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The Cornish Hotel by the Sea
Ellie Truman’s widowed mum is struggling to keep Gwel Teg, the family hotel in Cornwall, afloat. Ellie is determined to do everything in her power to help her, even if that means moving back to the sleepy Cornish village she fled from broken-hearted a few years ago.
Things go wrong from the start and she’s grateful for the help from hunky guest, Reece Mitchell. But does Reece have ulterior motives? Will Ellie’s efforts be for nothing?
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2017
71 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Karen King
132 books268 followersKaren King is an Amazon international bestselling author of psychological suspense and women's fiction.
Her 7th psychological suspense novel, Don't Trust Him, was published on 3 April 2025 by Bookouture and her 'golden years' novel, The Runaway Wives, was published by Boldwood on 24th March 2025. This was her 12th woman's fiction novel.
Karen has also had 120 children’s books, two young adult novels, and several short stories for women’s magazines published. Her early writing career was spent working on various teenage and children's magazines.
Her suspense novels The Mother In Law, The Perfect Stepmother and The Stranger in my Bed and her romantic novel The Cornish Hotel by the Sea all became International Amazon bestsellers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 24, 2017
One of the first things that made me smile about this book, was something rather simple, the name of Ellie (the main character)'s mother, Sue Truman. For you see she be coincidence shares the name of my aunt, and I must say it took me completely by surprise.
This Sue is slightly older, and definitely a lot frailer, but she also has a wonderful daughter, and a clear sense of family. It is due to Sue's sudden illness that Ellie has returned to the family home in a small Cornish village to help look after the hotel her mum owns.
Gwel Teg, is the hotel, and its fortunes are on the slide, and its up to Ellie to try to save the day and increase custom and deal with what seems to be a never ending to do list of tasks. There is a rather sexy gentleman who also tries to help Ellie out, but as readers we can see that there is a lot more to him than meets the eye on first impressions.
Reece may have an ulterior motive, but I couldn't help but fall for him anyway, I loved the way he was able to help out in the hotel, and he really did seem conflicted by some of his emotions.
This is a lovely story, and I could really picture life in Gwel Teg, and the little Cornish village. I enjoyed seeing what the other members of the hotel's staff were like and how they dealt with problems. I loved seeing how Ellie and Reece's interactions changed over the course of the story, and I found myself hoping things would work out well.
The Cornish Hotel by the Sea is a charming story with plenty to make you smile. I found it fairly quick to read, and the writing kept me engaged in the book the whole way through.
Thank you to Karen formerly of Accent Press for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
This Sue is slightly older, and definitely a lot frailer, but she also has a wonderful daughter, and a clear sense of family. It is due to Sue's sudden illness that Ellie has returned to the family home in a small Cornish village to help look after the hotel her mum owns.
Gwel Teg, is the hotel, and its fortunes are on the slide, and its up to Ellie to try to save the day and increase custom and deal with what seems to be a never ending to do list of tasks. There is a rather sexy gentleman who also tries to help Ellie out, but as readers we can see that there is a lot more to him than meets the eye on first impressions.
Reece may have an ulterior motive, but I couldn't help but fall for him anyway, I loved the way he was able to help out in the hotel, and he really did seem conflicted by some of his emotions.
This is a lovely story, and I could really picture life in Gwel Teg, and the little Cornish village. I enjoyed seeing what the other members of the hotel's staff were like and how they dealt with problems. I loved seeing how Ellie and Reece's interactions changed over the course of the story, and I found myself hoping things would work out well.
The Cornish Hotel by the Sea is a charming story with plenty to make you smile. I found it fairly quick to read, and the writing kept me engaged in the book the whole way through.
Thank you to Karen formerly of Accent Press for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
July 13, 2017
I really enjoyed my time at The Cornish Hotel, with lady leading Ellie. I worked in a hotel many moons ago so I could relate to some of the tricky situations that arise at Gwel Teg. With an accompanying cast of stand-out characters that compliment the story well. I really felt this could be the basis of a series of books about Ellie and her life, therefore I didn’t need the five years section later. What I would have loved/love is a follow-up book. There is of course much potential for my wish.
The writing style of Karen King is superb, it’s easy flowing nature captures us from page one. There is always something new occurring to keep our attention. It was refreshing not to know the end of the book half way through, I really had no idea what would happen and it added more to the book for me.
The core of the story is trust and how fragile and important it is. Who we give it to and what they do with it. With an interwinding thread of family and love. This really is stonking great read that will leave you wanting more.
A well thought out story with unforgettable characters. I may have checked out for now at The Cornish Hotel but I sure hope I will be able to spend time there again and catch up with Ellie and her friends.
