I really enjoyed this book by Phillipa Ashley. Set in Cornwall, it follows Sam and her friends/fellow committee members as they prepare for their annual summer food festival. I liked that it was told from multiple points of view - though the focus was on Sam and Gabe's relationship, it also delved into Chloe's family troubles and budding relationship. I couldn't get enough of the back and forth will-they-won't-they between Sam and Gabe. If you like romance novels, pick up A Perfect Cornish Summer immediately.

I've just spent a very enjoyable afternoon in the seaside town of Porthmellow in Cornwall and have been delighted to have made friends with the wonderful characters who feature in this perfect summer story.

There is much to enjoy in the company of Sam Lovell, who with a group of friends runs the annual Porthmellow summer festival, however, the festival is not without its problems. When this year's celebrity chef cancels at the last minute, the one person who offers to help is none other than local boy, Gabe Matthias, who has made his name, and fortune, as one of the country's top chefs. All would be well, except Sam, and the handsome Gabe, have some complicated personal history, and reason for this is what makes the story such a heart-warming read.

A Perfect Cornish Summer is the first in a new Cornish series, and, as with any first book in a series there is a certain amount of getting to know the characters, however, there's a such a lovely mixture of people that it becomes a real pleasure to get to know them, as they each bring something really special to the story. There are several twists which I didn't see coming, and lots of really interesting developments, especially in the relationship between Sam and Gabe. I particularly enjoyed reading of the ups and downs of organising the summer festival, as of course, like real life, nothing ever runs to according to plan for Sam, and her group of festival organisers.

A Perfect Cornish Summer is such a lovely feel-good story that I raced through it at top speed and I can't wait to read the next one

A fun, sweet beach read. I can't wait to read more in this series. Just the type of book you want to read while sprawled on your favorite beach towel.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A lovely, light book, perfect for a summer holiday read.
The characters are likeable, the town of Porthmellow is wonderfully described and makes you want to go there, even if you would be classed as an outsider for a few hundred years (her words, not mine!).
The book is a tangle of different storylines, based around the food festival, different characters past and present relationships (for the most part, the main characters Sam and Gabe) and goings on in the town, which all interconnect perfectly to make one hugely enjoyable and addictive story. I read this is two sittings. If it hadn’t been 2am when I put it down the first time, I’d have finished it in one.
Well worth a read. Hoping for more visits to these characters and town.

Sam loves her costal home town and has done all the years living and get owing up there until her mum passed and Gabe her boyfriend at the time gave her brother in to the police. She had at to bring up her sister without their brother and still misses him.



Chloe is Sam's festival committee friend, mixed race and hiding a secret about not only her big age coming up but the fact she actually has a family but can she find her happy ever after in Porthmellow? As well as help her daughter be happy and reunited with her again as well as possibly meet her granddaughter too?



Gabe arrives from London now a famous chef to step in and help out at their food festival after their headline act is unable to fulfil his duties and so tensions rise between him and Sam as Chloe didn't know their history before asking him down to help out queue rising tensions, pulses and growing sparks flying!



As we read, we see from the characters split perspectives and what they have to face in the story. With drama in every chapter both personal and festival kinds the tensions between characters build up and mount until a dramatic turn of events in the last third of the book. The setting was a Cornish dream and the festival meticulously planned and hard work well done just like in their lives they work hard to later play hard as they do eventually have a positive celebration alike I hope Phillipa will done for creating another cracking chick lit!



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

I love picking up a book by Phillipa Ashley and this is yet again another delightful story that whisked me away to a place filled with communtiy spirit, friendship and even romance!

In this book we meet Sam who is busy organising the summer festival in Porthmellow when the star guest pulls out. This means that Sam finds herself face to face with her past and one man in particular she would rather forget, Gabe! What follows is a heartwarming story that made me smile and feel all cosy along with enjoying getting to know the characters. Sam is strong but hasn’t forgotten how her heart was broken or the man who did it. You can feel the connection that Sam and Gabe share and I loved seeing a tentative friendship emerge as they work together to make the festival a success.

Phillipa Ashley always brings the setting to life in her books and in A Perfect Cornish Summer there are some wonderful descriptions that made me feel as if I was right there with the characters. Especially as the festival takes shape it’s almost as if I could taste the food and experience all the sights myself.

I loved getting to know the characters and I especially enjoyed Chloe’s story! With it being the start of a new series I can’t wait to catch up with them all again!

In A Perfect Cornish Summer there is a beautiful uplifting feeling and a perfectly placed sense of community along with love and friendship that will make this book such a wonderful addition to your bookshelf!

I've read other books by Phillipa Ashley before and absolutely loved them - all 5* but unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this. There seemed a little too much going on, and too many characters at the beginning of the book. Maybe it was just me as lots of people seemed to love it. Saying that it was well written and descriptive. I shall look forward to Phillipa's next offering though as I say I've really enjoyed all her others.

