I couldn’t be more delighted to be helping launch the blog tour for A Found Family at the Cornish Country Hospital by Jo Bartlett – the third book in this lovely series – and sharing my review. Published today (22nd July) 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 must stop going on about the midwives of Port Agnes – but I did really love that series! If, by any chance, you missed it, you’ll find the Amazon page for all 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 but one of them. But I must say I’m loving this series every bit as much – with the added bonus of some of my favourite midwives making the occasional appearance. The first book, Welcome to the Cornish Country Hospital, was the most perfect introduction to the new set of characters, with a lovely focus on friendship and family, and all those special emotional touches that Jo always does so very well (you’ll find my full review here). And the second in the series, Finding Friends at the Cornish Country Hospital, was every bit as good – a beautifully told story, such well drawn characters, a slowly developing romance, very real issues bringing an edge of darkness, but with plenty of warmth and lightness to be found in the relationships, and lots of touches of humour too (you’ll find my full review here). Don’t be put off by the fact that this is a series, if its not your thing – every book is entirely readable as a standalone. And it’s so lovely to be back for the third one…
A tragic loss…
Since the death of her beloved father, Isla Marlowe has felt the need to do something to honour his memory; something meaningful that will bring joy to others and repay the kindness of a stranger who changed their lives. She’s got the perfect solution, but she’s worried not everyone will understand.
A precious gift…
Aidan Kennedy and his husband, Jase, are desperate to start a family of their own, but finding the right woman to help them is difficult and some people don’t think they should even try. So when Isla offers them the chance to fulfil their dream, they can’t believe their wish is about to come true.
A family made of friends?
But when Isla is forced to face her greatest fear, Aidan and Jase’s dream has to be put on hold. Broken-hearted and questioning everything she once believed, Isla desperately needs someone to share her problems with but has no idea where to turn.
But then, in her darkest hour she discovers that friends can be the family you choose for yourself.
One of the many things I love about the author’s books is her willingness to embrace really difficult issues, with a sureness of touch that never wavers – telling a story that certainly has its emotional moments, but with enough lightness that makes her writing such a pleasure to read. Isla’s choice to help out her friend Aidan and his husband Jase is so well handled – they really would be the best fathers a child could hope for – and the reasons behind it exceptionally touching, her actions inspired by the difficult loss of the father she loved. But along with the decision to create a new life – and I learned so much about the whole area of surrogacy and the steps everyone involved needed to follow – there are more difficult decisions to come when things don’t go quite as smoothly as everyone hopes it will.
Emotionally, this book is quite testing – I was in tears a number of times, and really felt a touch battered by the end. And the story of Isla, Aidan and Jase isn’t the only one that affected me deeply – there are a number of other threads that pick up difficult issues, other individuals who need the intervention of the hospital team, all equally perfectly handled. The individuals are all so very real, and they felt like my friends too – and that made every setback they experienced hurt that bit more. But this is an author with whom I always feel in safe hands, and this whole book is permeated with an exceptional warmth and a big helping of love – all the more challenging content beautifully balanced by the support of friendship, the closeness of family (although not always without its complications), and the kindness shown by others who might have started out as strangers.
Despite the challenges faced by some of the individuals, and the moments that touched me to the heart, the whole book is tremendously uplifting – and although there were tears aplenty, there’s so much between its pages that was joyous and made me smile (even laugh at times, however unlikely that might seem…). And yes, there’s even a gentle romance that I really loved – a very touching and believable one that was a perfect fit for the unfolding story. And the book’s title? I wasn’t convinced when I first saw it – but it’s just perfect, and really captures the book’s key message.
I honestly don’t think the author has ever written better – these were people I cared about really deeply, and I just loved the way she held my hand throughout their story, as she unflinchingly dealt with some of the most heartbreaking content but did it with absolute authenticity and love for the individuals she created. And I think I’ve said enough – other than to urge you to read this wonderful book, that I really couldn’t recommend more highly.
About the author
Jo Bartlett was born a stone’s throw from the English Channel and still lives near the sea in Kent. Jo has had numerous bestsellers in the UK, Australia and Canada, including a UK Top 10. Since joining Boldwood Books in 2021, Jo has had a further eight bestselling novels in The Cornish Midwife series.
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