It’s a real pleasure today to be joining the blog tour for A Wedding at Sandy Cove by Bella Osborne, and to share my review. Published by Avon Books on 21st July, it’s now available as an e-book via Amazon in the UK and US, in paperback, and as an audiobook. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
It was long overdue, but Bella made me a new fan of her romantic comedies last year with The Promise of Summer – the perfect summer read, with the most wonderful characters, touching and hilarious, warm and uplifting, and I loved every single moment (you can read my full review again here). And then she tried something entirely different with The Library – and that’s the one I finally chose to be one of my 2021 Books of the Year (you’ll find my review here), joyous, heartwarming and so wonderfully uplifting, and a book I entirely adored. And then came The Girls – again, something really different, with the most wonderful characters and sheer enjoyment from beginning to end (you’ll find my review here). But although I’ve really enjoyed her lovely book club reads, I was delighted to see that her new one (originally published in four separate parts) was another romantic comedy – and with the promise of a heart-warming and feel-good summer escape, how could I possibly resist?
Escape to Sandy Cove, where the scent of summer and the sound of wedding bells are in the air!
Ella makes brides’ dreams come true – there’s no dress she can’t make perfect with her sewing skills and some sparkle. But Ella’s own love life is no fairy tale. Recently dumped, surrounded by fussy brides and with the prospect of wearing a hideous brown bridesmaids dress to her friend’s wedding, Ella feels more alone than ever so agrees to go on a blind date.
A mix up on the night introduces her to Kit.
Kit is definitely not the man she was supposed to meet, but he could end up changing her life in ways she never thought possible…
A perfectly funny, feel-good summer romance that will whisk you away to sandy beaches and a seaside wedding. Fans of Cathy Bramley, Katie Fforde and Milly Johnson will adore Bella Osborne.
This really was the most delightful read – it lived up to my expectations in every possible way, everything a romantic comedy should be.
Ella performs magic every day with her needle, transforming the sometimes (often?) unsuitable dresses her obnoxious boss Wanda sells a never ending succession of starry-eyed brides who visit Frills, Frocks and Fairy Tales. Although she often sees the brides at their very worst, it hasn’t dulled her belief in true love and romance – her parents have always been the perfect example, a true partnership, although her divorce lawyer friend Lucy has good reasons to be rather more cynical. Ever hopeful, Ella decides to dip her toe in the dating pool again – which certainly doesn’t work out as she hoped, but brings handsome builder Kit into her life as they join forces to try and resolve an unexpected (and distinctly worrying) problem. He helps her turn her life around, to stop being such a doormat, and makes her smile again – the loveliest personal journey, finding the bravery to make some big changes, taking control of her destiny. But might he become more than just a supportive friend?
I really loved the gentle humour that runs throughout this book – Ella’s lovely friendship with Lucy and Brittany (that wedding at Sandy Cove is hers, and transforming the poo-coloured bridesmaid dresses presents Ella with a particular challenge), the succession of horrendous and demanding bridezillas she deals with (alcohol-fuelled, less than committed, over-indulging in doughnuts with days to go, or needing to look exactly like Princess Leia…), young Isaac’s attachment to his distinctly unwelcome four-legged companion. But there’s a well-wrought bit of real drama too – a storyline led by Lucy, drawing in both Ella and Kit, with a particularly edge-of-the-seat climax. The slow burn romance was just glorious – the loveliest friendship, with the hope it might just develop into something more – but the thing I loved the most was the way Ella grew and blossomed, dug deep to find the courage to make the changes she needed to, and became so much stronger.
The author really does have a quite perfect emotional touch, and is such a skilled story-teller. I loved every moment of this one – with characters I really took to my heart, filled with warmth and wonderfully uplifting, absolutely everything I wanted it to be – and I recommend it really highly.
About the author
Bella Osborne has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. Since then she’s written a number of best-selling romantic comedies and book club reads and won the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year Award 2022.
Bella’s stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She likes to find the humour in the darker moments of life and weaves these into her stories.
She lives in The Midlands, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. When not writing Bella is usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.
For more about Bella, visit her website or follow her on social media:
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I just downloaded this book after reading your review Anne. I will read the book club novels too. Great to discover a new author.