When I first started this book, I thought Fern had changed genres, but as the story unfolded, all became clear. A good story about family, friends, community and the larger environment. I also like the way she brings other relevant issues into play, such as bullying and gender. A good well rounded story.

Loved this book. Amazing characters and so well written. Stunning sun lounger read. I would recommend this to anyone.

I loved this book! It is the second book of Fern Britton’s I have read about the village of Pendruggan. It was like coming back to visit some old friends.

Newly ordained Vicar Angela, and her handsome husband Robert, and their teenage daughter all come to the village to take over Simon’s church whilst he and his wife work abroad for a year. They are shortly followed by Angela’s Bohemian Aunt.

As Angela tried to make friends in the Village, and start a few new initiatives to make the Parish her own, someone seems to have their nose out of joint and Angela starts receiving anonymous letters.

A great story, with a little mystery and intrigue. An early fatality, but somehow I forgot that as it happens at the very beginning of the book, but the book goes back and shows the events leading up to the death, and you have forgotten it happens by the time you reach that point in the book.

Can’t wait for the next one.

An enjoyable light read, set in Cornwall. There are some nice characterisation - echoing people we'll all know in real life - and several strands to the story.

Recommended as a light holiday read, or when travelling - would also make a nice "book at bedtime" read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I was delighted to receive a review copy of Fern Britton's new book and I was not disappointed in this welcome return to Pendruggan and its familiar cast of wonderful characters.

Vicar Simon and his wife Penny are going to Brazil for a year and into the village comes new Vicar Angela, her handsome journalist husband , Robert and her teenage daughter, Faith. We are also introduced , through a sad prologue, to Angela's larger than life Aunt Mamie who has plenty of tales to tell about a glamorous life well lived!

Angela has lots of plans for throwing herself into village life, some successful, others not quite so and she maybe misjudges the impact of the move on her family. There follows Fern's usual mix of wit and great story telling, though this time tinged with a little sadness. I have to admit, I was so engrossed in what is happening and the antics of the villagers, particularly Mamie's friendship with Queenie, that I had forgotten the prologue but the ending brought the story round nicely.

Thoroughly recommended!

When Angela Whitehorn arrives in Pendruggan she wants to make an impact. She is only going to there for a year and she wants to make a success at her first job. 

Angela Whitehorn likes to be called; Angela, Reverend Whitehorn or Vicar. Because that is who she is - she is to take on the parish of Pendruggan when the current incumbent Simon, his wife Penny and daughter Jenna go to Brazil. With her handsome husband Robert and teenage daughter Faith, Angela hopes she has all the support of her family as well as the new friends she hopes to make. When her Aunt Mamie becomes a fixture at the vicarage as well and embracing village life wholeheartedly, her year in Pendruggan seems a positive move.

She has new ideas for the village, empowering women through other means than the rigid structure of the WI, a pet blessing service and being there for people who need her help, spiritually or otherwise. Having been through a tough time herself, Angela wants to share her experiences and pass on what she has learnt. 

Unfortunately there are others who think Angela is not the right person for the job and should go back from whence she came. When the letters start it seems as if this quiet Cornish village is not so quiet after all. But who is sending them? I had my suspicions and I so wanted it to be one person, if only for them to get their comeuppance - they did but for very different reasons! The culprit well I didn't see that coming but how upsetting it was. 

This book whilst being jam-packed full of Cornish weather and scenery that leaps off the page and paints a picture of the grey skies as well as the blue ones. Also deals with some serious and not so serious subjects in a sensitive and well thought out way. Cancer, abuse, drugs, jealousy, friendship, witches and curses are all covered in this book.

Personally I would like to have known a bit more about how Simon and family were tackling life in Brazil but that was just me. The story has enough to keep you reading and also embraces the village of Pendruggan and it's inhabitants and if this is the first time you have visited then go back and read the others and find out what a real sense of community can mean to some people.

I do hope Fern Britton returns to Pendruggan again.

Set in the beautiful village of Pendruggan , the story centres around Angela Whitehorn (the new vicar) arriving in the peaceful ambient surroundings, and setting into action her own ideas, not to the approval of everyone!

The story includes many of the characters written about previously by the author, which gives a warm familiar feeling. Charismatic characters such as Queenie (from the corner shop), Helen and Piran are involved in this warm, humorous and entertaining story, set in beautiful, rugged Cornwall, an area that Fern knows well and loves.

