Member Reviews
*Book provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
After Victoria finds her marriage shattered to pieces, she buys a little cottage in Cornwall. It's a new start, a project and when she finds the diary of a woman called Tilly some mystery is added to the story.
Victoria is determined to solve it and tries to find out more about Tilly and her family. On the way she discovers a lot and also meets some new people, one of them being handsome Adam, who is even connected to the mystery and might have a missing puzzle of the story.
I loved the intrigue in this book and how the chapters alternated between the diary and present day. I have to say that I was more drawn to the relationship between Adam and Victoria, but still enjoyed the connection to the past. On top of Adam and Victoria developing feelings for each other, there were their ex partners, who didn't make the situation easier. Some misunderstandings and drama totally made their journey more interesting.
I loved the scenery in this book and Lily Graham captured it beautifully. I was a little disappointed by the ending, not because it was bad, just because I wanted more, wanted to find out more and read more about the characters.
This is definitely a very captivating read, full of great characters, connecting storylines and a wonderful setting.
This was a lovely story and I enjoyed every page of it. I have read other books by this author, and this one is written with the same attention to detail and with unexpected layers as the others I have read.
Victoria is a woman in crisis, her husband has been cheating on her and she flees to Cornwall. She ends up living on a houseboat and restoring a cottage with an interesting history. I loved the description of the houseboat and the others who also lived on the boats nearby, it sounded like such a lovely community. Anyway, Victoria gets involved with the story of Tilly and Fen, and as she is a researcher by profession, she takes on a bit of research when it comes to those two. What she uncovers is by degrees heartwarming and heartbreaking as well. She also has the distraction of Adam to contend with, where does he fit into Tilly's story?
There is an awful lot to like about this book. It is not a fluffy bit of chick lit, because although there is romance and lovely friendships as part of the story, there is quite a bit of depth too. I find it hard to describe really, read the book, you won't regret it!
A highly recommended read from me, 4.5 stars.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.
What a lovely book. Nice characters. And a throw back to the past related to the house Victoria stumbled on while visiting Cornwall. It was interesting finding out all about the past. this made the book what it is. Really recommend the book to others
Victoria is at a real low point in her life - she has just discovered her husband is cheating on her and so leaves and flees to Tregollan in Cornwall. While out trying to clear her head she comes across an old derelict house, Seafall Cottage, she finds out from locals that it has a bad reputation for being cursed but she doesn't care she has fallen in love with it and decides to buy it for herself.
When she finds a diary she is intrigued - especially as it is coded - and determines to find out about the owner and so we hear the story of Tilly from 1905
A great story that drew you in right from the start and I loved both timelines and seeing how the house wove its magic and brought everything together - I always love books about Cornwall as it is my favourite part of the country and this is a perfect summer read
This is a great beach read! Love story, mystery, and history all in one. I couldn't wait to find out who wrote the diary and it didn't disappoint.
I have to admit that this is the first book that I have read by Lily Graham however I can assure you after reading The Cornish Escape that will be rectified. In all honesty this book completely grabbed hold of me and didn't let go until the very end. It was quite a sad start for Victoria but I felt you got to know the character better this way as you see her at a low point in her life. Then going on this journey of discovery is actually the perfect tonic for her. As soon as Victoria discovers the house and begins exploring the story really comes to life especially with the descriptions of the half hidden house in the cliffs. While the discovery of the diary really sets things up wonderfully.
The mystery within this book had me well and truly hooked, I loved how things were slowly revealed and I couldn't wait to find out the truth. The setting is lovingly written and to be honest whilst I was reading all I wanted to do was go and live there myself. All of the characters had distinct and sometimes quirky personalities and it was a joy to read as Victoria made friends with the people in Tregollan. I wish I could visit The Floating Bookshop it sounds wonderful and of course to meet Angie I loved her free spirited ways.
