Blog Tour Review: A Cornish Secret by Emma Burstall

A Cornish Secret by Emma Burstall

Published: 1st June 2018

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 331

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

Be careful what you kiss for...

Esme Posorsky is an enigma. For as long as people can remember, she has been part of community life in the quaint Cornish fishing village of Tremarnock, but does anyone really know her? She is usually to be found working in her pottery studio or at home with her beloved cat, Rasputin. But when an old school friend turns up with a secret from the past, nothing will ever be the same again.

Meanwhile teenager, Rosie, is excited to find a bottle washed up on Tremarnock beach with a message from a former German prisoner of war. While the rest of the village is up in arms about a new housing development, she sets out to find him. Little does she know, however, that her discovery will unleash a shocking chain of events that threatens to blow her family apart. Tremarnock may look like a cosy backwater, but some of its residents are about to come face-to-face with tough decisions and cold reality…

Review

A Cornish Secret is Emma Burstall’s forth book based in the tranquil Cornish village of Tremarnock. I’ve loved all the covers of her books but this one has to be my favourite, how cosy does that cat look at in that window with that gorgeous view, I’m very jealous.

In A Cornish Secret, three storylines are interwoven into the book and at first, I wasn’t sure how everything was going to come together to form a cohesive plot, but it does at the end making for a very enjoyable read.

One of the background characters from previous books Esme becomes the focus in this book. After more than twenty years she’s being reunited with her old school friend Caroline as the two embark on a walking holiday along the Cornish coast. Esme kept her true feelings for her friend under wraps for most of her life but when the two meet is obvious her feelings are mutual, can Esme finally find some happiness being herself? I loved having Esme as one of the main characters, she’s been mentioned in previous books but always seemed a solitary character and a bit flakey, this book explains her history and gives her glimpse at happiness. My only gripe was the storyline between her and Caroline came to an abrupt end with no real solution. I hope this means there is another book coming as I’d love to know if these two manage to work things out.

Alongside this storyline the majority of the Tremarnock villagers are forming a protest group to try and save their local playground from developers. This created some great scenes in the book as residents form a makeshift campsite on the playing field which really highlight the community spirit which has flown throughout all of Emma Burstall’s Tremarnock books. I loved the description of Loveday and Jesse’s treehouse and Audrey’s extravagant marquee and all the camaraderie with the singing round the campfire on a night.

As most of the villagers unite Liz, a main character from previous books notices her husband Robert is becoming more and more distant from herself and from overall village life, burying himself in his work. When her daughter Rosie finds a message in a bottle down on the beach Liz throws herself into helping trace the writer and this only leads to more trouble.

I loved been back in Tremarnock as it feels like I’m getting to know these characters well now after four books with them. My favourite is still Liz and I’m glad this book highlighted that even though you’re married you still need to work at your relationship to keep it sparkling. Emma Burstall’s did a great job of weaving two of the three storylines together but I wish Esme’s was more complete, perhaps in a future book? I’d also love her to write something about Audrey as feel there’s more we need to know about this character.

Overall I found A Cornish Secret a joy to read, it’s the perfect summer read and it will make you long to be in Cornwall just like I do now. Emma Burstall has shown yet again she can create an entertaining story within the beautiful village of Tremarnock with characters that soon feel like friends whether you’ve read the previous books or not.

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to review and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

About the Author

Emma Burstall was a newspaper journalist in Devon and Cornwall before becoming a full time author. Tremarnock, the first novel in her series set in a delightful Cornish village, was published in 2015 and became a top-10 bestseller.

Follow Emma

Twitter: @EmmaBurstall

Facebook: @emmaburstallauthor

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Google Play: http://bit.ly/2JxvYSX

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Blog Tour Review: Tremarnock Summer by Emma Burstall

Tremarnock Summer by Emma Burstall

Published: 30th May 2017

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 384

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

Bramble Challoner has had a very normal upbringing. She lives in a semi in the suburbs of London with her parents and works at the call centre down the road. She still goes out with the boy she met at school. At weekends they stay in and watch films on the telly and sometimes hold hands. Bramble is dying for an adventure.
So when her very grand grandfather, Lord Penrose, dies, leaving his huge, rambling house in Cornwall to her, Bramble packs her bags immediately, dragging along her best friend Katie. The sleepy village of Tremarnock had better be ready for its newest residents...