Not much plot at the beginning of the story as Angela and her family settle into the village, getting to know everyone. But as the story evolves, strange disturbing things start to happen - poison pen letters and items going missing, make Angela begin to feel disturbed. The ending of the story is totally unexpected and a complete revelation.

Having read and enjoyed all of Fern’s previous books, the characters feel like old friends who you don’t want to leave behind. This enjoyable, entertaining story is bound to be another best seller, which I highly recommend.

I have enjoyed Fern's books and have bought another two for my kindle. I'm afraid I didn't like this one so much. I felt it was a non story. We started at the end,with a death and after that nothing happened except who caused the death which actually fell a bit flat.
I don't understand why Fern killed off Mamie who was intending to live in the village, a whole new book could have been written about her adventures there and her past life, bad move Fern.
The new vicar came to stand in for Simon who was off abroad. She didn't even stay for the year she was supposed to. .
It was nice to see characters from previous books being brought into the story,but what happened to Helen? She disappeared halfway through the story never to be mentioned again.
This won't stop me reading more of Fern's books,in fact I'm reading one just now and enjoying it.
Some books you just don't gel with and this was one of them.

3.5
I really enjoyed this one, but I felt like there could have been more details and depth to some of the characters - especially Robert. Although Faith was really well portrayed. A great summer read, set in the beautiful Cornish countryside - idyllic.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Newcomer’ by Fern Britton in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The ‘newcomer’ of the story is the Revd Angela Whitehorn who, together with her husband Robert, daughter Faith and Aunt Mamie, takes over the parish of Pendruggan for a year while the previous Reverend Simon Canter goes to Brazil to continue his good works. Angela is determined to make a mark on the parish and when Simple Tony suggests digging for a long-forgotten pond she’s very enthusiastic. But Angela soon receives poison pen letters which become very personal and she wonders if she’s made the right decision to uproot her family and move to Cornwall to take over the parish.

‘The Newcomer’ is a gentle and warm story of life in a Cornish village, well-written and empathetic. There are a number of interesting and amusing characters such as Queenie, Audrey and Geoffrey woven into the story who I became more involved with as I continued reading. I’d have preferred not to have a prologue as I thought it spoilt the plot somewhat but the twist at the end more than compensated. I thought it was a lovely story which I enjoyed reading.

My Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I requested this, having previously read The Postcard, also by Fern Britton which, having overcome my initial prejudice against this genre of fiction, I ended up really enjoying. It was a great delight to meet up again with some of the original characters that inhabit the delightful fictional coastal village of Penndruggan in Cornwall. The action is again centred on the vicarage, but there are now temporary occupants, the permanent vicar and his family having gone off to do humanitarian work abroad. The temporary occupant is Angela, taking up her very first posting and with her come, husband, teenage daughter and aunt, all big characters in their own right. Angela is determined to make a difference during her short stay.

This is a warm comfort story with some tougher underlying themes to stop it being entirely a tale of a cosy fantasy world. It does look at some women’s issues, all be it rather superficially. To go into any depth would be to spoil the idyll. There are also some lovely moments of humour. Having read several gritty or poor novels, an occasional escape into a world which we all wish we could inhabit, is good. But as I said of the previous novel, great literature it ain’t. It’s comfort reading with some thought behind it

Revisiting the village of Pendruggan with Fern is like enveloping oneself in a huge comfort blanket. As with the previous books, of which this is the third I have read, they stand one their own without the need to have read the others in the series. *It's like coming home and revisiting old friends in this enjoyable easy gentle read. Each one of the books focuses on a different inhabitant on this Cornish village, this time it is the turn of the locum vicar whilst the usual incumbent is on a sabbatical. There is the usual mix of fun, laughter, sadness, problems, traumas plus a little crime within a small community with all the quirkiness that makes up a country village.

Fern's writing draws you into this close knit community and is perfect for a holiday read either curled up in front of a log burner or relaxing in the sun.

I love being transported to Cornwall by Fern Britton’s books, her descriptions of the locations and village life are bliss for me.

This book was full of every emotion, and the characters were so real to life I could relate to them all , we all know some of them in our lives.

Angela Whitetorn is the newly ordained vicar who will look after the parish of Pendruggan for a year. Robert her dashing husband and Faith her teenage daughter accompany her. Angela’s Aunt Marnie joins the family and adds fun and eccentricity to the family. Angela is determined to leave her mark on the village but finds this a struggle with lots of obstacles being put in her way.

When she receives unpleasant letters her life and happiness is put in the balance? But who could be behind them? Can someone really dislike her so much? These questions had me guessing but I still was shocked to find out the culprit.

It was only when I read the finishing pages of the book the beginning of the story became clear to me, a very clever and original concept which tied up the loose ends perfectly.

This book will transport you to Cornish village life and you will feel part of the community without ever leaving home. A lovely gentle read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this fantastic book

A Wonderful Visit with Old and New Friends, 5 Stars 🌟

In Ms Fern Britton’s latest book The Newcomer, Reverend Simon Canter and his wife Penny are taking a year-long placement in Brazil, leaving the parish of Pendruggan needing a temporary Reverend, welcome Reverend Angela Whitehorn, her husband Robert, daughter Faith and colourful Aunt Mamie.

This secondment is Angela’s first placement since becoming fully ordained and she is desperate to make a good lasting impression; including introducing a host of new activities/clubs to the villagers, which isn’t initially well received by everyone in the village. Although it isn’t long that amongst the many new activities including the Running Club, Animal Blessings, the Pendruggan Association of Ladies and of course the Big Village Pond Dig that both the villagers (and readers alike) full in love with the newest albeit temporary addition to their village.

I don’t want to include any spoilers but the book opens with a life-changing traumatic event which we are then gently guided through the events that culminate to that fateful night. As always when exploring so many characters you can expect laughter and tears and Ms Britton has covered the subjects addressed with her own uniquely sympathetic and sensitive style.

Although this book is part of a ‘series’ it is possible to read as a standalone in its own right. However, I will warn you that once you visit the wonderful fictional village of Pendruggan it is like visiting with old friends (both the wonderful and quirky) and you will find yourself wanting to visit again and again, making this latest addition a definite must read for all fans of Ms Britton’s writing both new and old!

For your information, I received my copy as an ARC however, this does not influence my opinions as all opinions are my own.

This was a ‘nice’ quick read, but, I did skip a few bits and felt deflated at the end. Several days later, now I am thinking about it, I find that I am very unhappy with the behaviour of every character except Mamie....and she was killed off at the end....shame... I have read a few of Fern’s books but so far this is the one I have least liked, I will try one more just in case this is merely a blib in an otherwise ok writer’s repertoire.

Reverend Angel Whitehorn arrives with her husband and daughter to the small village of Pendruggan in Cornwall as caretaker whilst the present vicar and his family go to Brazil for a year.
It her first placement and she wants so much to be welcomed but as in village there are strong characters already in place. The family are joined by Angela's aunt who is a vibrant character to say the least.
Anglea starts making footsteps into the community and then the poisonous letters start arriving. Who is behind them and who doesn't want her there? Who knows her secrets and those of her parishioners?
This is the book to curl up with and not put down to the last page and will not disappoint..

Fern has produced another hit in her Pendruggan series. Whilst Simon the vicar and his family go to Brazil for a year, newly ordained Angela Whitehorn and her family take up residence in the vicarage. Aunt Mamie, with her wonderful travel tales and meetings with famous people was a well drawn character and it was easy to forget her fate as described in the prologue. Angela was a mixture of a strong woman doing a job she loved, a wife with insecurities and a mother with a teenage daughter growing up too fast.
As usual the book was filled with humourous episodes, but throughout the story there was a thread of sadness and it was not until I read the acknowledgements at the end that the reason became apparent.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Pendruggan and cannot wait for the next instalment.

I have just finishied reading this book. I have laughed and cried, tried to puzzle out who was ‘doing what’, was concerned that I could see an affair about to start. In fact I fully engaged with this story of a vicar, and her family, beginning her first parish in a Cornish village. The vicar’s ups and downs and, particularly, her tussles with the village battle ax brought me firmly on her side and longing to see what would happen next.
This is a very easy read which is full of, obviously, carefully crafted characters and their interactions. I absolutely loved it and felt I had to share snippets with the family with whom I am on holiday!
I thoroughly recommend it and have, already, been telling people that they must read it

Angela is determined to leave her mark on the village where she is to be the vicar for a year . Not everything turns out as planned, and her family's happiness is put in jeopardy .Really enjoyable book, characters well written, some laugh out loud moments, some sad . Fern Britton has written another best seller.

This is the 2nd Fern Britton booked I've read and just as good as the first.

Angela Whitehorn goes to Pendruggan in Cornwall for a year as a newly ordained vicar along with her husband and daughter. She's taking over from Simon who's going to Brazil for a year.

Angela hopes to make some good additions to the community but is met with opposition from Audrey Tipton who believes she commands everything in the village.