Review - Turning The Tide by Christine Stovell

What a fab book!  I thoroughly enjoyed the novel Turning the Tide by Christine Stovell.  I started reading it on the train and didn’t realise that I’d got all the way to my destination till I realised I was the last one on the train, as I was totally engrossed in it. 

The picture on the front was the first thing that drew me in.  Christine told me that it was based on Cromer on the East Coast, a place I’ve never had the pleasure of, but the beautiful picture on the front of this fabulous book has definitely put this destination on my “Places I Need To Go” list. 

The next thing that drew me in, was the great storyline.  Harry has worked hard for the last five years keeping the boat yard going that was left to her after her father died and her mother upped and left the village of Little Spitmarsh.  When dishy property entrepreneur Matthew Corrigan comes along to develop a local building into a gorgeous new restaurant, Harry and Matthew come to a full stop as they can’t agree on anything at all.  Matthew wants to develop the town into a place that people want to come and visit and Harry wants it to stay the way it is.  The town is on Matthew’s side and most of the people are glad to hear and see his plans take shape and are keen to move forward but Harry doesn’t seem to be able to move forward in her business or her life.  Matthew tries to make friends with this appealing yet miserable tomboy but she can’t find it within herself to be nice to him even though she is starting to find herself physically attracted to him. 

Do you think they make friends or remain enemies?  Do you think that Harry can ever get over her grief over losing her father?  Do you think she can ever accept Matthew into the town that she knows and loves?  And who is the mysterious stranger that seems to be helping Harry yet working for Matthew at the same time? You need to read the book to find out, it’s well worth it.  You know I won’t give away a lot of the plot line but it’s definitely a recommended read.  

It is hard to believe that this is Christine’s first novel, it flows so well, and the characters that she has created are truly believable and are incredibly nice people that you’d like to spend time with (I had a bit of a soft spot for Matthew to tell the truth and compared him to Nigel Harman!)  Her vibrant and colourful descriptions of the village and the surrounding area really bring it to life and make you feel part of the community.  You can almost smell the salty sea and breathe in the fresh air as you take a walk along the sea front in this delightful little town. 

I shall certainly be looking forward to more work from Christine Stovell.  A thoroughly pleasurable read with a fabulous ending that didn’t disappoint! A book that I found very difficult to put down for longer than five minutes at a time! Congratulations Christine on your wonderful first book.  Your Dad must be very proud of you while he is looking down on you from above!

Christine graduated from UEA and took various jobs writing for the public sector.  When she lost her Dad to cancer, it made her realise that if she wanted to fulfil her dream of publishing a novel, she had to put her writing first. 

She now lives on the west Wales coast and is very proud to be part of the Choc Lit group of writers.  She is published by Honno Welsh Women’s Press.  Find out more about Christine and her work at www.christinestovell.com