Confetti at the Cornish Café by Phillipa Ashley

It’s always a sad moment when you come to the end of a beloved series. Harry Potter, the original Star Wars Trilogy, and my latest – ‘Confetti at the Cornish Café’ is the third and final book in the ‘Cornish Café’ trilogy; unless Phillipa can be persuaded to keep them going? But would that be a good thing? All good things come to an end, is a very true saying and some things go on way past their sell-by-dates. This is not the case here.

I have enjoyed, to say the least, Ms Ashley’s tales of Demi and Cal and the third, unusual but certainly important character, Kilhallon (the estate in Cornwall the story is mainly set). There are many books where the location is important, but few that earn the right to be counted as a character in their own right (Mandalay in Rebecca comes to mind). I want to visit Cornwall again now to try and search it out, but know that despite the beauty of the county, I’d be disappointed.

Ms Ashley has been extremely clever with her pacing of these novels as hints have been dropped about the cause of Cal’s behaviour, which were revealed in ‘Christmas at the Cornish Café’, but here we finally get to meet the little girl from his past that has so affected him, and the way it was written brought tears to the eyes of this reviewer. But what about Cal and Demi you ask? Do they finally get together?

Well, they already are at the start of the book, in that they’re living together now. But the title of the book? Suffice to say, all revolves about a celebrity wedding taking place at Kilhallon, though all is not quite how it appears. Old enemies try to stir things up, relationships are not what they seem and, I could go on and on, but I won’t.

If you enjoyed the first two books, then you’ll be thrilled to continue your adventures and yes, this can be read as a stand-alone book, but things will make more sense if you read the first two.

I very much look forward to reading this author’s next novel. She’s a gem!

Cal and Demi's story continues in this book. Although it is a bit deeper than the previous 2. Cal and his experiences in Syria come to the fore once more and Demi's relationship with her father improves throughout the book.

Mawgan is up to her usual shenanigans and you begin to wonder if the wedding of 'Bonnie & Clyde' will ever happen!

Lovely twists at the end and I, for one, had tears in my eyes.

I love Phillipa's books and was grateful to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review. She was one of the first authors to influence my change of genre from crime & thriller to romance and romantic comedy. I read both now, but will always remain a fan of Ms Ashley!

The prologue does a great job of introducing Demi and the main facts that have taken place in the previous books. Everything feels natural as Demi ponders everything that has happened in the past. This way I don't think that it is totally necessary to read the other books in the series. However I have really enjoyed getting to know Cal and Demi and I am certain you would too.

It was so easy to fall back into Demi and Cal's lives it was if no time had passed at all. I was pulled right in and didn't want to leave Kilhallon and the people who live there. I love Cal and Demi they are just perfect for each other and I thought it was lovely that they seemed more settled although to be fair it isn't all smooth sailing. It's such a lovely connection that Cal and Demi share and it's wonderful seeing them working as a team to make Kilhallon a success.

I also enjoyed seeing more of Demi's family included, it was a great addition to the storyline. As usual Mawgan is the perfect character that you love to hate, it just wouldn't be the same without her!

There were so many complications of arranging a wedding sorry Handfasting! I felt so sorry for Demi having to make everything work and having to deal with all the trouble that the event brought. Demi is so determined to put the wedding together and I just hoped that everything would turn out ok. There are a few emotional parts within the story especially involving Cal. I really hoped that he would get some closure and that the ending would be a happy one.

A comforting and heart warming story!

With thanks to Avon Books & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

A good read. A follow on from the previous book. Readers will enjoy the book more if they have read that book first. A gentle tale of love and friendship which unfolds slowly.

This is the third book in The Cornish Cafe Series from Phillipa Ashley. When I picked up the first book in the series, Summer at the Cornish Cafe, I had no idea how I would be drawn into the story and the lives of the characters therein. All of these books have proved compelling reading, and I have been aching to read this final chapter since I read the last word of the previous 'instalment'. Fortunately, Phillipa had the foresight to provide a helpful prologue to remind readers of what had gone on before, or to inform anyone who had missed the first two books of relevant history. That and reminders within the text as the story progresses make this book easy to read as a standalone.



In this third part of the story, we continue to follow the ups and downs of the main characters, Cal and Demi, as they work together to return Cal's family home and holiday complex of Kilhallon to their former glory. As part of the renovations, an old barn has been converted into a cafe that sounds a lovely, cosy location in which to enjoy a refreshment and soak up the spectacular view. As in previous parts of this series, we are treated to wonderful Cornish scenery, cream teas and other mouthwatering goodies in addition to the rest of the action. The problems and triumphs that the central characters meet along the way this time include staging a celebrity wedding ceremony to eclipse all that have gone before. Can everything be ready in time to the exacting requirements of the bride and groom? At the end of the book, Phillipa has added a few recipes to enjoy, including some delicious sounding cocktails and desserts.



I have found all of these stories really enjoyable. They are full of absolutely believable characters, most of them lovely, but a couple of them purely evil. The Cornish coastal setting is, of course, quite magical, and so well described that I could almost imagine myself swimming in a beautiful Cornish cove. This book would make lovely summer reading, but I would recommend reading all three in the trilogy. I know I am going to miss Cal and Demi.

A very well written book. I loved the plot and the Cornish Coast setting. A new author to me but I intend to check out other books.

I have purchased and read the other ones in this set and enjoyed them. This one was no different, Demi and cal are perfect, all the others characters add to the story and can't wait for the next one

Cal and Demi are getting ready to have their first wedding at their Kilhallon Resort, and this will be a doozy, the wedding of two celebrities. This affair could make or break their fledgling business, and while Cal and Demi can control the food and flowers at the wedding, they can’t control the weather or the behavior of the bride and groom and their guests. A lovely, light-hearted summer read and a trip to lovely Cornwall