The cover of this book drew me in from the get-go, what a view from that window! I adore the pastel colours too, it's just so inviting.

What a perfect read this was, I read it over a few damp and miserable days weather-wise but it certainly brightened my mood. We are introduced into Madison and Connor's lives - Madison is back on Sunflower Island following months of upping sticks and travelling. She had a crush on Connor in her late teens but initially on her return just wants to build up a friendship with him and get the workaholic to try and rest/relax from time to time.

Connor is working as a builder/decorator for Madison's aunt and uncle at The Sunshine Hideaway which is a guesthouse that is struggling to survive against fancier competitors on the island. Unknown to Madison when she returns, her aunt and uncle have put the guesthouse on the market but unaware of this she tries to turn the fortunes around. I was so eager to see a happy ending all around as it sounded idyllic and perfect with Madison's family and friends in charge!

I had a fictional crush on Connor from the first page! To say he was a dark, brooding kind of hero would be an understatement, his monosyllabic ways would have grated on me if I didn't know that there was a kind heart underneath the exterior and boy did Madison manage to crack that! They had such a delicious relationship - so much more than just lovers.

5 magnificent stars - Donna Ashcroft just became a 'must buy' author for me. Check out her earlier novels if you haven't already!

My many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book it was easy to read and a book I found unable to put down. The characters were good and I was able to connect with them.

The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings had a cute concept but I just couldn't get into it.

The first few chapters did try quite hard to orient the reader to the location and established relationships. Despite putting perhaps too much backstory and description in, it was good orientation.

The dialogue and prose were unengaging and, despite attempts at character development, the main characters really lacked depth and likeability. Connor's POV chapters were boring but a little less excruciating than Madison's.

I had a lot of issues with Madison.

At one point she, I kid you not, counts to five on her fingers. She also seems to be competent at many things - having jobs across a range of sectors and assuming she can single-handedly fix a failing business - despite having little long-term experience or training in any. Madison's past as the daughter of diplomats was barely discussed until she casually mentions her parents died in a "freak gas explosion at the British Embassy in Italy" as if that's a common occurrence that needs no explanation. The mention came out of nowhere and wasn't addressed at all. She's later described as being "raised on a diet of hotels, parties and travel across continents” as if it's an excuse for wanderlust and not wanting to be stuck on an island that she eventually returns to anyway.

I didn't care for the romance - from early on the arc was pretty clear and the characters didn't have much chemistry - plus the grand gesture at the end was so cheesy that I actively started disliking the romance.

Overall, it wasn't the worst book I've read, but my anger at Madison's character did make me slightly more engaged than I would have been otherwise. Wouldn't reread, wouldn't really recommend.

The cover, title and blurb really do have that kerb appeal and I couldn’t wait to get started.

Although Madison has travelled all over the world, to countries that most of us can only ever dream of going to, yet like her, The Sunshine Hideaway just has that homely feel that many of us would struggle to leave. The place and setting just oozed charm and warmth and I loved everything about it.

There are a fair few characters who I loved getting to know better and can honestly say, there wasn’t one I didn’t like. Connor of course had to be one of my favourites. I mean the love interest always has to appeal to the reader also and oh boy did he tick all the boxes for me! He also has a pet dog called Jaws, which I couldn’t help chuckling over the name choice.

The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings is a light hearted feel good read that will leave you feeling all warm and snug inside. You really get that sense of home and the true meaning of it. A fabulous, easy read that will have you forgetting all sense of time. Loved it!

THE LITTLE GUESTHOUSE OF NEW BEGINNINGS by Donna Ashcroft is a warm, feel good story! It will leave you with a smile on your face! Overcoming all obstacles and bringing an inn back to its former glory. Finding love! People that care about you, is what it's all about. This book has it all!!!

Madison Skylar returns home to Sunflower Island to visit her aunt and uncle who own and run the Guesthouse, The Sunshine Hideaway. When she gets there though, she finds her aunt and uncle away on a cruise and the once beautiful guesthouse in a state of disrepair. Desperate to get it back up and running before her aunt and uncle return, Madison ropes in old friend Amy and begins to redesign it into a wellness retreat, complete with yoga sessions and adventure walks. She does though have to win around her old friend and builder, Connor who has already been tasked with redecorating the place with a view to her aunt and uncle selling it on their return. Connor though has been secretly in love with Madison for many years and isn’t sure whether he’s ready to forgive and forget his and Madison’s past.

This is my 3rd book by this author and I’ve loved every single one of them! Madison is an interesting character, definitely not a home-girl and much more suited to travelling! She’s also a health freak, who only eats fruit and veg (with the odd ice-cream!), drinks camomile tea and teaches yoga! I wasn’t quite sure of her at the beginning as she seemed quite pushy and over-confident, but as the book moves on you begin to see that it is all a bit of a front and perhaps she’s not as confident about herself as she makes out. Connor is lovely, but is obviously a man with a lot of issues, mainly to do with his late father. He’s also known Madison for many years and tries his best not to let his feelings for her become obvious. I love it though how he just can’t help but be caught up in Madison’s happy personality, exactly the same as us readers!!

