Loved this book, real feel good read. Well developed characters I found myself rooting for. Always enjoy this authors work

The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings was an enjoyable read. I was hooked from the first few pages and just had to keep on reading till I’d finished it, I loved it.

This is the first book written by Donna Ashcroft that I have read and I look forward to reading others.

Maddison loves to travel and has spent most of the last five years travelling around the world. However now she has arrived back at The Hideaway on Sunflower Island to see her Aunt and Uncle in the only home she has ever really known. When she gets off the ferry the last person she expects to see is Connor Robertson, a man who she had an unrequited crush on many years ago.

It soon becomes apparent that The Hideaway is in a state of disrepair and is losing business. Can Maddison come up with a plan to save it before it’s too late? And will she stay when the going gets tough or do what everyone expects of her, pick up get bag pack and leave the island?

A lovely wee read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Escaping to an island sounds like an ideal life. I enjoyed this story of a community pulling together and the close - if not turbulent - relationships that can exist within a small community. I'd certainly like to go and stay in this guest house!

This is a real summer feel good book and the resurrection of Madisons wellness retreat runs parallel to the recovery of her own life, love and wellbeing. It will make you happy, make you long for the sunshine and make you smile

I've always enjoyed Donna Ashcroft's novels, so was excited when I saw this beautiful cover pop up. I love the pale, pastel colours used throughout the cover, the red gingham table cloth, the cute little cupcake and of course the glittering, bright blue sea in the background! It looks so summery and happy and just automatically draws you in to wonder what the story could be about. I also really love the title of this novel, it's quaint and cute and I love reading about Guesthouses!!

This novel in particular followed main character Madison as she journeyed home after travelling for 5 years to finally settle down on Sunflower Island, a place she has always thought of as home. However, when she arrives, the family guesthouse isn't as she thought it was. Everything has changed and she's worried that she won't have a place at The Sunshine Hideaway any longer. The story then follows Madison on her attempt to make The Sunshine Hideaway great again and also shows builder Connor, who is struggling to hide his feelings from Madison.

I'll be honest and say I couldn't relate to the characters straight away. At first I really liked Madison but then she started to grate on me a little with her ways, she came across as really hippy and kind of looked down on people who did eat meat and didn't drink camomile tea, or practice yoga etc. Connor as also another one who I couldn't relate to straight away, he seemed so moody and quite angry all of the time and I just couldn't see how someone couldn't actually ever smile! I know this type of thing is meant to be like opposites attract but they really did seem like the complete opposite to one another! Luckily, the more I read on the more I started to understand why each character was acting like how they was and it made me relax into the story a little bit more and as it went on I started to enjoy it more and enjoy reading about their relationship.

The book really did surpass my expectations and I found myself really enjoying it much more as the story went on. As I mentioned the setting sounded ideal and I loved the community feel between the characters. It had a wonderful ending and I'm so glad that Connor and Madison finally found their way to one another. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this book via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.

You can tell from the cosy, pastel cover that this is going to be a fun, warm, summer read so this is the perfect book to pick up the weekend British Summer Time officially started and I can confirm that I whiled away a couple of contented hours devouring this book.

From the very opening scene, as Madison is approaching her old home of Sunflower Island via the ferry, the reader is thrown straight in to the atmosphere of the book, so if you are someone who likes a sweet, seaside setting for your romance (and who doesn’t, it’s like taking a holiday while staying in your armchair, and at a fraction of the cost!) you are going to love the setting. Donna does a great job of setting the scene and I found it very easy to picture Sunflower Island and the Hideaway guest house in my mind’s eye.

The main characters in the book, Madison and Connor, are quickly and firmly established, and seem to rub each other up the wrong way. Madison is a travel junkie with itchy feet, a legacy of her childhood, whereas Connor has always lived and worked on Sunflower Island. He is deeply suspicious of Madison and her nomadic tendencies and she can’t understand why he seems to dislike her so much. Plot set for much misunderstanding and tension, but you can feel the attraction between them from early on and will be eager to see if they manage to work out what we believe, they are each the perfect person to help the other out. It is the classic tale of opposites attracting. I fell in love with both of them, although neither are perfect, and really cared what happened to them. An essential requirement for a compelling read.

