Een affaire in Cornwall

by Liz Fenwick, Fanneke Cnossen (Translator)

Als Jude voor het altaar staat, wordt de druk van haar aanstaande huwelijk haar plotseling te veel. Ze vlucht de kerk uit en laat heel wat achter: een verbijsterde verloofde, haar woedende moeder en gasten die genoeg stof tot roddelen hebben voor de rest van het jaar.

Vol schuldgevoel en schaamte trekt Jude zich terug in Pengarrock, een vervallen landhuis boven op een klif in Cornwall. Hier mag ze de uitgebreide bibliotheek van de familie Trevillion catalogiseren. Het huis is een welkome schuilplaats voor Jude en ze raakt er zelfs compleet van in de ban wanneer ze een tragische geschiedenis ontdekt, met daarin de suggestie van een verborgen schat. Maar de huidige eigenaar blijkt niet half zo veel van Pengarrock te houden als zij, en wil het huis verkopen. Kan ze hem op tijd op andere gedachten brengen?

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Contemporary Romance, British Literature

329 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Award winning author of ten novels and two novellas. The latest is The Secrets of Harbour House out in the UK in July 2025. There are translated editions of my novels available in Dutch, German, Portuguese, French, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian, Latvian, Turkish, Serbian, Czech, Hungarian, Italian, and Finnish.

Reviews

[Maria Lavrador · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ganhei este livro num passatempo do Goodreads e só soube que o tinha ganho quando o carteiro o deixou lá em casa. Tenho todo o orgulho em ter um cópia autografada pela autora e uma dedicatória num postal alusivo ao livro.

Quanto à sua leitura esta foi muito agradável, com romance e mistério à mistura em dose q.b. recomendo a quem goste de livros doces e que fazem sonhar

[Magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! A Cornish Affair is a book that I felt right from the beginning that it would work for me. The opening is so amazing, Jude realizing on her own wedding day this is not what she wants. She has not had a word to say about the planning of the wedding and does she really want to marry John? So, when she sees her chance to escape is she off. What she will do now does not know, so she leaves Cape Cod for England where she and John should have moved after the wedding. But, she's now on her own. By a lucky chance, does she get a job at Pengarrock, a crumbling mansion in Cornwall. her work will be to cataloguing the library. But, life here is not that easy either...

A Cornish Affair is a charming book about finding oneself. To take a step out in the unknown and dare to follow one's heart. This is the first book I have read by Liz Fenwick and I will definitely read more of her. I loved reading about Cornwall and I really loved that the book also contained a mystery that Jude tries to solve. Now I look forward to reading The Cornish House.

Thanks to Norstedts for the review copy!

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. Too much romance. Maybe I didn’t look closely into this, so my own fault that I wasted a credit on Audible.

[Jo Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I wanted to escape from it all, Cornwall would definitely be a possible destination! We've had some wonderful family holidays there, and it really has a magical, romantic quality. This book really conveyed this and was an enjoyable read.
Jude flees from marriage to a nice man who she loves as a friend but is not passionate about. She leaves her native East Coast of America to come to England, and then to Cornwall. She is an archivist and manages to land a dream job in a gorgeous historic country house by the sea (near Frenchman's Creek, setting of Daphne du Maurier's famous book). Jude falls in love with the place and is determined to try to save it from financial ruin. Some good love interest too!!
A good enjoyable escapist read.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought a signed copy of this book from Waterstones in Truro in 2014.

A Cornish Affair was yet another very enjoyable book by Liz Fenwick. In fact, I enjoyed this even more than The Cornish House.

