I’m really so delighted today to be helping launch the blog tour and sharing my publication day review of Welcome to the Cornish Country Hospital by Jo Bartlett, the first book in a brand new series: published today (22nd November) by Boldwood Books, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. Many thanks, as ever, 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).
I’m sure I’m not the only one who will miss their regular visits to the midwives of Port Agnes – but all good things must come to an end, and now we have a new series to look forward to. With some familiar characters popping in from time to time maybe? I really love Jo’s writing, and that last series was just so wonderful – you’ll find the Amazon page for the books here , and if you pop the author’s name into my search bar on the right hand side, you’ll find reviews of all the but one of them. Being entirely focused on waiting for the new series, I’ve recently realised I entirely missed a recent standalone book from Jo (shame on me!) – Meet Me in Central Park – which looks like the most gorgeous Christmas read and has been added to my kindle (it’s free with Prime reading, I noticed, if you’ve missed it too…) to be read in the run-up to the big event.
But now, with some excitement, it’s new series time – let’s take a closer look…
A new start…
When Danni Carter moves to Cornwall from London, she hopes it will be the fresh start she so desperately needs. She’s nervous, but hopefully the change of scene will help her to finally forget her feelings for Lucas Newman, a man she can never be with, because he’s already engaged to Danni’s best friend, Esther.
An impossible dilemma…
But when Lucas and Esther decide to follow Danni to Cornwall, and both announce they will be working with her at the new St Piran’s hospital, Danni is thrown into turmoil again. She can’t lose Esther, but being near Lucas is getting harder to deal with. Will she have to give up her new life before it’s even started?
A chance to start again?
Throwing herself into work, Danni finds herself drawn to new patient, Connie Berrycloth, a woman Danni knows has dark secrets of her own. Secrets that are about to be revealed….
As the two women form a friendship, Danni begins to realise that letting go of her dreams might be the only way of holding on to the people she loves.
For Danni, it’s a difficult decision when she leaves London to work as an A&E doctor at the new hospital in St Piran’s – while it’s good to be living in a place her late father loved so much, she needs to build a new life away from everything that’s familiar. Her friendship with Esther was a really special one, but very much tested by her feelings for surgeon Lucas – but he’s now engaged to Esther, and she has to allow them to find happiness together. The fresh start doesn’t work out as she hopes – they both follow her to Cornwall, working at the same hospital, and she faces the difficult decision of what she needs to do next. Which is more important to her? Should she move once more to keep her relationship with Esther, or give in to her attraction to Lucas with all the devastation that would cause?
Danni’s agonising decision plays out against the backdrop of day-to-day life at the hospital, with glimpses into the lives of the other staff members and the patients who find themselves under their care – and I’m delighted to report that a particular favourite (as inappropriate as ever, but every bit as warm and lovely) from the Midwives series is to be found helping out in the shop and pushing the refreshment trolley, and there are cameo appearances from others. But the main supporting story is Connie’s, injured in an accident while visiting the area – she has a poignant and deeply hidden secret, and Danni becomes increasingly involved in her life as her full story slowly unfolds.
Both stories are tremendously engaging, with that special emotional touch that always distinguishes the author’s lovely writing. There’s a strong focus on friendship, beautifully handled – and on family too, with Danni having found the kind of support from Esther’s parents that she no longer had, adding an additional layer to everything she’s risking with Lucas’ unsettling presence. And Connie’s story explores that theme of family further – with the hope of a happy ending, but a particularly difficult journey before that looks remotely possible. And there’s romance too, really well done – laced with difficult echoes of the past for Connie, but from a wholly unexpected direction for Danni.
I loved this book – while there’s anguish and heartbreak along the way, the whole story is uplifting, heartwarming and beautifully written. The hospital setting is well-researched and so well drawn, but so is the wider Cornish setting – I loved Danni’s clifftop walks with her dog, and spotting the seals on the rocks was a particularly special moment. And the characterisation is so excellent – developed throughout the book, as both women feel their way into an uncertain future and search for a path that will bring them happiness. This is a series I’m going to really enjoy – this book is the most perfect introduction, and highly recommended to all.
About the author
Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast. Boldwood published the first title in The Cornish Midwife Series – part of a twelve-book deal – in April 2021.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter Sign Up