Review

Tremarnock Summer is the third Tremarnock book by Emma Burstall, it’s a book which could be read as a standalone but feel it would be best read as part of the series like I have done. I started to read it before reading the other two books but felt a bit overwhelmed by what seemed to be three stories in one, so went back and read the other two books first.

The main storyline surrounds Bramble Challoner who lives in Chessington and has lead a very normal life right up until the day she receives a letter from some solicitors telling her she is the sole beneficiary of her grandfather Lord Penrose’s estate, a vast manor house in rural Cornwall. Fed up with her old life Bramble and best friend Katie head to Cornwall to start a new life where rural life and romance come as a bit of a shock for both girls.

The second storyline involves Liz who we know from the previous two books and her struggles with daughter Rosie as she begins to grow up and also Liz has a couple of shocks in this book which leave her very depressed.

Alongside Liz’s storyline is the story of Shannon and her brothers, I felt adding this subplot was a little too much as there were so many characters to keep track of it was hard to know was associated with who. Plus I don’t think these characters really added much to the overall flow of the story.

Bramble was a lovely who character who seemed to long for adventure and this led her into a couple of romantic disasters as she settles into her new life in Cornwall. If I’m honest I wished she ended up with someone else as I enjoyed the chemistry between them. I also loved the way she became a detective working her way around the house trying to work out what kind of man her grandfather was.

As with previous books in this series the thing that I really enjoyed about this book is the way the village all came together after a tragedy to help and look after one another, this community spirit was really heart-warming to read about.

Although this book has a couple of emotional moments it’s a very light read and the perfect holiday read. My favourite moments in this book mostly surrounded Katie who maybe a little immature for her age I still found her endearing as she was always looking for fun.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the previous two Tremarnock books which I have read and am looking forward to what happens next in Tremarnock.

Thank you to the publishers Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to review and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

The Tremarnock Guest House by Emma Burstall

The Cornish Guest House by Emma Burstall

Published: October 2016

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 384

Available in Paperback, Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

A new couple have arrived in Tremarnock, but will these glamorous strangers fit into village life?
Tremarnock is a small fishing village, crowded with holidaymakers in the summer, but a sleepy Cornish backwater at other times of the year.
Here Liz has found refuge with her young daughter, Rosie, after her relationship with Rosie's father came unstuck. Now happily married, all seems set for a quiet autumn and merry Christmas. But strangers have bought the local guest house and seem to have big plans. Why is he so charming and confident, but she so frightened? Are they who they say they are? And what are they really doing with the guest house?

Review

The Cornish Guesthouse by Emma Burstall is the second book in the Tremarnock series, in this book we meet new village residents Tabitha and Luke and learn more about one of Tremarnock’s more individual inhabitants Loveday.

Tabitha and Luke have moved from Manchester into The Stables which the plan to turn into a boutique guesthouse. Luke instantly wins the village over with his charisma and willingness to join in village life. Tabitha seems more reserved and reluctant to let her guard down. What could this mysterious beauty be hiding?

Charismatic Luke has soon won over Loveday who is swooning all over his despite just moving in with boyfriend Jesse. Luke offers Loveday a job, first as nanny to his young son Oscar but soon he’s whisking her away to help in his mysterious office in Plymouth. Has Loveday really found her dream job and is Luke as perfect as everyone thinks?

This is the second book from the Tremarnock series but I feel it could easily be read as a standalone as the main character from the previous book Liz is only a minor character in this book. If you’ve read the previous book then you will enjoy your return to Tremarnock and catching up with the lives of the villagers.

