Portobello Book Blog

“Welcome to the gorgeous Cornish town of St Felix, where there’s magic in the air…Things happen which can’t always be explained”

It wouldn’t be summer without an Ali McNamara book as far as I’m concerned. I have read one in each of the past five years and loved them all. It won’t surprise you then to hear that I loved this one too! I was delighted to see that this book sees us returning to the Cornish town of St Felix, the setting for some of the author’s previous novels.

Kate and her daughter moved to the little town of St Felix partly so Kate could put some distance between herself and a controlling ex, but also so she could fulfil her dream of running a craft shop. She has settled in well and enjoys being part of the community. When she discovers that there is a new art shop going to open nearby she worries that this will threaten her business. However, she and the new owner Jack soon become friends although not without some tension between them. When Jack acquires an easel from a house clearance and Kate an old Singer sewing machine, St Felix works its magic and some strange things begin to happen, revealing secrets from the past.

This was a such an enjoyable story to read. Although some of the mysterious things that happen are, let’s be honest unlikely, I would so love to think that they could happen. I liked that in this story we got a glimpse into the past too and the connections with previous residents, their stories echoed by those in the present day. The town of St Felix is such a great setting and you get a real sense of the strength of community in this harbour town. There is, as I would expect, a gorgeous romance or two at the heart of the story too. However, it’s not always light reading with living with disabilities, and controlling relationships also explored.

I’m adding St Felix to my list of fictional places I’d love to visit. Not only does the little town sound gorgeous, there’s always that hint of magic in the air. Kate and Clara’s Curious Cornish Craft Shop is an enchanting, heart warming and 100% feel good story. Give this a try and see if you fall under the spell of Ali McNamara’e writing too!

My thanks to the publishers Sphere (Little Brown) for my review copy from Netgalley. Kate and Clara’s Curious Cornish Craft Shop is published tomorrow in ebook, paperback and audiobook formats. Please buy from your usual book retailer if you are able to. Otherwise you will find buying options for various retailers on the publishers’ website here: Kate and Clara’s Curious Cornish Craft Shop

From the back of the book

Welcome to the glorious little Cornish town of St Felix – where romance and magic sparkle in the summer air

Kate thinks all her wishes have come true when she opens her own little craft shop in the idyllic harbour town of St Felix.

But she soon finds a mystery lingers in her new shop – a sixty-year-old love story told through beautiful paintings and intricate embroideries.

Jack, the owner of the nearby art shop, volunteers to help Kate unravel the mystery, but in doing so they realise their own lives share some uncanny similarities with Clara and Arty, their 1950s counterparts . . .

Can Kate and Jack put right a decades-old wrong, and maybe find their own happy ending on the way?

About the author

Ali McNamara attributes her over-active and very vivid imagination to one thing – being an only child. Time spent dreaming up adventures when she was young has left her with a head bursting with stories waiting to be told.

When stories she wrote for fun on Ronan Keating’s website became so popular they were sold as a fundraising project for his cancer awareness charity, Ali realised that not only was writing something she enjoyed doing, but something others enjoyed reading too.

Ali lives in Cambridgeshire with her family and two Labradors. When she isn’t writing, she likes to travel, read, and people-watch, more often than not accompanied by a good cup of coffee. Her dogs and a love of exercise keep her sane!

To find out more about Ali visit her website: http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk or follow her on Twitter: @AliMcNamara