Ah, Spring is in the air (if you can see if past the snow) and it’s time to begin a new Cornish series from Ms Ashley. That alone should say it all.

The Queen of Cornwall (yes, that is a title) introduces us to the coastal village of Porthmellow. If you’ve been to Cornwall, then you don’t need a vivid imagination to know where you’ll be set. However, if you’ve never been to this county, then close your eyes as you read (yes, I know that’s impossible, but humour me) and you will soon smell the spray of the sea as it breaks over the harbour wall. The treks up the narrow and winding roads will become familiar and to be enjoyed.

As with her previous Cornish series, Ms Ashley fills her novel with engaging characters in beautifully written and described situations that brought forth a plethora of emotions; admiration, wonder, sadness, and breathlessness as it came to an end.

Multiple story lines run through this book, with everything coming to a head at the end in a whirlwind that was unputdownable for me. However, there are plenty of stories hinted at throughout that I am hopeful will provide the basis for the following novels with, one would hope too, plenty of scope for characters from this first to make their appearances.

To surmise, welcome back to Ms Ashley, you’ve been away too long.

My thanks to both Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the review copy.

(Reviewed by Mick Arnold for Novel Kicks)

Sam Lovell is worried that the sleepy Cornish village she lives in is dying as more shops and restaurants start closing so determined to make a difference she starts a food festival. It has grown over the years and so massive now its difficult to believe its humble beginnings. However, their star chef has pulled out and the person who has offered to save the day is an old flame who Sam never wants to see again never mind speak to. Beautifully written introducing a whole range of characters and the atmosphere of Cornish seaside life. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filled with warm and likable characters and set in a warm and likable place, this was the perfect escape novel. Will be a great beach read.

This book has made me ready for summer. I loved it. I cannot wait to read more by this author. I feel as though i was able to escape.

Enjoyable read, set in Porthmellow, Cornwall, where Sam organises a food festival.
All is going well until the guest star chef drops out, and friend Chloe unwittingly invites Gabe to take part instead. She doesn't know he is Sam's ex, or the complicated history he has with Sam and the town.
Secondary to this is Chloe's own story, as she struggles to re-connect with her estranged daughter.

Hoping this is the start of a new series from Phillipa Ashley

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.

Reading this book was so much fun. The story got me captivated until the end, because I really wanted to know what really happened. Eventually, the ending was a bit of what I expected but not entirely. I liked that it wasn't just another romance with a predictable ending. Furthermore, I loved the setting and I loved the friend dynamics. There was a bit of a downside to this book though, at some points the story felt a little bit tedious. A flash-forward wouldn't have been out of place in such situations.

3.5 Stars!!! This is my first book by this author and my first book set so specifically in Cornwall that the location is almost a character in itself and there isn’t even a mention of smuggling. If you’re into food and second chance romances, this gentle nugget of a romance/women’s fiction novel will be right up your alley.

The major themes in this are family and forgiveness, community and love and all the imperfections that living life brings. I enjoyed the gentle, small town community nature of this novel but realize it may not be for everyone. This romance is somewhat of a two-for-one. Maybe even a 2.5 for one because you get Sam’s story of meeting Gabe,the love of her life again, years after he reported her beloved brother for being a criminal except her love Gabe is now a successful celebrity chef. You also get Chloe’s story of finding love again with a younger man from whom she’s hidden the fact that she’s turning 50. And then as if that’s not enough, you get a cheeky little bit of Zennor’s happy ending.

I think this author’s writing style in this book is really gently amusing, and touching. I’ve used this word several times but this IS a gentle, calming book, without being boring. It’s also a pretty clean read that you could share with a grandparent. There are implied sexual situations but nothing AT ALL explicit. I recommend this one!

I got an advanced reading copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book.

Sam Lovell came up with an idea 11 years ago to have a festival in their town to draw people to come back to their town. 11 years later, and it's something that people come to from across the country.

This year, the famous chef they had lined up to be the headliner cancelled due to bankruptcy issues. The commitee was so concerned about what they were going to end up doing. In a roundabout way, the assistant chair person was able to get a last minute fill in, who happened to be from their town, and is a famous tv chef. He also agreed to do it for free! Even better, right?

What Chloe (assistant chairperson) didn't know, was that years ago, Gabe (famous chef) broke Sam's heart (commitee chairperson). Come to this little seaside town and get to know it's people! You will love it here!
#NetGalley #APerfectCornishSummer.

The author’s love of Cornwall and all things Cornish is evident in this story. The characters of Porthmellow harbour are authentic, and all have a story to tell and secrets to keep.

