On Publication Day, I am delighted to return to Laura Briggs' A Little Hotel in Cornwall for the 5th in the series, A Train from Penzance to Paris which takes you far away from Cornwall for Maisie's trip of a lifetime.
When Maisie accepts a celebrated author’s invitation to mentor her, she
finds herself leaving Cornwall behind on train tracks bound for the
glitter city of Paris. Instead of making beds and serving coffee at the
Penmarrow hotel in Cornwall, she’s making notes on her manuscript while
sitting in a French cafe, meeting famous writers at private dinner
parties, and trying to ferret the secrets behind the author’s unfinished
future novel. It’s glamorous, it’s breathtaking … but it’s also an
ocean channel away from the place that she loves, and, more importantly,
the person to whom she just recently confessed her deepest feelings.
Separated from Sidney by distance and circumstances, Maisie fears that
their connection will be lost despite her words to him – and maybe
because of those words, and the ones she didn’t allow him to say in
return.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of things in her new life
trying to distract her – the professional editor hired to critique her
novel, the eager young literary agent who sees pie-in-the-sky potential
for Maisie’s talent, but Maisie finds solace in the eclectic group of
amateur writers into whose midst she finds herself by accident. Their
critique and advice is fast becoming as important as the editors – maybe
even more important than the published author Maisie believed held the
keys to refining her skill.
But it’s missing Sidney that fills
Maisie’s thoughts the most, along with her life back in Port Hewer, and
she can’t stop wondering whether his feelings are the same as her own.
His unspoken answer has become one of the most important pieces of her
life, even as she struggles to match the pace of her new life and keep
her dreams in sight. And when she unwittingly becomes privy to a
seeming literary conspiracy, she must decide what to do in light of its
truth – and decide what’s most important in her quest to become a
professional writer.
Join Maisie in a whirlwind tour across two
of the world’s greatest cities, filled with questions, dreams, and a
chance for fame that she believed far beyond her grasp, as she discovers
herself as a writer, and how to embrace an unexpected future on her own
terms.
My Thoughts
This instalment in the series feels quite different to the other parts as Maisie travels far away from all the characters and settings we have become used to. I must confess that it took me quite a while to get used to this. Not that Maise forgets about Cornwall. She contacts friends who are still living there and writes her thoughts down so you know how much she is missing it.
Of course, Maisie makes some startling discoveries whilst she is away and she has to face up to where she wants her future to be and what sort of a writer she wants to be. On her travels, she meets a colourful cast of characters and expands her horizons. The ending is fairly shocking and sets up the sixth book. I do hope that we get to meet Sidney again.
In short: Shocks and new horizons
About the Author
Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance
reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller '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 and friends, caring for her pets,
gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.
Book links Amazon UK
Thanks to Laura Briggs and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources
for a copy of the book and a place on the event.
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