A Cornish Summer: The feel-good holiday read about family, love and secrets

Flora is a single mother, divorced for 17 years but still madly in love with her ex-husband, even though he has been happily married to his second wife for 15 years. Persuaded against her better judgment to paint a portrait of her former father-in-law she returns to her ex-husband's family home in Cornwall for the Summer. Soon it seems as though everyone else has also come to Cornwall, Flora's son Peter, Flora's best friend and fellow artist Celia, Flora's ex-husband Hugo, his wife Christina and their two children, Hugo's best friend, the American ladies man Tommy Rochester, with his 'friend' Janey, Hugo's parents Roger and Belinda, Roger's mistress Babs and his sister Iris. Forced into close proximity with Hugo and his family for the first time in decades Flora is finally forced to confront her own feelings and reconcile her teenage feelings for the young boy she fell in love with, and her adult emotions now. But Flora's feelings aren't the only things drawing to a head as the summer continues and more family secrets may be forced into the open. I enjoyed this but I would take issue with the blurb that describes this as a hilarious romantic comedy, I wouldn't even say it was funny per se. That's not to say this was all angst, angst, angst, Roger in particular was a fun character with his booze and his boats and his trysts with Babs, but as tensions between townies and the locals, the big house and the village, the Brits and the Yanks come bubbling to the surface Flora starts to realise that she has been wrong about a lot of things. If a novel about spending the summer in a big Cornish mansion with a gaggle of weird and wacky family members, horse-riding, sailing, walking the cliffs, painting and finding romance is your idea of heaven then this is your perfect holiday reading. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

tried hard to get into this book but it's terribly boring and lacks substance even for a light holiday read. just couldn't carry on.

A glorious read! An enthralling story which really got under my skin - it's so good! Flora is heading back to her home county of Cornwall for the summer weeks; thrilled to be back on the coast, the only thorn in the ointment is her former mother-in-law. However, upon arrival she discovers her ex-husband, new wife and their children are also in residence. He may have divorced Flora, but she has never fallen out of love with him. It's going to be a very trying few weeks . . . This is very much Flora's story. Although now in her thirties, this is definitely the summer she comes of age - in more ways than one, and the-times-they are-a-changing. I loved everything about this; the wonderful story, the stupendous Cornish setting, the quirks and foibles of all the characters - and make no mistake, there are some really funny revelations!  Catherine Alliott has a real eye for creating a marvellously entertaining and readable book. The writing flows beautifully, and the story unfolds slowly to a very satisfying conclusion. This is the kind of book which tempts you in then swallows you whole!  I'm becoming more and more fond of Cornwall - and I've never been there - yet! Simply superb, and a novel which fully earns a full house of stars.. My thanks to publisher Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin, for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.