I really enjoyed the diary entries it felt as if I was right there experiencing everything with Tilly. The mystery of the house and the diary had me enthralled, I adore mysteries so this was perfect for me. The story was compelling and beautiful as it unfolds and I couldn't help but feel a pull towards all of the characters.
I highly recommend The Cornish Escape it really does have a little bit of everything. Lily Graham has written a story that had me gripped, trying to hold back the tears but also smiling too. I really couldn't ask for anything more!
Heartfelt & emotional!
Thank you to Bookouture & Netgalley for my copy. this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
I would quite like to head to Tregollan and find myself a quiet sanctuary after reading this book.
As for the lovely Seafall cottage nestled in the sea cliffs – some say its haunted but that doesn’t put off our heroine. The villagers might not realise what this place really is and it’s going to take Victoria to find it all out.
Even before we get to the house and the story behind it, the story floats alone so nicely (sorry) set as it is on a houseboat. The story in the house community and oh that floating bookshop! At that point more than ever did I want Tregollan to be real.
The story with Victoria’s recovery from her marriage, her new start and that intriguing diary she finds…where she meets Tilly and her story – this also captivated me and it was like a Cornish Escape in a Cornish Escape. The ending wasn’t quite the escape I’d hoped for but the story and the Cornish capers throughout more than made up for that. Turns out there is a lot of mystery wrapped up in a ramshackle cottage set in the Cornish landscape.
This is a really 'meaty' read, with so much going on! It is, essentially, a book of two halves: a current day romance and a historical mystery with Seafall Cottage the gateway to both. However, both stories are so beautifully intertwined that I didn't realise this until I was more than half way through.
A book which gives the reader so much to ponder is a delight to read and this one unfolds bit by bit - feeding you the information in a timely fashion but allowing you time to think about the various options of what's going to happen next. I really invested in this one, and felt as if I had relocated to Cornwall whilst I read!
As always, I love that all the questions raised were answered and all loose ends neatly tied off before the end of the novel. A truly wonderful read and one which I have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who fancies a bit of escapism.
I received an arc via Net Galley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
What do you do when your life falls apart at the seams? Well if you are Victoria you take a road trip and getaway to Cornwall to clear your head! I'm game, I can truthfully think of many times I would have loved to do this but alas I have children and it's not possible. Darn!
As Victoria is visiting the town, she takes a walk and is drawn to a hidden cottage known as Seafall Cottage. The feelings that she gets when she is there are hard to describe, she feels as if she was meant to find it, hidden in the cliff.
Then one day she hears that it is about to be demolished and what does she do? She buys it! What has she just gotten herself into?
As she is walking around her new home, she comes across a diary with a mystical coded language and then she locates letters here and there and she begins to research the past of this mystical place.
Victoria learns how to live life, smile, breathe and possibly finds love again?
What more could a broken hearted woman ask for?
Curl up with a copy today! You will fall in love with Cornwall!
Ahh that stunning cover! Makes me want to jump right in, I keep reading these lovely books set in these stunning places and it has me longing desperately for a vacation! Though this is billed as a romance I was pleasantly surprised by the added bonus of a historical mystery and you all know how much I love a good mystery.
Victoria has just been betrayed in the worst way by her husband of almost ten years, he’s cheated on her with a younger woman. Sigh. She escapes to Cornwall and is entranced with a rundown cottage, much to the dismay of the locals and her family. She can’t explain why she’s inexplicably drawn to Seafall Cottage, she just is. When she finds an old diary that an old man drops, her fascination grows. Soon, she’s wrapped up in the life of Tilly, a young girl who wrote the diary in the early 1900’s. She wholeheartedly and immediately identified with Tilly and she desperately wants to know her story.
