I just loved this book from start to finish as I just couldn’t put this book down. It’s just so heartwarming and has wonderful characters in it. I just wish that Puffin island was real as I would love to go there as it sounds amazing and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I would highly recommend reading this book as it’s just amazing and so heartwarming.

I would like to thank One More Chapter and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Verity has only heard stories from her grandmother about Puffin Island, she decides to take a trip there, it is better than she imagined. loved the story.

"To her amazement, the postbox contained mail! There were various local business leaflets, from handymen to painters, an outstanding week’s milk bill written in shillings and pence, and, right behind the rest of what she would call junk mail. a postcard. Holding it in her hand, she took in the colourful picture on the front, which featured two puffins sitting on a rock, looking out over the sea."

One of the last jobs Verity does to prepare her grandmother’s cottage for the renters she’s arranged is to prise off the unsightly mailbox stuck on the front and get it open to see what’s inside. She’s about to go off on a trip with a friend in her trusty van, which she’s converted into living quarters, complete with a pet shower borrowed from her vet assistant job she hopes can act as a human one, after her boyfriend has cheated and then moved in over the road with his new girlfriend.

But Verity’s emotions, and then her path, are diverted by finding this card and realising that the stories her grandmother told her about a magical “Puffin Island” and its inhabitants were all true stories – and there’s a mystery to solve in the form of said postcard, signed “W”. Of course there’s then a hunky islander to flirt with, but there’s also friendship extended from two other young women and a curmudgeonly old naturalist, puffin counting to do and a risky trip over a causeway.

Will Verity learn to stop poking her nose in? Might she be able to stay on the island? Why do two residents really not get on? We’ll find all this out in this lovely, gentle and atmospheric read – and I can’t wait to read more about this community in future books.

Blog review published 27 Sept: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/09/27/book-review-christie-barlow-a-postcard-from-puffin-island/

I was so excited to start the new series from the awesome Christie Barlow and A Postcard from Puffin Island did not disappoint, my reader senses are tingling with anticipation of what’s to come in this series for the residents, however for now let’s focus on this!

Fate intervenes and leads Verity to Puffin Island which I now want to move to! The story has a little mystery as Verity tries to uncover the story behind a postcard sent to her grandmother in 1972 from Puffin Island signed from ‘W’ Step forward a cast of lovely residents, a will they won’t they love story, another mystery about the death of a previous resident and you’re hooked!

Thanks to OMC for the opportunity to get my hands on this, it is a delight!

A delightful start to a new series and what a joy this was to read. A fairly quick read but filled with funny moments and lovely characters. Can't wait for the next one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I was so excited to read the start of this new series.
In true Christie Barlow style she hooked me in instantly and I've fallen in love with Puffin Island already.
I already can't wait for the next one!
Many thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the early copy, my honest opinion is 'I loved it!'

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this first book in a new series by Christie Barlow.

Verity has only heard of Puffin Island in stories she was told by her grandmother. When she realises that it’s actually real, she decides to visit it and she never imagined it would be better than she ever imagined.

Verity, is a warm, loving person and an animal lover.

I loved her and her grandmothers story, which I guessed bits of, and loved the characters in Puffin Island.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book to see what comes next for Verity and the new friends she’s made.

I highly recommend this book and new series which I’m sure will be as good as Christie’s previous series.

Falling in love with a place (handsome local doesn't hurt!)🌅🚐

4-4.5🌟stars
This first book in a new series by Christie Barlow definitely focuses most on female lead Verity and her journey to personal fulfillment. She's left her hometown behind after romantic disappointment, anticipating a six-month camping van adventure with her best friend on the Continent, and, after a series of fateful mishaps, finds a community that quickly adopts her on a picturesque island in the northeast of England.

For me, the hook to the book was the mysterious postcard to her gran that drew Verity to Puffin Island. I always appreciate a family mystery to solve. The romance with local heartthrob restaurateur/singer Sam was quick off the mark, fine if a bit predictable. Just as interesting were the residents she forms connections with, particularly thorny Pete who lives in lonely isolation on a cliff top surrounded by the island's puffin community and has an ongoing feud with Sam. I knew from Pete's first appearance that he would have a moving backstory and an important role in solving the postcard mystery (and he did). He was actually probably my favorite character.

This is a good set-the-scene first volume in the new series. I grew to love the residents and their mingling lives in Barlow's Love Heart Lane series and look forward to continuing with this Puffin Island series. It's pretty upbeat, the romance is not too steamy and the writing is easy to follow and keeps focused on moving the plot forward. And I give props to the author for including a diagram of the key spots on the island, to give me a better sense of the geographical set-up.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Thank you net gallery for an advance copy of this book.

I have been excited to start this book, And I haven’t been disappointed.

The story of Verity and her trying to pieces together a long history from a post card.

This story had me gripped from the start the man in the land rover her arriving on puffin island and trying to unravel the story.

This a story had so many twists and turns so a lot of family history. Untold selects.

In am really looking forward to more visits to the beautiful puffin island.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on the latest book by the brilliant Christie Barlow. After becoming a late fan to her Love Heart Lane series, I kept seeing this series popping up on her Facebook page so I had to get a copy as soon as I could.