Love, mystery, history, treasure and scenic Cornwall make a great combination for a successful story. If you like any of those things, then I highly recommend this.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. The cover alone was enough to make me want to read this book. It is gorgeous. Plus I had already read and loved The Cornish House by the same author, so I was expecting to love this but it took me longer than I expected to get into. My problem was the main character. I struggled to think someone would let wedding plans get right to the altar before running away. I failed to understand how anyone could be that ruled by the expectations and demands of others. Maybe that says more about me than it does Jude. The author does try and explain the feelings and motivations behind Jude’s desire to please, but it didn’t quite come across for me. However, I loved the descriptions of Cornwall and the old mansion Pengarrock with its secrets and the mystery of the Blue Sapphire. For me the place was the main character.
I defy anyone not to fall in love with the house and the setting.
As for the other characters, I wasn’t that fussed on either Jude or Tristan. I wasn’t sure what the big attraction was with Tristan. He came across as rather cold, even though once again the author tries to explain his attitudes. But there were always enough things happening to keep me interested to keep reading.
I think it would probably make a good movie, as it contains mystery, romance, secrets, conflict, not to mention that gorgeous scenery.The ending gathers tension. While I enjoyed it and it was a pleasant way to while away a few houses, I didn’t love it as much as The Cornish House, I would still be keen to read another by this author.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Als Jude voor het altaar staat, wordt de druk van haar aanstaande huwelijk haar plotseling te veel. Ze krijgt "Cold feet". Er wordt weer eens veel van haar verwacht. Ze vlucht de kerk uit en laat heel wat achter.
Vol schuldgevoel en schaamte trekt Jude zich terug in Pengarrock, een vervallen landhuis boven op een klif in Cornwall. Hier mag ze de uitgebreide bibliotheek van de familie Trevillion catalogiseren. Ik zou een gat in de lucht springen als ik zo een uitgebreide jeuze aan boeken zou mogen vasthouden, catalogiseren en lezen. Wat voor juweeltjes zouden er allemaal tussen hebben gezeten? Mijn hersens produceren heel wat titels als ik daar aan dacht. Lekker dagdromen dus. Het huis is een welkome schuilplaats voor Jude en ze raakt er zelfs compleet van in de ban wanneer ze een tragische geschiedenis ontdekt, met daarin de suggestie van een verborgen schat. Ik zou dat onderdeel geschiedenis en een jacht op een schat ook wel waarderen. Maar de huidige eigenaar blijkt niet half zo veel van Pengarrock te houden als zij, en wil het huis verkopen. Humeurig mannetje. Maar er is altijd verandering mogelijk. De aanhouder wint.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author, I love the way she writes, I love her development of characters that take you on a journey not only around Cornwall but discovery.

It basically tells you what its about in the blurb so I won't say anything else about it, but what I will say, its a super read that makes me feel I am back on my holidays in Cornwall. I could relate with so many places, oh, and the story was excellent!

I need to thank Orion Publishing Group via Net Galley for allowing me this publication.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant holiday read with a predictable ending.

[Debbie Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am definitely in holiday mode at the moment with my reading and Cornwall seems to be the destination, having just finished a second book set in Cornwall. In a Cornish Affair an American bride to be, Jude, literally bolts at the altar and finds herself in a crumbling clifftop mansion in Cornwall. She has been hired to catalogue the extensive library of the owner, Petroc Trevillion, a gardening writer in his sixties. There’s a missing treasure lost centuries ago and a riddle that seems to hint at a location.
What I liked about this book was the very immediate first person narrative. What I had trouble with was the piecemeal way Jude worked. I can’t help believing an archivist and cataloguer would have been so much more systematic, working slowly and methodically towards the goal of finding the right list for each book. If Jude had worked this way in the novel I’m sure there would have been a sense of her moving ever closer to finding the answer to the riddle (with the tension building) but instead she’s all over the shop, haphazardly skipping from room to room and of course getting way off course when Petroc’s son arrives. A little frustrated with Jude, I kept reading for the Cornish landscape which is beautifully evoked. 3 stars.

[Steffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich habe das Buch Ende letzen Jahres bei einem Goodreads giveaway gewonnen und hatte schon ein schlechtes Gewissen, dass ich es immer noch nicht gelesen habe. Dies habe ich aber nun endlich nachgeholt und ich frage mich, warum ich es nicht schon längst gelesen habe, denn es hat mir richtig gut gefallen.

