Book Review: The Cornish Cream Tea Bus by Cressida McLaughlin

Next stop, Cornwall! Hop on The Cornish Cream Tea Bus for a delicious, romantic adventure…

‘Captivating’ Heat Magazine 

‘Beautiful… heartwarming’ Zara Stoneley 

‘A wonderful ray of reading sunshine’ Heidi Swain

Title: The Cornish Cream Tea Bus 

Author: Cressida McLaughlin

Published: August 8th 2019 by HaperCollins

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Baking fanatic, Charlie Quilter, is surprised when her late uncle bequeaths his vintage bus to her in his will. Keen to give the bus a new lease of life, Charlie thinks it will be the perfect mobile café for afternoon tea, and when her friend, Juliette, suggests Charlie comes to stay with her in the picturesque Cornish village of Porthgolow, she’s thrilled at the chance of a new start.

Charlie and her cute dog, Marmite, make new friends wherever their bus stops – except for the sexy but reclusive owner of the posh spa up on the hill, Daniel Harper, who isn’t very pleased that her bus is parked outside his lovely hotel.

Has Charlie’s Cornish dream developed a soggy bottom? Or can she convince Daniel that her bus could be the start of something wonderful for the little village – and for them?

Review: I absolutely loved this story. It is such a feel-good book set in the stunning setting of Cornwall. Just as her other books, The Cornish Cream Tea Bus was first released as a 4-part serialised enovel, so the whole story is divided in 4 parts with a little cliff-hanger at the end of each. This makes for a very entertaining read that keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. It has quite a few surprises and it definitely made me chuckle more than once. 

I really enjoyed the characters too. It was a real treat to get to know the main character, Charlie. She really was a fighter and poured her heart into her new Cornish adventure. She was dealing with grief and it was not an easy path for her to find her place in the world again, but I think Cressida McLaughlin wrote a very touching and heart-felt story, in which Charlie really shone. 

The story also had a good dash of romance, with a love triangle going on, which kept me intrigued and very satisfied with the ending. But what really stole my heart were two things, the descriptions of the stunning Cornish coast and of the delicious food Charlie was preparing. Cornwall is on top of my places to visit next in the UK and when I do visit, I hope to find a charming cafe where to have some cream tea. It would be even better if the bus existed though! 🙂

The Cornish Cream Tea Bus is deliciously good. The small town community was a delight to read and I could picture their gatherings perfectly in my head. I would highly recommend this story for anyone looking for a touching, up-lifting and charming story!

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.