*Shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award 2019!*
When Lottie’s Gran dies she leaves one last request; save Greenley Theatre.Faced with a decaying building, a mayor who most definitely isn’t on board with the project and a group of actors who just can’t get along, Lottie has her hands full, but with best friend Sid by her side she knows she can do it somehow.
But the arrival of Jeremy, a hotshot London developer who sweeps Lottie off her feet, complicates things. Suddenly Sid gets a new girlfriend, the Greenley Players fall apart, and that crumbling building? Well it crumbles a whole lot more. With no one to turn to, Lottie has to find the courage to save the day.
Will Lottie be able to save the theatre and also follow her heart?
Readers LOVE Katie Ginger
‘This book is every sort of wonderful, with gorgeous characters, a stunning town and a friendship that turns in to a romance you’re not going to want to miss out on’ *****
‘Does jumping up and down, cuddling my Kindle and grinning from ear to ear count as a review?!…Katie writes with such warmth and humour and I could feel every word’ *****
‘Loved it!’ *****
‘A fantastic chick-lit page turner’ *****
‘Sweet, heart-warming, and very enjoyable. This book is like a warm chocolate chip cookie, you feel better for eating it, get a bite of exciting chocolate now and again all while just enjoying the experience. Love the book!’ *****
‘The perfect book to enjoy in a few days of quiet downtime’ *****
‘Absolutely loved this book. Couldn’t put it down. Wonderful uplifting storyline. Can’t wait to see what’s next from this author!’ *****
‘The Little Theatre On The Seafront has to be one of my top ten books of 2018. I loved everything about the book … I can’t wait to see what Katie Ginger comes up with next and I know that it will be another cracking read…a very well deserved 5* out of 5*’ *****
‘Faultlessly enjoyable’ *****
‘One of my favourite series out there…Love, laughter and nerves a plenty were bursting off the pages’ *****
Katie is a mystery and romance writer. Her debut novel The Little Theatre on the Seafront, published by HarperCollins, HQ Digital was nominated for the Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year Award and some of her books have been Amazon bestsellers. Her most recent series is the Swallowtail Bay series featuring a gloriously quaint seaside town and hunky heroes galore!
As well as writing romance, she also writes cozy mysteries under the pen name K E Coburn.
Sign-up to her mailing list to keep up to date with her bookish news and be the first to know the behind-the-scenes gossip!
This is the first book I've read by this author and won't be the last it's simply brilliant. An easy read with romance but also about friendship and saving the Greenley theatre and can they do it in time or not. I was hooked from the first page and really didn't want it to end. Has heartbreak in it to but so heartwarming and a fantastic read so worth more than the five stars. Lottie's gran passes away and leaves her a letter telling here she wants lottie to continue to fight for the theatre problem is its crumbling and decaying age the mayor is not on board at all. Lottie's best friend Sid is with her and wants to save it. There are a group of actors who can't get along and she has her hands full. Jeremy a London developer sweeps lottie off her feet and how will Sid take this and will it work. Sid gets a new girlfriend who know one likes and the group falls apart and lottie goes on a wet dark night to the theatre to check the leaking roof and disaster strikes but who will save her and will lottie find out. Jeremy wants to buy the theatre but Sid does some digging and isn't sure how lottie will take it so will Jeremy buy the theatre or not and will lottie see who is right for her before its to late or not. Simply fantastic and can't wait for more by this author.
This was a gorgeous debut novel from Katie Ginger. She has a lovely engaging writing style, creating wonderfully interesting characters and a fascinating setting. You can picture yourself in Greenley on Sea and I would love to return in future books. It was a real page turner where you are invested in the characters and the future of the theatre. Lottie's nan left a request that she rescue the local theatre and ensure it's future for the local community. You can almost smell the stardust in the air and imagine yourself sitting in the stalls watching the latest production. It is always exciting to find a new author that you would love to read more from and I will be watching out for new books by Katie Ginger.
I loved getting to know the characters and the beautiful town of Greenley. Katie Ginger's writing is fresh, funny, and heartfelt, and you will want to champion Lottie, just like I did. As a theatre major, this story found a special place in my heart. The descriptions of the Greenley Players and their foibles and mini disasters was particularly fun. Highly recommended and I look forward to reading the sequel which is out next month!
