I have to say first of all that I loved The Cornish Café Series by Phillipa Ashley so as soon as I saw that there would be a new series of books called The Little Cornish Isles I was over the moon.

The setting is gorgeous and Phillipa Ashley really sets the scene perfectly, I wish I could take a trip there too. With some stunning descriptions that made me want to visit even in the depths of winter.

I loved that both Maisie and Patrick were pretty feisty and strong characters especially Maisie. Then add in some wonderful chemistry and you end up with a story that I really didn't want to put down. Both Maisie and Patrick have had difficult pasts so I was definitely hoping that they would find a happy ending. The question is will it be with each other? Maisie is down to earth and has a spirited personality that made me instantly warm to her. I loved that she was trying to keep The Driftwood Inn running aswell as trying to come to terms with her past which also added a bit of vulnerability to her character too. I guess the same can be said of Patrick too and I loved that there was also a mysterious side to his character. I was instantly looking forward to seeing which direction his story would go.

There are a few secrets that will keep the reader guessing and intrigued as to how everything will play out. This definitely made the story all the more engaging for me especially with some of the islands inhabitants and their community spirit making the story come to life even more. I was smiling pretty much all the way through and I can guarantee you will be left with a lovely contented feeling after finishing this story. The plot moves smoothly and pretty quickly too, it really was a delight to get to know the characters. It's a wonderful start to a new series of books by Phillipa Ashley and I can't wait to read the next one.

Heart warming and funny with a delightful romance that will set you up not only for Christmas but the cold winter months ahead!

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

Lovely book, fantastic story. Really enjoyed this. Finished in two sittings would of been one but damn Work got in the way !

Maisie has returned home to Gull Island on the Scilly Islands to help her parents run their inn and she is really looking forward to spending Christmas there for the first time in years.........and forgetting her disastrous Christmas of the previous year

It is hard work being back on the island though the seasonal staff have all left and she really needs help in the bar and so when the gorgeous Aussie, Patrick, turns up offering his services it seems a perfect solution.........except she is far too attracted to him and that is something she definitely doesn't want at the moment..............but is Patrick keeping secrets and what will they mean to Maisie!

Things are also not running smoothly on the island - Hugo is always lurking around trying to buy up the homes and businesses of the islanders to turn it into another resort island for him so Maisie is determined to rally the islanders together to fight him as a community

Another lovely Cornish book by this author, I loved the Cornish Café series and definitely looking forward to the next instalment in this series

The Blurb :
For Maisie Samson, this Christmas is going to be different. After years working in a busy Cornish pub, she’s moved back to quiet Gull Island where she grew up, to help her parents run the family inn.
But even though she can’t wait for the festive season to arrive, Maisie cannot shake the memories of what happened to her last Christmas – the day she lost everything. She keeps herself busy, setting up the tree and hanging mistletoe ready for her first proper family Christmas in years.
Until a new arrival to the island walks into her bar and changes everything. Australian backpacker Patrick is looking for a job for the low season. When Maisie takes him on, she doesn’t expect him to last the week, but to her surprise Patrick is the perfect fit. Charming and handsome, could Maisie allow herself to hope that she and Patrick could be more than just colleagues?
As Christmas approaches, Maisie finds herself dreading the spring, when Patrick is due to leave. With the help of a little Christmas magic, can Maisie get the happily ever after she always dreamed of?

My Thoughts :
Phillipa Ashley is one Author who doesnt disappoint with her stories and her new series is another winner.
Set on The Isles of Scilly, Maisie Samson returns home to Gull Island to help out in her parents inn for the winter season. After recently suffering heartbreak, Maisie wants to keep herself busy in the run up to Christmas day as thats where it all went wrong for her last year. As Aussie backpacker Patrick, walks into her life, Maisie has a hard job not to fall for him and can she put her past behind her to move on. Patrick is also holding some secrets of his own but can he share these with Maisie?!.
This is such a warming, funny story with romance all added in. It will have you turning the pages in anticipation to see what is coming next.
Phillipa Ashley, does a great job with setting the scene and describing the beautiful backdrop that is the Scillies. A great little festive read for the upcoming season. Looking forward to book 2.

A warmhearted novel which will draw you in from the start! I loved Phillipa Ashley's new novel "Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles: the Driftwood Inn". I was expecting a seasonally appropriate read but in my opinion this novel is perfect for any time. Maisie Samson is a strong independent woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to be impulsive. Patrick is a attractive Australian who has shown up to Maisie's little island and he has a few secrets he would like kept unshared. Will the tall blonde and handsome Aussie draw in Maisie or will she steer clear of the trouble she sees on the horizon?

One of my favourite aspects of "Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles: the Driftwood Inn" is that it is just the right length. The plot keeps you captivated throughout and the conflict/resolution comes at the appropriate time. I also appreciate the character development. Gull Island was idillic. It felt like it could be a real place where the local inns and pubs are the gathering places for all the locals and seasonal tourists come and go with the change of seasons. I would definitely recommend giving this novel a read.

Christmas at the Little Cornish Isles: The Driftwood Inn by Phillipa Ashley

I discovered Ms Ashley through her debut novel ‘Decent Exposure’ and thought that if this was the quality she could produce from her first published novel, what would she be producing now? This question was fortuitously answered by the release of her ‘Cornish Café’ series. Quick note – if you haven’t read those, then put them on your ‘to read’ list, you won’t be disappointed.

After that series drew to its natural closure, I was very pleased to discover that Ms Ashley had decided to stay in the area well, the Scilly Isles which is close enough. Our heroine is Maisie who finds refuge in running the island pub after a traumatic episode made her re-evaluate her life and priorities. Things are complicated when she takes on Aussie bartender Patrick, with whom she had a slightly drunken snog before making island fall. Needless to say, there’s much more to Patrick than what you see and as the story unfolds, we find how he is entwined with both the island and her beloved pub.

I loved how Ms Ashley wove an enthralling story with the dramatic scenery of the Isles. There’s a great list of supporting characters who I hope crop up in the following stories.

Phillipa Ashley is an author whose career that I have followed closely since I discovered her and this story disappoints in no way whatsoever. If you’re new to her, this is a perfect place to start, if you’ve read her before, why are you reading this review? You know how good she is!

Phillipa Ashley is back with her new series of novels, and this time we have stepped a little bit away from Cornwall, to the Scilly Isles. Just across the water we discover new places, new problems and new characters. The islands in the novel are fictional but could quite easily exist as further islands away from the major five of the Scilly Isles. 

Within a first few pages I am hooked as I find out about Maisie, returned to Gull Island to help her parents run the pub The Driftwood Inn. She has returned home to seek quiet sanctuary from what has happened to her in the previous few months.  

But it is not going to be quiet on the island. Maisie is worried about her parents health and the fact that she is of an age where starting again might be difficult. After the temporary summer staff have all gone back to find jobs, Maisie still needs someone to help her. When Patrick walks in right at the moment she needs someone it seems that is her answer. 

Trouble is her and Patrick shared a stolen kiss and she cannot get him out of her mind and now she has him in her place of work and a cottage out the back of the building. Tensions are bound to build in such close proximity. 

Patrick was only meant to be on Gull Island to fulfill a dying wish to a friend now he has found some work his return to Australia is postponed but what was his real reason for being on Gull Island? As Christmas comes and the advent of a new year means new beginnings will Maisie finally be able to settle and will Patrick reveal the truth for his real reason for being interested in Gull Island. 

I cannot wait to return and find out more about these Little Cornish Isles and their residents and of course I want to see how Maisie is getting on.

Another fabulous book by Phillipa Ashley!. This has been a joy to read, I was left feeling very festive and really wanting to go and visit Gull Island.

Maisie and Patrick are wonderful characters and I love a book with a good bit of drama, mystery and of course Christmas!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. I wouldn't classify this as a holiday book because it was so much more than that. It takes place on Gull Island-a fictional part of the Scilly Islands right off the coast of Cornwall. (I looked it up-it looks beautiful!) The main character Maisie has moved home to run her parents' pub after a disastrous love affair and miscarriage. She meets Patrick-he appears to be a laid-back, fun-loving guy on holiday from Australia. But secrets abound! I'm not sure that I understood why the secrets that Patrick kept would inspire any level of anger but other than that, I loved this book. The cast of characters is well-drawn and I felt invested in their little island community! Hopefully there will be another book in this series about Jess and Adam. There was still some mystery with them at the end.

What a beautiful start of a new series for Phillipa Ashley. I simply adored the setting and found myself really relating to the characters and getting totally absorbed into the storyline. This was my first Christmas novel of the year and lets just say that it certainly set some high expectations for the rest!

The setting of Gull Island sounded really beautiful and serene and the descriptions was drawing me in, making me want to visit! Of course, as it is a Christmas book, Christmas does play a huge part but then, what else were you expecting? It was joyful and heartwarming and it was just what I wanted to get from a book about Christmas.

