Cover Image: The Little Cornish House

The Little Cornish House

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

A wonderful book to read for the summer, very well written and holds you gripped within these pages. I highly recommend this and give it 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

Ruby is in Cornwall to help out her grandmother. She left pottery behind when she was disappointing in life, but will this be the opportunity to start again, especially if it will help out Gabe, her new found friend in Cornwall. As well as dealing with the appearance of her dad back in her life, she is trying to trace the man who got her best friend pregnant - she thinks it is Gabe's brother but Gabe will protect him no matter what, so where does that leave Ruby and Gabe's relationship?

Was this review helpful?

A very enjoyable read with a pottery theme running throughout.
Ruby agrees to help her grandmother Lila run her pottery classes in Indigo Bay. She is dismayed to discover that things aren't as rosy as she remembers and she vows to help improve things. She joins in with the community meetings whilst she is there and we get to meet the new pottery class characters.
Everyone gets to know each other better and I enjoy seeing their confidence grow alongside their friendships and their willingness to try and help find out who is behind local vandalism.
Friendships. romance, family and business problems combine to make a must read book.

Was this review helpful?

The Little Cornish House by Donna Ashcroft is a sweet romance. The story takes place in Indigo Cove, Cornwall, an idyllic Cornish village.
The main character, Ruby, is taking a break from her life as an accountant in London, and heads to the cove to assist her grandmother with her pottery classes.
The story is enjoyably predictable, with romance and a bit of drama thrown in.
A good read.

Was this review helpful?

🅜🅨 🅣🅗🅞🅤🅖🅗🅣🅢:
ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ʙʀᴇᴇᴢʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ sᴀɪʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ. ʀᴜʙʏ ɪs ᴀ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ, ʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴄᴋʟᴇ ʟɪғᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ sʜᴇ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴘʟᴀʏs ɪᴛ sᴀғᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴜᴀʀᴅs ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴏɴᴄᴇ sʜᴇ ɪs ɪɴ ɪɴᴅɪɢᴏ ᴄᴏᴠᴇ, ʟɪғᴇ ʜᴀs ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀɴs.
ɪ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʙᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴀsɪᴅᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴏғ ᴋɪɴᴍᴀɴsʜɪᴘ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs. ʀᴜʙʏ's ɢʀᴀᴍᴅᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴅᴇʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʏ ɢᴏᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ. ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ 🔥. ɢᴀʙᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴀɴᴛ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ғᴏʀ ʀᴜʙʏ.
ɪ ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ʙᴜᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ɢᴀʙᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛɪᴍᴇ! 😍
ᴘɪᴄᴋ ɪᴛ ᴜᴘ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏsʏ sᴇᴀsɪᴅᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɢᴇs. ❤

Was this review helpful?

Learning to accept life 's challenges is hard. Opening your heart can be harder. Donna shows you life is worth forgiving and living in this sweet book. I love her characters and would really like to meet them someday (if only we could) . You will enjoy this.

Was this review helpful?

This book was a fun treat! I loved it! It was a good reset after I read a heavier book. It kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime!!

Was this review helpful?

The Little Cornish House by Donna Ashcroft is an easygoing romance taking place in Indigo Cove, Cornwall, and featuring Ruby Penhaligon. But, it is so much more than a romance. It is a mystery, the perpetrator staring them in the face all along; and a reconciliation between a really immature man and his mother and his daughter. It's also about addiction and how that can tear a family apart. It sounds pretty horrible and parts of it are, but it is really a light-hearted story with fun and interesting people, just living their lives. Ruby's grandmother, Lila, is a potter. Always has been. She gives classes, mostly, but the business has been falling off since a competitor had started an advertising blitz. She did have a young friend, Gabe Roskilly, who owned a brewery and had been coming in for weeks, making souvenir tankards for his brewery's big anniversary celebration next month. The brewery had been hard going lately. Things were getting old and seemed to be breaking down more often than seemed normal. There had also been a couple of pranks, and some problems with the estate agent trying to sell some land adjacent to the brewery. He didn't believe anyone was doing more than pranks until someone walked into the pottery studio and smashed all of the finished tankards, nothing else.