‘The Little Theatre On The Seafront’ is Katie Ginger’s debut novel and what a debut novel it is. I absolutely loved reading it but more about that in a bit. I took to the main character, Lottie, right from the very first time I met her. She is a girl, who hasn’t always had the easiest of times. Her Nana brought Lottie up, after Lottie’s mother decided to go and live with Lottie’s father, who works abroad. As a result Lottie has a very tight bond with her Nana. Lottie is understandably devastated when her Nana dies but her Nana wrote her a letter before she died telling her what she wanted Lottie to do. Her Nana also told Lottie a couple of home truths in the letter but Lottie later accepts that what her Nana put in the letter. Lottie is a feisty and determined young woman, who likes nothing better than chilling with her friends. Her best friend is called Sid and she works closely with him for the local newspaper. There’s definitely some romantic spark between them but neither tells the other one about their feelings. I got the impression that Lottie lacks a fair bit of self confidence in herself and she finds it daunting to live her life without her Nana beside her. Lottie is determined that she will carry out her Nana’s wishes, even if she has to jump some hurdles along the way. One of those such hurdles happens to be the local Mayor, who likes to lord if over the theatre committee. Things start to go wrong Lottie & Sid start seeing different people and don’t spend as much time with each other, the theatre starts crumbling and the amateur dramatics group seems to wither away. Will Lottie realise her Nana’s dream? Will Lottie and Sid get together? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you. Oh my this book is just as beautiful and eye catching as the cover suggests. I loved the synopsis of the book and I knew that this was one book that I couldn’t wait to read. I was hooked from the moment I began to read the Prologue and I was under the book’s spell until the moment I closed the back cover. ‘The Little Theatre On The Seafront’ is certainly addictive reading. I was hooked from the first word on the first page. For me, ‘The Little Theatre On The Seafront’ really is a ‘CPID’ (can’t put it down) book. It wasn’t glued to my hand although if you had seen me whilst I was reading it, then you would have thought otherwise. The book came everywhere with me as I couldn’t bear to be parted from it. If I had to put the book down for any reason, then I was counting down the time until I could pick the book back up again. ‘The Little Theatre On The Seafront’ is beautifully and sensitively written. I found it hard to believe that it was the author’s debut novel as it is so good and so polished. I felt myself getting emotional about the book from the moment I started to read the prologue. It takes the form of a letter from Nana to Lottie and it just got to me. It was written in such a lovely way that I found myself getting a lump in my throat. As I took to Lottie so soon and so well, I felt defensive and protective of her. ‘The Little Theatre On The Seafront’ has to be one of my top ten books of 2018. I loved everything about the book from the setting to the characters and so on. I can’t wait to see what Katie Ginger comes up with next and I know that it will be another cracking read. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
Lottie is left a last request letter from her Gran Elsie. Elsie was a big supporter of the Greenly Theatre and asks that Lottie take over the role as Chair. Luckily Lottie has her best friend Sid there to give a helping hand. Lottie and Sid have been friends forever and know each others moods, likes and dislikes. Things between them change when new people arrive in their lives.
This story is just an absolute delight. A decrepit theatre in need of buckets full of TLC, characters that are dramatic and maybe a little eccentric, the sense of community and a nice underlying touch of romance, that mixed together bring this story to life.
The antics of the theatres players is absolutely brilliant, some of the over the top attitudes mixed in with those quiet and shy types are just fabulous. Each has a little trait or mannerism that range from a snide remark to a snarky aside is a hilarious addition, and had me grinning several times.
As if Lottie didn’t have enough to deal with as she tries to bring the Theatre back from it’s gloomy and damp ridden existence to a charming, family theatre and community space. She also has to deal with the airs and graces from the actors, the attentions of a property developer and the committee.
The descriptions the author gives for the theatre worked really well for me, giving me wonderful images of it in its shabby state. With not only the visual cues, but the smells that would be associated with a damp building. I have mentioned it before in reviews, that it is the attention to the little details that add so much to a story, and I am glad to say this author has lots of little details squirrelled away in this one.
There are other story-lines that run alongside the renovation of the theatre but I’m not giving you anything on them, you need to read and discover for yourself.
I found this book was quick to get caught up in with fabulous characters, the author made it easy to get to know them and also to remember them and importantly care about them. Yes, I did shed a few happy tears …. and not just once.
So yes, I did love this story a lot, I read it in one sitting and would absolutely recommend it to other readers who like a bit of romance, a whole lot of drama, a touch of humour and a couple of slightly more serious aspects. Go grab a copy it’s great.
The Little Theatre is the heartwarming debut from author, Katie Ginger. For me, this is the perfect read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Just imagine it - jammies on (a must) and tucked up with your favourite blankie. Plus, copious amounts of tea and biccies #bliss So, that’s just what I did (any excuse, I hear you cry).
How do you argue with a behest from beyond the grave? *shrugs* You don’t...
Still trying to come to terms with her nan’s recent passing, Lottie Webster is left reeling from Elsie’s last request: save the local theatre and return it to its former glory at the heart of the community.
