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Sturcombe Bay #4
Summer in Sturcombe Bay
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26One seaside town. One fresh start. And the last man she ever expected to fall for.
When Izzy Bishop’s life unravels in London, she escapes to the charming seaside town of Sturcombe Bay. She hopes a temporary teaching job at the local primary school will give her space to start again.
Life by the sea is exactly what Izzy needs. Warm, welcoming neighbours, a cosy café on the seafront and quiet beaches where she can finally relax.
If only the builder renovating the cottage next door wasn’t so determined to get under her skin.
Dan Tuckett is confident, charming and undeniably frustrating, and their first encounter leaves Izzy determined to steer clear of him.
But when Dan’s shy young nephew, Connor, joins Izzy’s class, she begins to see a different side to him — the caring, protective man behind the teasing smile. And the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore the spark between them.
Both Izzy and Dan are nursing broken hearts. But sometimes a fresh start can lead to the one thing you never expected — a second chance at love.
A warm, uplifting small-town romance about second chances, friendship and finding love where you least expect it.
• Single dad
• Opposites attract
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Small-town
When Izzy Bishop’s life unravels in London, she escapes to the charming seaside town of Sturcombe Bay. She hopes a temporary teaching job at the local primary school will give her space to start again.
Life by the sea is exactly what Izzy needs. Warm, welcoming neighbours, a cosy café on the seafront and quiet beaches where she can finally relax.
If only the builder renovating the cottage next door wasn’t so determined to get under her skin.
Dan Tuckett is confident, charming and undeniably frustrating, and their first encounter leaves Izzy determined to steer clear of him.
But when Dan’s shy young nephew, Connor, joins Izzy’s class, she begins to see a different side to him — the caring, protective man behind the teasing smile. And the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore the spark between them.
Both Izzy and Dan are nursing broken hearts. But sometimes a fresh start can lead to the one thing you never expected — a second chance at love.
A warm, uplifting small-town romance about second chances, friendship and finding love where you least expect it.
• Single dad
• Opposites attract
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Small-town
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 26, 2026
About the author
Susanne McCarthy
96 books71 followersI'm a Londoner, though now I live in Devon, a twenty-minute walk from the sea. I love nothing more than walking my pretty Cavapoo on the beach in the rain (well, OK, I don't object to the sun, but when it's raining we usually have the whole beach to ourselves.)
Back in the day I had 25 novels published by Mills&Boon. After a long gap doing other things I found my love of writing again, and self-published three new novels.
But I knew that to reach more readers I needed an established publisher. Step in Joffe Books. They were top of my list so I was delighted when they accepted the first novel I sent them.
This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Back in the day I had 25 novels published by Mills&Boon. After a long gap doing other things I found my love of writing again, and self-published three new novels.
But I knew that to reach more readers I needed an established publisher. Step in Joffe Books. They were top of my list so I was delighted when they accepted the first novel I sent them.
This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This fourth visit to Sturcombe Bay was as pleasant as the previous three. This time, the main characters are Dan, who appeared in previous books as a friend of the other men (and the person to call when a building needs renovation), and Izzy, who's new to the village (covering a maternity leave as a teacher at the primary school). I really liked them both (plus Dan's 6-year-old nephew who already loves to read) and was also happy to see all the characters from books 1 to 3 appear several times.
But what if you're new to the series? The story works by itself, so that won't be a problem. Meeting all the inhabitants of Sturcombe Bay might be a little overwhelming but, as Izzy is meeting them all for the first time too, if you feel a little lost, you won't be alone. A bookmark on the page where family connections are explained to her would probably help. Or, obviously, you could start with book 1 and read the other three soon after.
But what if you're new to the series? The story works by itself, so that won't be a problem. Meeting all the inhabitants of Sturcombe Bay might be a little overwhelming but, as Izzy is meeting them all for the first time too, if you feel a little lost, you won't be alone. A bookmark on the page where family connections are explained to her would probably help. Or, obviously, you could start with book 1 and read the other three soon after.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Oh how I loved to be back in Sturcombe bay!!!
It’s just such a cosy writing cosy little town cosy setting.
But it also deals with heavy real life problems.
And they were really well written on.
The ending did felt a bit rushed.
But with the final chapter I had little emotional tears
And to see the other couples back in this story was really lovely!
And little Connor!!! He was the best little man we could have.
How he totally bloomed and came out of shell in the duration of the book and made friends. Just absolutely adored.
It’s just such a cosy writing cosy little town cosy setting.
But it also deals with heavy real life problems.
And they were really well written on.
The ending did felt a bit rushed.
But with the final chapter I had little emotional tears
And to see the other couples back in this story was really lovely!
And little Connor!!! He was the best little man we could have.
How he totally bloomed and came out of shell in the duration of the book and made friends. Just absolutely adored.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was such a lovely heartwarming read. I have read a couple of books in the series and I've really enjoyed them and this one was no different. It was cute and easy to follow and had a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Choclit for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
💝 Thank you to Choclit for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4* Set in Utopia.
After ending her relationship with her boyfriend, Izzy Bishop is determined to change her life for the better, first step, resign from teaching at her inner city school. She takes a position as a supply teacher in a primary school in South Devon where her temporary home is a newly renovated cottage just a short distance from the sea. Izzy's colleagues are friendly and the small class of five and six year old children are a joy to teach in comparison to the teenagers in her previous school. Feeling happy in her decision to leave London, she's disturbed one morning by loud noises coming from the neighbouring cottages. On being told by the builder that the renovations will take a few weeks, Izzy's peace of mind is shattered and her stress returns.
The location of Sturcombe Bay is an idealistic setting where the sun shines, all the characters know and take care of each other and you're sure of a happy ending.
With thanks to Joffe Books and the author for the eARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion
After ending her relationship with her boyfriend, Izzy Bishop is determined to change her life for the better, first step, resign from teaching at her inner city school. She takes a position as a supply teacher in a primary school in South Devon where her temporary home is a newly renovated cottage just a short distance from the sea. Izzy's colleagues are friendly and the small class of five and six year old children are a joy to teach in comparison to the teenagers in her previous school. Feeling happy in her decision to leave London, she's disturbed one morning by loud noises coming from the neighbouring cottages. On being told by the builder that the renovations will take a few weeks, Izzy's peace of mind is shattered and her stress returns.
The location of Sturcombe Bay is an idealistic setting where the sun shines, all the characters know and take care of each other and you're sure of a happy ending.
With thanks to Joffe Books and the author for the eARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews