I absolutely loved this story. It is such a feel-good book set in the stunning setting of Cornwall. Just as her other books, The Cornish Cream Tea Bus was first released as a 4-part serialised enovel, so the whole story is divided in 4 parts with a little cliff-hanger at the end of each. This makes for a very entertaining read that keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. It has quite a few surprises and it definitely made me chuckle more than once.

I really enjoyed the characters too. It was a real treat to get to know the main character, Charlie. She really was a fighter and poured her heart into her new Cornish adventure. She was dealing with grief and it was not an easy path for her to find her place in the world again, but I think Cressida McLaughlin wrote a very touching and heart-felt story, in which Charlie really shone.

The story also had a good dash of romance, with a love triangle going on, which kept me intrigued and very satisfied with the ending. But what really stole my heart were two things, the descriptions of the stunning Cornish coast and of the delicious food Charlie was preparing. Cornwall is on top of my places to visit next in the UK and when I do visit, I hope to find a charming cafe where to have some cream tea. It would be even better if the bus existed though! 🙂

The Cornish Cream Tea Bus is deliciously good. The small town community was a delight to read and I could picture their gatherings perfectly in my head. I would highly recommend this story for anyone looking for a touching, up-lifting and charming story!

This is a fantastic novel about Charlie, who has been upset over her boyfriend's cheating. However, her Uncle dies, and leaves her a 1963 Routemaster double decker bus. After deliberating for a while, she gets it checked out mechanically, and has the inside changed into a cafe style tea room.
The first time she takes it out, she has a disaster, gets stuck in the mud, and very nearly loses heart. However, her friend Juliette invites her to Conwall, and she decides to call the bus "The Cornish Cream Tea Bus" She tries it out on a part of the beach in Porthglow where the sand is impacted, but meets some opposition from the local shop owner, and the owner of the local swanky hotel and spa.
However, most of the locals love it, and she drums up trade through her social media accounts. Then she decides to do a local food market, and invites lots of people wwith other food wagons, and a Mojito van. The driver of this, is Oliver, who seems to have fallen for her. However, she has kissed the owner of the hotel, and she feels she has fallen in love with him.
The characters in this book are very well described, and you can almost taste and see the food, as well as hearing the sea.
I would recommend her books to anhyone, and thank Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this wonderful novel.

Make sure you have snacks by your side while you are reading this book, I failed to guess how hungry it may make me, and was rather frustrated reading it when the bar next to me had closed, so I couldn't get ice-cream and the other bar was clearly preparing a barbecue. I definitely had food on the brain while reading the first two parts of this.

That aside, OK, I do have a craving for a cream tea, haven't had Cornish clotted cream for yonks, this is a fabulous story, and I love all of it.

Originally published in 4 parts, I read this lovely combined version, so was able to read it all in one go, but it felt as though each part could easily be read as a standalone,,, but why would you only want to read 25% of a great book?

I loved reading Charlie's story, discovering just how a Cornish Cream Tea bus make work. i loved her ideas for rejuvenating picturesque Porthgolow.

Getting to meet all the villagers, was entertaining, and young Jonah quickly earned a place in my heart.

So many stand out moments, I adored every second of this book,

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

Lovely relaxing book, one you didn't want to put down

The book follows the adventures of Charlie, left an old bus by her Uncle Hal who she misses very much. She feels she has to do something with it to honour his memory. Charlie has just been through a nasty break-up, as well as her bereavement, and she uses an opportunity given to her by her friend Juliette who persuades her and her dog Marmite to stay with her for a holiday and think what she wants to do next.. She makes new friends, decides to get the old bus renovated and brings life back into the little Cornish village with some disasters, love interests etc along with way.

The perfect read for the summer months, I thoroughly enjoyed following this story as the bus took on a new life in Cornwall, as did its owner. With a colourful cast of characters, a lovely community and some humorous moments, the time sped by and I am hoping for a second outing for the bus.

The beautiful Cornish coast dominates this story as the Cream Tea Bus wends its way through the countryside. This book was a delightful read with some relatable and likeable characters, none more so than Marmite the dog! This is the first in a series which promises good things. A lovely story about finding your true path in life and doing what makes you happy.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book

Feel good and heartwarming - this book has it in spades, along with a large dose of drama and some really lovable characters.
The setting is pretty awesome, too

Charlie is left a Routemaster double decker bus in her uncle Hal’s will. Before he died Hal used to take people out on tours of the Cotswolds. Charlie’s life has come to a standstill - she has split up with her boyfriend, lost her beloved uncle and even her boss and her best friends think she should take a sabbatical.