Sam loves the food festival, it gives her a focus away from the family drama and helps promote the harbour town she loves. Sam and Gabe have history and working in close proximity threaten more than the festival.

Lots of characters and a taste of their stories make this a complex but interesting book. You know that you will meet them again as the series progresses.

At its heart, this is a story of community, the inherent closeness that means everyone takes an interest in each other’s life, sometimes this is intrusive, sometimes comical but nearly always well meant and important for the harbour to survive.

A charming story full of heart, secrets and love, looking forward to the next one.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

When I requested this book, after a few weeks of being too ill to read (the horror!) I really was in need of something light-hearted and feel-good, and this sounded like it fit the bill to perfection. Even the book cover makes me think of just how much I love Cornwall, and how pretty it is. This book is the first book in the series, and it establishes the characters in this lovely little Cornish village. Here is the blurb:

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.

Curl up with this gorgeous novel and savour the world of Porthmellow Harbour.

This book was a slow burn for me, I think because there were quite a lot of characters to get to know, all of whom had secrets. However once I got a few chapters into the book I could not put it down and finished it in one sitting!

Although this is primarily a story of second chances and forgiveness, and particularly a second chance romance, I loved that the romance was not the focus of the book. The focus was on the Food Festival, and the community, and how the community rallies round when people are in need of support and assistance.

I loved the Festival committee meetings, and found the gentle humour utterly charming, although the tannoy announcements during the Festival had me seriously laughing out loud, which woke my husband who was asleep next to me as I read into the night. The Thomas Hardy geek in me loved that there was a Gabriel and a Troy in this book too.

This was my first book by Phillipa Ashley and it definitely won’t be my last. I loved the characters so much I am really looking forward to finding out more about them as the series continues. It also made me want to plan a holiday to Cornwall.

Many thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect book to get you in the mood for summer!

Sam Lovell - along with a small group of volunteers - is responsible for organising the annual food festival in her home town of picturesque Porthmellow. As the time draws near, they all find their precious free time disappearing into thin air and when a calamity occurs in the shape of the biggest guest calling off, one of the team sorts out a replacement without realising she is facilitating the return of Sam's ex. 

With so much going on, this is a delightful and entertaining read - and I'm thrilled to see it's the first of a new series! Phillipa Ashley's writing really displays what I imagine a Cornish coastal town will be like. There are characters from all walks of life on the pages, and they come alive as the book progresses. With several elements to the story, I was kept involved all the way through to the very satisfying conclusion, and I'm really keen to see where it all heads next. It's a fresh, fun read; very appealing, well-written, smoothly flowing,  and a definite best-seller. Certainly worthy of all the five stars I'm happy to give.

My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources not only for my copy but for including me on this Blog Tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

A Perfect Cornish Summer is based in a town on the water called Porthmellow. Sam Lovell is the owner of a catering company and she is the organizer of an annual food festival which was her idea years before. Through the years the festival has continually grown much to the delight of many of the locals, but not all.

When the guest chef pulls out at the last minute and Gabe Matthias, a hometown boy made good offers to step into the role to save the festival, Sam is not too pleased. Their past history was once magical until Gabe up and told the police that Sam's brother Ryan was planning on robbing a store. This put Ryan in prison, Sam upset with Gabe and Gabe leaving town. When Ryan finally did get out of prison he vowed to never return and much to Sam's great sadness she has not seen him in years.

And as with any good love story/mystery we get to meet the comical characters who go along with a small harbor town where everybody knows one another. And most have secrets. Some more serious than others. The highlight of the story is the festival itself, that's where the comedy was at its best and kept a smile on my face. A smile still there even as this sweet story came to it's conclusion.

For fans of The Vicar of Dibley, a series from the BBC in England, you especially will relish the tight knit community and quirky characters which come along with it. The committee meetings are just on place in which I laughed. But most of all you will be pleased with the love and caring for others which occurs in this tiny place near the sea. More please!!

Thank you #NetGalley #Avon #Phillipa Ashley #A Perfect Cornish Summer for the advanced copy. It will be out on April 25.

Dive right into the town of porthmellow and you sure won't want to leave!

This book centres on Sam, the owner of Stargazey Pies and has a dream of starting a festival to help boost the towns trade. Fast forward 11years and this is where the story picks up - the next summer festival on the harbour.

When Sam's old flame heads back to the town he has stayed away from for many years, it is clear to see Sam and Gabe have unfinished business.

Amongst the setting of the Cornish harbour, their is a real community spirit with all chipping in to help the food festival.

This book reflects different difficult situations some of the central residents are facing in their lives and is cleverly woven together.

A lovely, romance filled, easy read with a summer vibe!

Really want to try a Stargazey pie!

Looking forward to the next in the series... Love how the last line in the book is a possible clue! Fingers crossed it is!