When is it time to stop running? Coralie Casey is haunted by her past. Deciding it’s time for a fresh start, she sets up ‘Sweet Cleans’, a range of natural beauty and cleaning products, and escapes to Penmorfa, a quiet coastal village in west Wales.
Gethin Lewis thinks he’s about to put his home village Penmorfa behind him for good. Now an internationally-acclaimed artist living in New York, he just has to return one last time to wind up his father’s estate.
But the village soon disrupts their carefully laid plans. As truths are uncovered which threaten to split the community apart, Gethin is forced to question his real reasons for abandoning Penmorfa, and Coralie is made to face the fact that some stains just won’t go away.
Setting sail, with her husband, from a sleepy seaside resort in a vintage wooden boat provided Christine Stovell with the inspiration for her ‘Little Spitmarsh’ series of novels, but never cured her seasickness although she continues to sail. Christine lives on the beautiful west Wales coast where long-distance running helps her plan her plots and inspired her to write her running guide, 'Running Kind'. Half marathons, she thinks, especially when the going gets tough, are like the writing process; both begin with small steps. As well as writing long and short contemporary fiction and poetry, Christine has written features for various magazines and is a regular contributor to The English Home magazine.
I absolutely loved this book. At first I loved the setting and the idea of the plot but wasn't quite sure about our hero Gethin. In the early scenes of the novel I quite disliked him in fact but soon the story unfolded to reveal why Gethin behaved the way he did and I started to not just like the character but actually root for him - especially in a particular couple of scenes towards the end of the book!
There were lots of surprises plotwise in this book and I thought it was cleverly written, leading you down one path until, right at the last minute, it took off in a different direction. In my opinion this book had one of the best endings ever and I had to reach for the tissues.
Loved, loved, loved it!
So impressed with this book was I that I've just ordered Chrsitine's ealier novel Turning The Tide and can't wait to read that too.
I read this in the dead of winter when it was cold and grey, and felt incredibly uplifted by this very visual novel. Coralie is aptly named because she was a lovely splash of colour in both my head as well as in the Welsh landscape where the main action of the story takes place. I loved the Doris Day references, and the melodic Welsh intonation just rolled off the page. Highly recommended.
I absolutely loved Move Over Darling, gorgeous cast of varied characters with realistic and believable conflicts in an interesting setting. A hero to die for without being too perfect and a lovely refreshing heroine who enagaged without the ditzy or feisty cliches.
The subplots and secondary characters are delightful. A thoroughly enjoyable romantic happy ending read.
The heroine of this novel, Coralie, has escaped to the country (a small village in West Wales) from a tragedy which was not of her making, but for which she feels guilty and responsible. She doesn’t expect to find love, only perhaps a measure of peace. So meeting bad boy artist Gethin isn’t exactly what she thinks she needs, but once she has, how can she forget him? Falling in love is definitely not on his agenda either, but we all know it strikes when you least expect it. I very much enjoyed reading about the irresistible attraction between these two seemingly opposite characters, and I completely fell for the gorgeous Gethin myself. Welsh, with that wonderful lilt in his voice, black hair and blue eyes – what’s not to like? The author’s gentle humour and realistic village characters add something special to this wonderful love story – I loved it!
I downloaded this book when it was Doris Day’s birthday. I used to watch a lot of Doris movies when I was growing up and I could almost hear the songs in my head when I read the book. Besides, who can resist a title like that!
I read Chris Stovell’s previous book Turning the Tide a year or so ago and this book is a more confident work. There are no point of view issues here! Like Turning the Tide, this book evokes the sense of place beautifully with rural Wales and busy New York both painted with detail and style. The characters are well rounded and interesting. Coralie is delightful with her colourful fifties gear. Gethin is an alpha male character with just enough humour to be likable. The busybody secondary characters were brilliantly sour. The secondary storyline with Kitty and Adam was very sweet.
This is a fun story of love and rural village life. I enjoyed it.
This was the first book by Chris Stovell to cross my path. It won't be the last. I really enjoyed Move Over Darling - as the characters and plot moved between a small Welsh village and New York and back. The author has created some very well developed characters in her main protagonists, Coralie and Gethin, both of them with a large amount of baggage to carry. Her supporting players are also well drawn and their combined lives make for a compelling read. She also has a nice sense of place as well, capturing the tensions and realities of life in a modern Welsh farming village, and the characters who live there.
Having read Christine's first book Turning the Tide I was really looking forward to this one. Not disappointed. Easy to read and more depth than you would expect in this genre.Can't wait for Christine's next effort.
Both main characters come with baggage. Corsair has fled to Penmorfa to escape. Gethin has fled from it to the bright lights of New York. Somehow the pair are thrown together in bizarre circumstances.
I think that it is a great read with so beautiful characters and so beautiful setting but still I had my little problems with the book due to which I gave one star less.