Tabitha initially comes across as a very reserved character who is definitely hiding something, which for me made her a much more interesting character than her husband Luke. I so wanted to know why Tabitha seemed so anxious all the time. As the story develops we learn of Tabitha’s background and how she came to be with Luke. Luke was not a character I warmed to and the more we learnt about Tabitha the less I felt I liked Luke. He seemed a man of two halves, with everyone else he is easy-going, captivating and has everyone completely charmed, even reserved Robert. But when he’s alone he seems controlling and even abusive towards Tabitha and I really didn’t like that.

I loved that in this book we learn more about Loveday as for me she was one of the more intriguing characters from the first book. Despite appearing all hard and standoffish she really is quite a vulnerable girl who just wants attention and when Luke gives her some it goes to her head and turns her world upside down.

In theory I liked the plotline of this book but I felt it was a little unrealistic in its delivery. Are the older generation so easily fooled out of all their money? Maybe some, but I disliked the way all old people seemed to be portrayed as weak and naïve. I also found the treatment of Jesse in the book very unjustified and unbelievable, how can a village of people who’ve known him forever suddenly make him out to be the biggest villain on practically just the assumptions of an outsider, it just didn’t seem to fit with what I knew of the community spirit among the village. I also felt Tabitha fears of her past catching up with her were a little unfounded, is she really that special that a gangster from Manchester would travel to Cornwall just to find her, I’m not so sure.

The Cornish Guest House is an enjoyable read and I enjoyed visiting Tremarnock once more, despite being a little frustrated at times with the plot. I’m looking forward to seeing where the next Tremarnock book takes us.

Tremarnock by Emma Burstall

Tremarnock by Emma Burstall

Published: 7th April 2016 (PB)

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 407

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

A beautiful Cornish village, a shocking turn of events...
Tremarnock is a classic Cornish seaside village. Houses painted in yellow, pink and white, cluster around the harbour, where fishermen still unload their daily catch. It has a pub and a sought-after little restaurant, whitewashed, with bright blue shutters.
Here, Liz has found sanctuary for herself and young daughter, Rosie – far away from Rosie's cheating father. From early in the morning with her job as a cleaner, till late at night waitressing in the restaurant, Liz works hard to provide for them both.
But trouble is waiting just around the corner. As with all villages, there are tensions, secrets – and ambitions.

Review

Tremarnock by Emma Burstall is one of those books which has been on my to read list forever, so when I was asked to review the latest book in the series I knew it was time to take a trip to Cornwall and start at the very beginning.

Tremarnock is the classic Cornish village with quaint white washed cottages and a strong sense of community spirit among the locals. Here Liz has finally found a home for herself and daughter Rosie after leaving London and Rosie’s cheating father behind them. Life is a struggle for Liz having to work two jobs at opposite ends of the day just to a make ends meet. Despite their hard lives Liz and Rosie manage to put a positive spin on things and enjoy everyday life. That is until something shocking happens and Liz is left wondering if there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.

This first thing I loved about this book is its glorious cover to me to just screams Cornwall and is so inviting, I couldn’t wait to read it. The second thing to love is Emma Burstall’s writing style, it flows so well and instantly had me feeling I was in the little village of Tremarnock.  Although there are some sad moments in this book it’s not a heavy read at all, in fact I found it thoroughly relaxing to immerse myself into Liz’s troubles.

Liz herself is a great character she so determined to give Rosie the best life possible and make sure her Cerebral Palsy doesn’t inhibit her life too much. She’s a character who always thinks the best of people and is perhaps a little too trusting, which sadly doesn’t always end well. I loved the very slow simmering chemistry between herself and Robert and was longing for them let their guard down and get together.

This is a very gently paced book which may not appeal to everyone but I found it a comforting read regardless of struggles Liz went through. The real main part of the story doesn’t really happen until the last third of the book, so some may struggle with that. But if like me you are planning to read the following Tremarnock books then this is a good scene setting and getting to know the characters book.

I enjoyed reading Tremarnock and am looking forward to reading what happens next in The Cornish Guesthouse.