Laura Briggs (2)Critiques

This book was read in two halves, I intended to break off to read a Christmas novel in the gap, but instead, I got caught up with watching Vlogmas Youtube videos.

I enjoyed the book enough to get the second set books 7 to 12 which I will start reading in the not too distant future.

I enjoyed this novel although I guess I wasn’t gripped as I began reading it in January then broke off and didn’t come back until October.

As a fan of TGBBO I enjoyed the setting of the baking competition and it was interesting seeing the development of various characters.

I can’t work out how I feel about Kitty’s character. In one way she adds texture and depth, but in another she is a bit irritating.

I am still enjoying this series, this is the point that Kitty enters the story. I, without realising, read one of the Christmas episodes out-of-order so I was already familiar with her character. I wish I hadn't had this flash of the future but it was interesting to see how her character began in the story. Although I took a month to read the book, in reality I had about two weeks when I didn't have time to read. Although I have the combined volume of the novels, I am now breaking off after this episode to read some Christmas novels and then I will return to Cornwall with Laura Briggs.

I know that there are books in the series I haven't read, in fact I started on book 2 'A Christmas in Cornwall' and then moved on to this one, but it doesn't seem to matter. I enjoyed the storyline and found the characters to be believable. Both of the books I have read came via Kindle offers on Amazon but I have enjoyed them so much I will purchase the other books in the series at full price if needed.

One of my favourite elements of the novel is that fact it is contemporary but with the class of a period novel. It is refreshing to find a chic-lit style novel that is not full of sex scenes. I am not surprised to read that Jane Austen and classic novels influence Laura, I could detect an essence of Austen and also Daphne du Maurier in her work.

Tessa is stuck in a dead-end job at Party 2 Go--at least she's still in party planning, right? Even though her boss rarely asks her opinion and all the parties are cookie cutter kids parties. She dreams of planning gorgeous weddings, engagement parties, and etc. But instead she's cleaning up mashed hot dogs, wearing a disgusting dinosaur costume, and driving an oversized hot dog van. Fed up with her life, Tessa quits her job and forms a partnership with four other people for a start-up company--a one stop wedding shop. With her best friend, Natalie, an unconfident dress designer that designs gorgeous clothes--Natalie finds her confidence. Natalie's confidence is low due to her former employer Kandace, the worst designer in Atlanta. Kandace tears Natalie down at every opportunity. Ama, an internet baker who works out of her family's Indian restaurant. Ama is being pressured by her family to find a "nice Indian boy" or to "take out an ad" in order to find a husband. Something Ama has no interest in. Ama wants to have the romance and fall in love--not have an arranged marriage. Ama gains her confidence to tell her family that she wants to be a baker full time. Stefan, the four partner who backs out at the last minute for a job in Paris--leaves the three girls in a dire situation.
Tessa hires Blake Ellingham to help her repair the storefront historic home that houses their new business. Tessa needs Blake's help in order to repair her business. Will he help her? Why does he keep working late hours on the building?

It's 1832, and a Miss Catherine Phillips, (with a small fortune living with a married sister)and Hettta Harwick (now heir to a fortune) meet again.
A very enjoyable read with rounded characters.

See all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.blogspot.com

Tessa has a job that she hates. She has a dream, a one-stop shop for wedding needs. She has a portfolio, but to get things going, she's going to need a lot more than that. For starters, she cannot afford to go into a new business venture on her own, so she needs partners. She has her friend Natalie in mind. Natalie would make the perfect wedding dress designer. Next, she is hoping to rope in wedding planner Stefan. He is not the ideal partner, but is successful in his own right, and would bring in good, solid business to the agency. Lastly, she wants Ama to join as the cake designer. Looking good so far.

They now need a solid business plan and a great location. Tessa has found just that, a fixer-upper that they can just barely afford. They must higher a handyman, at the very least, to get things going in the right direction in short order. Now, once they come up with a name, they will be on their way.

Contractor Blake Ellingham is more then happy to work for the new agency. After all, the building is truly special in the historic old town where it is located. Tessa is utterly breathless around Blake. The sparks between them are quite lively. She really needs Blake's help, especially since the house needs more than a few renovations, including electrical work that was unexpected. When Stefan suddenly quits, Blake is brought even deeper into the agency, much against his better judgment.

