When you regularly read my reviews it won’t come as a surprise that I have a thing for coffee shop and café settings. I love those kind of stories. So with this book the title was enough to draw me in. However I should mention that in this case the title might be a little misdirecting? There is a café setting in this book, but if you were hoping on a café story setting then you are not going to be satisfied. Some scenes play out in the local beach café, but the main storyline is set in the entire village and it is just an minority of scenes that are set in the café specifically.
That being said I really enjoyed the overall story and would recommend this book as the ideal read by the pool this summer!
Jessie, our main character is nursing a broken hearth. Finding out her soon to be husband is cheating on her the night before her wedding tends to do that to people. To get a change of scenery she accompanies her grand-father to Indigo Cove. The place he went on honeymoon with Jessie’s deceased grandmother and spend many summer thereafter. Her grandfather however is on a mission, he wants to recreate his honeymoon photo album which got lost and Jessie is the person who needs to make this happen. Cause just like her grandmother, Jessie has a talent for photography. Upon arrival at Indigo Cove, memories from the summers she spent with her grandparents come flooding back Especially memories of a night she kissed a boy named Ashton. He set her heart aflame and then ran away. Jessie was deeply hurt by what had happened that night and it added more fuel to her low self-esteem that was continually reinforced by her stepmother and later by her fiancé. Upon arrival she bumps into Ashton again and all the suppressed emotions rise to the surface.
Of course there is romance in this book. But don’t be fooled, the romance isn’t the main vocal point. This is a book about finding yourself, self-esteem, family bonds and community.
The pages of this book are filled with warm moments between family members, but also friends and townspeople. It is so heartwarming to read and leaves you with a full heart.

Jessie has been dumped just before her wedding day and goes away on holiday with her grandad, who is recently widowed, to Indigo Bay.
Indigo bay holds special memories for her grandad, it’s where he went on honeymoon and he wants to recapture some of his memories.
Jessie bumps into Ashton, the 1st boy she ever kissed, but is determined not to get distracted and spend her time with her granddad George.
She keeps bumping into Ashton and they end up getting to know each other again. Ashton has a secret from his past. How will Jessie react and can she still trust him?

Donna writes a captivating story with Summer at the Cornish Beach Cafe. The setting is perfect, the character depth is amazing and easy to fall in love with. This book is definitely getting me ready for summer!

Engaging and well written, Jessie regains her self-esteem traveling with her grandfather to Indigo Cove in Cornwall. Finding friendship and support helps her feel herself again with an old romance providing her with a new lease on life.

Perfect summer read - sandy beaches & sunshine.
Easy to follow characters.
Jessie was a fabulous main character, loved her bond with her recently widowed Grandfather, George.
How spending the summer at Indigo Cove gradually got her back on track, feeling she was worth it, following years of belittlement by her stepmother, Maria.
Also felt Ashton’s vulnerability, after being abandoned by his parents as a teenager.
Loved the way they helped each and learnt to trust again.
A heartwarming family saga with second chance romance.
Wanted to be part of the puzzling community at the beach cafe - right up my street.
Thanks @donnaashc @bookouture & @netgalley for the eARC

Such a heartwarming book. I loved settling into the pages of its setting in Indigo Cove with it's pristine waters, endless sand and characters you'd love to have tea with.
Nursing a broken heart after a breakup from a man who thought he was God's gift to women Jessie needs to heal. She just knows that a family trip with Grandpa while he recreates loving memories of past wonderful times with his wife are sure to do it. Throw in cream cakes and lemonade from the Cornish Beach Cafe and what more could you need. Past memories have never left of the first boy she fell for and kissed; how could it be possible she runs into him here? As she gets to know him again, she falls for him and it seems as though he feels the same way but when a serious secret from his past surfaces, will it drawn them together or make them go their separate ways?
So much has changed with them both in the years that have separated them. He is now a successful businessman; she was engaged to be married but is still shy and reserved. Can they let their inhibitions down around each other in this sunny paradise?
Such a lighthearted feel-good book, the perfect vacation bring along book. Emotional, with the importance of being yourself and accepting others for who they are. The ending was so fabulous!

May 12, 2023 publication date
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Charming and heartwarming, Summer at the Cornish Beach Cafe was a lovely book that deals with some difficult subjects with grace and care. I didn't want to put this book down as I was fully invested in the characters and the plot. This book also shows the strength of relationships, community, memory, and first impressions.

Thirty-year-old Jessie was dumped by her fiancé after she learned he had been cheating on her. To take her mind off things, she agrees to accompany her grandfather as he takes a trip down memory lane to Indigo Cove where he had his honeymoon and lived. Jessie also remembers Indigo Cove warmly as it is where she spent her summers and had her first kiss. It is a kiss that she can’t get out of her mind.

