Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde

                                                        

Audible-Book:  8hrs 55m listening

Genre:  Romantic Contemporary Fiction

Publisher:  Penguin 2024

Source: Audible Account

First Sentences: Cass had been travelling all day. There had been an early morning flight from Bristol to Glasgow, two long bus journeys, a largish ferry and now this tiny ferry that took a dozen cars at best. She was nearly there.

Setting: Dominica

Review Quote: 'All the elements of a moving love story are blended to perfection.' The Lady

My Opinion:

I have been reading Katie Fforde's novels since she was first published back in 1995. Her characters are always believable and set in places we can imagine, stories that are easy to read but with enough drama to keep you interested.

In 'Island in the Sun' the novel opens with the female protagonist Cass, a young and somewhat naive young woman, visiting her father in his remote Scottish home for the first time. It is here she meets Ranulph and they find themselves travelling to Dominica together to assist in a project for a friend of Cass's father. Cass and Ranulph's relationship is something of a slow burn due to the circumstances they face over the coming months. Will love overcome the difficulties?

In conclusion this was easy, relaxing, listening. It made a pleasant change from reading and I recommend this story to all fans of romantic escapism and Katie Fforde.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

When Cass is asked by her father to take on an unusual photography project in the Caribbean Island of Dominica, she really can't see a reason to say no.

But the remote island has just been hit be a severe hurricane, leaving destruction in its wake. Cass is travelling with Ranulph who is searching for the rare stone carvings her father wants her to photograph.

Their hunt leads Cass down a path of bravery and self-discovery, and she soon falls for Ranulph, who has been by her side every step of the way.

But does he feel the same way about her?

Previous Reviews:  Summer of Love.  Recipe for Love  The Perfect Match.  

A Wedding in Provence.  One Enchanted Evening.   From London with Love

Author Profile:                                                                                       

                                                

                                       

                                     Courtesy of Goodreads Profile

Catherine Rose Gordon-Cumming was born 27 September 1952 in England, UK and she lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire. She is the daughter of Shirley Barbara Laub and Michael Willoughby Gordon-Cumming. Her grandfather was Sir William Gordon-Cumming. Her sister is fellow writer Jane Gordon-Cumming. Katie married Desmond Fforde, cousin of the also writer Jasper Fforde. She has three children: Guy, Francis and Briony and didn't start writing until after the birth of her third child. She has previously worked both as a cleaning lady and in a health food cafe.

Published since 1995, her romance novels are set in modern-day England. She is the founder of the "Katie Fforde Bursary" for writers who have yet to secure a publishing contract. Katie was elected the twenty-fifteenth Chairman (2009-2011) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is delighted to have been chosen as Chair of the Romantic Novelists' Association and says, "Catherine Jones was a wonderful chair and she's a very tough act to follow. However, I've been a member of the RNA for more years than I can actually remember and will have its very best interests at the core of everything I do."           

                                                      

Biographical Information and Photo courtesy of the following sites:

Katie Fforde - Official Website   Facebook Profile    Instagram Profile   Twitter Profile

Amazon Author Profile  Goodreads Author Profile

A Cornish Legacy by Fern Britton

                                                                              

                                                    

Ebook:  416 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Harper Collins June 2025

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentence: Delia squinted through the windscreen, the sun ahead dazzling her. 

Setting: Cornwall

Review Quote: ‘The warmth and empathy that have made Fern Britton such a popular TV presenter are evident in her latest novel’ Woman’s Weekly

My Opinion: 

I know more of Fern Britton from her TV career and this is actually only the second book of hers that I have read. 

In 'A Cornish Legacy' the protagonist is Delia and during the course of the novel we learn about her early life, then her disastrous marriage, followed by her inheriting to her great shock Wilder Hoo, a country house in Cornwall that she has connections to.

A pleasant summer read with wonderful descriptions of Cornwall and I found the house and garden restoration details particularly enjoyable. If Cornwall, Gardening and Country Houses appeal then this is one for you. 

Précis Courtesy of NetGalley:

Escape to Cornwall this summer with the new emotional and uplifting novel from Sunday Times #1 bestselling author Fern Britton

Set by the wild Atlantic coast of Cornwall comes a story about finding home in the most unlikely places. When Cordelia Jago learns she’s been left the crumbling manor house Wilder Hoo, perched high on the Cornish coast, she wonders if it’s one last cruel joke from beyond the grave.

