Told in alternating chapters and letters from the past, we meet Georgie, a journalist reporting for her local newspaper, who is also PA for her favourite author. She is asked to report on the opening of the newly renovated mansion on the cliffs. This mansion was the former home of Author SE Artemis, who wrote the Cornish Sands stories, young Georgie loved so much. SE Artemis, otherwise known as Spence, who Georgie is PA for, has asked her to go along and take photos and get a sense of the newly renovated mansion so that she can finally complete the Cornish Sands stories.

Georgie finds out on the day of the open house that the architect and designer of the house is none other than her teenage lover Ethan. She begins to have doubts about going as she’s not seen Ethan since he failed to turn up for their prom night and they had an argument the next morning.

The chapters alternate between love letters to the characters in the Cornish Sands stories, teenage Georgie and current day.

This was well read by the narrator. The characters came to life through the retelling. I can’t say I loved them but they did grow on me as the story develops


Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen this title

This was a fun reunion love story that would be great to bring with you on a summer holiday. The plot isn't necessarily deep but neither does it need to be. The main character, working for her favourite author, is sent to scout out a new smart-home that has been renovated from the house that inspired the authors famous series. Turns out, the main characters ex-boyfriend is the architect and they get stuck in the house when the smart system shuts down. It was cute, I wasn't blown away but it did what it needed to do.

I loved everything about this story. The characters were fun and engaging and had a real chemistry between them. Some nice twists and turns in the story, to be honest it wasn’t the direction I was expecting it to go (not that that is a bad thing). Overall definitely recommend.
I had the audio book which was very well narrated and easy to follow / listen to.

As soon as I saw the front cover of this book I knew I would love the story, and had to get my hands on a copy. The audiobook version is beautifully narrated by Hollie Hales. Her voice perfectly matches the writing.

The story itself takes us to the beautiful Cornish Coast. Journalist Georgie Monroe has been invited to report on a new smart house build, she is excited at the prospect as she has been intreagued every since the building work started. When she arrives for the interview she comes face to face with her first love, Ethan Sparks. Who is happens is the architect of the project. The pair havent seen each other since sixth form The book reverts to dual time lines so we the listener can see where the pair when wrong as they are so obviously made for each other. I did like this for the background aspect but felt the backstory was dragged out. I was so much more interested in what was going to happen in their present.

All in all a nice easy listening audiobook and well worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins audio for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate enough to receive both the electronic copy and the audio book from NetGalley. I read the book first and enjoyed it very much. Full of twists and turns in a love story which started years before, stopped and then was revived. A lovely tale with well rounded characters and a nicely described location. I have now finished the audio book which was beautifully narrated and it almost felt like I was listening to a slightly different story as I picked up more detail this way. I’d recommend both versions of this book. The audio one is particularly handy when listening in the car.

This was a nicely written love story of two very young adults, Ethan and Georgie, who fall in love at 18, but are torn apart by circumstances and lack of communication.

Many years later they meet, the attraction is very strong, but so is the hurt and pain. Unknowingly they are manipulated into a close proximity situation that forces them to realize that their young love was in fact true everlasting love.

Both MMCs are manipulated in this book, but they both shone as individuals despite all the challenges.

The narration for this book was done very well. The dual timelines effective in building the narration and pacing and setting was excellent.

#ACornishLoveStory #NetGalley

really enjoyed this sweet, comfy audiobook! thank you so much to the publisher for this audio arc, it’s my first ever audio arc and i’m so happy 💖💖💖

This is incredibly light and frilly and it just wasn't for me. Even reading on 1.5x speed didn't help. I'm sorry but it's not good.

A lovely easy read/listen. Set in beautiful Cornwall, it was easy to picture the setting and imagine I was there. Georgie is a lovely character, I was glad she found her way towards the end. I liked that she befriended her favourite author! And rightly so, set on writing her own book. Ethan too was a nice character but felt he drew the short draw with his sister. I felt frustrated that she literally stole his childhood from him. All in all, a nice summery story with a happy ending. Exactly what the cover depicts and what is expected.

