Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace by Kate Foster is a fun romance, that I enjoyed. Tressa boss has to leave town to take his wife for treatment, leaving her in charge of the newspaper. Dan,who is known as the angriest man in Ireland, got fired from his last job and takes the job with Tressa. This book was easy to read and perfect for an escape from cold weather or the pandemic. I will be reading more books by this author, I recommend this book if you enjoy romances.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

this was such a fun summer read! i really liked this book and it made me so ready for summer! i can't wait to get to travel again and i'm so pumped!!

I honestly really enjoyed the storyline of this book and would highly recommend it to friends and my bookstagram audience

This is a real escapist read for a snowy February- a trip to Cornwall to the sea and the sun. The community is as welcoming as you would expect and there are some vividly drawn secondary characters with their own storylines which adds to the mix. Tressa is an interesting character and it takes some time to realise why she is living alone at Mermaid Terrace. She has a complicated relationship with her parents and her family.

Dan has a similarly enigmatic character. As the story evolves, you realise that first impressions can be deceiving and he has to come to a realisation as to just what he wants to get out of life. This is a story of light and shade, with sad and happy moments. The animals are a joy. Port Lowdy seems to have a certain healing character to it and you soon realise that there are plenty of people in the village who are scarred by the past. However, it is a delightful read and an element of starting over for several.

In short: Let Cornwall cast its spell over you...

This was a fun read which I had a good time with. It had everything from love and laughter to upset and drama - oh and pets too! Written well with some memorable characters.

I was sent this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a wonderful and heart-warming novel! Tressa Buckland loves her life in Port Lowdy where she spends her days enjoying the beautiful views, taking photographs for the local newspaper where she works and painting the sea. But when the owner of the local newspaper has to go away, Tressa is tasked with finding a temporary replacement journalist to help out until the owner can come back. Tressa ends up hiring Dan Byrne, the angriest man in Ireland, but when he arrives along with his dog, it isn’t long before his presence starts to get under Tressa’s skin.

I have enjoyed this story so much that I read it all in just one day! Tressa’s life in the small sleepy seaside village of Port Lowdy seems a happy one. But despite the fact that Tressa spends her days doing what she loves, she has some deep rooted problems with her own confidence and her family, problems that affect the way she ends up interacting with others especially Dan. The chapters in this book alternate between different characters and I like how easy it was to follow everything that was happening, even though there were more than just the two points of view of Tressa and Dan. Each chapter is written in the thrid person perspective and we soon start to learn about the life of some of the others people like the postmistress Penny and another new face to the town, Remi.

I like how everything unfolded with these individual’s stories and how they ended up being connected. I enjoyed the dynamic between Tressa and Dan, their relationship seems simple at first but soon becomes a complicated one, with them sometimes getting along and at other times annoying each other. I’ve come to love this sort of dynamic between characters in romance stories and so I just loved watching how this played out between these two! I liked how these two had their own individual problems and how these were slowly revealed to us along with their backstories which made them feel like charcters with a lot more depth. Penny’s story and Remi’s were also ones I loved following, especially with what happens towards the second half of the novel for both characters. Their own individual tales overlap with Tressa and Dan’s story and I just love what happened to these two characters and how things ended. This book and those stories had me smiling more than a few times as I read this.

I have to admit I really loved the setting of this book. The small seaside village of Port Lowdy felt quaint and special. Not only did the local characters make it wonderful but I just loved the whole feel of the seaside town, with its hidden stories, quirky locals and the mystery around the mermaids. It felt like a place I want to visit and I loved some of the traditions and history which is revealed in the later part of this book and which plays a part in the story.

Although the tale was predictable in some parts, in others I was surprised with what happened, and at times even shocked. The book in general has a wonderful feel-good atmosphere to it with things working out in the way I had hoped. But even though this book was predictable in certain parts, which isn’t a bad thing as I expect it in these sort of cosy romance stories, I still found myself shocked and my heart on edge when a couple of things happened, especially a heart-breaking moment in the second half of the book.