Having already lost her marriage, her best friend and her career, she’s at rock-bottom. Now she’s inherited a house she hates, full of unhappy memories.

But as she fights with its echoing rooms and whispering shadows, the house begins to exert a pull on her. The wild Cornish landscape, the stark beauty of seagrass and yellow gorse against the deep blue sea, begin to awaken a connection she thought she’d buried forever.

 Could she turn around this monstrous wreck of a house – and, along the way, let go of the secrets of the past and heal her heart too?

  

Author Profile                                                                                                    

About Fern Britton and photo from her website Fern Britton - Official Website

Born in London, into a theatrical family, Fern started her professional life as a stage manager. Theatre life was great fun but within three years she graduated to television and became a much-loved presenter obtaining her national treasure status presenting ITV’s This Morning for over a decade.

Having started her TV career in Current Affairs and News, Fern has covered everything from the Queen’s Birthday Celebrations to reporting live from Basra during the Gulf War. Her light entertainment credits include such iconic shows as Ready Steady Cook, All Star Mr and Mrs and Strictly Come Dancing. She presented nine series of Fern Meets where past guests have included Tony Blair, Desmond Tutu, and Dolly Parton.

More recent shows have included two series of The Big Allotment Challenge for BBC2, For What It’s Worth, an antiques-based quiz show for BBC1 and Culinary Genius for ITV. For Channel 5, Fern presented Watercolour Challenge, and two series of Ferns Conrwall. 

Fern has even turned her talents to acting when she starred as Marie in Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s award-winning musical Calendar Girls.

Fern has twin sons, two daughters and lives in Cornwall in a house full of good food, wine, family, friends, cats and gardening books. She has a motorbike license, a power boat license and makes good roast potatoes.

Previous Review: The Good Servant

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page. Goodreads Author Profile  Fern Britton - Official Website

Facebook Profile  Twitter Profile

Unforgettable Embrace by Joanne Clancy

Ebook: Also available as a paperback 322 pages. 
Genre: Contemporary Womens Fiction.
Publisher: Cupid's Arrow Publishing (24 July 2011).
Source: From the author in return for an unbiased review.
First Sentences: I am officially fat. Rachel Jenkins surveyed her naked body critically in her full-length and rather unforgiving bedroom mirror, and made a silent promise to herself that she would join a gym immediately.  
My Opinion: Lyrical enthusiasm for the beauty of Ireland has encouraged me to want to pay a visit.


Earlier this year I read and reviewed Unfaithfully Yours when I ended my review by saying that  'Ms Clancy has more to offer as a writer I feel, so it will be interesting to see how her writing develops.' After reading Unforgettable Embrace I am still of the same opinion.  I felt this novel had potential but somehow it just did not work that well for me. Some aspects of the storyline did not go into enough detail and yet other parts of the book were over detailed making it read at times more like a tourist guide.

It is well written and I feel that Joanne Clancy has the potential to write much better novels than this one.  I will read more of her novels given the opportunity as I will be interested to see if this happens.

      

The first part of the novel felt a little unexciting in the way the author described her protagonist’s long term relationship falling apart, once Rachel got the travel bug it was more interesting. Her restaurant descriptions and lyrical enthusiasm for the beauty of Ireland has encouraged me to want to pay a visit. However surely that is not the intention for the novel to read a little too much like a travelogue and restaurant guide. I am also wary of the accuracy of the descriptions as I was very disappointed to notice that Newquay in Cornwall was referred to as New Quay, a basic error showing poor research and editing. I think the novel would have worked better for me personally while reading it if the suspense and romance had taken priority.

At nearly thirty years of age the protagonist Rachel and her long term boyfriend decide that they no longer want to be together. It is not as easy as she had hoped to make a fresh start and after a few disasters with dating she decides that more serious action is needed to find herself a new life. She gives up her job and her home and sets off on a tour of Ireland in an old camper van on a voyage of self discovery. The storyline then becomes a little erratic and confused as Rachel seemed to keep changing her mind about what she wanted, or to much travelogue jumped into the plot. Anyway she gets into a tricky situation unbeknown to herself, the suspense is never fully developed but it is eventually resolved.  A reasonable quick read if you like romance and some sexy scenes mixed in with travel of course.

