Book 3 for me in the Oddest Little series which is The Oddest Little Beach Shop by Beth Good. My thanks again to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for allowing me to continue to be a part of the tour and to the author for my copy of the book.

“From the first day of Annie’s arrival in the sleepy Cornish resort of Polzel, next-door neighbour Gabriel seems determined to make her life difficult.

Despite his sexy looks and angelic name, Gabriel behaves like an ogre to everyone, and has apparently been that way since losing his wife in a surfing accident. Annie would do far better, her friend Claudia urges her, to focus her attentions on Jamie instead. Jamie’s the hottest lifeguard in the village – and her co-worker in the Polzel beach shop.

But when Polzel’s famous annual pie-rolling contest sees Annie and Gabriel forced together, it turns out Annie might have a thing for big Cornish ogres after all . . .”

This book is set in Cornwall! And in a shop! Hurrah, we can concentrate on the contents rather than the cover, which is fabulous because the contents are well worth your attention.

I loved everything about this little novella. The setting, in the gorgeous little Cornish town of Polzel, which Beth brings beautifully to life with clever descriptions of its position at the bottom of a hill nestled on the beach between two cliffs and with a lovely little town and gorgeous beach.

The characters, consisting of a clutch of charming townsfolk in a friendly community, hot life guards, pouty teenagers, gruff farmers, sexpot journalists – how many interesting people can pack in to one small community? And, at the heart of it all, Annie – newly responsible for bringing up her orphaned nephew without a clue how to be a mum – and brooding widower Gabriel, cast in the perfect dark Cornishman mould. Fans of Poldark will adore him.

The plot, packed with drama and humour. Dry land surf lessons, a pie-rolling event and peril on the high seas, this tiny book packs a mighty emotional punch. Pick this up and you will get plenty of bang for your buck to keep you racing from start to finish. As a single mum myself, I’m not buying into the idea of celibacy until the kids graduate though, not while there are hot men in trunks on the horizon!

Another great novella from this author, I’m really glad I have discovered her work. Perfect for someone looking for a quick read that delivers a lot in a small package.

The Oddest Little Beach Shop is out now and you can buy a copy here.

Check out the rest of the blogs on the tour and, when you see my name pop up again, check back for a review of one of the other titles in the series!

About the Author

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Connect with Beth:

Facebook: Beth Good

Twitter: @BethGoodWriter