Book Review - A Perfect Cornish Christmas by Phillipa Ashley

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Amazon UK

Title:  A Perfect Cornish Christmas 

Author: Philippa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 31st October 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Christmas in Cornwall is just around the corner…

But after last Christmas revealed a shocking family secret, Scarlett’s hardly feeling merry and bright. All she wants this Christmas is to know who her real father is.

So Scarlett heads to the little Cornish town of Porthmellow, where she believes the truth of her birth is hidden. She just didn’t bargain on being drawn into the Christmas festival preparations – or meeting Jude Penberth, whose charm threatens to complicate life further.

Everything will come to a head at Porthmellow’s Christmas Festival … But can Scarlett have the perfect Christmas this year, or are there more surprises on the way?

Curl up with this gorgeous novel and savour the world of Porthmellow Harbour.

How lovely to be back in Porthmellow with this all new, standalone story.  I was hooked from the first chapter, and wanted to know what on earth had disrailed Scarlett's Christmas day so much that she fled from it and ended up in the pub, wearing fluffy bunny slippers. 

As the events of that first Christmas are revealed, well I could definitely understand her feelings and also had a strong hunch that this would be one tremendous book which is really was. 

Although I did spend a fair amount of the story wondering whether the title was ironic, as I just couldn't see how there would be a perfect Christmas in it, but I'm delighted to say that the author has some fabulous tricks up her sleeve! 

This is the story of Scarlett and Ellie's family, as they go from the bombshell of the previous year, into a more turbulent time.  Assorted family secrets are revealed and both ladies also have potential romances, although nothing runs smoothly. 

I enjoyed the Winter Solstice festival, I just wish that like the first book we had seen more of the planning and committee members. Although Sam, Gabe, Ben and Zennor were all present in this story, it felt more like cameo's and just seeing familiar faces around the community, rather than anything further really happening with them.  

A Perfect Cornish Christmas is a story with the greater themes of Christmas at its heart, the importance of family,  and the feeling of coming together as a community.  It was another incredibly enjoyable book in this series.  And given how early in the year I read this, I'm also delighted to say it's not overly festive,  its more a story that takes in two Christmases' and an autumn in between, as we follow the sister's stories. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - A Perfect Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley - #HolidayReading Madeira

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Title: A Perfect Cornish Summer

Author: Philippa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 25th April 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Summer is on the horizon, and the people of Porthmellow are eagerly awaiting the annual food festival. At least, most of them are…

For Sam Lovell, organising the summer festival in her hometown is one of the highlights of her year. It’s not always smooth sailing, but she loves to see Porthmellow’s harbour packed with happy visitors, and being on the committee has provided a much-needed distraction from the drama in her family life (and the distinct lack of it in her love life).

When their star guest pulls out with only a few weeks to go, everyone’s delighted when a London chef who grew up locally steps in at the last minute. But Gabe Matthias is the last person Sam was expecting to see, and his return to Porthmellow will change her quiet coastal life for ever.

Curl up with this gorgeous novel and savour the world of Porthmellow Harbour.

I really enjoyed my first visit to Porthmellow, and already wondering if it is, in mid August too soon to read the Christmas book to return there!

I loved both Chloe and Sam's stories in this, both with complicated pasts there were enjoyable to discover. 

Between them they head the committee for the Porthmellow Food festival and to say this 10th annual festival is not only the biggest but the one with the most potential problems would be an understatement. 

I loved getting to know the committee and all the main residents in this Cornish town. I loved the various quirks and seeing just how Sam was going to cope with things. 

Especially the reappearance of her ex boyfriend, which she split up with years ago, after he reported her brother to the police, - well its very hard to come back from that. 

But despite that I fell for Gabe, he clearly knows his right from wrong, and is an extremely talented chef too. 

There are a large number of pies in this book, as well as plenty of other food, to make you hungry as you read. 

I found it took some time for me to get into the stride of this book, but I think that is because every time I think of this author, one particular set of characters comes back to me from a previous series, and then I have to remember that I'm reading something fresh. 

A really enjoyable book and I am very much looking forward to the next one in the series. 

Thank you to Avon on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Book Review - Summer on the Little Cornish Isles by Phillipa Ashley - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: Summer on the Little Cornish Isles

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 9th July 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

One summer can change everything …

Poppy has always loved Cornwall – the crisp sea air, the welcoming community. So when her boyfriend Dan suggests they leave their office jobs and take over the Starfish Studio on the Isles of Scilly, Poppy doesn’t need asking twice.

But things don’t go to plan when Dan dumps her, weeks before they’re due to move. Determined not to give up, Poppy accepts the help of local photographer Jake, her landlord’s grandson. But Jake is distracted by a loss from his past.