You see, despite the fact this book may look like a fluffy, summer read, there are real issues carrying the story along. This is a book about how our relationships with our parents can affect the way we form relationships ourselves in later life. It is about finding a place to call home, and learning that we don’t need to be alone in life, there are people who will love and care for us if we let them in. It is about stopping to look around us and valuing each moment for the precious gift it is. Donna brilliantly weaves all of these things through the story and gives it a heft you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a beach read.

The writing in the book seems effortless and follows easily, carrying the reader along. This is no chore to read and I whizzed through it quickly, absorbed in the story as the hours flew by. It felt like a very quick book, so if you are looking for something satisfying by speedy, I would highly recommend it.

I have to say, I was captivated by this book. The characters, the plot, the setting, the writing were all very appealing and I would urge you to pick it up if you are looking for a mood-lifting read. Looking forward to more from this author.

I knew the minute I looked at this gorgeous cover this was a book for me and the story did not disappoint at all. From the lovely description of the destination in this book to the brooding male and the wanderlust young female in the mix of a wonderful community, it was not hard to fall in love with this tale. This is my first read of Donna Ashcroft and I am so glad her cover stood out to me on NetGalley, as I was hooked from the start to the very end. This is my honest and voluntary review of this great book. This is one of those reads that leave you all warm and fuzzy after your finish but also leaves you with so many other great characters you want to know more about as well. Sunflower Island sounds like a great place to have a holiday.

Madison Skylar has returned to the only home she has ever had but what she finds has her wanting to leave straight away. The Sunshine Hideaway Guesthouse has changed since her last visit and her Aunt and Uncle are away but Sunflower Island still has something going for it. The Guesthouse is in need of repair and the quest numbers have been dwindling for some time she has just learnt can she help or would she just leave so she is not in everyone's way. Her whole life in been trip around the world with her career-minded parent and is feeling of not being wanted by her parents and feeling she had no real place within it until her Aunt and Uncle took her on at the age of fifteen after parents death. There is also Conner Robertson, her best friend Amy and Dee on the Island to make her feel wanted and needed.

Connor Robertson has been living in the past since his father's death a few years ago, a father that cared more about it work that his family. He was a workaholic like his dad as he felt he must prove his father wrong and that his life was meaningful and he could succeed with the family building business. He was contacted to help repair and renovate the Sunshine Hideaway café and Guesthouse for the owner and this was a job he did not take lightly as Skylar’s had always been his friends. He did not need Madison sticking her nose into the guesthouse repair plans, but her being home this time looked like it might just last a bit longer than her usual visits, he was unsure how he felt about that.

<i>“Spending an evening in this gorgeous woman’s company was a one-way trip to disaster.”</i>

Madison had always been affected by Conner since she was seventeen and to learn on her return that he still had this effect was infuriating as he had never given her the light of day. But the more time they spend together all in the aid of helping the guesthouse the more they learnt about each other.

<i>“If Conner were a book it would be an ancient Greek tragedy – impenetrable, dark and incredibly hard working.”</i>

But Conner was keeping a secret from Madison and if she found out would she leave the Island again.

Can they both find what is missing in there lives?

Will Madison be about to help her Aunt and Uncle improve the Guesthouse?

Will she stay on the Island or seek a home somewhere else?

What was there not to like about this series? The characters were real, the writing style was solid and the romance had me swooning for more. Donna Ashcroft had a way with words and she was able to create flaw characters that were realistic and genuine. It was honestly hard not to find a character you couldn't relate too. Furthermore in regards to the relationship between the leads, Madison and Conner, it developed in a steady paced and was not rushed nor force. Overall “The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings” was a impressive read, fitting true to it's blurb. I look forward to reading the other installments of this feel-good heartwarming romance series.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookoutoure and Donna Ashcroft for letting me have the privilege of an early copy of this book to review.

Just wow, new author for me and what a fabulous read.
This book draws you into the characters lives from the 1st page, I fell in love with Sunflower Island and its community. Madison has spent all her adult life travelling from one country to another unable to put down roots or find anywhere to call home. Getting fed up of living out of a backpack she decides to return to the only home she has ever known, the Hideaway Guesthouse on Sunflower Island where she spent time living with her dear Aunt & Uncle.
She steps off the ferry to bump into her teenage crush Connor and the story.... Unaware that there have been so many changes at the Hideaway while she’s been away, will Madison run at the first difficulty, leaving the many lovable characters in this book to pull together or will she stay and join them and build a new life? I’ll let you read the book to find out.
I found this hard to put down and didn’t want it to end, would be great to have a sequel or more, maybe concentrating on a different character as the main storyline each time.
Will definitely be adding Donna to my favourite authors. Great for lovers of Cathy Bramley, Milly Johnson, Carole Matthews etc

