The main character in this novel is easy to like and relatable. You get to find out quite a bit about Kerra as the story enfolds and you can see that the girl she was when she lived at Penvennan Cove moulded the woman she has become. She has a firm hold on what she now wants to do and what is important in life to her. She is quite determined not to let anyone into her life who cannot be trusted. She is also shown to be fiercely loyal to those she trusts and a great sense of looking out for her family and friends.

I found Ross to be much harder to get to know. He seems to be quite guarded and self contained but through his actions, you come to realise his good points. This is very much a 'starting again' novel with the message that it is never too late for a second chance. The setting is gorgeous and I must say Kerra's vision for her cottage sounds amazing. As the community comes together and more than one person gets a second chance to shine, the story blossoms like an endearing, feelgood friend.

In short: It's never too late...

The Blurb :
When Kerra left the quiet Cornish town of Penvennan Cove for the bright lights of London she didn't look back. But after the death of her mother, she's decided it's time to face her past and return to the place she called home. Her father needs her, and perhaps she needs him more than she's willing to admit?
Tackling town gossip, home renovations and a flame from her past, it's not quite smooth sailing for Kerra. Ross is the bad boy she was meant to forget, not a man who still sets her heart aflutter. As he helps bring her dream home to life, they begin to break down the barriers that have been holding them back and in the process learn things about themselves they never thought possible.


My Thoughts :
Being a huge fan of Linn b Halton’s writing, I could not wait to get started on her newest book Coming Home to Penvennan Cove.
Here we meet Kerra Shaw, Kerra has recently lost her mum so decides to move back home to Cornwall, to be nearer her Dad. Moving from London where she has been living and has a successful business is a big step, one that Si, her assistant thinks shes crazy to do.
Moving into her late Gran’s Cottage, which needs a lot of love and attention, Kerra sets about making a home for herself again.
Neighbour Drew is only to willing to help and will a blast from the past also set her heart alight or is that one crush she needs to leave well in the past!?.
I really enjoyed connecting with Kerra throughout the book and almost felt as I was her friend cheering her on in some areas. All the other Charactors were a joy to follow, especially her Dad.
Linn b Halton has a way with words that brings the story together and makes you feel all warm inside. 
I love reading her books and every new addition she adds to her collection doesnt disappoint.
Waiting on another great story very soon.

Kerra works in London and is in need of a change. She has to leave when her mother suddenly dies and life sees Kerra crossing the country to Penvenna Cove, Cornwall where she grew up. 

The beginning was a little slow but I did get a sense of the rapport and friendship she had had with work colleague and friend, Si. 

She is back with her dear dad, friend Tegan and the dogs Kerra's mum cared for. 

There's a project in store when they have to renovate a cottage and life is full with rekindling old friendships. 

Ross, Kerra's first love is still in the area. But there's also Drew next door.....

Will returning home to Penvenna Cove be enough for Kerra to feel like she is really moving on, or will memories of London lure her back to the life she left? 

Having lived in cities and towns, I could sympathise with Kerra's fears as to whether she had done the right thing, and what people would gossip about: namely whether she had "failed" by coming back as well as assumptions around that if you move away, you want to lose contact with people and people not seeing it from your point of view, that by moving away you are chasing your dream or have to be forced to relocate. 

I liked the way she and Drew connected straight away over their ups and downs in life. 


Penvennan is a quaint place. 

I did notice a few clichés though, first, Kerra's mother passing away from cancer. I have a thing about diagnoses not being varied in books as so many use cancer as an example. It is quite an overused one in many books. The other was Drew being the "guy next door", as well as an conveniently an architecht when the task at hand is to renovate a house. Again, maybe more varied choices would have been good. 

I enjoyed all the catch up with old neighbours and the detail of the stars and being able to see them as compared to when you are in a city.

Kerra's dad was lovely and so welcoming and loving. I liked how enthusiastic Tegan was when she saw Kerra was back. 

The novel is both happy and sad as Kerra, her dad and Tegan all lost people they loved. 

Coming Home to Penvennan Cove is a novel about taking chances, having the courage to change your reality no matter how much it hurts. It is about reconnection, memories as well as learning to not care what people think and just love life. 

Pedravan, her mother's childhood home, is a tiny cottage and it needs a lot of work. 

Can it be renovated to Kerran's taste? 
Kerran's mum wanted her to live there but Kerran wanted something bigger and more modern. 

Her dad wants her happiness and is worried she will up and leave if the place is not what she wants it to be.

