What a total joy of a book, I LOVED this fantastic summery book by Amanda James, the perfect summer read!

This was a delightful story and with Cornwall in the background, makes it even more special. Some lovely, appealing characters, great community feeling and a feel good conclusion..

Amanda James spins a tale of Lowena who begins a new life in St Merryn taking with her late mother's beloved seed box which she claimed contained soil from Tintagel the seat of the mythical King Arthur. As she settles in her new home and job feeling lost and alone she creates with a host of wonderful individuals a garden thta seems to bring to life her mother's belief in the seed box. i won't spoil it for other readers by explaining the cast of characters she encounters and befriends but this really is a lovely engaging story that brings magic to life!

Another lovely story by Amanda. I love these, set in Cornwall they are just beautiful stories of love, loss and community. I recommend books by this author, they are one of my favourites and I can’t wait for the next one!

I enjoyed this book. It was fairly slow in places and definitely predictable but I really loved the community spirit evident throughout the book. There were lots of nice, vibrant supporting characters, some of whom I’d like to read more about

THE SEA GARDEN by AMANDA JAMES.

Other than loving the cover and being intrigued by the blurb, I came to this book with no preconceptions, having not read any other books by Amanda James.

Following her death, Lowena discovers a wooden seed box amongst her mother’s possessions which has been handed down through the generations and allegedly has magical powers. Wishes made on the box will be granted.

As Lowena starts a new life by the sea in Cornwall can her mother’s heirloom sprinkle magic on her new life?

This is a captivating story, full of some wonderful and quirky characters, with a setting to die for.

This is a light hearted and sweet read, but there are also threads covering diversity and inclusion weaved through the pages.

This was a very satisfying read, full of all the feels and a greatly needed escape from the atrocities in the world today.

I realised after finishing, that this is book 2 in the Cornish Escapes series. It was easily read as a stand alone, but I will be going back to read book 1 and other books by Amanda James. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed her writing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ebook out now.
Paperback released 31/3/22

With thanks to #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsUkOneMoreChapter for a digital arc of #TheGardenByTheSea by #AmandaJames.

I think the plotline was excellent. A woman at a crossroad in her life moves to a new area, grows a lovely garden, while also growing wonderful friendships and a community blossoms. This book transported me to another world… fascinating… I found it difficult to put the book down

A lovely book with a touch of magic. Feel good and gentle, just the story to escape today’s turbulent world by entering a small community where even the “baddie” has a story to tell.

I really wanted to move to Lowena’s cottage and help her shape her garden. A big sense of a a small community coming together and embracing all cultures and types of people.

Loved Lowena’s link to her late mother through the magic box of seeds. A Cornish setting by the sea, fun, challenges and romance – what more could you ask? I can see the view and hear the waves and want to be there. Great characters. Really gave me a lift. Next book please.

I really enjoyed this second book in the Cornish Escapes series. The characters were well developed and you find yourself making strong opinions about who you like and don’t like. Lowena was a jewel and I immediately fell in love with her and cheered her on as she grew and matured and discovered who she was and what she really wanted out of life. The second characters were just as appealing and I found myself wanting to move to St. Merryn and buy a cottage by the sea so I could spend time with these delightful people. There was at least one sex scene that was a little too explicit in detail. That could easily have been left out and not affected the storyline. But even with that one thing, it was a pleasurable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Set in present day in Cornwall. Lowena Rowe works as a librarian and lives on her own with her cat Conrad. When Lowena’s mother dies suddenly, Lowena decides to move to a cottage in the coastal village of Merryn.
While cleaning out her mother’s attic, Lowena discovers an old timber seed box that had belonged to her mother’s grandmother that had been handed down through the generations. It contained soil and seeds that were supposed to have come from a garden of King Arthur at Tintagel.
Lowena’s mother Tamsin believed the box had magical powers and that wishes made on the box could come true.
This was a romance about village life, friendships, and gardens.

