Ollie moves to Cornwall from London for a complete life-change - new job, new area, no friends, only her dog for company. will she settle and be accepted? Hard to put down, an ideal winter's read .

I love Cornwall, and there's something about Christmas in Cornwall that is extra special. This is a warm and festive read about Ollie, a Londoner who moves to Port Karadow to push the reset button on her life. She has a fancy new job in bookshop called A New Chapter and she's determined to jump in and make the shop great, despite some hiccups along the way. Her love of books shines through and is really captivated when she discovers a book of local legends along with a series of mysteries that everyone seems to love, but no one knows quite for sure who the author is. Wonderful characters amidst the glittering backdrop of Christmas; a lovely festive read!

The perfect festive romantic novel to get into, nice and eay read, and helps to get you in the festive spirit. Really enjoyed.

A perfect festive read to curl up with and smile your way through.

Ollie Spencer is moving from London to Port Karadow in Cornwall. She is starting a new life and a new job in A New Chapter, what could be more perfect? But her enthusiasm and ideas for the bookshop, alienate some people. And her bid to stay away from romance is being tested by the gorgeous owner of local coffee shop Sea Brew. Max is equally as smitten.

As Ollie finds her way in her new home, she learns some lessons along the way, and realises that human connection is the most important of things.

Romantic, festive and a wonderful escape.

When Ollie moves to Port Karadow to work in a bookshop she meets so many people living in the town - some friendly, some not.
But she meets Max who she develops feelings for and who she starts to find out about the local legends with.
The story was ok, but I found it disappointing as I had picked it as I thought it followed the story of the Cream Tea bus as it was in the title. Nor does it have anything remotely cream tea related! I was disappointed that it was not part of the story in any real way.

Novel number... seven, me thinks, in the Cornish Cream Tea series, though it can be easily read as a stand - alone.
My problem with the book was that I had a feeling that the plot is simply not moving forward. There are tons of descriptions, every kind of descriptions, everything is explained in a very detailed way, and even though there are things happening, the story simply doesn't move forward. Which ends in yours truly skipping passages, without a feeling that I'm missing on something, that I'm ommitting huge and important parts of the plot. No.
The main character, Ollie, well, I must say she's tasting. She's lovely, don't get me wrong, but sometimes there was too much of her, she was like a wind - up toy, never tired, and there were times that I was wary of her, so could understand how Thea and Becky were feeling.

But it doesn't mean that the book is not good. It's lovely, heart - warming, with a great sense of community, but it doesn't stand out. Nevertheless, the setting was great, the bookshop in the background couldn't be a better place to be. It was cosy and enjoyable.

A lovely Christmas read about a woman starting a new life in a gorgeous Cornish village. It's the lead up to Christmas and she has all sorts of big ideas for her new job in the bookshop. But not everyone is happy with these ideas. Along the way we have the mystery of the local legends and a hunky cafe owner that makes her knees weak. All the right ingredients for a winter read.

A lovely warmhearted read. A good Christmas story with plenty of interesting characters and lots of festive cheer.,perfect to curl up with a nice cuppa

Olly is working at The New Chapter bookshop and has many enthusiastic ideas to promote booksales .Things don't run that smoothly and certain events have hair raising episodes. You can just feel her desire for everything to be a success and for everyone to love what she's doing I would love to live near a bookshop like this and in the wonderful village, with the great hotel and the cream tea bus. I just love everything about the series and each book comes with its own delights. I can't wait to read more.

I really loved reading this book. It has a great feel good factor, lovely characters and a wonderful setting. I have read and enjoyed a few books by the author and this one certainly did not disappoint.

Straight away I’ll admit that the first few books in Cressida McLaughlin’s Cornish Cream Tea series I adored and then I found I didn’t enjoy the books midway through the series as much. But with these last two books, books six and seven, I feel the series has returned to its earlier form and I can’t get enough of it. I was gutted to finish The Cornish Cream Tea Holiday back in the summer as it was a book that had me hooked from the first word and to reach the end was just heart-breaking. I wish it could have gone on and on forever as it just had the most magical setting and a brilliant main character in Thea but nearing the end I sensed that that wouldn’t be the last we would hear from Thea and her plans for a new bookshop in Port Kadow and thankfully I wasn’t wrong.

After only several short months of a wait, along has come The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop and as soon as it landed on my Kindle I just had to read it. I didn’t care that it was October and Halloween mode was in full swing. No give me everything Christmas and even better if it is centred around a bookshop. Cressida delivered on every level with this book and at the time of writing this review in November I have since read several Christmas books but this has to be my favourite. The magic and essence of the most favourite time of year was here in abundance and combined with a new character Ollie and some heart-warming and at times nerve wracking storylines this made for the perfect Christmas read that everyone should have firmly on their Christmas TBR this year.

Ollie Spencer hasn’t been able to work for several months at her dream job in Grady’s books in London due to an accident but thanks to a significant pay out from said accident, and the fact her boss hasn’t been best pleased that she has not been at work, Ollie has taken the bull by the horns and decided to move to Cornwall. Her best friend Melissa’s granddad lives in the village of Port Kadow and he has asked will she type up his life story for him. Ollie views this opportunity as a much needed fresh start and she is looking forward to a slower pace of life and to enjoy the seaside vibe. Port Kadow will be familiar to long time readers of this series but new readers will immediately feel right at home.

Cressida does such a fantastic job of describing the setting and through rich vivid imagery you can easily establish a clear picture in your head. With its curved harbour, cobbled streets and lush green countryside it’s a complete change for Ollie but it’s providing her with a chance to hit the reset button on her life especially after a recent messy breakup with her boyfriend Guy. She wants a peaceful, more fulfilling life but at the same time her love of books and her rock solid work ethic is still there burning strong. So when she sees that Thea has opened a new bookshop located in the old post office which overlooks the village and staff are wanted of course she jumps at the chance and gets the job.

Ollie is a whirlwind of energy and never seems to stop. She is always bursting with ideas and enthusiasm and she can never sit back and relax and just ease herself into her new job. It’s like she is always trying to prove herself and continually goes the extra miles to achieve her goals. She wants to impress Thea and put A New Chapter on the map as the bookshop to go to. I felt Thea did want Ollie working for her but she was apprehensive that Ollie was trying to do much to soon and was perhaps too aspirational in what she was trying to achieve. When we last left Thea she has just purchased the shop and nothing had been done to it but now the renovations are complete and from the descriptions it really did sound like a slice of bookshop heaven. I just wondered, due to the boisterous and over exuberant nature of Ollie, would her plans for events and promoting the shop just be too much? Would things spill over into disaster rather than success?

Being away from London gives Ollie time to think about in which direction she wishes her life to go in but her reckless side often over rules the more sensible side and really she needed to find that balance without offending people or worst of all losing the job she really was perfect for. Even Becky who works at the bookshop is not reluctant to show Ollie how she feels about her and all the plans she has but Ollie is determined to prove Becky and Thea wrong. That she can show them what potential there is with the bookshop and that doing things a little outside the norm may be good after all. Ollie gets to plan and as well as typing up Liam’s life story she is full of energy and plotting and planning lots of events and promotions and you can’t but admire her spirit and wish that you had as much drive as she did.

Ollie wants to feel less alone and to build a life in the town and above all else to make a difference at the bookshop and with her can do attitude and her bucketful of ideas in the run up to Christmas she is determined to prove her harshest critics wrong. It sounds awful to say but I almost was turned against Ollie at some points because of the attitudes of others especially Becky and I shouldn’t have felt that way and the further I read the more I felt ashamed for feeling like this. It sounds ridiculous to say that about a fictional character but it just shows how deeply invested I had become in Ollie’s story but also I was still so caught up in Thea’s dream of having a successful bookshop that I didn’t want Ollie to up scuttle things with over the top suggestions that could potentially go very wrong. But the more Ollie starts to instigate changes in the bookshop and come up with promotional ideas such as the cookery demonstration, the Christmas workshops and an event with a big author the more I really started to root for her. She shows she has a creative side, is productive and generous and is someone who never shies away from a challenge.

I have to say I loved the strand of the story that revolved around a set of books that Ollie came across by an author who wrote about the local area in a series of mystery books. It was like Ollie became a super sleuth and wanted to know more about this person when there was scant information about them and working the legends of the area into the story was just brilliant and had me glued to the pages dying to know more. I had a sneaking suspicion as to who it could be and I was proven right but the way this all came about was just so magical and apt and it brings a smile to your face. I can’t fail to mention Max, owner of the local cafe. He was such a support and so reassuring to Ollie and the reader can see that their friendship grows very strong and you become desperate for it to develop into something more. The adventures they go on and the help he gives Ollie were a joy to read about and I loved how this strand of the story was just so beautifully and naturally developed with a constant will they won’t they feeling throughout.

The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop was a fabulous festive read packed full of unforgettable characters, Christmas magic and sparkle and will certainly get you in the mood for the most exciting and wonderful time of year. You can tell just how much Cressida is enjoying writing this series and her love for the characters and the setting just spills off every page. I devoured this book in short order and know many readers will too. It’s the perfect book to read at this time of year so make sure you sit back and relax with a glass of something nice or even some Christmas chocolate and savour every moment of this wonderful story as you journey with a determined Ollie as she navigates a rocky path to both professional and personal happiness and fulfilment. Thankfully, this isn’t the last in the series as From Cornwall With Love will be published in June 2023. Not that I am wishing my life away or anything but I’m already looking forward to what in store for us with this new book.