Off she trots with Gertie (the bus) to a wee seaside town in Cornwall to stay with her best friends Juliette and Lawrence combining the bus experience with her culinary delights. What could possibly go wrong?

This was an okay read but very predictable in parts (as a lot of romances tend to be) hence why it doesn’t quite make the 4 stars in my eyes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I loved being able to catch up on the whole series in one volume.
Charlie is making a success of her new enterprise and is organising weekly food festivals, bringing in local businesses to share in the success. She has a few problems to overcome and danger never seems very far away.
This has been the most wonderful read and I eagerly await Cressida McLaughlin's next series.

While I enjoyed this book I did feel as though it was completely predictable. The plot was slow and lacked any real surprise. The writing style was ok but not special.
A pleasant enough read

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read the book and post an honest review.
​Charlie is a baker and this book, following her adventures, is like a lovely meringue. An airy concoction that is lovely to look at, easy to eat, gives you a sugar high but ultimately fails to satisfy the appetite.

For an easy read on a summer's day, this book is perfect. It doesn't demand too much from the reader but provides a wonderful window onto the glories of the Cornish Coast.

It isn't hard to spot where the tempestuous relationship between Charlie and Daniel is headed but in this sort of laid back summer read it is the journey that is important even if the destination is obvious.

I loved the descriptions of Gertie and could just imagine her trundling along the highways and byways of Cornwall. Her top just visible over the hedges (it's a pity the book cover shows a coach rather than a Routemaster bus).

I thought the mix of characters was perfect. Emmets can have a hard time fitting into a Cornish village and this was described accurately and amusingly. Locals can be set in their ways and not inclined to change. With determination and goodwill on both sides, everybody can benefit from the influx of new ideas.

As I said to start with, this not a deep, thought-provoking book. But that is not always what is wanted. It is the perfect light-hearted easy read, take on holiday type of book. As I said one won't satisfy the appetite, luckily there are more in the series to gorge on.

Preferring to read these serialised novels as a whole, I have patiently waited for this one to be published.

Charlie Quilter loved spending time with her Uncle Hal on his Cotswold Tour Bus, an Old Routemaster which he used to meander through the Cotswolds with, giving tourists funny and interesting tours.

When he dies and leaves the bus to Charlie, she knows she has to keep his memory alive and use the bus to its full advantage. Drawing on her experience as a baker at the local café, Charlie thinks she can bring the cafe to the bus and then take it on tour.

After a false start in the Cotswolds, her friend Juliette invites her down to Cornwall, to rest, grieve for her Uncle and also heal from her recent breakup.

Charlie packs up the bus and with her little dog Marmite she heads to Cornwall. Not one to rest on her laurels, she throws herself into the start of serving cream teas upon the bus. Being an outside in Cornwall and "emmet" if you will, she has an uphill battle to fight and not just the ones she drives on.

A big red bus, parked up outside a posh spa hotel isn’t what the owner Daniel Harper wants his residents to see.  Clashing with Charlie over the coming days about her ideas for the local seaside village, myths about mermaids, crumbling cliffs and plenty of local gossip makes for an interesting times ahead. 

I loved the way that the bus was brought to life and I had my heart in my mouth when Charlie was making her journey around some of the twisting lanes of the countryside as well as the wonderful coastal positions. Full of warmth and romance and a sense of community coming together to give other people a great time. A selfless way of joining in with society.

This book left me wanting a sequel – there has to be more to this story… what is going to happen at Christmas there??? Mince Pies on the Cornish Cream Tea Bus?

I love this story.

I read it as a four-part serial, and it's something special. Full of cakes, courage, fun and romance, with laugh out loud moments, and a few tears, it captures the good and bad in the Cornish coastal village of Porthgolow.

Charlie had a special connection with her uncle when he dies and leaves her, his bus, she knows she has to keep it, but can she do something with it? Her first attempt is gutsy but fraught with difficulty, but with the help of some positive comments from her mysterious stranger, she tries again in Cornwall.

The characters are warm and real, and even though baking, tea shops and coastal Cornish settings are well used in literature, the bus adds a different dimension that gives the story, the promise of originality. There is a conflict with the upmarket spa and a delicate balancing act to win the approval of the locals. This has humour, romance and a lovely holiday setting.

