Such an enjoyable read and one that makes great summer reading; it was difficult to put it down.

Oh how I enjoyed this book. Romance, seaside and village stylee intrigue.

A relaxing summer read that anyone would be happy to lie on a beach reading.

Enjoyable and heart-warming, with a strong, sympathetic heroine. I particularly liked Penny's back story and the 'relationship' with her sister, which lent the plot depth and a nice mystery element to drive the pace. A summery holiday read.

Penny Canter is in her mid 40's, married to Simon - the villages vicar - with a little girl called Jenna, they live in Pendruggan, a charming village in Cornwall. Her best friend, Helen, also lives in the village with her partner Piran in Gull's Cry, a cosy cottage across the village green from the vicarage.
Penny used to be a tv producer with her own production company and live a glamorous life in London, of men, eating out, pampering herself, power lunches and flying all over the world on business and pleasure. Penny didn't think she'd ever get married and wasn't in the least bit maternal.
Then she met Simon, a vicar in a little village parish, while on location in Cornwall. They were total opposites to each other and a most unlikely couple. However, Cupid fired his arrow and it hit them both, taking Penny by surprise. She was then hit by another surprise when she had Jenna in her mid 40's. She knows she should be happy, but she can't help feeling drained and out of sorts since she had Jenna.
Her career also appears to be nose diving, now she's living in the sticks. The tv company she does production work for, wants to bring back The Mr Tibbs Mysteries, a smash tv period mystery drama, but old Mavis Crewe is refusing to write any new stories. Her boss at channel 7 - Jack Bradbury - is refusing to back down and the pressure falls onto Penny to find a replacement writer to come up with six new scripts and a Christmas special.
On top of this she receives some startling news about her estranged Mother and the potential of an unwanted visit from her estranged sister Suzie.

Marguerite Cottage - the house behind the vicarage - has just been sold, and so Penny finds herself with some new neighbours - Kit, Adam and two dogs Terry's and Celia. Kit is an artist and Adam a doctor. On the train moving down to Cornwall Adam meets Ella, who used to live with her grandmother in Trevay, a village close by to Pendruggan. Ella has been living with her brother Henry in Clapham, but would to anything to move away from London and back down to Cornwall. When an opportunity comes Ella's way, she can't turn it down and finds herself living back in Cornwall.

I simply adored this book. The characters of the village are all so eccentric and charming, it really makes you want to move to Pendruggan, just so you can sit with Queenie in her shop gossiping while sat on one of her comfy couches. Or while walking on one of the many beautiful beaches, and afterwards stopping off in one of the local pubs for a drink of cider or a lunch of locally caught fish. Please someone get me a train ticket to this village!.....

I would love to get to know some of the other characters in more depth, or get to discover what eventually happened to some of the other threads in this book - such as the storylines about Ella and Henry, Adam and Kit etc.
Looking at other books by Fern Britton, I would imagine it's a high possibility we will get to visit Pendruggan and its residents another time. I haven't read anything else by her - well, not yet! - but the majority of her previous books appear to be set in Cornwall, and some have featured characters we get to know in The Postcard. Fern Britton is yet another author whose back catalogue of books I will need to check out and add to my ever growing to read list.

So if you like books set in gorgeous Cornish seaside villages full of life's ups and downs, drama, wonderful characters, a gauntlet of emotions and to top it all off some giggles thrown in, then The Postcard is a superb holiday read and definitely worth using up some of your precious luggage allowance on packing.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author for the opportunity to read a copy of this book, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Usually avoiding celebrity books, I thought I would try The Postcard. What a pleasant surprise. The book is beautifully written with well-drawn characters. Although it includes post-natal depression and loss of a parent, it is a positive book and not miserable. Probably due to Fern's television background, it was easy to visualise the scenes. It would make a great mini-series; a pleasant change from murders or violence.

Was totally adsorbed by this compelling summer read by Fern Britton. Engaging characters, an intriguing plotline, happy endings with a slight cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more. Great stuff!

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of this by Netgalley to review – and then asked to be part of Fern’s blog tour – which was very very exciting!!

I hadn’t read the blurb before I read the book (based on the fact I’ve enjoyed all of Fern’s previous books) – but here is it is for you:

“The new witty and warm novel from the Sunday Times best-selling author and TV presenter, Fern Britton.

Secrets. Sisters. The summer that changed everything . . .

Life in the Cornish village of Pendruggan isn’t always picture perfect. Penny Leighton has never told anyone why she’s estranged from her mother and sister. For years she’s kept her family secrets locked away in her heart, but they’ve been quietly eating away at her. When an unwelcome visitor blows in, Penny is brought face to face with the past. And a postcard, tucked away in a long-hidden case, holds the truth that could change everything.

