Review: 'Tremarnock' by Emma Burstall (2015)

Tremarnock is a classic Cornish seaside village. Houses cluster around the fishing harbour. It has a pub and a sought-after little restaurant. It is here that Liz has found sanctuary for herself and her young daughter, Rosie - far away from Rosie's cheating father.
Liz works all the hours God sends. First thing in the morning she's out, cleaning offices. At night she is waitressing in the village restaurant, while friends and neighbours rally round and mind Rosie. But trouble is waiting just round the corner.
As with all villages, there are tensions, secrets - and ambitions. Emma Burstall's wonderfully engaging first novel about Tremarnock is the story of what happens when one shocking turn of events sweeps a small community.
I love being introduced to new authors and today I have a review to share with all of you of a great novel by an author I was unfamiliar with until now! Emma Burstall has already written a few novels including 'The Darling Girls' and 'Never Close Your Eyes'. Her latest book, 'Tremarnock', is the first part of a trilogy and was released by Head of Zeus on the 21st of May. I visited Cornwall, where 'Tremarnock' is set, when I was on holiday two years ago and loved it there. It's a gorgeous area with lots of things to do and see and I really hope I will be able to visit it again in the future. For now, though, 'Tremarnock' provided me with a story with a Cornish setting and I looked forward to sitting down with it!
Liz Broome moved to the small seaside village of Tremarnock to start a nice and quiet life with her daughter Rosie. Rosie's father is too busy with other things to think of his daughter, and Liz's father appears to have his hands full with his new wife and step-daughter. It's just Liz and Rosie, but Liz is independent and does her very best to create a good life for her daughter. She has several jobs in order to provide for both of them, working as a cleaner in the morning and as a waitress in a local restaurant in the evening. Rosie has cerebral palsy, but it's something she has learned to deal with and except for some occasional bullies at school, Rosie loves her life with her mum in Tremarnock. But trouble is just around the corner, and Liz and Rosie's life is about to be turned upside down...
'Tremarnock' is a promising first part of author Emma Burstall's new trilogy and a novel which I really enjoyed reading. The book has a stunning cover which immediately made me think of a lovely quiet Cornish village, but you never know what goes on behind closed doors and that definitely counts for Tremarnock as well. The story wasn't as light-hearted as I had initially expected, but I won't go into the plotline too much because I don't want to give too much away. I straight away liked Liz and Rosie, who have a great mother-daughter relationship which plays a central role in the novel. Liz is an independent and slightly stubborn woman and I admired her, being a single mum, working several jobs and continuing to have a positive outlook on life. 
While there are some wonderful secondary characters in the novel, such as Robert, the owner of restaurant A Winkle in Time, and Pat, Liz's helpful neighbour who babysits Rosie whenever it's necessary, I got the feeling too many inhabitants of Tremarnock were introduced. I found it tricky to remember all the names, especially since some of the characters don't really play a big part in this part of the book series. I did love the fact that the inhabitants of Tremarnock form such a tight-knit community and help each other out whenever someone is in need. The story got a bit slow-paced in the middle, but overall it was an entertaining and gripping read which I really enjoyed. 'Tremarnock' is a warm-hearted and captivating women's fiction read, perfect to sit down with in the garden or at the beach, and I already look forward to the next part of this trilogy which will be released in Spring 2016!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.