Can Kerra and Drew tun the place around? What will it take to make Pendravan her dream home? She has the IT skills, but does she have what it takes to build a new life in Penvenna Cove? 

Coming Home to Penvennan Cove is a lighthearted book perfect for these trying times. 

Thanks to Linn. B. Halton and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

4 stars.

Although this is the first of Linn’s books that I have read, I have loved the books she has published under the pen name of Lucy Coleman, so I was excited about reading ‘Coming Home to Penvennan Cove’, and it really did not disappoint!

The book follows successful businesswoman Kerra Shaw, who sells her business in London and returns home to Cornwall, following the death of her mother. I loved the way she throws herself back into village life, and sets about turning her inherited cottage into her dream home. As someone who is partial to a little upcycling of furniture, and home improvements, I enjoyed the transformation of her home.

For a confident woman, being around her childhood crush, Ross, seems to reduce her to a nervous wreck, and it was so cute watching as the two of them faced up to the fact that they had both had crushes on one another and both still felt the same years later. I thought the mystery around the previous tenant of Kerra’s cottage was an exciting part of the story, which brought not only intrigue, but also a few tense moments for Kerra.

The other characters all added depth to the story, in particular her best friend Tegan, her former employee Sy, neighbour Drew and the adorable Bengal cat Ripley who completely stole the show! This book is the first in a series of books about this wonderful Cornish community.

It was a story about love, family and community spirit, and I found as the story continued that I felt emotionally connected to Penvennan Cove, and the people who lived there, and I cannot wait to return to this idyllic Cornish world that Linn has created.

Kerra returns to her native Cornwall after selling her Internet business based in London in order to look after her widowed father. She decides to put the money she made from her business, together with her Internet skills, to use helping those around her.
This is unashamedly a feel - good story that I really enjoyed. I liked the way it showed that having money and success  isn't a guarantee of happiness, but love and friendship can help. A star is Drew's cat, a Bengali, who is very vocal - I've not encountered one of these, but did have a Burmese who talked all the time so can visualise the encounters. The description of the community and the characters made me wish I could join them, which is a hallmark of the type of book that I generally enjoy. This is just the type of book to read cosied up on a Winter's evening and forgetting about the real world out there for a time. There is plenty of opportunity to set more stories in this setting and I believe that this is part of a trilogy so am really looking forward to reading the next one.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Kerra has sold her online business in London and heads off back home to Cornwall. Her mother had passed away recently and it was the wake up call she needed to reconnect with the rest of her family. 

I really enjoyed this book. It's a nice, relaxing, uplifting, feel good read. The setting sounds stunning. I feel a need to visit the area. I loved the characters although some took a bit more time to like than others. The story line was adorable. I loved it.

