Tuesday 11 April 2017

Spring at Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin

Published by Bookouture on April 7, 2017


Holly Martin writes the most alluring, romantic novels that have you laughing out loud, smiling throughout and falling for the characters you wish were real. I’ve read almost all of Holly’s books and I think when an author writes as many books as she does, I find it easier to draw comparison between each one and pick my favourites and others that didn’t work quite as much for me, though I have enjoyed every single book so far and never doubt that I will enjoy the next one too. With that being said, the last couple of Holly’s books haven’t been my favourites but in my opinion Spring at Blueberry Bay is definitely Holly Martin at her best. This is an utterly romantic tale and I loved every minute of it.

Bella is one of the most kind-hearted characters you will meet. As we are introduced to her, early on she finds a homeless guy camped up outside her home looking in need of a wash and an escape from the cold winds the bay brings. Without knowing anything about the guy, she invites him into her home for the night. She may not know if he can be trusted but she does know that she has little for him to take from her having sold anything expensive she owns to keep her going until she gets a new job. All she really has to offer Isaac is a roof over his head and a bowl of porridge in the morning, but he is taken by her generosity.

Isaac instantly feels quite protective over this sweet, caring woman who has been so kind to him. It does not take long before there is a connection between them and let me tell you that the two of them together ooze chemistry. This book has just the right amount of steamy moments between the two of them and really Isaac has that much sex appeal you could be forgiven for wanting more but there is much more to the rapidly growing feelings between Isaac and Bella than sex. As Isaac lets us in on his secret early on I was very close to rolling my eyes at just how far-fetched it was, but I didn’t, and anyone who has read this book yet or who will read this book in the future will know that Isaac is not a character you want to write off as he is a character you will fall in love with instead.

I loved this book. I read the first half of it out in the sun on a day even hotter than Isaac’s character and then I couldn’t wait to get home that night and read the rest of the book as it was a gorgeous story that I tried so hard to savour but couldn’t stop myself from finishing it in less than a day. Typical with Holly’s books, there were many moments that made me laugh including some speaker-phone messages and some hiding behind the settee. Holly’s books have a fun sense of humour which ensure the story is a gloriously escapist one, the perfect cure for the Monday blues.

In Hope Island, Holly has created another one of her dreamy locations with gorgeous little features that will leave you wanting to explore, move in and never leave. I was really taken by the coloured rooftops, the beautiful Blueberry Bay and all the people we meet there. I loved Rome and Eden, Bella’s siblings, and found the bond between the three of them really endearing plus because of the way Holly crafts her characters I found that I was almost as interested in their love lives as I was Bella’s. Normally the stories of their friends would feel more complete than they did here so I am hopeful for more books to come surrounding this gorgeous group of characters who had me reading with a smile on my face all the way through Spring at Blueberry Bay.

Even though this is Bella and Isaac’s story, I would still have liked to know a bit more about what happens to a few of the other characters in this book. There were also certain characters who I expected to see or hear more of and I found a few aspects to this book felt a little bit rushed. Maybe this is just nit-picking as it wasn’t until I finished the book that I found myself wondering what had happened to certain people, so if there is another book to come I would love for it to cover a few of my unanswered questions!

Either way though this is a really gorgeous, entertaining novel packed full of romantic gestures. Though there are only so many feelings and fears a leading woman in a romance novel can experience, Holly Martin always seems to offer something different to the genre which makes it a refreshing read. I smiled my whole way through this book. If you like your romantic comedies to have you choking with laughter and swooning more with every chapter then Spring at Blueberry Bay is the book for you.



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