Coralie Casey has escaped to Penmorfa from the city and Gethin Lewis escaped Penmorfa for the bright lights of New York City. They meet when Gethin returns to the village to deal with his deceased father's home. Both know they can't be together because of what they want. but they still can't help but be drawn to each other. The villagers of Penmorfa fall into two camps; those who dislike Geffin and his art, and those who do. With the village hall needing serious repair and with a dearth of funds, all of a sudden the spotlight is on Geffin and Coralie to help save the village. Will Gethin be able to get over his resentment of the villagers and his unhappy childhood and what did Coralie run away from?
I fell in love with Christine Stovell's Turning the Tide in 2010 and was eagerly awaiting the release of Move Over Darling. The wait was well worth it;this book is phenomenal and I loved it! The setting of this book is in Wales, and reading the way Ms. Stovell describes it is just spell binding. I felt as if I could hear and feel the ocean spray, and see the rocky peaks. I've never been to Wales and have no Welsh ancestry but I could feel the hiraeth, the Welsh word meaning "longing for home."
There are so many little details that make this book so amazing. The references to Doris Day's movies and songs make me want see a Doris Day in action. (I don't think I've ever seen a movie of hers, but will rectify that very soon.) The allusion to Rock Hudson was brilliant and very well done. And the references to the tale of Little Red Riding Hood was wonderful and apt. Gethin makes a wonderful Big Bad Wolf. Just saying. :) I love Coralie's dressing sense and how her clothes portrayed what she was trying to do. Her innate kindness was touching. The inclusion of other villagers in this book made it feel all the more real. It wasn't just the two of them and their families, but everyone who made the story as a whole. While I really did not like Delyth and Mair, I can't help but wish more information had been given earlier as to why they had such animosity towards Gethin. It seemed a little out of place, but made a lot of things clear. On the other hand, Alys, Huw, Kitty, and Adam were more than enough to balance out any animosity with kindness and love. They each had so much going on, adding layers into the story. I was rooting for not only Gethin and Coralie, but also the aforementioned to resolve issues between them and to find what they were looking for.
For me this book was just what I needed, a breath of fresh air. If you follow Christine's blog, then you know she's already working on her next book, which will be set in Little Spitmarsh, the same locale Turning the Tide is set in. I am extremely excited and looking forward to reading her next book, which will hopefully be sooner than later!
The small Welsh village of Penmorfa is the main setting of the story which revolves around Coralie Casey and Gethin Lewis. Coralie is a newcomer to the village, she has left behind her busy corporate life to set up a small business selling her own range of natural beauty and cleaning products - inspired by her late Grandmother. Gethin, on the other hand, is a native of Penmorfa. He left the village many years before and is now a successful artist based in New York. Gethin has returned to refurbish and sell his childhood home after the recent death of his father. Gethin doesn't have happy memories of the village, and many of the residents seem to resent his success, especially as they feel that his most famous painting does his home village no favours.
Christine Stovell gradually introduces other characters into the story, and although they do not take centre stage, their personalities and complex lives are just as entertaining and often as intriguing as the two main players. The essence of village life is captured very well, from the gossipy old women, to the handsome young surfer and the modern-day worries of marriages, business and how to raise funds for the much needed new Community Centre.
As the story unfolds and the reader gets to know both Coralie and Gethin, my initial impressions of them changed. Gethin starts out as something of a cold and distant character, often appearing arrogant and uncaring. Coralie has an air of mystery to her, and at times appears quite vulnerable. As their relationship with each other develops, so does the relationship between their characters and the reader.
Move Over Darling is a traditional romance with a modern twist, and a hint of suspense and mystery running through it that makes for a satisfying and entertaining read.
Coralie Casey is haunted by her past, moves to the marvellous close knit community of Penmorfa, where she builds her business of Sweet Cleans, and all natural cleaning and beauty products based on her Grandmas formulas.
Gethin Lewis is an internationally acclaimed artist originally from Penmorfa now residing in New York, who returns to the village to settle his late father estate. The locals think that Gethin has betrayed them both in his work and also in they way he wants nothing to do with the village.
The village has a village hall that need renovating but they have no money. Gethin, feels attracted to Coralie, and knows from past experience if he can paint the girl he will work the attraction out of his system. Therefore he offers the village a painting that they can auction and get the money they so desperately need. There is only one catch, the subject has to be Coralie and she has to go to New York to sit for him.
There are many sub – stories running through this will they or wont they, roller coaster of a novel. Christine Stovell has the gift of interweaving the characters and getting the reader to care about all of them. She uses the colour of Coralies retro clothes to exenterate the happy and sad emotions of the story.
As the secrets of all become unravelled, the truth is exposed as are the true feelings of them all, they reader is rewarded with being the fly on the wall in this small village life, as if we there. A wonderful story by an amazing author who gives us her all.
A modern romance set in Wales was what led me to this story as I was born there and understand the concept of hiraeth. I listened to this on Audible and enjoyed the accents for the Welsh characters as it reminded me of my mam who long ago passed. That was my favourite part of this book. I'd find the narrator's voice for Ruby the American assistant to be a bit cartoony. (I was picturing the Flintstones.) But all the other characters and narration were spot on.
This is a heart warming story and I'll read/listen to another of this authors books if they're set in Wales. I did find the Doris Day angle a bit unbelievable and think the book is aimed toward a 55 plus crowd as I can't think of a single person Coralie's age who would be into Doris Day or even know who she is. I also found Coralie's motivation for not getting involved with Gethin lacking and drawn out to create tension. This is a bugbear of romantic fiction where characters are kept apart to for elongated times to gain personal growth. Handsome man you've fallen for arrives back in the village and you won't see him, I don't find realistic.
However it's fiction, where we escape, and I suspended my disbelief in Doris Day and long estrangements to thoroughly enjoy the story. A lovely writer with beautiful setting descriptions. Ta-Ra
The title of this book pulled me in because it brought back memories of watching old Doris Day movies with my grandmother. So what a nice surprise to read the first few pages and realize that the main character is somewhat obsessed with Doris, plays her songs, and even has taken in a stray cat and named him Rock.
Besides giving me a trip down memory lane, I also enjoyed the story and it’s wonderful lead characters and their push-pull attraction for one another. In fact, I thought the opening scene could have easily been played by the late Rock Hudson and Doris Day. It was funny, made me laugh and had me cheering for them from the beginning.
I also loved the setting of the quaint Welsh village and the theme of can you ever go home again. The secondary characters were also well rounded and I found myself also cheering for another couple, Kitty and Adam. Some of the characters were quirky and the author did a great job giving me a feel for the workings and sometimes bickering politics of small town life.
If you’re looking for a fun read on a winter’s day and like me, remember some of the old Doris Day classics, this story is a delight and one that I recommend.
A nice, readable, humorous in places, chick-lit romance with lots going on, beginning in a small Welsh village where Coralie is trying to build her own small business whilst into next doors holiday cottage moves successful artist Gethin recently come back to the town of his birth.
Coralie is a vintage girl at heart with her 1950s retro fashions and Doris Day playing as the soundtrack to her life, but she has a few darker secrets she wants to keep under wraps but in a small community in Wales tongues wag and gossip abounds.
Gathin looks like a dream and makes her heart flip but he keeps saying the wrong thing and being misinterpreted. Memories of his unhappy childhood make him want to be as unlike his Dad as possible yet he keeps seeing parallels in his own personality that he's not proud of.
These 2 clash and amongst the various stories which unfold the age old story of boy meets girl is played out.
Great lead characters and lots of well described secondary characters all with their own stories going on.
Undemanding and fun with a few twists and turns to keep you entertained and a dark and handsome misunderstood hero - sigh!
Romance in a quaint Welsh village, filled with gossiping ladies.
Coralie is running from her past, what past we do not know, but we learn. Sure it was...something, but I did feel she made too much of a big deal of it. But she is sweet, loves her new place and is just nice you know.
Gehtin hates the same village, he wanted out and out he went. Famous painter and disliked by certain people in Penmorfa. But he also is a nice guy. He had reasons to get out. These two together works, they are both not looking, so we know something will happen. The road there takes awhile. A bit of talking, which leads to flirting, which leads to talking. Yes no rush here. You can't rush love, not even lust at times.
Even with the gossiping old ladies this was a nice village. People felt close, even if they talked dirt behind each other's backs. There is a family that gets a backstory too as they know Coralie, and Gehtin. The parents have marital issues and their daughter is back and preggers. A sidestory that gives warmth and drama to this story.
Conclusion: Romance that takes time, a village that I want to visit. That is this story.
This one was not for me. I don't know how it ended up on my reading list – it must have been recommended as a romance somewhere, but that's not what it ended up being. It was definitely women's fiction, and while the story wasn't bad at all, it just wasn't what I was looking for. I have read women's fiction classified as romances before, and sometimes I end up really liking them, but in this book I barely liked anyone. Coralie was okayish, her behavior was understandable when her past was revealed. But Gethin – seriously, what was up with him? In the beginning he was just rude, but later on I didn't think the revelations of his past justified his behavior. Can't stand the guy, Coralie deserves better.
I liked the whole small town setting, but there were too many side plots for my liking, and none of them were explored properly. I listened to the audiobook, which made it a bit easier to stick with it until the end, but while it wasn't awful, it doesn't inspire me to look for other books by this author.
This is an enjoyable read with a delightful heroine who doesn't irritate and who deserves to find happiness. The Doris Day refererences are a great touch and there are some quirky supporting characters. With a hero like Gethin, sparks are bound to fly. So don't think you're getting chocolate box stuff because this novel is way beyond that category.
Really enjoyed this one - good strong characters in Coralie and Gethin, a great sense of place, good twists and turns, and an appropriate ending. Just the way I like my chick lit.
Not my favourite chick lit book. I thought the main characters shallow and deliberately over-thinking their relationship, in order to add tension to the story. I often found myself saying to them 'Oh, don't be stupid!'. I liked the stories about Alice and Kitty much better.
I was always fated to enjoy this book, being such a keen Doris Day fan and it was a good, fun, lighthearted read. Very much envied the main character's clothing flair and style!