It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Jill Mansell’s work. She is without doubt my favourite author, and in my eyes, she deserves the title of Queen of chick-lit. There is something so magical about her work, they’re extremely difficult to put down.
When she recently released her latest offering ‘Meet Me At Beachcomber Bay’, I grabbed a copy as soon as possible and devoured it within a day. Once again, I was not left disappointed by Jill’s work.
Set in the fictional Cornish town of St Carys, ‘Meet Me At Beachcomber Bay’ follows estate agent Clemency and her step-sister Belle. The story starts with Clemency, who makes a connection with a handsome stranger on a plane. She finds out that he’s married, which marks the end of their brief spark, although Clem never truly forgets about the man she met on the plane.
Fast forward to three years later, Clem is back in St Carys when her step-sister Belle arrives with a new boyfriend in tow. It’s safe to say that Clem gets the surprise of her life when she claps eyes on him…
What follows is a tale of love, friendship, loss, and secrets. However, the book also includes some important and serious themes. I don’t want to spoil too much of this wonderful book, but you will find an array of topics which are rarely touched in chick-lit. There is usually an air of predictability when it comes to this type of chick-lit however, Jill always pushes boundaries when it comes to subject matters.
Along with Clem and Belle, ‘Meet Me At Beachcomber Bay’ is full of a great selection of characters, all of whom add something special to the book. Each character has their own story, and I was caught out a few times with regards to how their stories would unfold. In all honesty, I’d forgotten how incredible Jill is at linking characters. Whilst some may appear as standalone, unimportant characters, each person has a purpose in Jill’s books. It was also one of the only books where I didn’t particularly dislike any of the main characters. Some had annoying traits but all had something loveable about them too.
Throughout the book, Jill manages to keep us guessing and offers up plenty of surprises along the way. Her way of writing is so engaging and gives us plenty of laughs alongside the serious topics discussed. Overall, it’s a heart-warming read which will leave you with a warm glow.
‘Meet Me At Beachcomber Bay’ is Jill Mansell’s 28th book, and it definitely stands out as one of her best. Just when you think you’ve read it all, she manages to pull another beautiful offering out of the bag. Roll on book number 29!
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