I’m still new to blog tours, so I’m super excited to be kicking off the blog tour for Karen Clarke’s wonderfully feel good novel, The Beachside Flower Stall. Having thoroughly enjoyed The Beachside Sweet Shop, I was dying to read this one too.
Blurb:
Roses for romance, daisies for hope, daffodils for unrequited love… Drop by The Beachside Flower Stall for friendship, family and a beautiful bouquet.
Carrie Dashwood fled Dorset when her best friend Megan stole her first love, Tom Hudson. Now ten years later, Carrie is back to help run her aunt Ruby’s flower stall in the beautiful seaside town of Shipley.
Ruby’s Blooms is a gorgeous little haven bursting with character, but Carrie is in for a real shock. The stall is also arranging the flowers for Megan and Tom’s wedding.
Determined to keep her emotions in check, Carrie finds herself going to great lengths to avoid the happy couple. Soon she’s crawling under the stall to hide and ‘accidentally’ inventing an imaginary boyfriend…But how long can she keep it up before she comes face to face with the boy who broke her heart?
Can Carrie keep her cool, save the stall, and find her very own happy ever after?
A heartening uplifting read about lost love and true friendship. Perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin, Cathy Bramley, and Debbie Johnson.
My Review:
Having thoroughly enjoyed The Beachside Sweet Shop after being tempted by the front cover, I was really looking forward to The Beachside Flower Stall. I’m pleased to say I loved this book, so despite claiming comedy romances aren’t my thing, this author seems to create the perfect balance, as I loved this book and didn’t want to put it down.
This is one of those feel good stories where you’re pretty sure you know how it’s going to end, but you still thoroughly enjoy the journey and all the extra characters, storylines and little surprises along the way. This book does start off a little sad, with a number of unhappy characters down on their luck, but it’s so wonderful feeling that sadness lift as the story progresses.
I really liked Carrie. I could see myself in her, and not just the crazy frizzy hair (thank goodness for hair straighteners these days). A couple of the things she did made me cringe with embarrassment, probably even more so because I could see myself doing something similar. I also loved that she had conversations with the flower-pups, as I’m often having conversations with cuddly toys and plants, so it did make me giggle. There’s nowt like feeling a little more normal because you relate to a slightly crazy fictional character in a book, ha ha. I loved Hovis the 3-legged terrier too, named Hovis because he looks like a brown loaf. How adorably cute.
I loved “glittery conscious” in place of guilty conscience. It made me laugh heartily. You’ve got to love the way children speak sometimes. I might actually use it myself in future. Oh, and don’t get me started on ‘thigh-brows’. I’m never going to look at myself in the same way again. I’ve never heard of thigh-brows before. So funny.
I had tears in my eyes twice while reading this book, but I’m pleased to say they were happy tears on both occasions, so I highly recommend this book if you want to read an overall happy feel good story that makes you smile.
Although these books are based in the same place and star some of the same characters, they can be read as standalone books too. However, if you’re interested in the sound of both books, I would recommend starting with the first, that way the background stories are in chronological order.
I’m already looking forward to the next book, as it apparently has a Christmassy theme. I love Christmas, so I’ll definitely be back for more. The run up to Christmas just got even more exciting!
5 Stars
Where to find this book:
About the Author:
After giving up her job as a library assistant, Karen now writes full-time. She’s had over 300 stories published in women’s magazines in the UK and abroad, and has written three paranormal romantic comedies, published by Little, Brown/Corsair. When she’s not writing she reads avidly, walks dogs at her local rescue centre, and is eagerly awaiting the next season of The Walking Dead. She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband and three grown-up children.
Where to find the author:
Here are the details of the blog tour in case any of you wish to follow it:
LittleMissNoSleep Daydreams of Books 
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