{LITTLE CORNISH COVE # 3} CHRISTMAS AT POLKERRAN POINT.

 

CHRISTMAS AT POLKERRAN POINT by CASS GRAFTON. 

Genre ... Feel-good Contemporary Romance

Publication Date ... 22nd August 2024

Publisher ... Canelo Romance

Standalone Third book in The Little Cornish Cove series

Estimated Page Count ... 318Order Link ... https://geni.us/CAPP

Fate may have brought them together, but secrets seem destined to keep them apart...

 

An accident and a lost passport mean Gemma's six-month sabbatical to go travelling is not off to a strong start. She heads to Polkerran Point to stay at her aunt’s while her new passport is processed and to find temporary work in the meantime.

 

Enter musician Matt. Newly moved into a secluded, renovated mill – complete with a recording studio – Matt is preparing for his band’s big reunion tour. Focused on writing new music for the album, he needs a live-in housekeeper.

 

Even as sparks fly, Gemma can sense Matt's keeping secrets and with her role ending once Christmas is over, will there be anything to keep her in Polkerran?

 

A cosy, festive Cornish romance for fans of Phillipa Ashley and Cressida McLaughlin.
Despite being the third book in the series this is my first time visiting the Little Cornish Cove and what better time than Christmas?
The first question I'll doubtlessly be asked about the book is, listed as part of a series, is it really readable as a standalone novel?
My answer?
Though I'm sure many readers will be wanting to start with book one, New Dreams at Polkerran Point, after all there is the argument that by not doing so you potentially miss out on the background story of any character{s} who have appeared in previous books. For myself, despite that there were some characters who had obviously featured in book one and/or two, I thought this was cleverly written so as to be read as a novel in its own right.
The second question?
Just how 'Christmassy' is it?
Hmm! Just how Christmassy is Christmassy? Well ...
There is a delightful sense of community and goodwill throughout the book AND whilst this made for a cosy read in the run-up to Christmas; main characters, Matt and Gemma, putting me in mind of myself and Mr T {him less enthusiastic about the festivities, me, more, much more, so}, for me personally Christmas At Polkerran Point just didn't quite hit the spot as far as Christmassy reads go.
That said, it did have lots to recommend it ...
Namely, the quaint Cornish setting which, central to the story, is penned with such love that {ahhh, bliss!} I was transported right there.
There was none of the instalove that tends to annoy me. Matt and Gemma's relationship was grounded in friendship and I found myself increasingly invested in whether or not theirs was to be a happy ending despite their differing opinions on, well, not just Christmas.
I enjoyed that interlaced with the romance there was the mystery aspect to the novel. Something that, oddly enough, enhanced the overall story when it could so easily have taken away from it, keeping me intrigued from start to finish.

Cass began her writing life in Regency England, enlisted Jane Austen’s help to time-travel between then and the present day and is now happily ensconced in 21st century Cornwall.

Well, in her imagination and soul; her heart and physical presence reside in northern England with her ever-patient husband and Tig and Tag, their cute but exceptionally demanding moggies.

A bit of a nomad, Cass has called three countries home, as well as six different English counties, but her aspiration is to one day reunite with her beloved West Country.
In the meantime, she writes feel-good contemporary romances set in Cornwall and, in doing so, manages to live there vicariously through her characters and settings.
An Ambassador for the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, Cass is also a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Jane Austen Society UK and the Society of Authors.

Social Media Links ...

FB ... https://www.facebook.com/cassie.grafton

X ... https://twitter.com/CassGrafton

Insta ... https://www.instagram.com/cassgraftonwriter/
With thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for organising a paper copy. One of several bloggers participating in the Publication Day Push of this book, agree or disagree with me, all opinions are my own; no financial compensation was asked for nor given; threats of violence towards my favourite teddy bear went unheeded as did promises of chocolate.

Share the love by following their blog. Take a few minutes to check out their newest post and leaving a comment, you’ll instantly put a smile on their face. Share on FaceBook, X, Pinterest, and other social media sites, it shows that you care about their work and want others to enjoy it too! The next time you see their post pop up on your feed, hit the like button, leave a comment, or even share it with your followers. It’ll defiantly make their day.

ARDEN.

ARDEN by GD HARPER.

Genre ... Historical Fiction

Publication Date ... 3rd October 2024

Estimated Page Count ... 400

Standalone Novel

Alice Arden, idealistic and wealthy beauty, burnt at the stake for killing her husband, the former mayor of Faversham in Kent. But was she really the one responsible for the most scandalous murder of the sixteenth century?

William Shakespeare, England’s greatest playwright, born thirteen years after Alice’s execution. Why does his first-ever play, written about this murder, not bear his name?

This is a story of two people – one reviled, one revered – whose fates become linked in a tale of corruption, collusion and conspiracy. Based on historical documents and recently published academic research, Arden unveils shocking new evidence about the murder of Thomas Arden and reveals, for the first time, a remarkable new theory about Shakespeare’s early years.

Having read and really enjoyed the author's previous book, The Maids of Biddenden, I cannot express how excited I was to learn of this novel.
The sights, the sounds, the smells, what people were wearing, the foods they ate, the culture, politics and social norms of the time. I can only begin to imagine the amount of time and research that must go into any work of historical fiction. That this book is based on actual historical documents and academic research, all kudos to the author who does it soooo incredibly well.
Following a duel timeline, that of Alice Arden and Shakespeare. Again, not something every author can pull off but GD Harper does with a wonderful self-confidence, his seemingly effortless ability to put himself into not only his characters' shoes but also the times they lived in making for an authentic read despite the fact that Arden's voice has not survived the annuls of time and so little is actually known of Shakespeare's early years.
The tale of a love-struck young woman, manipulated by powerful men, who goes on to pay the ultimate price ... and then some, such is the savagery of her punishment. As much as I enjoyed the part Shakespeare was to play in the book, it was Alice's story that, saddening me as deeply as it did, grasped me from beginning to end.
Enlightening, entertaining, intricate plotting, chock-a-block full of wonderfully rich, historical detail and an engaging narrative, Arden has it all when it comes to quality historical fiction and has left me super excited to see what the author comes up with next.  

I have written four novels in the last eight years under the penname GD Harper. My last novel, The Maids of Biddenden, the imagined biography of real-life conjoined twins born in 12th-century Kent, was featured on BBC TV News and was the winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the historical fiction category, shortlisted for the 2022 Selfie Award at the London Book Fair, and shortlisted or longlisted for five other awards. It has over a thousand ratings on Amazon UK and Goodreads, with an average score of 4.3. Across the major Amazon markets, it reached number sixteen in overall paid-for e-book sales, number two in historical fiction and number one in medieval historical fiction.

Social Media ... Instagram @gdharperauthor
With thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for organising a paper copy. One of several bloggers participating in the Publication Day Push of this book, agree or disagree with me, all opinions are my own; no financial compensation was asked for nor given; threats of violence towards my favourite teddy bear went unheeded as did promises of chocolate.

Share the love by following their blog. Take a few minutes to check out their newest post and leaving a comment, you’ll instantly put a smile on their face. Share on FaceBook, X, Pinterest, and other social media sites, it shows that you care about their work and want others to enjoy it too! The next time you see their post pop up on your feed, hit the like button, leave a comment, or even share it with your followers. It’ll defiantly make their day.