Guest Review: Breakfast Under a Cornish Sun by Samantha Tonge

Kate Golightly needs to move forward and what better way to do that then with a trip to the Cornish coast with best friend and boss, Izzy.

The sea wind is just what Kate needs to finally relax and begin to let go of her past. Except she’s suddenly got one big reason to panic! She RSVP’d ‘yes’ to the Queen Bee of her high school’s wedding saying she’s bringing her boyfriend (she doesn’t have one) who looks just like Ross Poldark!

With only two weeks to find the Poldark look-alike of her dreams Kate is under a lot of pressure for the Cornish coast to deliver…

Review: This is the first book I have read from Samantha Tonge, an author recommended to me by a friend. When I spotted it in the Kindle store, I thought I would give it a go, especially as we could all do with a little sunshine when it's so cold outside. There seem to be so many stories set in Cornwall at present that a successful addition to their number needs to have something to make it stand out from the rest. This one ticks that box due to its unusual culinary content and definitely different plot. 

The action revolves around Kate Golightly, her struggle to recover from a lost love, her passion to help some new friends in need, and her search for a Ross Poldark lookalike. Kate works with boss and friend, Izzy, in the interestingly named Donuts & Daiquiris cafe bar serving coffees and cakes during the day and cocktails and cakes later in the day. She also works as a singer when she can get the opportunity. However, when the girls decide to spend a week in a luxury lodge in Cornwall, they find themselves involved in the rebranding of the holiday camp and on a busman's holiday instead. While in Cornwall, Kate (a big fan of the TV series Poldark) also takes the chance to look for a suitable plus-one to take to a wedding, having claimed to have a boyfriend with a striking resemblance to the hero of the series. 

This story was very easy to read, but I found the plot rather too predictable. I also found the number of mistakes in the text quite annoying; it had clearly been spell-checked but not properly proofed. On the plus side, there are lots of mentions of food running through the story, from the doughnuts with their interesting fillings (not sure I fancy the savoury ones) to the mouthwatering breakfasts and intriguing cocktails. Add to that some good looking men and a bit of romance, and I think that this book would make a good, lighthearted addition to a holiday reading list. 

To take a trip to Cornwall through the pages of this book, just click here!