Summer on the Little Cornish Isles: The Starfish Studio

Phillipa Ashley

Jul 2018 · The Little Cornish Isles Book 3 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

Fans of Holly Martin and Nicola May will love this gorgeous book from the Queen of Cornish romance

One summer can change everything ...

Poppy has always loved Cornwall. So when her boyfriend Dan suggests they leave their office jobs and take over the Starfish Studio on the Isles of Scilly, Poppy doesn’t need asking twice.

But things don’t go to plan when Dan dumps her, weeks before they’re due to move. Determined not to give up, Poppy accepts the help of local photographer Jake, her landlord’s grandson. But Jake is distracted by a loss from his past.

Can they turn the crumbling gallery into a success in time for tourist season? And will a summer on the little Cornish Isles mend just the studio – or Poppy’s heart too?

Authors love Phillipa Ashley’s books:

‘Warm and funny and feel-good’ Katie Fforde

‘Filled with warm and likeable characters. Great fun!’ Jill Mansell

‘A glorious, tantalising taste of Cornwall, I could almost taste the salt of the sea air as I read it’ Jules Wake

‘An utterly glorious, escapist read from a one of the freshest voices to emerge in women's fiction today. I loved every gorgeous page’ Claudia Carroll

Readers love Summer on the Little Cornish Isles:

‘This is an utterly charming read, with loveable characters, a gorgeous location, sizzling chemistry and humour’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘You know that you are on a sure thing when you pick up a Phillipa Ashley book’ Netgalley Reviewer

‘I absolutely LOVED this book. It's just so lovely and so heartwarming that I struggled to put it down!’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Could not put it down and read it in a day’ Netgalley Reviewer

‘This and all the other previous novels will take you away to a wonderful place and give you a great story at the same time’ Netgalley Reviewer

‘This is the ultimate summer beach read’ Netgalley Reviewer

Ratings and reviews

Poppy and Dan are on a vacation on the Scilly Isles, their last day was a trip to St. Piran’s, where Poppy steps into The Starfish Studio and is instantly enchanted. From touristy-tatt to oil paintings by the talented Archie Pendower and the HUGE marmalade cat, there’s bound to be something to add to her already over packed bags before returning to their lives in the midlands. Surprisingly enough, it’s Dan who suggests they chuck it all in and move to the Scilly Isles, downsize and do something different that ‘means something’ It took three years but the lease for The Starfish Studio was signed, and they were on their way. Until they weren’t. Poppy just handed in her notice and comes home to find Dan in a ‘sharing’ mood – sharing that he’s moving out, not to Cornwall, but in with his boss, the woman he’s been sleeping with. A devastated Poppy takes the bit in her teeth, everyone is telling her she ‘can’t t manage alone’ and she’s going to prove them wrong – and her adventure begins. Jake Pendower, grandson of the studio’s owner hasn’t been back to St. Piran’s in nearly two years – working as a nature photographer of some renown, he left after a tragedy, and never came back. But, returning to his parent’s home in Cornwall, he discovers his grandfather has taken a fall and broken his hip- and he’s to be the one to prepare the studio for the new tenant. And what a pile of work that is: neglected, cluttered and in desperate need of renovations, his dismay at the sight of the space then finding that Poppy is alone, without the basics, and unsure of just how deep her ‘chin up’ attitude will last. But there’s something about Poppy –her humor, her determination and the lack of fear she displays, even in the face of the short timeline and daunting task ahead of her. Painting, cleaning, meting artists to bring in the ‘local’ angles, and preparing, days away from the ‘grand reveal’, Leo the cat turns on the taps and the space is flooded: destroying hours of work and potentially jeopardizing the opening. But, as always on the Islands, the locals all pitch in to help with a quid pro quo bartering system: everyone is excited for a new face and new opportunity, and Poppy just fits. But there is the question of Jake, and how long he’ll stay: and if that kiss meant as little to him as he claimed. Because it brought Poppy to all sorts of ideas, even as she is finding out just how capable she really is. There’s no little amount of manipulation though: from Archie’s ever-extending recuperation to Fen’s helping hand and more trips off island in this short time than anyone remembers, everyone sees that Poppy and Jake are good for one another. It’s just going to take a death, a few thousand miles and time apart to show them just what is important. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This is the 2nd book I have read from this author. She has fantastic writing skills which suck you in and keep you wanting to read on

Could not put it down.

About the author

Phillipa Ashley writes warm, funny romantic fiction for a variety of international publishers. The first two books in her best-selling Cornish Café series made the Amazon Top 20 and Top 10 chart in 2016.

Phillipa lives in a Staffordshire village with her husband and has a grown-up daughter.