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St Felix
Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van
Welcome to the gorgeous Cornish town of St Felix, where there's magic in the air...
When Ana inherits a broken-down camper van from her best friend, she takes the chance for a quick trip to Cornwall - some sea air and fish and chips on the beach is just the tonic she needs. But St Felix has bigger plans for Ana. She discovers a series of unsent postcards, dating back to the 1950s, hidden in the upholstery of the van. Ana knows that it's a she'll make sure that the messages reach the person that they were meant for. And as the broken-down van is restored to gleaming health, so Ana begins to find her way back to happiness.
When Ana inherits a broken-down camper van from her best friend, she takes the chance for a quick trip to Cornwall - some sea air and fish and chips on the beach is just the tonic she needs. But St Felix has bigger plans for Ana. She discovers a series of unsent postcards, dating back to the 1950s, hidden in the upholstery of the van. Ana knows that it's a she'll make sure that the messages reach the person that they were meant for. And as the broken-down van is restored to gleaming health, so Ana begins to find her way back to happiness.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2018
98 people are currently reading
1483 people want to read
About the author
Ali McNamara
34 books1,268 followersAli McNamara is a writer and author.
Her debut novel, From Notting Hill with Love...Actually, the first of three 'Notting Hill' books, became an instant bestseller.
Ali has had much overseas success with her books - particularly Breakfast at Darcy's which was a Top Ten bestseller in Italy. Her novels Step Back in Time and Letters from Lighthouse Cottage were nominated for the Romantic Novel of the Year.
Ali lives in Cambridgeshire with her family and beloved dogs. In her spare time she likes to visit antique shops and people watch, more often than not accompanied by a good cup of coffee!
Ali suffers with two chronic illnesses: M.E./CFS and UCTD and is a disability and invisible disability advocate.
To find out more about Ali visit her website: www.alimcnamara.co.uk
or follow her on Twitter: @AliMcNamara, Facebook and Instagram.
Her debut novel, From Notting Hill with Love...Actually, the first of three 'Notting Hill' books, became an instant bestseller.
Ali has had much overseas success with her books - particularly Breakfast at Darcy's which was a Top Ten bestseller in Italy. Her novels Step Back in Time and Letters from Lighthouse Cottage were nominated for the Romantic Novel of the Year.
Ali lives in Cambridgeshire with her family and beloved dogs. In her spare time she likes to visit antique shops and people watch, more often than not accompanied by a good cup of coffee!
Ali suffers with two chronic illnesses: M.E./CFS and UCTD and is a disability and invisible disability advocate.
To find out more about Ali visit her website: www.alimcnamara.co.uk
or follow her on Twitter: @AliMcNamara, Facebook and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
December 4, 2024
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Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van by Ali McNamara is exactly the book I thought I needed to put me in a better mood!
When Ana inherits a camper van from her best friend, she needs to go to Cornwall to get it. A nice sea air and fish and chips are enver a bad choice.
But when she arrives, she realises that the camper van is in a much worse state than she imagined. The fixing will take longer than she anticipated. On top of this, Ana finds a series of unsent postcards dating back to the 1940s, hidden in the van. This is a sign and Ana wants to make sure the postcards are delivered.
And while the camper van is restored and Ana is helping other people be happy, she may eventually notice she is finding her way back to happiness again.
My Thoughts:
Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van got my attention from the moment I saw that beautiful cover. Then, I read the synopsis and I was sold.
For me, both camper vans and postcards have a big importance in my life. I have always wanted to have a camper van and be able to go on a road trips and experience that freedom. Even though I was lucky to be able to travel the world, it is never enough.
"Yes, there's definitely something about a camper van that makes people smile. They're a happy vehicle, so people enjoy seeing them as much as their owners enjoy driving them."
And postcards were always a way to travel without living my home. Get to meet other places and cultures, meet other people. It is extraordinary how many things I have learned about the world and the people from other countries just by reading their postcards.
"Deltiology - it's the name for the study and collection of postcards. It comes from the Greek word deltios, which means "writing tablet" or "letter"."
Ana is working in London, busy in her day-to-day job. When her best friend Daisy dies, she is completely lost. Daisy was everything she had, and now she is gone. When she inherits this van, Ana is eager to pick the van up and return to her normal London routine. She is not really a fan of travel, camper vans or camping. But Daisy was, and if she wanted for Ana to have this van and that was her last wish, this is the least Ana can do for her.
"These old vehicles are very sensitive - especially camper vans. They're the worst, very temperamental they can be."
Throughout her stay, Ana meets Malachi, the mechanic, who sold the van to Daisy and who will help Ana restore it. He is a very interesting character with an interesting point of view on life.
He was my favourite character in the book.
"People pay a lot of money these days to find themselves. They're not really finding themselves, they're finding a version of themselves they feel happy to be for a while."
"We all change through our lives, and what you're happy to be when you're twenty is unlikely to be what you're happy being when you're older."
Malachi also has a camper van himself. He always tells Ana why camper vans are amazing. If you are a fan of camper van, this book will be a favourite by default.
"But... you'd be mad not to at least try camping in her. It's a wonderful experience. You can drive where you like, set up camp and cook your dinner in the open air, even bed down under the stars if you're lucky. The freedom is amazing."
I loved everything about this book. The story was beautiful. All the characters were likeable and real. They all had their stories and points of development. It was nice to see Ana finally healing and learning to be happy again. Malachi's story was beautiful and it was the perfect closure to his mission. Noah's personal story was also heartwarming, as he learns to accept what happened in the past and be able to move on. I also really want to talk about the mystery couple from the postcards, but I won't, in fear that I will spoil anything. But the development on that story was amazing and it helped Ana in many ways to heal herself, which was magical!
"If something is worth doing, Ana - I hear one of her favourite sayings echo in my ears - it's worth doing well."
To summarize - Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van is my new favorite!
