Jane LinfootCritiques

The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea by Jane Linfoot is a 2016 One More Chapter publication.

When Poppy’s fiancé is caught locking lips with another woman on Facebook, her friends Cate and Immie come to her rescue. Now, she’s working as a cake baker at ‘Brides by the Sea”, a cute little wedding shop in Cornwall, and living in the space directly above the shop. But her life takes a detour when Cate’s wedding planner suddenly quits, and Cate asks Poppy to take her place...

Which is where she finds herself in an unusual location, working with a farmer, named Rafe, who couldn’t care less about wedding planning and is impossible to be around. Not only that the wedding planning notes and files are in terrible disarray, leaving Poppy to cope with all manner of challenges to make each couple’s wedding turn out the way they dreamed- not to mention Cate’s over the top plans for her wedding which has gotten totally out of control….

This is a cute story, with some hilarious banter between Rafe and Poppy. The farm animals, and the scenery are a unique place to plan weddings, but I found the quirky atmosphere very entertaining.

The book is longer than necessary, and this affected the pacing, which seriously lagged in some places. The story wasn’t as squeaky clean as the cover suggests- with some strong language tossed in here and there and some closed-door sexual situations. But, other than that, it’s an easy to read, light-hearted story, perfect for a hot summer day.

Overall, a fun, enjoyable contemporary romance/ Rom-Com.½

DNF at page 202 because my library loan expired and it's not available to renew but it took me five days to get this far because I care so little and I think I'll care even less when it's available again.

Fluffy romcom in that British style I generally adore, but just nothing that really hooked me. Not bad in any way, just not spectacular in any way.

{First of 4 in The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea aka Cupcakes and Confetti; romance} (2016)

Seven years ago Poppy gave up her successful career in London to move back to Cornwall, where she grew up, and move in with her boyfriend to support his career. As the story opens, however, she's recently left him after finding out on Facebook that he cheated on her. Now she's making a living baking wedding cakes so when an opportunity comes along to supplement her income by becoming a wedding planner at the farm where one of her best friends works letting out cottages she reluctantly takes it since it means rescuing her other best friend's wedding which has been booked to take place there. But Rafe, her new boss, is grumpy and hard to get along with, not to mention not being convinced that weddings is the direction that Daisy Hill Farm should be going in. Needless to say Poppy falls for him despite her vow that she's never going to go out with anyone ever again (I don't consider that a spoiler since it's fairly evident from the blurb for the book).

Confusingly, it‘s narrated in the first person, present tense but as though the narrator is talking directly to the reader about the events that … happened? … are happening now? And I admit I'm not au fait with what a wedding planner/ event manager does but I did wonder what Poppy's job entailed. She doesn't seem to have to do anything; there's a property manager to take care of Daisy Hill farm and the couples seem to have booked everything else themselves.

The hero is actually a really nice, kind hearted guy but we see him through the narrator's eyes and she's convinced herself that she's not interested in another relationship after catching her ex-boyfriend cheating. So he doesn't shine as much as he should which is a shame because it could have been the sweet romance I was looking for. It's a nice enough story, but just not that exciting.

September 2022

3 stars

A funny and charming romantic story. I hadn't read the first book in the series and it wasn't a problem jumping into Cressy and Ross's story. Their history is sad but they are older now and are ready for a second chance. Both are reeling from calamities in their careers and are licking their wounds, so to speak, in St. Aidan's where the locals rally around to help and encourage each other.
I loved the baking nights Cressy organised and the antics she and Ross got up to in order to entertain the audience. They were really funny and cute. I was laughing out loud at a lot of their interactions. The side characters were just the right mix of friends you'd want in real life too.
This was a lovely read and one I totally recommend. The book comes with some delicious sounding recipes at the end and if I owned a microwave I'd definitely be making Cressy's Chocolate Mug Cake.
I received a review copy and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

With thanks to NetGalley for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ah what a lovely story - perfect for lovers of chick-lit, romance, women’s fiction and a good old happy ending. A light read for any season, this author sits happily alongside the likes of Veronica Henry and Heidi Swain in a cosy reading spot all for myself.

This book is part of a series of books but works equally well as a stand alone novel. It tells the story of Milla, a wedding specialist who moves away from a toxic city lifestyle to temporarily breath in some sea air, and Nic a hunky troubled sailor on a mission to create a perfect wedding. Relationships, sparky and at times almost hostile (i knocked off a star from my review as this part did get a little tedious and irritating before it restored itself) left me guessing for many chapters, calamities galore brought a smile to my face on many an occasion and beautiful details enveloped me into the novel. Chuck into the mix the odd tear of empathy, joy and pride, I feel I will forever be a part of Milla Vanilla‘a and Captain Kirk’s somewhat troublesome adventures.

So what are you waiting for? Pull up a cuppa in your cosy reading spot and be whisked away to St Aiden by the sea.

It's taken me a while to actually finish this. It is quite short but I found myself only reading a few pages at a time before losing interest.
Not to say it's a bad book, I did like it. I just have to be in the mood to read a certain genre and for me this one never quite fit.