The story was lovely and heart-warming! The other characters complimented Madison and Connor perfectly and the description of Sunflower Island made me want to book in at The Sunshine Hideaway straight away!! There was plenty of laughter, love and romance and I couldn’t wait to find out whether Connor and Madison finally got together! I was hooked on this book from the very first page and was genuinely disappointed when I’d finished it!!

It is an ideal summer read, although you don’t have to wait for summer to enjoy it! There’s plenty of sunshine in it to warm up a cold winter or spring day, so grab it now and settle down to enjoy the loveliness that this book gives! Hopefully, this is part of a new series so we can get to enjoy the characters for a lot longer!! Highly recommended!! Wonderful!!

This is a lovely romance story that is set in a charming guesthouse. I loved the characters of Madison and Connor. If you are someone who loves Hallmark Channel Movies, then you will love this book and how the story develops! The whole cast of characters really adds to the loveliness of the book. I couldn't put it down til I knew if the guesthouse would be saved!

Madison has been a nomad for most of her life, the child of diplomats she never actually found a place that felt like home until coming to live with her aunt and uncle on Sunflower Island after her parents’ death when she was a teen. Her parents always left her feeling as if she was a burden, and she’s never quite recovered from that -leaving the island at 18 and travelling the world, never setting down roots. Now, at 23, she’s feeling the desire for something new yet familiar, and has come back to the island that feels like home, hoping to make a life in the little B & B that her aunt and uncle own.

Connor has lived his entire life on Sunflower Island, and now runs the family building firm after his father’s death. Always a ‘himself to himself’ sort of person, his father’s hermit-like behavior, combined with the fact that he wasn’t a particularly ‘nice’ person leave Connor with a mass of issues – most of which he ignores while working too hard, avoiding others and trying to control the world around him. He’s not without purpose, after discovering a half-sister he’s felt not so alone, and is hoping that when she finishes her degree, she’ll come back to work with him on the island. He’s working at The Sunshine Hideaway, Maddy’s Aunt & Uncle’s place, refitting the old café space and doing a general ‘spruce up’, as the B & B is slated to go up for sale – low occupancy due to a rival facility on the other end of the island and the need for Madison’s aunt to step back and slow down after a heart attack in the fall. Yet, both Connor and Dee have promised NOT to share the impending sale or news of her aunt’s health issues.

A story that feels so very fresh and unique, but actually truly isn’t. Everyone here from Maddie to Connor, her friend Amy and Connor’s sister Georgina are all trying to find their way through it all, deciding what they want, who they want to be, and just where to do it all. Madison is relentlessly positive: she’s friendly and outgoing and people flock to her like moths to a flame. She’s got the reputation of always being on the way to somewhere else- and is fighting against that ‘reputation’ as well as determined to make ‘friends’ with Connor and help out the inn, trying to gain more business. Connor is intrigued by Madison, but he’s so caught in his own circle of ‘work and be in control’ that he’s never looked for more. It will take the entire village, and it does, to get the grand opening for the café sorted, bring in new customers and in doing so, build her own toehold in the place Madison wants to call home. And, with lots of friends, plenty of growth, and some clever moments and firsts for both Madison and Connor, the story rockets forward to the big climax, and one that will open doors for possibilities neither expected nor saw. Sweet, clever, funny and oh so full of heart – Ashcroft has hit on another winner where people find home, acceptance and purpose in a place that every reader will want to experience.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-akO/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings
by Dora Ashmont

Description
The Sunshine Hideaway, with its big bay windows and the stunning view of Sunflower Island’s golden beaches, is the only place Madison Skylar has ever truly thought of as home. Could returning to the island be the second chance she needs?
When twenty-three-year-old Madison arrives at The Sunshine Hideaway, she discovers the beautiful little guesthouse is falling into disrepair. With the help of old friends Amy and Connor, Madison throws herself into creating a gorgeous wellness retreat, introducing yoga sessions, adventure walks and ice-cream sundaes with a delicious twist. But will it be enough to save her childhood home?
Handsome and mysterious Connor has lived on Sunflower Island his whole life. He works hard as a builder, with his faithful dog Jaws by his side, but something is missing and he dreams of bigger things. As Connor helps to revamp The Sunshine Hideaway, this could be his opportunity to tell the woman he’s secretly been in love with for years how he really feels…
As spontaneous and fun-loving Madison settles into life on the close-knit island, sparks fly between her and shy Connor as they clash on the reinvention of the guesthouse. Are they too different to make things work or will Madison and Connor finally find true love this year?
An utterly perfect, feel-good romance about the power of friendship, the meaning of home and the joy of falling in love in the sunshine. Perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Milly Johnson, and Debbie Macomber.


Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy for review. This is my HONEST review and I do not give many books 100 stars.

Oh my goodness! The perfect summer novel. I Felt as if I had escaped my life and was a member of The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings. Fabulous characters you have to love. This is the feel-good book of the year. I found myself smiling and the end I had no regrets of "the end" as I smiled.

Really enjoyed this book, and I loved the characters of Madison and Connor. The scenery was beautifully described, and there was a great mix of secondary characters. The blossoming romance between our two hero’s was well written and came across as natural. Will definitely read more from this author