There are a few occassional uses of the f and s swear words but nothing else I’d consider offensive of triggering. The ending was good and satisfying and I like what happened to the different characters and the little newspaper extract at the end. Although the tale is predictable in parts, in general I didn’t know what would happen, and was pleasantly surprised, espeically with Penny and Remi’s stories. The animals in the book made reading this all the more special, I especially loved Ritchie and his silly antics as well as Ginger Pickles’s haughty, but funny, cat attitude.

I have really enjoyed reading this book and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking for a bit of escapism as well as a lovely and fun romantic read. The village of Port Lowdy really made this book feel special, and I loved getting immersed in it and the stories of all the locals. The overall story is really lovely and I just love how everything worked out in the end. It’s certainly a book I want to read again, and even though this was my first book by this author, it has made me want to read more of her work.

Since reading Starting Over at Acorn Cottage, Kate Forster has been on my list of authors for perfectly uplifting, quick fiction that really sits alongside brilliant authors such as Holly Martin..

One of my favourite things about Kate Forster novels is that she does not faff around with the romance. It's almost instantaneous, and this means that we get to spend lots of time watching the romance develop. The ending was incredibly sweet, Dan was a fantastic love interest and in my opinion the best kind of match: not perfect, but his love drives him to bring out the best in Tressa. Our supporting characters, aside from the villagers, are Tressa's gorgeous cat Ginger Pickles and Dan's dog Richie and their inclusion was a very welcome one!

This book had lots of romance, but it also explores other serious topics such as grief, illness, family and more. The author has woven lots of brilliant threads together in this story, to create an entertaining and wonderful story set in an idllyic location.

Full review up on my blog soon!

Really great read, I didn't want to put this down to sleep, The characters were so alive and the details of the area made you want to be there with them. A peaceful lovely setting but with a good storyline. 5 stars and I recommend this ti all.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this eARC

These characters are so damaged in so many ways, but their trauma and flaws make them into fascinating characters that you root for even when they annoy the crap out of you! Tressa lives in Port Lowdy and happily enjoys her life making paintings that she never shows anyone and assisting at the newspaper and being a part of this tiny village that is almost stuck in time. She also gets attacked by her cat on a regular basis, avoids her toxic parents, and refuses to deal with any of her past trauma. In blows the new journalist Dan who is licking his wounds after finally getting taken down from his angriest man in Ireland perch. His dog Ritchie and singing Lionel Ritchie songs are pretty much the only things that bring him joy. Can Tressa and Dan learn how to trust and love and heal in this picturesque village in the middle of nowhere?

Overall I really enjoyed this book (although I really did get royally annoyed at the characters at times). It was fun but also hard and at times heartbreaking. I would also like to add that the secondary characters are also beautifully written and thoughtful with such depth.

Tressa loves Port Lowdy's old fashioned community spirit. An illness in her surrogate family upturns her quiet and undemanding life. Responsible for the village newspaper she needs a journalist. Investigative journalist, Dan's quest for justice forces him out of his job and home, so he's looking for somewhere to regroup.

Tressa and Dan have to learn to work together and respect the other. This leads to conflict and humorous situations, but they learn to trust and forge a friendship that leads to romance. Within the wider community, relatable characters hide surprising stories, and the antics of the animal characters provide many humorous moments.

Well-paced, heartwarming and uplifting this is the perfect book to escape with.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

‘I can see why you love it here,’ he said as they walked. ‘It’s like a made-up place. You said your cat was named after a Beatrix Potter animal, well this village feels like a Beatrix Potter sort of a place.’

Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a heartwarming story about love, loss and misunderstandings. The story is told from several characters' points of view, each having their unique contribution to make to this sweet tale.

‘Dan looked out at the view of the village below. ‘I don’t know, it’s pretty special. I think I get why you stay here. It’s almost made up in some ways. Magical as though it’s been bypassed by the rest of the world.’