I have been a fan of Linn’s work for quite a while now.  I haven’t quite caught up with all of her books yet but I am getting there.  I will let you into a little secret but don’t tell anyone- Linn B. Halton also writes under the name of Lucy Coleman.  I love Linn and Lucy’s books.  I read the synopsis for ‘Coming Home To Penvannen Cove’ and the thought of somebody trying to create a new life for themselves really appealed to me.  So without further ado I grabbed my Kindle, grabbed a cup of tea and settled down to read this lovely sounding book.  Linn has done it again and she has written one heck of a book, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading but more about that in a bit.
I loved the lead character of Kerra.  Years ago she left her home town/ village and went to live in London, where she had a very successful career in something to do with computing and the internet.  She did love her life in London.  Kerra’s world falls apart when her mother dies of terminal cancer.  It’s whilst Kerra is grieving that she pauses and takes stock of her life by looking at what is really important and what isn’t.  Kerra decides to make some pretty big life changes and after selling her business, she goes home to Penvannen Cove.  Kerra wants to start a new chapter in her life.  Kerra goes home for a number of reasons- she is still grieving for her mother, she worries about her father so she wants to be closer to support him and she wants to surround herself with familiar people and friends.  I suppose in a sense after her Mam dies, Kerra realises just how insignificant certain things are and work is not worth stressing over to the point where it is beginning to affect your health.  Kerra embarks on creating her new life with gusto.  I kept everything crossed that she would settle well back in her home town/ village and that she would get the happy ever after ending that she so deserved.  What happens?  Well for the answer to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I think part of the reason why I loved this book was the fact that to a degree I identified with Kerra.  No I am not a multi millionaire nor am I that good with computers but what we have in common is that we lost a parent to a terminal illness.  My Dad died of leukaemia a number of years ago.  My world fell apart and it wasn’t until after his death that I realised that certain things I had been stressing over were insignificant and nonsense when compared to the loss I had suffered.  Anyway that’s enough of my little burblings and back to the review I do go.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into this story.  Pretty much by the time I got to the bottom of the first couple pages, I knew that I was going to find it increasingly difficult to put the book for any length of time.  I loved the place where the story is set, I loved the character of Kerra and I enjoyed getting to know her friends.  To say that reading ‘Coming Home To Penvennan Cove’ was addictive seems like a huge understatement.  When I wasn’t reading this book, my Kindle was talking to me telling me to get back to reading the book.  I was that classic addict-saying just one page or chapter more and then I will put it down.  Well I didn’t put my Kindle down very often and I managed to read the book over the course of a single day, which is pretty good going for me, since I find it hard to concentrate for any length of time, I am easily distracted and I need to change position every so often so that my back doesn’t start protesting.
‘Coming Home To Penvennan Cove’ is extremely well written but then I have thought that to be true of Linn/ Lucy’s books in general.  She creates lovely characters, who are nigh on impossible to dislike and she writes about them with great warmth.  In fact she describes her characters so well that they seem just as real as you and I.  Linn grabs your attention from the start and draws you into the story.  Once Linn has your attention, she will not let you have it back until the moment you read the last word on the last page.  I felt as though I was part of the story myself, which is all thanks to Linn’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.  Penvannen Cove sounded so idyllic that I was ready to pack a suitcase and go to find it!
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Coming Home To Penvannen Cove’ and I would definitely recommend this story to other readers.  I will certainly be reading more of Linn’s and Lucy’s work in the future.  The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Kerra has had a successful career in London but after her mother's death, she has made the decision to see her business and return home to Penvennan Cove. She expects to take this time to re-evaluate what she wants from life and primarily to support her dad who is struggling a bit after losing his wife. Kerra has a cottage in Penvennan Cove which had belonged to her grandmother and so after serving due notice on the tenant, she moves in there.

There is quite a gentle start to the book as the author sets the scene and introduces us to her characters, giving us time to get to know them. Kerra is immediately shown to be a hard worker but also someone who values her family and friends. Despite having made a huge amount of money on the sale of her business, it's not beneath her to get stuck in and help her friend Tegan with her business, cleaning holiday cottages when she's short staffed. I did wonder whether Kerra, being used to a busy lifestyle in London, a modern spacious apartment and the finer things in life would settle into the quieter life in Cornwall and in particular to the small cottage she had moved to. This was one of the main themes of the book.

There is a strong focus on Kerra's family and friends running throughout the book and how Kerra fits back into the community. Not everyone is welcoming and of course being a small community there's a fair bit curtain twitching and gossip. There's a hint of danger and mystery surrounding Kerra's former tenant too. Then there's the  love interest with Ross, the man who made her knees go weak when she was a teenager and seems to have the same effect now! I would say that there isn't a huge emphasis on the romance aspect in the book, but rather it brings a pleasing additional element to the story. Kerra's romance isn't, in fact, the only love story nor perhaps the most touching from my point of view.

Coming Home to Penvennan Cove is a book about going back, second chances and moving on, and not just for Kerra. Having got to know many of the residents of Penvennan Cove quite well in this book, I look forward to seeing what happens next for them in what is to be a trilogy of books.

This novel had charm but needed a bit more of character development with the secondary characters. I felt interactions were a bit forced and a few ends were not tied about the way a character reacted to the Kerra. However, if you love watching HGTV, (which I do), you’ll really like reading about all the home renovations that Kerra undergoes with her home and her next door neighbour, Drew’s home. The home renovation work was written into detail and it connected the various happenings of the story. 

The developing relationship between Kerra and her highschool crush, Ross was sweet and I really liked how realistic it was. They both came into the relationship with baggage and knew what that baggage was and that there was not cookie cutter, cherry on top result with them getting together. They had to work through their struggles and in the end, came to a compromise that left both of them happy.

Overall, this is a story for those who enjoy detailed ins and outs of everyday comings and goings. Normally, I’m not one for that but this book achieved it making it appealing to keep reading.

It took me a while to immerse myself in this story of coming home, friendship and second chances. Perhaps, because it's a little different from previous books I've read by this author.