What a sweet book! It was so easy to read, and follow along with the joys of the small town in Cornwall. I really enjoyed watching the love bloom between Max and Ollie.

A perfect book for the cold winter months.

As expected I loved every page of this book and being back in Cornwall with Cressida. I loved the new characters and the romance being them. I loved seeing old faces from previous books too. A gorgeous Christmassy read

I did think this book was going to be very predictable and while it was to a degree, there was actually some decent storylines in it to actually keep you captivated and wanting to read on to find out what happens next. Nice characters too that you easily liked and nothing complicated either. A perfect book for chilling with during the cold winter!

What a fabulously festive read! I'd already heard of The Cornish Cream Tea book series and had meant to get around to starting it when I saw this gem advertised. Although it's part of a series it can be read as a standalone although I'm sure it's better to have read the others, which I fully intend to do now as I adored this lovely Christmas story.

Ollie is a kindhearted character that's had a tough time of late; dealing with an injury, a break up, career change and a huge move from London to Cornwall. I could connect with her on some of those points as I'm also moving to Cornwall from London soon. Ollie is concerned that she won't be accepted by the locals of Port Karadow but she needn't have worried; everybody is friendly and welcoming, particularly the handsome coffee shop owner.

This book had all the hallmarks of a romantic festive read with a little mystery thrown in too, making for an unputdownable and heartwarming Christmas story.

Cressida McLaughlin is a new author to me, and one I'm glad to have discovered.

A fantastic addition to the Cornish Cream Tea Series. This was a most enjoyable and cost read and ideal for this season.

Thanks to NetGalley and Publishers for the eARC of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop.

I really enjoyed this novel so much. It had a cosy hallmark rom com feel to it.
The characters were all well defined and felt like real people, created with a down to earth zest about them. The relationships between the characters were nice and wholesome giving this novel the perfect combination for a cozy romance.
The descriptions in this book were so lavish that it honestly felt like I was transported down to the Cornish coast.
The storyline itself plodded along at a steady and appealing pace.

I really enjoyed The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop.

As an avid Cressida fan, I will always read her books. I thoroughly loved this story (and the series) and they always make me want to visit Cornwall. The story line is warm and cosy for this time of year and will always put me in a good mood. My only criticism would be not having the original characters from the first few books in the story line as much as I would personally like however understand the series needs to revolve.
A great warm and romantic read, perfect for anyone who loves a romance Christmas novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Harper Collins UK for letting me see an advance reader's copy of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop.

This is Book 7 in the Cornish Cream Tea series, and Book 13 from the author. However, it's the first time I've read anything by McLaughlin. This didn't detract from the standalone-ability of this story, and the little insights into characters and places I assume appear in earlier books in this series tweaked my interest enough for me to add them to my wishlist.

As soon as I saw Cornwall, Christmas and books I thought this was the book for me, and I really loved both the location and the community, and it's a lovely easy read telling the tale of Ollie and her move to Cornwall.

I did think that everything came a bit too easily to Ollie, I thought the reason behind Becky's animosity was a bit weak, and I knew who the mystery author was almost the moment s/he was first mentioned. But I didn't mind Ollie's gung-ho city attitude and sometimes wished she'd stand up for herself a bit more.

The location was wonderful and brought the little town to life for me. But if it hadn't been such an easy, relaxed read, I might have been confused by the number of characters whose names began with the same letter.

We had (and I made a note): Becky, Ben, Bryan, Beryan, Billy, Belrose, Byrne and Becker.

And if you think 8 is bad, we also had: Melissa, Maisie, Meredith, Max, Marion, Martin, Mailer, Meg, Megan, Marcus, March, Molly, Merrick and Magee.

That's 14 different characters with names all beginning with M. FOURTEEN. (I initially thought it was 13, which was bad enough.) Meg and Megan were two different people, unrelated, but to add to these we also had Michael Bublé referenced twice. So he gets an M *and* a B!

This is something that annoys me more and more with lots of authors and it detracts from the enjoyment of the story as I have to keep checking back who's who. For goodness sake, how hard is it to create a character A to Z list just to keep track of everyone?

Rant aside, it *is* a nice story, it *is* well written, it *does* conjure up images of Cornwall, and I *will* read others in the same series. Plus, the author has put a lot of work in to produce her 13th book.

That's why this book gets 4 stars and not 3.

I’m ashamed to say that this is the first in this series I’ve read despite having a few on my kindle.
The story follows Ollie who is relocating to a new life in Cornwall.
When she starts work in a new local bookshop A New Chapter she wonders if she has done the right thing.
Then she meets Max who runs the coffee shop and things start to go her way.
A beautiful book full of 2 of my favourite things. Books and Christmas.
I can see myself in the beautiful bookshop from the wonderful descriptions, full of Christmas magic and festive cheer it won’t be the last I’ll read in this series.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this festive book.