Despite having such a calming front cover, Donna Ashcroft’s novel, in my opinion, has quite a few characters that I would put in the ‘marmite’ folder. Madison, one of the main characters, has had the travel bug for years, but now she feels that it’s the right time to put down roots with her family on Sunflower Island. When the going gets tough, Madison is very quick to spread her wings and take flight, so, when she manages to stay in one place for more than a few days, her old friends just can’t hide their surprise.

I couldn’t blame the other main character, Connor, for thinking the worst in Madison if that’s all he has ever known her to do, however I did think he was a little hard on her at times. His reservations were totally justified, I get that, but Madison was trying to make an effort and sniping at her wasn’t going to make her want to stay. That said, that girl could certainly hold her own and I repeat what I said above, the characters are definitely marmite because one moment I felt defensive of Madison, then the next she was annoying me with her throwing the teddy out of the pram because something didn’t go how she wanted it to. Her heart is in the right place, please don’t think that I didn’t like her, because I did most of the time. She just really needed to grow up and, for someone who has had so much independence travelling the world, it surprised me just how low her maturity was.

‘The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings’ has such a heartwarming and romantic vibe to it, you’ll need to be made of stone not to be touched by the true friendships, evolving relationships, and delightful community spirit. I adored how the entire island came together to help one of their own, and I couldn’t help but be moved by the lengths they all went to to support one another. Why can’t everyone be like that!

The premise of the book gave me food for thought in terms of living your dreams, not settling for second best, and finding a place you can call home, and I thought that Donna Ashcroft wrote those elements from the heart as though it was her own little gift to her readers.

Even though I did enjoy the storyline and had a good giggle at the name of Connor’s dog, it wasn’t my favourite book the author has written. Nonetheless, the easy to read, calming nature of the book was very welcoming during a time I needed it the most.

A touching, light hearted read to put a smile on your face.

Madison Skylar is finally coming home to Sunflower Island after travelling the world for years. She can’t seem to settle down after her globetrotting upbringing, following her parents who worked in the diplomatic service. Her aunt and uncle run The Sunshine Hideaway guesthouse but she is dismayed to find its not the haven she remembers and they are away on an extended holiday. She decides to get stuck in and pull it back from the brink with a little help from her friends. She tries to persuade serious all work and no play, Connor to lighten up a little but he’s scared of getting attached to someone with a track record of leaving when the going gets tough. Fun and light I enjoyed this visit to the island and wish there was somewhere like that I could go to visit for real. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lovely feel good read set in a lovely location. Easy to read and enjoyable too. Nice characters and flows perfect

The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings by Donna Ashcroft is a contemporary romance read that has the main character returning home to Sunflower Island . This one held a lot that I really liked and then some that I didn’t leaving me a bit on the fence.

At eighteen Madison only wanted to get away from the small island she grew up on and took off to see the world as soon as she could. Now, five years later at twenty three Madison only wishes to return home but finds things a bit differently than she expected.

The one thing not changing on Sunflower Island was Madison’s old crush, Connor. Connor had never been the warmest or friendliest to Madison so his rough personality upon Madison’s return was expected but will these two be able to put the past aside and save The Sunshine Hideaway?

Ok, so, The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings is one of those romance reads that had such a charming setting I couldn’t help but love. I also really liked Madison and couldn’t help but wish the best for her, however I didn’t really warm up to Connor and didn’t actually feel anything develop between them I could root for. Perhaps this was partly at least from starting off the story hiding the truth which I’m never a fan of so in the end this one was just a so-so story to me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The cover already reflects the cozy feeling of the whole story. The soft colours, the stunning view and cakes and tea are ingredients that are a perfect base for a romantic tale. And honestly when I heard the name of the island (Sunflower) who does not want to pack their bags and spend some time there or maybe even a whole lifetime. I love the sea and I would not mind living on an island although maybe a bit a more tropical one ;)

It's true when you have heard your whole life the same things you start to believe that it has to be that way and that you are not allowed to change anything. Then someone comes along to show you there is more to life and you should grab the chances with both hands.

