Cover Image: Cottage on a Cornish Cliff

Cottage on a Cornish Cliff

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

As we return to Oliver and Cara's stories they are living separately, Oliver back with his wife Deanna trying to make a go of his marriage for the sake of his children and Cara making a go of her art and getting known for her beautiful paintings of Cornwall,.... but is Greg more interested in Cara than her art? Meanwhile Oliver is spiralling into depression is life worth living without Cara!

A great sequel that had me gripped again from the first pages, the characters are great and you are really rooting for Oliver and Cara to be able to sort things out and have their happy ever after

Was this review helpful?

I tried however didn't enjoy her writing style and so unfortunately didn't get very far with this book.

Was this review helpful?

In some ways, this is a rather different book from its prequel. The first book had a distinct thriller element with its obsessed stalker, but this time, the focus and concentration is on the day to day lives of Cara and Oliver. And the way it’s constructed is particularly brave, and works really well – rather than bringing them together and making it a book about a continuing love story, it focuses on their separate lives, keeping them apart for much of the book, eighteen months after the end of their affair.

Oliver is back with wife Deanna and his family, struggling still with the depression that plagues his life. His introverted son Jamie still causes concern, and is the key reason he continues to try to make things work – while his wife constantly punishes him for the affair with Cara, and decides the time has come to have a career and life of her own. It’s such a well drawn picture of a dysfunctional marriage lived in the glare of the media spotlight – and its little wonder that he yearns to return to Cornwall and the woman he still loves.

Meanwhile, Cara has achieved increasing success as an artist, her career supported by the rather creepy Greg who has designs to become rather more than her mentor. She’s such a lovely character, a perfect mix of sadness and light. I love her relationships with friends and family – the supporting characters are particularly well drawn – and I was entirely drawn in by her dilemma over the path she should take to make the right decisions for her future happiness and that of her young family.

The book’s cover is beautiful – although there maybe should have been a few clouds, because this really isn’t the sunny beach read it might just convey. But if it’s the Cornish setting that initially draws you to this book, you certainly won’t be disappointed: as well as being an emotional and compelling read, the detailed descriptions of the Cornish coastline and countryside are quite exceptional, painted with the richness of an author’s eye. This book has such a strong sense of place – something I always look for in books I enjoy – and for fans of Cornwall it’s a particular treat.

I must mention those supporting characters again. I was both fascinated and repelled by Greg, as he shamelessly tries to manipulate Cara’s life and change her personality: Deanna moves into the foreground rather more too, a much stronger and less sympathetic character than she was in the first book. But I particularly liked some of the new characters this book introduced. Johnny is wonderfully charismatic and brings a nice touch of lightness and happiness into Cara’s life: and I really liked Heather, the actress who makes a play for Oliver, who can’t fail to remind you of someone rather more famous and familiar.

The books climax and conclusion is every bit as romantic and satisfying as I wanted it to be, and the way the book builds towards it works exceptionally well. The whole book is well written, with real substance to the lives and emotions of its characters – I loved the way the whole narrative was infused with a sense of longing, that feeling of lives being only half-lived, that constant edge making you feel something significant is missing. The author’s emotional touch is very assured, her characters believable, sympathetic and satisfyingly complex.

And I must just mention that if you missed out on the earlier book, and this is your first encounter with the lives of Oliver and Cara, it most certainly won’t spoil your enjoyment of this one – there’s plenty of catching up within the earlier story, and quite unobtrusively done. This was a book I really enjoyed – and I think many others will too.

Was this review helpful?

Enjoyed the plot, setting and the author’s writing. Wish I has read the previous book before reading this one. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc. Opinions stated are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Lovely summer read perfect for over the winter nights to get you away from the cold. Set in the beautiful Cornwall. Fantastic storyline and lovely characters to pull it all together

Was this review helpful?

Cottage on a Cornish Cliff is a second chance at love story. But it is so much more. It's love , loss, joy, with laughter and a bit of mystery. I enjoyed all the twist and turns that finally bring Cars and Oliver back together..Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and this is my unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

I loved Cara and Oliver's story and the Cornish setting. Such a sweet book!

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I love the first book in this series and although the ending is poignant there is hope for Oliver and Cara's future. The sequel sees Cara and Oliver living their lives, Cara with another child to love and Oliver trying to help his youngest son and see if there is anything of his marriage to save apart from staying together for the sake of the children.

Cara is emotionally strong and her family give her a reason to live, even though her heart is broken for the second time. Her artistic talent draws the attention of a New York art critic but are his motives as magnanimous as he portrays them? Or does he have a sinister motive for showcasing Cara's art to the world? He offers security and success but is the sacrifice Cara will have to make worth it?

Exacerbated by his failing marriage and loss of Cara, Oliver's depression deepens. Is doing the right thing for his family worth sacrificing his emotional happiness?

