Summer in Tintagel

As Rosa Fernley sits by the bedside of her dying grandmother, Jocelyn, the older woman shares a secret she’s been keeping for almost fifty years. In 1968, Jocelyn took her young daughter (Rosa’s mum) away on a trip to escape her abusive husband. While exploring the legendary Tintagel castle, she met a man who changed her life. Jocelyn fell in love, but knew she had to return to her husband. Now, as her dying wish, she wants Rosa to go back to that magical landscape because she’s had a dream that her old lover wants Rosa to visit. Rosa makes the journey, unsure if her grandmother’s old love is even alive and encounters some magic of her own. Filled with the beauty of the rumored landscape of King Arthur’s birthplace, a few ghosts and a chance at love, this is a magical story

I'll admit to being a bit of a fan of Amanda James' writing. Both her time travel books - A Stitch In Time and Cross Stitch (links to my reviews) were so entertaining, full of really clever and original ideas, and exceptionally readable and well-written. And Somewhere Beyond The Sea - a darker tale of blackmail, abuse, death and betrayal, but still infused with gentle touches of humour - has remained a personal favourite. The wait for another book has been far too long, but Summer in Tintagel will be published by Urbane Publications on 14th July - and I'm delighted to report that it was well worth waiting for.

In tone and style, I think it's fair to say that it sits somewhere between the Stitch books and the romantic suspense. It opens dramatically with a vivid scene from childhood memory - the relevance of which later becomes pivotal to the story - then focuses on Rosa's relationship with her grandmother and her promise to visit Tintagel to fulfil her last wish. I warmed to Rosa instantly - a well drawn twenty-something, she has an infectious enthusiasm and sense of humour, as she explores Tintagel, encounters the local characters and finds herself involved in a series of events that are as much of a surprise to her as they are to the reader.

There's a strong psychic and supernatural flavour to the story, but nothing that ever becomes in the least uncomfortable - the strangeness and magic (what Rosa calls the "spiritual hoo ha") is handled with a light touch, and sits well with the setting, with much of the action focused on the vividly described castle and the church on the headland. And there's a good balance between the psychic elements and day-to-day life - meals in the pub, full English breakfasts, walks over uneven ground in unsuitable shoes, the choice of clothes for a day out when you've dropped chips on your only sensible t-shirt, encounters with a surly waiter... and the most endearing white witch in Morganna that you're ever likely to meet. And as for Talan, the castle guide - he's simply gorgeous, a quite perfect romantic hero, but a sequence of misunderstandings and the shadow of the past mean that the course of true love never runs as smoothly as it should.

Family relationships, history and layered secrets give the book a little more depth than you'd expect - all handled really well, and never heavy. Despite the seriousness of some of the themes, the humour is always present - but at a perfectly judged level. I'm not usually a laugh-out-loud person, but some of Rosa's observations and conversations were simply wonderful.

This book wasn't what I was expecting at all - maybe partly because of the dark and brooding (but beautiful) cover - but I really enjoyed it. Don't overlook this one - it's a perfect read for the summer.

My thanks to netgalley and Urbane Publications for my advance reading e-copy.

is a nice gentle romance with a touch of the supernatural thrown in. I found the story a bit predictable but it was an enjoyable change from my usual psychological thriller genre.

I think this will really appeal to romance readers. Amanda James describes the setting at Tintagel well and her characters are likeable- I particularly liked Morwenna!

Three stars seem a bit mean- I wish I could give 'half' stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

When Rosa's beloved grandmother Jocelyn is dying of cancer she decides to tell Rosa a secret from her past and enlist her help. She tells her off a love affair she had in the sixties on a holiday in Tintagel with a man called Jory who was the love of her life. She was married to an abusive husband though and was scared to leave him so the affair came to nothing.

Jocelyn however had had Jory coming to her in her dreams and she is desperate for Rosa to go to Tintagel and lay some ghosts to rest. Unable to refuse her grandmother Rosa sets off unsure of exactly what she is going there for but if that is her grandmother's dying wish then she will carry it out

Once there strange things start to happen and Rosa finds out that she has got a sixth sense that was subdued by her father at an early age but what can she do to help Jory and how can she stop the amazing attraction to the gorgeous Talan

A good if somewhat different storyline with some lovely characters and descriptions of Cornwall so great light summer beach read

** Received from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.**

This book has a lot of potential. Once I got into the meat of it, I was hooked. I haven't read anything else by Amanda James, but I'm glad I picked this one to start with.