Indigo Cove is a small town and in small towns, people help one another. But, they also interfere and get all up in one's business as well. Ruby was an accountant and she had chosen that profession because it was safe and steady. That's what she wanted: safe and steady. She had given up pottery when she chose accounting and had never looked back, but now she was here. The frustration rolled off her and the reader could feel it, frustrated with her. Lila was too easy going: that was not safe and steady, but, people loved her and she helped others. Gabe was working so hard to take care of his brother and make good their father's legacy. It was quite the moving story.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Little Cornish House by Bookoutre through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #bookoutre, #donnaashcroft #thelittlecornishhouse

Was this review helpful?

I can't resist any new story by Donna Ashcroft. The Little Cornish House was no exception. The beautiful cover promises a quaint location and sweet story, and that is what it delivers.

Ruby has arrived in Indigo Cove to visit her grandmother Lila. Ruby hasn't been to visit in quite awhile because she has a difficult relationship with her father. But despite the complex family history, Ruby is very close to Lila.
Lila owns and runs a pottery shop where she teaches classes to tourists.
The pottery classes are my favorite moments in the story. The students are all interesting and likeable. I especially enjoyed the hint of mystery surrounding two of them.

Ruby soon meets Gabe and during the course of their budding romance, they both are forced to deal with their complicated family relationships.
Ruby and Gabe could both be difficult characters to get behind at times but overall they were genuine people with good hearts and it was satisfying to see them grow and change.
And Indigo Cove was a location I would love to visit again.

I was given an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for a review and I am grateful to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity.

Was this review helpful?

This is such the perfect summer read for anyone looking for a little romance and a great beach read. The characters are so cute and relatable, the story was well-paced and such easy reading with a few lovely twists and such lovely writing. If you love Cornwall and romance this is the perfect book for you

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book, it was romantic without being over the top (although a couple of steamy parts, just saying).

Ruby comes to help out her grandmother Lila, who is an amazing potter and runs pottery classes. Ruby has turned her back on that world and become an accountant, because numbers are safe. However, the clay beckons her....

The people who come to Lila's pottery classes are all very different but there is a story with each one of them.

And then there is Gabe, a very handsome man who is beset with issues at the brewery he runs. There is a story with him, as well.

Lots of things going on with this book and it is not just a straight romance. I liked that there was a bit of grit here, not just everything going really well and "boy meets girl". I loved the emphasis on family, particularly. Lila sounds amazing!

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Was this review helpful?

The Little Cornish House by Donna Ashcroft is a gorgeously written story that is pure escapism at its very best. The perfect book to read as we head into the summer months, it is an easy, feel-good read that will leave you with a warm and happy glow as you turn the final page.

Ruby has returned to Cornwall and Indigo Cove to help her Grandmother who has called to ask for help. With her pottery business failing and the possibility of losing her beautiful little house by the sea, Lila is hoping that Ruby will be able to help her to get back on her feet again. So as the summer heats up, Ruby is determined to do everything she can to put things right. With memories she’d rather forget beginning to stir, she feels in need of a distraction, which soon comes in the form of Gabe, the sexy and brooding owner of the local brewery. But will her attraction for Gabe prove to be the distraction she needs? Or are the secrets of the past about to come back and haunt her?

The beautiful Cornish setting is the ideal backdrop for a story that is the perfect combination of mystery, intrigue and heart pounding romance. With a warm and varied cast of characters and a storyline that will keep you entertained throughout, I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent within the pages of this lovely and heartwarming tale.

Beautifully written by Donna Ashcroft, The Little Cornish House is a charming and feel-good summer read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. Simply gorgeous!

Was this review helpful?

Take a trip to Indigo Cove.

Immerse yourself in Ruby's Cornish tale. She's back in Indigo Cove to help her grandmother save the pottery project and her house.
From the train ride down. you are knee deep in Cornwall names, places and thinking. Its a distinctive culture that is perfectly captured. Throw in the local hottie, Gabe and its a charming trip to a little Cornish town.

Was this review helpful?

The Little Cornish House is a light-hearted novel of love, family and the community. Will Ruby ever be able to forgive her father and be able to open her heart to love? The Cornish setting is wonderful; the characters are a wonderful range of people coming together for different reasons. Great read

Was this review helpful?

A gorgeous title and cover, a stunning setting, fabulous and varied characters and a good solid storyline all await you in this new story from Donna Ashcroft The Little Cornish House. Donna’s books always provide that perfect slice of escapism when you need it the most and this book proved to be no exception. The characters walk off the page to meet you and invite you into the wonderful setting of Indigo Cove where Ruby Penhaligon has just arrived to visit her grandmother Lila affectionately known as Nanou.