Ashton is shocked when he runs into Jessie. He didn’t think he would ever see her again. He shared a kiss with her one summer and has not been able to get her (or the kiss) out of his mind.

This was such a lovely and heartwarming book. I appreciated how the author handled self-esteem and self-image issues. Words hurt and can shape how one feels about themselves. Ashcroft also showed how relationships are affected by verbal abuse and abandonment as well. I thought this was handled very well in this book. I also enjoyed how the book showed that family comes in all forms. It brought a smile to my face reading about how Elise was always kind to Ashton.

I found this book to be well written and well thought out. Most of the characters are very likeable and the few who are not likeable are well written very well. I had a hard time putting this book down as I wanted to spend a little more time in Indigo Cove at the Cornish Beach café. Romances are all about the journey for me and I loved the journey in this book.

I look forward to reading more books by Donna Ashcroft.

Heartwarming and charming! This was a sweet romance that did not disappoint!

Donna Ashcroft provides her readers with a welcome return to Indigo Cove in her latest book, Summer at the Cornish Beach Café. You needn’t worry if you haven’t read the previous book, The Little Cornish House, set in this picturesque village as different characters feature with a brand-new storyline so it’s easily read as a standalone book. Once again, Bookouture have created the most fabulous cover with such beautiful, bright and vivid colours that instantly have you wishing that Indigo Cove was real and that you could jump between the covers and pay it a visit.

This time around, the focus of the story is on Jessie and her grandfather George who are planning on spending four weeks in the village recreating all the photos from George’s wedding album which was lost in a recent house move. This should have been George and Dorothy’s wedding anniversary but George has been on his own for some time. Now Jessie hopes to bring some happiness to her grandfather who means so much to her but having been to Indigo Cove on holidays previously she is slightly hesitant at returning considering the last time she was there she suffered a humiliating episode with a gorgeous boy one night on the beach. The pair set out on a mission but little do they realise that it will bring them on a journey that will heal wounds and enable them to make some loyal friends and with plenty of adventure, friendship and romance along the way.

From the outset, I found Jessie to be very insecure in herself and it all stemmed from her stepmother Maria. She never had anything good to say about her and Jessie was made to feel ugly and worthless. She feels life has given her a battering and even more so as when she arrives in Indigo Cove she really should have been preparing to marry her fiancée Brendon. She had always hoped that she would find that special someone who would adore her and make her feel loved and valued. Believing she had found that with Brendon she was heartbroken to discover that he was a cheater. She is hurt and embarrassed over what has happened and sees herself as a misfit but maybe Indigo Cove and the people she meets there especially the gorgeous Ashton ( with whom she soon discovers she has unfinished business) will help her get her life back on track. When she encounters Ashton who now resides at Look Out House, a converted hotel that George stayed in on his honeymoon, well old memories and wounds are stirred as he was the one who caused her such heartache all those years ago on that fateful holiday.

The setting of Indigo Cove was once again brilliant and helped the story come to life. Not to mention the varied cast of characters that appear. Jessie and George visit the Beach Café run by Ella whom they rent Sea Glass Cottage from and here they meet the jigsaw queen Elsie and her cockerel Peaches. Trust me, it may sound daft having a cockerel as a pet but it really works throughout the story and provides plenty of laugh out loud moments. Elise was just a pure tonic throughout the book and I adored her as a character. She was witty and wise and as her connection to Ashton became apparent and all that she has done for him is revealed, you can see that she is like the matriarch of the book. Someone whom the characters can always turn for support and solid advice. She loves doing puzzles and as I am a jigsaw puzzle addict myself I loved how she set up the club and how the story of the jigsaws wove its way so wonderfully into the themes and plot of the book. It will bring a smile to your face. It was like Elsie put the situation that unfolds in terms of both a personal and romantic sense regarding Ashton and Jessie into little real life jigsaw pieces and through her actions, thoughts, words and deeds she wanted every piece to slot together correctly and to perfection.

Jessie needs to work out what she wants to do with her life and how she can find that elusive happiness that has evaded her for so long. She really got off on the wrong foot with Ashton when she first encountered him again and you couldn’t blame her as those feelings of hurt, anger and humiliation that occurred all those years ago have been festering deep inside her. She deserved to have someone who made her feel like she mattered and like she could do anything she wanted. That special someone had to build her up after Maria tearing her down for years shattering her self-confidence and faith in herself. I could sense from the beginning that Jessie needed to seek a resolution with Ashton or she could never move on in her life. Would it make her feel better and help to fix what has been broken inside of her? The incident on that holiday has left indomitable marks on her. Rejection hurts big time but I felt she had left things go on to long and I fervently hoped that this trip would help heal old wounds as well as helping her grandfather with his own personal journey.

