None of Rosamunde Pilcher's earlier, shorter novels are as good as the massive stories she wrote later, but they're all so cozy and happy. Coming Home and The Shell Seekers both blow this away, but it was still a happy little read.

While this has the distinctive charm of all of Rosamunde Pilcher's books, there is a number of things I had issues with. Mostly two: first, the plot seems artificial and hurried, second, the (female) protagonist is completely passive and there is no issue with men making big decisions for her all the time. I strongly recommend her other, more famous works instead.

This gets three stars for wonderful atmosphere details and world building: light and shade, color, perspective, scenery - brilliantly done. I definitely want to visit Cornwall now :) And read Pilcher’s lengthier (and, hopefully, better) novels.

Everything else is a total flop: predictable plotline, flat and annoying characters, very rushed ending, unbelievable love story

Not quite the most immersive of Pilcher's titles, and it's pretty familiar ground being tread, but still quite a cozy and comforting reading experience. As there is less than zero that was appealing about Eliot, could've done without the stab at a romantic situation (or, really, more the setting up of a potential romantic triangle) there and the characterization of Andrea felt really dated. But the Cornwall setting was as lovely as expected, Joss was appealing, and I did like the grandfather and his loyal servant pretty well.

Loving this author. A good quick story. This one had a great ending!

It's Rosamunde Pilcher - English countryside, lovely homes in London and Ibiza, a lonely but beautiful heroine, gardens, antiques, dogs, etc. This novel is no Coming Home or September, but it serves nicely. I had been reading Frances Farmer's memoir and I needed a break from reading about her ugly, ugly world. I figured reading Pilcher would help cleanse my palate.

As for the plot of this novel, it's rather slight. A young woman - whose mother had been estranged from her parents - decides to go seek her grandfather out after her mother dies. Who, of course, lives in a lovely home in the English countryside. Beautiful garden, charming village, loving servants, loyal dog etc. The only part of the book that struck a discordant note for me was the heroine's creepy romance with not one, but two first cousins of hers. *shiver* Ok, fine, she's never met any of her family before but that still doesn't make it kosher in my book. I guess it must be some upper class British thing - let's keep all the money and lands within the family. It was not a romance I was rooting for.

Still, even with the creepy cousin love, it was a fine break from reading about Frances Farmer eating poop covered toilet paper and getting gang raped.

Fairly typical Pilcher fare, but with added goth-teenager-makes-rape-allegation as a means of kicking off the final act. Oh, and the hero isn't hugely rich and living in a big house. Yet.

Mild cynicism aside, a nice, quick, light romantic read.