It’s been over a year since she has visited and Lila needs Ruby’s help to run her pottery business. Ruby’s family history is not all that solid and she has an estranged relationship with her father, Ross, believing him to be the cause of her mother’s death through his fruitful promises in his quest for fast, easy money, If only he had exerted those efforts into his marriage and relationship with his daughter than things could have turned out so differently. Ruby when she has visited Indigo Cove in the past had tended to stay away from the locals in case any had been friends with her father. But now Indigo Cove has called her back and with mysterious goings on in the village and Nanou needing help to make sure The Pottery Project stays open, Ruby perhaps has no choice but to get stuck into things. It’s like the village is taking her by the hand and making her confront everything she has kept buried for so long.

Ruby has kept her love life protected for fear of getting hurt. She keeps her life free from attachments and it’s clear from the outset this all stems from the lack of relationship she has with her father. He promised so much but never delivered and when she sees Nanou’s house is in desperate need of renovation she thinks here we go again. Ross has promised he will provide the funds to fix things and Nanou believes him but Ruby is not so sure. He has let them down time and time again in the past what makes things any different now.

It’s clear from the outset that Ruby has significant personal problems from when she was younger and she has carried these through to the present day. You wouldn’t blame her as Ross dipped in and out of her life so much and she has come to view him as being dishonest, deceitful, unreliable and as slippery as an eel. This had led to major trust issues for Ruby and she can’t open herself up to people no matter even when a good thing is staring her straight in the face. I found it frustrating that the actions of the past had such a negative impact on her so much so that her judgement in the present was deeply affected. She used to love pottery and was good at it, having being coached under the watchful eye of Nanou but why did she stop? It’s like she has closed off her heart to the good things in life and is afraid to let it unfurl and let dangerous things into her life. But everything need not be dangerous. There are good things waiting for her if only she can let her barriers down.

I wanted her to just take a chance or a risk and go for it and not to be so closed minded when it came to life opportunities, be it romantic or otherwise potentially coming her way. The actions of the past shouldn’t always impact the present or the future and if she could realise this and come to terms with what she had been covering up than perhaps love and happiness could find a way into her life. Ruby was a brilliant, yet frustrating, character as I have said but underneath it all she was a good person. I loved the relationship she had with Lila and that she did play her part in trying to solve the mysterious goings on in Indigo Cove. She was always so willing to help others. To give her time, to offer support, to lend an ear when someone needed to offload. This is demonstrated when she takes it upon herself to solve a personal issue regarding her best friend Anna Lovejoy.

I won’t go into specifics as to what it is suffice to say things get very deep and personal and its starts to invade on Ruby’s own personal and romance development. This aspect of the storyline although I could see its relevance to Ruby as a character and her history, to be honest I just found it to be a little extra to requirements. I think the book would have worked well enough without it and the male character Gabe would have come to the realisation he eventually did without this taking place. I know it’s not the main focal point of the overall plot but this dogged determinedness Ruby had to solve something and prove her instincts to be correct irked me a little bit. I felt her interests and determination were best used elsewhere.

Of course, in a book of this nature there has to be a strong male lead to provide the romance element and this comes in the form of local brewer Gabe Roskilly. I loved that Gabe wasn’t your typical male character that in fact he had many sides to him. There was an aura of doubt about him, that he lacked complete faith in his abilities and basically he was just human and life wasn’t always straightforward and easy for him. He was a well-rounded, multi-faceted character whose loyalties lay with the family business and his brother Aaron. There was that something about him that would make any woman drawn to him and I desperately hoped that Ruby would see this too and be able to push through her trust issues and embrace what Gabe could potentially offer. Gabe has run the brewery ever since his parents died and now it is close to celebrating its centenary. He meets Ruby when he is making special tankards at The Pottery Project and through the weird events occurring in the village and the subsequent group set up to try and catch the culprits a friendship develops between the pair. One in which you hope it can turn into something much much more.