The characters were warm, likable and engaging. I definitely enjoyed the natural humor that flowed through the pages. Also, the relationship between Tessa and Blake was just so sweet. The story flowed quite well and the the conclusion was enjoyable. One Day Like this was a refreshing morning read. I look forward to reading more of Laura Briggs in the future, especially since Tessa and friends will be back.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a compilation of previously published books, numbered 7-12, in the A Wedding in Cornwall series, and, as always, I join the story half way through! This, however, doesn't matter, as I believe each book can be read as a stand-alone. I found it easy to get to know the characters in the individual stories and didn't feel I needed to start with Book 1 to be able to follow the stories - although I have now downloaded a copy of Book 1...
Overall, I found this to be an easy-to-read, uplifting, happy-ending series.
My thanks to the author for a free digital copy of this book to review.

Having enjoyed Brigg's series A Wedding in Cornwall, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read her new book which is the first in a new series.

A Little Hotel in Cornwall is written in the first person from the point of view of Maisie Clark, an American student and part-time waitress. Maisie wants to be a novelist, and when she finds she does not have a published author to mentor her for a prestigious writing programme, she writes to her favourite novelist Alistair Davies, asking him to mentor her.

She receives a reply on hotel note paper, declining her request. Undeterred, she travels to the Penmarrow Hotel in Cornwall in hopes of finding Alistair Davies, and persuading him to mentor her.

Here, she is mistaken for someone else, and ends up living and working under an assumed name. While this solves some immediate problems by providing her with lodgings and an income, it can only complicate matters further along the line. Especially as there appears to be a new love interest on the horizon... and a former boyfriend staying in the hotel!

The characters all seem charming and likeable at the minute; even Riley and Gomez who appear quite roguish when we first meet them. Also the stern Mr Trelawney shows he has a softer side when he talks to Maisie about her continued employment.

A Little Hotel in Cornwall is a short story which sets the scene for future instalments. The story ends with Maisie making decisions for her future, which will obviously be the basis for the next in the series.

I found this to be a quick easy read and look forward to reading the next one in this series.

I've been wanting to read one of Laura Briggs' Cornwall novellas for ages but I didn't want to start part way through the series. Well, no such problem here as this is the first in a brand new series of Cornwall stories.

A Little Hotel in Cornwall starts in the US with Maisie Clark. She's a budding writer but needs a mentor to get her onto a writing programme and she doesn't have one. She contacts her favourite author, the reclusive Alistair Davies, to see if he can help and despite him saying no, she decides to travel to Cornwall, to the hotel whose notepaper Davies wrote to her on.

It's all a little fanciful I suppose, but it makes for a delightful story as Maisie reaches the hotel (which sounds absolutely gorgeous), ends up working there, and makes a few friends. All this in the space of 120 pages!

It's certainly a quick read, but packed with action. There's possible romance, misunderstandings, moonlit swimming in the sea and lots more Cornish loveliness. I was rather taken aback by the ending as I felt sure it would go one of two ways and it went neither, but when I looked at the blurb for the next novella in this series (A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores) I realised that it follows straight on from this one and so I guess the author decided to leave the reader hanging on for more. I'm certainly intrigued now.

If you like light-hearted romance stories and are after a fairly quick read then look no further as this is perfect.½

What a treat this pleasant and delightful romance was, from the best-seller author, Laura Briggs. I have read a couple of Briggs’ novels before, so I knew when I chose to read this that I would be in for a treat.

Although this book is the third in a series of stories about three women running a wedding planning business together, I thought this story worked fine as a standalone. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Wedding Belles - the three friends with their wedding planning business. Tessa is the planner, Natalie the designer, and Ama the caterer. Each has their own, unique voice and different opinions on love.

The protagonist in this third book is Natalie, the wedding dress designer. Natalie isn’t particularly romantic, herself. She doesn’t believe in true love, or destiny and she thinks that people are just plain lucky if they happen to find that certain someone. It’s coincidence and nothing more.

As a wedding dress designer though, she knows she has to keep these feelings under wraps. Even if she’s suspicious that Harper, the bride she’s currently working with, might secretly agree with her. However, Natalie’s own love life is not straight-forward. Her family and friends are so keen for Natalie to ‘settle down’ that she comes to an agreement with her casual boyfriend, Chad, to call a halt on their constant speculation. But what of boy-next-door, Brayden, who has been smitten with Natalie since they were at High School together?