Die Kulisse in Cornwall war klasse. Die Atmosphäre der rauen Küstenlandschaft hat die Autorin sehr gut rübergebracht.

Handlungstechnisch war alles dabei: ein altes Herrenhaus, ein dunkles Familiengeheimnis und eine stürmische Liebesgeschichte. Bücher mit dieser Kombination haben es mir schon lange angetan und auch hier ist die Mischung sehr gut gelungen. Es war spannend und mysteriös, dazu noch eine Prise Abenteuer. Auch die Liebesgeschichte fand ich sehr ansprechend gestaltet.

Die Charaktere haben mir ebenfalls gefallen. Sie haben alle ihre Ecken und Kanten und sind nicht nur perfekt. Die Darstellung habe ich als sehr realitisch empfunden.

Der einzige Kritikpunkt ist, dass es mich emotional nicht komplett mitgerissen hat, obwohl es dort sehr gute Ansätze gab und ein paar Tränen schon zwischen den Wimpern klimperten.

Der Schreibstil der Autorin hat mir ebenfalls gut gefallen und ich freue mich auf ihre anderen Werke.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, lovely intriguing story that kept you hooked from the very start. Only annoying thing was work got in the way of finishing it as quickly as I wanted too! Liz makes Cornwall come alive off the page and you really feel you are walking through "Pengarrock", standing on the terrace, smelling the barbecue whilst soaking up the atmosphere of splendid scenery. Jude's on her journey to self discovery and you feel empathy for the life she has lived to please others, something most people can relate too, enjoyed it so much now seeking the other Cornish stories by Liz Fenwick.

[The Incredible Pipster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It was the first book that I read by Liz Fenwick. In fact it was the first "chick-lit" book I have ever read (I do not include the Bridget Jones trilogy as "chick lit", I see them as "satire/ comedy").

This book gripped me from the outset. I wanted to be Jude, I wanted to be researching and burrowing through Petroc's papers, I wanted to unravel The Cornish affair.

A disclaimer: Unlike Jude I did not, however, want to be anyone's love interest.

All in all If you love Cornwall and love mysteries then you will love this book.

5 Stars *****

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars maybe?

I didn't really enjoy the writing style but that might be due to translation as I read this in my mother tongue. The story had a potential but it wasn't executed in a manner that would make it memorable or mind-blowing. A lot of the stuff was confusing, unnecessary even. It was ok at best and boring at worst.

[Sónia · Rating 4 out of 5]

O querer ler este livro partiu de uma indecisão. É certo e sabido que há inúmeros livros bons para ler, mas eu gosto de dar uma segunda oportunidade quando uma primeira obra não me agrada por ali além. Já tinha lido o primeiro livro da autora cá publicado, A Casa dos Sonhos, e achei uma estória monótona, básica e de leitura que não se revelou agradável. Então quis ler este, mesmo sabendo que tenho imensos livros para ler, para ver se a leitura anterior foi um flop ocasional ou não. E foi mesmo...

Aqui encontrei uma narrativa que, apesar de não muito elaborada em termos técnicos (é fácil de ler e parte de um pressuposto vulgar em obras deste género, que é o abandono do noivo no altar), foi extremamente agradável de ler. Com excelentes descrições do meio envolvente (Cornualha e Oxford), com personagens fortes e credíveis, enredo assaz interessante e que evolui em crescendo, muito bem escrito, Um Amor na Cornualha agarra o leitor logo de início com todos estes factores. Uns menores, outros maiores, mas o saldo é francamente positivo.

Gostei bastante e recomendo. Tanto é que não haverá indecisão para uma próxima obra da autora cá publicada...

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet little escapist read set in Cornwall which would make a nice holiday read. Slightly too ‘chicklit’ for me really but I did enjoy the setting.