Lowena’s mother died. While packing up her things, Lowena found a carved box with dirt and seedlings. She remembered her mother telling her whomever had the box would be blessed with a wonderful garden, healthy crops, and a love for others. Lowena sold her house and her mother’s house and bought a cottage by the sea in a small town where she would be the librarian. Ben, the man who funded the library, had been alone since his wife died and as he got to know Lowena, he felt she might be someone he could love. This is a delightful book with wonderful characters that brings the reader smiles and laughter. Lowena surprises herself when she opens up to those in the small community, provides activities to bring people together, and opens her heart to love. The sea setting was enchanting and I could picture myself with Lowena and her friends. Great read.

One of my favourite reads of the year!
The book draws the reader in from the start and you just have to keep reading - a very special story
Beautifully written and a feel good book. This book will stay with you
Loved it and would highly recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and Amanda James for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

This is a story about facing life's challenges and moving forward. Believable characters in a community that puts others first make this an uplifting read. The seedbox is a delightful metaphor for hope, and the story the author weaves around its discovery is magical. The Cornish setting perpetuates the story's mystic. It's a lovely heartwarming story with a magical twist.

I received a copy of this story from One More Chapter via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

What a totally gorgeous read, a wonderful story, a book filled with charectors it was easy to get to know and connect with, was quite sorry when I finished it

The garden by the sea is the 2nd book in the Cornish escapes book series by Amanda James. This book can easily be read as a standalone but will definitely pique your interest in reading the 1st book and any subsequent books! You'll fall in love with the charming and quirky characters, sweet story line, and a quaint small town setting by the sea. Romance balanced with drama, magic balanced with a touch of mystery, adventure balanced with the quiet need to settle down, and descriptions of the setting that will make you swoon and want to travel to the seaside. If you enjoyed Jenny Colgan, you'll love Amanda James The Garden by the Sea, you'll love the Cornish escapes series.

This was one of those books that makes reading such a delight! Full of wonderful characters, set in a stunning location and a whole heap of community spirit that can't help but make you smile! Perfect!

Lowena finds herself moving to a new location after losing her beloved mum. So when she returns 'home' to clear the house it starts to stir up old memories that bring her comfort and remember precious times. She also gets the locals talking as she's single and buying a house by herself! The outrage!! But she soon finds that she becomes a welcome addition to the community with her new job at the library which is a godsend to many of the locals.

As she starts to work on her house and garden she finds the locals begin to offer help - perfect for her as she knows nothing about gardening! And Ben becomes more of a fixture in her life and he intrigues her as he helps the local youngsters and keeps quite guarded about his past.

This was a book about hope, new beginnings and coming together and I just loved spending time n the company of these characters.

This is a 2nd in a series, and I must say that I preferred the first one.

Lowena is a middle-aged woman who moves to a cottage by the sea after her mom’s death. She takes along her mom’s special seed box that is thought to contain soil from King Arthur’s Tintagel and which grants wishes as well as producing beautiful gardens. No surprise then that wishes would come true, and gardens bloom.

The writing here was fine. My issues with this one were twofold: there were too many stories/points of view, and everything was too neatly tied up with a bow.

There were no less than 6 couples (Lowena and her new neighbors) who were searching for their happily-ever-afters. And maybe you can guess how everything turned out?

Unfortunately, most of this felt like a soap opera to me with one-dimensional characters.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #OneMoreChapter for providing me the free early arc of #TheGardenByTheSea for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This book was a joy to read.

The setting of Cornwall and its rugged landscape lent itself perfectly to this story. The house and garden were described in beautiful technicolour by the author, and I could imagine myself peeping through the windows and sitting on the garden bench.

Lowena, walked straight into my heart. The people she meets as Head Librarian bring humour to this tale with their little quirks and jealousies. As the secrets start to unfold and misunderstandings are eventually cleared up, I found I was crossing my fingers in the hope that our heroine would find what she was looking for.

Every single page oozed with love and friendship and more than a little of bit of magic.

The first Amanda James book that I have read, and will be looking out for more. A cheerful book, set in Cornwall, and delightfully written.