Book Review - The Cornish Village School - Christmas Wishes by Kitty Wilson

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Title: The Cornish Village School - Christmas Wishes

Author: Kitty Wilson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Canelo

Publication Date: 9th September 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Penmenna…

Teaching assistant Alice has sworn off men, which is fine because with Christmas coming she’s super busy organising the school Nativity. This should be a blast with the help of close friend and village vicar, Dan – if she can ignore those more-than-just-a-friend feelings she’s developed for him…

Dan is happy to help Alice – his secret crush – but not only is his beloved Granny Annie about to be made homeless, the church choir has disintegrated and he’s battling some dark demons from his past.

With meddling grannies and PTA wars thrown in the mix, can Alice and Dan overcome their past hurts to move forward? Will they be spending Christmas together as friends… or something more?

A festive feel-good romance perfect for fans of Tilly Tennant and Holly Martin.

How sweet are Dan and Alice and how clearly made for each other are they?  Apart from the fact they don't realise they each have a crush on each other, and Dan especially is hiding things from his past that are affecting his decisions about future relationships. 

This is the book where we discover whether Dan and Alice finally move their friendship to the next level.  But in between all of that, we also get to see a hidden side to many of the other residents of Penmerra, such as Ethel, and beneath the surface of Marion. 

I loved Alice's approach to the school's nativity, in giving the power and responsibility to the children, with very little adult interference.  It was a lovely process to see and I couldn't help but smile at the overall show.   Alice is also determined to make sure there is a choir still in place for the Christingle service, which was a really touching moment too. 

It was so much fun to be back amongst this school in Cornwall, catching up with characters from the previous books, although this can easily be read as a standalone, Everything about this setting, the characters, the writing just speaks to me and its a series, and book that I was am thoroughly enjoying. 

One of those small touches that kept me amused throughout where all the different things that Alice called Dan's cat, Dave, who I have to say is not the most adorable of cats. 

Cornwall and Christmas just seem to go hand in hand, and this was no exception, another wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable story in this series, that I hope never ends. 

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

Book Review - The Cornish Village School - Summer Love by Kitty Wilson - #HolidayReading Madeira

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Title: The Cornish Village School - Summer Love

Author: Kitty Wilson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley 

Publisher: Canelo

Publication Date: 23rd May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Pippa Parkin thinks she has it all under control...
For teaching assistant Pippa, life in her home town of Penmenna is reassuringly predictable. Between managing the Easter Egg Hunt and dealing with her annoying but well-meaning family, Pippa thinks she has it all sorted. That is until gorgeous new substitute teacher Kam Choudhury arrives at Penmenna School, and turns everything upside down.

Pippa and Kam are instantly drawn to each other, but their priorities and their working relationship make it very hard to be together. Can they find a way to reconcile their differences and find their Happily-Ever-After?

I am loving this series so much, and enjoying every moment I get to spend in Penmarra amongst the teachers and pupils of school. 

For an initial meet cute, what better can you get than Pippa in an headless easter bunny costume, attempting to fix Kam's car!!

I loved the connection between Kam and Pippa from the start, its just that as they are going to be working closely together they know they shouldn't act on it. 

Add in two sets of interfering parents, another potential man for Pippa, and some adorable antics in the school are you are left with a rather pleasing story that is full of laughter and enjoyment. 

Even scary PTA lady seems a bit more human in this one, even if the glimpses are few and far between. 

A thoroughly enjoyable story, and I can't wait to see what happens next at the school, and its community.  

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

Book Review - The Cornish Village School - Second Chances by Kitty Wilson - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Title: The Cornish Village School - Second Chances

Author: Kitty Wilson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Canelo

Publication Date: 4th October 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Ex-ballerina and single mum Sylvie is in trouble. Juggling her ballet classes in the nearest town, preparing shy Sam for his first day at Penmenna Village school and trying to finally move out from the farm she shares with her cantankerous Uncle Tom means life is anything but easy.

Television Journalist Alex is facing challenges of his own. Seeking a calmer environment for his newly adopted daughter, Ellie, he’s swapped reporting in war zones for the school PTA in quiet Penmenna, where his best friend Chase has persuaded him to start laying some roots.

Fireworks ignite when Sylvie and Alex meet but as Ellie and Sam become instant best friends, will they be able to keep things strictly platonic for the sake of the children?

It was lovely to be back in Penmarra and the Cornish Village school.  If you have read the first book then the setting and teachers will be familiar to you. 

If you haven't, fear not,  this easily reads as a standalone with two new families and main characters. 

I really enjoyed getting to know Sylvie and Alex, and their two kids Sam and Ellie.  Sam and Ellie are the real stars of this book, and I loved their very different personalities. 

I also enjoyed seeing how Sylvie grew in confidence as the book progresses, as she tries to get new job and new house. 

Its an enjoyable sequel, and good to catch up with old friends to see how they were getting on.  I hope there will be more to this series as I suspect it will get better book by book!

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

Book Review - The Cornish Village School by Kitty Wilson - #HolidayReading Book 4

Book 4 of 28 read on my holiday to Cyprus in June 2018.

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Title: The Cornish Village School - Breaking The Rules

Author: Kitty Wilson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Canelo

Publication Date: 11th June 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Rosy Winter is definitely not looking for love

Following heartbreak, Rosy has rebuilt her life in the beautiful Cornish village of Penmenna. Now, headmistress of the local school, she is living by The Rule: no dating anyone in the village. Easy right? But Rosy Winter has a new neighbour, handsome gardener Matt.

