Review: 'There's Something About Cornwall' by Daisy James (2017)

A knight in a shining camper van!
Life is far from picture perfect for food photographer, Emilie Roberts. Not only has her slimy ex cheated on her, he’s also stolen her dream assignment to beautiful Venice! Instead, Emilie is heading to the wind-swept Cornish coast…
Emilie doesn’t think it can get any worse – until disaster strikes on the very first day! And there’s only one man to rescue this damsel in distress: extremely hunky surfing instructor, Matt Ashby.
Racing from shoot to shoot in a bright orange vintage camper van, Matt isn’t the conventional knight in shining armour – but can he make all of Emilie’s fairy tale dreams come true?
March was filled with some pretty exciting book releases and one of the novels I was personally most looking forward to checking out was definitely Daisy James’ ‘There’s Something About Cornwall.’ The book was released on the 8th of March by publisher HQ Digital, and I challenge any chick lit fan to not just want to smile when looking at the gorgeous cover! I’ve had the absolute pleasure of reading and reviewing several of Daisy James’ stories over the past year or so, and I’ve become quite a big fan of her work (click HERE to read my review of ‘If the Dress Fits’, and HERE for ‘When Only Cupcakes Will Do’). I couldn’t wait to be transported to lovely Cornwall and get lost in another hopefully great novel by this great author….!
Emilie Roberts loves her job as a food photographer, but after having been dumped by her boyfriend Brad and him also stealing her dream photography assignment in Venice from her, she’s finding it difficult to look at the bright side of life. Her good friend Alice convinces Emilie to join her on another job; taking photos of delicious treats baked by famous chef Lucinda Carlton-Rose, who plans to travel all across Cornwall for her new ‘Lucinda Loves…’ book. Without a better offer on the table, Emilie says yes and can’t help but be curious to discover what working with ‘The Devil Wears an Apron’ will be like. But disaster strikes: Emilie ends up making mistakes on her first day and the help of handsome surfer Matt Ashby couldn’t have come at a better time… Will Emilie be able to finish this assignment with a happy client, or is the start of her freelance career destined to be one big  tragedy?
I think this has to be my favourite Daisy James read to date; ‘There’s Something About Cornwall’ really has everything I look for in a romantic comedy read and I only want to shout from the rooftops how much I’m loving Daisy James’ writing  and that every chick lit fan should give one of her books a try. The novel is centred around main character Emilie, a food photographer who finds herself travelling around Cornwall in a VW camper van, working on an assignment for famous TV chef Lucinda Carlton-Rose. I really liked the plotline from the start and loved following Emilie on her journey across beautiful Cornwall, taking photos of all kinds of delicious foods and meeting new people along the way. The book has some great characters at its core, including Emilie’s friend Alice, surfer Matt, and chef Lucinda and her personal assistant Marcus. 
I’ve actually had the pleasure of visiting Cornwall myself and the author’s descriptions easily transported me back to places such as St. ives and Bodmin, and it really gave me that summer feeling. I personally love Daisy James’ writing style; it’s incredibly easy to fall back into after a long day and when you’re just longing for a quick escape from reality, and it managed to make me smile continually. I’m falling more and more in love with Daisy James and she really is one of my favourite romance authors of the moment; I already can’t wait for her next release. All in all, ‘There’s Something About Cornwall’ is a fabulously entertaining and fun romantic comedy read that had me longing for the sun (and some delicious treats…); I loved it from start to finish!

Rating:9,5/10

  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.

Upcoming Release: 'There's Something about Cornwall' by Daisy James

A knight in a shining camper van!