For me, the greatest part of IF YOU’RE NOT THE ONE is the friendship between these three young women. These are girl-friends with whom you want to share your innermost secrets, to be there for you, or to party or have lunch with.

I love that Laura Briggs writes with flair, which helped to make this novel as wonderful as it is. This book will be highly enjoyable for anyone who loves a good romance. Overall, it’s been an incredibly entertaining story and I very much recommend it.

[Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Laura Briggs for my free ARC, in exchange for my voluntary review.]

Christmas With Miss Austen (Christmas Holiday Extravaganza) by [Briggs, Laura]I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once I saw the name Austen in the title I was sold. I had a feeling I would like this book.

Julia Allen is a busy lady. She is a waitress, a painter and an 1800s authoress. She attends a historical open house as Jane Austen and she loves it. Then she gets locked inside after falling asleep. When she heads home she runs into a stranger, Eliot Weston. Weston thinks he must have imagined that historical figure. In her rush to go home, Julia loses a friends rare copy of Northanger Abbey. Weston finds it but cannot find any identification in it as to who the owner is.

This is a short book, 59 pages, and is a sweet Christian romance. I love the way there are little references to Jane Austen through the book. This is a nice, easy, fun read.

Short, undemanding story which continues from A Wedding in Cornwall. To be honest, I did not enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I am not sure why.

A short, gentle romance which is pleasant, an undemanding. This book is exactly what it says on the cover, a feel good romance about an American wedding planner who comes to the UK to plan a celebrity wedding.

I haven't given it five stars because I think that should be reserved for books that pull out all the stops, but this book was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours on a night when I couldn't get to sleep, and when I did I dreamed of the beautiful Cornish coast.

Julia Allen makes her living as a waitress but her real passion is painting; something she does in her off time. She also loves portraying Jane Austen at a Christmas open house at one of the historical homes in town. One evening, she fell asleep in the mansion after all the guests had left. When she awakens it's late and she rushes home in the dark, still dressed as Jane Austen, and collides with a stranger which causes her to drop the rare and extremely valuable copy of Northanger Abbey that she borrowed from a friend. Knowing she must replace the book before her friend returns from vacation, she seeks help from Eliot Weston. Eliot Weston thinks he may have dreamed up his encounter with the lady dressed in Regency-era clothes, except he finds the book she dropped. Knowing the value of it he wants to find its rightful owner. Julia is nothing like the girl in his late-night encounter but she is seeking to find a copy of that exact book. Not to mention there is something about her that draws him in. What happens when Julia finds out that Eliot has the book she's looking for? Will Eliot ever figure out who the lady of his late night encounter was?

I thoroughly enjoyed this cute story and thought it had the makings of a good Hallmark movie. The characters were very well drawn and I felt like I really got to know them. This is a 'feel good' story so you won't find any major conflicts, which makes for a nice soothing read. I've read two books by this author and both have been very good. If you're looking for a quick, romantic, intriguing read then look no further. Christmas with Miss Austen is a fun story that can really be enjoyed any time of year. I look forward to seeking out other books by Laura Briggs.

*This complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

A clever 'update' of Austen's Emma, with shades of Emma Approved and (*sigh*) Pride and Prejudice. Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess neatly work in the key threads of the original story - false flirtation, pet project, a few home truths for the heroine - while maintaining a believable stand-alone story (albeit a romance) about two warring relationship counsellors who grow from snark to spark. Instead of sticking too closely to the source material - looking at you, Mr McCall Smith - the authors let the characters speak and act convincingly for the twenty-first century, rather than force them to observe the rules of Austen's time. I'm not sure why they felt the need to throw P+P into the mix, though - there was no need to turn 'Emma' into Elizabeth, with four wayward sisters and a hysterical mother, but 'Darcy' worked quite well (leaving good friend and neighbour George Knightley hanging, sadly). A recognisable formula for romance novels, perhaps, but I did miss the traditional Austen resolution! A satisfying and smoothly written reworking of my favourite novel.

Reviewed by: Allison
Book provided by: the author for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

: I chose this book because I love anything that has to do with writing and authors. That the book is a Historical Romance was a twist, because there were not many female authors in the “olden days”. It started out a bit slow for me, but by the time I reached the end, I was rooting for the hero and heroine.

