30 Dec 2012

Book Review: Hidden Treasures by Fern Britton

Helen Merrifield decides to put her ex-husband behind her and start afresh in the idyllic Cornish village of Pendruggan. Throwing herself into local life, Helen is surprised to find herself the object of two very different men's attention - the rather desperate Vicar and the dark and brooding local historian, Piran.

Meanwhile, Helen's best friend, Penny, decides that the village is the perfect setting for her new TV series. When cast and crew descend, the community is thrown into a tizzy, but Helen has her hands full fending off her philandering ex, who seems determined to charm his way back into her bed.

Should Helen hold on to the past? Or will a Cornish Christmas give her something new to treasure?



Release Date:  11th October 2012
Publisher:  Harper Collins
Goodreads Link:  Click here
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

My Review       9 out of 10

Another really great book for the festive season and doesn't the cover just look delicious!  This is the first book I have read written by Fern Britton and I am loving her laid back style of writing.  The main character, Helen, is now living in a Cornish village and with all the great descriptions about her cottage and the village itself, it really felt like I was right there. 

A vast array of really fantastic characters and I have to admit one or two not so nice ones.  Starting of with the characters I enjoyed most in this story.  Firstly there's the main character Helen.  We see her at the beginning of the story a bit run down after leaving her husband, going through a divorce and starting a new live in a village she has never been to before.  I found her to be a very warm and loving character, especially in the way she treated the people in the village.  I was not surprised when she immediately started making friends.  The other character that I loved in this story was Piran.  He is a man with a bit of past which you find out more when you read through the story and at the beginning he had a defencive personality but as the story goes on you see why he is do defencive and you also discover how loyal he can be.  Turning to the characters that I was not so fond of, those had to be Gray and Penny.  Gray is Helen's ex-husband who cheated on Helen over many years of her marriage, treated her like a doormat and still wants to.  Penny, although she is Helen's best friend and she will always fight for Helen's side of things I did find her a bit selfish and very abrupt in her manner.

What I really enjoyed about this story was its pace.  Helen had come from a life that was hectic and is now living in a laid back Cornish village and the story certainly did have that feel of a slower pace, making me sit back, relax and really enjoy the story.  Although there were certain good points to the TV crew being in the village, I have to admit that this was a part of the story that I struggled to get through.

What I would have loved to have had more focus on in this story is the box that is found in Helen's back garden containing old items, pictures and ashes of someone/something.  Although you do find out, in a very quick way, all about them and about some long lost secrets, I would have loved more focus on it throughout the story.


A really great, laid back, Cornish drama which I would definitely recommend, for any time of year.

 

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