Guest Review: Tremarnock Summer (Book 3) by Emma Burstall

Bramble Challoner has had a very normal upbringing. She lives in a semi in the suburbs of London with her parents and works at the call centre down the road. She still goes out with the boy she met at school. At weekends they stay in and watch films on the telly and sometimes hold hands. Bramble is dying for an adventure. 

So when her very grand grandfather, Lord Penrose, dies, leaving his huge, rambling house in Cornwall to her, Bramble packs her bags immediately, dragging along her best friend Katie. The sleepy village of Tremarnock had better be ready for its newest residents...

Review: This is the third book in the Tremarnock series, by Emma Burstall. For those who have not come across this series, Tremarnock is a quaint little seaside village in Cornwall full of interesting characters and drama. I have read and very much enjoyed the first two books in the series, and have been looking forward to reading this third one. I would say that you could read this story as a standalone; events and characters from previous stories are explained where necessary. 

There are lots of familiar faces in this story as well as some new ones. The main character here is a newcomer to the village, Bramble Challoner. Completely out of the blue, she has been remembered in the will of her estranged grandfather, who has left her his entire estate, comprising Polgarry Manor on the outskirts of Tremarnock, and its contents. Against the advice of her family, she has decided to move into the Manor House, accompanied by her friend, Katie. However, things are not as grand as she had imagined. The house and grounds are in a real state of disrepair and the girls are faced with a mammoth task. However, as Bramble gets her teeth into the job of setting things right, she learns more and more about the grandfather she never knew. 

Of course, the girls soon become accepted by the friendly locals who they gradually meet. As readers of the Tremarnock books know, there is great community spirit in the village. Other new characters in this story include: Rafael, a teenager from Brazil who has come to live with his uncle; Maria, the housekeeper at the manor; local artist Fergus and his young son Wilf; and Shannon, a young girl caring for her father and younger brothers. All of them have interesting storylines of their own, adding to the enjoyment of the book. 

I have very much enjoyed this new story about this lovely little village. As with the others in the series, reading this book just makes me want to find my way to Cornwall and enjoy the kind of scenery and hospitality described within its pages. If everyone there is as likeable as the characters in the Tremarnock stories, it must be a great place to visit. I was pleased to read at the end of this story that another book in the series will be appearing next summer. I will definitely be looking out for that. 

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