It’s been so long since I have read a book by Ali McNamara and after reading this brilliant new book, Cornish Clouds and Silver Lining Skies, I can’t for the life of me figure out why. I enjoyed her earlier books but for some reason she seemed to drop off my reading radar but now is very much firmly back on it. I adored every moment I spent reading this wonderful book which was full of raw emotion, romance and quite a bit of mystery along the way too. After reading this book, I discovered the setting of St. Felix and some of the characters that are mentioned here featured in several of the author’s latest books but I didn’t feel in any way that I had missed out in not reading these. In fact, it just made me want to go back and read more of this stunning and special setting and I am so glad I have a nice little back catalogue which allows me to do so. This is a book where I didn’t feel like leaving the characters or the setting of the tidal island Aurora behind once I had finished. Everything about it quickly gets under your skin and I found myself not wanting to set the book down for any reason so enraptured was I by the plot, the gently simmering romance and the fact that I felt that I had escaped from the real world for a pleasurable couple of hours in the company of Sky, Talia and Sonny and of course not forgetting their two canine companions.

Sky is a meteorologist, which was so refreshing to have a main character with such an interesting career, and the themes of weather and forecasting were intertwined with the main plot so perfectly throughout the entire book. I was fascinated by all the meteorological details and it was evident the author had done lots of research. Sky has been on extended leave due to ill health and now she has to prove herself to the bosses at Met Central that she is ready to come back to work. But in order to do this she has to take a temporary position on the island of Aurora just off the coast of the village of St.Felix. There have been lots of strange goings on with regard to the weather there and she needs to get to the bottom of it. She feels it’s a bit of a downgrade from the work she is used to but she understands she needs to prove that she can do her job or else her career will slowly start to slip away from her grasp.

The weather itself played such an important role throughout the story. It was like a separate character itself and I’ll say there were magical elements here where you need to suspend your disbelief and normally I would throw my eyes up to heaven and scoff at some of the things that happened throughout the book but the author really made it work. It felt believable and it was if everything that was occurring could happen in real life and without the presence of this element I don’t think Sky would have gone on the incredible journey that she undertook. It could have been laughable and made me want to skip over some parts of the book instead it was the complete opposite and I never thought I would be saying that.

Sky is very career driven and wants to be the best at everything in her field. She won’t stop until something is completed to the best of her ability. She knows every little detail when it comes to the weather and prides herself on always getting things right. Right from the start Sky’s dedication and passion shine through and never waver and due to her personal circumstances these traits are tested time and time again the further the book progresses. I loved Sky as a character, she was so perfectly written and I could definitely see characteristics of myself within her but at the same time the reader could see fairly early on that she is struggling with something. She doesn’t want to admit defeat or that she is flawed or weak in any way and will never accept help though it becomes fairly obvious that she will need to at some point as she learns to deal with her new situation and to come to know and embrace the new version of herself.

Sky has an illness, the details of which she is reluctant to share with anybody for she sees that as admitting that she is vulnerable. She comes across as being uptight and a perfectionist and unwilling to relent the reins of control over to anybody else. You could say she needs to loosen up but that’s easy enough to say but unless you have walked in her shoes. It’s not that straightforward especially when you are so accustomed to being in control of all aspects of your life. Her illness has made her weak, both physically and emotionally, and she does her best to hide it at all times but this new job will test her to her very limits and maybe now the time has come where she has to open up and admit that a problem shared is a problem solved and help is always out there if she needs it.

As Sky arrives in St.Felix, she knows she has been given another chance and she shouldn’t waste it. Life is for living not for worrying about what might happen. She is ready to embrace this attitude and enjoy her time on the island recording and predicting the forecast. It will give her time to think and heal and hopefully prove she is ready to go back to work full time. But all that is up scuttled when she discovers as well as having Talia as an assistant (which she didn’t mind at all) there is to be a new addition in the form of TV weatherman Sonny Samuels who arrives to join her and boy could she never have predicted this happening. How is Sky going to get through the next few months with such an arrogant man who is not even a qualified meteorologist and even worse that she will have to share the small house on the island with him? This was not in her plans at all and she can’t help but let her feelings be known through her thoughts and actions. It seems like she will just have to put up with him and make it through as best she can as well as keeping her weaknesses hidden as much as possible.

