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The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea by Nancy Barone #Review

  It's back to Cornwall for a great summer read. Nancy Barone's The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea was published by Aria on July 3rd. Life doesn't always go to plan . . . After a messy breakup and a nightmare boss, Kate swaps the chaos of London for the calm of Starry Cove—the charming seaside village she loved as a child. She arrives hoping for peace and a fresh start. But life has other plans: Kate soon discovers she's going to be a mother. As she navigates small-town life (and morning sickness), Kate finds friendship in the 'coastal girls'—a warm, welcoming group who help her land a job with Piers, the reclusive owner of the local manor. He's guarded, grumpy and impossible to read... but there's more to him than meets the eye. As feelings grow and secrets slowly come to light, Kate must decide if s he's ready to open her heart again—and whether Starry Cove could be the home she's been searching for all along .   My Thoughts   After...

The Mersey Girls by Sheila Riley #ReckonersRowBook2 #Review

 

The second in the Reckoners Row series, this historical novel by Sheila Riley was publioshed by Boldwood Books on 18th August.  

Liverpool 1950

When Evie Kilgaren takes over the running of the back office at Skinner and Son's haulage yard, she has no idea she is walking into a hive of blackmail, secrets and lies.

Her fellow co-worker and childhood nemesis, Susie Blackthorn, is outraged at being demoted and is hell-bent on securing the affections of local heartthrob Danny Harris.

Grace Harris, a singer on the prestigious D’Angelo transatlantic ocean liners, is returning home engaged to be married. But Grace is harbouring her own shocking secrets and something valuable her fiancé very desperately wants back.

As we return to the lives and loves of those who live and work in the Mersey Docklands, not everything is as it seems and love and luck are rarely on the same side.

 

My Thoughts

Set in Liverpool in the aftermath of the Second World War, you see the inhabitants beginning to adjust to life in post war Britain. The story centres around two women. Evie is capable, hardworking and well- meaning and she sets about her new job as office manager with a determination and belief in her own worth, Grace has led a glamorous life on board a luxury cruise liner but has returned to Liverpool with a secret. Their lives are intertwined. There is plenty to enjoy in the story and some surprises in store. 

    There is plenty of period detail in the story as 1950 dawns. Times are hard for most and it is a struggle for some to make ends meet. You also see some family values, with both good and poor parenting on show. I found Danny and Evie's story the more relatable. You feel that hard work is going to bring success for them. In all, this is a satisfying read. 

In short: 1950's Liverpool

 

About the Author

 

Sheila Riley wrote four #1 bestselling novels under the pseudonym Annie Groves and is now writing the Reckoner's Row series under her own name. She has set it around the River Mersey and its docklands near to where she spent her early years.  She still lives in Liverpool.

You can follow Sheila here:  Website

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Book link:  Amazon UK

Thanks to Sheila Riley, Boldwood Books and Rachel of  Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

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