By Jo Nichols
** Publication Date 19 August 2025 **
​4 stars


Santa Barbara, California, is such a lovely seaside town. The ocean, the architecture, the people. It’s a wonderful place to visit. To live there would be a dream. Over the years Santa Barbara has become rather elite and exclusive. 


The Marigold Cottages, however, have remained affordable, because their owner, Mrs B, rents on a sliding scale. What can you afford? Mrs B will make it work for you. As such, there are a variety of tenants. There’s Ocean and her two kids. Ocean was practically raised by Mrs B, and when she was divorced, she moved back in. Sophie, a young aspiring playwright, whose rent is being subsidized by her parents. Sophie had a very bad experience in the past and now appreciates that she lives in a place where she feels safe.


There is Nicholas. He works for the city. There is some connection between Mrs B and him, but no one is quite sure what it is. Hamilton, who is essentially housebound. Lily-Ann, separated from her husband, left her very large amazing home to live in the cottages while she figures out what’s next. 


And the latest tenant, Anthony, an ex-con that Mrs B swears has a heart of gold.


Almost the Island of Misfit Toys, this is quite a collection. So when a dead body is found outside the cottages, it causes quite a stir amongst the residents. They vow to try to solve the murder to protect the innocence of the residents, and in doing so, make them quite the little, mismatched family.


I love books like this. Creating a place where I would love to live. To be a part of this wacky group of people. Each character has such defining features and mannerisms. Even the police detective is entertaining. The dialogue is fun and sometimes fast paced. It truly is a mystery of who committed the murder - and the final explanation makes perfect sense, or does it? This book has some serious twisting going on.


Highly recommend!

By Poppy Alexander
** Publication Date 19 August 2025 **
​4 stars


I think owning a bookshop by the seashore would be a lovely way to spend my life. Being able to live above said bookshop? Even better. 


Jules grew up in the town of Portneath, where her dear Aunt Flo owned Capelthorne Books. Aunt Flo is just the latest to caretake the amazing small bookshop which has been in Portneath for nearly 100 years. When Jules’s mother Maggie leaves her a message that she must come home immediately due to Aunt Flo’s demise, Jules panics. After all, Aunt Flo was more of a mother/grandmother to Jules than her own mother Maggie. 


In London, Jules works for a small publishing house with an evil headmaster. When Jules asks for a bit of time off to tend to her elderly aunt, her boss will not comply. Furthermore, she essentially tells Jules, be here Monday morning or don’t come back at all. Jules is owed the time off. Family is family however, and Jules is not going to put her job ahead of her loved ones needing her.


Turns out that Aunt Flo definitely did need her, but her demise was seriously exaggerated. In any case, now Jules is home. She realizes how old and frail Aunt Flo is, and that it is her turn to be there for Aunt Flo. Jules goes about getting Aunt Flo settled downstairs and taking over the running of the bookshop.


Until an empty building across the street is unveiled to be another bookshop! Even worse, it is owned by the Montbeau’s eldest, Roman. The Montbeaus and Capelthornes have a longstanding feud. It goes back to a drunken card game some 100 years ago, but it is still going strong. 


Roman is a beautiful man, and Jules is once again smitten, other than her disdain for the family and now the bookshop. Yet, when the two are forced together over and over again, it becomes clear that maybe it’s time to let the feud die with the previous generation. 


Excellent read. Quick, cute, boy and girl enemy trope. Still I loved the play on the Montagues and Capulets with not only the names but the plot. The Capelthorne bookshop sounds like a dream of a place, and there are so many side stories in this novel to keep you enchanted. The characters are very likable, even enemy Roman. I could read about these two again and again. Or even the whole town. Portneath is a place I’d love to inhabit.