Until you get to know Sky as a character, and she reveals more about herself, you do think she overreacts big time when she meets Sonny. But then you slowly come to learn the reasons why she did so and you gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of her. Sonny, who prefers to be known as Jamie off screen, may have a brash and loud exterior when he is front of the camera or meeting fans but underneath it all he too is hiding something and hurting. He comes across as loud and energetic and eager to work alongside Sky observing the weather and trying to understand the strange weather patterns a phenomena. Whereas Sky feels like he sails through life with no problems at all and that he loves to antagonise her. Really she read him the wrong way completely and I think that’s because of the way she was feeling regarding her illness and what it meant for her life. She thinks the time spent on the island will be a battle and a fight between her and Jamie but I was hoping she would be proved wrong.

As well as the more personal side of both Sky and Jamie’s personal journey’s the author wove a fabulous mystery alongside their emotional issues and problems. I never expected to have a mystery/intrigue element in a book in this genre but boy was it welcome because it was so brilliantly connected to the overall storyline and I was as keen as Sky and Jamie to discover the truth behind what was going on in St.Felix. I found it worked perfectly alongside all the themes being explored in the story and I felt a bit like a super sleuth trying to decipher what little cues and titbits were actually relevant and would there be an actual concrete explanation for all the perplexing things going on?

I also loved trying to figure out who may have featured in previous books as there were quite a few characters who make appearances and I could sense that there was some backstory to some of them. I loved how they helped Sky and gave good advice when needed and slowly but surely she relinquishes her personal fight and starts to embrace her new life. At the same time she grows stronger in more ways than one and becomes determined to find the root cause of the unexplained events that are starting to cause anguish for some of the residents in St. Felix. A dramatic climax had me racing through to the final pages and the ending was deeply satisfying. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Cornish Clouds and Silver Lining Skies. It has been the highlight of my summer reading and I sincerely hope it finds its way to lots of readers as it was a highly impressive and entertaining read.

I really love Ali McNamara's books and I was delighted to receive an early preview copy of this book. In this book we return to St. Felix a fictional town in Cornwall where magical things happen. We meet up with some of the characters from the previous books, but this can be read as a standalone novel. The main characters in this book are Sky and Jamie who are new characters.
This book highlights invisible illnesses and how they can affect someone. Sky has M.E. and is returning to work after a long absence.
As someone who has an invisible illness I was able to relate to some of the difficulties that Sky faces and the ongoing challenges of living with pain and fatigue. I think that this is an important issue to right about as it is a subject that is often overlooked and misunderstood.
I really enjoyed reading this book and revisiting St. Felix. It is a fun and entertaing read. The weather related storyline was interesting. I am looking forward to reading Ali McNamara's next book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Thank you so much to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book before release date. I really enjoyed it and wish I could be on St Felix. Sky and Jamie are so lovely and reading the relationship change and become what it is was amazing. I also loved Walter and his funny ways. An easy read and well worth a read

Another wonderful trip to St Felix in Cornwall and the fabulous community there, from Ali McNamara. Great to hear about a couple of characters from previous St Felix books!!
Sky has had a difficult time, but is set to prove herself in a new job just offshore in St Felix. As a meteorologist she has been sent to check out the weird weather patterns, but finds and discovers so much more!!
Brilliant read, learnt alot about weather, but more importantly about invisible disability. Well written, great story, great romance, great history and of course weather!! The characters are wonderful, easy to recognise and to be transported to this amazing place.
Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended!!! Easy 5 star read!!
Thank you NetGalley for the early read!! Loved it!!!

Love an Ali McNamara both ok and as usual this was a treat and a joy.
I live the spiritual aspect of her books and this one has that and joy at its heart.
This was a joy in the sunshine under an umbrella with a cold drink and the sound of the kids splashing in the paddling pool.
Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for and honest review.