A good book has to have good editing & sadly this one did not. In one chapter I counted the phrase ‘ I frowned’ 19 times. ‘He frowned’ also repeatedly popped up throughout the book. The whole business surrounding lost jewellery & long lost relatives was a little corny & jumbly but if you can overlook all that it’s an enjoyable read!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jude Warren was due to marry John Stewart but at the last minute left John at the altar. Jude always wanted to please her mother even to the extent of using her mother’s wedding dress, which was not really suitable, as her mother was very small and Jude was much bigger. As Aunt Agnes said ‘she was very biddable’. Also her older sister Rose had died at the age of twelve and this left a hole in the family and lots of resentment bubbling under the surface. It must be so awful to lose a sibling and then for nobody to talk about it. Anyway like most families the lack of communication did not bode well for the family with an English mother and an American father. Obviously this book is based on very rich people with very intelligent minds having access and contacts which could benefit the whole. Jude naturally had to have been to Oxford University (not some redbrick) and knew about Petroc Trevillion who wrote English Gardens and Medieval Gardens, the very subject that Jude had majored in a university. Jude at Barbara’s behest went to Pengarrock to work for Petroc. She also met Tristan (it’s all in the name) Petroc’c son and the family dogs Gin and Rum. However the most absorbing thing about the story is the missing sapphire and the riddle: ‘Not of the land, Not of the sea, Visible only, When August Rock sees’. Hard work and magic all added to the pleasure of reading the novel.
The descriptions of the paintings at Pengarrock was quite absorbing and how the women were so very beautiful, rich, intelligent but so dependent upon the men in the family who on the whole just lived out the expectations of previous generations. They were never free, always subjected to the husbands, fathers etc. but in their way very brave. Look at Octavia who loved her mother Clarissa, her cat, her painting and Pengarrick but took the boat out and smashed it against the rocks and drowned rather than be forced into a marriage with someone she didn’t love.
There was nothing to dislike and lots to like about this tale set in Cornwell. The hidden caves around the coast of Cornwall and the romantic vision of whole communities becoming tax evaders by bringing their boats into bays and inlets of Cornwall. Liz Fenwick certainly seemed to know her history and her gardens. I really liked Barbara who called a spade a shovel but had some very interesting contacts. Also thought Jude, though a bit self-obsessed, really changed her life without clinging to her past or her family. Rose was always the elephant in the room whilst she was at Cape Cod but she really changed her life. It is the kind of book that has something for everybody – a love story, an historical mystery, a whodunit, a nature book, a geographical excursion, a mother/daughter conflict, the outsider and the traditional runaway from the East Coast of America. A bit like a grown-up take on Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Fiver’ and the dog. Loved it.

[Eddy B · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an easy read with a compelling and cute story. I read it slowly and it was very easy to get into with short chapters. it felt a bit repetitive with the love story and it wasn't anything too special. Good pick if you are looking for something easy and/or feel-good.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When young American Jude Warren leaves her fiancé John standing at the altar in Cape Cod, she faces the wrath of her family and disappointment of friends who can’t understand why she couldn't go through with the wedding to her handsome fiancé. Jude couldn't explain that she felt she was marrying John more to please her parents (especially her mother) than herself. Ever since her sister Rose died, Jude had felt second best and finally, she wanted to lead her own life.

So now jobless and homeless, she flees to Oxford and to Barbara, an old family friend. Barbara arranges a job for her with Petroc Trevillion at his estate in Pengarrock, Cornwall. Petroc has a lifetime's worth of research papers that need cataloguing and as an archivist, Jude seems perfect for the job and does her best to bring some order to his chaotic ways. However Jude's feelings are bought into conflict when Petroc's estranged son Tristan appears on the scene. What follows is a story of historical family intrigue and riddles concerning lost jewellery together with a little touch of will they/won’t they romance.

I’m a sucker for a lovely cover and the gorgeous cover of this first attracted me. I adore Cornwall and the chance to read a story set in one of my favourite places was irresistible. It was clear that the author knows the area well and the descriptions of the old house and surrounding Helford River were beautifully and lovingly written. For me, the crumbling Pengarrock was the real star of the book. It sounded idyllic and it’s no wonder that Jude fell in love with the house.

