Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy. In return for an honest review #sunnydaysandseabreezes #netgalley

Jodie looks like she has everything on the outside a good job, house and husband until she suspects he's having an affair and she decides to run away to her brothers houseboat on the Isle of Wight. Can Jodie repair her relationship? Will Jodie get more than she bargained for on her hunt for freedom?

Carole's books are always raved about in every online bookclub I am in on social media. I did read the happiness for beginners series and enjoyed them. So jumped at the chance to read this one.

This book is a quick easy romance read which is lighthearted throughout. It makes you laugh and cry in one sentence. It does what it says on the tin with some lovely local descriptions too.

The only thing I would say is that is stops abruptly and it leaves you wanting to know how the future pans out whether that 1 month or 1 year. Due to this I would say that an epilogue would have reduced this feeling.

What a great book.
It was filled with lovable characters and the setting was beautiful.
It was a heartwarming read

This is a Woman’s Fiction/Romance book, which is a great summer read.

The story is about Jodie, who goes to the Isle of Wight to have some time on her brother Bill’s boat Sunny Days. Although Jodie hopes for some peace and quiet, Bill’s cleaner Marilyn keeps her entertained with her caring and fun nature, and she also meets a handsome man called Ned who sweeps her off her feet. Will Jodie be able to move on with her life in happiness, or will she be dragged back to her past?

I really loved this book, with it's lovely characters, and I highly recommend it! It is superb.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Big thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

This was an easy read however I felt like the pace could be slow at times. I didn’t gel with this one and felt like I just couldn’t get into it. This one just wasn’t for me. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try it, it’s just my tastes.

Adore books by Carole Matthews. A great read and would recommend. Once started I couldn’t put it down and even brought a lump to my throat in some parts.

Jodie Jackson has decided to run away from her London life, husband and troubles to try and get some peace and quiet. What better place to do it than her brothers newly refurbished house boat on the Isle of White?! However despite her determination to need no one around her, she is instantly thrown into local life. Which features a hunky next door neighbour. Maybe alone time isn't what she needed after all!? ⁣
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Jodie is a loveable character who you can't help but feel sympathetic towards. She's spent so much time getting the perfect London life that when things like sand and cold weather comes into play she really isn't equipped! Which makes for some very funny reading her misadventures really made me laugh! ⁣
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Alongside the colourful cast of the bay this book really is a great summery escape.
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The general outline of someone moving somewhere remote to escape life is definitely one of my favourite book themes! Reading about them getting to know the locals and getting involved is always lovely!⁣
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Even though if it was me I'd probably end up indoors speaking to no one.
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Also the idea that skimming stones can be taught in a minute is utter crap! I've tried so much for many years and it just doesn't happen!!! And Josie's aversion to coloured clothing is annoying! I'd literally bought a yellow coat just before the 'crazy yellow coat' chapter.
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But hey arguing with a fictional character is a sign of a good book right?!
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One thing this book did do though was give me a serious craving for fish and chips.
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Just like all other books by Carole this one is fabulous!

I absolutely love Carole Matthews & this book didn't disappoint!

A fun escape from reality that I didn't want to put down.

This was one of those books that continued to capture my imagination page after page.

First of all, the setting of the Isle of Wight was unique to me, I can't recall any books I've read before set here. I went there on holiday as a young girl and enjoyed it so it was nice for a book to take me back, even though the settings weren't completely geographically accurate as places were combined to make fictitious locations but it still captured the feel of the island.

The setting on a houseboat was an interesting thought, I've read a series of books set on a barge turned into a coffee shop but never a moored boat (and it sounded extremely large and luxurious from the description.

The characters were all very well thought out and carefully balanced. Our heroine Jodie, emotionally bruised and battered and needing a place to hide out to recover, was slowly returned to blossoming life by the inhabitants around her. On the boat next door, the handsome and creatively talented Ned, a woodcarver with his own past but a perfectly laid back manner who wasn't put off by Jodie's initial barriers to friendship. The cleaning lady Marilyn, sent by Jodie's brother Bill (a minor but well-rounded character) to keep an eye on Jodie, despite Jodie asking Bill to dismiss Marilyn, the pair become great friends. Marilyn was by far my favourite character and her way of changing the words in common phrases were hysterical, as sure as eggs are peas!
Ida and George, another two locals were also good fun and helped in their own ways to comfort and heal Jodie.
Obviously, we weren't meant to like Chris from the start, but Ms Matthews has a way of making us unsure as to whether or not he really is a good person, just affected by the tragedy that sent Jodie away in the first place (without giving anything away). I couldn't warm to Della and I kind of guessed why and was proved right.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and was glad the way it ended, with no loose ends although I hope Bill also finds happiness too, he was a great big brother.

