Review: 'Summer at Rose Island' by Holly Martin (2016)

Darcy Davenport is ready for a fresh start. Determined to leave a string of disastrous jobs and relationships behind her, she can’t wait to explore White Cliff Bay and meet the locals. 
When Darcy swims in the crystal clear waters of the bay, she discovers the charming Rose Island Lighthouse. But it’s not just the beautiful building that she finds so intriguing… 
Riley Eddison doesn’t want change. Desperate to escape the memories of his past, he lives a life of solitude in the lighthouse. Yet he can’t help but notice the gorgeous woman who swims out to his island one day. 
Darcy is drawn to the mysterious and sexy Riley, but when it seems the town is trying to demolish his home, she soon finds herself having to pick sides. 
She’s fallen in love with White Cliff Bay. But is that all Darcy’s fallen for?
Over the past few years author Holly Martin has really made a name for herself within the romantic comedy/chick lit world. I’ve had the pleasure of reading several of her novels up until now, mainly her Christmas titles such as ‘Christmas under a Cranberry Sky’, ‘Christmas under a Starlit Sky’, ‘Christmas at Lilac Cottage’ and ‘Snowflakes on Silver Cove.’ In 2016, ‘Summer at Rose Island’ was released, and while I straight away managed to get a review copy of the novel via NetGalley, it took me quite a bit of time to finally sit down with it. Nevertheless, I know by now that a book with Holly’s name on the front is definitely worth giving a try, so I was keen to finally get started and discover more about Darcy’s story.
Darcy Davenport has moved to beautiful White Cliff Bay with a mission. Even though she loved her work as a marine biologist, she is determined to have a fresh start and make something of herself, and hopefully finally make her parents proud of her. When she first spots Rose Island lighthouse, she immediately falls in love with the beautiful building, but when she discovers there are actually plans to demolish this piece of Rose Island history, Darcy wants to do whatever she can to stop this from happening. Lighthouse-owner Riley Eddison seems to have the same goal and Darcy can’t help but fall for his rugged good looks. However, Darcy can’t forget what she came to White Cliff Bay for, and this ultimately puts her in an incredibly difficult situation where she is forced to pick sides…
‘Summer at Rose Island’ really is one of those chick lit novels that makes you long for warm lovely days on the beach and walks outside in the sunshine… Setting the scene is something author Holly Martin is known for and she certainly manages to do just that in this particular book; I wish I could actually visit White Cliff Bay and its lovely locals! While this novel is actually the third part of a series, it can undoubtedly be read as a stand-alone and no prior knowledge of any characters is needed. That being said, I did really enjoy seeing some familiar faces again and discovering how they are doing, such as Libby and George.
Darcy is a great main character; I loved how feisty she was, but also struggling to deal with some issues in her life, and it was wonderful to join her during this new step in her life. White Cliff Bay is a lovely village with a great sense of community; all locals know each other and seem to know everything about each other as well, but in the end they all mean well, and it resulted in this lovely atmosphere and feeling to the whole book. There is definitely a pattern noticeable in Holly Martin’s books and storylines, but I have to admit I personally still enjoy it every single time and I’m already excited to see when I will be able to pick up her next read. All in all, ‘Summer at Rose Island’ is a sweet, heart-warming and romantic read, and definitely a good one to pick up if you’re longing for a bit of sunshine in your life!

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.

Review: 'Snowflakes on Silver Cove' by Holly Martin (2015)