I do enjoy Ali McNamara books, but I felt this one wasn't as romantic as it could have been. Whilst Sky showed a lot of emotion regarding her illness understandably, I didn't get a strong sense of her feelings for Jamie. Ali writes about ME and dyslexia very sensitively and I'm a lot more informed now about both. Loved the two dogs, plus the description of the island and the village. The plot surrounding the mysterious weather patterns and so on, was fun. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this latest novel from Ali McNamara in a couple of days. It’s a joyous read and I found once started, I couldn’t put it down. The book takes us back to St Felix on the Cornish coast and features not only some of the fabulous characters from before but also some cracking new ones. It features romance, drama and a bit of mysterious weather and I would rate it 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author for the chance to review.

Ali McNamara has excelled again! Every book that I’ve read of hers has me engrossed after the first page and I find it hard to put down, this book was no exception! This book explores difficulties that people face in their daily living. I’m looking forward to reading her next book!





Another great read by Ali McNamara.
Fabulous portrayal of hidden difficulties people face in every day life. Really enjoyed reading it

Sky Matthews travel to a little Cornish town, St Felix to study strange weather patterns. She still recovering from sickness and is driven to prove that she is back to her old self after a long time off. She is expecting a trainee to be with her and never expect a weather presenter, Sonny Samuels. At the town, she get know local people like Walter, Ant, Dec and Kate.

The story have mysterious element and a main character with chronic illness ME. The author did a splendid job in describing how the disease affect Sky. Love both the main characters. Overall it is a lovely lighthearted read for me.

*review post scheduled to be posted on my blog on 22/8/22*

I've loved every one of Ali's books and this is another to add to the long line of wonderful reads. Enchanting, magical and with a little mystery to keep me guessing. The location is the beautiful fictional island of Aurora at St. Felix in Cornwall. The characters (with a very few exceptions) are all lovely. Sky, the meteorologist Jamie (aka Sammy - when he's on tv), Talia the young female meteorologist-in-training and wise old Walter. I loved every one of them. Not forgetting the two delightful dogs who I adored. The island of Aurora holds some very fascinating secrets and I loved the journey towards finding out what was going on in this pretty and unspoilt part of Cornwall. The magical skies that gave their own messages were a special part of the story. Another important aspect of the book is a subject that the author deals with in a very knowledgeable and sensitive manner and that involves what is often referred to as an 'invisible illness.' I found this most informative and enlightening. All in all this is yet another cracking story that I thoroughly enjoyed and will recommend to all fans of Ali Mcnamara both old and new. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It’s very well written and definitely worth a read. Wow!!! Started this book and could not stop reading it until I'd finished!!

Ali McNamara has done it again.

I enjoy visiting St. Felix whenever I can. The best part of this series is that you don't have to read the books in any sort of order. Yes, you will encounter characters from the previous books, but you don't need to know their backstory.

Sky is sent to Aurora, a small island just off the coast of St. Felix, on assignment. She is hoping for a nice easy job, where she can learn to get back on her feet after being diagnosed with ME.

However, she encounters her first unwanted change in the shape of Sonny Samuels, aka Jamie.

Sonny is Jamie's TV persona. Sky struggles to trust Jamie at first because she believes him to be a weatherman that doesn't know anything beyond his auto-cue.

In the course of her realising that Jamie and Sonny are two different sides to the same coin she also learns that sometimes you need to ask for help and admit when you're struggling.

I received an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was lovely to return to the isle of St Felix.

This also features some characters from previous books in the series, but you don’t need to have read those as this reads well as a standalone story too..

This story handles disability very well, very sensitively, though at times did leave me feeling slightly frustrated at Sky’s reluctance to tell her colleagues about her hidden disability.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review

Another great read by Ali McNamara.
Fabulous portrayal of hidden difficulties people face in every day life. Really enjoyed reading it!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

In this book, the author takes us to St Felix to the island of Aurora, where we meet some lovely new characters and two doggies.

Coming to Aurora, Sky, Jamie, Talia and their pets, arrive to look into the weather reports which suggest there’s strange things happening. As they get to know and look around the island, we meet some old friends, and new ones.

Ali, in this story, in a sensitive way, discussed and highlighted a difficult subject, chronic illness.