As the first book in a series, world-building is a requirement, and the first part of this story does that. It begins with Kerra wrapping up her old life after a successful sale of her website business, and returning to her home village to help her dad. She also wants to try something new, as she recovers from her mother's death.  Life in Penvennan Cove is a surprise for Kerra, whilst the sense of community, gossip and many of the inhabitants are as she remembers them, there are significant changes too.

As I get to know the characters, their lives, and how they connect to Kerra, and each other, this becomes a heartwarming, page-turning read. The characters are diverse and relatable with believable lives and relationships.

Romance features in this story for Kerra and her friends, but although this is an important theme, it's not the only one. Kerra and Drew renovate their cottages. The details included add authenticity.  This story, explores a myriad of human emotion bringing characters to life, and drawing the readers' empathy. Written from Kerra's point of view in the first person it gives an intimate insight into her feelings and thoughts.

The Penvennan Cove community has plenty of scope for future stories, and I look forward to future visits.

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

After nine years, Kerra Shaw is returning home to spend time with her dad.  Her mom died from cancer over six months ago and he’s still struggling with his grief.  She sells her very successful company, so now she’s jobless.  I loved this beautiful story about putting family first and it’s a bonus, if she finds love along the way.  I won’t leave any spoilers, but I will say I really enjoyed my first book by Linn B. Hilton.  Grab your copy and see if you find a new author to enjoy like I did.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Kerra has decided that after living in London and having a successful business she needs to go home. Home is her Grandmothers tiny cottage in the village of Penvennan Cove, she is mourning her mum and her dad is struggling with their business although he will not admit it.

Her best friend Tegan is pleased that she is back as she is bringing up her small children after the loss of her husband Pete and running her own business and it’s difficult for her.

Moving back to the village she grew up in gives her many reminders of her childhood, some good, some not so.

She feels claustrophobic in the cottage and wants more but can she persuade her neighbour Drew to sell his cottage or is there another way. Drew has a plan that will be beneficial for them both but will Kerra be able to settle in her Cornish home?

On the day the renovations are to begin Drew has to leave suddenly and leaves Kerra in charge of the builders and she is nervous about meeting up with someone from her past.

I enjoyed this read, I love a book set in Cornwall and Penvennan Cove felt cosy. Kerra is a successful business woman and know her own mind, she finds living back in a small village a challenge to begin with after living in London. The characters were warm and friendly and I loved the addition of Ripley the cat !

A great read to be enjoyed on a wet afternoon to remind us of warmer day to come.

I thought that this was a good story and well developed and I really enjoyed it!

It was a little slow to get started and really in to the story but once I was a few chapters in the story really picked up and  I flew through the pages to the ending.  

There was a little too much detail for me in places which affected the flow of the story and that is why I have dropped the book from 5 stars to 4 stars, which is still really good and the boo generally is very well written and I loved the setton for the book too!  

The characters were strong and the ending was lovely too - highly recommended!

I have read many of Linn’s books and loved them. Penvennan Cove  is well written and entertaining there is no doubt about that. It is narrated by central character Kerra Shaw, who has sold her IT company and returned home following the death of her mother. Ross Treloar was her schoolgirl crush. He runs the building company undertaking the construction work to extend Pedrevan, her grandmother’s cottage which she now owns. 
I found the story a little slow to start with but it picked up once Kerra had arrived home and I got to know the various characters who lived in the Cove. It’s an easy feel good read with a bit of a mystery running through it regarding the former tenant of Pedrevan Cottage.  I am sure fans of Linn’s will love this book…and the good news is there are two  more books to come!
Many thanks to Aria and NetGalley for an ARC of Coming Home to Penvennan Cove in exchange for an honest review.

It’s quite unusual to find a focus on “coming home” in one of the author’s books – I’ve got rather used to them involving a bit of armchair travel to somewhere I’d like to add to my bucket list. But we’re a little closer to home this time, in Cornwall and the town of Penvennan Cove, as Kerra decides to return to the place where she grew up and provide some support to her recently widowed father. She’s sold her website business, The Happy Hive, and plans to wind down for a while: friend and assistant Sy thinks she’s entirely taken leave of her senses, as well as being worried about his own future.

She moves into a cottage inherited from her grandmother, just across the road from her dad Eddie and his dog-sitting business: and she reconnects with childhood friend Tegan, struggling with the recent loss of her husband and partner while running her demanding house cleaning business.