This flips from Victoria in present day, then back to Tilly’s diary entries. Though I really enjoyed reading about Victoria’s new life and seeing the cottage transform from a ramshackle heap of junk into her lovely new home, I really loved Tilly’s story. She strikes up a friendship with Fen as a young girl, and they had such a sad story, the whole star crossed lovers thing. The characterization was fantastic, Adam is Victoria’s new love interest and he was charming and sweet. Victoria rents a houseboat while she’s renovating the cottage and her neighbors were the BEST! Angie was my favorite, she runs a bookshop from her houseboat, a FLOATING BOOKSHOP you guys! Amazing, it’s now my life’s dream to open one of these. She’s an aging hippie and I about died when she would offer Victoria a brownie that she called “suspicious”.
This had such beautiful scenery and a real sense of magic about it. I loved the mystery and intrigue, I don’t want to say too much, but it added something to make it standout in a sea of clichéd romance novels. The only thing I can say I didn’t love was the ending, it made me gasp and want more! It was very fitting though, I just wanted more information.
Thanks Netgalley. I have found another new author. I absolutely loved this book and was hooked from the beginning. More please
The Cornish Escape, is a book about Mystery, new beginnings, discoveries and intrigue, sadness and romance.
I was hooked from the first few pages. It's such a heart warming, feel good story I didn't want it to end.
Seawall has so much charm and secrets I needed to uncover the truth. I couldn't put it down.
The story is focussed on the present but crosses over to the 1900's to uncover the story and diary entries of Tilly.
Victoria is the main character and she stumbles across the enchanting and mysterious Seafall cottage whilst clearing her head.
She has just walked out on her husband of 9 years after she discovers he's having an affair.
She ends up driving straight into Tregollan, where she is about to embark on a exciting new journey.
Seafall Cottage has charm and plenty of Character. Victoria is finding herself drawn to the derelict cottage.
But what secrets is it hiding?
Some say it's cursed and haunted. Whilst others just keep quiet.
But what Victoria does know is, she wants Seafall and is determined to make it hers.
Whilst discovering the Cottage she bumps into a strange man who drops a diary whilst running away. The diary we learn to discover is Tilly's and is set in the 1900's
Victoria is so intrigued by the diary she discovers it is written in code. She makes it her duty to decipher the code in a hope to unlock the secrets within.
Adam sells Victoria the Cottage but fails to tell her that he is the current owner of the Cottage, it is he's families.
He too is intrigued and sets out to help Victoria find the truth.
Adam and Victoria have a lot of sexual chemistry, it's so nice to see their relationship blossom through out the story.
I really enjoyed how the story incorporated Tilly's diary entries. It was so nice to be able to learn about her and the secrets and truth behind the cottage.
The Cornish Escape is a truly special book and captivates the reader within the first few pages. The mystery and enchantment of Seafall pulls you in.
You become part of the story and I was eagerly turning pages to find out what happens next.
I can't wait to see if there will be more from Tregollan and the enchanting characters within the village.
Highly recommend to everyone. This truly is a magical book.
I fell in love with Seafall Cottage and thanks to Lily I felt part of the story. When you become at one with the story you know it's magical.
As the blurb says, this book is an “unputdownable and gorgeously romantic read” and I have to fully agree. I love the authors writing style and the words she uses just flow and bring the characters to life and this book, her latest release is no exception. Its a lovely story about lost love and new beginnings set in the green hills and rocky cliffs of the breath-taking Cornish coast, the perfect setting for any novel of this nature and it really is a gorgeous holiday read. I loved the way the story developed in the present and past and both were beautifully told – 5 stars and highly recommended. Really enjoyed it!
This is the 3rd book from Lily Graham that I have read. I adored the first one that I read, but found her last one, A Cornish Christmas, not quite so enthralling. However, I wasn't quite prepared for just how good this latest story was going to be. The reader gets really good value from this book too, as it is 2 stories in one, each set in a different time.
