Book Review: The Cosy Canal Boat Dream by Christie Barlow

The Blurb

Welcome to the Little Rock marina – where hearts are healed and dreams are made…

For the last two years Nell Andrews has been struggling to stay afloat. As her life tumbled down around her, the only safety net has been her cosy canal boat, The Nollie. Tucked away inside, Nell has found a place to heal her broken heart. And now she’s ready to move on and follow her dream…

Gorgeous Guy Cornish, with his easy Irish charm, makes him an instant hit with everyone at the marina, and the perfect person to help Nell with her project. But Guy has his own reasons for being at the marina, and a past that threatens to sink Nell’s dream…

My Review

Thank you to the author for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Cosy Canal Boat Dream is a lovely feel-good story about a woman learning to live again after mourning the death of her husband. 

Nell's enviable home is on The Nollie, a pretty narrow-boat, and she works at the nearby cafe run by her best friend Bea, in Little Rock Marina. Nell has lots of support from Bea and family, and her own mother, Gilly, but when Nell sets her sights on buying an old building in memory of her husband, Gilly is surprisingly against the idea, and Nell cannot work out why.

Then Guy turns up with his gorgeous clever dog and Nell's life is filled with possibilities - until secrets come out which threaten everything.

This book is full of humour and warmth - the writing flows beautifully, the characters are well-drawn, and the love-interest is absolutely gorgeous! If I wasn't married, and he wasn't fictional... There's intrigue too, which I'm not going to say too much about because of spoilers, but the little twists make sure there are plenty of surprises, adding depth to this cosy story. I found myself eager to read on and on, until I realised it was two o'clock in the morning!

It's the perfect read for an afternoon lounging on the beach, or in the garden, or (more likely) wrapped up indoors while it pours with rain. I love Christie's books!

A Cosy Canal Boat Dream is published by Harper Collins on 22 August 2017, and you can get your copy here.

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