Easier said than done, right? *shakes head* With her best friend, Sid, by her side, Lottie embarks on undertaking the daunting task. Goliath, we’re coming for ya! *cracks knuckles*
It’s easy to deny your true feelings when you’ve been best friends’ forever, but with the arrival of potential partners for both Lottie and Sid, it makes denying them harder and harder.
Maybe there is method in Lottie’s nan’s madness after all, eh?
Low on angst, but high on feels, The Little Theatre has a host of colourful characters. Or, should I say, lovies? *snorts*
Like any good dramatic production, you’ll boo and hiss at the baddies (especially sleekit Selena!). You’ll belly laugh - check out Sid and the Seagulls scene. And, of course, you’ll feel a bit mushy, and if you’re like me, you’ll shed an emotional tear of two (whaaa?).
To me, the heart of the story is about belonging. Lottie finds more than she can ever have imagined within the walls of The Little Theatre.
An adorable and enchanting read I simply couldn’t bear to put down, The Little Theatre on the Seafront is a gorgeous romance fans of Sarah Bennett and Jane Linfoot are simply going to love from a wonderful new author: Katie Ginger.
When Lottie’s gran died she had unfinished business: she wanted her granddaughter to continue her fight to save the Greenley Theatre. Poor Lottie has certainly got more than her hands full trying to honour her grandmother’s last wishes. The theatre has certainly seen better days as the building is decaying and falling to pieces, the mayor is determined to be shot of it and she has a motley group of actors who seem to detest one another and who simply do not get along. Lottie wonders what her grandmother was thinking asking her to continue this fight, but luckily for her she has her best friend Sid by her side who knows that she is more than ready to take on this job – she only wishes that she had his confidence in her abilities, but one thing is certain: Lottie is going to put up a good fight and make her granny proud. However, Lottie hadn’t counted on the arrival of suave London property developer Jeremy to complicate things even further!
Jeremy sweeps Lottie off her feet and she soon ends up losing her heart to him, however, with her entire world falling apart, the last thing she wants or needs in her life is an unexpected romance to add even more complications to her life! And just when she thought things couldn’t go even more awry for her, Sid gets a new girlfriend, the actors have a fight to end all fights and the crumbled building ends up crumbling even more! What is poor Lottie going to do? Will she find the courage to save the day? Or will she end up going back on her promise to her grandmother and let property developers get their hands on the Greenley Theatre?
Katie Ginger has written a funny, addictive and captivating read that will make readers laugh and cry. The Little Theatre on the Seafront is a wonderful tale of community, friendship and romance that once you start reading, you simply won’t be able to put down. I absolutely adored Lottie and enjoyed her journey throughout the book and how she gained the confidence to go after what she wanted. The supporting characters were delightful, the humour absorbing and the romance poignant and enchanting.
A lovely read from a terrific new writer, The Little Theatre on the Seafront is a spellbinding read from a writer who’s books I’ll make sure to look out for in the future: Katie Ginger!
Having spent alot of time in and around theatres i do love a theatre read, oh and one on a seafront is just even more up my street, all it needs is a small nearby cafe and we are sorted!
Anyway, i digress - When Lottie's Gran passes away, she leaves her a letter with one last request. Save Greenley Theatre , become chair woman and basically fix it. Lottie has been pretty happy with her life so far, her little job and plodding along. Lotties Gran however had different ideas she wants to push her out of her comfort zone.
Fixing Greenley Theatre is a mammoth task, especially when most people think it would be easier to knock it down and build houses but Lottie can't let her gran down with Sid (her lifelong best friend) by her side what could go wrong?
Turns out, quite alot throw in a suave businessman who is actually interested in Lottie, Sid finds a girlfriend and the Greenley Players are constantly at each others throats - it throws everything she has worked so hard for up in the air.
This read was brilliant, it had enough drama to keep me interested, a love interest or two and plenty of theatre talk. It was light enough that i could read it quickly and invest my time but not heavy enough that it weighed on my mind.
I really liked Lottie, i felt she was shy and needed the push out of her comfort zone so i totally backed her Gran on this one. I was rooting for her along with the town of Greenley, even when things were not so certain. Sid made me laugh, he was sweet geeky and has a good heart but at times i wanted to shake him senseless.
If you are after something that is sweet, funny and packed full of quirky characters then this is the one for you!
When Lottie's beloved gran dies, Lottie is persuaded, against her better judgement to take over one of her gran's good causes, namely to save the dilapidated old Greenley Theatre. With the best of intentions, Lottie, with the help of her friend, Sid, tries to inject some enthusiasm into the project but there are so many obstacles and grouchy people in the way that poor Lottie has her work cut out from the very start.