Life is far from picture perfect for food photographer, Emilie Roberts. Not only has her ex-boyfriend cheated on her, he’s also stolen her dream assignment to beautiful Venice! Instead, Emilie is heading to the wind-swept Cornish coast…
Emilie doesn’t think it can get any worse – until disaster strikes on the very first day! And there’s only one man to rescue this damsel in distress: extremely hunky surfing instructor, Matt Ashby.
Racing from shoot to shoot in a bright orange vintage camper van, Matt isn’t the conventional knight in shining armour – but can he make all of Emilie’s fairy tale dreams come true?
I really enjoyed Daisy James' previous stories and am really excited to have another one of her fun and romantic novels to look forward to this month! Tomorrow, 8 March, her book 'There's Something about Cornwall' will be released and besides a lovely cover, the description also promises an entertaining story. I can't wait to pick this up and hope I will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Daisy's other novels, if not more...!

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Review: 'When Only Cupcakes Will Do' by Daisy James (2016)

When life gives you lemons, make lemon drizzle cupcakes…
Lucie thought that proposing to her boyfriend in Tiffany’s would be the best day of her life. Until he said no. In just a few seconds, her whole world is turned upside-down! And when she accidentally switches cocoa powder for chilli powder at work, she finds herself out of a job, too…
Baking has always made life better in the past, but can Lucie really bake her way to happiness? Starting her own company, selling cupcakes out of an old ice cream van might just be the second chance that Lucie needs!
Of course, she never expected to find love along the way…
I'm not afraid to admit I'm a sucker for pretty book covers, so I definitely would have picked up 'When Only Cupcakes Will Do', no matter the author or the story description. However, this novel appears to have the whole package! Several months ago I read and reviewed Daisy James' novel 'If the Dress Fits' (click here to read my review), which I really liked and was curious to read more from this author. Next to that I also love novels about cupcakes/bakeries/cafes etc., so I was really excited and thankful when I was approved to read this novel via NetGalley and had my fingers crossed I'd at least enjoy it as much as my first Daisy James read, if not more!
When you're completely in love with someone, why not just take that next step and make sure you'll be together for years to come? That's exactly what Lucie is thinking when she decides to propose to her boyfriend Alex. Things don't go quite according to plan, though; shook up by Alex' refusal, Lucie ends up making a horrible mistake at work and loses her restaurant job. She moves in with her sister, trying to come up with a way to make money and use her passion for baking at the same time. The idea of a travelling cupcake company is born, and Lucie is set on making this work. But starting your own company from scratch is not the easiest thing in the world, especially not when all kinds of things, including a handsome food critic, could be getting in your way...
Sometimes you stumble upon a novel in which everything just seems to be right, and that's the feeling I got while reading Daisy James' 'When Only Cupcakes Will Do.' This heart-warming novel really has it all: a likeable main character which I'm sure readers can relate to, a great plotline, some romance, and a fun and comfortable writing style. I liked Lucie from the start and really loved joining her on this journey, building up her life again from scratch, but especially the idea of this travelling cupcake company is one I simply loved. Lucie's love for baking easily shines through in the story and I loved reading about the different delicious treats she came up with and discovering where her ideas would get her and how she dealt with any issues coming her way.
An enjoyable chick lit novel needs a good romance, in my opinion, and luckily this novel has two male characters at its core. On one side we have Alex, Lucie's boyfriend, and the other side we have Ed, a well-known food critic who used to go to school with Lucie and now unexpectedly makes a reappearance in her life. This novel has made me fall even more in love with author Daisy James and I already can't wait for her next release; she's slowly becoming one of my favourites! Overall, 'When Only Cupcakes Will Do' is a sweet, warm-hearted and fun read about baking, friendship and a good dose of romance; a lovely and uplifting read that will leave you with a smile on your face!

Rating:9,5/10

  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.

Review: 'If the Dress Fits' by Daisy James (2016)

Celebrity actress Lilac Verbois is holding a competition to design her dress for the Wedding of the Year…and Callie’s exquisite, glittering silk gown has been shortlisted. But just as all her dreams are coming true, disaster strikes and she rushes home – forgetting to submit the forms!

