Canal Boat - check.
Beautiful Setting - check.
Endearing characters - check.
Cafe - check.

And there we go! That's how easy it can be to write a book I thoroughly enjoy and highly recommend!!!

In this story we are introduced to Nell who had the perfect life, living in her dream home - a canal boat - in the idyllic setting of the Little Rock Marina, with her husband Ollie. And then Ollie never comes home one evening after going out for a motorbike ride and her life is devastated.

We rejoin her 2 years later as she tries to move on but the loss is still hard for her to take. She has a wonderful support network around her and that includes her best friend Bea who runs the local cafe where she works part time. Bea is married to Nathan and they have the cutest son, Jacob, who brings a smile to everyone he meets!

And then things change! A handsome stranger comes into Nells' life and there is an instant connection and life starts to look up again for Nell! And then an opportunity to recreate some memories from her past with a new business venture appears on the horizon - is everything finally beginning to look up for Nell?!

I loved all the characters that we get to meet in this story. They all have such warm personalities that you can't help but fall instantly in love with them, and wish them all their own happy endings! The setting was perfect and really added to the community feel of the book. And alongside Nell and her story, the story of Bea and her family was also one that was really had me hooked as a reader and I really felt part of the community as their stories were told.

The perfect summer read!!

I am a huge fan of the authors novels and have been waiting as patiently as I could for her new novel. Well it's finally here!

I absolutely adored the setting for this story. It was so picturesque and loved the main character living on a canal boat. I'm not quite sure if I could live on one full time but I really loved the small community feel of the people that lived and worked there.

Apart from one character who was self centered who I didn't like, but then you arn't supposed to, there really is an amazing cast of characters. The author has a knack of creating truly wonderful characters that are so realistic and ones you wish you had in your real life.

Nell and Bea were without a doubt my favourite. The relationship between these two friends was so heartwarming. Both are going through personal challenges but they are still very much tuned into each other and are there to offer support. 

I don't want to go into the story to much as I think it is best left to be fully discovered by new readers for themselves. What I will say is that this is the most enchanting and heartwarming of novels. The author has created a wonderful place that instantly transports the reader to and has you feeling like one of the locals. By the end of the story the characters in Little Rock Marina were all firm friends and I have to say I am going to miss them. I really hope the author makes this into a bit of a series as would love to go back and catch up with them soon. 

The Cosy Canal Boat Dream is a heartwarming, and at times emotional read that will totally capture your heart. There are lots of little surprises in store and it definitely left me feeling all snug and warm inside. Highly recommended.

Having read another of Christie's books and adoring it I jumped at the chance to review her latest one. I only started it yesterday and it's finished already... I LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS BOOK! I was crying within the first chapter and I cried again at the end. This was the sweetest story of friendship, dreams and romance and I couldn't put it down. There were twists and turns which I didn't see coming - and believe me I thought enough about them! I love it when that happens and things aren't predictable. It was funny and left you with a happy feeling right down to your toes - I can't wait to read more from Christie Barlow!