Flora, a genteel young woman, needs to find a way to earn a living. There is no fortune to inherit, and unless she marries very well, she and her younger sister would have to depend on the kindness of her older brother. Flora decides to earn a living by penning a little book of ‘Advice for Young Ladies on the Subject of Proposals.’ She dare not put her name on it, however, or the ensuing scandal would be devastating to her and her family. So the author of this very popular little book is ‘Anonymous.’

For the most part, the story is told from Flora’s point of view. A young woman has set her sights on Roger, Flora’s childhood friend, and since she cannot tell him of Miss Harwick’s previous scandal, she decides to use the advice from her own book to win him away from her rival.

I do wish we could have had insight into the hero’s thoughts as well. The love story progresses very slowly, and there were times I wanted to knock Roger on the head and tell him to hurry up and profess his love to Flora.

This is a very sweet romance, however, and well worth the time I was in Flora’s world. I’m looking forward to the sequel about her younger sister, Marianne.

The overall story was great and I enjoyed the book as a whole. However, the beginning was almost off-putting and hard for me to get involved in. When I kept reading, I got entranced and enjoyed the story immensely. The characters were quirky and that’s a good thing! The diversity in them was so enjoyable it made me smile. The book was fast-paced and covered much information about the couple and their families. The inspirational aspects were subtle, yet inspiring. They definitely would be well-received by other readers. I haven’t read much by Ms. Briggs but I will look for more of her works in the future. I recommend this book to anyone who’s a fan of Jane Austen. It’s a quick read that can make an enjoyable break for a few hours.

~ TRS for ARe Cafe

A good friend of mine told me that this story would make a great Hallmark movie and as I was reading it I could picture each scene in the movie. It was an endearing story of two people searching for folks from the past to give them a Christmas card that strangely got lost until years later. Samantha Sowerman has just moved into an old house being made into apartments. She lives in the present (2012) but in her mail receives a Christmas card dated from December, 1944. It was sent to a Bette Larsen from a soldier in the war by the name of Mac Hydberg. The note on the card leads Samantha on a quest to see if the sender of the card or the lady it was being sent to can be found so she can deliver it to them. She seeks the help of Tyler Lars, from Veteran Affairs office, who has had to take a "desk job" since being injured in Iraq from a land mine. Tyler as first doesn't want anything to do with helping Samantha, but her persistance pays off and they begin the search. As they search, they also begin to get to know one another and so the romance begins.

This book had a nice story line to it and I enjoyed reading of the quest to find these two older folks. Samantha and Tyler seemed like real people who had a heart for others, although Tyler liked to keep his emotions from showing by seeming harsh and uncaring. It was a nice story to read around Christmas, and maybe someday I will see it as a Hallmarkc movie!½

Card gone lost for 60 some years, found by a woman, and she finds her man, not that great.

Samantha Sowerman is a missionary who's returned home until she gets her paperwork ready to go to Brazil. One day in the mail she receives a letter addressed to someone who used to live there but the postmark is over 60 years old. She feels compelled to find it's rightful owner. She steams open the inside to see if there is any helpful information. She finds a tender and heartfelt message from a soldier to his sweetheart. She decides the best place to start would be the military base. Sergeant Ty Lars is a soldier sent home from the war because of an injury that caused him to now work behind a desk. He is lonely and bitter, not really having a purpose in life anymore. When Samantha enlists Ty's help in the finding the owner of the card they know they will need a Christmas miracle to do that. Could it be that they just might find their own Christmas miracle along the way?

What an enjoyable story! I've not read anything by this author before but the storyline sounded very intriguing. Boy I'm sure glad I gave it try. It's a story that's very easy to read and keeps you turning pages to find out how it all turns out. It reads very much like a Christmas movie you might find on Hallmark this time of year. Though it was a short story (about 77 pages) it felt liked a full-length one to me. It didn't seem hurried at all. I really liked the lead couple. Samantha was an upbeat gal whose faith made a difference in the life of a brooding soldier named Ty. It just made me reflect that we have an impact on people and we need to always be conscience of that in light of how we behave. Some of the parts in this story were so touching to me I found myself getting the Kleenex. If you're looking for a good holiday read, I would recommend you pick up The Last Christmas Card. I'm sure glad I did!
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 428 KB
Print Length: 77 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005JKR7H0