In Penmenna for his new gardening TV show, this guy next door will do everything he can to persuade her to break her rule and win her heart. Meanwhile, Penmenna Village School is threatened with closure and it’s up to Rosy to rally the local community and #SaveOurSchool. Can she bring her worlds together and accept help from the most unlikely of sources? One thing’s for sure… she won’t be giving up without a fight.

Having been a fan of books set in schools all my life and a huge fan of books set in Cornwall, downloading and reading this one was a no brainer decision for me.

It is an excellent debut novel from a talented writer who really knows how to put cute children and a cute dog into the same book as a sexy gardener, a reality tv star and a headmistress amongst others 

This is a book centering around a campaign to save a local village primary school and the way the teachers and PTA and community come together with some great ideas. 

I loved Rosy who is determined to live her life by one very important Rule, but when the dishy Matt moves in next door she is forced to re-examine her life a bit. 

With some great auxiliary characters, flashes of humour and a general feel good vibe to it, this is a fabulous story and I can't wait to see what happens next in the series.

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

Guest Post - Kitty Wilson on Cornwall - Bookish World Cup - England

Cornwall. The very shape of it has often reminded me of the arch of a foot, gently dipping a toe into the water. The way most of us do before gingerly wading on in, taking that deep breath and sinking down as the cold of the ocean forces all the breath from your body before you lie back and feel the water lapping over you, cooling you in the heat of the summer sun and making everything right with the world

And it looks as it is, that is how I have spent every summer here for the last couple of decades, a little bit of ritual yelping before the bliss hits. And it is bliss - turquoise water, golden sands and beating sun without any need for a passport or airport queues.

As you lie back in the sea you can’t help but examine the cliffs around, and here you can see engine houses; the iconic buildings of Cornwall, standing tall across the county, a reminder of its industrial past, of mining tin and copper, and Poldark.

Although, I’ve lived here for more than twenty-five years and I’ve yet to see a shirtless mine owner cantering across a hilltop, hair flowing behind him in the wind. Snaggle-toothed fishermen though with buckets of mackerel and a quick sense of humour abound.

And I’m quite happy about that, how would anyone get any work done with Ross Poldark trotting about the place? This way I can get my word count done and if I’m lucky pick up a bargain on fresh fish - straight out that sea that very day - when I’m in the pub later and roaring with laughter.

For those of you vaguely disappointed about Ross, you can breathe a sigh of relief, for alongside the fishermen are the surfers. Wandering around the beaches with the best breaks, wetsuit clad and with sun-bleached hair, in and out of the water from dawn to dusk regardless of the season. And believe me when I say when it comes to surfing then you don’t mess with the etiquette, no matter who you are. I’ve heard many a tale of celebrities on holiday getting very short shrift if they dare drop in on someone else’s wave. Cornwall very much judges you on how you behave not who you are and I love it for that.

For the non-surfing, slightly less active amongst us (that’s me) there’s long lazy nights and beach barbecues. I’ve made lifelong friendships by being a beach regular and there is nothing better than the smell of a barbecue mingled with the tang of sea and salt in the air. Most people tip out their handbags and find lipstick and the odd scrunched up tissue, somehow mine is piles of sand and dried seaweed and I couldn’t be happier.

Cornwall may be surrounded by the sea but there is so much more to it than just that. Inland is as beautiful, dotted with farms and moorland. Neolithic monuments cover Cornwall from Bodmin Moor down to the far west, menhirs and stone circles scattered about as if dropped by ancient Gods and forgotten. The Hurlers however are deliberate, stone circles made from men who were petrified for daring to play games on a Sunday. But it’s not just men turned to stone that make the legends here, we also have King Arthur’s spirit flitting around the county in bird form - alive still in the Cornish Chough, magical wells stocked with healing water, and mischievous underground sprites that don’t like it if you whistle.

In high season Cornwall picks up the pace with Regattas and Feast weeks, rammed full of carnival parades, gig rowing, fireworks, and Cornish cider. Inland there are steam fairs with parades of steam tractors, traditional fairground rides and my favourite, the digger dancing. This is a joy to witness; great big clunky tractors and farm machinery doing synchronised dance moves often on only two out of four wheels. Although even with all this activity, Cornwall never ditches its laid-back vibe - everything is done ‘dreckly’ which, trust me, is a slower version of mañana.

It’s no surprise that so many books and films are set in and around Cornwall, this truly is a place with its very own hint of magic, both charmed and charming. How can I not set my books in this most beautiful of counties? It’s a place where anything can happen, and frequently does.     

 Thank you Kitty for this lovely look at Cornwall.  I can't wait to read your new book given I love stories set in Cornwall and schools.

Amazon UK

Rosy Winter is definitely not looking for love

Following heartbreak, Rosy has rebuilt her life in the beautiful Cornish village of Penmenna.  Now, headmistress of the local school, she is living by The Rule: no dating anyone in the village. Easy right? But Rosy Winter has a new neighbour, handsome gardener Matt.

In Penmenna for his new gardening TV show, this guy next door will do everything he can to persuade her to break her rule and win her heart. Meanwhile, Penmenna Village School is threatened with closure and it’s up to Rosy to rally the local community to #SaveOurSchool. Can she bring her worlds together and accept help from the most unlikely of sources? One thing’s for sure… she won’t be giving up without a fight.

This heartwarming romance is perfect for fans of Tilly Tennant, Holly Martin and A. L. Michael.

Author bio:

Kitty Wilson has lived in Cornwall for the last twenty-five years having been dragged there, against her will, as a stroppy teen. She is now remarkably grateful to her parents for their foresight and wisdom – and that her own children aren’t as hideous. She spends most of her time welded to the keyboard or hiding out at the beach and has a penchant for very loud music, equally loud dresses and romantic heroines who speak their mind.