In her latest release Kate and Clara’s Curious Cornish Craft Shop, Ali McNamara takes us back to the enchanting seaside town of St Felix.
Kate is enjoying her new life with daughter Molly down in St Felix running her dream shop with the help of Anita and Sebastian, when she is given an old sewing machine by her friend Noah who acquired it from a local house clearance something unexplainable happens. New comer Jack has also experienced something unusual and confides in Kate and before long the pair find themselves spending a lot of time together as they try and put the pieces of the jigsaw together to see what the magic of St Felix is trying to show them.
Although we have ventured to St Felix and been touched by the enchanting magic of the area in previous novels by Ali McNamara this book is still a stand alone novel, we just get to have a glimpse at what some of the previous characters are now doing since we left them.
The storyline jumps back and forth in time briefly when we get snippets of a blossoming romance starting in 1957 and we also feel the love in the air in the current day too. The storyline is romantic, uplifting and has an air of mystery around it too, I found it a perfect fast flowing easy read perfect for a Summer Time read in the garden.
I enjoyed uncovering the deep-rooted secret along with Kate and Jack and I thought it was a great way to bring the two characters together. Funny enough for me I found myself drawn more to the character of Jack than our main character Kate. Jack is disabled and we see throughout the storyline the mix of emotions, thoughts and feelings he battles on a daily basis as well as how he has to adapt to different environments but he is determined to be as independent as he can and doesn’t want anyone’s pity but he also assumes he knows how people feel about him.
This was a delightful mystical romance that kept me entertained on a Sunny afternoon in Lockdown and I loved my return to St Felix and hope that our journey there will continue there in future novels.

I absolutely loved this book, it truly was a magical read ! I loved the setting, the characters and the story.
It centres around Kate who lives in the village of St Felix in Cornwall with her daughter Molly, she moved for a new start a little while before and runs a craft shop along with her assistants Sebastian and Anita.
Kate is loving her new life until she hears a new shop is about to open selling art supplies which she also sells. She dashes off to confront the owner of the new shop Jack with a bee in her bonnet and is blindsided by him when she realises he’s in a wheelchair. Jack is a very complex character but through the course of the book we realise why and it explains a lot. We follow their relationship which has a lot of ups and downs.
The book really centres on a mystery/love story that takes place in the 1950’s, which comes to light through a sewing machine and an easel that Kate and Jack receive from Noah who runs Noah’s Ark Antique shop. He has recently done a local house clearance where the items have come from.
We learn more about the Clara from the title and are introduced to Arty, an artist/photographer, Maggie Clara’s daughter and Freddie who is a recluse and teaches Maggie to paint. Without giving too much away although these characters are from the 1950’s they’re integral to the plot.
St Felix sounds an idyllic place to live and has a magical quality about it.
This isn’t the first book to be set in St Felix and a few of the characters are in this book but it doesn’t matter and this can be read as a stand-alone.
I love Ali McNamara’s style of writing and love her books and this one is no exception.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this wonderful book.

Fans of Ali McNamara will welcome this wonderful story, returning to the Cornish seaside town of St Felix where magical things tend to happen.
Kate has a successful craft shop where she sells arts and her own crafty creations Alongside her is 15 year old daughter Molly and elderly assistant Anita (who came with the shop when Kate took it over) plus Sebastian - young,fun and gay.
So she’s very worried when she discovers an art supply shop is opening up down the road.
Deciding to go confront the owner - Kate meets Jack !
Ex army - Jack is making a fresh start after being confined to a wheel chair after a landmine accident left him with no legs.
A bit of a character who one moment is utterly charming and the next moody and defensive.
When both Jack and Kate receive goods from a house clearance (an old sewing machine and an easel) the magic starts to happen. Overnight with no explanation art starts to appear.
Together Kate and Jack must work together to solve the mystery and right an injustice that happened years ago.
Will the magic bring them closer to each other? And can they put their differences aside ?
I loved this book with its beautiful cover and fabulous story between the pages.
Would definitely recommend.
Thankyou to net galley for the chance to review it.

A huge thanks to netgalley little brown book company UK and Ali McNamara for an arc in return for an honest review.
Firstly iam not sure I have the correct words in my vocabulary to do this OUTSTANDING Book justice.
Being a huge admirer of this
Outstandingly Intriguing author for many years I was blown away with firstly the cover and the title it conjures up all sorts of mystical goings on.
This is a story of love and loss with a huge sprinkling of fairy dust how the characters were brought to life infront of us,I was their with them in the depth of this story. Was just sheer indulgence at it's best
A truly aspirational story.
I want to give it 10🎆 but only allowed to give 5

Another gorgeous novel by Ali McNamara with a spellbinding twist. This novel gripped me from the start and I couldn't wait to find out more about what (and why) was happening to Jack and Kate. The cover is utterly gorgeous, with it's pastel colours, bright blue sea and the flowers. I enjoyed every page, the ending gave me shivers!