Ashton has had good success in his work life as a cyber security consultant but as for his personal life the same can’t be said. He seemed to have cut himself off from the world when it comes to love and romance. He does have a good heart and is smart and funny but there is an air of sadness about him. He holds himself back in situations that would require exposing his feelings and even though he broke Jessie’s heart you can see that a spark exists between the pair even after all the years since they last set eyes on each other. The softer side to Ashton comes to the fore when it’s revealed what he has done for Elsie and how the pair came to know each other in the first place. It’s heart-warming and will bring a tear to your eye for you think they should never have had to meet one another under those circumstances.

As the layers behind Ashton are peeled back, we gain a deeper insight into his history and we discover why he decided at a very young age not to seek certain things in his life. He promised himself that he would never unlock his heart and when the reasons for this stance were revealed on the one hand I did understand where he was coming from. But then on the other I thought he was just being way too harsh on himself and creating unnecessary stress both for himself and the people his actions affected. He came across as a tortured soul who shared many similarities with Jessie and as the weeks pass and they share their insecurities and the emotional distance between them starts to narrow, the reader has their fingers crossed in the hopes that they can works things out as they were just the perfect for one another.

Summer at the Cornish Beach Café features an eclectic mix of characters but they all work together very well. It’s a heart-warming story that makes you feel good inside and it’s the perfect summer read. I loved how one or two familiar characters made a little appearance every now and again. But what I loved most of all was the sense of community that oozed from the pages the further the story progressed. There are lots of important messages and life lessons to be taken from the story and the most important of all is teaching everyone how to restart their lives and ultimately to find their perfect fit. I have my fingers crossed that Donna Ashcroft will bring us another book set in Indigo Cove as I really did enjoy this one so very much.

This would be a great addition to your summer reading list. This book is a lovely combination of great characters, a beautiful setting, and a heartwarming story of love and second chances.

Jessie was about to get married but was dumped just before the wedding so she decides to head off back to Indigo Cove which her favourite place when she was growing up
She hadn't been there long when she bumps into Ashton who was her first kiss many years ago.Unfortunately Ashton ran away straight after leaving Jessie to believe she wasn't attractive and it was her fault.
As they slowly get to know each other and start to become friends Ashton tries to reassure her that she couldn't have been more wrong and that the feels he felt after the kiss scared him and he didn't know what to do or how to react
As they grow closer can Jessie trust Ashton and move forward ?
A lovely read

Jessie is trying to heal her broken heart and she is in dire need of a change of scenery. So, when her grandfather invites her to go to Indigo Cove with him, she knows it is exactly the change she needs. Jessie loved Indigo Cove when she was younger and would visit her grandparents there. Jessie’s grandfather wants her to take pictures of the local area as reminders of what her grandmother loved about the Cove. Jessie does exactly what he asks. While spending time in the Cove, she runs into Ashton who was Jessie’s first kiss. Jessie continues to take photos for her grandfather and meets some people that have a Puzzle Club at the local café. She makes some amazing and lifelong friendships. The more time she spends with Ashton the romance between them blossoms. Will this trip to Indigo Cove be just a visit or has she found love and happiness once again?

Summer at the Cornish Beach Café by Donna Ashcroft was a perfect beach read. The escape to Indigo Cove was warm and idyllic. The vivid description of the Cornish Cove had me feeling like I was actually there. Stopping in the Beach Café for a latte and waiting for my new friends to arrive. I was so taken by this lovely tale of family, new found friends, romance and second chances. Once I opened the book and began reading I didn’t want to stop until I got to the end. I loved the characters so much that I felt like they were people I would want to hang out with. What a wonderful summer story. I loved it from beginning to end and I know you will too. Don’t wait another moment, read this one now. I will recommend this one over and over again. Absolutely fabulous.

Summer at the Cornish Beach Café is a heartwarming, story of healing, community, love, and discovery by Donna Ashcroft. Jessie has driven her grandfather to Indigo Cove on the Cornish Coast after a last-minute break up with her fiancé. From nearly the start I felt that Jessie had dodge a bullet with this one. He was a bully cheater that marriage would have been a nightmare. That is hard for her to see at the beginning. Really, I was glad the author wrote it so the truth came out before the marriage. Still Jessie is full of self-doubts so this trip with her grandfather is Godsend.

While in Indigo Cove Jessie finds her love once again of photography, a community of support in some rather eccentric member, and love. Her Grandfather has his own issues with the loss of her grandmother as well as a much-cherished photo album. He too needs a healing which he finds in this wonderful place by the coast. Family is such a huge part of this story not shying away from the bad, and the ugly aspects as well as the very good parts of those relationships.

Summer at the Cornish Beach Café is a marvelous look at life, love and self-image as it brings the story to uplifting conclusion. A very enjoyable story that will strengthen the reader as they read of grandfather’s, Jessie’s and Ashton’s relationships and self-growth.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nursing a broken heart, Jessie has a chance for a change of scene. She accompanies her grandfather to Indigo Cove and her life definitely changes for the better. Jessie has fond memories of spending summers there with her grandparents, but especially the summer when she had her first kiss.