Beautiful and heartwarming. It will make you want to go on a road trip. I definitely recommend Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van. And as with every book, I love learning random things, and here are some things I learned:
"Did you know the phrase "dilly-dally" is commonly attributed to the English music hall singer Marie Lloyd, but was actually in use much earlier than her 1918 song, as far back as the seventeenth century?"
"A Splitty. It's what we call a split screen camper van. All pre-1967 camper vans have a windscreen split in two. After that the new models all had the solid bay windows."
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Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van by Ali McNamara is exactly the book I thought I needed to put me in a better mood!
When Ana inherits a camper van from her best friend, she needs to go to Cornwall to get it. A nice sea air and fish and chips are enver a bad choice.
But when she arrives, she realises that the camper van is in a much worse state than she imagined. The fixing will take longer than she anticipated. On top of this, Ana finds a series of unsent postcards dating back to the 1940s, hidden in the van. This is a sign and Ana wants to make sure the postcards are delivered.
And while the camper van is restored and Ana is helping other people be happy, she may eventually notice she is finding her way back to happiness again.
My Thoughts:
Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van got my attention from the moment I saw that beautiful cover. Then, I read the synopsis and I was sold.
For me, both camper vans and postcards have a big importance in my life. I have always wanted to have a camper van and be able to go on a road trips and experience that freedom. Even though I was lucky to be able to travel the world, it is never enough.
"Yes, there's definitely something about a camper van that makes people smile. They're a happy vehicle, so people enjoy seeing them as much as their owners enjoy driving them."
And postcards were always a way to travel without living my home. Get to meet other places and cultures, meet other people. It is extraordinary how many things I have learned about the world and the people from other countries just by reading their postcards.
"Deltiology - it's the name for the study and collection of postcards. It comes from the Greek word deltios, which means "writing tablet" or "letter"."
Ana is working in London, busy in her day-to-day job. When her best friend Daisy dies, she is completely lost. Daisy was everything she had, and now she is gone. When she inherits this van, Ana is eager to pick the van up and return to her normal London routine. She is not really a fan of travel, camper vans or camping. But Daisy was, and if she wanted for Ana to have this van and that was her last wish, this is the least Ana can do for her.
"These old vehicles are very sensitive - especially camper vans. They're the worst, very temperamental they can be."
Throughout her stay, Ana meets Malachi, the mechanic, who sold the van to Daisy and who will help Ana restore it. He is a very interesting character with an interesting point of view on life.
He was my favourite character in the book.
"People pay a lot of money these days to find themselves. They're not really finding themselves, they're finding a version of themselves they feel happy to be for a while."
"We all change through our lives, and what you're happy to be when you're twenty is unlikely to be what you're happy being when you're older."
Malachi also has a camper van himself. He always tells Ana why camper vans are amazing. If you are a fan of camper van, this book will be a favourite by default.
"But... you'd be mad not to at least try camping in her. It's a wonderful experience. You can drive where you like, set up camp and cook your dinner in the open air, even bed down under the stars if you're lucky. The freedom is amazing."
I loved everything about this book. The story was beautiful. All the characters were likeable and real. They all had their stories and points of development. It was nice to see Ana finally healing and learning to be happy again. Malachi's story was beautiful and it was the perfect closure to his mission. Noah's personal story was also heartwarming, as he learns to accept what happened in the past and be able to move on. I also really want to talk about the mystery couple from the postcards, but I won't, in fear that I will spoil anything. But the development on that story was amazing and it helped Ana in many ways to heal herself, which was magical!
"If something is worth doing, Ana - I hear one of her favourite sayings echo in my ears - it's worth doing well."
To summarize - Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van is my new favorite!
Beautiful and heartwarming. It will make you want to go on a road trip. I definitely recommend Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van. And as with every book, I love learning random things, and here are some things I learned:
"Did you know the phrase "dilly-dally" is commonly attributed to the English music hall singer Marie Lloyd, but was actually in use much earlier than her 1918 song, as far back as the seventeenth century?"
"A Splitty. It's what we call a split screen camper van. All pre-1967 camper vans have a windscreen split in two. After that the new models all had the solid bay windows."
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June 15, 2018
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
After the death of her best friend, Ana is left a camper van in her will. However, the van is in Cornwall, St Felix to be precise and Ana is in London. She knows she needs to do this for Daisy so she sets off to collect the van and head home again.
Upon arriving at the garage where the camper van has been stored, Ana finds that the owner Bob has had to leave in an emergency and has left a young man in charge, Malachi. He shows Ana the van and she is disheartened to see that it is in complete disrepair. Malachi tells her he can fix it but it will be a few weeks.
Having been left some money to do the van up, Ana agrees and luckily finds herself a little rental cottage for three weeks as the holidaymakers who were due to rent it suddenly were unavailable due to injury – What luck!
Whilst the van is being repaired lots of old postcards are discovered dating back to 1945 until the early 2000’s. They all are written to Frankie from Lou, they were never posted though. Ana decides she wants to find this Lou to return the cards. She also notices that there are a few missing too. With antique dealer Noah, whom she has befriended, the two set out in search of the missing cards and to see if they can find Lou or Frankie, but with not much to go on it is going to take some time.
Daisy’s Vintage Cornish Camper Van was just a delight to read. The words flowed effortlessly, the plot was so adorable and the characters were a joy to spend my time with. Ana is a lovely young woman who has just lost her best friend to cancer. They met at school through their love of all things 80’s, especially the music. They were quite the double act, even after Daisy got married and had children. Now Ana is on her own and learning to live her life separately.
Malachi, the perfect tall, dark and handsome – oh and Irish is so charming. He is filled with pure wisdom. He’s also quite the joker. Then we have Noah, mysterious Noah. He clearly likes Ana and with the help of his young assistant Jess, he’s trying to get to know her better. He also has a past he’s trying to put behind him meaning he doesn’t like to talk about it, which is sometimes hard for Ana as she wants him to be more open with her.