I thoroughly recommend The Cornish Hotel By Karen King.
The writing style of Karen King is superb, it’s easy flowing nature captures us from page one. There is always something new occurring to keep our attention. It was refreshing not to know the end of the book half way through, I really had no idea what would happen and it added more to the book for me.
The core of the story is trust and how fragile and important it is. Who we give it to and what they do with it. With an interwinding thread of family and love. This really is stonking great read that will leave you wanting more.
A well thought out story with unforgettable characters. I may have checked out for now at The Cornish Hotel but I sure hope I will be able to spend time there again and catch up with Ellie and her friends.
I thoroughly recommend The Cornish Hotel By Karen King.
September 18, 2017
As much as I loved the Cornish Scenery and the description of the seaside it didn't take long until I got really annoyed by this book. The characters don't really seem to progress in the story. It's rather an endless repitition of the same dialogues: how much Ellie loves Cornwall but doesn't want to give up her freedom etc. Even emotionally the story didn't speak to me. So to me this read was really disappointing and not worth my time.
October 13, 2017
I loved this book, it was fun easy to ready with lovely characters and a fab story
October 8, 2017
Superb!!
Best book I have read in ages. Couldn't put it down. Fan ending. My star rating would be max 10 out of 10. Superb!!
Best book I have read in ages. Couldn't put it down. Fan ending. My star rating would be max 10 out of 10. Superb!!
October 12, 2017
Karen King uses an easy to read way of writing the novel which makes it perfect to be read by the pool or on the beach. I find the English countryside to be absolutely amazing, so the descriptions of the village and the coast made me want to take the first plane and go there to enjoy the smell of the sea and eat Fish & Chips in an old fashion English pub.
All in all, if you enjoy romantic tales, British country views or you just want to read something easy on a Sunday, you should give “The Cornish Hotel by the Sea” a chance.
All in all, if you enjoy romantic tales, British country views or you just want to read something easy on a Sunday, you should give “The Cornish Hotel by the Sea” a chance.
July 18, 2017
Enjoyable, but I tell you the copy editing mistakes are unending.
October 13, 2017
This book is worth far more than five stars as such an excellent book I was hooked from the first page. It was my first book by this author and I will be reading more as so excellent. Set in beautiful Cornwall and full of romance and heartbreakand families and doing what is best. The story is an easy read great book to escape away to in the summer. Ellie moved away from her family home and hotel in Cornwall after a heartbreaking split with her boyfriend who went off with her best friend when she was only young but her mum is struggling to keep the hotel afloat since the father passed away two years ago and she is poorly in hospital and Ellie has to rush down to be with her. Can she run the hotel on her own with her mum having run it down but she is determined to do everything she can to help her mum. Problem is everything goes wrong from the first moment to arrives in Cornwall and she's very grateful for the help from a guest who is also hunky called Reece. Problem is does he have an ulterior motive or can she get the hotel up and running. Does Ellie find romance or does she loose it before she even started. Well worth reading and you will fall in love from the first page I want to read more from this author now.
July 10, 2017
Ellie’s heart was smashed to smithereens when her best friend and boyfriend ran off together. Instead of wallowing, Ellie left the pretty area of Cornwall where she grew up and forged a new life in the Midlands. On a trip back to care for her sick mother, Ellie is dismayed to find that the family hotel is shabby and running at a loss. She resolves to stay and help out while her mother recovers but Ellie has an awkward, if extremely handsome, guest on her hands…
Karen King’s latest novel is a charming, well-crafted romance set in gorgeous Cornwall and a perfect sweet read for the beach – or anywhere else. You’ll root for Ellie, who is a delightful character – determined, resourceful, so much more than a pretty face – and while hero Reece has ulterior motives for cosying up to Ellie initially, you’ll end up loving him too, I’m sure. Like all good romances the joy is in the journey here and The Cornish Hotel by the Sea rocks along with enough thrills and spills to keep romance fans hooked. Enjoy with tea, clotted cream, jam and a scone – or a creamy ice on the beach. Gorgeous.
Karen King’s latest novel is a charming, well-crafted romance set in gorgeous Cornwall and a perfect sweet read for the beach – or anywhere else. You’ll root for Ellie, who is a delightful character – determined, resourceful, so much more than a pretty face – and while hero Reece has ulterior motives for cosying up to Ellie initially, you’ll end up loving him too, I’m sure. Like all good romances the joy is in the journey here and The Cornish Hotel by the Sea rocks along with enough thrills and spills to keep romance fans hooked. Enjoy with tea, clotted cream, jam and a scone – or a creamy ice on the beach. Gorgeous.