The story follows main character Maisie Samson on her return to Gull Island to run Driftwood Inn for her parents and backpacker Patrick McKinnon who has come all the way from Australia to spend the off season on the island. The pair meet at a festival and along the journey of the story it shows them dealing with their problems from the past and trying to make a better future.

Maisie is hoping for a better Christmas than last year and Patrick is running from a few demons himself... They both need a fresh start but will they get it this year? About three quarters through the book you're hit with a twist that I certainly didn't see coming. From then on I just found it harder to put it down! I loved seeing the development of Maisie and Patrick's relationship.

Overall, a really enjoyable first book of the Little Cornish Isles series. One full of drama, romance and some humour along the way too. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a chance to read this book which I have reviewed honestly.

I have read Phillipa Ashley before and this didn't disappoint. It is a lightweight easy read enjoyable novel.

I've been away for a week with no internet connection and what a perfect holiday read. Full of romance and fun set on the beautiful Isles of Scilly and you really believe you are there. Full of fun and laughter. Maisie knows Christmas is coming and moves in to help her parents run the family inn. She's had heartbreak by loosing her baby and then her partner so wants something different. Patrick who is from Australia comes to the isles for a change what secret is he hiding he gets a job from Maisie helping out but will he last or will he find it to much but poor Maisie is dreading him leaving can she cope with him in her life or not. This is a must read.

A lovely read. Set in the Scilly Isles (somewhere that's on my 'must visit' list), on a fictional, more remote islands, Maisie is approaching 40 and has returned home following the bruising breakdown of her previous relationship and a miscarriage. Her parents are growing older and she takes a part share in their home and business, the Driftwood Inn. Into the pub one day walks Patrick. An Australian with a few secrets left behind in Melbourne. The attraction is instant, and sizzles between them, can they find a way to make a relationship work?
Maisie and Patrick are both complex characters and it was oddly refreshing that they were a little older than the usual romantic fiction characters, the fact that Maisie was approaching 40 (a birthday I hit this year) added to her indecision and her reluctance to surrender to her feelings for Patrick. The island itself, and it's inhabitants are evocatively described. I'm hoping for a follow up to this book featuring Maisie's best friend Jess, or possibly her brother Will who definitely deserve to find loves of their own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The story strands featuring Maisie and Patrick come together beautifully and the backdrop of a struggling and isolated rural community is effectively described,. Philippa Ashley has created multi-dimensional characters who I want to find out more about. There's also a cracking twist which I didn't see coming in the slightest. I was anticipating the reveal of Patrick's secret but the reality was completely unexpected and actually made me gasp.
This is a warm, funny, compelling and very Christmassy read. Recommended.

Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles is the first book in a new trilogy from Phillipa Ashley, and is centred around Maisie Samson and her family pub, The Driftwood Inn.

Maisie has returned home to Gull Island, a gorgeous place in the heart of the Scilly Isles, where the tourist season is winding down for winter and everyone knows everyone who lives there.

Maisie is very much looking forward to Christmas and spending time with her parents after a bad festive season the previous year.
She hires Patrick McKinnon, a handsome Australian who she shared a kiss with a few weeks before after he told her a story about visiting Gull Island as a promise he made to a late friend.
Now some of what he told Maisie is true but there's something else about Patrick that leaves you wondering right up until the last 10% of the book!

I loved both Maisie and Patrick as characters - both strong in their own ways but both hiding things from their past's. They embark on a secret relationship but its not a smooth sailing.

With lots of little sub plots, Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles is a cute wintery read that you will enjoy curling up to this year.
Although I found the story a little slow to get into, the descriptions of the Scilly Isles and surroundings of Gull Island kept me interested and when the story really kicked in, I thoroughly enjoyed it and very much looking forward to returning to this idyllic fictional resort for the next instalment where I hope we get to meet Maisie and Patrick again and see how they are progressing.

I can't help but start this review with "an Australian walked into a bar." Patrick is the catalyst for romance and other things in this delightful light read set on Gull Island in the Scilly Islands of Cornwall. I've loved this setting since forever- there's a certain romance even though it's not the easiest place to live. Maisie hasn't had it easy either and she's home working with her parent inn when Patrick arrives. This is happy, cheery, and a good read about a small town and the people in it even as it's also a romance. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to more books by Ashley.

This is the first book I've read this year with "Christmas" in the title, and I promptly got told off by someone for starting Christmas early (it is September after all).  I tried to explain about lead times, and sales etc, but to no avail.