The book was just completely adorable from beginning to end. The setting is ideal and so beautiful, but that is what you get when you have the location of the story in Cornwall, one of the most scenic places in the UK.
I have to say this has been one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. I really didn’t want it to end, but I left it on a high feeling totally uplifted. I also love the twist near the end with the postcards, I can’t see many people seeing working it out.
After the death of her best friend, Ana is left a camper van in her will. However, the van is in Cornwall, St Felix to be precise and Ana is in London. She knows she needs to do this for Daisy so she sets off to collect the van and head home again.
Upon arriving at the garage where the camper van has been stored, Ana finds that the owner Bob has had to leave in an emergency and has left a young man in charge, Malachi. He shows Ana the van and she is disheartened to see that it is in complete disrepair. Malachi tells her he can fix it but it will be a few weeks.
Having been left some money to do the van up, Ana agrees and luckily finds herself a little rental cottage for three weeks as the holidaymakers who were due to rent it suddenly were unavailable due to injury – What luck!
Whilst the van is being repaired lots of old postcards are discovered dating back to 1945 until the early 2000’s. They all are written to Frankie from Lou, they were never posted though. Ana decides she wants to find this Lou to return the cards. She also notices that there are a few missing too. With antique dealer Noah, whom she has befriended, the two set out in search of the missing cards and to see if they can find Lou or Frankie, but with not much to go on it is going to take some time.
Daisy’s Vintage Cornish Camper Van was just a delight to read. The words flowed effortlessly, the plot was so adorable and the characters were a joy to spend my time with. Ana is a lovely young woman who has just lost her best friend to cancer. They met at school through their love of all things 80’s, especially the music. They were quite the double act, even after Daisy got married and had children. Now Ana is on her own and learning to live her life separately.
Malachi, the perfect tall, dark and handsome – oh and Irish is so charming. He is filled with pure wisdom. He’s also quite the joker. Then we have Noah, mysterious Noah. He clearly likes Ana and with the help of his young assistant Jess, he’s trying to get to know her better. He also has a past he’s trying to put behind him meaning he doesn’t like to talk about it, which is sometimes hard for Ana as she wants him to be more open with her.
The book was just completely adorable from beginning to end. The setting is ideal and so beautiful, but that is what you get when you have the location of the story in Cornwall, one of the most scenic places in the UK.
I have to say this has been one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. I really didn’t want it to end, but I left it on a high feeling totally uplifted. I also love the twist near the end with the postcards, I can’t see many people seeing working it out.
January 22, 2024
Review of paperback edition not Kindle but can't get it to change.
Ana inherits a camper van from her best friend Daisy who died from breast cancer.when she goes to pick it up from Cornwall and bring it home to London, she is in for a shock. The camper van is in no fit condition to drive it home. But she meets Malachi who assures her he can restore it. Given the pretty setting of St Felix, the sea air and fish and chips Ana decides maybe it is the boost she needs to help her deal with her grief and other issues. With help from some locals she secures a cottage to rent for a few weeks. Her job in Graphic Design means she is often able to work from home, so why not enjoy a holiday? St Felix brings an interesting collection of people into her path, including Noah, owner of the Antique shop and his assistant Jess. When Ana finds a number of romantic unsent postcards from Lou to Frankie, she is intrigued and determines to reunite them with the person they were intended for. Noah seems happy to help her in her quest while Malachi is working hard on restoring the camper van.
I was right into this charming book from the outset. I really liked Ana, and Jess, Noah and Malachi were all interesting. The setting is beautiful and the situation with the postcards is intriguing. Plus there is a touch of the supernatural as well as friendship, dealing with grief and romance in this story. I was captivated by it. and interested to be proved right in two aspects that I deduced.
This is the second book set in St Felix, Cornwall. This time I had read and enjoyed the first book, which is why I was looking forward to this one. And it did not disappoint. I loved it. Yes, you will have to suspend disbelief but so what? An enjoyable read that I definitely recommend.
Ana inherits a camper van from her best friend Daisy who died from breast cancer.when she goes to pick it up from Cornwall and bring it home to London, she is in for a shock. The camper van is in no fit condition to drive it home. But she meets Malachi who assures her he can restore it. Given the pretty setting of St Felix, the sea air and fish and chips Ana decides maybe it is the boost she needs to help her deal with her grief and other issues. With help from some locals she secures a cottage to rent for a few weeks. Her job in Graphic Design means she is often able to work from home, so why not enjoy a holiday? St Felix brings an interesting collection of people into her path, including Noah, owner of the Antique shop and his assistant Jess. When Ana finds a number of romantic unsent postcards from Lou to Frankie, she is intrigued and determines to reunite them with the person they were intended for. Noah seems happy to help her in her quest while Malachi is working hard on restoring the camper van.
I was right into this charming book from the outset. I really liked Ana, and Jess, Noah and Malachi were all interesting. The setting is beautiful and the situation with the postcards is intriguing. Plus there is a touch of the supernatural as well as friendship, dealing with grief and romance in this story. I was captivated by it. and interested to be proved right in two aspects that I deduced.
This is the second book set in St Felix, Cornwall. This time I had read and enjoyed the first book, which is why I was looking forward to this one. And it did not disappoint. I loved it. Yes, you will have to suspend disbelief but so what? An enjoyable read that I definitely recommend.
March 6, 2020
I didn't like this book, I simply ADORED IT!!!!! It is absolutely a page turner and I devoured it, I couldn't possibly put it down. This is one of the most heart-rending and touching novels that I have read in a long time. From the first chapter itself, the story gets you hooked. And till the end, the interest of the reader is maintained. It is impossible for anyone after reading this book to not love this story, so well written,
The book is a delightful read,not to be missed. I highly recommended it as I am sure that even people who are not avid readers will love this one. A page-turner in the true sense of the word. I will absolutely read other novels of this writer she is brilliant!
