I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour for A Fresh Start at the Cornish Country Hospital by Jo Bartlett – the seventh book in a series I’m so enjoying – and sharing my review. Published on 11th January by Boldwood Books, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback and hardcover, and as an audiobook. My thanks, as always, 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).
To my shame, I’ve only just realised that I entirely missed the last book in this series – Mending Hearts… was published while I was on my long break – but I’ll certainly look forward to catching up. This whole series has been simply wonderful – I was initially reluctant to leave the Cornish Midwife series behind, but I’ve equally enjoyed being part of the lives of the people working at St Piran’s Hospital. You’ll find reviews of all the books in the series (well, except that one!) if you pop Jo’s name into my search bar – I’ve loved every one, filled with difficult issues, but always handled with sensitivity and compassion and the perfect emotional touch. I was very much looking forward to discovering Eve’s story…
When life changes in an instant, how do you find the courage to begin again? ❤️🩹
A&E doctor, Eve Bellingham’s life changed forever the night her fiancé Max was the victim of a brutal attack. Now, two years later, she has moved her life to Cornwall and is working at St Piran’s Hospital, helping his family cope as Max struggles with his devastating injuries.
But though Eve’s loyalty has never wavered, the man she loved is gone. Annie – Max’s mother – still clings to the hope that one day everything will return to how it was, but Eve isn’t so sure it ever will. Torn between duty and despair, Eve feels trapped in a life that no longer fits.
Then she meets Felix Grainger, the dedicated occupational therapist helping Max towards independence. With kindness and quiet strength, he awakens feelings Eve thought she’d lost forever.
To seize her second chance, Eve must risk breaking the only family she’s ever known. Because sometimes, letting go is the bravest way to begin again.
As if the pressures of working as a doctor in St Piran’s busy A&E department aren’t enough, Eve’s also handling a particularly difficult situation in her personal life. With the date of her marriage approaching, her fiancé Max was randomly attacked and severely injured – he’s now living in a care home near his parents in Cornwall, and Eve has moved to the area to remain close to him.
With her own family uninvolved in her life, Max’s parents have become particularly important to her – his mother Annie finding it particularly difficult to accept that their marriage plans will never happen. Eve has chosen to keep her situation private while at work – she feels obliged to visit regularly, but his brain injury has brought about major changes in his personality and she’s finding his rejection particularly difficult to handle.
Felix is Max’s occupational therapist, and Eve is grateful for his friendly presence, which could easily develop into something more – although he admires her loyalty and devotion, and understands they can’t be more than supportive friends. And he certainly has some issues of his own – a past relationship with an impact that continues, his sense of guilt having followed him home from his former life in the US.
There are a few really substantial issues in this book, immaculately researched and handled with the exceptional sensitivity that’s always so very present in the author’s writing. Max’s rejection is acutely painful, desperately hurtful, and the emotional effect on Eve – always brave, always resilient despite the personal cost – moved me to tears at times. But one aspect of the book I very much enjoyed was the whole concept of family – if Eve thought she’d found that through Max’s parents, she hadn’t bargained for the safety net of love and support from her work colleagues when her situation became more widely known. And as she’s comforted by their embrace, it allows for some lighter moments (as there always are when Gwen is around) and a real warmth that makes life start to look a little more hopeful.
An emotional read, but a very rewarding and uplifting one – and, although easy to enjoy as a standalone, another perfect addition to this really lovely series.
About the author
Jo Bartlett was born a stone’s throw from the English Channel and still lives near the sea in Kent, with her family, so close to the South Eastern edge of England that they’re very nearly French. It’s probably why so many of her books are set near the sea too. Jo has made up stories for as long as she can remember, but never really took it any further, until a catalyst called cancer gave her the impetus to follow her dreams.
Since having her debut novel published in 2015, Jo has had numerous bestsellers in the UK, the USA, Australia and Canada, including a UK Top 10. Jo writes contemporary women’s fiction, with stories that focus on love, friendship, family and community. Since joining Boldwood Books in 2021, Jo has had a number of bestselling novels across The Cornish Midwife and Cornish Country Hospital series.
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