July 16, 2017
I loved this book. It' s a great relaxing read, but kept me hooked, I had to finish it in one marathon session and dreamt about it all night. The characters are very lifelike and relatable, I'm sure we all know a Mandy, Harry or Sue in our lives, and the hotel seems to jump off the page, leaving me wondering if it was based on a real one and if so, I'd like to go! The main character Ellie is easy to root for and I really enjoyed how we get a snapshot of Reece's inner thoughts, showing us that there is always more than one side to the story and how easily people can get misunderstood. I really liked the quick follow-up after the ending, which wraps everything up as neatly as you would want it to, and leaves you feeling good. Also had some laugh out moments, particular enjoyed Mandy's remark of how 'she would know where to look'. Definitely recommend!
August 17, 2017
A very pleasant story enjoyed it. If you want a gentle story without surprises this is the story for you. Nice change from Nora Roberts
A very pleasant story enjoyed it. If you want a gentle story without suspense then this is the story for you.
A very pleasant story enjoyed it. If you want a gentle story without suspense then this is the story for you.
October 20, 2017
Loved this book.
A lovely read. Makes you feel good & the Cornwall scenery makes you want to be there. Loved all the characters too.
A lovely read. Makes you feel good & the Cornwall scenery makes you want to be there. Loved all the characters too.
July 20, 2024
Loved it, tad slow in the middle but overall a good read
October 24, 2024
Predictable, but I liked the little quirks, and always like it when there’s an epilogue: especially one that ties up loose ends.
July 26, 2017
Fabulous book couldn't put it down
September 15, 2017
I read this in a day on the beach. It was a fine read for those circumstances. The writing annoyed me a bit (constant capitalisation of the Midlands rather than just saying Birmingham or Nottingham or wherever) and the story was fairly predictable, but entertaining enough. Lovely descriptions of Cornwall which is why I gave it 3 not 2 stars. I know Cornwall a bit and whilst the village in the book is fictional it shares many characteristics with it's real life counterparts.
September 11, 2017
A lovely book to read set in a picturesque part of the Country.
Ellie receives unwelcome news one morning which necessitates her driving to Cornwall to help her Mum. Her Mum owns a small hotel and has been taken into hospital so Ellie needs to help out.
Whilst there, Ellie realises her Mum has let things slide in the years since her husbands death. Ellie does what she needs to do to keep things running in her Mum's absence. A guest is also keen to help Ellie out, why?
A well written book which I really enjoyed reading.
Ellie receives unwelcome news one morning which necessitates her driving to Cornwall to help her Mum. Her Mum owns a small hotel and has been taken into hospital so Ellie needs to help out.
Whilst there, Ellie realises her Mum has let things slide in the years since her husbands death. Ellie does what she needs to do to keep things running in her Mum's absence. A guest is also keen to help Ellie out, why?
A well written book which I really enjoyed reading.
May 31, 2023
Needed an easy read as was in a slump of go slow with my reading. A typical summer read to pick up and continue from where you left off. This fitted the bill nicely. A small hotel in Cornwall, reasonably likeable characters and simple storyline to follow. Ellie had moved away from the family run hotel after a total break up from fiance. She did worry about how her mother would cope after the loss of her father. She gets a phonecall from Mandy to say her mother had taken ill and in hospital. Ellie rushes to be with her mother and then discovers that the hotel is not doing as well as her mother would have he believe. Ellie decides things have to change and needs to try and turn things around before her mother comes home. Reece, who is staying at the hotel steps in and begins to help out, unbeknown to Ellie he is in the business of helping out hotels that are in decline and makes a move on trying to put together a contract with his business partner to take over the hotel.
A series of events take place and Ellie and Reece begin to fall for each other. Will this be as sraightforward as he hopes. Time will tell....a slight hiccup towards the end and trust is put to the test with Ellie, her mother and Reece. The ending is tidied up nicely I thought and was what I had hoped would happen.
A Karen King first read for me and would lookout for another if another Easy Read is required.
A series of events take place and Ellie and Reece begin to fall for each other. Will this be as sraightforward as he hopes. Time will tell....a slight hiccup towards the end and trust is put to the test with Ellie, her mother and Reece. The ending is tidied up nicely I thought and was what I had hoped would happen.
A Karen King first read for me and would lookout for another if another Easy Read is required.
June 26, 2022
So this book I actually enjoyed to begin with. It’s a heartwarming tale set in Cornwall. It was very descriptive and easy to imagine however I did find the conversations in the book a little lengthy and I did lose interest about 3/4 of the way through. I stuck with it though and managed to finish the book. It was very predictable with the whole family’s hotel going busy and a hot guy comes in and saves the day and they live happily ever after however the way it was written was relatable and not too cheesy. Generally it would be a nice easy read for when you’re on holiday and don’t want to read anything too serious. I don’t think I could read it again however I overall did enjoy the book, even though I did find it a little dragging at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title. (Audible Membership)
A woman rushes back to the Cornish Hotel, that until 6 years before had been her home. Her widowed mother had been taken to the local hospital, and she worried that she would lose her, as she had her father, two years before.
