So lovely to be back in Cornwall. I could almost smell the sea, feel the sun in my face and taste the delicious ice creams. Ahhh the perfect book for a Winters Day.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

When I started reading A Perfect Cornish Summer, I was expecting a light, summer story about a town and a festival and maybe a little romance, but I got so much more. This story is set in the seaside town of Porthmellow. They are preparing for the annual food festival when there is a huge glitch. The star chef can't make it and they need to find a replacement. Chloe is able to get a well known London chef to step in, apparently he grew up in Porthmellow and is prepared to spend the summer. What Chloe doesn't know is that the Sam Lovell, the chair of the organizing committee and Chef Gabe Matthias have a history, and not a good one. They were a couple when Gabe does something that causes them to break up and him to leave town. Now he is back and they have to deal with the feelings they both still have. Chloe is dealing with her own situation. She is divorced and new to Porthmellow. She is estranged from her daughter and has never seen her granddaughter. She is attracted to a local man but has been keeping more than one secret. Will the summer and the festival smooth out all the problems that the residents of Porthmellow are dealing with?

I found this story a bit slow to get started, but once I got into it and met all the main characters, I snuggled in for an enjoyable reading afternoon by the pool. I always love the setting of Cornwall and although I have never been, I always feel like I am returning for another visit to a small town along the coast. As I always expect in these small town stories, there are quirky characters, nosy neighbors who know everyone else's business, curmudgeons, helpful neighbors and those old folks who know everyone who ever lived in town. I loved how friendly everyone was and how they stepped up when help was needed. There were some secrets that come out near the end which added one more interesting and important plot to the story. There are some great themes in this book such as addiction, doing the right thing, family estrangement, ageism, bullying, romance, and more that made this story more than just a romance. There are a couple of happily ever afters that gave me a smile on my face as I finished this one.

I loved this book, a perfect summer read! Well written and I could not put it down. I will for sure be reading more by this author.

This book was picture perfect from start to finish, as I have come to expect from an Ashley story. The story, setting and character line up had me turning the pages at true speed and I was living for each and every minute. It was a pure joy from start to finish.

this was really cute, it was entertaining and managed to keep my happy throughout. perfect little read

Love everything that Phillipa Ashley touches and this book is no exception. Having read everything she writes this book is a wonderful addition!

I didn't get to read this book when I first got it from netgallery as my ebook broke and had to get a new one. But I have since brought it and loved it

This ticked all my cornish dream boxes, a true delight a small harbour town and a food festival? This has me all over it and i really did enjoy it.

I’ll preface this by saying that there are a lot of really great reviews of this book, I may just be in the minority, so take this review with a grain of salt. This book had an adorable setting, and the cover is so enticing, but unfortunately I had a really hard time getting into this story and getting to know the characters.

A good read.Set in Cornwall this was an interesting story and some nice characters each with their own stories to tell and the theme of the summer festival made it very enjoyable.

The town of Porthmellow had started the Summer Festival a few years ago to deal with financial problems with Sam at the helm, and this year was the 20th anniversary. The chef they had booked suddenly dropped out and it was Gabe to the rescue, who was Sam's ex whom she had dumped years ago due to a betrayal.

I’m not going to lie I normally love stories like this but I just had a hard time with this one. I kept starting and stopping it which may have been part of the issue. This is the first book in the series and I’m going to read the next book and see how it goes. I really enjoyed the imagery but just couldn’t get into the story.

A real feelgood romance with a solid cast of likeable characters and storylines, not just a will they, won't they tale (of which I've read too many recently). In my mind, the test of a good chick lit novel is one where the story would work even if you removed the romantic element from the storyline and this one most definitely qualifies. A great location always helps as well

Lovely series set in Porthmellow with a group of interlinking characters, focusing on one or two stories each time. Really enjoyed them all.

Really loved this book. I'm sure its based on Porthleven where my step daughter lives. I kept imagining myself there. Beautiful story.

Lovely read that fills your heart with warmth and makes you feel like you know the people in the town. Easy to read but keeps you guessing. Highly recommended

Solid romance but the amount of characters and subplots made it a chore to finish it (I started it months ago).

Absolutely wonderful! If the Christmas book is nearly as good it will get the full 5!

**OMG! I cannot believe that these reviews haven't been done! I am so sorry they are so late!!!**

Unfortunately though my review copy was late arriving so I'm still reading the book. I dont want to give anything away except that I'm really enjoying it... hopefully I'll finish it today, but you know... life!

So I wanted to entice you to ordering the novel and at least post something so read on for the synopsis.... 😊 "The first in a gorgeous new series from the author of Summer at the Cornish Cafe.
Summer is on the horizon, and the people of Porthmellow are eagerly awaiting the annual food festival. At least, most of them are…
For Sam Lovell, organising the summer festival in her hometown is one of the highlights of her year. It’s not always smooth sailing, but she loves to see Porthmellow’s harbour packed with happy visitors, and being on the committee has provided a much-needed distraction from the drama in her family life (and the distinct lack of it in her love life).
When their star guest pulls out with only a few weeks to go, everyone’s delighted when a London chef who grew up locally steps in at the last minute. But Gabe Matthias is the last person Sam was expecting to see, and his return to Porthmellow will change her quiet coastal life for ever

I really enjoyed my first visit to Porthmellow, and already wondering if it is, in mid August too soon to read the Christmas book to return there!

I loved both Chloe and Sam's stories in this, both with complicated pasts there were enjoyable to discover.

Between them they head the committee for the Porthmellow Food festival and to say this 10th annual festival is not only the biggest but the one with the most potential problems would be an understatement.

I loved getting to know the committee and all the main residents in this Cornish town. I loved the various quirks and seeing just how Sam was going to cope with things.

Especially the reappearance of her ex boyfriend, which she split up with years ago, after he reported her brother to the police, - well its very hard to come back from that.

But despite that I fell for Gabe, he clearly knows his right from wrong, and is an extremely talented chef too.

There are a large number of pies in this book, as well as plenty of other food, to make you hungry as you read.

I found it took some time for me to get into the stride of this book, but I think that is because every time I think of this author, one particular set of characters comes back to me from a previous series, and then I have to remember that I'm reading something fresh.

A really enjoyable book and I am very much looking forward to the next one in the series.

Thank you to Avon on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I'm a sucker for books based in the UK, and this was no exception. There was so much charm with the different characters, the Portsmouth summer festival as a backdrop to all of the storylines and interactions between the characters. I felt like I was a fly on the wall in every scene, observing each conversation in person, and I could visualize every scene so clearly. A great book to read.