Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random resources for my place on the book tour for this charming summer read! Cornish Dreams At Cockleshell Cottage Sitting alongside the beach and just up from the gently lapping waves, sat a perfect cottage. She had found where she was going to live. Her own little cockleshell cove. Ever since the Byrne sisters – Ariana, Aster, Clem, Paddy and Nic – discovered they were heiresses to the vast Hiverton fortune, their lives have never been the same. No longer living in poverty in London, they now own an estate in Norfolk, a castle in Scotland and a picturesque village in Cornwall. When sensitive Paddy, the baby of the family despite her successful career as a model, swaps the catwalks of Paris Fashion Week for the cobbled lanes of Tregisky on the beautiful Cornish coast, it’s time for her to stand on her own two feet. Soon, she’s settled in her new home of Cockleshell Cottage overlooking the wild surf, the seals her closest companions. And when she meets ex-soldier Hal, she’s instantly smitten. Funny, considerate, and not to mention drop dead gorgeous, he’s perfect in every way apart from one – he’s engaged. But after a misunderstanding brings the two together in ways they couldn’t have imagined, it seems like they might just change each other’s lives. Will Paddy fall in love with more than just the glorious blue skies of Cornwall? Or are there storm clouds gathering ahead? Escape to the Cornish coast this summer with this completely uplifting romcom – perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Phillipa Ashley and Milly Johnson. My thoughts: This is the second book in Liz Hurley's sweet and charming series about the turn in fortunes of five sisters. Ariana, Clementine, Nicoletta and Patricia (twins) and Aster grew up in a family with lots of love and little money. Their mother was disinherited by her rich and noble parents, but chose to leave all her luxurious lifestyle for true love of a good man. Then a tragedy struck. The girls' parents were killed in a car accident. All of them dealt with the trauma in their own different ways. Ari became over-responsible and over-protective. Paddy got severely depressed. Her intense grief almost took the family apart, as there was a moment when the social services could have separated the sisters. Once Paddy got over the worst part of her grieving, she threw herself into work- modelling wasn't easy, but it was a source of steady income and helped Nick and Clem to start their businesses and put Aster through university. Then the girls' uncle died and Ariana inherited a title and several properties, including one in Cornwall. The sisters had to adjust to the circumstances, but they will always remember that family is the most important thing in life and their sisterly love is the biggest treasure. All five girls are different with their unique dispositions and unique voices. In many ways, Paddy is the softest, the most vulnerable and emotional. She is kind and sees the best in everyone. On the downside, Paddy has a lot of insecurites. We meet her as she is going to oversee one of her sister's properties which, believe it or not, comes with its own village. Paddy needs to work out how to manage the big house and how to improve the life of her tenants. She moves in into a small cottage decorated with cockleshells to be closer to the sea and go for her regular swims. A German TV crew is filming their show in the big house. And here a momentous thing happens. Paddy is given a small role of a bride about to get married. The groom, handsome Hal Ferguson, won his opportunity to play his tiny part in a charity auction (although he might have misunderstood the things and bet on a wrong thing). Afterwards, Paddy and Hal go for a dinner and totally fall for each other's charm. They avoid speaking about their private lives, so it is only the following day that Paddy discovers her lovely, funny, handsome companion is actually engaged to somebody else.... The book is full of interesting characters. I really enjoyed reading about the Byrne sisters. I hope every sister gets her own book! It was great to see Ari at her home, taking care of little boys and her new husband. Clem, Nick and Aster make their appearances, but of course, we concentrate on getting to know Paddy and her romantic life. From her dreams of having a lovely future family to the reality full of twists and misunderstandings. Hal is a bit directionless at the beginning and needs to become more focused and take on more responsibility. He has great friends who I hope might feature in the following books. There is a gold-digger or two in the book as well. My favourite secondary character was Beryl, a ninety year old inhabitant of Tregeskey, the village Paddy oversees. It was interesting to get a glimpse of the world of modelling and the woes of the upper classes (from having to modernise the estate to keep up with the new government regulations to worrying about a potential romantic partner loving you for your money, not for yourself). I loved Jemima and her husband's idea to get a couple of geese to keep his wife company and scare off unwanted guests. There are also a few more serious moments thrown in, such as Hal's charity for homeless. If you read a lot of romance, the twists Liz Hurley is throwing at you aren't going to seem so surprising, but still it was great to see how exactly the protagonists are going to work out their misunderstandings. Bianca's story, slightly exaggerated as it was, provided a bit of comic relief in the end. Cornish Dreams at the Cockleshell Cottage is a clean romance and a light, entertaining read. If you like British sense of humour and are a fan of Austinesque stories, you will enjoy it and start waiting for the next book in the series. Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources and Hera Books for a review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. About the author: Heroines with grit, gumption and good old-fashioned gorgeousness! Liz Hurley writes exciting and heart warming stories that will make you cheer and laugh. Social Media Links website / facebook / twitter If you would like to check out the first book of the series, just click on this link: A new Life for Ariana Byrne by Liz Hurley Thank you for stopping by and reading the post!
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