This charming Cornish love story by Cressida McLaughlin is a heartfelt exploration of second chances. At its core, it’s about Georgie, a determined reporter, and Ethan, an architect restoring what might be the most gorgeous house in Cornwall. When the two unexpectedly cross paths at the property and end up trapped together, old sparks reignite, though not without complications.

The “trapped together” trope is handled with warmth and believable tension and McLaughlin does a lovely job weaving in the messy emotions of rekindling a relationship that once went off the rails. Told through alternating past and present POVs, almost like extended flashbacks, the narrative offers insight into what drove them apart and what still holds them together. At times, those flashbacks dig a bit too deep, slightly slowing the momentum, but the consistent pacing otherwise keeps the story moving.

The prose is engaging and easy to connect with, drawing you right into Georgie and Ethan’s emotional tangle. There’s plenty of heart here, and the novel radiates a feel-good, romantic vibe that makes it perfect for curling up with on a quiet evening or taking to the beach. The audiobook enhances this experience as the narrator’s smooth, clear delivery makes the story effortless to follow, capturing both the tension and tenderness between the characters.

Overall, this is a sweet, satisfying tale of finding your way back to love, complete with the charm of Cornwall and a house that feels like a character in its own right.

I have read a few of the authors books before and was excited to see one on audio. This was a nice, easy listen second chance type romance. The setting sounds idyllic and I could picture if perfectly. This was an ok read nothing outstanding but still a cute summer read all the same but not my favourite from the author. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this audio book.

Lovely story about a second chance romance, where the houses and landscapes are as much a part of the story as the people.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cressida McLaughlin takes a classic mystery novel 'locked room' trope and applies it to her wonderful, sweeping, slow-burn second-chance love story. Journalist and PA Georgie Monroe is sent to cover the opening of a new high-tech mansion, one she and her best friends and former boyfriend used to trespass in as teenager. To her shock, the architect is her ex, Ethan Sparks. Worst still they end up locked inside by house's digital controller, Sparks (who seems eerily reminiscent of HAL).

It’s been 13 years are strangers (oh gosh the flashbacks leading up to their break-up had me tense, at times I wondered if we really needed them), so how could it work? Yet Georgie and Ethan were just so good together in both past and present that I believed they would get it right this second time around. I love that he named the house Sterenlenn (I wish I lived there) as a homing beacon to try and win back Georgie (oh gosh those letters!).

Cressida McLaughlin really knows how to make her character work for their reunion, but in a way that makes their happy ending satisfying and realistic. Narrator Hollie Hales has a wonderfully clear and warm voice that brings to life the swoony, heartfelt, and uplifting writing, yet she also delivers it with the slight sharp edge of her characters.

A quietly sweeping slow-burn second-chance love story that is full of heart.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the ALC.

As a big fan of Cressida McLaughlin’s books, I was so excited when I saw her new title A CORNISH LOVE STORY had become available on NetGalley.

The voice actor, Hollie Hales, was a perfect choice. Her smooth, clear delivery is a great match for McLaughlin’s work. I found the production to be very pleasant to listen to… and about the only thing I liked about this audiobook.

The premise of extreme forced proximity is something different, while offering the charm of her usual Cornish setting. But unfortunately, the execution of this idea was deeply unsatisfying on multiple levels.

The dual timeline could have been fun, but it slowed the pacing to the point of frustration. Nearly three hours in and we’re still circling and circling and getting nowhere, except bogged down with lengthy backstory.
I read a ton of YA novels, I worked in KidLit, and I’m about the same age as the protagonists in CORNISH LOVE STORY. So please believe me when I tell you that the flashbacks to Georgie’s adolescence were garbage. I can’t put it any other way. The dialogues were ridiculously inauthentic, no matter the age of the characters, but particularly this one. No girl sees a new boy at school and tells her best friend “He looks like he has a dry sense of humor.” C’mon.
The allegedly tense scenes—both past and present—fell flat for me. Perhaps because I didn’t care for Georgie. There was nothing to care about; she’s so bland. The renovated mansion has more personality than she does.

All that to say: This book really bummed me out. I wanted to like it so badly. I kept hoping the story would finally get a grip and be interesting or at least atmospheric, but alas.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!