Young Ella has come back to the place where she spent a happy childhood with her grandmother. Now she’s here to search for everything missing in her life. Taken under Penny’s broken wing for the summer, the safe haven of Pendruggan feels like the place for a fresh start. Soon, however, Ella starts to wonder if perhaps her real legacy doesn’t lie in the past at all.”

I was DELIGHTED when I started reading to find out it was set in Pendruggan again – and revisiting characters we’d met before. It felt like meeting up with old friends. The previous books set in this village of Cornwall have always left me wanting to know more – and I was about to find out more – hoorah!

This time it centres, initially, on Penny. She’s a new Mum, vicar’s wife and TV exec – not necessarily always in that order. The story follows her current and historic relationships with her family and the impact each has on the other. It also looks at quite serious issues of postnatal depression and the fact that women are expected to want to ‘have it all’ – and just how tough that can be for families.

Ella is then introduced – firstly in London and then moving down to Cornwall. Her story interweaves with Penny’s – and it is interesting to see their relationship develop, along with Ella’s relationships with other villagers.

I really enjoyed this easy, escapist read and the gentles twists and turns of the story. It really evokes the feeling of being in Cornwall – and the village fete was very reminiscent of our own – albeit ours is in Worcestershire!

I don’t want to give too much of the story away (I hate it when I read a review that gives away something fundamental) but you really are rooting for Penny and Ella in different ways.

My only very slight criticism is that the ending seems a bit rushed. After a perfectly paced majority of the book, the loose ends for Penny are all tied up super quickly in the final chapter. However, that’s not the case for Ella – and there is practically an Eastenders – duff, duff, duff at the end of the epilogue for her! I can only hope that means we’ll be revisiting Pendruggan with its characters again soon!

A top holiday read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Having never read any Fern Britton books I felt slightly on the back foot when I realised this is a follow on. Which means I'm now going to have to read the other books she has written. ;) Penny is struggling with work and family life and then when her estranged sister turns up trying to make trouble which no one else sees. She has a fight on her hands. I took an extreme dislike to Suzie's character and wanted people to see what she was really like. I was totally invested in the outcome. You can almost smell the sea air of Cornwall.

A good read/ listen, although slightly predictable in parts, especially in the creation of the setting. This predictability is not a bad thing though. Far from it- it serves (at least for me) to give the book a cosy feel. I think anyone who is from, or has been to, Cornwall, will immediately identify with and enjoy this book, while those who have never been to the county will want to go after reading this!

Penny lives in the picture-perfect Cornish seaside town of Pendruggan with her husband Simon and baby daughter Jenna. Fern Britton does a great job of creating realistic characters who all have their own clear personalities, I was really drawn in by the events of the prologue, and by what Penny had to face in life. Her problems at work for Channel 7, the cracks which start to show in her seemingly perfect relationship with Simon or the internal struggle she faced when looking after Jenna. I warmed to Helen, her friend. Ella and every other character in the book was well portrayed, too.
Another strong point of Fern's writing is the incredible detail in the book.

This was the first book I read by Fern Britton. Thanks to her and the publsher for an eARC of the book via NetGalley. See the blog tour post on my book blog.

The Postcard is a sweet and tender story, which has a lot of substance and strong, believable characters against the realistic backdrop of the Cornish village of Pendruggan. People's struggles, triumphs secrets and moments of happiness seem very real and I could really identify with them. The representation of Cornwall is very welcoming, and I felt almost as if, through her writing, Fern was inviting me to experience this unique world she has created. What I loved about this book was that it was peppered with funny parts that bought a smile to my face and even made me laugh out loud, thanks to Queenie, the village's shop owner who can't resist a little gossip now and then.

The Postcard is a story about secrets, sisters overcoming fear, self doubt and difficult situations and of the importance of family and friends. It is the perfect holiday escape read and is so relaxing to read. I'm looking forward to reading more by Fern Britton.

This is the second of Fern's books that I have recently read in the Cornwall based series. It was a great story which really developed the character of Penny who I had read about in the last book, "A Seaside Affair", and added some new interesting characters, such as her Sister Suzie, Nanny Ellie, and the handsome Doctor Adam, who I hope to read more about in future! This story found Penny doing quite a lot of soul searching about her late parents, and her sister.

An easy read set in magical Conwall. A good way to spend an afternoon curled up on the sofa. A perfect way to escape from the world for a while.