A definite highlight of the book would be the town of Port Lowdy - both its location and residents. The setting was idyllic and really lent itself to the poignant theme of mermaids referenced throughout the book. With the central couple being at times perplexing and wanting through their obvious lack of communication, it was good to have multiple storylines to engage the reader. Yes, Tressa and Dan both had personal obstacles to overcome but at times it was a tad slow. A surprise character would in fact be Tressa’s mum, Wendy, who really had a terrific story arc. Perhaps the strongest and most engaging storyline would in fact belong to Remi as it had real depth.

‘I feel like a different person now but I don’t know who I am. People think I should be something or they have expectations of who I am based on who I was but why can’t people change? I know I have but I don’t know who I am now.’

All up this multilayered romantic story provided both escapism and a reprieve from heavier reads. Predictable HEA maybe, however, the setting and range of characters allow this book to provide a gentle pause in the life of its readers.

‘Take as long as you need, George; I’m just going to just sit here and be with you if that’s okay?’ ‘I couldn’t think of anyone I would rather sit with at this moment,’ he said and they finished their tea and the biscuits in silence.’








This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

I have read this author before and I was actually expecting it to be a good read, and I am not disappointed.

Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a sweet, heartwarming love story. It's about love, loss, grief, understanding, misunderstanding and letting go. There are several characters and the story has been told from several points of view and it has been handled really well. Every character has their own backstory and those stories are meaningful and significant and sad.

The main protagonists are nice, their conversation so interesting, however I felt the female protagonist is too judgemental, with mood swings.

Also, I feel the book could've been crisper, as it meanders at times.

Overall, an interesting and engrossing read!

Trissa's Cottage by the sea sounds so idillic, I would love to live by the sea one day. Her home sounds so colourful and inviting.

I really enjoyed the building friendship between Dan and Trissa, it's a friendship that you want to stick with to find out where it goes.

I really feel for Remi, having seemingly lost the love of his life and being in a new town. He was grateful to Marcel for the second chance at life after being inside but it must difficult arriving somewhere new and not knowing anyone.

I really like Penny's character and I love reading about her life. She appears to have kept it to herself but when Dan interviews her a publishes her story in the local newspaper her sad and wonderful life is shared and she is thrilled. Running the post office has meant that she knows everyone in the village and she is a loved member of the community.

I am definitely a romantic but I am also a realist, this book is brilliant because it is really romantic but also some difficult times and this is more like life as I know because its not always Rosie but it can still proved dispite what you've been through.

Towards the end of this book I was in tears. The way Dan handles it though is amazing really.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely read more by this author.

This was such a lovely, cozy read! Tressa Buckland is building her own quiet life in Port Lowdy, in a bid for independence from her family and a peaceful existence. She paints and sketches, and works part-time at the local paper, the Port Lowdy Observer. Port Lowdy is her comfort spot, where she feels safe and doesn’t have to push herself too much.

When her boss’ wife falls ill, he puts Tressa in charge of hiring a journalist to help her run the paper in his absence. Enter the angriest man in Ireland, Dan Byrne. He’s a journalist, and not really such a grump, that’s just his public persona, but he’s in a spot of trouble and needs a change of pace and scenery for a while.

I really liked both Tressa and Dan’s characters but I have to say that I didn’t totally buy their relationship or feel much chemistry between them. Plus she was only 26 (and a very inexperienced and naive 26) and he was 36, which felt a bit off to me.

The details of the town were amazing though, I really felt like I was there and could smell the ocean breeze. And Tressa’s art studio—well, I’d give my left arm to have a place like that to create in. There are also some really compelling side-stories in the book too. I particularly loved learning more about Remi, an ex-con from Paris looking for a fresh start, as well as Penny the postmistress.