Sadly, this book didn't quite hit the mark for me. It dragged on for so long, so much so that I constantly found myself checking how much more there was to read; I think it should have been a good 50+ pages less. There was nothing particularly enthralling to me either, until maybe the last 10ish chapters. I have given it 3 stars though because it kept me interested enough to at least see ot through to the end.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

This is a really lovely book. - a great setting and some characters that you really warm to. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was my first of Carole Matthew's books and it will definitely not be my last. It's a great replacement for a sunny beach holiday, which I'll have to miss this year. I've never been to the Isle of Wight but I really loved this depiction of it.

I loved that Jodie and her brother lived on a house boat – it's not something I've read a lot in books, but as an avid Rosie and Jim fan in my childhood it was a fantastic little reminder of that.

This was such a lovely read, I want to press it onto anyone who can't go away this summer and say, 'don't worry Carole's got your covered for the ultimate holiday fix!' Set on the Isle of Wight in the fictitious resort of Cockleshell Bay, Sunny Days and Sea Breezes are two beautifully described house boats that sit next to one another. Jodie arrives to stay on her brother's swankily refitted boat. Her heart is broken and so she left London in a hurry and we slowly find out why. (The under pinning narrative of why Jodie's heart really has been broken and what she is grieving for had me in tears at times, it was movingly and beautifully described). She is coaxed into becoming part of the Cockleshell Bay community by the fabulous Marilyn, who had me in tears of laughter at time (going to start adding random emojis to my texts too!). Jodie makes friends with George a mime statue and local cafe owner Ida. Love interest is in the shape of the deliciously formed Ned. Slowly, oh so slowly Jodie falls for Ned - but then her estranged husband turns up. While Jodie returns to London to make her marriage work - does she stay? Beautiful, tender, moving and funny. LOVED IT.

It took me a very long time to finish this book. I think I just got a little bit bored, because in my opinion nothing very exciting was happening, it was just Jodie living her everyday life doing not much, just wandering around on the Isle of Wight.
The twists and the end were also very predictable (even though I don’t read romance for the suspense so that is not something that really bothers me).

This book was kindly sent to me by Netgalley, but all opinions are mine!

This is the second book I’ve read this year/ in April where the main character lives on a boat - maybe I should add some more to my list.

I really enjoyed the story of why Jodie was staying on her brother’s houseboat in the Isle of Wight - TW: Miscarriage & Husband cheating.

When I was reading the part when Jodie found out who her husband was cheating on her with I was so shocked and disgusting like it was real. Like her husband was cheating on her whilst she was grieving for her unborn baby. Made we wonder how many times does that happen in real time?

I also liked Marilyn and how she was actually a lovely supportive friend without her being too nosy!

I didn’t really like Ned that great but then I suppose you can’t like everyone

Sunny Days and Sea Breezes by Carole Matthews

Jodie escapes from her life as a London Interior designer after a major tragedy in her life and she is basically falling apart. She goes to her brothers newly refurbished house boat to try to get her life back on track. The characters she meets who gently bring her back to life and find out what she truly wants to do with her life in the future.

A beautifully written book mainly set on the Isle of Wight.

Carole covers some very difficult subjects in this book beautifully and sensitively.

It makes you laugh, cry and feel really good.

I long to return to the Isle of Wight after reading wonderful book.

Carole Matthews books are always a good investment. I do enjoy the fact that they are a decent length and I can lose myself in her characters and plot for several days. I was delighted to see this one - , set on The Isle of Wight, Jodi has run away from her life in London leaving her career and her husband.
The characters are believable, although I have to say life on a house boat is not something I know anything about.
Not everything runs smoothly and as you'd expect there's a good romance trail running through the story.
A good read,especially in the summer of lockdown when being able to transport oneself to a different place wising as Cockleshell Bay is appreciated. The book takes its time and themes are developed at a good pace.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy. I can happily give this 5 stars and highly recommend it. It's one of those books where you like the characters and want to know what next, so perhaps there may be a follow on. If so I'd buy it!

As always, a wonderful story from Carole Matthews. Filled, quite simply, with sunshine and all those warm, fuzzy feelings you get when the sun's out! Would definitely recommend!

I just loved Sunny Days and Sea Breezes by Carole Matthews. Another book by Carole that I just could not put down. Easy to love characters and great story making me want to visit the Isle of Wright. A great escape from the current world situation that has left me wanting more.

I think this is my favourite Carole Matthews yet. I love the setting of the Isle of Wight and the fabulous house boats which provide the perfect backdrop to Jodie and Ned's story. Marilyn is an absolutely brilliant character who I would love to have in my life and the festival scenes made me positively green with envy. This is just amazing all round. Add to your TBR pile immediately.