You might think you do not belong anywhere, but the truth could not be more different.No matter how many people try to convince you, you have to see it for yourself and only then you can start to open yourself up completely to the future

It's a story that made me laugh and melted my heart. The perfect read for a gloomy spring day to warm you up and you can bask in the ambience on this lovely island. 5 stars.

Thank you, Donna Ashcroft, Bookouture and Netgalley.

What a lovely read! The characters of Madison and Connor were strong, descriptions of locations were excellent. Sunflower Island was a special place with the inhabitants full of friendship, warmth and support for each other. The supporting characters were all excellent.
The two main characters were polar opposites, both slightly broken due to their childhoods but also compelling.
The book was well written, the story moved on quickly. It was a book you didn’t want to end!
This was the first book of Donna Ashcrofts I have read but it won’t be the last. Hopefully there will be more books set on Sunflower island !
Thank you to Netgalley, BookOutre and Donna Ashcroft for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute easy to read story with some lovely descriptive narrative. The main character wasn't the easiest to get to know or like but overall it was a nice read. It didn't stand out from the multitude of other chick-lit kind of stories around but it wasn't the worst by any means. I do hope there is a follow up with other characters mentioned in the book.

If you want a nice quick read I think this wouldn't disappoint.

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book. I enjoyed this so much!

If you like "feel-good" stories, this is the one for you!

Madison's aunt and uncle have raised her since her parents were killed in a tragic accident. When she was with her parents, she always felt like she was an inconvenience. When she went to live with her aunt and uncle, she never wanted to be an inconvenience, or in the way. As a result, she always seemed to run away. She had wanderlust and traveled the world. Her aunt and uncle loved her so much, wanted her to stay, but never told her, because they knew she loved to travel so much!

Madison came for a visit, to find that her aunt and uncle were away on a cruise, and couldn't be contacted. The bed and breakfast that they ran was not bustling like Madison was used to....in fact, they only had 1 customer! Madison put her people skills to work to transform the place so her aunt and uncle would be so surprised when they got home. Unbenknownst to her, her Aunt Sandy had had a heart attack and had to go away to relax. When they got home, Aunt Sandy and Uncle Jack were going to put the place up for sale, because it was too much for them.

Come for a visit, to see how things turn around for Madison, Aunt Sandy, Uncle Jack and all of Sunflower Island.

I loved this book, and I hope you do too!
#NetGalley #TheLittleGuesthouseofNewBiginnings

What a delightful read.

There are lots of things I liked about this book, the main being the cozy feeling it gave me every time I picked it up to read. I enjoyed the journey the main characters had to go through, they come from almost polar opposites but delve a little deeper and they share similar fears. Maddison comes home to set down roots, whilst Connor wants nothing more than to work hard and prove to his mean, late father that he is worthy of the family business. Both think they are failing miserably, but it is through each other that they find their true worth.

Don’t get me wrong, not all aspects of the story are perfect, Maddison annoyed me when she was ready to leave before the hard work began, but without that character flaw, there would be no story. The antics of the secondary characters, Amy, Jessie, and Georgie, did sometimes strike me as a little petulant, immature, maybe I’m getting old.

On the whole, I would recommend to my friends as a story to lose yourself in over a weekend on Sunflower Island.

Many thanks to #Netgalley and #Bookouture for allowing me to read an advance copy of #TheLittleGuesthouseOfNewBeginnings.

Donna Ashcroft's new book The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings, which has the most gorgeous, inviting cover, takes us to the beautiful setting of Sunflower Island. The island is a special and unique place whose inhabitants are full of warmth, support and people who always offer dedicated friendship in challenging times. This book was an utter joy to read from start to finish, it just gave you that warm, feel good feeling inside. From the opening chapter as Madison Skylar gets her first glimpse of the island whilst returning home on the ferry I just felt this story was one that was going to be so enjoyable and that the characters, setting and plot would very much find a place in my heart and they most certainly did.

At the time of reading I really did enjoy Donna's first two books set in Castle Cove but this new story blew this out of the water and I feel the author has really moved on in terms of her writing. The descriptions were fantastic and I loved how everything was more or less how most of the cards were laid out on the table within the first few chapters. There was no beating around the bush, pussy footing around the issues that would feature in the book instead things were laid bare for us to digest fairly early on and I loved that this happened.