Can they turn the crumbling gallery into a success in time for tourist season? And will a summer on the little Cornish Isles mend just the studio – or Poppy’s heart too?

I am absolutely loving The Little Cornish Isles and all the books set there. The Isle of Scilly sound so picturesque that is no surprise that Poppy falls in love with the islands and a few years after she visited as a tourist she is now trying to make a go of a business. 

She has taken over the Starfish Studio a small art gallery and is attempting to make it a success, if she can overcome the knowledge that Dan who she was meant to be making this life changing move with dumped her a month ago, and the studio being in worse condition than she anticipated. 

I loved seeing how Poppy's determination started to appear and as she let down some barriers start to become part of the community on the island.  Helping her is Jake who has a very good reason for being reluctant to be on the islands for longer than strictly necessary. 

Both characters are easy to relate to and I enjoyed getting to know them.  Leo the cat was utterly hilarious, especially with all the human traits he was given by the author! It was also good to in passing at least catch up with the characters from the other books in the series, although this can easily be read as a standalone. 

This is a really enjoyable story that is well written, with great descriptions, dialogue and some great storylines all wrapped up in one book! 

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Please do take a look at all the other stops on this blog tour

Book Review - Spring on the Little Cornish Isles by Phillipa Ashley

Amazon UK

Title: Spring on the Little Cornish Isles

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 19th February 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Jess has lived at the idyllic flower farm on the Isles of Scilly her whole life, but when her boyfriend Adam leaves without explanation, Jess discovers that even her little slice of Cornish heaven can be lonely.

For the first time in Will’s life, he’s met someone he can’t stop thinking about. But nothing is simple when the woman of your dreams is working for you.

Gaby is running away from painful memories, and where could be more perfect than a remote island off the Cornish coast? But to put the past behind her, she must keep moving … however much she might want to stay.

What a picturesque and gorgeous setting for a book, and by that I'm referring to not only the Isles of Scilly, but also Jess and Will's flower farm.   

In fact I was so taken by the sheer amount of narcissi that are being grown on the farm that I have just had a google to see what they really look like.  O so not my favourite sort of flower, but I can appreciate the hard work that goes into flower farming. 

So can Gaby who has arrived at the farm as a picker for a 6 month contract, although it takes a while for us to know the real reasons she has moved so far from home to pick flowers.  She is a gutsy plucky character that I enjoyed getting to know. 

And her banter with Will is really entertaining.  In the meantime, I felt as though I knew a bit about Jess and her boyfriend Adam as she is Maisie's best friend and Maisie's story was the main one in the first book of this trilogy.   I really enjoyed getting to know her a lot better although the course of true love never did run smoothly! 

Having recently read a run of short novellas with rather shallow characters, it was pure pleasure to delve back into a good length book, full of characters with real hidden depths to them. I loved everything about these characters and had great sympathy for most of them at one point or another. 

There are sections of complete light relief while others are more serious but one thing that ties the book together is superb writing and storytelling.  Although this is book 2 of a trilogy, it can easily be read as a standalone as the focus of this book is different, and I am already looking forward to the next release. 

I had been worried that I had forgotten everything about the series but the first pages where I am reminded of the various islands names a lot of the info came back to me, plus a few short character recaps brought me back up to speed with the series. 

Full of beautiful flowers, great locations some action packed scenes and fully formed characters, this is a fabulous book that I am delighted to have found the time to read. 

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles by Phillipa Ashley - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon 

Publication Date: 18th September 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

For Maisie Samson, this Christmas is going to be different. After years working in a busy Cornish pub, she’s moved back to quiet Gull Island where she grew up, to help her parents run the family inn.

But even though she can’t wait for the festive season to arrive, Maisie cannot shake the memories of what happened to her last Christmas – the day she lost everything. She keeps herself busy, setting up the tree and hanging mistletoe ready for her first proper family Christmas in years.

Until a new arrival to the island walks into her bar and changes everything. Australian backpacker Patrick is looking for a job for the low season. When Maisie takes him on, she doesn’t expect him to last the week, but to her surprise Patrick is the perfect fit. Charming and handsome, could Maisie allow herself to hope that she and Patrick could be more than just colleagues?

As Christmas approaches, Maisie finds herself dreading the spring, when Patrick is due to leave. With the help of a little Christmas magic, can Maisie get the happily ever after she always dreamed of?

With a beautiful and tranquil setting of Gull Island in the Scilly Isles, this is a story that drew me in. With its fabulous cast of characters, and set over the winter months, this is much more than a Christmas book. 