This story has themes of grief, loss, family, love, and friendship. Oh, and did I mention there is a delightfully rude, crotch-sniffing dog named after Lionel Ritchie, and a cat named Ginger Pickles? Overall this was a really sweet story and exactly what I was in the mood for. It was closed-door but still got one eggplant on my steam rating, for some kissing and such.

Favorite Quotes:

She had a voice like sandpaper and an accent that could have shucked an oyster but her eyes were kind and she smiled at him like she meant it.

He’s very handsome… Even a nun would have a little squirm if she was sitting opposite that man.

‘I could sue you.’ ‘Get in line,’ he said. ‘But be warned all I have is my shitty Subaru and Ritchie, and both of them have dodgy exhausts, quite smelly with the wrong fuel.’

She wants to be home and she’s moping around here like an egg with no yolk.

I missed the smell of the sea… Mum’s house smells like potpourri and disappointment in me.


My Review:

This was a fun and cleverly amusing and enticing read packed with oddly compelling, complex, and endearingly quirky characters. I was fully consumed from start to finish and reveled in the deft author’s agile and wry levity, insightful observations, and thoughtful and perceptive narrative. Ms. Forster’s writing hit all the feels and was slyly emotive and absorbing. My attention and interest never lagged, as the various storylines were equally engaging whether humorous, angsty, or heart squeezing. She has mad skills.

Tressa is an artist who enjoys her life in picturesque Port Lowdy-part of Cornwall in the UK. She paints pictures of the sea and takes pictures for the small local paper. She is loving and forgiving of everyone but herself and her parents with whom she shares a fractured relationship. Enter Dan-the "angriest man in Ireland". Dan's been fired from his reporting job for stepping on the wrong toes for the right reason and moves to Port Lowdy to work at the paper temporarily while he figures out his next steps. From the beginning, the reader knows that these two will get together eventually but it's ironic that Dan really brings out Tressa's angry side. Port Lowdy provides a great backdrop-a cozy read for people who enjoy the British series Doc Martin. Other characters are introduced and also find their own happy endings. This story will definitely put you in a happier place!
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I adored this novel by Kate Forster. The setting was idyllic and I loved the connection with mermaids which was a recurrent and very poignant theme throughout the book.

It was such a lovely multi-layered romantic story, not simply because of the story of Dan and Tressa, but with a number of couples within Port Lowdy. The side characters brought so much depth to the story, and I especially connected to the story of Remi and his Juliet.

There was a certain amount of drama and more than a little heartache within this sweet story. I may have shed one or two tears reading this book but it was generally a happy read with immensely likeable characters.

This was such a warm, happy read that it will have you craving summer breezes at the beach with melting ice cream cones.

Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace was the second book that I have read by Kate Forster and what an absolutely gorgeous read it turned out to be. This story has such a lovely relaxed feel with a great setting, that of Port Lowdy. It’s a sleepy seaside village where not many people visit except during the summer months. It’s steeped in routine and there is a certain way of doing things. Yet the community is close knit and the characters just walk off the page to meet you. You embrace them all and their stories and don’t let go until the last page.

In fact I enjoyed this book so much, I would love a sequel as I don’t feel quite ready to leave such a wonderful story and setting behind. It’s a delightful read that I enjoyed immensely, and it was a perfect book to devour between more heavier reads. All the characters have their own problems and secrets and yes Tressa And Dan might have the majority of the focus but still there are other well defined characters who worm their way, in a good way, determined to share their story and it all makes for a very good read.

Tressa has spent the last two years living in the village. She loves her cottage on Mermaid Terrace and despite being single she is not on the look out for love, rather that art is her one true love. She moved to the village from St.Ives to escape her family, in particular her mother, Wendy. The reasons for this move are explored and developed so well over the course of the book. We get clues and teasers as to the real reason she feels Wendy does not love her. Tressa feels that she is such a big disappointment to her family and that she can’t live up to someone. But surely we are all individual and unique in our own way and shouldn’t feel a burden to compare ourselves to others or to live up to their legacy. Don’t get me wrong she loves her family but she finds them intimidating and feels she can never be free to be herself around them. Tressa clearly needed to come to terms with and remind herself that she too is important and worthwhile regardless of anyone else’s opinion.

