A New Start at the Beach Hotel
An uplifting, emotional WW1 saga
by Francesca Capaldi
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Feb 23 2023 | Archive Date Jan 15 2023
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Description
Can Edie find the courage to choose her own future?
June 1914. Edie Moore is a Governess for Lord and Lady Moreland, living in comfort at the grand Downland House in Sussex. But, wanting more from life, she flees in secret to Littlehampton, the place where she spent many idyllic childhood holidays.
Desperate for work, Edie begins working as a chambermaid at the prestigious Beach Hotel, even if the menial tasks are a far cry from her previous job.
While the days are long and gruelling, Edie works hard and soon is in favour with Helen Bygrove, the manager’s wife, who sees that Edie is destined for bigger things – which leads to tension with some of the other chambermaids.
But as she navigates her new life and finds friendship with fellow maid Lili Probert, she also grows closer to charming, cheerful porter, Charlie Cobbett, and finally finds the happiness she has been searching for.
However, what none of her new friends know is that Edie is hiding a secret from her past, one that would change the way they view her, forever. When the truth comes out, will Edie be able to keep her new life and remain in the place she loves so much?
A captivating, romantic and moving World War 1 saga that fans of Elaine Roberts and Pam Howes won’t be able to put down.
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9781804361320 |
PRICE | £1.99 (GBP) |
Featured Reviews
Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc
Francesca you have done it again brilliant storyline brilliant book couldn’t put it down. Family saga at its best
Having enjoyed this author's previous series, I was looking forward to this new one, set on the South Coast in 1914. Edie is an easy heroine to like, and the mystery of why she has run away to start a new life entwines with another, that of who committed the crime at the guest house where she first stays (No spoilers!). Both are slowly unravelled to satisfying conclusions. I enjoyed Edie's story, as she progresses in her new job, makes friends and enemies, and deals with her family problems. There is romance too. I look forward to book two.
Can you change your life? Edie leaves her posh life and finds happiness as a chambermaid at the beach hotel. There she finds Charlie and must keep her secret. Great read!
I really enjoyed this book, i hope there is a second part as the ending was rather rushed but i couldn't put the book down
I was drawn to the cover design of this book - the pretty illustration and the colours.
In recent months, I've been enjoying some wartime novels like this, and I enjoyed this one too. It had an old-fashioned feel that I found charming, and I was very invested in the story. One of the reasons I like historical fiction so much is that it can feel like an escape for the reader, and this book felt like an escape.
Some of the characters seemed quite unlikeable, but that didn't bother me because I thought the protagonist was a great character. She was independent, modest, and kind-hearted. The story was heartwarming, and I would like to read the sequel to find out what happened next for some of the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.
Finding the courage to choose you own future, Its a new start for Edie Moore, June 1914 and Edie has gone back to Littlehampton and memories of long-ago visits entertained her. After finding lodgings at Channel View finding a job is not going to be easy for a woman coming across the imposing impressive Beach hotel she takes her chances asking for any vacancies and grabs a interview the next day.
Edie is facing more downs than up that are yet to be read.
I loved this enchanting read but Edie is a strong determined woman could not put it down chapter after chapter
Another great read from Franchesca Capaldi, great story with believable characters. Hoping for a second book.
Well, what a start to a new series! Full of intrigue and subterfuge, no one is who they at first appear. There are many secrets to be uncovered while enjoying the story of Eddie who escapes the confines of working as a governess at Downland House. She heads to Littlehampton as it holds many childhood memories, Eddie finds work at the Beach Hotel where slowly she manages to make friends with staff and endear herself to guests, then slowly secrets start to reveal themselves.
I loved this book, even when I got to the end as I felt safe in the knowledge that there would be another to follow.
I especially loved the references to some of the “classics”.
I've always been drawn to books around the Great War era and I enjoyed a couple of other books by this author in her previous series that I was interested to check this one. The fact it is set in a beachside town also drew me in.
Sussex 1914: When Edie Moore stepped out of Downland House in the early hours one June morning, she vowed that this would be the start of a new life for her. As she trudged to the station with her carpetbag, there were times she questioned the logic of her choice whilst at the same time knowing that there was no going back from this. Not that she wanted to. The threats that had been made were enough to spring her into action. And so now she leaves this life behind and steps out of the station into Littlehampton as Edie Moore.
She secures lodgings with Mrs Hadley but finding a job proves to be more difficult. Her reference speaking of her work as a governess puts her in good stead but does little to find work, as a governess sits somewhere between the classes - not quite middle class but not quite working class either. She ventures into the Beach Hotel who are looking for a bookeeper and secures herself an interview for the following day. However, she proves to be unsuccessful as having no previous bookeeping experience.
But the manageress of the hotel does come looking for her in the days following in need of a chambermaid. The work is long and hard but Edie isn't afraid of that. It's those who think she has come in looking down her nose at them. Despite the challenges she faces, she makes some friends there in Charlie and Lili and soon finds something at the Beach Hotel she never had before. A sense of belonging and family.
But then a face from her past recognises her and Edie fears her secret will be discovered. Even the threat of war may not overshadow the secrets that are about to come out...
This was a delightfully easy read that I enjoyed despite its slow start, as I did wonder the direction it was taking in the beginning but being the first book in a new series I can only surmise that the author was laying the groundwork for the backstory that readers will inevitably discover in due course.
There are some wonderful characters and some rather unsavoury ones as well. I love the setting of the Beach Hotel and adore Helen Bygrove. Her husband, who is supposed to be the manager, does nothing but belittle his wife dreadfully or is busy playing golf or tennis rather than actually running the hotel. His wife manages to do that quite well without him. There are some humourous moments, particularly between the Bygroves.
A NEW START AT THE BEACH HOTEL is an enchanting read and I look forward to see what's next for the characters.
I would like to thank #FrancescaCapaldi, #Netgalley and #HeraBooks for an ARC of #ANewStartAtTheBeachHotel in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Many thanx to NetGalley, author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.
Never having read this author previously I was so pleasantly surprised! The story is set in pre WW2 Britain and moves along nicely between all the different characters. Edie and Charlie are the 2 main players but there are lots of intertwining tales with many little offshoots of story.
I loved this book, the writing was very good and the story line was great. Hoping there will be another book in the same series, would definitely read it!!
Loved this family saga. I didn’t know this author and was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this so much. It’s one of those books that you can easily lose yourself in very quickly and easily which is what I did. A wonderful book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
I throughly enjoyed this book and I’m pleased to learn that there will be another book later this year. The story revolves around the Beach Hotel in Littlehampton. The main story is about Edie who gets a job there as a chambermaid. There are some great characters some of them are lovely and others not so much. I’m glad there is more to come from the Beach Hotel as I’d love to know more about some of the other characters.
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