I really do love this author’s books, they are perfect and purely magical too.

A Secret Cornish Wish is a part of five books that are set in St. Felix and even though the characters appear across all five books they can also very easily be read as stand alones without any problems at all.

I absolutely loved this story and it was a wonderful, escapist read. The writing was beautiful and there was so much emotion, it definitely gave me the feels and i really did love the setting of St. Felix. Through the authors writing I honestly felt as though I was there, immersed in all the Cornish goodness.

The characters were wonderful and real and i really enjoyed getting to know all their stories and how their lives entwine…….

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

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

It’ follows the lives of a group of friends from their school years to their 50s, they meet up when they can as each has their own career and other responsibilities.

The story has sad and happy moments, as well as issues like parenthood, long term illnesses as well as others that are sensitivity handled.

I highly recommend this book.

The story follows Frankie and her five best friends, who discover a box with a tale of a wish-granting mermaid on the beaches of St Felix, Cornwall. They make wishes for their futures, hoping to stay together. Over the decades, life events bring them together and tear them apart, culminating in a final reunion where their wishes are revealed. The narrative spans from their teenage years into their 50s, revisiting them every ten years. Known as the Misfit Mermaids, their story is filled with magic, mystery, strong relationships, and life lessons. The book balances happiness and sadness, offering a magical and emotional journey with lovely characters and a beautiful setting.

I adore Ali Mcnamara's books, they're such gentle magical books - my go to when I need a hug! I particularly love the St Felix books as St Ives holds a very special place in my heart. I have to say, I think this book is my favourite yet, it felt slightly more grown up because it tells the story of a group of friends over several years from teens to adulthood. I LOVE THIS BOOK, I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!

This was an ideal type of book for me, Frankie and her friends are at school in St Felix and the story is them over the next few decades always returning to the town and to the friendships of old. I love this genre and this book was a particular highlight, well written, funny and heartwarming, a definite recommendation from me.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Love this trip back to St Felix following the lives of the Misfit Mermaids over a number of years. I'm quite sorry it's finished and I'm not in their company any more.

well this is another winner for ali mcnamara she never fails to achieve a brilliant book to read its so easy to follow the story line of these 6 friends in the cornish village from their lives as teenagers to having grown up with children of there own it tells of good times saddness and heartache along with a tear shed along the way and throughout the book the magical mermaids do their visits throughout the story once you start to read it is hard to put down as you will find out

Totally loved this latest wonderful escape to the small town of St Felix in Cornwall from Ali McNamara. Although there are many references to the previous books from this series which made me smile with those memories, it’s still a strong stand alone book.
Frankie and her friends are preparing for their end of term musical competition at school, and party with an Under the Sea theme, this is the late 80’s and we follow Frankie and her friends over the years to the present day. There are ups and downs, weddings and funerals, historic references to film and music, it’s all here.
Full of friendships, learning hard life lessons, love and family. It’s hard not to fall in love a little with the characters, and of course St Felix.
A truly magical tale, perfect holiday reading, warm hearted and comforting. Living by the sea is a special thing!!
Hugely enjoyed and highly recommended.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read early.

4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5⭐️
For Frankie and her five best friends growing up on the glorious beaches of Cornwall's St Felix, life couldn't get any better. Late one night, the friends discover an old box washed up on the shores and they learn the tale of the St Felix mermaid who grants wishes to those who find her treasure. Even though they know it's just Cornish folkore, the friends decide to make a wish for what they each want out of life - most importantly, they want to always be together . . .
Over the course of the next few decades, as weddings, funerals, birthdays and more bring the friends back together, lost loves, broken promises and buried secrets just as quickly tear them apart. But when they reunite one last time in St Felix, will it be for good? And will their wishes finally be revealed?

This was such a lovely heartwarming (and sometimes heartbreaking) story. Having read a few St Felix stories before it was like meeting old friends when previous characters were mentioned. I thoroughly enjoyed this new novel by Ali McNamara spanning over four decades.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in return for an honest review.

A nice light summer read that is full of hope, love and magic, I really enjoy all of the books in this series and the magical element fits beautifully with the wonderful descriptions of the Cornish coast.
I loved the mermaid theme running through this one. So magical.
The author handles some difficult subjects with a light and knowledgeable touch which made for very insightful reading.
The perfect summer read for anyone looking for sheer escapism.