I thought Tressa was overly harsh on herself but in the present day it did show that the events and memories of the past did have such a powerful impact on her mindset and how she lived her life now. She had escaped and was happy in Port Lowdy but the ghosts of the past have never truly left her and with the arrival of Irish journalist Dan things are about to change for Tressa. Whether she wants them to or not remains another question? Is she willing to deal with a whole host of emotions and situations that arise as Dan tries to draw her out of her comfort zone both in terms of her work, heart and her family relations?

Tressa is a loner by circumstance rather than by chance. She is shy and doesn’t believe in finding love as if it isn’t lost why go looking for it? It would come if it’s ready and if it never found her she had her cat and her art. I loved that Tressa was so independent and I saw a bit of myself in her. She was determined in her path and happy with the life she had carved out for herself. Although I would have liked her to reconcile with her family and explore and solve her issues with them. Her close friends, George and Caro are like parental figures to her. She has known them since childhood and they give her all the advice and support she needs in the absence of this from her own family. When Caro falls ill and George has to put Tressa in charge of the newspaper he runs, this means Tressa takes on a whole new level of responsibility. Up to now she had been the advertising manager and photographer but this new role will see her meet new people and her life will take many unexpected turns. Will they all be positive or will some negativity and anguish creep in there testing her to the max?

Dan works for an Irish newspaper and is known as a journalist for not mincing his words. His latest article has seen him land in deep water resulting in him being let go and his apartment taken from him. By chance he finds an advertisement looking for a journalist for six months for George’s paper. Before he knows it, Dan and his dog, who provides many a comedic moment, have arrived in Port Lowdy. It’s a step down from his previous job in more ways than one. But maybe he needs this time to soften his sharp edges and to deal with his own family issues from the past that have made him slightly hard nosed when it comes to newspaper reporting. Dan and Tressa rub each other up the wrong way constantly. There was an awful lot of back and forth between them with sharp comments and smart retorts. In one way I loved this because it contrasted nicely between the moments where they shared a memory or got close and were near to unburdening themselves to each other. Than in another way I wanted to bash their heads together as did many other residents of the village because I could see that they were just perfect for each other.

They fitted together and balanced each other and had so many similarities but there was so much confusion and wrong doing that one wondered would a happy ending ever be found? Dan has such good intentions but I think he quite often went about things in the wrong way and he could have been more subtle. As they continue about their work for the paper the setting of Port Lowdy came to life and was the backdrop for many an event and sometimes a tender, raw and beautiful moment. The descriptions of the village and surrounding areas were just so beautiful and I could visualise everything so clearly in my mind. The setting combined with a good solid storyline really helped bring the book to life and only added to my overall enjoyment of it.

As well as Tressa and Dan and their storyline, there were several other characters who featured. There was a danger that one might have overshadowed the other or there would have been too many storylines running alongside each other and therefore things would have become confusing but this didn’t happen. I felt they all added something overall to the story. Penny, the post mistress, is lonely and is longing for a time in her past that brought her much joy but was so cruelly taken from her. Can she reconnect with the past once Dan gets his claws into a good story? Will it turn out that maybe her loneliness and angst was all in vain or will things be taken a step too far?

Remi is recently arrived in the village from France. He is taken on at the Black Swan pub by Marcel and Pamela. Remi is a dark person in some ways given his history but it really is eating him up. He wants to make amends with what has happened in his past which caused him to find himself in the position he is now? Can he find what he is desperately seeking and if so will the object be happy with what has to be said? Again, Dan is the instigator here but in a good way even at times his intentions are really misconstrued.

