I really look forward to seeing the next novella in this lovely series appearing on my kindle, and Summer at the Café at the End of the Pier did just that on 14th June. Perfect timing for my seaside holiday in the Gower – where it was cold and misty for most of the week, but this lovely little book provided my sunshine. Do catch up on my reviews of this series – the short story prequel Valentine’s Day at The Café at the End of the Pier, and the first novella, Spring at the Café at the End of the Pier. So what’s been going on since our last visit?
Since moving to Salthaven-on-Sea to help her beloved grandparents run their charming little café at the end of the pier, Jo has blossomed.
The café is at the heart of the community, and Jo is determined to serve up a little romance to her customers alongside her delicious cooking. As summer sizzles, her plans to bring the town’s lonely hearts together on blind dates, each with a specially designed menu, are finally getting into full swing…
Spring in Salthaven brought new friendships, lost loves, and a little flirtation… But as a fresh opportunity threatens to tempt Jo away from the town, will she find where she belongs – and her own love story – at The Café at the End of the Pier?
I’m so enjoying this series – happy to have Jo as my best friend, watching her making wonderful bakes with her daily fresh produce, serving up dishes of fresh berries topped with greek yoghurt, seeing her lovely exchanges with the cast of characters who visit the cafe (who are now my friends too), feeling for her with her struggles to make ends meet, and so hoping that she can have her own love story and find her own happy ending. But she first needs to escape the attentions of her accountant ex Harry – please don’t let her give in to him, he’ll only hurt her again! – and decide what to do about Curtis’ tempting offer. And she just can’t seem to see the perfect man who’s already in her life – oh, I do hope this works out the way I want it to! And I’d really like her to understand and resolve the problems between her mother and her lovely grandparents too…
This is another absolutely gorgeous story – another attempt at matchmaking (and a rather lovely one), an innovative solution to newspapers caught by the wind, a lovely friendship between two younger cafe visitors, all set against the beautifully drawn backdrop of the cafe itself and the sounds, smells and tastes of the Salthaven-on-Sea setting, and so beautifully written. Goodness, I’m looking forward to Autumn already – what a perfect cliffhanger ending!
About the author
Helen J Rolfe writes contemporary women’s fiction with an emphasis on relationships and love. She enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and characters who face challenges and fight to overcome them. Helen enjoys creating strong female lead characters and although her stories often deal with serious issues, they always have a happy ending.
You can connect with Helen online and discover more about her and her books via Twitter, her Facebook author page, Goodreads, her website, and Amazon author pages (UK/US).