It's that time of year... trees are starting to go up, lights are beginning to twinkle, and the cold dark nights have drawn in. That can only mean one thing... perfect reading conditions!!!! Okay, so really it of course means that Christmas is on its way and with only a few weeks to go we will all be starting to run around to get our shopping done so that once the holidays hit we can sit back, put our feet up and relax. What better way to relax this Christmas holiday (or any time of year for that matter) than with a beautifully festive read.
Well... look no further and make sure to get your hands on this beautiful novel in the Cornish Cafe series from Phillipa Ashley.
Blurb:
Christmas will be slightly less turbulent than summer, won’t it? Demi certainly hopes so.
She and Cal are keeping their fledgling relationship under wraps for now. But then Kit Bannen, a hunky, blond – and somewhat mysterious – writer arrives at Kilhallon Resort, and not everyone is charmed. Cal is sure that Kit is hiding something. But is he the only one guarding a secret?
Demi is busy baking festive treats for the newly opened Demelza’s cafe, but when Cal’s ex Isla arrives to shoot scenes for her new drama, Demi can’t help but worry that things aren’t quite over between them. Kit flirts with both women, fuelling Cal’s suspicions that Kit has hidden motives for staying on at Kilhallon. Then Cal has to go to London, leaving Demi and Kit to decorate the cafe for Christmas . . . all by themselves.
A storm is brewing in more ways than one. As surprises unfold and truths are uncovered, can Demi and Cal finally open up to each other about their feelings?
I am very excited to be abled to share with you this extract from the Prologue of Phillipa Ashley's Christmas at the Cornish Cafe. I hope you enjoy!!
Extract:
Prologue
Tuesday October 1st
Demi
‘Good morning, friends! This is Greg Stennack, your
favourite local DJ on your favourite local station, Radio St Trenyan. I’ll be
bringing you all the latest tunes and news from our great little corner of
Cornwall and cheering you up on this wet and windy October the first. Hey, did
I just say it was October? Seems like only yesterday that we were slapping on
the suncream and stretching out the beach towels to catch some rays. Oh, wait –
that was only yesterday! Hey, never mind, people. Christmas is only eighty-five
sleeps away. Now, let’s kick off this wild autumn day with ‘Here Comes the Rain
Again’ by the Eurythmics …’
Hey, thanks, Greg, I’ve nothing against Annie Lennox, but I
think I’ll pass.
With a groan, I bash the radio alarm ‘off’ button with my
palm and pull the duvet over my head. That was a mistake. Now that Greg’s not
blaring down my ear, I can hear the rain lashing against the windows and
battering the roof of my tiny terraced cottage. A moment later, I throw the
duvet off me, shivering in the cool October morning. I say ‘morning’, but it
might as well be evening it’s so dark and gloomy in my bedroom. The late September
heatwave we’d been enjoying at Kilhallon Park broke late last night when a
massive storm blew in from the Atlantic and settled over our corner of far-west
Cornwall.
The bedroom door bangs against the wall and four paws land
squarely on my legs and a rough tongue licks my face.
‘Oof!’
My dog, Mitch, stands on my stomach, tongue lolling.
‘Thanks, boy, but I’d rather have a wash myself. In the bathroom, preferably.’
Mitch woofs and jumps onto the floor, wagging his feathery
tail.
‘I know, I know. You want a walk, but have you heard that
wet stuff falling from the sky outside?’
Mitch leaps off the bed, and stands by, tilting his head
this way and that, as if to say: ‘Wuss’.
I give up all thought of staying in bed. ‘OK. You win.’
As I swing my legs off the bed, Mitch scampers to the
doorway, hardly able to contain himself, excited at the prospect of a walk.
After I’ve pulled on old jeans and a fleece, I trot downstairs, grab a quick
glass of juice and pull open the curtains. It’s still bucketing down, and the
rain is driven by strong winds off the sea, so it’s almost horizontal.
I grab an old waxed jacket from a peg by the back door and
pull the hood over my head. Not only does Mitch need a walk, I need to check
that nothing’s blown away from our brand-new guest cottages. I also need to
make sure that our new cafe, Demelza’s, is still in one piece ready for its
opening day on Thursday.
Since I arrived at Easter, my boss, Cal Penwith, and I have
been working hard to transform Kilhallon Park from a run-down caravan site into
a boutique holiday resort. With the help of our friends – and despite the
efforts of our foes – our cottages and glamping site officially open for
business today.
Then there’s Demelza’s.
I persuaded Cal to convert the old storage barn by the
coastal path into a cafe. He decided to name it after me, so I’m determined to
make it a success – come hell or high water.
And on that note … Outside the front door, the drumming of
the rain and the howls of the wind almost drown out Mitch’s woofs. He dashes
outside and scampers through the puddles while I linger in the doorway watching
raindrops bounce off the cobbles of the yard. But it’s not the downpour that’s
stopping me from taking that step outside; it’s the realisation that today’s
the day that Kilhallon – and Cal and I – take our leap into the unknown.
I step into an old pair of Hunters that used to belong to
Cal’s cousin Robyn. I’m wearing her old coat too: everyone mucks in and shares
what they have here. I’ve become part of the Kilhallon tribe since Cal invited
me to work for him, even though my own family have become lost to me. I’ve also
made some good friends who’ve stuck with me through thick and thin. One of them
– Cal – is more than a friend, but we’ll see where that leads.
Mitch dances round my wellies and barks joyfully, as if to
say: ‘Come on, what are we waiting for?’
After the tough times we’ve overcome, and the challenges
that await us, there’s no going back now. I let out a deep breath and step into
the deluge. If you want to see a rainbow, as my Nana Demelza would have said,
you have to put up with the rain …
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So what are you waiting for! Whether you're a kindle lover or you love to feel the pages of a book between your fingers... go and get your copy now!
Leave a comment below to let me know what you thought of the sneak peak at the Prologue and tell me about any of your favourite Christmas reads.
Chat soon beautifuls xx