No doubt about it Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a real feel good read. It’s not light and fluffy or too overly serious instead there is just the right amount of tension, angst and emotion balanced alongside lovely , tender, moments. I really loved it and look forward to lots more books from Kate Forster in the future.

love a book set in one of my favourite and neighbouring county Cornwall. When I saw the blurb for this one I jumped at the chance to be on the blog tour.

Tressa was brought up in St Ives and has never fitted in with her families high expectations so when her Grandmother passes away and leaves her a legacy she buys a little cottage in Mermaid Terrace in Port Lowdy. She can do what she pleases and that is to paint and live her life the way she wants. She works at the local newspaper the Occurrence and her boss George gets some tragic news and needs to take some leave so she needs to find a journalist to help out.

She is happy with her life but is also worried that she will end up alone. Most of the residents are older, in fact her mother tells her frequently that she needs to come home to St Ives to find a match. Tressa is such a tonic for the inhabitants of the small village, generous, friendly and kind everyone wants her to find love.

Dan is a journalist in Ireland and he is disillusioned with not being able to report the truth and he is too busy for a relationship. He publishes a story that makes him lose his job and he needs to find something well away from Ireland. Dan has had a difficult past and he wants to find some peace, he is not the only one with a troubled past over at the Black Swan Remi has come from France to work with Marcel. Remi has been in prison and Marcel is going to train Remi to be a chef and have a fresh start.

There is a real colour to this novel, the paintings, the sunrises all evoked memories of Cornwall for me I wanted to visit Port Lowdy and meet its residents. Dan fits in well and gets to know the residents but Tressa is not convinced. Even her mother is impressed !

This is a lovely cosy read and I really loved the characters they are warm and I was totally transported to Port Lowdy and I was really willing Tressa will get her happy ending but you will have to read the book to find out. No spoilers! Thank you to Net Galley and Aria for my e arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A gorgeous rural romance that is just perfect for curling up with and escaping in, Kate Forster’s Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace will take readers on an emotional journey and into a world they will not want to leave!

Tressa Buckland cherishes her quiet life in Port Lowdy. The sedate and serene pace in this quiet seaside village suits her right to the ground and she wouldn’t change her life for anything. Her job at the local paper gives her the freedom to pursue her art and being answerable only to her ginger tabby, Tressa loves her freedom and independence. However, it looks like her stress-free life is about to come to a end when the owner of the newspaper is called away for six months and she ends up in charge! With a huge list of tasks to accomplish, Tressa doesn’t know where to begin, but with the paper in desperate need of a part-time journalist, finding somebody to fill that vacancy becomes her number one priority. But little does she realise that she is about to have her life turned upside down when Dan Byrne comes to town and accepts the position.

Dan is one of Ireland’s most successful and most popular journalists with a column read by almost everyone in the country. However, when things go south with a story and Dan ends up losing everything, he finds himself with no other option but to start afresh somewhere else, so when the job in Port Lowdy becomes available, he thinks that this is the chance he has been waiting for. As he packs his bags and his dog, Dan heads to Cornwall unaware of just what he is going to find in the picturesque village he has chosen to call home…

Dan and Tressa couldn’t be more different, but the two of them realise that they need each other if they are going to make a success out of this situation. For far too long, Tressa has enjoyed being in her comfort zone, but Dan has made her wonder whether she should stop hiding in the shadows and start living. As Dan begins to shake up life in this sleepy Cornish village, he finds the fulfillment and happiness that has eluded him for so long and a chance to start again with somebody who will come to mean the world to him.

Kate Forster’s Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a book readers will just want to dive into. Full of charm, humour and pathos, Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a heart-warming tale about fresh starts, new beginnings and taking chances that will leave readers with a great big smile on their face.

I adored Dan and Tressa who are two absolutely wonderful characters. They are flawed, relatable, human and so lovely, readers will not be able to help themselves from falling in love with them.

As uplifting as a mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day, Kate Forster’s Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is absolutely sensational.