The book follows Kate, who has moved to the beautiful harbour town of St Felix with her daughter Molly. She opens a craft shop and does a good trade, selling her own handmade goods as well as goods from the other ladies in the town. So when newcomer Jack, arrives in the town and opens an art supplies shop, she is suitably peeved.

Jack is a mystery in itself. One moment he's nice and is quite humorous and then the next he clams up, however he is quite within his right as he had been through a fair amount of pain and heartbreak over the years and opening up his shop appears to be his therapy. Kate and Jack's relationship is like a rollercoaster. One moment up, the next they aren't speaking. It's clear to see however that there is a spark between them and the pair get on well, despite their clashes.

So when they both receive antique pieces of art equipment, such as an old easel and a sewing machine from a recent house clearing and mysterious artworks keep appearing, the pair decide that to find out what's happening, they must work together and the result is quite astonishing. This novel is full of magic and love, from both the present time and the 1950s. It was heartwarming and such an enjoyable read.

The characters seemed like such kind and caring people and the location of St Felix sounded beautiful. There are characters from some of Ali McNamara's other novels and it was nice that they made their appearances in this one, but you do not have to have read the other books to understand what is happening in this one. It's an easy and light read and I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.

I haven’t read anything from this author before and I’m so glad that I did because, I have totally fallen in love with her writing!
I knew nothing about this book before starting to read it but soon became very impressed!
The book is set-in the wonderful little Cornish town of St,Felix and it sounds glorious - definitely somewhere I would love to visit or live.
All the characters are wonderful, I think I fell in love with every single one of them!!
This story has mystery and intrigue but best of all romance and also a little bit of magic, just to make it more special!!
This is the third book by this author to be set-in St.Felix and I look forward to now reading the other two.....

Ali McNamara where have you been all my life!

This book makes you want to go to St Felix I love anything that invloves a shop, tea shops etc. This one certainly didn't disappoint.

Read in one afternoon sitting in the sun perfect whilst in lockdown.

I will be sure to pick up another book by Ali.

Love it!
Another great story with a magical twist, as all of Ali McNamara books have that extra factor.

It starts with Kate opening her dream craft shop in St Felix, Cornwall, with her daughter Molly.
Nice touch to reconnect with previous books St Felix residents too.
She meets a fellow shop owner, Jack, both are getting mysterious gifts of art and embroidery, leading them to a story unfolding from 60 years previously, similar to theirs and bringing them closer together, can they solve the mystery and right a wrong from long ago.
Intriguing from start to finish, written in such a way you won't want it to finish.

A magical, mystical blending of the present day and the 1950's. All set in a beautiful Cornish setting, with likable but realistic characters. I enjoyed the merging of the two stories and the gradual reveling of details and clues. An enjoyable way to pass time and travel to another area. You can not help but become invested in the characters and their lives.

A warm and wonderful romance story with a touch of the supernatural. There are great characters and the Cornish seaside really comes to life. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

You know every time I finish an Ali McNamara book I think ‘How can she possibly top this?’ and every time I am pleasantly surprised because each and every time she smashes it out of the park. The thing that makes these books so special is the magical/mystical aspect and the romance of course!

So onto Ms McNamara’s latest offering! We are back in St Felix (yay!) and the story thins time centres around Kate, a single mother who moved to the area with her teenage daughter (Molly) and opened a craft shop, and Jack, a man who has recently moved to the area and opened an art shop. When strange things start happening to them both (could it be the magic of St Felix making a reappearance) they are thrown together to try to solve the mystery.

This is another delightful read and I am just unbelievably sad that it is over. I cannot wait for your next book Ali!!!

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

An unusual storyline which ensured a very good read. A romance between likeable modern characters which interlinked with a 1950s romance. A mystery regarding artwork which unfolded as the plot progressed. A supporting cast of friends and family. Spooky events. All add up to a story which you can’t put down. . A perfect book for these long days in lockdown.

I loved it. The way the book moved from every day to the past was great. Two lovely love stories. Made you think how you treat people in a wheel chair. You realise how condescending certain things sound. I really enjoyed it. Well written. I will highly recomend this book

I loved returning to the beautiful Cornish town of St Felix, in this story we meet Kate who runs a craft shop, when a newcomer by the name of Jack decides to open a arts shop down the road, they both find mysterious things happening in their shops. After piecing together what happened back in the past they find some uncanny similarities and end up getting close to each other at the same time. It's a lovely story, especially to see how Kate and Jacks relationship grow and the ending simply made me want to read more about their lives. It was nice to go back to this little town, I hope we can revisit it in time.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the early read of this book.
The story returns to St Felix in Cornwall where Kate and her daughter Molly have recently relocated to. They are welcomed into the community and Kate runs her dream craft shop.
Both Kate and Jack, who is also new to St.Felix experience strange happenings. Together they investigate and discover a 1950's love story.
This is a lovely feel good story by an excellent author.

