All Freya has ever wanted to do is paint. So when she fails her Master’s Degree in Art, on the same day that her boyfriend decides he needs a ‘more serious’ partner, to Freya it feels like the end of the world.
Luckily, she has a saviour in the shape of best friend Lola, who invites her to the sleepy Cornish village of Polcarrow, to work in her café. With nothing keeping her in London, Freya jumps at the chance of a summer by the sea.
Freya needs time to focus on herself. But then dark and mysterious biker Angelo blows into town on a stormy afternoon, with his own artistic dreams and a secretive past, and Freya’s plans of a romance-free summer fly straight out of the window…
My thoughts: if anyone has a Cornish cottage I could run away to – please let me know. I love Cornwall (I have West Country roots and it feels so much like coming home being there) and I felt like I knew Polcarrow – it reminded me of several of the lovely villages I’ve been to – and made me weirdly homesick for the county.
I wanted to give Freya a massive hug, a Masters degree is sodding hard work (I’ve done one) and to be told you’ve failed would be heartbreaking. Then to be dumped. Ouch. No wonder she ups sticks to lovely friend Lola and the beautiful Cornish landscape. I would too.
Then there’s hunky, mysterious Italian Angelo on his motorbike, riddled with his own sorrows and need to escape. Of course these two lost souls connect. Cornwall has inspired so many artists, especially St Ives, that it’s not surprising it inspires these two to create.
I loved the villagers, and obviously a certain cheeky cake begging dog, as well as his retired fisherman owner. The slow-burning romance between Lola and the vicar was an added treat. And the gossipy WI women, never sure whether they approve or not (do they vote on what they agree on?). Basically it’s a whole heap of charm and cream teas (with locally produced clotted cream!) Lovely.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 