Great pace, loveable characters and a few twists; a perfect, happy and romantic read for the summer (and any other time!). 

A bomb going off in London is the wake-up call Emma has been waiting for. She reevaluates her life and spring into action. Handing in her notice by email and buying a large house without seeing it, may not be the most thought through decisions she's ever made, but Emma is soooo ready for her next adventure. 

Arriving in Lobster Bay Emma takes in the new scenery, the locals and her new home. She's in for quite a few surprises! Not being a local, she doesn't always have the full picture and misunderstandings happen. 

The book has a happy ending with no cliffhanger, but as the characters are so well developed there is plenty more to look forward to and the second book in the series, Christmas at Lobster Bay, is scheduled to be published at the end of October 2021; an early Christmas present.  

== advance reader copy via NetGalley ==

This book was a perfect summer read, with lots of goodness in it! I loved the sense of community and the character development however found some bits to be too "jumpy" and some details rushed.

The Guesthouse at Lobster Bay is the story of a young woman called Emma, who decides to make big changes in her life after a traumatic event one Christmas Eve causes her to reassess the rut she has found herself in.

When Emma sees an advert for a guesthouse for sale in the tiny Scottish village of Lobster Bay, she sets her heart on recapturing her childhood dream and upping sticks for a fresh start. Little does she know of the trials and tribulations that lie ahead as she tries to give her new home a modern makeover, and get her hospitality business up and running - or about the little secret that the previous owner of the guesthouse has left for her in the laundry room.


As Emma settles into her new life, making friends and finding the sort of supportive community that she has always dreamt of being part of, she still finds herself following the habit of a lifetime by holding something of herself back from those around her. It is not just the guesthouse and making friends that are causing her some tricky moments either - love is in the air in the form of hunky next-door neighbour Aiden, but she is unsure about whether getting involved with him is a good idea with all the baggage he seems to come with, especially since her own mental state is far from clear with the trauma of a difficult Christmas Eve still haunting her. Will Lobster Bay become her forever home, or will the dilemmas she must navigate prove to be too hard to overcome?

This is such a wonderful escapist tale about friendship, family, love, and new beginnings, but at the heart it delves into some very real issues about modern life, mental health and grief that you don't normally come across in a romantic story of this type - with a lovely cast of characters of all ages coping with the pressures that come with relationships, money and human frailty.

Emma is a young woman aware that she is drifting in life, comfortable enough in her job and her choice of partner, but aware that things are stale and not terribly exciting on both fronts. When a traumatic event hits her for six, she knows she must make some drastic decisions about her situation if she is to achieve happiness and she grabs at the chance of a new life well out of her comfort zone, sure that she is strong enough to finally stand on her own two feet.

As the enormity of what she has taken on begins to dawn on her, and the legacy of the trauma she has been through threatens to derail her, it is actually the realisation that it is ok for her to ask for help from others, rather than trying to tackle everything on her own, that really makes this tale something more than a light-hearted yarn. As she learns to open up to friends, family and the possibility of romance, she is finally able to move on and really begin the new life she has been yearning for.

This is beautifully narrated by Eilidh Beaton who convincingly tackles all the accents here with her considerable voice acting skills and carries the story along with just the right amount of emotion. There are laughs and tears galore to be had as the story unfurls, and everything is rounded off with the kind of gorgeous, heart-warming ending that will bring a great big smile to your face.

I cannot recommend this story enough as something to completely engage you from start to finish, and I guarantee it will have you hankering after your own little idyll by the sea before well the story reaches its lovely conclusion.

Having read My Mamma Mia Holiday I was expecting big things from this book.
The story did not disappoint. It was a delight to read and I could not put it down.
I can't wait for the next read from Annie!

Thanks to netgalley for the advanced ebook to review. An easy and enjoyable read with great characters.

The Guesthouse at Lobster Bay - Annie Robertson

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Welbeck Publishing and I am leaving this review voluntarily

When Emma sees The Guesthouse at Lobster Bay for sale online, she knows it is exactly the peaceful haven and fresh start she needs to recover from a recent trauma. Yet the moment she picks up the keys, Emma's dream of owning a successful guesthouse begins to unravel...

Emma has one month to get the handsome, terraced house with stunning sea views in order before her first guests arrive at the beginning of June, a task made all the harder by the discovery that the previous owner has included her elderly and enormous dog in the sale. And then there's the next-door neighbour, Aidan, the local boat-builder – self-assured and unwelcoming – who Emma must turn to for help in a crisis. As Emma and Aidan work together to get the guesthouse ready, they grow closer, but then Aidan is called away and Emma has to carry on, alone.

The Guesthouse at Lobster Bay is a lovely contemporary romance that I really enjoyed and it was such a wonderful escape. The characters are all really well-written with good pacing throughout. This is the first book I have read by Annie and I have to say I would highly recommend it!

During this book Emma is trying to find her feet again following a terrorist attack on London, which leads to her following her dreams of running a guesthouse.

This book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger but I was very pleased to find out that there will be a sequel, and I am very much looking forward to reading it.

Rating 5/5

I kindly received an eARC advance copy of this book to read and review though NetGalley.

Emma leaves work one Christmas Eve and on her way home is sadly caught up in a bomb attack. She ends up giving up her job as an interior designer, leaving her long term boyfriend that she realises is not “the one”, and buying a tired guesthouse in the Scottish town of Lobster Bay.

Her decorating skills are pulled into use when she arrives at the guesthouse. She doesn’t realise at the time of sale that the well-priced house comes with a very large dog, or an attractive neighbour who is keen to help Emma fix up the property.

I really enjoyed this book. Not too frivolous, making new friends in town and a little romance