Thank you Netgalley, Publishers and the Author. Loved loved this book, has everything, sisters, secrets and a wonderful descriptions of Cornwall. Fantastic read

Another great book by Fern and one that will be great for a holiday read. An excellent story that is well written with great characters that you can relate to and really feel almost part of the village Pendruggan with the books wonderful descriptions. It’s one of those books that allows you to drift off into an idyllic place but keeps you engaged throughout with drama as well as a few laughs, even leaving you wanting more to see how the story unfolds with Kit and Ella. Excellent, and I thank NetGalley for a copy in return for a review.

Having read and enjoyed a few of Fern's books I can say that this is my favourite so far. From the start I felt sucked into Penny's life as she deals with post-natal depression. There are lots of questions left to be answered throughout the book as we are drip-fed information about her parents and sister. The reader has to wonder what caused Penny to want nothing more to do with her sister and i found myself holding my breath as her sister reappears on the scene and slowly inveigles herself into Penny's life. The suspense is very well done as is the way the reader is encouraged to lean first one way ad then the other. There is a bit of a shock moment when Penny discovers the old photo in the briefcase bringing her sister's motive seriously into question. The back story of Ella also adds more interest and I like the way this story concluded; neat without necessarily being obvious. A lovely summer read.

I was delighted when I found out I had been approved by Harper Collins and netgalley to receive a review copy of The Postcard written by one of my favoured authors, Fern Britton. I have read some of Fern’s earlier work which I have thoroughly enjoyed as her descriptions of Cornwall where the books are set are absolutely spot on and make me crave for a coastal retreat every time I read them.
In this latest tale, we return to the villages of Pendruggan and nearby Trevay where successful TV producer Penny Leighton has married local vicar Simon Canter and is juggling motherhood with her career. We very soon get the feeling that such a busy, multifaceted life is taking its toll on the usually sweet natured Penny as she becomes short tempered and snappy towards those closest to her and she is eventually diagnosed with post natal depression.
Alongside the present day story we also have chapters interspersed which describe Penny’s childhood and her very close relationship with her father which give us a background detail on how Penny came to be the strong independent character we find living in Cornwall, and explains a lot about why she is less than welcoming when her estranged sister comes back into her life after such a long time.
The two time frames work very well without becoming confusing in any way. Information is fed to the reader steadily as we gradually build up a picture of the family dynamic over the years and we understand that there is a lot of resentment between the sisters. Tensions build to a head when Penny’s sister Suzie comes to stay in the village after the death of their mother, making waves not only between herself and Penny but also with other village residents. The two girls’ very different personalities are expertly written and I personally felt that I could understand why they each felt the way they did about each other.
While the story very much centres around the vicarage and its residents there are other story threads and characters interwoven and the conclusion of this book very much suggests that there could well be follow up books based on them. I don’t think I would be alone in wanting to know what happens next for new GP Adam and his cousin Kit who live next door to the vicarage, not to mention the clinic receptionist/part time nanny Ella and her brother Henry. I would most definitely recommend The Postcard to anyone wanting a good, easy to read novel and will certainly be looking out for those follow up novels (please Fern!)

I need to confess something. I am actually quite disgusted with myself. Promise you won't hold it against me?

-breathes-

Until 'The Postcard', I had never, ever picked up a Fern Britton novel. I don't even have a good reason why either! It isn't like she's a brand new author either, I mean, at least five years of novels, and I still didn't pick one up? I hope Fern Britton and Harpercollins forgive me, sniff.

'The Postcard' is set in the incredibly popular place of Cornwall, and I'll be honest, I feel as though I could write my own book on Cornwall itself, due to how poular that particular setting is in the bookworld this year. Yes, there has been that many. However, the setting of 'The Postcard' didn't bother me this time as it wasn't the main focus of the storyline. Instead, it was a rather beautiful addition and the author had let the characters do the talking, as opposed to everything being centred around Cornwall. Don't get me wrong, it does sound like a beautiful place! I loved how Fern Britton used the setting to add depth to her storyline instead of making it the main focus.

Penny Leighton's life isn't as calm and serene as she would have liked. I mean, whose is? New baby, busy husband, issues with work, as well as her well guarded past coming back to haunt her; it's enough for anyone to deal with at one time, let alone a vicars wife! For me, Penny is the type of character that a lot of readers would be able to relate to in many ways. Not only does Penny deal with a lot of stresses at once, her life unfortunately decides to turn down the 'misunderstood' road. Fern Britton has handled Penny's situation in such a sensitive yet realistic manner, including the reactions of those close to Penny, which were quite hard to read. I say hard, the were written well, but if, like me, you relate to Penny and her life, you might find the reactions of those close to her hard to read as well.

There are a lot of characters to keep tally of in this storyline, especially as it switches between a couple of them and you have to remember who's who. For example, Ella. She's come back to Pendruggan to savour her childhood memories, yet she quickly became a well-loved character of mine. Even though certain things regarding Ella, and her brother, irked me.

