Spicy: G; scenes are behind closed doors

Will you like this book? You might if you like:

Cozy romances
Pride and Prejudice
Cornwall
Found Families
Older, grump historian hero

Thank you to NetGallery for this ARC.

I’m a huge Anglophile and on my first trip to England I went to Cornwall and just fell in love. Adorable villages, beautiful views, demonic seagulls, you know all the best stuff. So when I saw this romance about a woman who inherits a cottage on the Cornish coast, I was like, yes please. And Grafton’s novel did not disappoint.

Anna is an orphan, raised by her resentful cousin, who spent her summers in Polkerran in Cornwall with her parent’s friend, Meg. When Meg passes away, she leaves her cottage to Anna with the stipulation that she live in the house, so Anna leaves behind her home in Yorkshire and moves to the coast. Unsure what she will do for work, she decides that she might open the cottage as a B&B. In the meantime, one of the villagers, who remembers Anna from when she was a child, helps her get a job assisting the local historian who lives across the cove. The historian, Oliver, is handsome for sure but a little grumpy and a man of few works. Around the same time, Anna runs into Alex, the son of the local gentry, who she had a major crush on when she was growing up. And now Alex seems to be interested in Anna, but does he have ulterior motives?

If you are a fan of cozy romances with a great cast of characters (read nosy villagers) with a little bit of gothic mystery thrown in, this is a great book for you. Anna is sweet but not a retiring wallflower. She might have slightly questionable taste in men, but she will see the light. Oliver is a little Mr. Darcy, combined with Mr. Rochester (minus the wife) and an older Dan Jones (if you don’t know him, google him now) with a dash of Edward from Elizabeth Hoyt’s Raven Prince. It is a heart-warming story of finding your way and creating a found family in a wonderful place.

A well written story with characters I felt I knew. A great romance with a few twists and turns and a hint of mystery. I really enjoyed it from start to finish.

I loved this story . Starts in the north of England and then moves to Cornwall. Anna had a rough start in life but her god mother Meg was always kind to her. She left her a house and there are lots of twists . Locals getting involved and slow burn beautiful love story. Fantastic ending . Read it

Whilst not my usual choice of read, I have to say that New Dreams at Polkerran Point proved to be a lovely breath of fresh air.
Anna Redding has been left Westerleigh Cottage in Polkerran Point by Margaret Stansfield, known to her as ‘Aunt Meg’, a family friend she spent many summers with as a child. Memories of those happy holidays include Alex Tremayne, her first big crush. Is he still there in Polkerran Point, she wonders?
Deciding to move to Cornwall, she is soon immersed in the life there, catching up with people she remembers from her summer stays. Her ultimate plan is to turn the cottage into a B & B, but while that is being sorted, she needs a job. Anna becomes PA to writer Oliver Seymour, who lives in Harbourwatch, across the bay. Oliver is not the easiest of bosses, but gradually she begins to enjoy the company of this taciturn man, sharing his interest in history. And as for Alex? Well he lives and works in London, but is regularly home and much to her surprise, begins to show an interest in her.
This is what is termed as an ‘uplifting’ romance and indeed it is. I was right behind Anna right from the first chapter. I also loved the quirky characters in Polkerran Point, especially Mrs Lovelace, who tends to get her words wrong just like Mrs Malaprop, a character in Sheridan’s The Rivals. There was a real sense of community and people who cared about each other. From the very beginning, it’s clear there is more to Oliver Seymour than meets the eye and it was lovely to see the way Anna brings about changes in him. And as for Alex, well let’s say it’s a case of be careful what you wish for!
New Dreams at Polkerran Point is a great summer read. There are highs and lows in Anna’s life and a mystery to solve. All in all perfect for either a relaxing beach read or curling up at home with a glass of wine.
Highly recommended.
I would like to thank Canelo, Cass Grafton and Netgalley for an ARC of New Dreams at Polkerran Point in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable story about a woman who changes her life when she inherits the home of her "Aunt" where her sole happy childhood memories live. As she settles into her new life, she discovers a possible second will exists and various romance ensues. I enjoyed Anna and the story.

I received this book from NetGalley.

The first thing that struck me in this book is that I don't know how anyone could put up with Giles, luckily Anna sees this sooner rather than later.

When she moves to Cornwall, which is just a wonderful dream, it's nice to see how quickly she gets a community there. However, the way that she pines over Alex is very weird. She was a child when she first noticed him and it's a little creepy how she was pining for him for all of those years and now she's just jumping into bed with him - she doesn't know anything about him and there is definitely something off about him. The fact that they never go out and do anything is a bit of a red flag. Also, how can she let him read through Aunt Meg's diaries?! Is he trying to find something in them? Why does she tell Alex about the will? Yes, she needed to talk to someone but they're not even in a real relationship?!

Oliver on the other hand - who doesn't love a character like his? A little grumpy but you're rooting for him all the same. Man, he's the best character in the book. He's perfect.

Definitely a good read and one I'd recommend.

Very atmospheric with lovely scenery and mood. Unfortunately the character development and dialogue lacked substance, and I never quite cared enough about any of the characters or story.