The book is a delightful read,not to be missed. I highly recommended it as I am sure that even people who are not avid readers will love this one. A page-turner in the true sense of the word. I will absolutely read other novels of this writer she is brilliant!
December 5, 2019
I don't want to be harsh, but I really thought this book was poor. I've not read any McNamara before, but the characters were weak and uninteresting. I liked the premise of the book, but it was all so basic, the writing style, the scenes, the characters all very dull. I've only just seen the the reviews for this book and am truly surprised there's so much love for it; perhaps I was in the wrong mindset for it. Whatever the reason I'm slightly annoyed I wasted a day of my hard earned weekend reading this.
May 28, 2018
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
I have so much love for this book, Ali is one of my all time favourite authors. Ever since I read and fell in love with Breakfast at Darcy’s, Ali has been on my authors to watch out for list.
After a year of no Ali McNamara book, Ali has certainly come back with a bang.
This is one of the most loveliest, most beautiful and romantic books I have read. It is going to be firmly implanted in my list of all time favourite books.
I laughed, I cried and I had ever emotion in between. The characters in the book are absolutely wonderful and it is set in the beautiful Cornwall costal town of St Felix. What more could you possibly ask for.
Here we meet Ana who has been instructed to travel to St Felix and retrieve a camper van that her best friend Daisy bequeathed to her in her will. Ana only planned on picking up the van and returning back home very quickly. She has only a small suitcase full of clothes and no where really to stay. When Ana arrives however she finds that the camper van needs restoring to its former glory, and so Ana decides to have a mini vacation in the seaside town.
Mallarchi is the first friend Ana meets, he helps her out no end with pointing her in the direction of Dan who is able to find her somewhere to stay. Mallarchi also offers Ana a listening ear, company, yummy bbq sausages and a friend in her time of need.
While the van is being done up however they find some post cards dating back 60 years. Ana is determined to return these postcards to their rightful owner, or failing that at least the ladies family, and so begins a quest to track down the author of the postcards. A quest that brings her closer to Dan in more than one way. But is there more to this story then first meets the eye? And do the residents of St Felix know more about the letters then they are letting on?
If you didn’t believe in magic before you read this book then you really will once you have finished it. Ali’s books are always like a big warm hug and this book came along at just the right time. Did I mention how much I love this book? Please, please go down to your local book store or library in the 14th of June and get this book. I promise you, you will not be sorry. Now to book my own trip to Cornwall.
I have so much love for this book, Ali is one of my all time favourite authors. Ever since I read and fell in love with Breakfast at Darcy’s, Ali has been on my authors to watch out for list.
After a year of no Ali McNamara book, Ali has certainly come back with a bang.
This is one of the most loveliest, most beautiful and romantic books I have read. It is going to be firmly implanted in my list of all time favourite books.
I laughed, I cried and I had ever emotion in between. The characters in the book are absolutely wonderful and it is set in the beautiful Cornwall costal town of St Felix. What more could you possibly ask for.
Here we meet Ana who has been instructed to travel to St Felix and retrieve a camper van that her best friend Daisy bequeathed to her in her will. Ana only planned on picking up the van and returning back home very quickly. She has only a small suitcase full of clothes and no where really to stay. When Ana arrives however she finds that the camper van needs restoring to its former glory, and so Ana decides to have a mini vacation in the seaside town.
Mallarchi is the first friend Ana meets, he helps her out no end with pointing her in the direction of Dan who is able to find her somewhere to stay. Mallarchi also offers Ana a listening ear, company, yummy bbq sausages and a friend in her time of need.
While the van is being done up however they find some post cards dating back 60 years. Ana is determined to return these postcards to their rightful owner, or failing that at least the ladies family, and so begins a quest to track down the author of the postcards. A quest that brings her closer to Dan in more than one way. But is there more to this story then first meets the eye? And do the residents of St Felix know more about the letters then they are letting on?
If you didn’t believe in magic before you read this book then you really will once you have finished it. Ali’s books are always like a big warm hug and this book came along at just the right time. Did I mention how much I love this book? Please, please go down to your local book store or library in the 14th of June and get this book. I promise you, you will not be sorry. Now to book my own trip to Cornwall.
August 29, 2018
This book made me realize what had been missing from my life – magic!! And there were just heaps of it, making me believe in the beauty of rainbow all over again.
Ana inherits her best friend Daisy’s camper van and decides to drive it back home from St. Felix to London. But coming to St. Felix was like coming to a magical place where the soul heals. And she meets the handsome Irish hunk of a mechanic Malachi, and a quiet antique dealer Noah, and quite a few of the town’s lovely residents.
This was my first book my author Ali McNamara, and what a soothing book it was. It made me believe in signs from the heavens, made me believe in the everlasting friendships, made me believe in magic. It was totally a feel good book, no grey characters.
I liked Ana in some ways. She did love her friend Daisy. And I liked how Malachi and St. Felix charmed her into staying. Her interactions with the people of the town often made me smile. The book revolved around finding old postcards in the camper van about an old love. I liked how Ana and Noah joined forces to solve the mystery and later joined forces in love.
But the book took me 4 days to read – why you ask? Oh my niggles; there can be too much of a good thing, too many of these heavenly signs. I would have liked to know more about Ana and Daisy’s friendship. Something more to add to the flavor, I just wanted the story to be a bit more layered
And I loved Malachi, he was an absolute dreamboat, a tattooed mechanic, with a heart of gold, a charm that never ended, and a hint of those angelic wings. Malachi made the book an exciting read!!
Ana inherits her best friend Daisy’s camper van and decides to drive it back home from St. Felix to London. But coming to St. Felix was like coming to a magical place where the soul heals. And she meets the handsome Irish hunk of a mechanic Malachi, and a quiet antique dealer Noah, and quite a few of the town’s lovely residents.
