Wednesday 16 November 2016

Guest Review: Christmas At The Cornish Cafe by Phillipa Ashley

The festive, feel-good follow-up to Summer at the Cornish Cafe.

Christmas will be slightly less turbulent than summer, won’t it? Demi certainly hopes so.

She and Cal are keeping their fledgling relationship under wraps for now. But then Kit Bannen, a hunky, blond – and somewhat mysterious – writer arrives at Kilhallon Resort, and not everyone is charmed. Cal is sure that Kit is hiding something. But is he the only one guarding a secret?

Demi is busy baking festive treats for the newly opened Demelza’s cafe, but when Cal’s ex Isla arrives to shoot scenes for her new drama, Demi can’t help but worry that things aren’t quite over between them. Kit flirts with both women, fuelling Cal’s suspicions that Kit has hidden motives for staying on at Kilhallon. Then Cal has to go to London, leaving Demi and Kit to decorate the cafe for Christmas . . . all by themselves.

A storm is brewing in more ways than one. As surprises unfold and truths are uncovered, can Demi and Cal finally open up to each other about their feelings?

This second novel in the bestselling Cornish Cafe series is the perfect book to curl up with this Christmas.



Review: This is the second story in the Penwith Trilogy, and follows on straight after the end of  the first part, Summer at the Cornish Cafe. I read the first book in quick time, and was looking forward to doing the same with this one, especially as it sounds like a lovely Christmassy tale. 

As with the first book in the trilogy, the main characters in this story are Demi Jones and Cal Penwith. They are trying to resurrect Cal's family's once thriving holiday park business, which was allowed to decay to wreck and ruin by Cal's late father. One of the main features, a bright idea of Demi's, is an on-site cafe housed in a converted store house. This story covers the run up to Christmas and the festive period itself. In addition to describing developments at the holiday park and cafe, there is lots of drama in the town where the park is set, as well as in the lives of Cal and Demi. We learn a lot more about Cal's time as an aid worker in the Middle East, with events that were hinted at in the first book of the trilogy. There are also dramatic turns of events in Demi's family. 

This was a most enjoyable story. Although part of a trilogy, it stands alone nicely, but I would recommend reading the first part as well, just because it was so good. Both are easy to read, and full of interesting characters and situations. This part dealt in more detail with the cafe, resulting in lots of mention of food, and Christmas delicacies in particular. I'm sure I can smell mince pies!

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