Puffin Island is a magical place that is full of puffins, but for Verity it is a place she's only heard about in stories. Not to ruin the whole book but finding out that Puffin Island is real sends her on a journey that is beyond her wildest dreams. She's kind, caring, loving and an animal lover to boot. I couldn't help but fall in love with Verity and her grandma's story (how she is included in this, well, your going have to buy book one of this fabulous series).

I can't wait for book two and see the latest adventure that awaits me on Puffin Island. I have a feeling this series is going just as big as Love Heart Lane because how could you not fall in love with this island?

What a wonderful place to live? Puffin Island has a community we all wish to be a part of. The drama from the postcard was very well done and I loved the idea of the campervan! Can't wait for the next visit.

Oh my goodness I was still in mourning over the Loveheart Lane series, but wow! Within the first page I was totally hooked on A postcard from puffin island, I adore travelling in a camper van, islands and puffins so was enthralled instantly and felt a real connection to Verity and her little van!
A truly inspired book that takes you on the most enchanting journey as we follow Verity leaving home and her ex to go travelling to Amsterdam with her friend, the plan doesn’t go quite as expected and after a split second decision Verity’s altered plan takes her to the most wonderfully close knit community of puffin island a location that holds a special place in her heart and that of her grandmother!
The ensuing story is full of acceptance, a sense of belonging, new starts, secrets revealed and a frisson of romance coupled with the most idyllic location and lots of adorable puffins!
The most wholesome heartwarming enchanting read would highly recommend,so excited to follow verity’s journey
Thank you NetGalley for this early read!

I loved this story! A new community to visit and get to know the new inhabitants of is exactly what I needed and this delivered it in spades! Will definitely be back for part 2 next year.

Over the past couple of years or so I have been avidly reading The Love Heart Lane series by this author. This had recently ended but I was aware of a new series and here is the first book in that series. A Postcard from Puffin Island has all the feels of a close-knit community and it was a wonderful way to meet the islanders of this island that has more Puffins than people.

Verity was supposed to be on the ferry to Amsterdam to spend six months travelling with her friend. Before she leaves home she gets the house ready for the tenants that will be renting it from her. One of the requirements is that the old postbox is removed. It has been there for years and is sealed, when she decides to have a quick look inside she discovers a postcard. It is to her grandmother from someone on Puffin Island. In all the years that Verrity listened to the stories of Puffin Island that her grandmother told her, she never once realised that it was a real place.

Serendipity plays a role in this story in many ways and the author has made the most of the mystery of the postcard. Making a spontaneous decision, very un-Verity-like, she decides to stop at Puffin Island en route to Amsterdam. Like Loveheart Lane, Puffin Island has its draw, drama and magnetism.

This is such a fabulous story and I devoured it. I started this early evening knowing I would not be putting it down until I had finished. The story revolves and evolves around Verity arriving on the island and immediately feeling a sense of belonging, this is down to the stories from her grandmother who told Verity all the wonderful details of the houses, the lanes, the shops and the people she met... well almost all of the people she met. There is a mystery to be solved as the sender of the postcard never revealed his name, but does mention a secret!

Oh my goodness the way the author just brings all the elements of this story together is just wonderful. There is romance, humour, old secrets, old memories and forgotten or unknown facts. There is also a good amount of tension and it all just blends together perfectly.

If you are already a fan of this author then you are going to absolutely adore your first trip to Puffin Island as much as I did. In case you had not realised... I would definitely recommend this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Verity and her visit to Puffin Island in her camper van. It was a real page turner wondering whether she would solve the mystery of her grandmothers visit to the island in her younger days. This was a great read.

A cute little romance book that has you longing for the Northumberland coast. It was nice to meet a new cast of characters that we will hopefully return to and find out how their lives change. An easy read that offers a piece of escapism.

A Postcard from Puffin Island is the first book in a brand new series from Christie Barlow. I adored her Love Heart Lane books, so I intended to save this book for my holiday. But I thought I would take a quick peek, which was a big mistake! An hour later, I was totally immersed in Verity Callaway and the lives of the Puffin Island residents.

Christie writes in such a magical way, she doesn’t just create characters; she breathes life into them! I immediately warmed to Verity. She’s down to earth, funny and likeable. I loved Puffin Pete, and Verity’s relationship with “no commitment” Sam. There are so many characters that I’m eager to learn more about. As I reached the last chapter, I felt bereft at saying “goodbye” to newfound friends.

The beautiful descriptions of Puffin Island immediately made me want to pack my case and head there. The sense of place brings the story vividly to life. Like all of Christie Barlow’s books, she covers themes on more challenging issues, such as grief and lost love, while still maintaining warmth and humour.

The thing I love about Christi Barlow’s writing is how she can make me laugh and cry all in one chapter! A Postcard from Puffin Island is a heart-warming, beautifully told story that made it nigh on impossible not to fall in love with Puffin Island and its residents. Roll on the next book in the series. Highly recommended.

