Member Reviews
This is a real feel good romance entwined with another one of yesteryear. I knew this book was going to be a great read from the first page and I wasn't wrong. This has been well written and is an interesting tale,, plus finding out how the story even came to be written was of interest. I know that I will be rereading this book again and it will be just as good a second time round.. I am sure this will be enjoyed by one and all who put this on their list of books to read.
The Little Vintage Carousel By The Sea by Jaimie Admans is the most delightful feel-good contemporary romance. It warmed my heart, soothed my soul and left me smiling and feeling good.
The characters are a wonderful mix and all well drawn. I loved the older couple who have no filter on their mouth so we hear all about their bladder problems! The leading lady’s Mum is not afraid to meddle and says what she thinks. The two lead characters and both vulnerable but begin to trust again. Their dialogue is both witty and charming.
Set mainly in a seaside town in North Yorkshire, the reader is in for a real treat. It is a place where problems are solved with ice cream and your business is everyone else’s! There is a warm welcome that you do not get in the anonymity that is London.
There is the theme of restoration – not just of an old carousel but of lives too. The seaside town is a place where hurt souls can begin to live again.
A hundred year old legend entertains both the characters and the reader as we discover if true love really does exist.
This is my first book by Jaimie Admans and I loved it. I want to read more, more, more. She writes with a zest for life that is infectious. This book has left me feeling good about love, life and the inherent goodness of people.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
Lovely heartwarming read a delicious group of characters a wonderful setting.The type of book you cuddle up with till the last page.#netgalley #hqdigital..
I really liked this lovely and sweet romance.
It's a bit slow at the beginning but when things start happening you cannot put it down.
It's moving and very funny at the same time, with lovely and fleshed out characters you cannot help rooting for.
I will surely read other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I adored this, it’s a gorgeous slow burn romance. The characters are so real, so loveable and not perfect. They have flaws, I think they’re my favourite couple ever from these lovely books. It’s a gorgeous story, gives you warm and fuzzy feelings. A great read to pick up and help pick you up.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
I loved every minute of this book . Ness and Nath together make a formidable, joyous couple until she completes the magazine assignment that led her to him. He became known as Train Man in the tabloids and online because of her fascination with him who she didn't know at all except from seeing him n the train. Once he learned of the articles he felt she had deceived him for weeks and that was the end of 'them". But Ness thought of a way to win him back. At least she hoped so. . This is one of the best books I have read for a while, It completely enthralled me. I was very sorry to see it end, I was enjoying the ride!
The Little Vintage Carousel by the Sea, written by Jaimie Admans, actually had me chuckling out loud on occasion. It’s so far-fetched and the characters are adorably awful. The book is rife with humour and awkwardness – it’s a ridiculous love-at-first-sight type of tale – but it works. I was charmed by the entire thing!
Parts of it were repetitive – heavy reliance on references to a classic film and song, certain turns of phrase, internal dialogue, but overall it was exactly what I was looking for – a sweet and easy romance. It was a (mostly) cheery contemporary British love story that begins in London and takes you seaside to an over-the-top little village that you can’t help but want to visit – nosy seniors and all. It wove a historical, mysterious thread through the entire plot that was relevant to the conclusion. The title is available for pre-order now – it would make a great little holiday read. 3.5 stars from me – it wasn’t epic, but I enjoyed it!
Enjoyable, cute story, though I can’t say I loved it. I felt despite the ages of the main characters they were somewhat immature - lots of giggling, red faces and almost kissing. I was at times internally screaming “just get on with it!”
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc copy and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
5 Star review The Little Vintage Carousel by the Sea by Jaimie Admans
Jaime Admans is a new author to me. This was a good little gem which had me laughing and smiling often whilst I read.
A chance glance between strangers morphs in to so much more for Ness after the man she makes eye contact with on the train accidentally leaves his phone behind. It’s not the first time she has seen him but she has no idea who he is and she decides to track him down to return his phone.
Ness wants to be a journalist and when she mentions the phone to her friend and then her boss, they decide it would make a great story and Ness is given the opportunity to write it.
Like Prince Charming trying to find the woman who left the glass slipper behind, Ness finds it difficult to tract the man down. When Nathan (the handsome stranger) calls his own phone, they instantly connect.
I loved the sweetness of this story, the love and romance was beautifully written and the humour made for some snort worthy laughs. The Little Vintage Carousel by the Sea is a feel good story that will not disappoint.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.
This was completely adorable. The story is sweet and enjoyable. I loved the characters and the plot and the setting too! It made me laugh out loud at points and I had a great time reading it. Once outside of London the setting is absolutely lovely and added to the story. And then the side characters arrive at perfect points and add another level of interest on top. Basically a top notch story.
I recieved an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I has previously read books by Jaimie Admans and enjoyed them a lot. This one is no exception. It is such a lovely and delightful book. It made me smile as I was reading it. It is romantic and funny. I could not find anything to dislike about this book.
Ness is dissatisfied with her job in London, on her commute to work, she does the unthinkable, she makes eye contact with another commuter. This continues, until one day, he drops his phone. Ness chases after him, but he disappears into the crowd. She just has to try and track him down.