I found much to enjoy in The Little Theatre on the Seafront. It's a delightfully perceptive look at life and love, the power of friendship, and of the steely determination needed to carry on when all around you is floundering. I really loved the author's light and easy style of writing and the way that she allowed her characters to come to life. They're an odd bunch to be sure, making me laugh out loud at some of their antics, particularly the actors themselves who aren't always very helpful! I enjoyed watching how they all developed as the story progressed and especially of how Lottie grew in confidence.
Without doubt this is a charming debut and I hope we will see much more of Katie Ginger's writing in future stories.
This debut novel was a joy to read. I fell in love with Greenley-on-sea, a quaint seaside town with a big heart and a true passion for their little theatre.
Lottie and Sid are instantly likeable characters and I was glued to the spot watching their relationship develop throughout the book in a page-turning frenzy. But I particularly enjoyed the Greenley players as a whole cast. Their theatrical highs and lows brought the book to life, in such a charismatic way, that only a local am dram company can and they gave me many reasons to laugh at their dramatic antics.
A special element to the book comes in the form of Lottie's nan. A character who is brought to our attention at the beginning of the book, via a letter only, yet her presence is still felt greatly throughout as notes of their close relationship dance and weave amongst the storyline. This I felt added a layer of emotional charm and brought a tear to my eye at one point.
This is an utterly charming book that is uplifting and easy to read and I found it hard to walk away from the characters. I hope I get to visit Greenley-on-sea again in the future.
I loved the setting for this story and the basic premise of trying to resurrect the local theatre for the community. It is the community which gives the book its life and colour and the variety of members of the company and the local politicians give it real heart. Lottie turns out to be one of those characters with flaws as well as good points and you get to see her mature and take on challenges along the way.
Someone who is always present in the story but who we can never meet is of course Lottie's Grandmother. You get a sense of what sort of person she was by seeing how Lottie reacts in certain moments and I am sure she shared Lottie's determination and spark. This is very much a will they, won't they? plot as you see Lottie and Sid skirt around their true feelings. I enjoyed the additional aspect which their jobs on the local newspaper gave to moving the story on. This is one of those lovely reads which you disappear into for an afternoon and which takes you out of yourself.
In short: A beautiful setting, friendship and community lie at the heart of this book. Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.
A good steady three star read. Perfect for those wanting a light read whilst curled up by the fire.
Lottie’s grandmother has recently passed away and has left her a letter with her dying wish - that Lottie take her place on the Committee and save the beloved community theatre. The theatre is in a state of disrepair and Lottie doesn’t know the first thing about theatres or putting on a show she is more used to taking photographs for the local paper where her best friend Sid is a journalist. What ensues next is a story of love, friendships and community spirit with just the right amount of ‘bad characters’ thrown in for good measure.
I liked how Lottie’s confidence grew and how the characters interacted as the book progressed. It was a pretty straightforward book with no real surprises - you could pretty much guess the ending before you got more than a few chapters in but it was a good read nonetheless.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of the book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
When I found out Katie Ginger was a local author to me writing one of my favourite genres for pure escapism I had to grab myself a copy, this was her debut release and I finally found 5 mins on holiday to devour this beauty.
This book is set in the fictional seaside setting of Greenley in Kent, which is a town trying to retain it's community spirit. Lottie is the main character who is dealing with conflicting emotions as this story starts to unfold. Lottie is a character who is easy to empathise with and I love some of the new character traits that start to emerge as she finds her feet in a quest set by her Grandmother.
This is a gorgeous fuzzy read that demonstrates a wonderful friendship between Lottie and Sid, a fierce loyalty to Lottie's Grandmother and the passion and love of a town coming together.
I really enjoyed this book and could visualise the rundown theatre they were fighting to save and the gorgeous seaside walks described throughout the book. A superb debut release that will make you smile and leave you with a tear in your eye.
The Little Theatre on the Seafront by Katie Ginger is a sweet story about Lottie, whose Gran died recently, and has asked her to take on the leadership of the board for the local theatre, with the aim to make it useable to the town again.
Lottie is feeling lost without her Gran, but she has her best friend Sid, so things can't be that bad. And then she meets a developer who has a weekend home in the town, and Sid meets someone, and things are suddenly a lot harder.
This is a lovely, heartwarming read, and is the debut novel for Katie Ginger, who I worked with once upon a time, and she has quite a few books out now!
If you enjoy books such as Caroline Roberts ( Rachel's Pudding Pantry ), or Sarah Morgan ( One Summer in Paris ), then you'll love this!
