A Garden in Cornwall by Laura Briggs ** Review & Giveaway **

I'm so happy to be highlighting the novella, A Garden in Cornwall, today which is the final instalment in Laura Briggs' A Wedding in Cornwall, being Book 12. There is also an International Giveaway which gives you the chance to win an e-copy of A Garden in Cornwall. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. 

With their lives exactly what they've always dreamed, Matt and Julianne await the arrival of the third member of their family — but their happiness is threatened when their landlady Mathilda announces her intention to sell their beloved Rosemoor Cottage for an impossible value. Devastated, Julianne struggles to accept the cold reality of her and Matt making their home elsewhere.

Matt's life has taken a new turn as he finally puts aside his academic work to pursue his gardening hobby as a career:  his first new job as a landscape designer involves neglected Penwill Hall's 'lost' garden — one with a truly romantic Cornish past. But the task of restoring its legendary beauty from nearly seventy years ago proves difficult among the ruins lost in weeds and wilderness.

With notions of secret gardens and wartime stories echoing in her thoughts, Julianne is determined to help Matt and the estate’s new owner after the discovery of a hidden mural in the hall itself, depicting a breathtaking garden that may well be the lost one. Her efforts to uncover the past lead her to a curmudgeonly local gardener who just may hold the knowledge that would restore the 'lost garden' to its former glory. Will Julianne's quest help her find a way to deal with losing the home she loves?

Hellos and farewells abound as Dinah returns to lend a helping hand at Cliffs House and Julianne relives her favourite memories of her and Matt's beloved cottage in Book Twelve — the final instalment in the bestselling series A WEDDING IN CORNWALL.

My Thoughts

This can be read as a standalone although if you have read more in the series, you will be familiar with the settings and characters. I have read the first novella in the A Wedding in Cornwall series, so I had some idea of the set up when I started. This novella is a lovely gentle read, with a lot of focus on nature and the environment. It is a fictional village, with an American heroine, Julienne, who has settled there  and found romance. She has come to adore the way of life and the cottage she now shares with Matt. Change however is on its way, as is her first child.

    You can sense all the way through that this is the final instalment but it never feels sad. There is always the hope of new things and new life. It looks back slightly with visitors but forward to new challenges. This is an unashamedly escapist read and you really feel that you have been transported to a rather special place.  There references to The Secret Garden, amongst other fictional romantic places, which are perfect for the story and which really capture the lure of the place.

In short: a heart-warming romance in a magical setting.

About the Author

Laura Briggs is the author of several lighthearted romance novels and novellas, including the bestselling Amazon UK series A Wedding in Cornwall. She has a fondness for vintage-style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.

You can follow Laura here: Facebook   |  Twitter 

Book links:  Amazon UK  

Giveaway (International)

To win an e-copy of A Garden in Cornwall, just follow the link below and good luck!  

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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