Yes Christmas plays a large part, but more as a setting, than to try to get the reader feeling festive, for what is important in this book are what the islanders are up to, what secrets are being hidden, over the course of the winter. This is a book that could easily be read at any time of year, although it was rather fitting that I was reading it on a rainy miserable day, as it fitted into some of the more atmospheric weather descriptions. 

For on a remote island like Gull Island it is rather unusual for an Australian backpacker to decide to spend the off season there, even more so by taking a job in the Driftwood Inn. It is clear quite early on there is something he is hiding, but even my wildest guesses were way off mark when the secrets are revealed. 

Patrick is a handsome Aussie and tries his hardest to fit in with life on Gull Island, and Maisie his boss tries to fight her growing attraction to him. Maisie runs the Inn and is just hoping Christmas this year is better than last year. She is also determined not to let the Inn and other properties on Gull be sold to Hugo. 

I just really enjoyed every element of this story, there is the fight to keep the island how it is, there are many great islanders which we meet through Maisie's role in the pub, there is Patrick's troubled past, a great feeling of community not just on Gull Island but also the other Scilly Isles,  and I loved seeing how the story between Patrick and Maisie developed. 

Plenty of drama and action, some laughs, and this is just the first book in the Little Cornish Isles series, I can't help but feel this will get even stronger and more brilliant as the series progresses. Or at least I can't wait to find out! 

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Please follow along with the rest of the blog tour for this fabulous book.

Book Review - Confetti at the Cornish Cafe by Phillipa Ashley

Amazon UK

Title: Confetti at the Cornish Cafe

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 29th May 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Cal and Demi are preparing to launch their beloved Kilhallon Resort in Cornwall as a wedding venue. With the cliff-top setting and coastal views, it's the perfect place for a magical ceremony.

But their first clients are no ordinary couple. The bride and groom are internationally famous celebrities Lily Craig and Ben Trevone. As secrets surface and truths are told, can Demi and Cal ensure that Kilhallon's first wedding is a success? One thing’s for sure, this will be a Cornish celebration to remember . . .

What a way to round up a trilogy, this book covers all the loose ends and in such a great way. There is plenty of drama throughout the book to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

I have absolutely loved the Cornish Café series, and it was great to see this latest instalment in Cal and Demi’s lives.  This could be read as a standalone and the prologue gives plenty of either recap for existing readers, or a good summary of the key points in their story leading up to the start of this book. 

Kilhallon is gearing up for the wedding of the year, and also the first wedding held at the glamping site, and it’s for famous actors Ben and Lily. They seem nice enough, just want a down to earth wedding that looks like it was thrown together naturally at the last moment. 

Of course its not that simple, and Demi has to hire a wedding planner to help out, and between them all they have to weather large amounts of speculation as to whether the wedding is really being held there. 
As the book progresses there are moments of high action and drama, there are moments of laughter and romance and generally there is the feeling that that book is building to a crescendo. And what a finale sequence it was, the last perhaps quarter of the book was in some ways completely unpredictable, in fact I was expecting some completely other unexpected occurrences, which didn’t happen! 

I love Demi, and have done since the first book, and I’m so pleased for the range of character development there has been through, and her various continuing storylines are wrapped up really well in this book. As is Cal’s biggest long term storyline. 

Confetti at the Cornish Café is a celebration of a quirky wedding with some rather unique ideas, some adorable dogs, and the romance between Cal and Demi. It is a really great story and as a fan of the series I think it’s a great way for it to wind up. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Christmas at the Cornish Cafe by Phillipa Ashley - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #42

Amazon UK

Title: Christmas at the Cornish Cafe

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 13th October 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

The festive, feel-good follow-up to Summer at the Cornish Cafe.

Christmas will be slightly less turbulent than summer, won’t it? Demi certainly hopes so.

She and Cal are keeping their fledgling relationship under wraps for now. But then Kit Bannen, a hunky, blond – and somewhat mysterious – writer arrives at Kilhallon Resort, and not everyone is charmed. Cal is sure that Kit is hiding something. But is he the only one guarding a secret?

Demi is busy baking festive treats for the newly opened Demelza’s cafe, but when Cal’s ex Isla arrives to shoot scenes for her new drama, Demi can’t help but worry that things aren’t quite over between them. Kit flirts with both women, fuelling Cal’s suspicions that Kit has hidden motives for staying on at Kilhallon. Then Cal has to go to London, leaving Demi and Kit to decorate the cafe for Christmas . . . all by themselves.

A storm is brewing in more ways than one. As surprises unfold and truths are uncovered, can Demi and Cal finally open up to each other about their feelings?