Now that she sees the object of that memorable kiss this brings back mixed feeling for Jessie. She didn’t even know the boy she kissed, and expected never to see him again. Now that he is also at Cornish Cove, Jessie is at sixes and sevens. His name is Ashton and Jessie can’t help but wonder what could have been.

Meanwhile, she is there for the sake of her grandfather, and one of the things he wants Jessie to do is to take photographs of locations that bring good memories to him. Photography was her grandmother’s love, and at one point it was also that for Jessie. Not only is she taking photos again and loving it, she meets some people who are part of a Puzzle Club at a local café, establishing unexpected bonds of friendship. She also enjoys a strong connection to Ashton the more time they spend together.

Summer at the Cornish Beach Café was in a word - perfect. From the tender first scene, to the warm and comfortable story, it was easy to imagine being at that idyllic location with Jessie and her grandfather. Then, there was Elsie, an older lady who was not only special to Ashton, a man who exuded tremendous kindness, but the way she became special to Jessie and her grandfather was quite wonderful. I was pulled into this beautiful book and was left with a very good feeling once I finished it.

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

Indigo Cove sounds like a delightful place,
With a brilliant community full of grace.
The beach café, with its puzzles and more
Gives a warm welcome and tasty treats to adore!

After six years together and soon to be wed
Jessie discovers her fiancé loves someone else instead.
The wedding is off so she's taking her Grandad away
To help him remember his honeymoon and wedding day.

Indigo Cove in Cornwall is where for a month they'll stay
Jessie will be taking photographs along the way.
Time for memories to be remembered and new ones made,
Helping heal and hurts to fade.

Jessie has memories of visiting fourteen years before
And the boy who kiss her then ran for the door.
She didn't expect to meet him again
Or that doing so would bring remembered pain.

The impact of negative comments whilst a child
Lack of care shown, allowed to be wild,
All affect self image and ability to trust
For which self awareness and healing is a must.

Love and support from people who care
Can help victims become more trusting and aware.
There's a fantastic hen and other animals, too,
All involved in helping them all pull through.

A delightful read with healing at its heart
Bringing true love and friendships that won't part.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

I loved Jessie's story at Indigo Cove. It was a touching and heartbreaking read in equal measure, I loved the twists and turns which made it difficult to put down. It truly was a captivating story which was beautifully written. A real feel good story with great characters in a beautiful location.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I absolutely loved this book.

Jessie and her Grandad are back in Indigo Cove, the place where she spent lots of holidays throughout her childhood..

On arrival, she bumps into Ashton, who she fell in love with. So that she can forget about him, she tries helping her Grandad with a puzzle club, which the local cafe have.

But it’s not easy for her to forget about Ashton, after her Grandad has an accident, Ashton invites them to live with him where her grandparents stayed for their honeymoon, back when it was a hotel.

As they begin to get on, someone makes an unexpected entrance in Ashton’s life, will this cause him change back to how he was?

I highly recommend this book.

Lovely summer read. Full of community spirt, finding yourself and friendship. This book is part of a series but can also be read as a standalone. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

This is the perfect book for a summer afternoon, it is engaging, uplifting and beautifully written. It is great to read as part of the Beach Cafe series but it also works equally well as a stand-alone if you haven’t read any others in the series.

This was a brilliant read that took the reader on a journey of self discovery friendships and finding love and of having self belief and not letting others put you down or dull your sparkle.

The story was also about community and how a little help from others can make a huge difference and the storyline and characters were very relatable and engaging set again the back drop of the beautiful Cornish coast.

This was a heartwarming and uplifting read and looking forward to this aunties next book as I love her writing style.

Great start to beach read season. It’s part of a series but definitely can be a standalone. Love Jesse and all the insecurities she learns finally to overcome. When a chance meeting with a guy and her 1st kiss on the beach has stay with her forever, who would have thought she would meet up with him again. She joins her grandfather on vacation to help him relive his memories of his honeymoon with his beloved Dorothy. Only to find out the manor house they had stayed in is now a private residence and the owner is the guy from her past.
Ashton also has many trust issues, never felt loved by his parents who upped and left him when he was nineteen, taking the one thing he loved ….. his 3 year old baby sister. Meeting up again with the one person he ran away from has now returned, but he has closed off his heart. He can’t love and be disappointed again.
This is a story where a it takes a village to overcome all the problems of the past and the residents of Indigo Cove comes thru. If you read any of the previous books will will see several familiar characters. Always nice to see what they are up to. Well written and will transport you to a beautiful place. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #SummerAtTheCornishBeachCafe