Holly Martin

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Actual rating: 3.5/5

Fairytale Beginnings delivers exactly what it promises, "a heartwarming romantic comedy" with great characters, a dreamy setting... and a lot of Disney references (which, let's face it, should really be mandatory everywhere. But I digress...).

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The plot combined the exact amount of fluff, drama and mystery to make show more for a really compelling read. I really liked the mix between history and fantasy that the author created. Even though I'm usually pretty picky about stuff like this in non-openly-fantasy books, she actually led me to accept both the truth of a family curse and the presence of ghosts in the castle without question, and I didn't really realise that I had done so until I sat down to write the review. Well played, Ms Martin, well played...

On to my favourite bit of every story: the characters! I loved Milly and Cameron to bits. It was so easy to relate to them, especially Milly. Her sparkly personality (and shoes) and her positive outlook on life won me over almost immediately. And, of course, our mutual love of all things Disney did help our bond immensely... She was sweet and funny, but also conflicted about her feelings and I really liked getting inside her head and heart, because it all felt so incredibly real. And Cameron, oh Cameron was a true gentleman through and through. Complicated to the right point, he is also battling his own personal demons from the past and develops a lot throughout the story, which was great to see. My main complaint about their relationship that it kind of felt a little bit like instalove at the beginning. But maybe we can call it "love at first sight". This is a fairytale, after all... Well, I'll let it slide, because sometimes I'm nice like that. The cherry on the cake was the gorgeous setting, with its dreamy castle and wonderful surroundings from the little village to the sea, all of them described so very well it felt like I had actually been there myself. A colourful cast of secondary characters completes the set, particularly the villagers with their odd traditions and affinity with magic. Of course, the ending is rather predictable... But hey, it's a romantic comedy, what else can you expect?

Overall, this was a really lovely read. If you're looking for a light read to lift your spirits, a sweet romance mixed with ghosts and a terrible curse, or simply a whole lot of pink sparkly stuff and Disney references, you should check out this book. Its unique characters, gorgeous setting and uplifting romance make for a great remedy to a hard day, kind of like a bookish tub of chocolate ice cream. So, dig in and enjoy! show less

This is the 3rd book in the White Cliff Bay trilogy, but you do not have to have read the first two to enjoy this one. I haven't read them but will go back and read them now. In this story, Darcy Davenport has returned to live in the seaside resort town she used to visit as a child. She loved visiting her aunt, who was an artist, and was happiest in the water. Darcy's parents are overbearing, stifling, dream killing and extremely critical of everything she does, whereas her aunt was the show more complete opposite. When Darcy was fired from her dream job as a Marine Biologist, her parents blamed her and her self-worth and confidence plummeted. She tried various jobs, but nothing worked. When she found herself a job in the White Cliff Bay area she took it in an effort to escape her parents and return to a place where she was happy. Darcy loves people and wears her heart on her sleeve. She wants to be liked and welcomed in the community and just being herself makes that happen quickly.

One thing she remembers is the importance of the Lighthouse in all her Aunt's paintings. When she finds our that it is going to be torn down, she joins with the residents to save the Rose Island Lighthouse tower. The owner and builder was the Eddison family and Riley Eddison, an American has renovated the living space and is now living in it. Riley is running from problems he encountered in his small hometown in Texas. He craves the solitude of his ancestral family home, the lighthouse, and certainly didn't anticipate the council compulsory purchase order taking it from him with the intention of demolishing it. Notices had been sent about this issue, but as no one was living in it at the time, there was no response and now it is too late. And then there was the red-haired mermaid that swam to his rocks and captured his heart, much to his chagrin. What is he to do.

I love Holly Martin's writing, it is so descriptive. She pulls you right into the lives of the characters and the little town. I would love to visit there and meet these people. They are friendly, lovable, and real. I love how quickly news travels from one end of the town to the other, arriving before the person walking. The battle to save the Lighthouse was well written. Anyone who has joined a campaign to save something would feel the turmoil and anger of the residents as someone from outside their community comes along to make decisions.

