The Blurb
When twenty-nine-year-old Annie Trebarwith receives an unexpected letter from a great-aunt she’s never known, she leaves her shoebox-sized flat in London and catches a train to the rugged Cornish coast.
Salt Bay is beautiful and Annie begins to kindle a bond with her great-aunt Alice. Even though there is zero phone signal and the locals – including the gorgeous but brooding Josh Pasco – can be decidedly grumpy at times, Annie starts to feel at home in Salt Bay.
Soon Annie’s love of music leads her to relaunch the Salt Bay Choral Society, and she’s surprised to see how just much the choir means to the community – and she even starts to break through Josh’s surly exterior…
But London is calling Annie back, and she has to make a decision. Give up her old life completely, or leave Salt Bay, her new-found family – and the choir – behind?
Annie’s Lovely Choir by the Sea is a heart-warming story about family, belonging and the healing power of music, perfect for fans of Jo Thomas, Holly Martin and Carole Matthews.
My Review
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher, Bookouture for the ARC. Apologies to them and the author for being late with my review - unfortunately real life sometimes gets in the way!
Oh what a lovely heartwarming story this is! I really, really enjoyed this book - oh God, here she goes again, loving all the books she's reading - well, I'm sorry, but it's true. It's not my fault I keep picking the most excellent books to review!
I have to confess I wasn't sure this book would be anything special. There are after all, many books set 'by the Sea', and choirs aren't particularly my thing. But I'm so happy I was wrong.
Annie's Lovely Choir by the Sea is a wonderful stories of family, secrets and community. Oh, and romance, of course. Not that Annie is looking for it - she's only come to meet Alice, the great aunt she had never met. Alice reminded me so much of my own great aunt Rene; now sadly in a better place. Reading about Alice was like getting a hug from Rene! Instead Annie finds a real sense of belonging, and makes some great friends.
The plot is expertly drawn and there are many elements to Annie's story. The characters are well written and believable, the narrative fresh and humorous and the descriptions of Salt Bay so good I want to go and live there myself. I'd even sign up for the choir!
It's a great summer (or whenever) read and I genuinely enjoyed it immensely. I cannot wait to visit Salt Bay again!
You can buy Annie's Lovely Choir by the Sea here.
About the Author
Liz began her writing career as a journalist and press officer before deciding that she’d rather have the freedom of making things up as a novelist.
Being short-listed in the Corvus ‘Love at First Write’ competition and the Novelicious search for a new women's fiction star gave Liz the push she needed to keep putting pen to paper …. and ‘Annie’s Lovely Choir by the Sea’ (her first published novel) is the result.
Liz lives on the South Coast with her family and, when she’s not writing, likes to spend time walking by the sea, and trying to meditate. Her ambition is to be serene one day …. she’s still got a long way to go.
You can contact Liz on Twitter: @lizeelesauthor, Facebook: www.facebook.com/lizeelesauthor or Instagram: lizeelesauthor
