liked it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Heartwarming and poignant at the same time, an entertaining story that deals with women's abuse in a very thoughtful way.
I loved Rosie, the cast of characters, and the lovely setting.
The plot is well developed and kept me hooked.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Rosie is opening the cafe that was her late husbands dream. Things seem to be going well and she is making new friends. But then she finds out a secret that her husband was keeping and everything changes. Will she be leaving everything behind once again?

Rosie has her hands full running her café after the sudden and tragic death of her husband. Their marriage was hardly idyllic, especially considering that not only was he verbally abusive, he gaslighted her every chance he could. Nonetheless, Rosie loved him and truly mourns his loss.

First on the agenda was hiring a waitress. She finds someone perfect for the job, but due to a broken bone, was out of commission. A boat owner on the marina, Kit, while at the café for a sandwhich, recommends his sister Tabitha to take the job for the time being. Kit and Tabitha play significant roles when it comes to Rosie's healing.

While dealing with the day-to-day routine of running the café, Rosie has conflicting emotions. Flashbacks about her husband's treatment makes an apparent budding romance seem unlikely. Timing is definitely a factor, espcially when considering that Rosie must decide if she can trust her heart again.

This emotional read by Tilly Tennant strongly connected me to Rosie and to a couple of other characters. I loved the contrasting emotions that Rosie faced in this strong story. Ms. Tennant is a remarkable author and I cannot wait to read the next book by her.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

THE CAFE AT MARIGOLD MARINA by TILLY TENNANT.

I loved the cover and the title of this book. It screamed out that it was most definitely my kind of read…. Light, feel good and heartwarming.

Over all, this book didn’t disappoint.
Rosie is a thirty year old widow, who is still grieving for the loss of her husband. As she works hard to run the cafe in Marigold Marina, believing it was ‘their’ dream and that she is doing it for her late husband, we soon learn that their marriage wasn’t as perfect as Rosie believed.
Rosie makes new friends in the area and attracts the attention of a rather lovely bookshop boat owner.
There is drama, and secrets are revealed along the way.

I enjoyed the setting of this book, Tilly Tennant, writes Marigold Marina, as a very welcoming and vibrant area.

The writing style was engaging and flowed well.

The one thing I struggled with was Rosie the main character. I wanted to like her, I really did, but she was so wishy - washy. Thankfully she was more tolerable towards the end, but it took a while to get there.
All credit to Tilly Tennant for writing with such skill that she can bring out such strong feelings from her readers towards her characters.

This is an enjoyable read and gets a solid 4 stars from me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Available now in all formats.

With thanks to #Netgalley and #Bookouture for a digital arc of this book.

Everything can change on a dime.

Who doesn't love a good bakery? Walking in the warm delicious scents, the scrumptious treats inside?

Rosie has inherited Marigold Marina after the tragic death of her husband. The cafe was his dream, not hers, but it is hers now and she is going to do her best to make sure his dream comes true. She serves and coffee and cakes during the day and mourns for him at night.

She meets Kit, the owner of the bookshop barge (yes, you read that correctly!) when he comes in for lunch. He's hard to miss, he's handsome, had a head full of curls and a wonderful smile. Their newfound friendship grows and as he teaches her to swim, she believes she may have a second chance at happiness.

But will she allow herself to be happy?

Just when she is ready to take the plunge, she learns some very unsettling and upsetting news about her late husband. Then Kit disappears and as her world has turned upside down, she makes some choices.

The Café at Marigold Marina is not just about living someone else's dream. It's about learning the truth and what you do with it, about facing the facts, trusting, new beginnings, friendship, and self-esteem.

How well do you really know someone? How much of a pedestal do you put a deceased person on? What will you tolerate in your life? What chances are you willing to take? How do you move on?

So many things to sink your teeth into with this book (sadly you can't do that with the pastries). This would be a great book club read as there is much to discuss.

This book was a journey of sorts, and I enjoyed every step of the way. This was my first book by Tilly Tennant and it will not be my last.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

#TheCaféatMarigoldMarina #NetGalley.

I have loved all of the books I have read by Tilly Tennant and this one is no different.

It's a great storyline and I love Rosie, shes such a lovely character. I really enjoyed getting to know Rosie and Kit and all the other characters.

The book is really enticing because I felt I was egging Rosie on to succeed.

There is a right shock about two thirds of the way through the book, its something j thought might happen but then decided no because I thought the person in question was too nice to do something like that.

My heart breaks for Rosie, she's been through a lot and I feel like she deserves a much better hand than she has be dealt.

I really like the relationship between Rosie and her mum, they have such a lovely bond.

'Even the bad times. It all fits together like a puzzle, doesn't it? Bad times can make good times and good times can turn into bad ones. But you can't have one without the other.'

The Café at Marigold Marina is a second chance in life and recognizing self worth sort of story.
Set in England, this novel is the story of Rosie who is trying to get a grip on her life after her husband dies. She is in a situation which didn't choose but is pursuing that dream nonetheless for someone whom she loved. What comes after changes her view of herself and life.
Honestly speaking, I did not like Rosie for a major portion of the novel. She wallows in self pity, shuns people around her who are genuinely interested in friendship and is worried about the people who pretty much are gaslighting her. She redeems herself at the end, but not my favorite character. Tabitha is the character I really loved. I hope the author writes a story for her in the future.
I enjoyed reading Rosie's story, but in the back of my mind I was screaming all along that 'girl, remove your glasses and see the reality which is before you.'