This is the first in a new series by this author (I have read Christmas at the Cornish Cafe before, from the same author) and is set on the Scilly Isles, and Gull Island in particular.  Whilst Gull Island is small with a smattering of businesses, the book has been set up with enough secondary characters split across a number of islands to allow for books to be added to the series.

This is the first Christmas and New Year that Maisie has spent on her home island in more years than she cares to admit. Her previous job - running a successful pub "on the mainland" - stopped the previous Christmas due to personal reasons. Her parents run the Driftwood Inn, and have semi-retired now that that Maisie is running the joint.  She has an immediate attraction to "The Blond" (who she finds out later is called Patrick), an Australian who has come to the UK because of a promise made to a recently deceased friend.



It's coming near the end of the tourist season, the casual staff are leaving before the dodgy weather sets in, and whilst she's not sure she's will need him, Maisie hires Patrick to be the winter barman, despite her mother's misgivings.  He instantly proves useful in doing much of the manual labour that's needed around the place, and helping out Ray (her father) who is struggling more as he's getting older.   It doesn't help, however, that she keeps lusting after him practically every time she sees him (it helps he looks good without his shirt on).

Meanwhile, there's a bigger issues that need to be faced by the people on Gull Island. The weather can be temperamental, and there are some tourists who can get stuck on the island for longer than they planned when the bad weather rolls in. The helicopter service has been stopped, with little hope that it will be reinstated. Access to the "mainland" is via boat, which is subject to the weather and tides. Many of the younger people have moved away and there has been a lack of investment in buildings etc, which has lead to a vicious cycle of dwindling tourism due to services being run down, and lack of money to spruce them up.

Hugo  went to school with Maisie and owns a successful property business. He has made it clear to a number of people on Gull Island that he is prepared to buy them out, including Maisie. He has all the charm of a slug, feels threatened by Patrick, and doesn't see that his lack of control over Comedy Dog Basil could be an analogy that he can't control other things too. Feeling pressurised, and not wanting the island to lose what she sees as it's charms to someone like Hugo, Maisie organises the community to pull together and spruce the place up. Patrick seems to be able to come up with the goods, and few suspect how he's able to do it. Whilst he has shared much of his past, it seems he hasn't been entirely forthcoming with everything. Maisie has her own secrets that she hasn't shared with Patrick (specifically *why* she left her previous job), so can she really complain?

Whilst this is a Christmas book, there is a slight twist in that with Patrick around, Maisie decides that he is to do an Australian Christmas, so there is to be a "barbie", and a rugby game etc on Christmas day, rather than Turkey and all the trimmings. Maisie gets to see the traditional Christmas parade, one she has missed out on for several years, because of working away, and she gets to spend it with Patrick.  In the run up to Christmas, there is dubious weather, but no snow, and Christmas dawns bright and clear and allows for a successful party. Maisie then has a New Year's eve birthday party she is unlikely to ever forget (no spoilers!).

I don't normally use the word "solid" when reviewing books, but having recently read a mid-series book, it's reminded me what a "not-solid" book looks like. Here, even the secondary characters are well rounded, there's a hint of things to come in later books where the author has given herself plenty of room to take things forward. Because of the non traditional Christmas, it does mean that this book can be read at almost any time of the year. There's a little bit of humour with the presence of Comedy Dog (my term) and a little bit of non-offensive sex with most of it happening off-page. Of course there's more to the story than what I've written here, but you'll have to read it to find out what you're missing!

Plenty going on in this book as well as setting me up ready for the winter season. I loved all the colourful characters in the beautiful setting of gull island looking forward to the next in the series

I had a really hard time getting into the writing style of this book. I'm not sure if it's because I've read a few other Christmas love stories recently, which were much easier to get into, or if it is actually the writing style of this author. Either way, that doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't just love it! I plowed through the first half and then cut my losses...which almost never happens.

Maisie has just returned home to her parents where she finds Australian Patrick in need of a job and her family's business having a lucky vacancy for this charming man who just may provide Maisie with some of the happiness she's dreamed of for years...

Yet, she has smarmy Hugo to contend with as well as her best friend losing a pregnancy and her father collapsing suddenly there's no shortage of down's this Christmas so far so hopefully when Patrick finally realises how he feels and acts on it, him surprising her at a bad time helps her to see not everything is a tragedy this Christmas time after all.

It was a really long book but don't be put off, the characters have heart and deeply care about each other. It was a heartwarming read and very realistic to me as we always have bad stuff happen too at Christmas unfortunately but it made me love this book more knowing we aren't alone there! It was a great book and I recommend you to read this one when it's released.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!