The main story concerns Victoria Langley, a published biographer who realises that her marriage is over and seeks peace in her beloved Cornwall. In the quaint seaside village of Tregollan, she discovers a long abandoned and fairly well hidden cottage that draws her to it, leading to the discovery of a diary from a former inhabitant, a mystery and a charming love story. In Tregollan, she also meets Adam Waters, an American lawyer dealing with the sale of the cottage, giving us the possibility of a modern day romance as well as the older one.
Lily Graham has filled this book with really strong characters, and there are even some that will be recognisable to anyone who has read A Cornish Christmas. I love to find familiar characters in a book. It's like meeting up with old friends. The only thing that I found disappointing in the story is that it finished too soon for me. If that's all I have to criticise, it can't be at all bad!
This book was sure to be a great read for me- set in Cornwall and a cottage set in the cliffs overlooking its own cove with a mystery thrown in.
Victoria escapes her life in London with her husband when he announces that he loves someone else. She falls in love with a ramshackle cottage that has been deserted for over 30 years and has to save it once she hears that they want to pull it down.
She soon settles into the coastal life- staying on a gorgeous sounding barge whilst her cottage undergoes a makeover. I would love to stay on a barge one day. She makes the first friends she's had in years and Angie is described as 'like that naughty aunt who gave you your first fake id, or snuck in the booze'. She feels settled and happy. Romance is around the corner for her aswell and it's lovely to feel the friendships growing.
There is an added mystery with the people who originally lived in the cottage and what secrets are being held. She is told the cottage is haunted and we're not sure whether the clues are ghostly happenings or whether she's on the verge of solving the mystery.
I loved the story set in the first days of the cottage and wanted to know what happened.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Lily Graham.
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What a wonderful book. I read and thoroughly enjoyed the story of Victoria and the mystery of Seafall Cottage.
It was great to take a make believe trip to Cornwall too.
Mystery, romance and a wonderful setting - this book has it all.
The Cornish Escape was my first book by Lily Graham and, in the best possible way, was completely different from what I thought it would be. I was expecting a light and fluffy beach romance but, while there are in fact two romances, what really captivated me was the mystery. There’s something very haunting about it in places and I loved the authors writing style. It drew me in completely and I found it very difficult to put it down
It has also convinced me that I absolutely must run away to Cornwall.
The Cornish Escape is really two stories in one. The first follows Victoria in the present day as she runs away to a small Cornish village after her husband tells her he’s been having an affair. Trying to figure out where she goes from here and on sabbatical from work she comes across an abandoned cottage hidden away beside the cliffs. She falls in love with it and begins to investigate its history with the help of local lawyer Adam.
What she discovers is the story of Tilly Asprey whose feelings seem to mirror her own in many ways. Flashing back to 1905, we discover what happened to Tilly.
While I enjoyed Victoria’s story in many ways the highlight of this book was Tilly’s story and the mystery surrounding Seafall cottage. I loved the slightly creepy and haunting atmosphere the author created around it and was absolutely fascinated by it. In many ways the story in the present day felt almost secondary although I did like all of the superstitions around the cottage and the quirky characters the author created.
Victoria was definitely a character I could relate to but Tilly was much more captivating to read. I loved her passion, her determination and also her rebelliousness. She fights for what she wants and the people she cares for regardless of their background or social status. Similarly the romance that played out through the diary and letters was for me far more interesting and believable than the one in the current day.
The story is possibly not the most original but it does make for some gripping reading as Victoria gradually uncovers the clues from the past. My main complaint however is that ending. Without giving any spoilers it just left me with too many questions. I know not everything can be wrapped up neatly in every story but I still think this needed another chapter.
Overall, an enjoyable and captivating read that was completely different from the fluffy, light romance I expected. It just needs a better ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all opinions are my own.
The Cornish Escape is a very well written novel. Great story. I loved the characters and the touch of mystery.
There are not enough words in the world to describe how much I love this book!! I sat down after the kids went to bed and told myself that I would read for an hour, and three hours later I was in the same position, completely engrossed in Victoria and Tilly's world, and I knew I wouldn't sleep until I reached the end.