This was my first book my author Ali McNamara, and what a soothing book it was. It made me believe in signs from the heavens, made me believe in the everlasting friendships, made me believe in magic. It was totally a feel good book, no grey characters.
I liked Ana in some ways. She did love her friend Daisy. And I liked how Malachi and St. Felix charmed her into staying. Her interactions with the people of the town often made me smile. The book revolved around finding old postcards in the camper van about an old love. I liked how Ana and Noah joined forces to solve the mystery and later joined forces in love.
But the book took me 4 days to read – why you ask? Oh my niggles; there can be too much of a good thing, too many of these heavenly signs. I would have liked to know more about Ana and Daisy’s friendship. Something more to add to the flavor, I just wanted the story to be a bit more layered
And I loved Malachi, he was an absolute dreamboat, a tattooed mechanic, with a heart of gold, a charm that never ended, and a hint of those angelic wings. Malachi made the book an exciting read!!
August 5, 2018
It's a very easy book to get into and kept me interested from start to finish. It starts when Ana is left a camper van by her friend Daisy who has died. This sends her to St Felix from her current home of London. It's nice to be back in St Felix after enjoyed The Little Flower Shop by the Sea and even better to have Poppy and Jake mentioned. After getting help from Malachi with getting the van back to it's original glory he finds some postcards in there. The postcards are now a major part of the story and Ana is determined to deliver them to their owner. She gets a little of a shock when she meets the owner and who there about. Noah and Ana are both relate-able characters and Noah has many of his own demons to deal with. I love all the mentions of the 80's. The end is a little bonkers but i wouldn't change it in any way Malachi (God's messenger).
January 1, 2022
Not gonna lie, it was indeed a page-turner. But what the fuck were those spiritual/religious bullshits?
June 15, 2018
I loved this book. Ana is left a vintage camper van by her best friend. She travels down to St Felix and is disappointed to discover it's in a terrible state.
I think camper vans have a magic all of their own- and this one is storing a secret supply of postcards which captivate Ana. She wants to return them to the original owner of the van and sets about trying to find 'Lou'.
She meets two gorgeous sounding men (lucky girl- Malachi and Noah). Both men have an air of mystery around them- but are easy to talk to. Malachi is working on the camper van and Noah works in an antique shop. He's keen to help her with the postcard adventure. I loved the friendship and romance that Ana finds in St Felix. It is a place that restores harmony to a troubled soul.
The cottage she manages to rent sounds absolutely stunning- perfect for stretching out on the balcony with something delicious from the local bakery and a lovely cup of coffee. I can smell the coffee beans!
I was so sorry to have to say goodbye to these characters and I'm hoping we'll get to return to St Felix or accompany Ana on an adventure in her camper van.
I think camper vans have a magic all of their own- and this one is storing a secret supply of postcards which captivate Ana. She wants to return them to the original owner of the van and sets about trying to find 'Lou'.
She meets two gorgeous sounding men (lucky girl- Malachi and Noah). Both men have an air of mystery around them- but are easy to talk to. Malachi is working on the camper van and Noah works in an antique shop. He's keen to help her with the postcard adventure. I loved the friendship and romance that Ana finds in St Felix. It is a place that restores harmony to a troubled soul.
The cottage she manages to rent sounds absolutely stunning- perfect for stretching out on the balcony with something delicious from the local bakery and a lovely cup of coffee. I can smell the coffee beans!
I was so sorry to have to say goodbye to these characters and I'm hoping we'll get to return to St Felix or accompany Ana on an adventure in her camper van.
April 24, 2022
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220424
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Ana har just sagt farväl till sin bästa vän Daisy, när hon får veta att hon har ärvt en folkabuss av henne. Kruxet är att hon måste ta sig från London till St Felix i Cornwall för att hämta hem den. Ana älskade Daisy men hon hade lite knäppa idéer, så det är bara att sätta sig på tåget mot sydvästra England.
🌟
Men det korta besöket i Cornwall kommer att bli något helt annat. Bussen är riktigt risig och Ana behöver hjälp med att få den körduglig. Samtidigt hittar hon en mängd skrivna vykort i bussen, dock är de inte skickade och hon ser det som sitt uppdrag att försöka hitta personen som skrev dem. Det har sagts att St Felix är en plats att läka på, även Ana kommer att få sin del av det.
🌟
”Daisys gamla folkabuss” är en underbar Cornwallpärla. Den är lättsam och härlig, men har också en lite allvarligare och djupare underton. Har man läst första boken om St Felix känner man igen sig i den lilla byn.
Tycker mycket om den!
🌟🌟🌟🌟av 5🌟
#daisysgamlafolkabuss @alimcnamara @lavender_lit #ilavlit #lavlitbox #caritasläsning2022 #29
🌟
220424
🌟
Ana har just sagt farväl till sin bästa vän Daisy, när hon får veta att hon har ärvt en folkabuss av henne. Kruxet är att hon måste ta sig från London till St Felix i Cornwall för att hämta hem den. Ana älskade Daisy men hon hade lite knäppa idéer, så det är bara att sätta sig på tåget mot sydvästra England.
🌟
Men det korta besöket i Cornwall kommer att bli något helt annat. Bussen är riktigt risig och Ana behöver hjälp med att få den körduglig. Samtidigt hittar hon en mängd skrivna vykort i bussen, dock är de inte skickade och hon ser det som sitt uppdrag att försöka hitta personen som skrev dem. Det har sagts att St Felix är en plats att läka på, även Ana kommer att få sin del av det.
🌟
”Daisys gamla folkabuss” är en underbar Cornwallpärla. Den är lättsam och härlig, men har också en lite allvarligare och djupare underton. Har man läst första boken om St Felix känner man igen sig i den lilla byn.
Tycker mycket om den!