Whilst waiting for Mother to be released from hospital, she found that the family owned Hotel was showing signs of neglect and that the financial figures weren't looking very good. Hopping in to fix whatever she could, she was helped, unexpectedly, by one of the guests. Someone she had least expected to be as helpful as he was. What was his angle?
A woman rushes back to the Cornish Hotel, that until 6 years before had been her home. Her widowed mother had been taken to the local hospital, and she worried that she would lose her, as she had her father, two years before.
Whilst waiting for Mother to be released from hospital, she found that the family owned Hotel was showing signs of neglect and that the financial figures weren't looking very good. Hopping in to fix whatever she could, she was helped, unexpectedly, by one of the guests. Someone she had least expected to be as helpful as he was. What was his angle?
February 9, 2019
A delightful read
Oh, I do love a good romance, and this one did not disappoint.
It is set in Cornwall, my favourite county of England, so I had to read it.
Ellie 's mother is unwell, so she takes leave from her job in the Midlands to visit. She discovers that the family hotel is in financial difficulties at the same time as a rich developer is staying at the hotel. Can they have a relationship, or will doubts about motives come between them? A fabulous read.
Oh, I do love a good romance, and this one did not disappoint.
It is set in Cornwall, my favourite county of England, so I had to read it.
Ellie 's mother is unwell, so she takes leave from her job in the Midlands to visit. She discovers that the family hotel is in financial difficulties at the same time as a rich developer is staying at the hotel. Can they have a relationship, or will doubts about motives come between them? A fabulous read.
June 16, 2019
Such a lovely summer book that I just couldn’t put down! Absolutely loved the character of Ellie and I was desperate to see how everything would work out with her helping her poorly mum and the family run hotel that was in desperate need of some tlc. I was intrigued to watch the relationship between Ellie and Reece grow, it was a real page turner.
Such a gorgeous book, I devoured it with much pleasure. I will certainly be reading more from this author as it was such an enjoyable read.
Such a gorgeous book, I devoured it with much pleasure. I will certainly be reading more from this author as it was such an enjoyable read.
October 16, 2023
Even for the romance genre, this is a very simple story with not much interesting happening but insta- love... It took me over a year to finish it and the bad editing and many many typos didn't make it any easier to finish. At one time I even took a reed marker to correct all of the misspellings... That made reading a little more engaging at least.
The 2 stars are out of the pure kindness of my heart... And because I love cornwall as well as the family dynamics in this book...
The 2 stars are out of the pure kindness of my heart... And because I love cornwall as well as the family dynamics in this book...
November 9, 2022
It was a heart warming book, a perfect romcom book for a weekend. I fell in love with Gwel Teg in the end. Though the story was quite predictable, it was a dreamy read.
The only thing that put me down a bit was few repeated phrases all through the book like "fancy free, footloose, taking care of mum, etc.,". Such phrases came across way too many times, which was a bit annoying.
The only thing that put me down a bit was few repeated phrases all through the book like "fancy free, footloose, taking care of mum, etc.,". Such phrases came across way too many times, which was a bit annoying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2025
It is a nice story, although some parts felt like that got a bit repetitive. It would have been rated slightly higher but the grammar and spelling mistakes just made it painful! I can’t believe it got through editing with so many and it just dampened the reading experience on this one. Which was a shame as otherwise it would have been an easy, enjoyable read
December 15, 2017
3.5/5.0
A sweet contemporary romance, “The Cornish Hotel by the Sea” is a story of unexpected love.
Read full review in the 2017 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
A sweet contemporary romance, “The Cornish Hotel by the Sea” is a story of unexpected love.
Read full review in the 2017 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
February 12, 2018
Really enjoyed this charming story and its characters. I must of paid attention as in one sentence he was mentioned as Reece Marshall and I thought I'm sure its Mitchell . great story you could imagine being in Cornwall and all the people and sunshine. I'm sure I could even hear the seagulls
November 7, 2024
2.75 stars ✨ the characters were very repetitive in this, the spelling and grammar errors throughout the whole book were so bad and the story just didn't feel like it really went anywhere at all to be honest
August 3, 2025
I gave this book 2 stars for the setting. For me, the story was full of repetition and was predictable and irritating. It was full of grammatical errors which I found astounding that an editor didn’t pick up. I didn’t finish it.
May 17, 2017
A feel-good summer escape!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews