Turning the Tide by Christine Stovell

I loved this book. I don’t know about Turning the Tide but it certainly kept me Turning the Page. I had only meant to read a couple of chapters before bed but, each time I tried to put it down, I thought I’d just read the next chapter and then couldn’t put it down until I finished reading it at 2am!

This is a captivating story of one young woman’s determination and struggle to hang onto the boatyard that she sees as her only link to the past and her dead father. It leads to her clashing with a devilishly appealing property developer, Matthew Corrigan, who wants her boatyard and its land for his future development. As this will breathe new life into the surrounding area, forcing it also to modernise, it’s not just Harry Watling, the gutsy tomboy heroine, but others in the nearby town, who have to adjust to the changes Matthew and his development are introducing.

I warmed to Harry immediately (it is so refreshing to have a tomboy heroine), felt the same attraction and repulsion that she feels for Matthew, while also falling for most of the townsfolk, especially the irascible George who is Harry’s right hand man and surrogate father-figure and the local florists, who are like brothers to Harry and as brilliant creations as their floral art.

This is the second ChocLit title I’ve read in as many weeks and, if this and Trade Winds (reviewed here) are anything to go by, I can see myself going through their entire selection box.

Turning the Tide is Christine Stovell’s debut novel, published by ChocLit. She has previously been published by Honno, the Welsh Women’s Press. To find out more about the author, Christine Stovell has an Author Website and you can Follow Christine on Twitter.