🌟🌟🌟🌟av 5🌟
#daisysgamlafolkabuss @alimcnamara @lavender_lit #ilavlit #lavlitbox #caritasläsning2022 #29
August 27, 2024
En varm och mysig berättelse om att gå vidare och börja om! Gillar även när det strösslas på med en magisk touch a la Cecelia Ahern med flera!
July 23, 2018
Just wow....an amazing lovely heart warming read...I enjoyed every single word paragraph and chapter and as usual Ali McNamara has produced her magic in this book. Totally recommend.
July 26, 2018
Completely bonkers towards the end but I enjoyed it as a fun & summery read.
July 1, 2023
Lovely feelgood with a touch of supernatural. I really enjoy reading about St Felix and look forward to continue the series.
July 3, 2018
Ana's best friend Daisy died of cancer and in her will she left her a camper van and some money to restore it. To collect it Ana must leave London and travel to St Felix in Cornwall. Hoping it's going to be only a quick trip, Ana sets off on her journey. However, upon arriving at the garage, she finds that fate had other ideas. Firstly, the owner of the garage is absent and has left a young man in charge. secondly, the van turns out to be very, very out of order and is in a need of a huge restoration. No quick trip for Ana, then, she's for a longer stay in gorgeous St Felix.
While restoring the van, Malachi discovers a collection of postcards written by Lou to Frankie. They're dating back to 1945, until the early 2000's. What's very suspicious, they've never been sent. After some more cards reveals themselves, Ana decides to find the owner and, hopefully, the recipient of the cards. With the help of Malachi and the local antique dealer Noah Ana starts an emotional, sentimental and magic journey.
I absolutely loved the romance aspect in this story, with two potential and promising suitors. They were both so lovely, actually, that I wasn't sure who would be better for our Ana - who, actually, hasn't been looking for love, to be honest. But it's usually like this, when you're not looking for something than you can be sure that you're going to find it. There is the cheeky, spontaneous, charming and funny Malachi and his opposite, Noah, the local antique dealer, calm and quiet. It looks like they both really like Ana... The will they/won't they was there, however there were a few moments that it felt too over - done and also too clichéd and predictable but on the whole it was well done - and it was a slow burner, there was no rush and so it didn't felt too forced, even if Ana wasn't looking for love.
The thing with the cards... mmmm... I am not so sure if it worked for me completely or not. It was a brilliant idea but for me it could be differently, better developed. We need a very long introduction before we get to the cards themselves but we get a brilliant story in return, so no bother here. It was also nice to see how Ana is trying to track down the recipient and sender of the cards but still, there was something missing for me, the finishing touch was not there.
I've missed on Ali McNamara's last book but in some of her previous reads there was always something magical, something that could either work or not, and in this book it was the same. And yes, it could have make the whole read unbelievable but this author really knows how to add this pinch of magic to make the story work, and so I really enjoyed "Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van". Maybe it felt a little too flat at the end, yes, and towards the end it also felt a little too rushed, and while there were some hints in the plot through the whole novel I think that this magic element was left too unattended and was revealed a little bit too late to truly work its magic (pun intended). But on the whole, it was incredibly warm, funny and at the same time poignant story that had me glued to the pages. This, what on the surface might have seen as a straightforward chick lit novel has in fact many layers and hidden depth.
So altogether, it was really one of the most adorable, loveliest stories ever. It was uplifting and the descriptions were gorgeous. Colourfully, richly written and with great characters - yes, sometimes some of them were behaving too childish for my liking, but oh well, we all have our moments, right - and you just want to know what's going to happen. The setting is gorgeous as well, I think I can't have enough of the beautiful Cornwall. The author also touches upon much deeper and heavier issues, such as illness, death and grieving process and she blends them in a perfect way. Highly recommended!
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
May 27, 2023
Charming, wistful, idyllic, cutesy, and a little bit magical set amidst the wilds of the Cornish coast. A pleasant little getaway for a few days for this reader!
Enjoyed it and was entertained, but ultimately, felt I had to suspend disbelief a few too many times and didn’t appreciate some of the reveals throughout.
Enjoyed it and was entertained, but ultimately, felt I had to suspend disbelief a few too many times and didn’t appreciate some of the reveals throughout.
June 15, 2018
Get ready to suspend your belief for around about 368 pages because this book has a whole lot of magic thrown in. This book is set in fictional St Felix which is based on real St Ives and so the setting of this novel is absolutely gorgeous and there is a significant amount of travel around Cornwall in this book as well so you are in for a treat beach wise. I read this right after reading another book set in St Ives so I was a little Cornwall saturated but if you're looking for beaches to read about whilst dreaming of a coastal holiday of you're own then there are plenty in here for you!
I really enjoyed reading about Ana, there is definitely more to her than meets the eye. Even us readers don't find out about the hidden depths to her personality until the very end of this novel and so the we get to find out about her as the other characters in the book do. She alludes to certain traits and characteristics but I enjoyed watching her character reveal and change as the novel went on. There are some very cute dogs in this novel, Ralph and Clarice and I enjoyed what they contributed to the story, I would love to hear more about Ralph in the future that's for sure.
There is definitely some romance in the novel with a couple of potential suitors, Noah and Malachi. The romance is very much of the slow burn variety, my favourite kind and I liked being kept on the edge of my seat in a 'will they/won't they?' situation. There are definitely some cliches here, the kind you find in a lot of romance story lines and whilst a few are fine, they did begin to grate after a little while, but I really really enjoyed the ending of this novel and how everything resolved.
Daisy is also a big character in this novel, both the van and its female namesake and so she definitely needs to be given character credit as well. She leads to Ana taking all sorts of risks and going in very different directions to those she intended to and I loved that about her. We also have to try and find out who her previous owners were and so this book does turn into a sort of mystery at points. This leads to another group of characters coming into the tale and they were definitely a more diverse group of characters and fun to read about.
As I mentioned, you have to suspend disbelief when you pick this novel up but if you're looking for a fun seaside romance with a little bit of mystery and a little bit of mid-life crisis thrown in then this will be the book for you.
