This was my first time reading something by this author and I found it to be a heartfelt and sweet story. It's a beautifully written tale of love, loss, and second chances. The story takes place in the charming backdrop of the Cornish village of Penworthal. It's been a year since Melissa lost her husband, and she is still trying to rebuild her life with the help of her friends. Nathan was her husband's best friend, and he blames her for his death. He struggles with guilt because he has always been drawn to Melissa, and those feelings have oy intensified. Their mutual love of books draws them close, and they can no longer deny their attraction to each other. They undeniably have strong chemistry, which is heightened by the emotional baggage they both carry. Nathan is conflicted between his feelings for Melissa and loyalty to his friend. Although they both struggle initially with their feelings, they eventually realize that love can blossom, even in the wake of tragedy.
A beautiful romance full of emotion that takes the reader on a journey of hope and healing. If you enjoy small-town settings and an emotional romance, then this would definitely be a book to pick up. The story will leave you with a warm feeling and a smile on your face.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Angela Britnell’s books are always packed with feel good romantic fun and this one didn’t disappoint. As ever her characters are beautifully depicted and positively leap off the page and into your imagination. The storyline is full of romance and enough drama to keep the pages turning. Would highly recommend for fans of romantic escapism you won’t be disappointed

I really wanted to love this book. I had to DNF about 40% in. The book was lacking so much and I honestly couldn’t connect to the store or the characters.

Book Review: The Back of Beyond Book Club

I recently finished The Back of Beyond Book Club by Angela Britnell, and I was thoroughly enchanted. This novel beautifully intertwines themes of grief, healing, and the power of community, making it a perfect summer read.

The story centers around Melissa Martyn, who returns to her cozy Cornish village after the loss of her husband. As a book editor, Melissa’s love for stories is evident, but it’s her journey towards rediscovering herself that truly resonated with me. I found her struggle to navigate grief relatable and poignant; it felt like I was walking alongside her as she tried to start anew.

The book club that her friends form for her serves as a heartwarming backdrop for Melissa’s healing process. The camaraderie and support from her friends made me wish I could join them in their cozy Cornish setting, discussing books and life over cups of tea.

Then there’s Nathan Kellow, the English literature professor who grapples with his own guilt and hidden feelings for Melissa. Their dynamic is charged with tension, and I found myself rooting for them to overcome their barriers. The way their relationship evolves—from a shared love of literature to a deeper connection—was beautifully portrayed. It captured the complexity of love intertwined with loss, making it both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Britnell’s writing is warm and inviting, effortlessly drawing me into the characters’ lives. I appreciated how she balanced the heavier themes with moments of humor and joy, ensuring the story remained uplifting. The setting itself felt like a character, with vivid descriptions that made me want to visit Cornwall immediately.

Overall, The Back of Beyond Book Club is an emotional and uplifting journey about finding love and friendship in the aftermath of tragedy. It left me with a warm feeling and a reminder of the power of community and connection. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming escape filled with love and hope. It’s a delightful addition to the summer reading list!

Such a fun and romantic read, I loved every second of this book, really took me away from reality and to a happier place, my first read by the author and looking forward to more to come

Set in Penworthal, Cornwall, the latest in Angela Britnell's Cornwall/Tennessee collection. I've read many of this author's books, the plots usually consist of family chaos leading to romance, this is more of a cosy mystery and a MC's second time around romance.

Almost everything seems to be covered here: widowhood, crippling debt, troubled family life, a violent ex-husband, pregnancy, crime, alleged adultery and romance. Phew. There's enough here to keep everyone interested.

With plenty of Cornish location descriptions for the armchair traveller, easy reading with believable and likeable characters. Being super critical, I think Angela’s previous books were better, certainly more humorous, but I still found this entertaining

This was a charming romance with two lovely main characters - the romance was sweet and the plot was really enjoyable.

I'm really sorry but I just couldn't get into this book. Tried twice but could only get a few chapters in.

This was an OK read.

I felt I didn’t really connect to Melissa or Nathan too well nor did I relate to any of the friends either.

I felt A LOT happened in the book but perhaps not all of it was explained well. There was a lot of cliffhangers in the book and half of them we didn’t even find out what happened which is mildly annoying.

Overall, not my most favourite of reads.

loved this romance and her mom wants her to date this guy she has these amazing friends who are all dealing with different relationship issues . loved that she found her way in the job and found love

Thank you firstly to Netgalley and Angela Britnell for the opportunity to read this latest book.
I was excited by the premise of this book with it having book club & I really enjoyed the book group meeting settings being in a bookclub myself. It was nice to have lots of variations to characters which was realistic to life. There was alot going on with the characters which I felt was a bit overwhelming & took away from the relationship between Melissa & Nathan.
It is a nice slow read & would be perfect to read on a holiday.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. I read the e-version of this book while at a resort and in line for rides at Disney World .... the happiest place on Earth .... and still struggled to get through.

I loved the connections between the budding romance and actual literary titles. But I didn't find their relationship endearing or one I was overly engaged with, I wasn't rooting for the main character in any capacity, and the environment setting wasn't anything to write home about.

All in all, just kind of ... meh.

Thank you to Angela Britnell & Joffe Books for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was wonderful!

Thank you firstly to Netgalley and Angela Britnell for the opportunity to read this latest book. I have not long finished Summer In Paradise Valley by this author which I really enjoyed. I really wanted to love this book but it didn’t blow me away, I found I had to really concentrate and back track a lot with characters it took me a while to get used to them. I was surprised how quickly the romance started between Melissa and Nathan. I know Cornwall very well but have never been to Jamaica Inn this has spurred me into wanting to go.visit and I will think about that part of the book when I’m there!

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

The story of Melissa and Nathan. She is his best friends widow, so should be off limits, but will she stay that way? A great read, I liked how it was told from both points of view.

I was excited by the premise of this book with it having book club in the title but unfortunately I did not love it as much as I thought I would although it was an ok read. I liked the chapters discussing the book group meetings but there was a lot of things going on with the characters which detracted from overall enjoyment of reading and o was expecting more of a love hate relationship between Melissa and Nathan.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the Cornish setting and the scenes describing the places of interest from the books that were chosen by the book club.

I was so excited to read this book because the premise sounded promising.

I was looking forward to reading a cozy, enemies to lovers/ husbands best friend storyline, however it fell flat and I couldn’t keep up with all the sub plots.

There was so much happening in the background, which was unfortunate because It took the focus away from Melissa and Nathan. The “enemies” portion of the tale didn’t last very long and it was really hard to connect with any of the characters.

Melissa and Nathan’s relationship seemed immature and rushed, their chemistry was lacking and they really were not a memorable couple.

The story may not have been for me but I’m glad others enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A really lovely, relaxing read. I enjoyed this one it made me feel happy whilst I was reading it. A perfect beach read. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I picked up this book because the premise seemed really interesting but unfortunately, I was left disappointed.

I expected an enemies-to-loves story based on the premise but this was really only present in the first 10% of the book. I felt like the romance was under developed and I wasn't really invested in their relationship.

The characters (both the mains and the sides) weren't memorable. I also felt like the main characters behaved inconsistently and I couldn't really tell what their motivations were.

I felt like I wasn't the target audience (female in my late 20s). Something about the writing gave me an undertone of looking down on younger people based on how Chloe was depicted and it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for gifting me this ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.