This is an intensely romantic, emotional story with two leading characters you can't help but empathise with. The conflicts are frequent and convincing and the ending is worthy of any romantic film. The writing style is easy to read, full of authentic characters and a breathtaking setting.

Definitely one of my favourite romantic series of the year.

I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

The setting of the Cornish coastal side was absolutely stunning. The myriad range of characters we had made the story very good.

Cara is recently widowed, three very young children. After her husband's very early demise, she found love with Oliver who was forced by family circumstances to return to his wife and four children. Cara is happy with her life as it is, especially since her paintings of Cornwall have been successfully accepted in the art world. The only obstacle to this smooth sailing is Greg, her agent who has bigger plans for Cara both professionally and personally.

The story evolves in two planes - Cara's life and Oliver's life and you do hope that somehow, though it looks albeit impossible, for a happy ending.

Was this review helpful?

Oliver is an actor who was in love with Cara, an artist who lives in Cornwall. He finds himself struggling to keep his family together yet Cara is ever-present in his mind.

Cara is a young talented artist and single mum who cannot forget her past love, Oliver. Will they find a way to be together again, or have they moved on more than they thought? Cottage on a Cornish Cliff is a beautiful book and Kate Ryder has an amazing talent for creating memorable and engaging plots and characters.

The Cornish landscapes are stunning and Kate Ryder's books are up there with Fern Britton's The Postcard and Coming Home as my favourite Cornwall-themed books. Everything is so accurate, the people the landscape and there are so many sweet tender moments but this is not a soppy romance, it's real, realistic and captivating.

Luckily there is background as to events and people from the previous book which I found helpful and interesting to revisit even though I reviewed the ARC of it in the past. Well deserving of 5 stars. Listened to in a matter of hours. Perfect pace for anywhere whether home or away. Ideal beach read too.

Thanks to Kate Ryder and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. Great to see Kate Ryder back after Summer in a Cornish Cove, her previous book.

Was this review helpful?

Cara is a painter that has lost her husband 4 years ago and her lover Oliver last year. Cara thinks she has no future with Oliver because he is married. Greg who specializes in art has his mind set to get Cara and her children to move to America. Oliver has not forgotten his love of Cara.
This is a very good fiction. The author certainly made you see the Cornwall seaside. And also she makes the character Oliver have depression. I thought this was good because even though he is a famous actor he still has his challenges.

Was this review helpful?

The Blurb :
Globally renowned actor Oliver Foxley has made the most difficult decision of all and set the love of his life free, in order to try and bring his family back together. But there's a magnetic pull back to both Cara and Cornwall that Oliver can neither deny nor resist...
Heartbroken for a second time in her short life, single mother Cara knows she has no choice but to pick up the pieces yet again and carry on. Perhaps a complete change of scenery would help her, and her young family? Yet her mind, spirit and heart yearn for the windswept shores of her Cornish Cove...
Cara and Oliver face the agonising choice between following expectations, or following their hearts. How will their story end...?

My Thoughts :
Finally the long awaited sequel to Summer in a Cornish Cove. After reading the first book, I begged Kate Ryder for more and was so pleased when she told me there was a sequel to follow.
Although this can be read as a standalone, Id recommend reading the first one to familiarise yourself with the charactors and get to know Cara and Oliver’s story. You wont be disappointed.
From the first page, I felt I was home. I adored Cara Penhaligon and her little family, so I was happy to be back in her world.
We pick up 18 months on from where the first book left us. And with the added addition of her new son Toby, whos father is Oliver.
After a short Summer fling resulting in Cara falling pregnant, Oliver returned to his wife Deanna and family to do the right thing. Although he is very much in love with Cara.
Leaving Cara heartbroken once again after tragically losing her first husband at a young age we are back in her life and the surroundings of the beautiful Cornish coast.
Does Cara and Oliver paths cross again or is it a case of a lost love thats gone and forgotten forever!?.
Not wanting to give too much away, I throughly enjoyed this book, although I am a bit biased as I absolutely loved book one and sorry but it still has to be my favourite.
I loved revisting the village and its charactors, watching Cara grow as an Artist and finally finding out more about Greg and his story since his wife Marietta has now passed away.
I love enjoying the scenery that is vividly described and just getting lost in the moment.
This is one series that I got totally invested in emotionally, its full of highs and lows and will have you shouting out to various parts as we read through. Once again Kate Ryder delivers a perfectly written sequel and this series will always hold a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf

Was this review helpful?

This book is a sequel to Summer in a Cornish Cove and I think it would be confusing to read as a standalone novel. If fact I was so confused reading just the first few chapters I bought the first book so I could review this one properly.