I really enjoyed reading about Ana, there is definitely more to her than meets the eye. Even us readers don't find out about the hidden depths to her personality until the very end of this novel and so the we get to find out about her as the other characters in the book do. She alludes to certain traits and characteristics but I enjoyed watching her character reveal and change as the novel went on. There are some very cute dogs in this novel, Ralph and Clarice and I enjoyed what they contributed to the story, I would love to hear more about Ralph in the future that's for sure.
There is definitely some romance in the novel with a couple of potential suitors, Noah and Malachi. The romance is very much of the slow burn variety, my favourite kind and I liked being kept on the edge of my seat in a 'will they/won't they?' situation. There are definitely some cliches here, the kind you find in a lot of romance story lines and whilst a few are fine, they did begin to grate after a little while, but I really really enjoyed the ending of this novel and how everything resolved.
Daisy is also a big character in this novel, both the van and its female namesake and so she definitely needs to be given character credit as well. She leads to Ana taking all sorts of risks and going in very different directions to those she intended to and I loved that about her. We also have to try and find out who her previous owners were and so this book does turn into a sort of mystery at points. This leads to another group of characters coming into the tale and they were definitely a more diverse group of characters and fun to read about.
As I mentioned, you have to suspend disbelief when you pick this novel up but if you're looking for a fun seaside romance with a little bit of mystery and a little bit of mid-life crisis thrown in then this will be the book for you.
April 25, 2018
I always look forward to Ali's books as always good but this one is her best by far full of Cornwall with romance and putting magic back into a camper van. It's worth far more than the five stars I have given it I got hooked from the first page. Simply well written with excellent characters and the story is brilliant and wants you to read more to find out the outcome of everything. Set in beautiful countryside in Cornwall what more could you ask for. Would love to see a follow on to this book as didn't want it to end.
Ana looses her best friend due to cancer and in her will she's left her a camper van only problem is she has to go to Cornwall to collect it to a beautiful village called st Felix. She thinks it will be a quick trip to pick it up and she can then get on with her life but once she arrives she knows the sea air is just what she wants. She goes to the garage where the camper van is and realises it isn't road worthy and she's got to have it done up but the person there promises he can do it while she works in Cornwall and enjoys a break. She discovers a collection of unsentimental postcards in the van and they fate back years she starts to read them and wants to reunite them back with the writer. She stays in a cottage so she can sort out who they belong to. She gets friendly with Noah from the local shop and can they both help each other to heal and move forward and can they find romance with each other or not. Can they find the owner of the postcards or not and in doing so they get some magic and unexpected things happen.
A simply brilliant read highly recommend any one to read it.
Ana looses her best friend due to cancer and in her will she's left her a camper van only problem is she has to go to Cornwall to collect it to a beautiful village called st Felix. She thinks it will be a quick trip to pick it up and she can then get on with her life but once she arrives she knows the sea air is just what she wants. She goes to the garage where the camper van is and realises it isn't road worthy and she's got to have it done up but the person there promises he can do it while she works in Cornwall and enjoys a break. She discovers a collection of unsentimental postcards in the van and they fate back years she starts to read them and wants to reunite them back with the writer. She stays in a cottage so she can sort out who they belong to. She gets friendly with Noah from the local shop and can they both help each other to heal and move forward and can they find romance with each other or not. Can they find the owner of the postcards or not and in doing so they get some magic and unexpected things happen.
A simply brilliant read highly recommend any one to read it.
June 15, 2018
As a long term fan of Ali McNamara I was delighted to see a return to St. Felix in this book, and to be able to catch up with old favourite characters, while thoroughly enjoying a brand new standalone story.
In recent years there was always been something in this authors books that will make you scratch your head in wonder, or make you highly skeptical, and this is no exception, and I was almost on the look out for it!
In fact what on the surface is a rather simple story, has quite a few layers and subplots to it.
I just loved the story of the Campervan and its role in a new romance and a mystery.
I couldn't have predicted some of the outcomes if I had tried and the journey is one that hooked me in, and had me enthralled.
This is another gem of a book by a really talented must read, and favourite author of mine.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sphere for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
In recent years there was always been something in this authors books that will make you scratch your head in wonder, or make you highly skeptical, and this is no exception, and I was almost on the look out for it!
In fact what on the surface is a rather simple story, has quite a few layers and subplots to it.
I just loved the story of the Campervan and its role in a new romance and a mystery.
I couldn't have predicted some of the outcomes if I had tried and the journey is one that hooked me in, and had me enthralled.
This is another gem of a book by a really talented must read, and favourite author of mine.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sphere for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
June 4, 2019
A cute story that definitely has a certain sweet charm to it. A likeable story about nice people being pushed a bit by faith to get where they need to be and find their happily ever after.
April 27, 2022
What a great read!
The story starts with a sad start as Ana inherits a Camper Van from her late best friend. She has zero interest in this van and cannot believe her friend did this to her however at the same time she is determined to follow her friend’s wishes so she makes the journey down to St. Felix in Cornwall (YAY! If you know me, you’ll know about my love of Cornwall lately).
She has no idea what state the Van is in and imagines it will only be a few days and back to London she goes. However it needs completely restored and this guy Malachi is looking after this mechanics place. So she has to stay in St Felix for longer than she expected. If you have read any of Ali’s other novels you will know this little town and appreciate it so much. We get to see bits of Daisy’s life (from one of the other novels) so it’s nice to see how her and Amber are getting on.
Ana is also getting to know Noah, owner of an Antiques shop. I loved that this novel mainly involves her getting to know Noah as well as Malachi as you would not expect the outcome of this heart-warming novel.
Anyway, the camper van is discovered to have a bunch of old postcards stuffed inside the cushions and tyres of the van and leads them all to have many adventures in the few weeks leading to all over the country in order to firstly retrieve them all and then to find their rightful owners! Then, once we find the owners it is surprising who they are and how this story ended up.