The story was obviously predictable but I enjoyed seeing the romance play out. Ed was only seeing Millie as a bet and is adamant that he won't ever settle down while Millie has distanced herself from her old life and doesn't want to fall in love again (especially with a rich man like Ed) due to her past.

Naturally, both of them fight it every step of the way but love wins in the end.

Overall I would recommend this for people who want a cute light read.

This is the first Jane Linfoot book I have ever read, and because it's about one of my favorite places in the world (Cornwall), I was nervous to read it, but from the very first page I enjoyed the fresh tone.

From Cornish seaside backdrop to the sassiness of Clemmie, and her inventiveness in turning her flat she received from her Grandmother into the Little Cornish Kitchen, this book did impress me, though I would recommend that you read the other books in the series before starting with this book, as I was completely lost for the first few chapters, as there was no real clear introduction to the residents of St. Aidan.

I found the writing and plot line enjoyable and humourous and the scenes describe so well I could almost smell the sea and tea!

Overall I was very impressed with the book and the plot, so much so I plan to read all the books series!

I give The Little Cornish Kitchen 4 stars

Do you want to visit Cornwall for the summer and drool over the most delicious sounding hunk desserts? Well, look no further because you can do all that between the pages of this lovely book.

Jane Linfoot's books really appeal to me, so much so that I have had a couple of them on my reading pile for a while now. But I was utterly seduced by the idea of The Little Cornish Kitchen. The popularity of Cornwall as a setting never seems to wane, and nor should it as it's a stunning area, often by the sea - perfect! And the kitchen bit spoke to me too as I love books about baking.

Clemmie is a free spirit. She's travelled far and wide but comes back to the little village of St Aidan in Cornwall to finally receive the legacy her grandmother, Laura, left to her years earlier: a gorgeous little flat in Seaspray Cottage with a balcony overlooking the sea. Already I'm almost weak at the thought of the beauty of the views. Add in her neighbour in the flat next door, Charlie Hobson, who happens to share the balcony, and life's getting a little more complicated for Clemmie and very interesting for me as a reader.

To make some money her friends come up with the idea to set up a pop-up kitchen in the flat and host singles nights and the like. Clemmie, who's not much of a baker, finds herself raiding Laura's recipes for delicious desserts such as lemon meringues, chocolate roulade and sorbets and she takes to it like a sugar addict to buttercream. The descriptions of the food in this book are absolutely mouth-watering and if you're so inclined there are recipes at the back so you can make some of your very own.

At times I wanted to shake Clemmie and tell her to open her eyes and see what's right in front of her. But any good romance has to have a bit of conflict before it all comes right. And it wasn't only romance where Clemmie buried her head in the sand as her family life was also a bit problematical as well. But she has a lovely group of friends to help her through it all and the friendships were one of the strongest things about this book, I thought.

I loved the pop-up kitchen - what a great idea! I do like to read books about people setting up businesses and succeeding and even more so when food is involved. I also adored Charlie. He's the strong and silent type but seems like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders sometimes. The bond that starts to develop between him and Clemmie is so lovely, so heart-warming, that it really made me smile.

In fact, this whole book is like that. It's a real pleasure from start to finish, it will make you hungry, it will make you happy and it will make you swoon a little bit. I thought it was fabulous.

This is a charming story full of humour and emotion. The strong characters and beautiful settings make 'How to Win a Guy in 10 Dates' original and memorable.

Ed is an explosives expert and Millie is a companion/pet-sitter/dance artist/entrepreneur. The plot is woven with twists which hold the reader's interest.

Ed a serial womaniser is bet by his sister and best friend that he cannot take a woman out on 10 ordinary dates. On the surface this is a callous playboy bet with scant regard for the woman in the equation. In reality Ed's sister Cassie and his friend Will both want Ed to find the true happiness they feel he deserves and needs.

Millie is vulnerable with a wonderful sense of humour and irony which endear her to the reader. She wants to live life her way. The true reasons for her decision are deep and painful. Sympathetically revealed as the story progresses.

Ed appears arrogant and cast in the mould of a regency rake on first acquaintance. As the story develops the reasons for his behaviour and attitude become apparent and reveal him to be a tortured romantic hero. His undeniable attraction to the heroine and the real feelings he develops for her make him appealing.

The story's conflict and emotion is countered with glamorous settings and humour which make it a great read. There is a clever build up of sexual tension between the two main characters culminating in a sensual love scene.

I found it easy to imagine the characters and settings and soon became absorbed in the story. Definitely a page turner. I recommend 'How to Win a Guy in 10 Dates'. The ideal holiday read or as autumn approaches, a rainy afternoon curled up by the fire read.

I received an ARC from Harper Impulse UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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The Right Side of Mr Wrong is a delightful romp in rural England full of emotion, humour, spice and hidden secrets it has all the required ingredients for a compelling read.

Brando, lord of the manor by default, so not in the market for a wife is horrified his younger sister who works in TV thinks he needs one. Bryony creates a reality TV show around finding him a wife and he agrees to pick the winner to keep his sister sweet and out of his love life.