This was a fantastic introduction to Puffin Island featuring the very buoyant Verity who by a twist of fate discovers that the Puffin Island which featured so predominantly in her grandmothers bedtime stories is actually a real place and when the opportunity arises to visit it she grabs the chance to see how it compares. The characters are all so lovely and the island is a wonderful location for residents and visitors alike. There’s some brilliant history between some of the islanders which adds to the story as well as a current debate which is causing a rift between the villagers. The story is simple but engaging and a fantastic start to a new series, there’s already a number of characters I’d like to know more about and overall this just oozes joy and positivity and provides great escapism.

I guess like other readers we were all heartbroken that the Love Heart Lane series had come to an end.

Fear not people Christie has blown me away with this new setting on Puffin island, a great cast of characters and beautiful scenery.

This will be a popular series and I cannot wait to read more.

Well, this was a lovely treat. If there are two things that I know can make this grumpy old book blogger smile, they would be Christie Barlow books and Puffins. Having both in one book … Well who could ask for more. Honestly, if you have read and loved the Love Heart Lane series then this will be right up your street, with characters who you can take to your heart right from the off, a wonderful and heartbreaking little mystery, and a most idyllic setting that set me in mind of summers past. I raced through it and know that this series is going straight onto my must buy list.

In A Postcard From Puffin Island we meet Verity, a young woman who is just about to set off on a road trip with her best friend Ava. She's left her job, rented out her home and is gladly turning her back on her ex fiancé, who rather unfortunately lives directly opposite her home with the woman he cheated on her with. In Verity's shoes, I'd be happy for an extended break away too. A chance discovery of a postcard sent from an island Verity had thought was only make believe, lead her to make a slight detour from her planned trip. Soon she is experiencing the beauty of Puffin Island for herself. Everything is just as her grandmother had described, and so the only question in Verity's mind is who sent the postcard and just what did its message mean ...?

I really have to applaud Christie Barlow. We all know I am more of a fighter than a lover (fictionally only, of course) and I'm more likely to be found with my head buried in a crime novel or thriller than I am romance, but, without fail, in just a few short chapters she always manages to have me completely engaged in her stories and totally invested in the fate of the characters. This was absolutely the case with Verity, and once the mystery of the postcard had been uncovered, I was totally and utterly on board for this road trip no matter where it led us. Yes, it helps that I do love puffins, so anything that is going to take me in there direction, even if only in writing, can't be a bad thing, but Verity is a wonderful character. Instantly likeable, very down to earth and with a kind of cautious independance I can totally understand. Having come out of a long term relationship, and trying to bounce back from the hurt she felt, it's no wonder she wants a new start, and watching her completely throw caution to the wind and follow her heart made me smile, drawing me deeper into her fate if that was even possible.

Now this is no kind of romantic adventure if there is no love interest, and the would be future suitor is brought into our minds very early on. A chance encounter at a roadside cafe, and a mishap with a sausage butty make for a very unforgettable meet cute moment between Verity and Sam, but as you might expect, things will not go exactly to plan. Sam seems the perfect guy, almost too perfect perhaps, but certainly the type to get readers hearts all a flutter, as he does those of local residents too it seems. And there is a sad side to Sam's story, one that is strangely linked to the very reason Verity has been drawn to the island in the first place. The path of true love does not run smoothly, just like the van Verity is travelling in after a almost tragic encounter on the island causeway. But I trust Christie Barlow to do right by her characters and her readers and she does not disappoint. It's the kind of partnership you are rooting for, laden with romantic moments to make the heart melt, as well as the kind of arguments that can only come from people who really care. I loved this pairing and I know other readers will too.

Now this is a book set in an island community, and we can rely on this author to deliver one heck of a welcome to any of us, readers or fictional visitors. We only meet a fraction of the people who live on Puffin Island, but I can see just how wonderful this series is set to become, with all the kinds of destinations and characters who have many, many stories to tell. From bookseller come wannabe author, Amelia, to tearoom owner Clemmie, who quickly adopt Verity as a new best friend, to former Vet 'Puffin' Pete and garage owner, Nathan, there are such a mix of personalities and backgrounds, but all with one thing in common - a total love of Puffin Island. I can understand that as the North East coast is one of my favourite destinations in the UK and I leave a little bit of my heart there everytime I visit. Christie Barlow really brings this out in her writing, putting you at the heart of the community and portraying the setting in such a way it made me nostalgic for my recent holiday and had me digging out my puffin snaps. The setting for these books make be fictional, but if this doesn't make you want to visit the real life Seahouses and take a ride over the causeway to Holy Island, or hop on a boat trip around the Farnes, I don't know what will.

This is a book so full of heartwarming romantic moments, pockets of humour that will have you chuckling away, and poignant and heartbreaking memories that will bring a tear to your eye, that if you have ever enjoyed one of the author's earlier books you will absolutely love this. It was such a lovely way to while away a Saturday afternoon, and I can't wait to see what more adventures we will go on with the Puffin Islanders in the hopefully not too distant future. Definitely recommended, but , if you'll excuse me, I'm off to stare at my old holiday pictures. Really miss those views and those puffins!