What a special magical book. A lovely return to St Felix where magic is in the air, starting in 1989 with Frankie and her friends Claire, Suzy, Mandy and Eddie swiftly followed by Rob. We follow their lives and their reunions back in St Felix up to present day the good times and bad but the pull of St Felix brings most of them back and with the help of some mermaids the friends can maybe get what they always wished for. A lovely summery read with some great characters who I hope we will meet again

I'm not sure what to say about this book. I have read all of Ali's previous books and I loved them. I was looking forward to this one, but it didn't hit me in the way the author's older work did. I can't help thinking that so much time was taken jumping around different timelines, and on the magical theme, to the detriment of the love story, which seems an afterthought. I also can't help but feel sorry for Rob. I can't say much more as I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone who hasn't read or finished the book yet, but I felt misled as to who Frankie would end up with and feel I would have preferred a different ending. This story is darker than Ali's previous work, and at times, bleak. I didn't feel uplifted by the ending. I did like the mermaid theme. And one thing that stuck with me was how even if life isn't perfect, any knockbacks lead you, hopefully, to where you're supposed to be, even if it takes years. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of Ali McNamara and have read the previous books in the series bit think this could be easily read as a standalone novel. This visit to St Felix focuses on a group of friends from mid teens into their 50s with meetings roughly every decade. As a gr, there are many challenges as well as joys as is the case in lives well lived. Serious issues of premature death , single parenthood and terminal illnesses among others are sensitively handled as events forge ever deeper, sometimes long distance, bonds between the group. A wonderful, immersive visit to St Felix which I highly recommend.

Ali McNamara's books always have a bit of magic and this one is no exception.
Following the life of Frankie and her closest friends, the Misfit Mermaids, we are taken through various themes such as young love, depression, terminal illness, amongst other things.
These issues are given a light touch and the characters are all very different and very likeable.
Set in Cornwall, the mermaid theme is believable.
An enjoyable read.

As always, Ali McNamara delights with another mystical, magical novel that features a few characters from her previous novels who I always enjoy catching up with but this book can be read as a standalone. I found this one rather more hard hitting and with more sadness than the author's previous work. There are tragedies and several deaths that are quite sobering but there are also happier situations. Fun, friendship and the beautiful, fictional Cornish resort of St. Felix lift the mood. The story skips around through several timelines and I felt that often several years passed where main characters' lives had moved on but with no explanation as to how major life changing events had come about, e.g. one main character having a child but no storyline as to any relationship, pregnancy or birth. The second half of the book was fascinating, though, with the mystical aspects coming together to close the story very nicely and explaining a number of things that I hadn't noticed. I need to read it again now to spot the clues. All in all this was an enjoyable story that I will long remember. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. This review is my own unbiased and voluntary one.

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK | Sphere and NetGalley for a copy of “ A Secret Cornish Wish “ for an honest review.
I’m a long time reader of Ali McNamara and I love the fact that her books refer back to characters from her previous ones, but still work well as standalone reads..This was in the beautiful Cornish setting of “ St Felix “ and I loved the new characters. I enjoyed the nostalgia aspect , that the story was told over different periods of time,For me it was just the right amount of fantasy and romance , but more gritty than some of her previous books , and I felt really moved by the end of the story.
Highly recommended and perfect for a holiday read

As ALWAYS, another beautiful tale from the amazing Ali McNamara. It never ceases to amaze me how much research goes into her books and how much magic is woven throughout the story that may not be spotted until the very end.

Compared to her earlier books, this one has a lot more grit and reality involved in it. Not quite the fairy tale that we loved about the earlier books but still stories to immerse yourself in, to escape in, away from your own reality for a little while.

St Felix is the perfect place for the myths and magic to be. It also helps that the first four books and their characters have made their way into this one although I was a little disappointed that she didn't spell it out for us at the end, the spotting of those characters. I read them such a long time ago that I have forgotten some I'm sure. From Mad Stan to a back story for Rose, each one I did spot made me smile.

The characters in this story were lovely, a group of friends that come back together every 5 or 10 years for an occasion of some sort and are there for each other throughout everything that life throws at them. I am a bit sad that their lives in between each occasion are sad and lonely and wish it were a shorter time frame so that they could get their St Felix happy ever after sooner. The ending made me cry and there was obviously a lot of thought that went into the right ending for them. Even throughout the sad moments, the writing flows so seamlessly that it is beautiful to read.

I love reading Ali McNamara books and I have every one proudly displayed on my book case. Always waiting for a pick me up whenever I am in need of one.

Thanks to Little Brown Books, Netgalley and of course Ali herself for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review. This has been put up on Storygraph, Goodreads and Amazon today.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars! What an incredible beautiful moving book.
Ali takes us back to St Felix and back to the 80s with this book. Frankie, Eddie, Claire, Mandy and finally Rob all attend The Enchantment Under The Sea dance before the final year of school which brings together The Mermaid Misfits.
Jumping a decade at a time it tells us how their lives are entwined throughout.
A tale of mermaids, friendship and love written in the most magical way A Secret Cornish Wish is definitely my favourite in the St Felix Stories I didn’t want it to end it was just so wonderful.
Tissues at the ready.
Thank you NetGalley for this fabulous ARC

I love all Ali Mcnamara's books this one included.
I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end,.
Its a story of a group of school friends who get together because they don't fit in with the normal gang.
They become close and this story is about there lives and reunions over the years from school upto the age of 50.
And the story of St Felix were they came from some still live there others moved away.
It was a touching novel and pulled at the heartstrings even brought a tear to my eye.
Loved this book so much.
This is the fifth book from the St felix series but could be read alone but i would recomend all the st felix series to read.

Another great book from this author. I love reading about Cornwall so this was no hardship. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.