Charlie soon settles into her Cornish life, The cream tea bus proves to be a popular attraction, and Charlie wants the village to realise its full potential Her latest foody idea is received with mixed emotions, but does introduce the prospect of romance into her life, but is she ready for it?

The characters are complex and realistic, the possibility of a love triangle is suggested, and Charlie meets another of Porthgolow’s residents, who has a surprising if reticent insight into Daniel’s motivations. There is also the hint of someone messing with Charlie’s plans, but who, and the motivation behind this, are still a mystery.

Halfway through and this story is addictive. Charlie is embroiled in a tentative love triangle with her two admirers, one seems open and honest, just what she needs, but the chemistry is lacking. Her other admirer is not so easy to read, but the air crackles between them, whenever they are together. Can she take a chance, or will he let her down, and destroy her fledgeling business?

Charlie's is still recovering from her boyfriend's duplicity and has trust issues. Her head says one thing, her heart something different, who if either of them will she choose?

The Cornish Cream Tea Bus venture expands and seems to be going from strength to strength, as the community finally seems to accept her and her bus.

The final part of this lovely, coastal series, ties up all the loose ends, and just when you think everything is going to work out for Charlie, because of her hard work and willingness to learn to trust again, there is a final breathtaking twist.

Will ‘The Cornish Cream Tea Bus’, survive, and who wants it to fail? At the start of the story, there are lots of people who might want Charlie to fail, but at this point, the perpetrators are much fewer in number, thanks to Charlie’s kindness and tenacity. When the guilty party is revealed it isn’t a surprise, but it’s good to have your suspicions confirmed.

Charlie’ s romantic future seems brighter, but what happens after the Summer? The final twist is heartstopping and the resolution is perfect.

I enjoyed my time in Porthgolow and I hope the author may take us back there again? A lovely coastal romantic story, with some good unique elements, and complex, relatable characters, the perfect beach read.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins - Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This book is the perfect summer read. It made me want to pack everything up, set up a catering business in a vintage bus and head straight to Cornwall. I loved the setting in Porthgolow, a fictional Cornish cove that sounded idyllic. I found my own vacations in Cornwall as a child, and more recently, formed my vision of what Porthgolow looked like, and I really felt that the book transported me there.

I really enjoyed Charlie as a character, she was strong and determined, and I really loved her interactions with Daniel. It always makes me happy to have a doggy character in a book, and I thought Marmite was an adorable little scamp!

This was a real feel-good book, with a little intrigue thrown into the mix. As much as I would want to live in this Cornish book world, having driven on Cornish roads, Charlie was a much braver person than I, because I would not want to drive a vintage bus on the twisty lanes in Cornwall! This was such a wonderful read, that I can highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book. On sale today, I shall be getting a copy for my bookshelf too!

Charlie inherits a vintage bus from the beloved uncle and is determined to honour him by converting Gertie into a mobile tea room. After some false start, resulting in her being forced to take sabbatical from work, Charlie finds herself in Cornwall, staying with her best friend Juliette. This is when the new idea forms in her head, of waking the little town of Porthgolow up and organising food truck festivals. Unfortunately, not all of the villagers are happy with this idea, and the owner of the local exclusive Spa and Hotel, Daniel, is not so keen on having an old bus being parked next to his 5 - star business. Will she be able to persuade him and the others to her plans?

I've read the book when it was published as four - part series but guys, there is nothing better than having a full length novel in the hand!

Cressida McLaughlin goes from strength to strength with her books and I already know that her books are going to bring me joy, sunshine, wonderful settings and characters that are not only well developed but feel like friends. This time they were all likeable, believable characters that I loved or loved to hate. The colourful bunch of the villagers was so entertaining - and sometimes also annoying, but Cressida has so well captured the community spirit here and you could see that when the people eventually started to trust Charlie and believe in her ideas, they wouldn't let anyone hurt her, and it was a lovely feeling.
I liked our main character Charlie, her determination and ambition, even though she annoyed me from time to time with the way she was so easily jumping to conclusions, not giving the others a chance to prove that she's wrong. But it was absolutely brilliant to see her growing up throughout the story, maturing and finally accepting that not everybody is against her, that there are people with honest intentions who really want to help her, to support her. She was actually really inspiring with making the most of the opportunities that were given to her.