Shea a professional organiser works for the rich and famous. She wants to move on with her life and to prove she can she enters the TV competition. Much to her horror she wins. Friends and relatives concerned for her welfare push her into accepting a trip to meet Brando at his stately home in the English countryside. Brando agrees but intends to leave on the helicopter Shea arrives on. Running is what he does and he's an expert.

A freak wind puts pay to his escape when it shows him rather more of Shea than he bargained for in public. He rethinks his plans and decides Shea is every man's dream. Her chic, contained ,calm exterior masks a sassy, sexy siren. More important in Brando's eyes she appears willing to indulge in commitment free sex with him . Shea denies their mutual attraction but his to die for physique and persistence makes her rethink. Hot, spicy sexual encounters in unexpected locations are inevitable.

Shea is shocked by her wild, wanton side. Brando is intrigued. The more she runs the more he wants to stay until he realises he has broken his own unwritten sexual encounter rules and doesn't care. Brando's emotional barriers tumble with each passionate interlude until Shea knows all Brando's secrets but won't share hers. When he discovers what she's hiding he runs...

Centred exclusively on the couple and their emotional journey this story is well paced and full of anecdotal humour. The scorching love scenes reveal more about the characters than they realise. Shea and Brando are realistically flawed but their love story is worth investing your time in.

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

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'High Heels and Bicycle Wheels' is a must read for all sexy romance addicts.
If you read Jane Linfoot's last novel you will recognise Bryony Marshall. She is the sister of Brando the hero of 'The Right Side of Mr Wrong'. Bryony, a production assistant meets the celebrity guest of her latest show in a most revealing way. Jackson a sexy cyclist, super stud proves hard for the feisty heroine to ignore despite her controlling nature and hard-won independence. The chemistry between the two is rapid and leads to the first of many sensuous encounters in a novel that is teeming with sensuality.

I love the realistic touches of humour. Bryony and Jackson's often painful soul-searching reveals their complexities and vulnerabilities. This insight into their psyche makes them likeable even when they behave badly. The story's originality is refreshing, as is the whistle-stop tour of England's coast and countryside, making this a great holiday read.

If you like your love scenes prolific and fiery and enjoy a nail-biting, romantic ending 'High Heels and Bicycles' is for you.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Right Side of Mr Wrong is a fun contemporary romance about a convicted bachelor and a woman who just wants to move on with her life, and has no interest in finding a husband. Brando Marshall knows he can never have a stable relationship so, when he agrees to be on the television show his sister Bryony is producing, and sees himself involved in a television contest to find himself a wife, he's furious, but he is incapable to say no to his sister. And that's how Shea Summers walks into his property and his life...

Shea has absolutely no interest in finding a husband, and she never thought she would be picked, but she agreed to participate anyway, on the one hand to help Brando organize his property, since that is her job, and on the other hand, to get away from her own life...

As is usual in these stories, the attraction between them is immediate, but since neither is interested in a serious relationship, they decide to make the most of the time they have together, with no expectations or future plans. You can see where this is going, right? But first of all they must overcome the ghosts of the past that they both have and accept that their life can be a lot different from what they believed had to be.

I enjoyed this story and the author has a sense of humor that I really liked (Brando keeps calling Shea something that rhymes with her name and that is appropriate to the conversation they are having, like "Shea-rhymes-with-roll-in-the-hay" or "Shea-made-in-a-day" or"Shea-what-do-you-say") and I definitely want to read the sequel that is Briony's story.

I only have one small quibble to point out (and that I had the opportunity to mention to the author on a twitter Q&A): I wished the scene when Brando and Shea make love for the first time (they had had plenty of sex scenes before) had been described and not just mentioned.

A fifty-ish man and his fifty-ish wife agree to go their separate ways for a year, he off to Thoreau it in Colorado and she to write her book. Scary and here’s why: My fifty-ish husband bought this book for me, his fifty-ish wife, for Christmas. I’m still worrying a little about the deep psychological implications of this.A pleasant little read, as entertaining as an evening sitcom.

Sally is a woman who deserves a better time of it; she's got a spouse, a college-age son, and a brother, each of whom seems to be just a tad off kilter. The spouse is off emulating Thoreau in a cabin in Colorado. The brother is in the midst of a poorly handled divorce and has moved in with Sally. The son is somewhat vague as to his general direction. Meanwhile, Sally is muddling through menopause and the difficulties of getting her career up and moving again. Fortunately, Sally has good friends, Kate, supportive of Sally's hope of becoming a paid freelance writer, and madcap Wendy. The men in Sally's life (oh, I forgot to mention Iain) are a diverse and exasperating lot as are the editors who accept Sally's pieces, building up her belief in her writing skill and then casually dashing it. It's just too unfair (but very, very true to life).

This is a delightfully humorous book, told through a series of diary entries, letters, and email exchanges. Sally has to navigate the demands of family and friends while pushing herself to achieve her own goals. It's not easy but, for the reader, it's fun. Characterization is solid and the author's blog even supplies photos of the locations for specific incidents in the book.

For more visit,
http://individualtake.blogspot.com/2007/07/title-plotting-for-beginners-authors....