Before I began 'The Postcard', I had absolutely no idea what to expect as I hadn't read one of Fern Britton's novels before. I was rather excited as I have grown up with her on television, but I wasn't sure whether her cosy personality would shine through the novel or not. I needn't have worried though, the entire novel has the authors stamp on it; cosy and warm. Between the two ladies, Penny and Ella, I found myself more engrossed in Penny's as it seemed that the storyline was more focused on her life, as well as her past. Without giving anything away regarding Penny's past, let me just say that the unwelcome visitor annoyed me in many ways. So much so, I became rather emotional and defensive where Penny was concerned. How daft is that?

I thoroughly enjoy 'The Postcard', except for one part. After I finished reading the book I went scouring on Twitter to see if I could see anything about a next book. Luckily, I found what I was after, but, if I hadn't, I would have been pretty miffed. Which part annoyed me? The ending. Thankfully there will be another book but when I had closed the book, I had no idea of that, so I have to admit that I was rather annoyed. Sorry!

Overall, I thought that Fern Britton's novel was the perfect novel to cosy up with and escape into. I loved how there was more to the storyline than the cover seemed to suggest. All of the characters were very three-dimensional and extremely unique, each adding something rather special to the overall storyline. The setting, as you know, pleasantly surprised me and I will hold my hands up and say that. But, if I had to choose what I loved most about Fern Britton's novel, it would have to be how relatable the storyline was. I became quite emotional at the poignancy of those parts, as they were written incredibly beautifully and realistically. They made me realise that it was okay to admit that you weren't okay. They made me realise that faking happiness isn't the answer. They also made me realise how fragile our hearts are, and how the smallest things can fix them in minutes.

Beautiful.

Big thanks to Harpercollins.

Review: Fern Britton has done it again. The Postcard is perfect and highlights important difficulties in such a lovely way.

As we follow Penny's journey through this story we discover that she is suffering from depression, I wont give away too much details here to the plot but what I will say is that Fern writes in her unique style that makes reading about this topic comforting giving hope. I suffer from depression and this was a comfort to read. I would normal stop reading anything that hints at something I find difficult but this was an exception.

Cornwall is one of my top favourite places to visit and Fern has captured the essence of Cornwall between the pages perfectly.

The story is left in such a way that I am looking forward to Fern's next book which I hope revisits Pendruggan and more of Ella's story.

I adore Fern Britton and her personality shines through her writing. Her books are perfect for anyone who loves reading about romance, hope, family and friendship's set in idyllic parts of Britain.

I really enjoyed the book and it's story and setting were beautiful. I was transported to the Cornish village of Pendruggan .
Penny the main character I felt was amazing in how she survived her upbringing, arrival of her estranged sister and all the demands of her everyday life. She was very forgiving and her discovery of the old postcard in her fathers suitcase brought a lump to my throat.
Susie's character brings a different dimension to the story and she has me wondering what's going to happen next.
The character of Ella I found lovely and would have loved to have her character expanded more.
My first Fern Britton book but not my last as the ending definitely suggests a sequel and I really want to know what happens to Penny, Simon, Susie. Jenna, Helen, Kit, Adam and Ella.
I found this book a little slow to begin with but once I was hooked I was burning the midnight oil to see what was going to happen next. A great summer read with a cliff hanger ending

I've been wanting to read a Fern Britton book for ages and so I jumped at the chance of reading The Postcard. I really enjoyed it but I have to say that it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

I had in my mind a fluffy, summery, happy sort of holiday read but there are some much stronger themes running through this book, in particular depression, loss and jealousy.

For much of the book I wasn't entirely sure whether I liked Penny, the protagonist, or not. She's quite difficult at times and, like one of her friends, I thought she should count her blessings, but of course life isn't that simple and there was a lot going on in the background that was affecting her quite a lot (see above). Her vicar husband, Simon, was a bit of a saint (quite appropriate given his job!).

But then along came a character who was much easier to dislike and I started to see where a lot of Penny's insecurities came from. I think the author portrayed this really well and there were little vignettes from Penny's childhood that helped to flesh out her character.

I actually really liked a thread of the story that wasn't explored in that much detail, that of Ella and her brother, Henry. I wanted to know more about them and I wonder if the author is planning to write a book about them in the future as there seemed to be some unresolved issues and a lot more to find out about them. And then there's the lovely Kit and Adam, Penny and Simon's neighbours, who also could go on to spawn another book I think.

The Postcard is one of those really easy books to read and enjoy. It has a lovely little Cornish village setting and some really interesting characters. Overall it's quite a gentle, undemanding sort of read and one which I found a real pleasure to pick up.