Saturday, November 2, 2013

The Cornish House by Liz Fenwick


Paperback: 341 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Fiction
Publisher
 Orion May 2012
Source
The author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentence: It was nearly eleven and Maddie had been behind the wheel of the car for over eight hours.

Review Quote:  
A heart tugging story of loss and recovery. (Fanny Blake WOMAN & HOME 2012-06-01)
My Opinion: An escapist and emotional read.


What a lovely escapist and emotional read this début from Liz Fenwick is, I will definitely be reading her novels again.  Her second novel A Cornish Affair was published in May of this year and she is already writing a third. Personally I find her writing reminiscent of that of  Rosamunde Pilcher a novelist I was a great fan of until her retirement from writing in 2000.


The novel centres around 'Trevenen' the house of the title, as the novel starts the protagonist Maddie a recently widowed artist, arrives to make a home there with her step daughter. Having inherited the property Maddie is hoping that she and Hannah will be able to make a fresh start here. Neglected and rambling the house very soon gets under her skin and she becomes more and more interested in the past generations that have lived there. Her dream of a new life though is fraught with problems, the costs of repairing the house, her lack of inspiration for her art on which she depends for an income and last but not least her relationship with Hannah, which is far from easy. As Maddie and Hannah unravel the secrets of the house and start to settle it also becomes painfully obvious that they may not be able to afford to make it their home after all and may have to sell up.


Consider when you pick this up to read, which if you are a fan of this genre I can recommend, that this is a début novel, from an author that will continue to entertain us as her confidence grows and she becomes bolder in her writing. This is what I am hoping anyway.


I have included links to two interesting videos, neither of which will spoil the novel for you.


The Cornish House - Book Trailer


Liz Fenwick at London Launch of The Cornish House



Author Profile





Liz Fenwick was born in Massachusetts  Growing up in Boston, she discovered early on that her best friends could be books. While waiting on a place for Harvard, she moved to London to see if life looked different from the other side of the Atlantic. It did and she soon fell in love with an Englishman. After nine international moves she now lives in Dubai with her husband and two mad cats. She made her first trip to Cornwall in 1989, and seven years later purchased property there as although she lives in Dubai, her heart is forever in Cornwall, creating new stories.



The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing. 


Goodreads Author Profile   Twitter - Liz Fenwick   Facebook - Liz Fenwick Author    YouTube - Book Launch


Liz Fenwick Books - Lovereading   Amazon Author Profile  The Cornish House - Book Trailer


Official Author Website - Liz Fenwick



Linking up today with Literary Friday

23 comments:

  1. Hi Linda. I'm a huge fan of Liz Fenwick and I love, loved The Cornish House. I totally agree with your comment about Rosamund Pilcher. Great storytelling by both of them, which, in my view, is what a good book is all about. Not all authors manage it though! I also loved A Cornish Affair and eagerly await publication of Liz's third novel. I shall be one of the first in the queue! Emma is now reading The Cornish House in hospital, on my recommendation.

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    1. You are right the art of storytelling is a talent that a successful author requires. I do hope that Emma is making some progress also enjoying The Cornish House.

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    2. By the way I have been having trouble leaving comments on your own blog recently. :(

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  2. This is a new author to me and the book looks like one that I would enjoy reading. Thanks for the recommendation.

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    1. I am delighted that you are interested, do let me know what you think once read. :)

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  3. Haven't encounter Liz Fenwick but I'm interested with the little biography you provided about her. Her travel and crossing of different countries, nationalities and cultures definitely influences her talent to write more.

    Thank you for always reading my book reviews though most of the time, I guess it seems that we don't have same preference for books haha

    Have a great weekend!

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    1. I am pleased you found the biography interesting, I like to think it adds to the posts to be able to read some background info about the authors.
      No problem with our different tastes in reading material, how boring it would be if we all liked the same things in life. :)

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  4. Thanks for the wonderful review and the kind comments! *blushing* Third book, A Cornish Stranger, sent off to my editor this past Wednesday…
    lx

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    1. I am relieved that you approve and appreciate so much you letting us know by commenting here, thankyou.

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  5. What an honor to hear from the author herself. The book sounds wonderful. I enjoy stories about home and homes.

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    1. It was indeed an honour Vee, if you read this do let me know what you think. Lovely to hear from you.

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  6. I'm looking forward to taking some time to look up the books on your blog. I love to read and enjoy blogs about books.

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    1. Welcome Inger and thankyou for taking the time to comment.

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  7. Hi Linda,

    A lovely review, a beautiful cover, an excellent storyline and a clearly talented author who yes, does remind me very much of Rosamund Pilcher, whose work I love.

    What more needs to be said, except for, thanks for sharing.

    I hope that you are keeping well,

    Yvonne

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    1. Thanks for calling by and commenting, Yvonne always appreciated. I have been remiss in my visits to your own blog recently which I will rectify now.

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  8. I'm back! :D

    I have a copy of this one, I just haven't read it yet! I might take it to the lake with me this weekend.

    Wow, the character's name is so similar to ours! I love how the author is writing about the home of her heart. Cornwall is a very special place!

    Thanks so much for linking-up to Literary Friday. I'm going to read this one and then look for A Cornish Affair.

    Great review, and thanks also for the links!

    xo,
    RJ

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    1. I did think of you when I saw the name of the house! I hope you enjoy Liz Fenwick's writing.

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  9. By the way, I just read your touching tribute to your husband. The blog dedication brought tears to my eyes!

    Linda, you are a sweet soul!

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