Years ago, when Callie left sleepy Althorpe for the bright lights of London, she never expected to return. And there’s one man in particular she’d hoped never to see again, Theo, the childhood-sweetheart-turned-rock-God who turned her life upside down. But now she’s back, she realises it’s finally time to stop running…and face her past.

Yet, little does Callie know, Lilac Verbois has begun a Cinderella-like hunt for that perfect, pearl-embroidered wedding dress, mysteriously submitted without a name…

I can't help but judge books by their covers sometimes; I think it's only human. If I had to pick one cover out of a whole bunch of covers, the cover I would feel most attracted to, it would probably look a lot like the book cover of author Daisy James' 'If the Dress Fits', because I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. The colours, the dress, the title, the font used... It really comes together and seems to be the perfect cover for a great romantic read. Based on just cover alone, I was already sold, but of course I was also curious to check out the story inside this novel, especially since this would be my personal first experience with Daisy James' writing!

Callie Henshaw doesn't regret making the decision to leave her hometown of Althorpe in Yorkshire to start her own wedding boutique in London. Especially not now she's in the running of designing an exclusive wedding dress for famous actress Lilac Verbois, who is marrying her true love in a few months' time. But Callie's life is slightly shook up when she receives some bad news from the home front, requiring her to go back to Althorpe to deal with some things. Due to circumstances she forgets to add the required paperwork to her wedding dress, but there is no time for Callie to even notice as she has more than enough to deal with, including her gorgeous ex-boyfriend-turned-rockstar Theo, who seems to have not forgotten about Callie and the love they once had for one another...

'If the Dress Fits' is Daisy James' second novel, after her 2015 debut 'The Runaway Bridesmaid.' I was really curious to check out one of her works and am really glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic comedy novel from start to finish. I love a good read about weddings, but next to a fun main topic the book also has a captivating storyline, a lovely dose of romance and a great collection of characters. Protagonist Callie is a wedding dress designer taking part in an important competition to design the wedding dress for a famous actress; I loved this part of the storyline, but also really enjoyed the fact that there was so much more to focus on, such as Callie's aunt's shop Gingerberry Yarns and the romance between Theo and Callie.

Theo really is a wonderful male lead and I'm sure many readers will fall for him and his charms, just like I did. I actually think the village of Althorpe is filled with interesting and promising characters, so I'd definitely be up for more stories set in this town and learn more about the different personalities. One point of critique; the novel is described as a funny read, but I personally didn't really feel that while reading it. It's a great read, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't describe it as a really funny one. Daisy James has definitely managed to catch my attention, though, and I already look forward to picking up her next release, 'When Only Cupcakes Will Do', which will be out this August. On the whole, 'If the Dress Fits' is a charming and simply lovely read that I really enjoyed and definitely recommend to any chick lit/wedding lit readers looking for their next 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.

Upcoming Release: 'If the Dress Fits' by Daisy James!

She might be the most famous person in the country…but no one knows her name!

Celebrity actress Lilac Verbois is holding a competition to design her dress for the Wedding of the Year…and Callie’s exquisite, glittering silk gown has been shortlisted. But just as all her dreams are coming true, disaster strikes and she rushes home – forgetting to submit the forms!

Years ago, when Callie left sleepy Althorpe for the bright lights of London, she never expected to return. And there’s one man in particular she’d hoped never to see again, Theo, the childhood-sweetheart-turned-rock-God who turned her life upside down. But now she’s back, she realises it’s finally time to stop running…and face her past.

Yet, little does Callie know, Lilac Verbois has begun a Cinderella-like hunt for that perfect, pearl-embroidered wedding dress, mysteriously submitted without a name…

Ohhh, I just love the sound of Daisy James' upcoming novel 'If the Dress Fits' which will be released on March 18th! Not only does the book have a great blurb that promises a fantastic story, it also has a stunning cover which I just love. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this book will live up to my expectations, because I honestly can't wait to pick it up! 

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads