Summer Dreams At Pencarrow Bay

by Hilary Boyd

PRE-ORDER THE BRAND NEW CORNISH NOVEL FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR HILARY BOYD


Peggy Gilbert wasn’t quite ready to leave London behind. But partner Ted’s yearning for a fresh start has led to a leap into the unknown.

Life on the Cornish coast hasn’t quite been what she expected; despite the healing sea breeze, she yearns for the bright lights of the city.
But when neighbour Lindy offers her a lifeline, she finally begins to embrace village life, basking in the friendship of someone who seems to be its beating heart. But beneath Lindy’s seemingly perfect surface simmer secrets that are soon threatening Peggy’s future in Pencarrow Bay.
Can she fight to remain in the community she has come to love? And save her future with Ted?

Perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Jill Mansell, Jenny Colgan and Trisha Ashley

400 pages, Paperback

Published July 29, 2025

About the author

Boyd was born and spent the first six months of her life in Prestatyn, North Wales, where her father, an army major, was stationed after the war. She was later educated in London, then at the boarding school Roedean. She trained as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, and subsequently as a marriage guidance counsellor with Relate before reading English Literature at London University in her late 30s.

After college, Boyd became a health journalist, writing about depression, step-parenting and pregnancy. She began writing fiction as a hobby whilst raising three children and working at various day jobs including running a cancer charity, Survive Cancer, working for an engineering company, and an online vitamin site.

Reviews

[Don Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilary Boyd’s latest novel is set in a small seaside village in Cornwall, the first in a trilogy. Boyd has the special talent to create endearing characters in authentic situations with wit and sensitivity. This book is her best. She has woven a subtle plot into a beautiful portrait of a quirky eclectic community. The main characters, a delightful, attractive retired couple who leave London to settle in Pencarrow Bay, negotiate their new life there with its mixture of complex personal issues and dramatic unexpected confrontations brought on by their new relationships in an unfamiliar environment. The descriptions of both characters and environment are engaging and entertaining, as are the almost mythological quirks of Cornish folklore - mermaids and piskies crop up! I loved all of it and can’t wait to read the next book in the trilogy.

[Mel Garraghan-Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Style

A bit of a different style of writing from Hilary Boyd. I read her previous novels which are kind of suspense / romance and are all stand alone novels set in different places and I have to say I highly recommend them. What is different about this book is it appears to be part of a series set in a Cornish village. I often read this type of book as well so I have no issue with Hilary doing this. I really enjoyed it and there was a bit of intrigue in there also, so it's not too far from her usual style really.

[Vivien Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the opening I was hooked. The characters are so real, I found myself wanting to know what would happen next. If like me you read fiction from different eras and different countries, there's always something you have to take on trust or accept is outside your own experience, or perhaps is far- fetched. Not so with this story, it's right in the present moment. Certainly the author's best yet; I can't wait for the next instalment.

[BrewbokOwl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful book - the characters are unbelievable and so ridiculous. You could see the ending coming a mile off and it handled mental health in a pretty insensitive way. I read a lot of this style of book - easy reading, stories about friendships - and this was one of the worst. No disrespect to the author, writing is hard work and you end up putting a lot of yourself in it, I respect the effort but really disliked the book.

[Lynda Addison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another triumph for Hilary Boyd

Loved the book and the setting (which I assume is St Mawes and one of my favourite haunts). The storyline kept me guessing until the end. Can’t wait for her next book which I have preordered.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely book from this author.

[Sally O’Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing read that keeps you guessing about what could be happening. Well written and loved the Cornish setting.

[June Selby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this