The main characters were well defined although it took me a while to warm to Jude. She was feisty and didn't hold back in speaking her mind but there was just something about her character that stopped me fully engaging with her. There were occasions when when I felt the storyline was a little weak and I kept waiting for something to happen to move the story along, but it was an easy and pleasant read, made even more enjoyable by the sense of place. I now have Liz's first book, The Cornish House and the latest, A Cornish Stranger on my Kindle waiting to be read.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital copy to review.

[Carol W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jude really does leave her decision until the last minute. She is fully aware of the damage she has done and decides to leave for Cornwall. It seems that all is going to be okay for Jude as she takes on a new job at a beautiful mansion, but a turn of events threatens not only Jude's job but also the future of the mansion.

Jude does not have time on her side, as the new owner of the mansion just wants the house sold, out of his life. Jude also has to give some of her thought to what she has left behind, her jilted groom and her own parents, who cut her off.

Jude was not really a character I warmed to. For me, the beautiful setting, the history of the house and the Trevillion family much more of a page turner. In fact the house seemed to be the character I cared for the most in this battle of characters and wills.

[Sonia Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 estrelas
Não estive muito virada para as leituras nestes últimos dias, por isso admito que deve merecer mais que as 3.5 estrelas.
Apesar da vergonha e da dificuldade em abandonar o noivo no altar, gostei que Jude o tivesse feito antes de ficarem mesmo casados. Fazer as coisas porque a mãe assim o espera, é uma carga pesada demais. Também gostei da forma como lidou com a sua vida depois, de recomeçar na Cornualha. Gostei também de Tristan e da forma - lenta - como o romance dos dois floresceu. Tive pena de John, também se revelou um grande homem; depois de abandonado no altar, não guardou ressentimento a Jude, só é pena que sofra porque ela já não lhe retribui o amor que ele sente por ela.
Gostava mesmo de ter uma casa como a de Pengarrock, com os seus terrenos e jardins e a paisagem do rio.

[Donna Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous read on a Cornish holiday - picked up signed paperback in independent bookseller in St Ives. Loved the story, the characters, the way it was written, and, of course, the predictable happy ending! Adding Liz Fenwick to my list of favourite authors! Snuck back to the bookshop and bought her first book.

[Daniela Maciel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Este é um livro que fala de amor: amor entre um casal, amor pela família, amor pela profissão e amor por uma mansão com centenas de anos. É também um livro que nos fala de mudanças e de recomeçar; de desgosto e de redenção.

Opinião completa: http://quandoseabreumlivro.blogspot.p...

[Helen White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too bad at all. A fairly speedy story of Cornish landscape, loss and a treasure hunt with a smidge of romance thrown in.

There isn't much development if anything either side of the main plot - secondary characters are introduced and then forgotten when no longer needed. However as a nice easy read this is fine.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz's love of Cornwall pours out from every page. I devoured A Cornish Affair almost at a single (long) sitting. Its a real page turner of a contemporary romance and I recommend it to anyone wanting a good holiday read.
Roll on Liz's next book - A Cornish Stranger.

[Doha Baligh · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was ok but nothing more. I got confused because the writer moved from one scene to the other so quickly for the reader to discover the next scene is a few days later. Not a bad book but definitely not remarkable

[Sandra Melo · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADOREIIIIIIIIIII, completamente ressacada.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cornish Affair was excellent. GREAT characters and development of them right to the end, set in Cornwall (always a winner for me!), and I actually wanted the story to go on and on.
I'm a fan of Liz Fenwick and now have several of her books in my wish list on Amazon! I want them in my library to re-read. And lend to friends!

[Pam Hutley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish these books didn’t look like they do on the cover… they look lightweight and simple. They are much better than this - and I thoroughly enjoy the good story telling in recognisable scenic locations. They are an easy one day read, but the writing is excellently evocative of all senses and they end well! They challenge me in rating as they are such good reads … and so well written in their genre… i guess I feel embarrassed to like the genre….

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik weet niet zo goed wat ik precies gelezen heb 🤭