The pace of the book was brilliant, there was all the time something happening, it was full of twists, events and changes of direction, and the incredibly warm, welcoming writing style of the author was the icing on the cake (ha. See what I've done here?) Her writing is so descriptive and full of good mood and she brings everything she writes about easily to life. The little Porthgolow in Cornwall was a perfect setting for the story. A sleepy, a bit forgotten coastal village but with so much potential that the villagers perhaps stopped seeing, and seeing it through a newcomer's eyes was lovely. I loved Charlie's confidence that she can make the place attractive again - with a bit of hard work, some of her great ideas and luck.

It was a refreshing, uplifting and light - hearted story, full of mouth - watering descriptions of delicious food, cute dogs, full of life characters and blossoming romance with all the ups and downs, the kind of story that makes you want to drop everything, buy a bus and get on the road. So see you on the way! And don't forget to take a copy of "The Cornish Cream Tea Bus" with you!

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Although I wasn’t sure how I felt about the main characters for the first few chapters, they quickly grew on me and I became invested in them and their story. I kept catching myself with a smile on my face as I read and there was just enough surprises to keep me going! An interesting and compelling read.

My Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. This is an extremely basic, predictable holiday read, with a very warm cosy feel. Set in an idyllic Cornish village it has everything that you would expect of this genre. If you want to put your brain into neutral for a while but still have a book on the go, this could be for you. I requested it because I do admit to enjoying this type of reading once in a rare while and I was going away for a few days anyway, although it might be sometime before I read another. But it might be someone else’s first choice of reading matter, in which case they will enjoy.

I hope that the cover shown on Netgalley will not be the one used. The bus, “Gertie”, was an old double-decker London Route Master and not a snub-nosed 50s single-decker coach. Though looking much more appealing, it would not have had the weight to perform the last essential task at the conclusion of the novel.

Beautiful book, absolutely loved reading this, I want to buy on own tea van and go on my travels now!

This is a lovely summer read. This was originally published in 4 parts, I like that this has been republished as one book, the four parts follow almost seamlessly from each other.

I loved the idea of Charlie turning her bus into a place for cosy cream teas and the setting of the beautiful Cornish coast makes me really want to visit. The Poldark-esk Daniel is a big plus too of course.

There are some fab characters in this and although there are some reluctant to welcome a newbie into the sleepy town, especially with her plans to run a food festival, Charlie’s hard work and perseverance wins everyone over.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unpaid unbiased review.

This is the kind of book that just makes you want to run out, purchase a vintage bus and start your own baking business!! It's made me want to do just that and it was a really enjoyable read that is the perfect slice of escapism!

Charlie inherits a vintage bus from her late uncle, and she wants to honour him by restoring the bus to its' former glory but finding a way that she can use it to start her own business. And her business is baking so she comes up with a plan to start a mobile cafe - sounds perfect to me!!

She ends up taking the bus to Cornwall to stay with a friend and to start some trial runs of how it could all work - everyone she meets is receptive to the idea apart from the owner of the local exclusive Spa, Daniel, who isn't too keen on an old bus being parked in sight of his business so the relationship between him and Charlie doesn't get off to the greatest start!

But with her determination the business starts well, and maybe even Daniel can be persuaded that it's good for the tourists visiting his spa too! She knows how to use social media to create a buzz about her bus and it's lovely to see how well the old and new sit alongside one another. It's not all plain sailing though and she wonders who is out to cause trouble for her when things start going wrong.

I loved the different personalities within the pages of this book and the thought of all those cream teas on the bus just made me crave a scone or three!! The use of the bus was such a lovely idea and the character of Charlie was a joy to spend time with - very driven and focused on making the most of the opportunity given to her. Very inspiring!! A lovely read!!

I just wish I had been on holiday in Cornwall when the weather was so good - in one place. I remember holidays when we chased the sun across the peninsula and others where we sheltered from the storms in a fish and chip shop. It is true, when the sun comes out, it can be the most magical place with wonderful landscapes and flowers - the gardens are spectacular.
This story was better written and with more content than so many of the Cornish fantasies. It had nice characters and we felt for Gertie when she got stuck in the mud and would have liked to have a tour sitting upstairs with tea and scones. I thought more could have been made about the various wonderful small towns and villages in the tour and was sad none of the stunning gardens were visited.
Overall a nicely written story in clear language.