I recommend this book.

An absolutely lovely read, I really enjoy all of the books in this series and the magical element fits beautifully with the wonderful descriptions of the Cornish coast. The author handles some difficult subjects with a light and knowledgeable touch which made for very insightful reading.
The perfect summer read.

I love this author and have read many books by her! They are all filled with a magical and mysterious element, and this book is no different! We meet Sky Matthews, a meteorologist who is sent to monitor the weather in the little Cornish seaside village of St Felix. Expecting to be living and working with trainee Talia, Sky also discovers that TV weatherman Sonny Samuels is also part of the weather monitoring group! Based in a house on Aurora Island, Sky watches strange goings-on with the clouds in the sky. Is she imagining it, or are the clouds trying to tell her something?

This was a delightful read! Firstly, the location was beautiful! Who couldn’t be captivated by the pretty little seaside village of St Felix! The author’s descriptions brought wonderful images to my mind as I read, and I honestly felt like I was right there by the harbour! The storyline was also captivating, grabbing my attention from the first page and not letting up until the very end! Sky Matthews is a likeable character, but it’s clear that there are things going on in her life which we don’t know about at the beginning of the book. Similarly with Sonny (or Jamie as he’s known off camera!) who also has many issues which we don’t get to find out about immediately! Sky, for me, took a little warming to though. She is lovely and a very dedicated meteorologist, but her health issues have obviously turned her into someone she doesn’t want to be. I loved Jamie though, he was so much nicer and genuine as Jamie, although I did enjoy the Sonny smile which he gave out for the camera!

The storyline was enchanting – there is obviously something mystical happening in St Felix, and it was wonderful to unravel what it was along with the characters. The weather topic was interesting, and I found myself caught up in the mysteries of clouds, wind and rain! All of the supporting characters played their role well within the storyline and there were some you were just meant to love and some you were meant to hate! It was lovely to see some characters from the other books back for a cameo role and it was particularly fun to catch up with Kate and Jack from one of the other books.

I loved everything about this book from the location and the characters, right through to the magic which is sprinkled throughout the pages! There’s not only lots of mystery, intrigue, romance and friendship, but a sensitive look at disabilities and in particular invisible illnesses. Wonderfully mind-opening, beautifully magical and hopelessly romantic! Would recommend!!

pleasant and much welcome return to the Cornish seaside and the town of St Felix. With a few characters from previous books making a guest appearance!

Sky is a meteorologist and has been sent to Aurora, a tidal island, off the coast of St Felix to monitor the weather as some strange readings have been recorded there. She is accompanied by her small dog Fitz. She is expecting a student to hell her but is completely thrown when weather personality, Sonny Samuels, is thrown into the mix! Sonny is a presenter of the weather but has no qualifications etc with regards to the warmer much to Sky’s disgust!

During their time on the island they witness some strange goings-on and this freaks Sky out as she thinks there should be a scientific explanation for everything.

Once again St Felix weaves it’s magical powers.

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

After being off work due to an illness, Sky who is a meteorologist has been sent to a little island called Aurora in St Felix in Cornwall to investigate some unusual weather patterns.
Sky thinks she will be working with an assistant Talia which was fine until a tv weather forecaster Sonny turns up at the same time and Sky is less than pleased thinking he is full of himself and brash until she gets to know Jamie the man behind the persona
A fun read

Ali McNamara takes us back to St Felix with her newest book and I'm definitely not angry about it.

This time we get to explore the island of Aurora and meet a bunch of new characters, including 2 sweet doggos! Sky, Jamie, Talia and the pooches head to Aurora to investigate strange weather reports. Through them exploring the main land of St Felix, we are reacquainted with some old friends and meet even more new ones. It was particularly good to catch up with Ant and Dec and Kate and Jamie!

I also really liked and appreciated that Ali dealt with the difficult subject of chronic illness and did so in a sensitive way but without being afraid of it. She does this because she lives with such a disability herself. So do I. That made me love the book even more.

I adored this story and as I've said before, I want to live in St Felix! I think I'd fit right in! There is, as I had hoped, romance, drama and a sprinkling of McNamara magic!