Libby Joseph is famous for her romantic Christmas stories. Every December, readers devour her books of falling in love against the magical backdrop of the Christmas season. If only Libby believed in the magic herself... 
Struggling to finish her current novel, Libby turns to her best friend and neighbour George Donaldson to cheer her up. But George also needs a bit of support himself. Nervous about getting back into the dating saddle after splitting from his wife, he and Libby strike a deal. She will teach George how to win over the ladies, and Libby will in turn be inspired to inject her novel with a good dose of romance. 
As Libby and George explore the beautiful White Cliff Bay on a series of romantic Christmas-themed dates, Libby finds herself having more fun than she’s had in ages and...discovers feelings that she never knew she had for George. 
But is it too late? Will George win someone else’s heart or can Libby act like the heroine in one of her stories and reach for her own love under the mistletoe this Christmas? 
Earlier this month I posted my review of Holly Martin's festive novel 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' (click here to read my review); a book which I really enjoyed. Holly definitely spent the past few months writing like a crazy person, because she actually released another Christmas-themed novel a few weeks ago, namely 'Snowflakes on Silver Cove', which I am reviewing today! This book is the sequel to 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' and the second part of the White Cliff Bay series. I was really excited to check out my third Holly Martin novel, hoping I would enjoy it as much as the other two, but I had a good feeling I would end up loving it (based on its lovely book cover alone the novel already deserves a big 10!)! 
Libby Joseph loves her job as an author. People enjoy the romance stories she writes and it takes her to all kinds of places all over the world. Right now, she has found herself quite a special spot in White Cliff Bay, where she has become close friends with her neighbour George Donaldson. George is a lovely guy but has had some trouble dating women after his wife cheated on him and divorced him. Libby, who knows all about romance, decides to help George capture the heart of their new neighbour, Giselle, so they go on several practice dates together. With each date, Libby starts to feel more and more for George and suddenly she realises she doesn't want him to go out with someone else. Question is, is she still on time or is it already too late for Libby to find love this Christmas?
'Snowflakes on Silver Cove' is my third Holly Martin novel and definitely my favourite book of hers so far; what a lovely read! The book is set in the wonderful village of White Cliff Bay and while it is the second part in the White Cliff Bay series it can be read as a stand-alone as well. I fell in love with this town in 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' and it was great to be back there again and read about all the familiar characters. Holly Martin really managed to create a great town with so many interesting and loveable characters and I loved getting to know both main characters Libby and George better, but also Amy and Seb, the two characters on which the other storyline in the book focuses.  
Libby and George are probably one of my favourite fictional couples of all time; they have a brilliant friendship and they really made me laugh out loud with their jokes and actions. As I already mentioned, the book also has a great cast of secondary characters, including Amy and Seb, whose storyline I also really enjoyed. I loved the fact that the novel takes place at the same time as 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' and some of the events in both books matched. I already can't wait to hopefully go back to White Cliff Bay in 2016 and am keeping my fingers crossed for a third part of the series. Overall, 'Snowflakes on Silver Cove' is an incredibly heart-warming, sweet and festive romantic comedy that I couldn't get enough of. A brilliant read by Holly Martin and one I can recommend to any chick lit fan out there!

Rating:10/10

  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.

Review: 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' by Holly Martin (2015)

Welcome to the charming seaside town of White Cliff Bay, where Christmas is magical and love is in the air…
Penny Meadows loves her home – a cosy cottage decorated with pretty twinkling fairy lights and stunning views over the town of White Cliff Bay. She also loves her job as an ice-carver, creating breathtaking sculptures. Yet her personal life seems frozen. 
When Henry and daughter Daisy arrive at the cottage to rent the annex, Penny is determined to make them feel welcome. But while Daisy is friendly, Henry seems guarded. 
As Penny gets to know Henry, she realises there is more to him than meets the eye. And the connection between them is too strong to ignore… 
While the spirit of the season sprinkles its magic over the seaside town and preparations for the ice sculpting competition and Christmas eve ball are in full swing, can Penny melt the ice and allow love in her heart? And will this finally be the perfect Christmas she’s been dreaming of?
This year I finally got the opportunity to check out an author I had been hearing so much about (all positive!) and whose work I was sure I was going to enjoy: Holly Martin. Her novel 'Fairytale Beginnings' (click here to read my review) was released by Bookouture earlier this year and was a great chick lit read. When I discovered Holly would not be releasing one but two Christmas novels this Winter, I immediately got excited, and even more so after seeing the lovely colourful book covers! 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' and 'Snowflakes on Silver Cove' are both part of the new White Cliff Bay series; a series I couldn't wait to dive straight into!
Penny Meadows hasn't always had it easy. After some difficult years, she has managed to build a life for herself as an ice-carver, a job she loves, in the lovely village of White Cliff Bay. However, Penny hasn't been lucky in love, so she decides to rent out the annex of her cottage in order to surround herself with some more people. The rooms are rented by Henry and Daisy, whom Penny expects to be a married couple but are actually a single father and his 16-year-old daughter. The sparks start flying between Penny and Henry as soon as they first meet, but Henry is guarded, not wanting to disrupt his daughter's life too much after some bad experiences, and Penny isn't sure she is ready for romance, after everything that has happened. Will the two be able to find some happiness together or does this Christmas have other plans in store for them?
I've seen other readers comparing Holly Martin's novels to Disney films and I understand the comparison; cute and simple stories with a guaranteed happy ending. I am a big Disney fan and also thoroughly enjoy Holly's books, including the first part of her new White Cliff Bay series, 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage.' At the core of the novel there are some simply wonderful characters that I easily warmed to. Protagonist Penny is just lovely and I wanted nothing more than for her to find love; Henry and Daisy are both warm and interesting characters as well, and I couldn't help but fall in love with Penny's dog, Bernard, and the whole town of White Cliff Bay.
The storyline of this book is quite basic and not too complicated; great for a festive chick lit novel like this one. However, what makes this novel such a good read are Holly Martin's storytelling skills; she is wonderful at setting the scene, making it easy for readers to imagine everything, and I fell in love with the community spirit that she managed to convey with her writing. I did personally think everything went a bit fast (the story is set over the time span of a week), but this didn't really influence how much I enjoyed the book. Overall, 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' is a really cute, simple, festive romance that will undoubtedly warm your heart during the cold winter days before Christmas. A great start to this new series and I'm already excited about picking up the second book!

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.