This second novel in the bestselling Cornish Cafe series is the perfect book to curl up with this Christmas.

Where on earth do I start? I am sitting here pretty much gobsmacked, about how much I enjoyed the book, and how it really was a book of two halves, or parts at least. There is a lot of light hearted moments, and build up to the magical time of year. Demi loves Christmas, and is hoping this will be one of her best ever. Cal had a nightmare of a Christmas last year, and so is hoping things will be a lot better this time. 

The resort opens, as does the Cafe and there are mouthwatering mentions of so many delicious treats. I'm not a fan of mince pies, but even I wanted to eat the ones being created by Demi at Demelza's. 

There is a huge amount of drama in Christmas at the Cornish Cafe, which will have you hooked and on the edge of your seat. There were moments when I really had no clue what was going to happen next, and I love it when I am surprised as much as I was by where the story takes us. 

A fair amount of more serious topics are discussed, including exactly what happened to Cal that led to him coming home to Kilhallan. The weather, not normally the most interesting of subjects plays a massive part in this story, and not just in one storyline, but a few. It is a turbulent run up to Christmas this year in Cornwall. 

Christmas at the Cornish Cafe is the second book in the Penwith Trilogy, and I think it does work as a standalone, as a lot of the key plot points from the first book are mentioned which will help a new person catch up. I will say though how much I am looking forward to the third book, as this series continues to impress me. 

This is only the second book I have read by this author and I have loved both of them. The descriptions really draw you in and I felt as though I was there, living through various aspects of the story alongside Cal and Demi. There is a fantastic chemistry between the pair, and at one point I was very tempted to go on social media to ask if I was allowed to knock the heads together of two fictional characters...I felt that strongly about it, as they just couldn't seen to realise how the other felt a lot of the time! 

Overall a fantastic story, that will keep you gripped from start to finish, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Thank you to everyone that voted last week. This was certainly a popular choice and a worthy winner. I do intend to read and review the other two this season, just not sure when yet. 

Book Review - Summer at the Cornish Cafe by Phillipa Ashley - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #24

Amazon UK

Title: Summer at the Cornish Café (The Penwith Trilogy, Book 1)

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 5th May 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Demi doesn’t expect her summer in Cornwall to hold anything out of the ordinary. As a waitress, working all hours to make ends meet, washing dishes and serving ice creams seems to be as exciting as the holiday season is about to get.

That’s until she meets Cal Penwith. An outsider, like herself, Cal is persuaded to let Demi help him renovate his holiday resort, Kilhallon Park. Set above an idyllic Cornish cove, the once popular destination for tourists has now gone to rack and ruin. During the course of the Cornish summer, Demi makes new friends – and foes – as she helps the dashing and often infuriating Cal in his quest. Working side by side, the pair grow close, but Cal has complications in his past which make Demi wonder if he could ever truly be interested in her.

Demi realises that she has finally found a place she can call home. But as the summer draws to a close, and Demi’s own reputation as an up and coming café owner starts to spread, she is faced with a tough decision . . .

A gorgeous story exploring new beginnings, new love and new opportunities, set against the stunning background of the Cornish coast. Phillipa Ashley has written a feisty, compelling heroine who leaps off the page and encourages you to live your summer to the full.

I'm gutted, I have to wait absolutely ages for the next book in this series and that I have come to an end of Summer at the Cornish Cafe.  It is a delight to read, and is clearly the start of what promises to be a really special series. 

And yet surprisingly from the title of the book you may be expecting a fully functioning cafe to be at the heart of the story, well it is in a way, but a large part of the book it was purely an growing idea in Demi's head, which then took on a life of its own when she finally shared it with Cal. 

Cal had taken a leap of faith when he hired Demi, having saved her from sleeping rough, and is trying his hardest to renovate Kilhallon Park into the holiday resort it deserves to be, after his father let it rot. He faces a tough time in his personal life, and is clearly hiding whatever happened to him on his last stint of working abroad (which I'm hoping the next books will reveal). 

Summer at the Cornish Cafe is one of those books that had me saying "just one more chapter before bed" at least 5 times before I actually went to bed, and that was at the beginning of the book. It has such a nice writing style that kept me turning the pages. 

I loved Demi's character and her development during the book was a delight to see, she goes from being this girl who acts and feels very young, and slowly as her confidence grows shows just how intelligent she is, and what great plans she can come up with. 

This was the first book I have read by Phillipa Ashley and I'm so glad I allowed myself to be enticed by the pretty cover as its a very entertaining story. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Thank you to everyone that has voted for this book, last week. It was a clear winner, and for those of you that had said you had read it, I can see exactly why you chose this. It's brilliant. As always I am looking forward to seeing what your next choice for me will be. 

