A Special Cornish Christmas by Phillipa Ashley

Hi everyone!  As anyone who follows my blog knows I love Christmas and books set during the holidays.  I was first introduced to Phillipa Ashley’s books after reading her 2020 holiday book A Surprise Christmas Wedding.  Allow me to introduce you to her 2021 holiday book A Special Cornish Christmas which published on November 11.

From The Publisher:

For Bo Grayson, Christmas has always been the most wonderful time of the year. Well, until she had her heart broken last December…
At a local summer fete, Bo and her friends meet the mysterious fortune teller Madame Odette, and they are each given the same prediction: You will meet the love of your life by Christmas Day.
With just a few months until the festive season, they dismiss the predictions out of hand. Bo’s attentions are focused on creating the best seasonal menu for her Boatyard Café, and her rock and roll dance group – the Falford Flingers – who are hard at work getting ready for their Christmas Spectacular show.
The last thing she imagines is that she’ll be ready to open her heart again. But will fate – and perhaps a sprinkle of Christmas magic – change her mind?

Book Review:

This was such a joyful read!  Bo’s character in particular was so interesting.  As a dancer, she loves the music and dress of the 1950s and this is featured throughout the book.  She’s also focused on her Boatyard Cafe which has become a favourite spot with the locals.

Christmas has always been Bo’s favourite time of the year.  That was until last Christmas when Bo experienced a failed relationship which has her almost wanting to ignore the holidays this year.  I love that this makes the book relatable to others who have also experienced losses.

What I appreciated about the book was the deep friendships between Bo, Angel and Ran.  Each of these characters was having to “start over” during the past year, but they could count on the others to support them.

The scenes with The Falford Flingers were a lot of fun.  I loved the descriptions of the dresses and the dance routines. You can feel the romance between these dancers which brought a smile to my face.  You can feel the Christmas magic in this story.

Audiobook Review:

I listened to the audiobook version of A Special Cornish Christmas which was narrated by Emma Powell.  Her voice is sweet (almost whisper-like) and enthusiastic which lived up to the charm this book exudes.  I would not hesitate to recommend the audiobook book version of this book to those that appreciate this format.

What I Liked:

• The deep friendships between characters
• The inspirational message of starting over to create something better
• The 1950’s vibe at various points in the book.

I Recommend A Special Cornish Christmas To:

Those readers who enjoy holiday romance novels.

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Add A Special Cornish Christmas to your Goodreads shelf

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for the honest review provided here.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

A Surprise Christmas Wedding by Phillipa Ashley

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

The Christmas Village by Annie Rains

Thank you for reading and for supporting my blog.  Is there a holiday novel that you would recommend?  Let me know in the comments.  As always, I hope that you have a wonderful day. ☺️