ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – A Little Hotel in Cornwall by Laura Briggs @PaperDollWrites @rararesources #PublicationDay Push
It’s publication day for A Little Hotel in Cornwall by Laura Briggs. Congratulations, Laura! I’m reviewing this novella today and would like to thank Rachel Gilbey from Rachel’s Random Resources for the place on the tour and for sending me an e-copy of the book for review purposes.
Struggling American waitress and aspiring novelist Maisie Clark dreams of becoming a full-time writer — even though in real life she’s just lost her chance at an exclusive writer’s mentorship program that would give her novel its big break. Desperate, she decides to take a chance and ask her favourite writer, a celebrated but reclusive English novelist, to help her find a second chance.
When she receives the author’s reply in an envelope with a Cornish postmark, Maisie decides not to take the writer’s half-hearted ‘no’ for an answer. With nothing to lose, she takes off for the author’s last known location, a beautiful hotel on Cornwall’s western coast. But when the hotel mistakes her for the latest applicant for a maid’s position, Maisie finds herself given an opportunity too good to lose … and a chance for a summer adventure far bigger than she ever imagined.
Surrounded by breathtaking Cornwall and working in an elegant hotel, Maisie’s world becomes one of secret identities, quirky friends, and unintentional mishaps — and despite reminders of past relationship disasters, a certain handsome, charming local resident Sidney Daniels has her conflicted about her heart’s desires, too.
Will Maisie find the chance she’s been waiting for — and a possible new romance — in her perfect Cornish summer?
I’ve been wanting to read one of Laura Briggs’ Cornwall novellas for ages but I didn’t want to start part way through the series. Well, no such problem here as this is the first in a brand new series of Cornwall stories.
A Little Hotel in Cornwall starts in the US with Maisie Clark. She’s a budding writer but needs a mentor to get her onto a writing programme and she doesn’t have one. She contacts her favourite author, the reclusive Alistair Davies, to see if he can help and despite him saying no, she decides to travel to Cornwall, to the hotel whose notepaper Davies wrote to her on.
It’s all a little fanciful I suppose, but it makes for a delightful story as Maisie reaches the hotel (which sounds absolutely gorgeous), ends up working there, and makes a few friends. All this in the space of 120 pages!
It’s certainly a quick read, but packed with action. There’s possible romance, misunderstandings, moonlit swimming in the sea and lots more Cornish loveliness. I was rather taken aback by the ending as I felt sure it would go one of two ways and it went neither, but when I looked at the blurb for the next novella in this series (A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores) I realised that it follows straight on from this one and so I guess the author decided to leave the reader hanging on for more. I’m certainly intrigued now.
If you like light-hearted romance stories and are after a fairly quick read then look no further as this is perfect.
Laura Briggs is the author of several chick lit and romance stories, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.
