Member Reviews

A Winter Warmer at the Little Cornish Kitchen is the third and best in the series. It’s an uncomplicated Christmas romance with added charm from its Cornwall setting. It offers pure escape with a happy ending .

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What another gorgeous read from this series. It was great to be back in St Aiden. The previous books gave a wonderful welcome and this one does the same.

The small village of St Aiden is by the sea, the community is helpful and supportive. Just what Ella and her friend Gwen need when they decide to take on a cottage that needs renovating. After submitting a slightly exaggerated proposal they are accepted into this small and surprising little nook.

They are not the only ones who need a little St Aiden TLC, their neighbour Ollie is also a newcomer. Between them, they work through various stages of grief and loss. A the same time recovering some of what they have lost.

The main focus is on Gwen as she gradually comes out of her shell and starts to mingle. Offering help when needed she discovers what it is she used to love to do. The author tentatively tests the waters with this character as she dangles tantalising food-orientated challenges in front of her. Never happier than when looking after other people Gwen starts to help herself without realising it.

Ollie is an abrupt and in-your-face but cheeky sort of way. Instead of immersing himself in the community, he finds his solace in disappearing for days at a time to deal with his grief.

The author has not disappointed at all with this story. It is a chance to catch up with the goings on in St Aiden and catch up with Clemmie, the Mermaids and the singles club. Having new characters come into the village is great as it shows the best of what a community can offer.

I really enjoyed the way she tentatively coaxed the main characters out and gave them the opportunities they had. I did at times want to shake them and tell them to open their eyes and see the bigger picture, but actually, the slower route the author took was a much better one. It felt more natural and it made for a wonderful will they/ won't they scenario.

The gorgeous storyline, wonderful characters and another excellent instalment in this series. It is a book I would definitely recommend.

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The story follows best friends Gwen and Ella, who take up the tenancy of (a much smaller than anticipated) cottage in a small village in Cornwall, on the understanding they will undertake renovations whilst living there. Unbeknown to Gwen & Ella the cottage is in a much more tired state than originally thought and their lack of DIY expertise brings the attention of the locals, who soon pitch in to help.

This is book 3 in the series of ‘The Little Cornish Kitchen’ and although this book can be read as a stand-alone, I think it would give a better understanding of the village and the people in it, to read the previous 2 beforehand.

The book is full of the atmospherics of small village life in Cornwall. The characters are well developed and it’s a nice feel-good cosy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return of an honest, unbiased review.

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A Winter Warmer At The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot is a most delightful contemporary novel that will make you feel good and leave you smiling.
It is written in the first person, enabling the reader to ‘walk’ through the story. The style is easy going and very charming. As a reader we are heavily invested in the life of the lead character.
The setting is a Cornish village where we learn “you are never alone.” There is a wonderful community atmosphere. The village pulls together as one. Everyone has different talents. These are used to serve the community as a whole. People enter the village as strangers who soon become friends.
Characters have suffered loss. Two are wading through grief. No two grief journeys are the same but there are similarities – feelings of guilt, anger, fear. Lives rooted to a moment in time, running from what they fear, walling up lives, afraid to love for fear of loss. They need encouragement to spread their wings and to fly again.
Food is part of the focus of the novel, as our mouths water at some of the delights appearing from the little Cornish kitchen. Characters bond over food. I was delighted to see that the book included some recipes.
There are some serious themes but the tone is light-hearted overall. It is friendly and playful, being absolutely hilarious at times – I laughed at loud at some of the scenes around Ollie’s sweatshirt!
I absolutely adored this book. It is a perfect read to lighten your mood and make you smile. I am looking forward to more trips to the little Cornish kitchen.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

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I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and then liked this heartwarming and poignant story. I rooted for the characters and loved the description of Cornwall.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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What a perfectly wonderful schmaltzy romance. Two people seemingly irrevocably damaged by the losses they have endured in their lives meet. Unbeknownst to the other they have both fallen heavily for the other. What ensues is a story where the main characters dance around each other, unwilling to let their hearts be happy and enjoy each other. This is backed up by the hapless “spoilt princess” friend and all the other residents who can all see what is happening and how much they are destined to be together.

All in all a wonderful, if predictable, love story with an amazingly descriptive backdrop

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I have followed this author and read all of her other books and love the way the characters and stories intertwine yet also being able to be read as a stand alone. I loved this story emerging and didn't want to put it down.

You will really enjoy it. I was disappointed that it ended.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to ready this early.

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Such a lovely book. I loved reconnecting with the characters and catching up on them. I loved the descriptions of Cornwall and the area. It was such a lovely cosy book to read and I fell in love with the cottage and next doors house.
Please be another one soon.
Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

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What an absolute perfect story and just what I needed at this time, beachfront Cornwall, a wonderful community and the ps at the end was inspired, wonderful!

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Such a heartwarming lovely story based in a tiny Cornish village two friends rebuild their lives and rebuild their home. With well drawn characters that and a storyline that draws you in it’s an easy read that made me want a cottage next door !

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I'm craving fudge as a result of reading this book, if not fudge then flapjacks, bacon, cake, and all manner of other tasty goodies. Please don't read this book on an empty stomach unless you have snacks nearby. It will make you drool with hunger!

Now that I have warned you, let me just say how utterly delicious this book is, it is full of familiar faces from the previous Cornish Kitchen books but it completely works as a standalone as our main characters are all new.

I adored Gwen's story, as 4 years on from the loss of her brother in tragic circumstances, she is finally realising she needs to be brave and start living life again, just in small steps. And moving to Stargazey Cottage with best friend Ella who she is supporting through the break up of her marriage, looks like it is just the tonic.

For slowly but surely she is able to face up to things that reminds her of Ned, that she has been avoiding for years.

And then there is Ollie in Stargazey House, who also seems to have something holding him back from living and has more in common with Gwen than you may first think. What is obvious though is from their first meeting they spend a lot of time in denial!

I loved the Star Sisters as Gwen and Ella are calling themselves, and seeing all the promises they rashly made to secure the cottage, and how they try to meet them is amusing. I also enjoyed seeing the development work on the cottage, including the incredibly hot builder.

Then there is Minty who I have a soft spot for, she really does make an impact for something so small. As does Bud, who is also adorable.

This felt like a warm hug of a book that enveloped me in its pages and wouldn't let me go until I reached the end. I was utterly hooked and couldn't get enough of these characters, or all the tasty food they were clearly cooking and tasting.

And the humour especially the first few meetings between Gwen and Ollie, and the interesting situations she gets herself into, are very amusing and memorable.

Just another truly marvellous book from Jane Linfoot set in her beloved St Aiden, a location I am determined to visit one day (even though I may have to jump into the author's brain to be able to do that, as it's a fictional place!)

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

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This is a delightful book with a lovely seasonal finale. The Cornish setting and many food based social gatherings make for a very enjoyable read. Gwen is an empathetic main character, and Ollie is a great brooding Mr Darcy type of a neighbour. I highly recommend this book.

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Gentle romance set in magical Cornwall. Friends Ella and Gwen take on a cottage in St Aidans and as part of their rent have to refurbish the tiny cottage while they recover from negative events in their lives. They need to integrate into a very supportive community that helps them mend

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"Winter Warmer" is a very entertaining, moving and heart-warming piece of women's/adult fiction. It can be read as a stand-alone story, set in the fictional Cornish town of St Aiden's, though it does contain very mild spoilers for previous books. I found the title to be a little misleading, since the story spans several months, only ending once it is winter.


Gwen is a wonderfully sympathetic character, one whom you cannot help but instantly warm too arriving in St Aiden's battered down by life and painful loss. We get to accompany her on a very emotional but inspiring journey back to living life to it's fullest and being brave enough to love again. I laughed with Gwen, I cried with Gwen and I watched her fall in love, cheering as she found her way back to happiness.


In regards to Ollie, I did find her to be somewhat of an unreliable narrator, which in turn made it difficult to believe fully in her sudden change of heart. As the book is narrated solely from her viewpoint it also made it difficult for me to connect with him for quite a while, since I was only "seeing" him from a negative perspective. Once we get to know and understand him a little more things did pick up for me.


The romance aspect was a little lacking, though since this isn't described as romance (at least not on Netgalley) I'm not removing any stars for that. Everything was a little more told than shown, and most of the interactions we do get to see between Ollie and Gwen either end in a fall-out, are fairly brief or are glossed over. The last third of the book was much more convincing and we get to see how truly sweet and kind Ollie is.


My only true disappointment, in what was otherwise a great read, was the character of Ella. Although she was mentioned a lot in the book Ella was conspicuous by her absence most of the time. Even when she WAS there we never really had any heart-to-heart or deep conversations between these LIFELONG TWO BEST FRIENDS. Two friends who had moved to Cornwell in a bid to heal themselves, yet all I can tell you about Ella is she wears black sloggi knickers, didn't have many domestic skills and worked an awful lot. I couldn't say whether I liked her or not as she felt like a very rough outline of a character, with no shading in or depth.


Overall this is a story I would happily recommend to those who enjoy women's fiction. It has good writing with a style of prose that flows smoothly, engaging characters and a setting that you want to immediately move to.

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A delightful story about making a new start in life.

After the breakdown of Ella's marriage and the tragic death of Gwen's brother, the two old friends relocate to Cornwall to renovate a seaside cottage, only to find the cottage is microscopic and the renovation far more than they expected. About to immediately turn tail and return to London, they are welcomed by villagers who offer to help with the cottage renovation in exchange for Ella and Gwen's promised design workshops. Except they gained tenancy of Stargazey Cottage under false pretences, having a complete lack of design experience. Can they wing it by offering Ella's organisation skills and Gwen's excellent cooking.

ARC generously supplied by One More Chapter HarperCollins UK, and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

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Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book. It was simply delightful. Such a fantastic author

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A slow start . Did not like the chapter headings but the story grew and grew on me. I loved Stargazey Cottage. The work they did on it was lovely. I loved all the food descriptions . The love element was great . Gwen and Ollie both had sad pasts and it was great watching them grow together and deal with their issues..

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A charming book set in an utterly charming location. I just wanted to be there!

A story of friendship, starting over and making new friends. This is the third book in the series and I haven't read the first two which didn't affect my reading of this one but I do now want to find the first two and read them. I hope they are as charming as this one.

I loved the story, it flowed well and the characters you can relate to. It is entertaining, heartwarming and very easy to read. Set in the quintessential English country town it brings a smile to my face.

Great read and I will be checking out more books by this author soon!

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Another charming story set in the fictional Cornish town of St Aidan. I love Linfoot's writing as it's easy to read, with the right amount of twists and turns, characters that have gumption and a happy ending! Brilliant! If you've liked her other stories, you'll like this! I'd like to live in St.Aidan. a quintessentially British novel, it's a heartwarming read.

It's a great chick lit read, one that you can merrily sink into and enjoy. Trigger warning, the central characters are in different stages of grief.

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A winter warmer at the little Cornish kitchen is lovely addition to the series. I love a Jane linfoot book and this one is no exception. I enjoyed reading it, I thought that it was uplifting and full of all the joys and spirit of Christmas.

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