This book, (as have others of Ali McNamara) was set in the charming place called St Felix. We also had a glimpse of characters from previous books, and putting both of this together made it even more enjoyable. (You do not need to read her previous books before you read this but I guarantee you will want to re visit St felix once you have)
The characters are from a range of backgrounds, all of which are loveable, this radiates out throughout the book and makes you feel like you want to walk down the cobbled street, browse through the shops and become part of their lives.
The story was a light easy read but absolutely gripping from the first chapter. Its cramed full of Romance, sadness and a massive twist of magical mystery, it was a definate page turner as I could not put it down. Ali McNamara has produced another amazing book that I did not want to end.
Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK netgalley and Ali McNamara for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book as a pre publication. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look to the next one.

Cornwall, crafts and a little bit of magic. I loved this book and devoured it within 24 hours. Kate and Jack are 2 owners of 2 shops in a Cornish harbour town who inherit an old sewing machine and easel respectively. Over night magic happens when an embroidery and pieces of artwork appear to them. The story unfolds as to how and why these items appear as we find out more about this quaint town and its inhabitants.

Hooked from page one. I couldn’t wait to read this book following all the excellent reviews I kept hearing from other book lovers from an online book group I belong to. I agree with all the feedback. It is the sort of lovely read that will keep you up into the small hours not wanting to put the book down. The characters are relatable and the way the writer describes scenes, smells and characters in such detail it is like a reader can touch and be part of the story, which I love. I think this book will be a hit and I now want to read other books by this author.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an early copy.
Really enjoyed reading this amazing book.
Kate owns art and craft supplies shop in St Felix and is at an art gallery with her daughter where she meets Julian. Whom she doesn’t really think much of.
When Kate learns that there’s another art shop opening near her, she’s not too happy and goes to confront the owner, only doesn’t get the chance and instead has to wait till they meet later.
When Kate and Jack meet, Kate finds out that Jack is in a wheelchair and slowly they clear any misunderstandings Kate has of the type of. shop Jack is opening.
When Kate’s friend Noah does a house clearance and offers a sewing machine to Kate which is old, Kate’s assistant Sebastian collects it for her. She cleans it and tries to make it work but it doesn’t so she leaves it overnight. In the morning, she finds a square piece of felt under the foot of the machine with a picture being stitched.
At the opening of Jacks shop, there is a lot of people in attendance, and Noah asks about the sewing machine. He also mentions some art stuff he gave Jack.
Jack begins to ask Kate about strange things happening but doesn’t get far.
Later. Kate and Jack discuss this and it seems strange things are also happening with the stuff Jack has from the same house clearance.
Slowly, they are transported back in time and in these paintings and pieces of fabric they get to know about Arty, Maggie and Clara and Freddie, but it’s like a soap opera, only happens when new pieces appear.
Meanwhile Kate starts receiving bouquets of flowers signed J. She thinks they’re from Jack, but after asking him, she finds they’re not, then she thinks they maybe from her ex. Until one day another bouquet arrives, this time the person himself comes with it and it’s Julian. Kate goes for a drink with him, if only to find out more about his father.
Jack and Kate still don’t know why they’re seeing these flashbacks in the paintings. Kate asks Anita to find out what she knows about before Kate came to St Felix.
Gradually, Kate goes to see Lou who tells her a bit about the 50’s.
There’s a misunderstanding between Jake and Julian and Kate finds out Joel her ex was in her shop a few days ago.
Slowly the pieces of the paintings/fabric start to make sense and when Julian finds out the owner of the house where the items came from, Kate contacts her and after mentioning Freddie, The owner agrees to meet Jack and Kate. They find out about people they’ve been seeing come alive in the paintings and tell her what they know. They also find out that Maggie is still alive but not well and arrange to see her.
There, Maggie tells them about Freddie and Arty, they are shown the small pictures Maggie’s kept and they remind Kate of what she’s seen similar at the gallery.
Eventually wrongs are put right, and the daily episodes that Jack and Kate see in pictures ends with them seeing themselves in the future, but not what happened next.
Amazing book, loved the setting and the characters. Recommend it.

It was lovely to once again return to St Felix to meet new people and a few old friends. The boy meets girl part of the story was slightly predictable but it didn’t detract from overall enjoyment of the book. The characters were lovable and the intrigue over who had owned the sewing machine and easel captured my attention from the start. A perfect book to escape into.
Many thanks to Ali McNamara and Netgalley for the early e book copy.