I didn't feel there were any filler chapters or plot-lines just to bulk up the word count, instead there was no shying away from the issues at hand. The reader knew more or less from the outset what was at the heart of the problems facing the two main characters Madison and Connor and it's how they deal with their issues and overcome their fears and worries that make for an excellent read which I read in more or less one sitting. Yes the book did have more than one angle with The Hideaway Guesthouse falling into desperate times as The Lake Lodge Hotel is constantly undercutting their prices and trying to put them out of business. But this wasn't the sole focus of the book and I was ever so glad because I have read this storyline so many times before. Instead a more human, personal side to the story was explored and although both Madison and Connor were very frustrating at times for different reasons and yes the ending may have been slightly predictable, still I was rooting for a positive outcome and thoroughly enjoyed the journey to reach that point.

Madison is a person who herself would admit is not the most perfect person. She has plenty of faults and character traits that could led to her downfall. Although she may outwardly present herself as confident as she travels the world solo seeking something that has eluded her since childhood, deep down she is not a happy person. She is restless and needs to finally establish some firm roots. So this sees her returning to Sunflower Island and to the guesthouse where her aunt and uncle reared her following the tragic death of her parents who were diplomats. Madison has become accustomed to being pushed from pillar to post as her parents relocated many times and Aunt Sandy and Uncle Jack afforded her the opportunity to settle down and live a normal life. Yet Madison left the island when she was old enough and only returned for brief visits, she has gained a reputation for coming and going as she pleases. In fact Madison is constantly running and as we move through the book the reasons for fleeing and escaping become ever more apparent.

Madison never permanently connected with people because she thought she would be safer. But safe from what? To be honest there were times when I understood Madison's viewpoint and others where I just wanted to shake her and say stop with the pity party and feeling all sorry for yourself. You are reading deeply into things and taking things up wrong when really there is no issue at all. You see things that aren't always there because you want to and then in turn I felt she wanted people to chase after her almost pleading in a way that she should stay on the island for good. The island had so much to offer but Madison couldn't see through her firmly established opinions and beliefs that people would embrace her with open arms. Madison needed to prove herself and her worth and by attempting to change the fortunes of the guesthouse maybe she could achieve this. Unfortunately there are one or two things that Dee and Amy who work there and who are friends with her haven't mentioned yet. Will these up scuttle everything and will the brilliant ideas Madison have prove to be futile and all for nothing? Or will it in fact be the makings of her? Only time would tell?

As for Connor, he was such a complicated character. Infuriating, vulnerable but loveable in equal measure. I totally got his viewpoint and stance as similar to Madison his upbringing really affected the person he was today. When Madison arrives back on the island he dismisses her as frivolous and uncommitted and she really rubs him up the wrong way. He can't stand that she never stays in one place and is always leaving the island. He feels he can never get close to her, there is no point as she will be gone. But undeniably there was a chemistry and attraction between the pair and the reader wonders can it develop into something more given they are working in close proximity together? Connor is renovating the guesthouse café and also starts to help Madison with some of her own entrepreneurial ideas. Madison becomes determined to reach beneath that shell that Connor has constructed around himself. To make him understand that there is more than one viewpoint in life and that his opinions and stances on certain situations and events are not always right. That he really needs to embrace a new side of life. Instead of keeping pushing forward with no distractions he should sit back and relax a little. Working himself into the ground to prove a point to a person who won't be there to see it will do no good for you at all in the end. That holding back and not connecting with people will only make for a miserable way of life. Not connecting with people or making time for them will only prove detrimental to both his personal and professional well being.

I thought Connor was a brilliantly written character and I loved the inner turmoil he was wresting with as was Madison. In ways they were quite similar and then in others they were polar opposites but you wondered whether the qualities each person lacked and the other person had would help them gel together and work as a team? Or were they both just too stubborn for anything to work out? I thought all the strands of the story developed so well and at a great pace. There were no significant lulls or times when I thought nothing is happening. Every scene and little plot moved the story forward and in fact I wanted the book to last even longer. I did think the final few scenes were ever so slightly rushed and a chapter or two more would have been ideal as it just felt a bit too abrupt.

The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings was a charming, warm and wonderful book and I really hope that Donna Ashcroft is hard at work on another book set on the island. There were so many other characters who got brief mentions and together with all the brilliant names of the various shops and business there is undoubtedly a lot more tales to come from Sunflower Island.