While I enjoyed this book, there were a few aspects I could've lived without. I didn't really see where Willa's character added anything, except a minor plot twist late in the story. That being said, I think the way that Ms. James detailed and explained her character via Rosa's point of view was vivid without being too critical.

While the romance aspect was a bit of a foregone conclusion, the twists and turns they took to get there were quite enjoyable.

More than anything, I felt this book was about self-discovery and realizing that you don't have to always be the person your parents tried to make you. If you're a square peg in a round hole, something will always be missing from your life.

I enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from Ms. James. This one is absolutely worth your time and was an enjoyable read from start to finish.

Ms. James clearly does a good job of describing the village, castle and surrounding areas of Tintagel. She made me want to go visit - although, I don't think I could climb the steps to the castle :) ! So for that reason, this book is getting 3 stars.
The story/plot was ok - a predictable romance with some paranormal thrown in, but I just did not like any of the characters. They were paper thin and seemed to be a bit Jekyll and Hyde for me. I struggled to get through this because of that. This was my first book by this author, not sure if I will read any by her again.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest opinion.**

I absolutely loved this book. I read almost two thirds of it in one sitting and I managed to start and finish it in the same day. The writing flowed effortlessly and it was so descriptive that I felt as if I was actually in Tintagel myself. Although it sounds fictional, Tintagel is actually a real place with an impressive castle ruin that is steeped in Arthurian myth and legend. A few chapters in, I googled the castle and was amazed to find that it was exactly as I had imagined from Amanda James' vivid description.

Rosa is looking after her terminally ill grandmother, Jocelyn, when Jocelyn decides to tell Rosa a secret that she has kept buried for many years. Jocelyn tells Rosa of a brief visit she made to Tintagel when she was fleeing from her abusive husband. It was during her visit to Tintagel that Jocelyn fell in love with Jory but, despite their strong feelings, Jocelyn returned to her husband leaving Jory heartbroken.

Jocelyn asks Rosa to visit Tintagel to follow in her footsteps and remind her of the precious time she spent there. Tintagel is a magical little village, popular with tourists and it even has its very own white witch, Morganna. Rosa doesn't believe in anything paranormal as her father brought her up to believe that science can explain everything, but in a magical place like Tintagel it isn't long before Rosa is seeing and hearing things that science cannot explain. Rosa does literally follow in her grandmother's footsteps when she falls in love with Talan, a local man who bears a striking resemblance to Jory. Has a greater power brought them together? One which couldn't give a happy ending to Jory and Jocelyn.

I fell completely under the spell of Summer in Tintagel; it is a superbly atmospheric book and I was enthralled by every page from beginning to end. With vivid descriptions and a stunning location, make sure you visit Amanda James' Tintagel this year.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Urbane Publications, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was just an OK read for me. It is a light romance with a touch of mystery set against the backdrop of Tintagel Castle, Cornwell. Rosa's Grandmother is dying and has told her a secret and given her a mystery to solve. They mystery is not really much of a mystery. Once the mystery is solved the romance kicks in. The romance was predictable. The characters felt flat to me. The author clearly knows Cornwell well and does of very good job of describing the setting. The book really dragged for me and it felt too long. The author uses 10 word when one might do and some descriptions were over done. I prefer more mystery and romance and less travelogue.

Every Amanda James book is touched by a little bit of magic and this one is no different. When Rosa's grandmother Jocelyn receives messages from a long deceased secret love she has to ask for her granddaughter's help. Rosa is very skeptical but as it is Jocelyn's dying wish Rosa leaves her London job and travels to Cornwell and Tintagel Castle where her grandmother first met Rory.
Long hidden secrets and misunderstandings, regrets and recriminations, this book has them all. There could also be a love interest for Rosa in the shape of Talon the handsome castle guide.

Do you believe in messages from beyond the grave? Is there life after death? Can our deceased loved ones ask for our help to right a wrong? I asked myself all those questions while reading this book and I have long believed the answer is yes to those questions. Rosa has to ask them of herself too but with the help of Morganna a white witch long suppressed memories come flooding back to her.