This novel overall had me wanting to know what will happen yet at the same time I did not want to put it down. It such a great sunny day read as I read this in spring and definitely motivated my reading. I love when a great novel does that. Always to be expected from any Ali McNarma novel.
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Blog review:
https://clife.blog/2022/04/27/book-re...
The story starts with a sad start as Ana inherits a Camper Van from her late best friend. She has zero interest in this van and cannot believe her friend did this to her however at the same time she is determined to follow her friend’s wishes so she makes the journey down to St. Felix in Cornwall (YAY! If you know me, you’ll know about my love of Cornwall lately).
She has no idea what state the Van is in and imagines it will only be a few days and back to London she goes. However it needs completely restored and this guy Malachi is looking after this mechanics place. So she has to stay in St Felix for longer than she expected. If you have read any of Ali’s other novels you will know this little town and appreciate it so much. We get to see bits of Daisy’s life (from one of the other novels) so it’s nice to see how her and Amber are getting on.
Ana is also getting to know Noah, owner of an Antiques shop. I loved that this novel mainly involves her getting to know Noah as well as Malachi as you would not expect the outcome of this heart-warming novel.
Anyway, the camper van is discovered to have a bunch of old postcards stuffed inside the cushions and tyres of the van and leads them all to have many adventures in the few weeks leading to all over the country in order to firstly retrieve them all and then to find their rightful owners! Then, once we find the owners it is surprising who they are and how this story ended up.
This novel overall had me wanting to know what will happen yet at the same time I did not want to put it down. It such a great sunny day read as I read this in spring and definitely motivated my reading. I love when a great novel does that. Always to be expected from any Ali McNarma novel.
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Blog review:
https://clife.blog/2022/04/27/book-re...
July 16, 2018
My reading has taken a huge hit lately and I was struggling to get into any sort of Crime or Thriller book so eased myself back in with a lighthearted read by Mandy Baggot. Following on from that I struggled until I discovered I had missed this little gem, which was was Ali McNamara's release last month. The cover alone was enough to draw me in to start reading and I am so glad I chose this as it was absolutely perfect!
The story starts with a sad premise as we see Ana inherit something from her dearly beloved best friend, namely a camper van. Ana has absolutely no interest in a camper van and cannot imagine why on earth her friend thought to leave it to her, however Ana is determined to follow her friend's wishes so she makes the journey down to St Felix in Cornwall where the van is being kept.
Ana has no idea what state the van is in until she claps eyes on it and all at once she feels totally and utterly lost and confused. Thankfully the garage where it is being stored is being looked after by a guy named Malachi. Malachi manages to persuade Ana to get the van restored and as such it means she will need to stay on in St Felix while the work is taking place. At this point I have to admit I figured the storyline would be pretty simple and go where I predicted it would go, however it soon took another turn with added another dimension to the story. Whilst the van is being worked on Ana and Malachi discover some postcards, LOTS of postcard and these date back to the 1950s right through until the early 2000's.
Of course Ana decides that she needs to discover more about the mystery postcard writer to enable her to return them to their rightful owner. Along the way she meets local people all of whom add to the general charm of this story including Noah and Jess from the antiques shop. I loved how the story played out although my only one maybe criticism was the ending and where they took the Malachi line of the story I wasn't sure quite worked for me, but that aside I absolutely loved this book. This is certainly one to pack for your Summer holidays!
The story starts with a sad premise as we see Ana inherit something from her dearly beloved best friend, namely a camper van. Ana has absolutely no interest in a camper van and cannot imagine why on earth her friend thought to leave it to her, however Ana is determined to follow her friend's wishes so she makes the journey down to St Felix in Cornwall where the van is being kept.
Ana has no idea what state the van is in until she claps eyes on it and all at once she feels totally and utterly lost and confused. Thankfully the garage where it is being stored is being looked after by a guy named Malachi. Malachi manages to persuade Ana to get the van restored and as such it means she will need to stay on in St Felix while the work is taking place. At this point I have to admit I figured the storyline would be pretty simple and go where I predicted it would go, however it soon took another turn with added another dimension to the story. Whilst the van is being worked on Ana and Malachi discover some postcards, LOTS of postcard and these date back to the 1950s right through until the early 2000's.
Of course Ana decides that she needs to discover more about the mystery postcard writer to enable her to return them to their rightful owner. Along the way she meets local people all of whom add to the general charm of this story including Noah and Jess from the antiques shop. I loved how the story played out although my only one maybe criticism was the ending and where they took the Malachi line of the story I wasn't sure quite worked for me, but that aside I absolutely loved this book. This is certainly one to pack for your Summer holidays!
February 3, 2022
I love a book with a bit of magic.
I really enjoyed reading this book to the extent that it took me just 2 days, I literally couldn't put it down.
Have a tissue to hand for the last chapter. I do love a happy ending.
I really enjoyed reading this book to the extent that it took me just 2 days, I literally couldn't put it down.
Have a tissue to hand for the last chapter. I do love a happy ending.
August 5, 2019
From start to finish this wonderful book made me feel like liquid gold was flooding into my heart, and around my body. Don't miss the chance to let it make you feel the same!
January 14, 2024
A wonderful, heart warming book with a sprinkle of magic. Loved it so much I didn't want it to end!
March 19, 2022
Åh vad jag gillar dessa böcker av Ali McNamara! Och åh vad jag gillar St.Felix! 🥰
Ser fram emot tredje delen som droppar in i brevlådan nästa vecka.
Ser fram emot tredje delen som droppar in i brevlådan nästa vecka.
May 27, 2024
Precis lika mysig och härlig som den första boken i serien. Jag är förälskad i staden St Felix och dess invånare. Boken skapar ett enormt begär efter att resa dit och bosätta mig där
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