In this engaging, emotional story we meet Victoria, a successful biographer, as she faces the fact that her marriage is over and travels down to Cornwall to figure out what she wants from her future. While stumbling around the stunning scenery of Tregollan, she accidentally finds a crumbling house hidden in the cliffs and feels a deep connection to it. Impulsively she buys it, regardless of its local reputation as the cursed cottage, and when she finds a coded diary dated in the early 1900's, Victoria is determined to uncover the mystery of Tilly from the past. As the narrative returns to the past, I became really connected to Tilly and Fen, and desperately invested in their story. Even though Victoria and Tilly are separated by time, the house connects these two lost souls as Victoria begins to heal and become brave enough to go after what she wants.
With new friendships, a houseboat, a sexy neighbour, and a love story from the past, THE CORNISH ESCAPE by Lily Graham is one of the best romances I have read this year. I laughed, I cried, and I loved alongside Victoria and Tilly, and with the stunning backdrop of Cornwall, this story cannot disappoint - an absolute triumph. What are you waiting for???? Go and buy it now!!!
When things in our personal lives don't go to plan, we often feel the need to flee. 'Why run away from your problems?' you might ask, but when your heart has been broken and a life you thought you knew very well was no more, why NOT flee? Change of scenery, time to think; what's so wrong about that? Who are we to judge, we aren't Victoria.
Victoria's marriage had come to an abrupt end, and instead of staying around to deal with pitying looks and bad memories, she takes off to a small village in Cornwall, Tregollan. Victoria has bitten the bullet and started her life anew, but what happens now? Well, it seems as though Victoria is in the mind-set that her life cannot get any worse than it is now so she decides to use that to her advantage by thinking with her heart instead of her head. Yes, yes, I know. I held my head in my hands as well! Such a BOLD move to think with your heart when logistics tell you something completely different, after all, we have all done it, right? -reminds self to not think with my heart for the last piece of cake....-
You know, I have never read a book of Lily Graham's that I didn't enjoy, yet with every new book you begin to wonder how on Earth will the author top the last novel. I'm not going to lie, I did wonder that seeing as I had given Lily's previous novels 5*'s each and I had my fingers crossed for her newest one.
When I began reading the novel I knew straight away that it wasn't going to be like her others. 'The Cornish Escape' had a lot more grit and power attached to it from an independent character point of view, as opposed to an emotional overall storyline. Two rather different storyline examples yet both brilliant.
Yes my friends, Lily Graham has done it yet again. Not only has she created a main character who is sticking her two fingers up at heart ache, heart break...and her husband, Lily has turned that character into a sassy fireball who still wears her heart on her sleeve and isn't afraid to think with it either.
As the storyline unfolds, Victoria unearths an old diary which had been written by a lady called, Tilly. A lady who, (after careful detective work by Victoria and her new friend), has had her own fair share of heart-break. Be warned, you may need a tissue or two (or the whole box). Tilly's story is, wow, beautifully sad. Is that even a thing? I'm sure you know what I mean, I was mesmerised by the whole diary if I'm honest.
Putting Victoria's and Tilly's stories together to create a heart warming, waterfall of emotion, was an absolute genius idea. It was different, poignant and totally relatable. Not every story will have the candy floss vibe to it and if I'm honest, 'The Cornish Escape' did not require any additional bulking out by fluff of the candy floss nature. This storyline has the power behind it to stand tall and fly the flag for real life situations, with REAL emotional values.
Once again I cannot fault a single thing of Lily Graham's novel; she has written an outstanding storyline which may even end up being a heart-broken woman's mantra.
A beautiful novel written from a beautiful heart. Outstanding.
A cosy, heart warming and beautiful read which transports you to a majestic Cornwall, all by the turn of a page. In my eyes, Lily Graham can do no wrong; this is her best book yet (and all hers are fab!).
Thank you Bookouture.