The Little Theatre on the Seafront was published on 1st September 2018, and is available from Amazon , Waterstones and your local independent bookshop .
You can follow Katie Ginger on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and on her website .
I am full of the warm fuzzies after just finishing this book. The characters are fully fleshed out, “real” people finding themselves in very believable situations which send you from the heights of laughter, to the lows of tears but always in a way where you just know it’s gonna be ok, it really is...it really is, is....you get my drift!
The way Katie weaves in the community spirit from its lack lustre beginnings to something that sparkles with warmth and love is sheer magic to read. That last chapter....yes!!!! I just loved it!
As for the gorgeous slow burn romantic arc, I think this is something a lot of us can relate to and believe in. They were made for one another to know who I’m talking about you’ll just have to read the book ;)
PS if I ever see a giant pigeon on the coast, I am bagging my chips like a rugby ball and legging it!
When Lottie's beloved grandmother dies she leaves her a letter asking her to take over her place as chairman of the committee trying to save the local theatre. This is right out of Lottie's comfort zone but with the encouragement of her best friend Sid she decides that she can do it...... but when the gorgeous property developer comes into her life and Sid starts a relationship with a stunning girl all her plans start to go wrong..... can she really pull this off or will the theatre get pulled down for development?
A lovely light read, and although predictable it was still enjoyable. There was a good cast of characters especially some of the eccentric am dram group that they set up and I liked the way Lottie's character grew as she became more confident
A fantastic easy read perfect for a cosy afternoon on the sofa or holiday read. I loved Lottie and Sid and their surrounding brilliant cast of quirky and eccentric characters. A fascinating setting in a crumbling theatre. I loved the community spirit which came together to save the theatre and fulfil Lottie's granny's last wish.
An uplifting and heartwarming story which is sad in places and also made me smile - it is a delightful book. I can't wait to read Katie Ginger's next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a pleasant, easy summer read. The story follows Lottie, a photographer for the local village paper, who is very content to be stuck in her rut. However, upon the death of her gran she receives a push to get out in the world when she receives a letter asking her to continue with her gran's quest to save the local theatre. It's a nice story, that follows friendships and new love, and it was interesting watching Lottie blossom under her new responsibilities. Ideal for someone looking for a light read.
Thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
💕 Katie Ginger writes from the heart. Her words send warm vibes and ooze charming anecdotes mixed with tantrums and tears. The story is touching, sometimes sad, often sweet, funny, and uplifting. I can't help relating Lottie and Sid to people in my own circle of friends - but I'm not mentioning any names! I'm looking forward to reading their continuing adventures in "Summer Season on the Seafront."
Loved it! Really loved the writing style, and the refreshing and engaging story line. You really root for the characters, and the cover is beautiful. Thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful book
I haven't read anything by Katie Ginger before so I was pleased to get my introduction to her writing, with her debut novel.
Her style is fresh and funny, with many likeable characters.
When Lottie Webster's beloved Nan Elsie dies, she leaves a request and that is to save Greenley Theatre.
Lottie has certainly got her hands full, the building is practically falling down, the town mayor couldn't be less interested in the project, and the actors are constantly bickering among themselves.
The only person who seems to be on Lottie's side is her best friend Sid.
But then factor in a London property developer, who completely charms Lottie, Sid getting a new girlfriend, the Greenley Players, acting up as opposed to actually acting, and the decaying building, decaying even further does Lottie have the courage to save everything.
Really looking forward to reading the sequel to this, as well as other books by this author.
This book was an absolute delight to read.. Lottie, the main protagonist, has recently lost her grandmother, who leaves one request to save the local theatre.
Lottie has her hands full with the theatre being in a desolate state a mayor who would rather sell the property to a developer and no way to pay for repairs along with her childhood friend Sid they come up with forming an amauter dramatic society to perform and raise funds. But unfortunately, all they do is fight amongst themselves.
To complicate things, property developer Jeremy appears on the scene and sweeps Lottie of her feet, and Sid develops a relationship with an old university friend and Lottie and Sids friendship crumbs along with the theatre. Will Lottie fulfil her grandmothers last wish
two stars looks bad and this wasn’t a bad book but it wasn’t very exciting, to be honest it was just completely predictable.
both love interests were the villains and you could see that right from the start, you just knew they were going to cause some grief. but they did it in an entirely predictable way, unfortunately.
i had an issue just a few pages in when dieting and calorie counting were mentioned, albeit only briefly.
the rest of the story was mainly nice and just not very interesting.
i maybe wanted different things from this book than it was giving but i love theatre and the coast and i don’t feel i read much about either of those things.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.