Deborah van der LindeWell, it’s been a bit since I’ve written a review here, but I must say life has been busy between a new job, kids, and my husband being away for his work. However, I recently came across a book that I just had to review. I was in a bookstore (nothing new there), and didn’t I find a lovely looking book called The Little Flower Shop by the Sea by Ali McNamara. Its cover is light and made me think of summer – I wanted to read it as soon as I saw it. It turns out that Ali McNamara is the same author who wrote Notting Hill, and Love… Actually, two movies that I greatly enjoyed though I have never read the books (but I may have to now). It seemed like such a charming story that I thought it would make a perfect vacation read. And it was.
What made me really laugh about this was the circumstances around how I came across the book. Here I was, a Canadian, prowling around a book store in Budapest, and didn’t I find a book about a Londoner who inherited a flower shop on the Cornish coast. It almost felt like I was extending of my vacation; instead of being on a long plane ride with two young – and thankfully sleeping – children, I was transported to a quaint little town on the coast in Cornwall. Or, at least I was while I had my nose in my book (the kids eventually woke up…).
The story was light, and maybe a little frothy. There were new adventures and opportunities for someone trapped in a life they were not happy with; there was a love interest without being horribly sappy; and there was even just a bit of intrigue. There were parts that were a bit farfetched, and others that I wish had have been expanded on, but I found that it did not affect my overall enjoyment. In other words, it really was perfect vacation reading. So, in these waning days of summer, I would suggest grabbing a copy of this book. Imagine yourself on the distant Cornish coast, and maybe have a mini-vacation.
This is a great read for anyone who likes Nora Roberts style books, or is just in the mood for something light and relaxing.