                                     Book Trailer - No spoilers

                           Published on 3 Apr 2012 by Joanne Clancy


                                           Author Profile

Joanne Clancy is from County Cork, Ireland. She is an avid reader,obsessive writer and a self-confessed Kindle addict who loves tea.
Joanne is the author of  The Secrets and Lies Trilogy, The Wedding Day, Unfaithfully Yours, Unforgettable Embrace and My Love.

Information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites. 

YouTube   Joanne Clancy - Author Blog  Facebook Profile  Amazon Author Profile    Goodreads Profile    

I have chosen to read this title as the letter U for The A - Z Book Challenge which I  decided to attempt to achieve in alphabetical order. I had a good selection of titles to choose from our bookshelves, so am pleased that it now looks as I have achieved my aim. You can follow my progress here.    

Please Don't Stop The Music by Jane Lovering

Paperback: 284 pages
Genre: Romantic Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: ChocLit, January 2011
Source: The author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentence: 'You know you are in for a bad day when the Devil eats your last HobNob.'
Review Quote: The panel of judges described Jane's voice as 'fresh and new with an unexpected hero', and included WH Smith's Matt Bates, Foyles' Jonathan Ruppin, Jane Mays from The Daily Mail and The Bookseller's Sarah Broadhurst. Please Don't Stop the Music was singled out by the judges for its 'dark undertones' and for engaging with 'issues a lot of people recognise'.
--The Romantic Novelists' Association 
Award: 2012 Romantic Novel of the Year Award
My Opinion: Prior to reading this I had wondered about the novel receiving the above award, but now I understand why.

This is the third title by Jane Lovering that I have read and reviewed here and that is because Jane found me, rather than me discovering her writing for myself. I am so pleased she did as otherwise I may never have read one of her books. The first one was Reversing Over Liberace which I reviewed last October. The second one was Slightly Foxed I enjoyed the latter as much if not slightly more, as it was realistic, the first one I had found somewhat farcical. 
At last I have got round to reading Please Don't Stop the Music, which I read in just two afternoon sessions in the garden, because it is a real page turner which I enjoyed  more than the previous two. Prior to reading this and with my previous experience of her writing I must admit I had wondered about it winning the 2012 Romantic Novel of the Year Award, now I understand why. This novel is so much more than just another romance, there is an underlying current of mystery which found me racing through it to discover what happened.

The novel is full of secrets that will keep you guessing, some you may guess correctly others not, but the author certainly managed to hold my attention by keeping these secrets back for so long. The main characters both have secrets in their past but this did not make it seem any less realistic. At first I thought it was going to as both protagonists seemed so traumatised. Jemima who more than once in the novel was on the verge of running away when she felt her dark secret was in danger of being discovered. Then the man she meets through her jewellery business, Ben is also hiding something which is why he lives such a solitary life. Of course it is no surprise that Jemima and Ben become curious about each other, so how long will it be before their secrets are revealed, whether intentionally or otherwise.None of the secondary characters have straightforward lives either, but somehow this made the story more mysterious and it works. 

If you enjoy contemporary fiction with humour and a little more than straight romance give this a try, definitely a good read within the genre.


Author Profile

Text From Jane Lovering Author Profile at Amazon

Jane was, presumably, born, although everyone concerned denies all knowledge. However there is evidence that her early years were spent in Devon (she can still talk like a pirate under the right conditions) and of her subsequent removal to Yorkshire under a sack and sedation.

She now lives in North Yorkshire, where she writes romantic comedies and labours under the tragic misapprehension that Johnny Depp is coming for her any day now. She is prevented from running away to join either Johnny or a circus by her five children, four cats and two dogs, and her husband.

Jane's likes include marshmallows, the smell of cucumbers, words beginning with B, the smell of the understairs cupboard, and Doctor Who. She writes with her laptop balanced on her knees whilst lying on her bed, and her children have been brought up to believe that real food has a high carbon content. And a kind of amorphous shape.

Not unlike Jane herself, come to think of it.

You can find out more about Jane ( should you wish to, of course) from her blog and website at http://www.janelovering.co.uk

The following link will take you to her Blogger Profile also amusing reading.

Information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites.

Facebook Page - Jane Lovering

Jane Lovering - From Behind The Keyboard

Amazon Author Profile Page 

Jane Lovering - Choc Lit Author