Guest Review: A Postcard from Puffin Island by Christie Barlow

Verity Callaway is running away.

From her job.

From her quiet life in the Midlands.

And most of all from her ex-fiancée…who has just become her newest neighbour.

The plan is simple: hop in her reliable camper van and cross the Channel, headed for a rendezvous with her best friend in Amsterdam to kick off six months of travel. But when Verity stumbles across a decades-old postcard while preparing her cottage for its temporary tenants, her life takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself on a ferry to Puffin Island instead.

Verity’s childhood was filled with tales of adventures set on the picturesque island, but she’d always thought her beloved granny had made it all up. Now, knowing the stories and the setting were real, Verity is determined to find the postcard’s sender and uncover the secrets of her grandmother’s past…even if it means setting off a sequence of events that will change not just her own life, but also that of the sleepy island’s close-knit community…

Review: This is the first book in a new series from this author, whose Love Heart Lane series was a favourite of mine. The stories in this new series are set on a small island off the north-east coast of England accessed by a causeway that can be crossed safely only at certain states of the tide. As its name suggests, the island is home to a large colony of puffins.

The main female character in this story, veterinary assistant Verity Callaway, is about to set off in her camper van for Amsterdam where she will pick up her friend and they will go travelling for 6 months. Preparing her house for the tenants who would live there in her absence, Verity finds a postcard addressed to her late grandmother from someone living on Puffin Island. Verity’s grandmother used to tell her stories about a place called Puffin Island; only now does she realise that it is in fact a real place. While intending to board the ferry for Amsterdam, Verity finds that she has time to visit Puffin island first. Her plans change when instead of staying on the island overnight, she gets stuck there when her camper van is damaged. When her friend backs out of the planned trip, Verity stays put and gradually becomes involved in island life. As she gets to know more of the island’s residents, including the puffins, and falls under the spell of the island itself, Verity realises that she is becoming less and less inclined to leave. Looking into the mystery of the sender of her grandmother’s postcard, she also uncovers more secrets from the island’s past.

This was a lovely story with an idyllic setting, lots of sweet little puffins (even if they had sharp little beaks!), interesting characters and some romance to boot. It was fascinating following Verity on her adventure, leaving behind her old life and unpleasant memories to try and solve a mystery from long ago. She certainly wasn’t afraid to take a chance and follow her heart. I’m looking forward to learning more about Puffin Island and the people who live there. The author has included a map of the island with notable locations marked, suggesting many more stories to come.

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Guest Review: The Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson

Welcome to The Comfort Food Café!

It’s been a tough year for Maxine Connolly – so tough she's almost given up on finding her happy ending. But then she discovers The Comfort Food Café, shining like the star on top of the Christmas tree and welcoming her in to its cozy, cake-filled embrace for hot chocolates dripping with whipped cream, melty grilled cheese toasties and the funniest bunch of regulars she soon calls friends.

Then there’s gorgeous local Gabriel Moran, who looks at Max like she’s a present he can’t wait to unwrap – and she can’t help but think that, maybe, he’s just what she wants for Christmas too…

Review: This is the seventh book in the Comfort Food Cafe series from the lovely Debbie Johnson. I was very excited to hear that this book was in the offing as I have read all of the books in this series so far and looked forward to reuniting with the characters who have been introduced as the series has progressed. Each story can be read as a standalone, but how lovely it has been to read them from the start and build up a picture of the cafe and the people in the fictional village of Budbury where the series is set. For those new to the series, the Comfort Food Cafe is a magical establishment set on the top of a hill where a person can find just what they need to set things right in their world, be it a special dish or just the company of people good at listening. As a devotee of Debbie Johnson’s writing might expect, there is a fair amount of humour in this and previous stories in the series.

This story centres on Maxine (Max) Connolly, whose life has become very difficult for her due to a whole series of bad things that have happened one after the other. When her daughter, Sophie, sees an advert for help wanted at the Comfort Food Cafe, on impulse she applies on her mum’s behalf, outlining how low her mother has become due to her bad fortune. Although surprised by this, Max takes the job when it is offered along with accommodation, and both she and Sophie set off for Dorset. As others before have discovered, the inhabitants of the village and incredibly welcoming and make the pair feel at home. Among the sometimes zany group of regulars who frequent the cafe, Max meets the more sober Gabriel Moran who lives alone in a house he inherited from his great uncle. Their initial meeting was not too friendly, but they soon strike up a friendship which has the promise of so much more.

It was a treat to return to Budbury and the famous Comfort Food Cafe and meet up with familiar faces once again. I know I am not alone in wishing that the cafe was real. Max and Sophie were lovely additions to the group of people who arrived in the village and never left. Life had certainly thrown a heap of rubbish in Max’s direction and she was an amazing person to keep up an outward cheery persona despite it all. It was truly heartwarming to witness the gradual change brought about in her by the village and its inhabitants. She and the handsome Gabriel were made for each other and I was willing them on to get over their differences and strike up a romance. I can recommend this book and the rest of the series; I can guarantee you’ll finish the story with a smile on your face but wanting more.

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