I enjoyed this book. The characters are believable from Jocelyn on her death bed wondering if she made the right decisions in her life to Rosa who unknowingly is having her life steered in a different direction. My heart went out to the spirit or ghost of Rory and I wanted the hands of time to move
backwards and change his story.
The atmospheric descriptions of Cornwall made me determined to visit one day. It seems to be such a magical and inspirational part of the country. Amanda James brings it to life through her writing. I'm now patiently waiting for her next offering...waiting for some more magic.

You know that feeling when you're about to start a trip... when you're excited but scared because you have no idea what you'll find in the road? I started this novel that way.

The cover has such a dramatic vibe, maybe is about the colors... truth be told, it was the first thing that I loved about the book. Then I started to read and inmediately I get caught by a vibrant narration, full of detailed descriptions about places and feelings... and in one moment I was at home, sitting in the couch reading and in the next, I was beside Rosa getting ready to start a journey full of magic and wonders. I've never been in England, but for moments I could see the waves striking the coast in Tintagel and smell the salty air of the beach.

All started with Jocelyn, Rosa's gran. She ask her to make a trip right after tell her some secrets about her past. There was something tragic about her life. All that she suffered, a lost love, the broken hopes..., Jocelyn just needed to mend some mistakes before leave this world for good. And then, against her best judgment, Rosa goes to a place she never saw before.

There was something funny and magical but mysterious about the beginning of the story, and that magical feeling grows in the plot. There's to many things that Rosa can't explain, things that haven't logic... her head fights against her heart till she finally embraces her destiny.

Even though, life has a couple of surprises for this woman yet. This trip not only connected her with a side of her she didn't knew, also brings her a chance to love and be loved.

I really enjoyed the rythm of the narration, the bold and funny dialogues, the development of the romantic plot and the addition of supernatural stuff. It was different to other stories that I've read before. Looking forward new titles by this author.

This was a fabulous read, lovely rounded and very believable characters. Having been many times to Cornwall on holiday but never to Tintagel the descriptions of the castle, the church and the people were wonderful and really bought the whole place to life for me as a reader; I have to go there now to see it for myself. Jocelyn's house and garden in Yorkshire was easily bought to mind and slightly reminiscent of what would have been my perfect childhood, however in Rosa's case this was overshadowed by a long repressed memory. A family story with spiritual overtones, ghostly happenings, gorgeous settings, intrigue and a little romance. Perfect read for an autumnal afternoon by the fire or a summers day in the garden or on the beach.

What a wonderful twist in this great story based in Cornwall. Amanda's descriptions are so convincing I was able to envisage myself there.

I absolutely loved this book .Tintagel seems like a very beautiful place makes me want to visit it ,though I don't think I could climb up all the Castles steps !What a lovely story of romance ,mystery and sadness with little bit of the paranormal thrown in .The descriptions were so good I almost felt I was there with Rosa .Any story written about Cornwall is a must for me but this one was magical .

I was fourteen years old the first time I visited England and one of our first stops on that fateful holiday was Tintagel. The sky that day was bright blue and the ocean was crashing against the rocks below whilst we wandered amongst the ruins of Tintagel. That was the day I fell in love with England.

Twenty years later and I live in England now. When I saw this book was available I chose to read it because I remember Tintagel and how much I loved it. Whilst reading this book that day came alive again in my mind. I could see it, hear it and smell it. This story paints a beautiful picture of Cornwall!

This book is about Rosa Fernley who travels from London to Tintagel at her dying grandmother's request. She had been keeping a secret most of her - she had fallen in love in Tintagel and left him and now she needs Rosa to go and resolve her unfinished business. Rosa needs to find the love of her grandmother's life and get a message from him that he has requested specifically to give to her.

I loved the supernatural bit of this story however I think Rosa's gift could have been expanded more. I feel that it was kind of glossed over and that Rosa's ability wasn't very convincing. I would have like to have seen that developed more. The love story was sweet and believable and I was glad to see it end the way it did.

All in all this was a good read and I'd like to hear more about these characters. Thanks to Urbane and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it was sensitive but the white witch was unexpected.
The historical part was very interesting.

My kind of novel,, will definitely look out for future books from this author.