But the cottage isn’t quite all Kerra wants it to be, and when neighbour Drew outlines his plans for improving his cottage next door as a home for himself and his absent girlfriend, they decide to join forces and improve both properties at the same time. Does that make it sound a bit like a home improvement programme? In some ways it is, and I found a lot of the detail simply fascinating – but this book is really all about the community and its characters, as Kerra makes her fresh start, builds new relationships and develops existing ones, explores what makes her happy, and tries to make Penvennan Cove her home again.

There’s really very little I enjoy more than a story with a strong sense of community, and every character is quite perfectly drawn – including the wonderful Ripley, a cat with real personality who decides she’d far prefer to live with Kerra than with her owner Drew – with a lovely focus throughout on friendship and family. When Sy visits, he discovers Cornwall has a few attractions he certainly hadn’t expected: builder Ross provides Kerra’s romantic interest, and yes, he certainly made me go a little weak at the knees too.

And as well as the sometimes emotional back stories of some of the characters, there’s an intriguing mystery and edge of danger around the goings-on of the former tenant at the cottage – nicely done, a little unsettling, and well resolved by the book’s end. There are new friends too, and opportunities for investment and developing other interests… and I really loved it all.

I will just mention that his book is written in the first person, present tense: I’ll admit it’s something I don’t always like, but by the end of the first chapter I barely noticed, and it worked really well in increasing engagement with Kerra’s character, her thoughts and feelings. The writing, as always, is excellent – the author’s books often feel like a nice cuddle, and this one most certainly ticks all those boxes while being a thoroughly engaging read.

I see that there are plans for this book to be the first in a three book series, and that makes me very happy. Like Kerra, I now feel entirely at home in Penvennan Cove, part of the community, surrounded by friends – and I’ll really be looking forward to my next visit.

(Review will be copied to Amazon UK on publication day)

This story is about friendships, new beginnings, accepting change and moving forward, with a little mystery thrown in just to keep readers guessing.  Kerry looses her mum so move back home to help support her dad, meets up with her old crush and the story unfolds. Great beach read.

I always think I'm in for a treat when I open one of this author's novels - and I'm always right!

Kerra left her Cornish home to head for the bright lights of London and make something of herself; after the death of her mother the lights don't seem quite so bright and she head back home to Penvennan Cove to help out her father. But small places are full of gossip and speculation, and her life isn't as anonymous as it was in the capital city, and meeting old friends isn't always as stress-free as she hoped!

Another enjoyable read from Linn B Halton and I only had one problem with it - mine, not hers. I tend to read in accents and I've never really mastered the Cornish one; for some strange reason every time there was a Cornish name, in my head it sounded more Welsh! However, that doesn't take away from what a terrific story this is. With a wide array of characters, a bit of mystery, a spectacular setting and a superb story it kept me riveted all the way through. A real feel-good read, and refreshing in these troubling times when everyone seems to be out for themselves to read a heartwarming book with a lot of community spirit. Tremendously enjoyable and well worth every single one of the five sparkling stars I'm happy to give it!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy and to Vicky Joss for my spot on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Kerra came back to Cornwall after her mother died. She decided to stay in het grandmother's house that was left to her but was astounded to see it was so small. Next door Drew is an architect so they decided to do joint renovations that will save money. Ross her girlhood crush turns out to be the contractor

2 1/2, elevated to 3.

When the main character doesn't meet her love interest until the 37% mark, it's not romance—it's women's fiction.

The writing is competent and the characters are not without their charms, but I have to confess the disappointment in the genre.

Like the title says, it's a story about a woman returning to the village where she grew up after the sale of a successful business. It's a busy cast of secondary characters with an emphasis on friendships and relationships.

Readers who like women's fiction will like this book.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Kerra arrives back in her hometown of Penvennan Cove from the busy life of London. She feels that she needs to make sure her dad is coping ok after the loss of her mother. But when Ross comes back into Kerra’s life it of course makes things a whole lot more complicated. Can Kerra work things out and make a success of her new life? I can’t go into spoilers but it’s certainly a very interesting read. 

Linn goes into so much detail with her narrative it makes you think you are there with Kerra. I thoroughly enjoyed this story about family and making the most of the challenges that you face ❤️ I especially loved the chemistry between Kerra and her friends. Of course there is always one character that I dislike but that’s what makes the story great. 

I am very much looking forward to reading more books by Linn as I’m firmly now a fan. I give ‘Coming Home to Penvennan Cove’ 4*/5* 😊

Thank you to Aria Fiction for an advanced copy of this book.