So Clemency returns to St Carys in Cornwall and gets on with her busy life and career alongside best friend, boss and local heartbreaker Ronan. When Clemency's glamorous stepsister Belle appears, smugger than ever now she's found the perfect man, Clemency's happy for her, really she is... until she discovers Belle's perfect man is Sam.
Heart-stopping romantic entanglements, crossed wires and sisterly dilemmas - all the ingredients for an unputdownable read! "
Rating: 5/5
I absolutely adore Jill Mansell's books, and they are always a highlight of my New Year reading, especially when I feel I have had my full of festive reads! The cover for her new book Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay is absolutely gorgeous, a difference from Jill's previous book covers, but sometimes it is nice to have a change! I eagerly got stuck into this, sure I would be guaranteed a wonderful story, and of course, Jill hasn't let me down, this was utterly fabulous!
Clemency has been alone for a while, so when she meets stranger Sam on a plane, the pair hit it off and Clem wonders if it could be the start of a fledgling new relationship. However, Sam disappears as quickly as he came into her life, and Clemency resides herself to being alone once more. She is shocked when he makes a shock reappearance into her life again a few years later, this time on the arm of her (evil) stepsister Belle. Clem knows she has to keep her distance if she doesn't want to ruin her relationship with Belle for good. Will Clem and Sam be able to keep their feelings pushed down far enough so that Belle doesn't suspect anything?
I loved this novel from the very beginning, mainly because I loved the main character of Clemency so much. She's such a kind-hearted person, very good at her job as an estate agent and friend to many people in the small town where she lives. The relationship with her step-sister Belle is a little bit dicey sometimes, due to the pair being thrown together in their teens by their parents marriage, it wasn't exactly a match made in heaven for the girls! However, Clem is determined to be nice to her sister, despite perhaps giving up her own chance at happiness, and I loved her for that. The opening scene on the plane was very funny too, I was laughing out loud as I read, and cringing too!
There aren't too many characters in this book, which I like, as I feel that I can really get involved in the characters who are there, and get to know them well. There's Clem, Belle and Sam, Ronan who is Clem's boss at the estate agency where she works, his mother and another local, Marina. Others make appearances but these are the main protagonists of the story. They were all brilliantly written characters, people you could imagine knowing yourself, and I loved the genuine friendship between Ronan and Clem, it was a joy to read. In fact, Ronan has a few important storylines of his own in the book, and I found these just as gripping as the main tale!
Cornwall is beautifully described in this by Jill, she has clearly done her research as it all comes to life beautifully in my mind as I am reading. I am really determined to get there one day, I want to see why so many authors choose to set their novels there! Everything from the houses that Clem is trying to sell, to the beach is wonderfully written, and it does like a little bit of English heaven. The story itself is full of love, emotion, heart and just leaves you with a big smile on your face. There's quite a few serious storylines tackled within this book, and they were very well-handled, and each added something to their brilliant book.
For me, this is one of my favourite Jill Mansell novels I have ever read, and that is no mean feat, let me tell you! I just loved everything about this book, and have nothing to criticise at all. The characters, the setting, the story; each of them were perfect, and all come together to create an utterly brilliant read. Jill will forever remain one of my very favourite authors, one I know I can go to for a brilliant story and I'll NEVER be disappointed, she's just too darn good! A fabulous read, what a great way to kick off my 2017 reading!
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