Review: 'A Home in Sunset Bay' by Rebecca Pugh (2016)

Enough is enough! The always perfect Laurie Chapman had jumped in her car and raced as fast as she could from London heading to Sunset Bay and (she hopes!) the open arms of her estranged sister…
Mia Chapman loves running Dolly’s Diner in the picture-perfect coastal Cornish town of Sunset Bay. Now that her and Grandma Dolly’s dream is finally a reality Mia has never been prouder! Until Laurie suddenly turns up on her doorstep… How can she forgive the sister who walked away?
Once upon a time Mia and Laurie were best friends. Back together after so long, the time has come for the sisters to figure out what went so wrong all those years ago – and whether they can ever put it right!
Ever since the release of her debut novel ‘Return to Bluebell Hill’ last year I’ve been waiting for the chance to finally check out Rebecca Pugh’s writing. Rebecca is a book blogger herself (be sure to check out her fantastic blog Becca’s Books by clicking here) who got a book deal with publisher Carina UK. I didn’t manage to read her debut, but was lucky enough to get a review copy of her second novel ‘A Home in Sunset Bay.’ Rebecca loves chick lit as much as I do, so I already had a pretty good feeling I would end up enjoying her novels, so I couldn’t wait to finally really check out one of her books!
Ever since the death of her beloved grandmother, Mia Chapman has run Dolly's Diner, the 50s style diner her grandmother started and loved with all her heart, in the lovely Cornish town of Sunset Bay. Mia has developed the same kind of passion for the diner and couldn't imagine living or working anywhere else. But Mia's life is suddenly disturbed when her older sister Laurie, whom she has hardly spoken to in years, arrives in town, looking for her. Laurie has been through quite a rough patch; no longer enjoying her London life, including her job and a cheating boyfriend. So, she decides to flee to Sunset Bay, hoping Mia will be able to help her out, even if it's just for a few weeks. However, Mia is still angry with her sister and not quite yet ready to forgive for something that happened in the past... Will they be able to work it out or will Laurie be forced to return back to where she came from?
It's always great to discover new authors whose stories leave me with a smile on my face and that's definitely what Rebecca Pugh's recently released 'A Home in Sunset Bay' did! This was the first book of Rebecca's that I've read, but it definitely won't be the last. If you're looking for a warm, lovely, captivating chick lit/romance read; look no further! 'A Home in Sunset Bay' focuses on the lives of sisters Mia and Laurie and is set in the small Cornish town of Sunset Bay. The setting is wonderful; it's cosy and just the typical type of small town where the people know and watch out for one another; I loved it and wish I could visit Dolly's Diner myself for a delicious piece of pie! It was easy to warm to both main characters Mia and Laurie and their stories were interesting, especially with the addition of secondary characters such as cooks Cal and Marco and waitress Polyanna.
The novel is quite fast-paced, which I really enjoyed. It doesn't focus on a few days but several months, giving the reader the chance to really see the characters develop and experience different things. I do think just a few extra twists could have been added to the storyline here and there, but I still really enjoyed it and was sad to leave the characters behind at the ending of the book. I already really look forward to checking out more of Rebecca's work and think she's a promising new voice within the genre! Overall, 'A Home in Sunset Bay' is a cosy, warm and uplifting story about family and friendship; a simply lovely read!

Rating:9/10

  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.