I really enjoyed the development of Darcy and Riley's relationship. Yes, it was love at first sight, but it was not acted upon. They had to get through some baggage, push aside some of their barriers and decide if their burgeoning love was enough to surmount the obstacles in their path. There were some unexpected twists in the story that I enjoyed and helped to show that relationships can survive if you are willing to fight for them. A thoroughly enjoyable romance. If you have not read this one, then it is a perfect summer read for any romance lover out there. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. show less

Christmas 2019 - Naughty

I wondered if the author was perhaps a cloistered nun, writing at night by flashlight in her cell, who had never actually interacted romantically with a man and giddily imagined that this is how human beings behave. But that is apparently not the case.

Dougie (seriously, that's his name) and Eden grew up on the Scilly Islands and were in love with each other since they were children. Dougie moved away to America for 12 years, but they kept in constant touch and he show more visited frequently, always staying with Eden and doing the most incredibly romantic and thoughtful things for her. But each was somehow convinced the other didn't love them back in "that way" and they were afraid of being hurt and ruining the friendship. I know that because the author considerately repeated these concepts at least three times on every page. (Then again, the author repeated every concept over and over and over again like a child writing an essay who had to fill a certain number of pages.)

So as our story begins, Dougie has returned to the island "for good." Eden and Dougie finally declare their love for each other; they are young, healthy, attractive, unattached and alone in front of a fire with no chance of being interrupted. Eden then declares her strong desire to have sex with Dougie RIGHT NOW and what does he do? He says no, because he wants to "woo" her properly. (Even though she's already in love with him and self-declared horny.) Before I threw in the towel, the wooing included playing board games, cuddling platonically by the fire, and taking a bubble bath together during which Eden was naked but Dougie kept his underpants on.

Other characters in the book behave idiotically whenever they appear. Eden's weird parents embarrass themselves with inappropriate sexual anecdotes; a stepsister is planning a wedding that she doesn't want; and everyone else on the island seems to have nothing going on in their lives except trying to get Eden and Dougie together. There is all this nonsense about fairy dust and magic blowholes and wishes. I am at a loss to understand how anyone not groan, roll their eyes, scream "oh for F#cks Sake!!" and throw the book across the room repeatedly as I did, much to the annoyance of my cat.

I realized shortly after starting that I had finished another Christmas romance by this author and I was kind of on the fence about it; this book was so bad it made me retroactively hate the other one as well. show less

'The Village looked beautiful basked in the rosy glow of the sun as she drove down the hill towards the cluster of whitewashed cottages. It was peaceful and quiet. There was a tiny duck pond,glinting pink and gold as the little white ducks bobbed on the water, an old beamed pub called charmingly The Peacock's Pride, a tiny shop, and that was it. Life here would be as idyllic and quiet as the village itself.'


My Rating - 5/5 Stars

I've been in a bit of a reading slump over the past few days, show more and I knew what I really wanted to read was something light-hearted and easy to relax with. With everything that's going on in the world right now, I needed something to distract me from all the bad news, so I browsed through the Prime Reading section of my Kindle and came across A Home On Bramble Hill by Holly Martin.

From the first page I was drawn into this brilliant Romantic Comedy. Joy is a very intriguing character that has a deep secret. After travelling the world, and living in so many places, she's hoping that Bramble Hill will be her forever home. She's had a difficult past, but despite this she has an optimistic outlook on life, and truly lives up to her name, even when the locals take a dislike to her.

Finn is Joy's neighbour and he's adamant that he won't get involved with Joy. With her zest for life and optimistic outlook, she's everything he needs right now; but he's had a difficult past too, and he's determined that he won't be burned again. Yet, as the locals become more vicious towards her, he can't help but step in, and the more time he spends with her, the harder it becomes for him to keep away.

Another character that deserves to be mentioned is Casey, who is the first person to make Joy feel welcome. I loved his character, and although he's a secondary character I couldn't help but wish for his happy ending too. His brother Zach however, let's just say I couldn't warm to him. You'll see for yourself why if you get a chance to read this book.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book and it's easily a five star rating from me. The story moved quickly enough to be interesting, but didn't feel rushed. It made me laugh out loud several times, Finn frustrated me to no end with his sheer stubbornness, and everyone needs a friend like Casey in their life.

I wouldn't say this was just a Romantic Comedy though. There was more to it than that, with the animosity of the local villagers adding an element of danger, and mysterious crimes lending an air of mystery.

This book not only broke my reading slump, but also inspired me to get back into reviewing again. Holly Martin has gained a new fan, and I can't wait to read more of her work. show less