Triggers: Depression, gaslighting, cheating, loss of a loved one

The Café at Marigold Marina is another great read from Tilly Tennant. It has a gorgeous cover that sets the scene for the story that awaits you. It’s a quick read but an enjoyable one as you become caught up in the trials and tribulations that face the main character Rosie who is left bereft when her husband Fergus dies suddenly just as they were on the way to fulfilling a life dream of theirs. She has carried their plan through and is on the cusp of opening a brand new café at the delightful Marigold Marina. She has spent three months battling to get the café ship shape and ready for opening but at the same time she feels it’s all for nothing as the person who was meant to be by her side is gone. By keeping going with the project it’s Rosie’s way of remembering Fergus but deep down you can sense that perhaps this is not what Rosie herself wanted. There seems to be a reluctance and fear that surround her and it’s more like she owes it to Fergus to see their plan through to fruition. She feels that she doesn’t deserve the life that Fergus should have been gifted but at the same time she thinks maybe I should make the most of it?

Rosie was a complex character who I felt was really down on herself a lot of the time. I know she was caught up deeply in her grief, but I think this shrouded her overall viewpoint. She quite often failed to see her worth and that she could be strong enough to keep going on her own, it’s like she needed Fergus as a side kick or even a leader. It was as if he was the one with all the drive and ambition and now that he has been taken she needs to find these qualities for herself but when we first meet her she can’t see a way of achieving her goals or giving herself the kick she needed to really get going. Rosie is lonely and, who wouldn’t be without your life companion by your side, I thought she turned to anyone that came into her life and wanted them as a friend. Of course, some people are genuine and a friendship would be natural but I sensed that some characters weren’t all as they seemed and were hiding things. Things that if Rosie knew the truth about I doubt she would have been welcoming them with open arms into her life.

Rosie has had months of doubt, angst and second guessing herself? Is opening the café the right thing to do? Was it really Fergus’s dream and not hers? Is she only going through with it because she will feel guilty if she doesn’t? But once she opens up, she does feel a sense of achievement and she begins to settle into the marina. That’s not to say life is all plain sailing. In fact far from it and the author throws in plenty of twists and turns and shows how Rosie has to navigate a path that is filled with bumps before she can find true contentment in her new life and acceptance that Fergus is no longer by her side.

I loved the setting of the marina and all its residents. I found it so vividly described that I could picture it so clearly in my head. There were lots of secondary characters introduced but they weren’t just there for the sake of it, they all had a role to play be it big or small and in fact I wanted to know more about them. I definitely feel there is room for another book with some of the characters that featured here which would allow for them to develop more of their backstory. Nicole runs the gift shop, Layla and Tom have the farm shop, Hal runs river trips and Angel has her cocktail barge. Luca has a gelato boat, Julie has a sandwich barge and Grant has his boat hire business.

Newcomer Kit, who has a book barge, and his sister Tabitha feature heavily and I suppose Rosie felt a kindred spirit with Kit as they were both new to the area. Tabitha gets Rosie out of a hole and agrees to work in the café with her and a friendship is formed. Kit is handsome, warm, intelligent and full of genuine charm and I thought he could very well be the one to draw Rosie out of herself. Will she be willing to open herself up to love for a second time? Will the barriers she has constructed remain steadfast or will Kit be the one to bend and break them? I truly hoped so because the way they were both written it was like they were destined for each other. I think the following quote sums up Rosie to perfection and goes along way to explaining why I thought she was quite a frustrating character at times ’Even during quite moments there was a strange undercurrent, a vague background hum of menace, some hidden and unspoken anxiety waiting to drag her down whenever she felt as if she might just find contentment’. I think this was why she was so reluctant to believe that the café could be a success and that she could go to find happiness after Fergus’s death. It’s only when certain things come to light and very surprising revelations unfold that I felt Rosie was justified in feeling this way and I knew why she was so reluctant to be positive and all embracing. The discovery really throws Rosie of track and her reaction was spur of the moment and I think as soon as she made the decision she was regretting it. But as a reader, I was like, yes, my suspicions about a certain character were right and I hope they are now shunned and get the cold shoulder from all the residents as they truly deserve it.

Once again, Rosie is forced to revaluate her life and here again I thought you are being far too hard on your self especially when the reader learns a few of the things that Rosie herself has being hiding. The opinions you had formed about characters change and it makes you step back and view the story in a different light. I loved the way her relationship with Fergus was explored in much more detail in the later half of the book and it allowed me to make sense of how she was dealing with Kit in the present. Ki, has faith in her and believes she can do anything, he has given her self-belief and helped her find her freedom. But will she let all these wonderful characteristics that she has found slip through her fingers? Has she made too rash of a decision upon finding out things she wished she had never heard? Will Rosie find happiness or will the shadows of the recent past play too heavily on her mind? To find out the answers and to discover a wonderful engaging story then I would have no hesitation in recommending this lovely read.

What a truly stunning read this book is and Tilly never fails to disappoint. Heart warming and beautifully written.

Many thanks to Bookouture for the digital review copy! 💕
I absolutely adore Tilly Tennant's books, and The Cafe at Marigold Marina was no different. There's something about Tilly's writing that sucks you in from the very first page. Reading Rosie's story was such a cozy, heartwarming yet touching ride.

I am a huge, huge fan of books with a community theme, and The Cafe at Marigold Marina executed this theme in such a perfect manner! 💜 I loved how this book wasn't a straightforward romance, but had lots of twists and turns along the way. Rosie discovers secrets about her husband, and we get to uncover a lot from his backstory. And with a cafe setting, I was intrigued in the plot through and through! The romance was sweet and I loved how things turned out in the end. 💕

4/5 💫 to this lovely story!

This book is an enjoyable read set in an idyllic location. I would love to visit the Marina, especially to buy some books from Kit's Bookshop Barge.
Rosie had obviously had a difficult time and wasn't as happily married as she thought. I wanted her to have a second chance of happiness.
I found this book a little slow to begin with, but it quickly built up pace and I soon got into the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for my ARC.