Cornish Week Preview & Giveaway

From Monday 17th August until Sunday 23rd August, I am running a Cornish week on Rachel's Random Reads. All the books reviewed during this week are set in the British county of Cornwall, If you, like me are in the UK, you may have noticed that our summer doesn't seem to have really got going. That isn't problem however with these books.

During the next week take a trip to the British seaside, absorb yourself in a variety of fabulous books, enjoy the whole host of guest posts, I have lined up for you, and please do enter my giveaways too. 

I have only been to Cornwall once on holiday, when I was around 8 years old. It was a family holiday, and I remember staying in St. Austell, at the Carlyon Bay Hotel and having a wonderful week. I definitely remember it being a long drive down from London, as the only slight problem with Cornwall, is that it is so far from everywhere, but it was on that holiday that I developed a taste for a Cornish Cream tea, which included scones with clotted cream. 

In the last 12 months or so, I have noticed that more and more of the books that I am reading, or that are being released seem to be set in Cornwall, and since I was building a small stock pile of these on my kindle, I thought I would put together this week as an excuse to read some of them at last.

Previously reviewed on Rachel's Random Reads set in Cornwall are books such as Runaway Summer by Ruth Saberton and Pippa's Cornish Dream by Debbie Johnson.

Whether you have visited Cornwall in real life, or in fiction, or whether you have always wondered what Cornwall is really like, I am hoping that you will enjoy this week as much I have enjoyed putting it together for you.

And as a slight teaser, the lovely and generous Phillipa Ashley, has offered me some of her books to give away to my lucky readers. So over to Philippa.

Phillipa Ashley's Thoughts on Cornwall 

Thanks for letting me take part in the Cornish themed week - so excited!

I love Cornwall and we've been/are going four times this year - next stop is Porthcurno where we're staying near the amazing Minack Theatre (which features in the book I'm giving away.) We will also be close to Porthgwarra Cove which is where Ross goes skinny dipping in Poldark 2015.


In fact, three of my books are set in Cornwall and one of my current works in progress is also set there. Naturally I am also a *massive* Poldark fan - watch this space!

Giveaway to win a paperback copy of It Should Have Been Me (UK Only)

Phillipa is giving UK blog viewers a chance to win a paperback copy of It Should Have Been Me

When Carrie’s fiancé Huw suddenly calls off their wedding, and she finds out he’s marrying another woman, she’s devastated. Desperate to get away, Carrie jumps at her best friend Rowena’s suggestion of a road trip in her VW camper van. But when Rowena has to pull out and Matt Landor, an old friend of Huw's, ends up filling the breach, she's not so sure. Will fate take the pair on an altogether different journey?

Giveaway open to UK, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 26/8/2015. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway to win a e-copy of Miranda's Mount (open internationally)

Phillipa is also giving away an e-copy of Miranda's Mount, which conveniently is also set in Cornwall!

When Miranda finds herself fighting for her home, her job and her heart, sleeping with the enemy may not be the best tactic... 

With no family of her own, Miranda Marshall has developed a healthy respect - some would say obsession - with other people's histories. As property manager of a spectacular island castle in Cornwall, she's made St Merryn's Mount one of the UK's most popular heritage attractions. While she may have the castle running like clockwork, Miranda hasn't bargained on its sexy owner returning to claim his birthright. 

Dark, handsome and with a rakish reputation, Jago St Merryn not only looks like a pirate but is intent on flogging the Mount to a soulless leisure corporation. Miranda faces the battle of her life as she tries to persuade him to face up to his past and continue the St Merryn dynasty. But Jago has his own reasons for jumping ship and when he throws down the gauntlet to Miranda, she's forced to delve into painful memories she'd much rather keep hidden . . . 

Giveaway open to everyone, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 26/8/2015. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Phillipa Ashley

Award-winning British author, Phillipa Ashley, writes lively, sexy, funny romantic fiction for a variety of international publishers including Penguin, Headline and Little Brown. After studying English Language and Literature at Wadham College, Oxford, she worked as a copywriter and journalist.

Her first novel, Decent Exposure- won the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Award. In 2009, it was filmed as the Lifetime TV movie ‘12 Men of Christmas’ starring Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Hopkins.
Miranda’s Mount – set on a fictional Cornish island castle - won the reader award for Best ebook at the Festival of Romance 2012.

As Pippa Croft, she also writes the Oxford Blue series for Penguin Books.


Phillipa lives Staffordshire village with her husband and daughter and when she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, watching costume drama and comedy, hiking and falling off surf boards.