Kate Ryder's descriptions of Cornwall are wonderful and she brings the settings and local characters alive, her own love of the county shining through. Oliver and Cara's story is compelling and I found I just had to know if, after so many obstacles, they finally reached their happy ever after.

Was this review helpful?

I was intrigued by the way this was written. The place was as much a character as the people. I enjoyed the story and cried a few times. Thanks to NetGalley for my copy.

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly enjoyed Kate Ryder’s debut novel Summer in a Cornish Cove and I couldn’t wait to read the sequel, Cottage on a Cornish Cliff, which continues the enthralling tale of Oliver and Cara. Heartwarming, romantic and powerfully written, Cottage on a Cornish Cliff, is a spellbinding tale set against the majestic background of the Lizard Peninsula that is wholly mesmerizing and a joy to read from beginning to end.

Oliver Foxley is one of the leading lights of the acting world who had chosen duty over desire and made the biggest sacrifice of his life: letting go of the woman he loved with all of his heart for the sake of his family. Uniting the family had been paramount for Oliver, but in the process he had ended up with a heart broken beyond repair while his days and nights are weighed down by regret and despair. Although his head was telling him that he needed to set Cara free for his family’s well-being, his bruised heart was telling him a completely different story. Try as he might, moving on and consigning Cara to the past simply was not working for him – especially as the pull between them is simply too strong. Could Oliver and Cara ever find their way back to one another?

Single mother Cara has had her fair share of heartbreak in her short life. Despite of the many hardships she had endured, Cara is a survivor and when her relationship with Oliver, the man she had thought was the one for her, had come to an end, she had had no other choice, but to pick herself up and start again. But the end of her love affair with Oliver was different. She had never felt such sadness or anguish and although she is putting on a brave face, she cannot help but wonder whether she will ever find happiness ever again. A change of scenery could be just what she needs during this difficult time and Cornwall soon proves to be much needed balm to soothe the troubled mind.

But when she crosses paths with Oliver again, never forgotten feelings resurface with a powerful vengeance and the two of them are faced with an agonizing choice: to follow their hearts or else spend the rest of their lives plagued by regret…

Kate Ryder aims for the heart and does not miss with Cottage on a Cornish Cliff. Written with warmth and sensitivity, this mesmerizing tale sparkles with scintillating drama, searing emotion and first class romance. Oliver and Cara are fantastic characters who will sweep readers off on a powerful journey which will make them laugh and cry. Wonderfully nuanced, richly drawn and impeccably written, Oliver and Cara will make readers feel every single emotion they are going through and have them reaching for the tissues on many an occasion.

Moving, engrossing and heartwarming, Cottage on a Cornish Cliff is a must-read for fans of Liz Fenwick and Harriet Evans.

Was this review helpful?

Cara Penhaligon is a gifted Cornish artist whose talent provides her with the ability to raise and care for her three children. As a single parent, Cara has loved and lost not once but twice in her life and is finding an inner strength to carry on and spread her wings in the art world. Will taking new opportunities and uprooting her family be the fresh start they all need - and could she bear to live anywhere else but on the wild and beautiful coast of Cornwall? Oliver Foxley is a very talented and good-looking actor with a wife and four children, but since spending a summer in that same county his life seems to be lacking something. Can he live out his life knowing he's missing out on real happiness?

First up, confession time; it wasn't until I began reading this novel that I realised it was a sequel! Having enjoyed Summer in a Cornish Cove so much, I added this one to my list purely on the basis of the author's name. What a lovely surprise! How rewarding to return to the spectacular Cornish scenery which Kate Ryder describes so aptly that I swear I could smell the sea...

I have revelled in this book; everything about it is just so delicious. The characters are a mixed bunch, all with their own lives and idiosyncrasies and I felt I had been living in among them as I read. Every time I read a story set in Cornwall I have ideas about living there, but none so much as with this series. Full of angst, doubt, happiness and sadness this is one which captivates both heart and soul and until the last few pages I was never sure of exactly where it was heading. An absolutely glorious sequel, deserving no less than five super-shiny, sparkling stars!

Was this review helpful?

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

Oh Cara. Oh Oliver. Can this star crossed couple find love? Oliver is the father of Cara's youngest child but he has a wife and other children. Both of them have sadness in their past, and Oliver suffers from depression as well. Loved the Cornwall setting (always one of my favorites). I read this as a standalone and don't think I missed anything. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This has more substance than others in the genre- a good read.

Was this review helpful?

lovely story set in Cornwall, two totally different men wanting the same woman for different reasons but who will win? Will she go for love or security.

Was this review helpful?

The sequel to Summer in a Cornish Cove, and it was well worth the wait. Cara is easily one of my favourite characters of the year and I'm so glad that Kate was able to bring her back. This is one of those books where the location is a character in it's own and I want (again) to go back to Cornwall!
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.

Was this review helpful?