How many times have you exchanged glances with the same person on a train (or bus, for that matter)? Well, Ness has been doing it with a mystery man and then one day he drops his phone and she picks it up. Turns out Nathan is, really is, a good guy. He's restoring a carousel (how cool is that). When Ness heads out to Yorkshire to see him, she doesn't tell him that she's planning to write a story about their meeting and relationship. Or will she? This is a sweet romance with nice details and good characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Perfect escapist reading.
What a sweet book! It's totally unrealistic, but sometimes you need to read a sweet romance novel to bring joy and hope back into these crazy times. The characters were flawed and lovable....my favorite was the mom!...and the ghost story / story behind the carousel really added a nice touch to the whole plot. An enjoyable read to curl up with!
This book was a joy to read, I was hooked by the first page and loved Ness and Nathan....especially Nathan, he was so dreamy and perfect. I loved all the references to Sliding doors and Carousel, a film that brings back some wonderful memories. I don’t want to give anything g away but this book is filled to the brim with amazing characters, beautifully described scenery, humour and joy. It’s happiness in a book, a must read
Ness works as a fact checker for a magazine. Her daily commute through London means she see’s various people, no one that memorable, well there is one exception. There is a handsome stranger, they see each other, they never talk, or really acknowledge one another. One day he drops his phone, its a good job Ness is the one that see’s it fall, but she is not quick enough to hand it to him. Ness is then cajoled into writing a story about “Train Man” and from there she goes in search of her mystery, handsome stranger.
Within a couple of chapters this book had me, hook, line and sinker. I already had a good feeling about this book before I even started to read it, the cover is just an absolute delight. As I started to read that “good feeling” just got better and better.
There are numerous things that just felt right about this story, the characters from the outset were memorable and some were hilarious and some just had no filter and made for some very sniggery moments. In fact when I wasn’t sniggering I was grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat.
The descriptions of the carousel were just a dream, I remember carousel from a seaside holiday as a child. I think they have a quality that has stayed with me over the years. The detail;s and information about the horses was just the right amount of added extra detail to the story. The setting also had a very good part to play, it added a dramatic backdrop to a fabulous story and cast.
This is the story of two people who for their own reasons are content to live and work a single life. Neither wanting a relationship and neither realising that they have become stuck in a rut.
I really, really enjoyed this story, it has so many interesting extras in the way of characters, backstories, historical snippets, subplots and descriptions. It is one I would definitely recommend to readers who love a proper feel good read, romance and Rom-com.
Lovely heart warming and uplifting read with very likeable characters. Perfect for an afternoon cuddled up at home. I enjoyed the humour and the setting, and even though the storyline was predictable it was still a lovely read. Thank You
4.5 “It’s the love story you’ve always wanted.” Stars
If Sliding Doors and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days were to have a lovechild, its name would be The Little Vintage Carousel by the Sea.
“A stranger made eye contact with you, on public transport, in London? What kind of weirdo is this?”
Books that leave me with happy heart and a smile are my MO at the moment and that was exactly what I got from aspiring journalist, Ness and carousel-restorer Nathan as a sequence of amusing events sees the start of what is a story of friendship, acceptance and building feelings.
“I will never look at a carousel the same way again because of you.””
I loved how down-to-earth and adorably awkward both these characters were, from Ness’ clumsy nature to Nathan’s geekier side, and despite the lull in the middle—rectified by the introduction of Ness’ parents who had me howling with with laughter—this was a fabulous read and I must admit was a little bit sad to say goodbye at the end.
Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a really lovely heart warming story and was exactly what the doctor ordered for me.
I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it. It has a great story line, excellent main characters and it is a real page turner. I read this book in one sitting and the hours just flew by!
A joyous read, this is absolutely wonderful. Its enchanting, and funny and just a fabulous story.
The amount of times during this story that I was laughing along with Ness and Train Man's dialogue, was ridiculous. Just every interaction they had as sort of awkward, but sort of perfect at the same time. Train Man really is gorgeous but also a bit dorky, and Ness isn't the most graceful of women, so the pair just works.
All the dialogue generally in the book was just en-point and engaging.
However they are both adamant they aren't looking for love, but they really do bond when Ness goes up to Pearlholme to return train man's phone. Previously there had just been eye contact and smiles on crowded commuter tube trains - which pretty much never happens in real life.
It turns out that Train Man is a carousel restorer and we learn a lot about Carousels, and more specifically this rather special one. It has the most beautiful story behind it, which is slowly discovered.
Pearlholme itself is a gorgeous little Northern coastal village, so picturesque, and when you meet Charles and Camilla there are even more laughs to be had.
This book is just so funny and entertaining.
My only niggle with the book is that the characters seemed to love the film Carousel so much, whereas to my own personal taste it is the only musical I've ever seen that I've not enjoyed one bit, even despite the iconic You'll Never Walk Alone coming from it. There are just too many mentions of a film that sends me to sleep, and the stage show which I saw first was one of the most underwhelming productions of anything I've watched in the West End.
Apart from that I can't fault this book, I just loved every moment of it. Jaimie Admans is fast becoming one of my go to authors, and her books seem to be getting even better and better with each release.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.