As well as lots of unexplained incidents in the village, Gabe’s life seems to be mirroring what is happening in the village and it’s as if the brewery is coming under fire. Lots of things happen and some are very malicious. I had my suspicions as to what and who it was but as for the reasons I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. There were several characters acting suspiciously and I hoped that Ruby would help Gabe get to the bottom of it. This is what I loved about this book that it wasn’t all about romance, boy meets girl etc. There was a lot more to it and the unusual events happening allowed lots of other strands and subplots to feed out from the many story and in doing so it gave Ruby and Gabe time to get to know each other but when the truth is revealed will the friendship they have built up fragment forever or can they both see a way to opening their hearts to love?

There were lots of other characters briefly mentioned throughout the book which gives me the impression, well I am hoping and have my fingers crossed, that there will be more from Indigo Cove in the future and that this won’t be a one-off visit as I really did enjoy this book. It was an easy read, perfect for your summer holidays or really in fact any time of year. Everyone looks out for one another and both Ruby and Gabe go on a journey of discovery to face some home truths and hopefully along the way they will both allow love into their world. Love and forgiveness feature strongly alongside a wide cast of interesting characters that will quickly find a way into you heart. All in all this was a delightful read with plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading on.

Was this review helpful?

If you enjoy heartwarming family dramas with mystery, too,
This could well be the ideal book for you!
It is a delightful, romantic comedy as well,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, you can no doubt tell.

Indigo Bay is full of memories for Ruby and so
She's reluctant back there to go.
However, a call for help made by her Grandmother
Has her returning to help in any way she can discover.

Her Grandmother, Lila, runs a pottery business and school
But things aren't going well, nothing is cool.
Both the business and her home are now in danger
Her Gran without those? Nothing could be stranger.

Gabe Roskilly is the owner of the local brewery
But he seems to be the victim of lots of tomfoolery.
Are the attacks on his things part of the same plot
Or is someone else behind them, a different lot?

Get ready to meet the Marples as they seek to find
Who is causing vandalism, stealing and being unkind.
There's romance blossoming for several of them, too,
If only they'll give their love a chance to prove true.

It is a lovely story to escape into, one I highly recommend
With delightful characters, great plot and a surprise at the end.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
Such a gorgeous read and this is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was a sweet romance novel with an easy-going plot that attempts to tackle some intense issues. I found it a little overwritten at times, and the protagonist, Ruby, was a little difficult to get on side with. But it ticks all the boxes for an easily digestible romance. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

What a truly stunning read this book is and Donna never fails to disappoint. Heart warming and beautifully written.

Was this review helpful?

A delightful read that draws you in to the gorgeous Indigo Cove to see Ruby step in to help her grandmother. Throw into the mix the handsome brewery owner Gabe and you have a delightful read with many interesting and quirky threads thrown in.
I loved the animals characters, they really helped bring this to life with their adventures and my favourite addition had to be ‘The Marples’ group. It threw me back to my childhood reading of Enid Blyton and the gorgeous secret seven and famous five. Books that plunge you into those magical stories again, and are reminiscent of the enchanting places you visited as a child are always the best reads in my opinion.
If you want a captivating, cheery and summery read with a hint of mystery this is the one for you! I would love a follow up on Indigo Cove, as it sounds like pure heaven and has made me excited for my upcoming visit to Cornwall this summer!

Was this review helpful?

Ruby Penhaligon’s life is turned upside down when her grandmother calls to tell her that she is not only about to lose her pottery business but also her wonderful house by the sea. She needs Ruby to come back to Indigo Cove, in Cornwall to help save not just her business but also her house. Of course Ruby doesn’t think twice about going back to help her grandmother. But returning to Indigo Cove isn’t something she wants to do. There are so many memories of the village that she was hoping she would be able to bury in the past, but they all surface when she returns. But when Ruby runs into Gabe Roskilly, the owner of the local brewery, it was not what she expected. Ruby doesn’t want to fall in love after her fair share of heartbreak, but when Ruby’s plans of fixing up her grandmother’s house don't go according to plan, Gabe may be the only one that can help her. And as Gabe’s past comes to light, Ruby may face more heartbreak again. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this little cozy read. I was so captivated by the detailed description of Indigo Cove. What a wonderful escape it was. I absolutely love it when an author can transport the reader to another place. That is exactly what you get from this author's books. An absolutely delightful read. If you need to get away, Indigo Cove in Cornwall is a wonderful place to go. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Donna Ashcroft for such a wonderful feel-good book. I loved escaping to Cornwall and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Was this review helpful?