Publication: 30th March 2023 – Simon & Schuster UK
All Freya has ever wanted to do is paint. So when she fails her Master’s Degree in Art, on the same day that her boyfriend decides he needs a ‘more serious’ partner, to Freya it feels like the end of the world.
Luckily, she has a saviour in the shape of best friend Lola, who invites her to the sleepy Cornish village of Polcarrow, to work in her café. With nothing keeping her in London, Freya jumps at the chance of a summer by the sea.
Freya needs time to focus on herself. But then dark and mysterious biker Angelo blows into town on a stormy afternoon, with his own artistic dreams and a secretive past, and Freya’s plans of a romance-free summer fly straight out of the window…
Heart-warming, heartfelt and romantic, The Cornish Hideaway is a novel of community, friendship and learning to love again, for fans of Jenny Colgan, Cathy Bramley and Heidi Swain.
Good morning, everyone. I am so thrilled to welcome you on my stop for the blog tour of The Cornish Hideaway, the feel-good debut novel by Jennifery Bibby, out on Thursday.
The Cornish Hideaway is an immersive and beautiful novel of self-discovery and new beginnings set in beautiful Cornwall. The protagonist is twenty-seven years old Freya who, after failing her postgraduate course and being dumped from her long-term boyfriend, all in the same day, decides it is time for a change and to take a break from art and the chaos of London and accepts her friend Lola’s invitation to spend the summer in Cornwall helping her out in her new café.
The story is set in Polcarrow, a small fictional village by the sea and, upon arriving, Freya is warmly welcomed by the residents. But she is not the only newcomer in the village. Arriving on his motorbike, Angelo draws even more attention than Freya. And, exactly like Freya, he is also taking a break from his life to figure out what he wants. The attraction between Freya and Angelo is immediate and strong, but with so much from their past to resolve, first they have to find out if they are ready for love.
I was initially drawn to this novel by the beautiful cover. And then I read the blurb and I knew that I would love it and I wasn’t disappointed. The story is entertaining and charming and the characters captured my heart. Life in Polcarrow is very different from London and soon Freya finds herself refreshed and rested. She is able to focus on her art again, without pressure or fear of being rushed and she immerses herself in the local life. She also has a chance to love, but Angelo has his own demons haunting him and things won’t be easy between them, but I loved how their story developed. In Polcarrow, Freya not only finds love, but also a few new friends. Lola (who she met in London working together in a bar) is fun and sweet, the local vicar, Tristan, is always ready to listen and to offer some advice, and Alf is eighty-year-old star resident, full of stories and unconditional friendship together with his adorable dog, Scruff.
The Cornish Hideaway is one of these stories that keep you engrossed from start to finish and I didn’t want it to end. It is very well-written and with the right doses of romance and friendship and I am already looking forward reading to the author’s next story!
A huge thank you to SJV and Simon & Schuster UK for providing me with a copy of this beautiful novel.
Follow the rest of the blog tour:
As a lifelong lover of stories, Jennifer Bibby spent her teenage years wowing various teachers with her historical epics before finding her feet exploring the everyday lives of modern women through literature. In addition to being a bibliophile she loves classy cocktails, cake and medieval history. She’s happiest by the sea and loves to travel, and firmly believes that dinosaurs improve everything. The Cornish Hideaway is her debut novel.
Book After Book 