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The Beach Café #1
Liefde in het strandcafé
Evie Flynn has always been the black sheep of her family - a dreamer and a drifter, unlike her over-achieving elder sisters. She's tried making a name for herself as an actress, a photographer and a singer, but nothing has ever worked out. Now she's stuck in temp hell, with a sensible, pension-planning boyfriend. Somehow life seems to be passing her by. Then her beloved aunt Jo dies suddenly in a car crash, leaving Evie an unusual legacy - her precious beach cafe in Cornwall. Determined to make a success of something for the first time in her life, Evie heads off to Cornwall to get the cafe and her life back on track - and gets more than she bargained for, both in work and in love...
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2011
252 people are currently reading
8682 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Diamond
82 books1,435 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
First of all, a confession. My name isn’t really Lucy Diamond at all, it’s Sue Mongredien. I’ve used a pen name because ‘Diamond’ is a lot easier to spell and pronounce than ‘Mongredien’ and also because I’ve written lots of children’s books too and wanted to keep the genres separate. (There is actually another Lucy Diamond on Amazon who writes religious children’s books. That isn’t me, though.)
I was born in 1970 and grew up in Nottingham. I read English at Leeds University then moved to London and worked for various publishers before I packed it all in to go travelling around the world for a year and a half. When I came back to the UK, I worked in publishing again, then moved to the BBC. I now live in Bath with my husband and three young children and divide my time between writing and looking after them. You can have a look at my children’s books here.
Favourite things: beaches, holidays, chocolate, wine, reading, Green Wing, bubble baths, sunshine, hearing my children laugh, babysitters
Favourite books: The Magus (John Fowles), The Edible Woman (Margaret Atwood), The Secret History (Donna Tartt), The Colour of Memory (Geoff Dyer)
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
First of all, a confession. My name isn’t really Lucy Diamond at all, it’s Sue Mongredien. I’ve used a pen name because ‘Diamond’ is a lot easier to spell and pronounce than ‘Mongredien’ and also because I’ve written lots of children’s books too and wanted to keep the genres separate. (There is actually another Lucy Diamond on Amazon who writes religious children’s books. That isn’t me, though.)
I was born in 1970 and grew up in Nottingham. I read English at Leeds University then moved to London and worked for various publishers before I packed it all in to go travelling around the world for a year and a half. When I came back to the UK, I worked in publishing again, then moved to the BBC. I now live in Bath with my husband and three young children and divide my time between writing and looking after them. You can have a look at my children’s books here.
Favourite things: beaches, holidays, chocolate, wine, reading, Green Wing, bubble baths, sunshine, hearing my children laugh, babysitters
Favourite books: The Magus (John Fowles), The Edible Woman (Margaret Atwood), The Secret History (Donna Tartt), The Colour of Memory (Geoff Dyer)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 908 reviews
April 30, 2021
Evie Flynn, along with the rest of her family, were devastated at the sudden death of her mother’s sister, Jo. But when she heard Aunt Jo had left Evie her café in the small village of Carrawen Bay in Cornwell, she was astounded. A four to five hour drive from Oxford and Evie was at the place she remembered with fondness; the holidays as a child had always left special memories and Aunt Jo was at the top of those memories. But when she arrived at the café, she was shocked at the state of it, and the lack of care by the staff inside. Evie would fix that quickly.
As Evie worked hard to bring the café back to the way it was, she wondered if she would be accepted in Carrawen Bay. It didn’t seem so at first…
The Beach Café is the 1st in The Beach Café series by Lucy Diamond and I quite enjoyed it. Light and entertaining, I admired Evie’s work ethic and her determination to bring things to rights. Her warm and caring nature saw many good things come to pass and Evie saw a measure of satisfaction come her way. The beautiful beach, the surfers, tourists and locals all made this a delightful read. As I've had this on my TBR (and owned) since 2013, I'm glad to have read it now. Recommended.
As Evie worked hard to bring the café back to the way it was, she wondered if she would be accepted in Carrawen Bay. It didn’t seem so at first…
The Beach Café is the 1st in The Beach Café series by Lucy Diamond and I quite enjoyed it. Light and entertaining, I admired Evie’s work ethic and her determination to bring things to rights. Her warm and caring nature saw many good things come to pass and Evie saw a measure of satisfaction come her way. The beautiful beach, the surfers, tourists and locals all made this a delightful read. As I've had this on my TBR (and owned) since 2013, I'm glad to have read it now. Recommended.
December 2, 2014
I wasn't sure if I'd like this. I'm a big fan of Jenny Colgan and I wondered if it would be a bit of a rip off of her Cupcake Cafe, Beach Street Bakery, or Sweetshop novels. But it wasn't at all. I ended up unable to put this book down. The main character, Evie, was identifiable and likeable, and she had a great relationship with her best friend which was nice to read. The lead guy in the book was great, and all the personalities of the characters involved in the Beacch Cafe were great too. I'm keen to read more of Lucy Diamond's work now!
July 22, 2011
Set in Cornwall, the heroine of the story is Evie - a thirty-something woman whose life is in a bit of a rut. She's the black sheep of the family, her sisters are both successful, gorgeous, well-groomed, married with children and have great careers. Evie goes from one temp job to another, not really knowing what she wants to do, her long-term relationship with geeky Matthew has gone a bit stale - the only great thing in her life is Saul, Matthew's young son who Evie adores.
Evie is devastated when her aunt Jo is killed in a car accident. Jo always believed in Evie, never criticised her and allowed her to be herself. Evie spent many happy holidays at Jo's beach cafe in Cornwall. The whole family are shocked and surprised to learn that Jo has left the cafe to Evie. Everyone expects Evie to sell up - after all when has she ever made a success of anything? Evie is determined to prove them wrong.
This is a fabulous read. Evie is one of those really likeable characters that you soon grow to love, she reminded me a little of Bridget Jones - daft, funny but very caring. Sometimes she makes huge mistakes, sometimes she does things that are incredibly annoying, but you can't help but love her!
Lucy Diamond is very good at creating some great characters, really human and believable and her descriptions of the Cornwall village and beach were fabulous.
Ok, there may be a smidgeon of predictability along the way, but I'm not complaining - everyone needs a little romance in their lives and Evie deserves it more than most.
I enjoyed every page of The Beach Cafe, it has all the ingredients for the perfect summer read and I can't wait to read more of Lucy Diamond's novels.
Evie is devastated when her aunt Jo is killed in a car accident. Jo always believed in Evie, never criticised her and allowed her to be herself. Evie spent many happy holidays at Jo's beach cafe in Cornwall. The whole family are shocked and surprised to learn that Jo has left the cafe to Evie. Everyone expects Evie to sell up - after all when has she ever made a success of anything? Evie is determined to prove them wrong.
This is a fabulous read. Evie is one of those really likeable characters that you soon grow to love, she reminded me a little of Bridget Jones - daft, funny but very caring. Sometimes she makes huge mistakes, sometimes she does things that are incredibly annoying, but you can't help but love her!
Lucy Diamond is very good at creating some great characters, really human and believable and her descriptions of the Cornwall village and beach were fabulous.
Ok, there may be a smidgeon of predictability along the way, but I'm not complaining - everyone needs a little romance in their lives and Evie deserves it more than most.
I enjoyed every page of The Beach Cafe, it has all the ingredients for the perfect summer read and I can't wait to read more of Lucy Diamond's novels.
May 2, 2016
After the last few books I read, I was really craving some lighthearted material to pass the time. I looked through my chick-lit books that I had lying around waiting to be read, and found this little gem. I had it for many years now, and I remember I bought it because of the rave reviews, so it seemed the perfect choice to get me going. Given the title, and the beach weather we've had here, it was exactly what I needed.
The Beach Cafe was a very well-written book, with interesting characters, the right amount of humor, pain and romance intertwined with a storyline that I found myself quite invested in. Evie Flynn is in her 30's living with her five year steady and extremely sensible boyfriend and working at a temp job that she hates but needs. Evie "seemingly" has everything any girl could ask for, right? Wrong.
Her 'sensible' boyfriend is a little too sensible, bordering on boring and tightfisted as he makes all the plans for their future and continuously puts Evie down for being more spontaneous and opinionated. Evie has been with him 5 years now, and he did save her life when she almost caught fire waitressing at a bar he was at, and she does love him...she's quite sure she does. Or does she?
Since meeting him, she's stopped her spontaneous trips around the world, she's stopped trying out new things and living her life to the fullest, instead she's found herself becoming more "ordinary" as she planned for a future that seemed to be going nowhere.
When her aunt Jo suddenly dies in a crash, Evie is devastated. She used to spend most of her time at her aunt's, and now she can't even remember the last time she's visited or seen her in Cornwall. When she drives up there along with her family for the funeral, they are all shocked to find out that her aunt had left Evie the Beach Cafe she owned. Her family, with little to no faith, encourage Evie to sell it as they are certain she won't be able to manage it and besides, she can't keep making the trip up and down between Oxford and Cornwall. Evie is torn though, she feels a unique pull towards this cafe, towards this town...and its people. And yet, she knows her family is right, even though she resents it.
Of course, we can all guess what happens next and what she decides to do and where it all leads. I'm not saying this is the most exciting unpredictable story with all these twists and turns...no of course not. It's a chick lit and as such, certain elements are expected to be present making it quite predictable, but no less enjoyable.
I loved Evie's character. She frequently frustrated me, but I really respected her and liked her. The frustration mainly stemmed from the fact that I could never be as nice and as reasonable as her under the circumstances. I mean, she gets it from all sides. Her idiot boyfriend, who ends up leaving her because she chose the cafe, her sister, who is a complete and utter bitch that I would have probably pulled her hair out and then stuck it where the sun don't shine, her parents who really just have no faith in their daughter and the employees at the cafe, who I'd have fired from day one. Not to mention the townspeople, who also had little faith in Evie taking over their beloved Jo's cafe.
The way she handled it all though, and was able to control herself was, well...admirable. Something I would never be able to. I'd lash out, and speak my mind, and probably create a lot more problems than needed. Evie's nice. She really is, and nice people usually annoy me, but not in this case. She was the kind of nice that I could tolerate and almost envy. And being nice took her a long way, so it sure as hell worked for her.
A great, entertaining read and comes highly recommended. I'm going to be on the lookout for more Lucy Diamond books in future.
The Beach Cafe was a very well-written book, with interesting characters, the right amount of humor, pain and romance intertwined with a storyline that I found myself quite invested in. Evie Flynn is in her 30's living with her five year steady and extremely sensible boyfriend and working at a temp job that she hates but needs. Evie "seemingly" has everything any girl could ask for, right? Wrong.
Her 'sensible' boyfriend is a little too sensible, bordering on boring and tightfisted as he makes all the plans for their future and continuously puts Evie down for being more spontaneous and opinionated. Evie has been with him 5 years now, and he did save her life when she almost caught fire waitressing at a bar he was at, and she does love him...she's quite sure she does. Or does she?
Since meeting him, she's stopped her spontaneous trips around the world, she's stopped trying out new things and living her life to the fullest, instead she's found herself becoming more "ordinary" as she planned for a future that seemed to be going nowhere.
When her aunt Jo suddenly dies in a crash, Evie is devastated. She used to spend most of her time at her aunt's, and now she can't even remember the last time she's visited or seen her in Cornwall. When she drives up there along with her family for the funeral, they are all shocked to find out that her aunt had left Evie the Beach Cafe she owned. Her family, with little to no faith, encourage Evie to sell it as they are certain she won't be able to manage it and besides, she can't keep making the trip up and down between Oxford and Cornwall. Evie is torn though, she feels a unique pull towards this cafe, towards this town...and its people. And yet, she knows her family is right, even though she resents it.
Of course, we can all guess what happens next and what she decides to do and where it all leads. I'm not saying this is the most exciting unpredictable story with all these twists and turns...no of course not. It's a chick lit and as such, certain elements are expected to be present making it quite predictable, but no less enjoyable.
I loved Evie's character. She frequently frustrated me, but I really respected her and liked her. The frustration mainly stemmed from the fact that I could never be as nice and as reasonable as her under the circumstances. I mean, she gets it from all sides. Her idiot boyfriend, who ends up leaving her because she chose the cafe, her sister, who is a complete and utter bitch that I would have probably pulled her hair out and then stuck it where the sun don't shine, her parents who really just have no faith in their daughter and the employees at the cafe, who I'd have fired from day one. Not to mention the townspeople, who also had little faith in Evie taking over their beloved Jo's cafe.
The way she handled it all though, and was able to control herself was, well...admirable. Something I would never be able to. I'd lash out, and speak my mind, and probably create a lot more problems than needed. Evie's nice. She really is, and nice people usually annoy me, but not in this case. She was the kind of nice that I could tolerate and almost envy. And being nice took her a long way, so it sure as hell worked for her.
A great, entertaining read and comes highly recommended. I'm going to be on the lookout for more Lucy Diamond books in future.
January 22, 2012
Easy is the best way to describe this book.
Evie Flynn feels like a failure. Her work life is as lacklustre as her love life. Her aunt dies and leaves her a beach café. Does she change her life? Do I even have to answer that? Easily read and easily forgotten, this is a fluffy bit of nothing.
A beach read if you like reading on beaches.
Evie Flynn feels like a failure. Her work life is as lacklustre as her love life. Her aunt dies and leaves her a beach café. Does she change her life? Do I even have to answer that? Easily read and easily forgotten, this is a fluffy bit of nothing.
A beach read if you like reading on beaches.
June 17, 2015
The title is pretty self explanatory, this book is a cute summery read about a cafe by the beach! I loved that, despite the setting being Cornwall, I imagined my favourite sea side town in the UK, Broadhaven. The setting in this book was so good that it was so easy to imagine the cafe actually existing. I loved the protagonist, except her attitude towards men drove me a bit insane and I preferred her when she was in her independent woman phase.
This book wasn't perfect, though. I thought I could see a twist coming a mile off which killed the suspense for me but the twist didn't go the way I expected but actually I think it would have been better if it did?! Idk.
This book isn't short and I read it quite fast. It has a feel-good ending which will never fail to make you smile.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Lucy Diamond's work.
This book wasn't perfect, though. I thought I could see a twist coming a mile off which killed the suspense for me but the twist didn't go the way I expected but actually I think it would have been better if it did?! Idk.
This book isn't short and I read it quite fast. It has a feel-good ending which will never fail to make you smile.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Lucy Diamond's work.
June 21, 2023
c’est le premier roman de Lucy Diamond que je lisais et il ne sera certainement pas le dernier. Oh comme j’ai aimé ce livre! J’ai voyagé, j’ai eu l’impression d’être si près des vagues, j’ai presque senti l’odeur du café chaud et je me suis rapidement attachée à la protagoniste. C’est un roman feel good si parfait à lire en pleines vacances. Je recommande vraiment (vraiment) 💛.
May 6, 2025
ça se lit tout seul, c'est très chill, un peu daté je trouve ; y a des moments qui m'ont vraiment fait hausser les sourcils, surtout le traitement des agressions sexuelles… le love interest a ÉVIDEMMENT l'intelligence émotionnelle d'une moule et est incapable de communiquer ! ! mais bon il est "super sexy" donc "ça va"... (aled)
Bref les amitiés avec les personnages féminins sont mims et le livre détend ... surtout quand à côté on a un #mémoire et qu'on a envie de se changer les idées après un énième article sur les #armagnacs et les #bourguignons !!!!!
Bref les amitiés avec les personnages féminins sont mims et le livre détend ... surtout quand à côté on a un #mémoire et qu'on a envie de se changer les idées après un énième article sur les #armagnacs et les #bourguignons !!!!!
July 3, 2017
Ik geloof dat ik stiekem durf te zeggen dat ik mijn favoriete schrijfster heb ontdekt. Wat kan ze schrijven zeg! Als je op zoek bent naar diepgaande en super spannende literatuur moet je niet bij de boeken van Lucy Diamond kijken. Hier en daar zijn ze misschien ook wel een beetje voorspelbaar. Toch weet Lucy Diamond mij keer op keer te verrassen. Ze weet een heerlijke sfeer te creëren (volgende vakantie gaat naar zuid Engeland) en door de vlotte en makkelijke schrijfstijl leest het boek super snel weg. Een ware page turner en een genot om te lezen. Welverdiende 5 sterren dus!
August 30, 2017
This definitely was the perfect choice for my summer holiday read.
The characters are lovely, the setting is great and it has a really good balance of positive events and disasters happening.
So, while lying on the beach at the Dutch North Sea coast, I could perfectly immerse into the story about Evie Flynn and her charming beach café.
The characters are lovely, the setting is great and it has a really good balance of positive events and disasters happening.
So, while lying on the beach at the Dutch North Sea coast, I could perfectly immerse into the story about Evie Flynn and her charming beach café.
June 3, 2024
2.5
way longer than it needed to be for how much of nothing was going on.
way longer than it needed to be for how much of nothing was going on.
August 11, 2022
grave mignon pour l’été, j’ai bien aimé, il met un peu de temps à démarrer au début mais une fois que c’est lancé il est vraiment sympa y’a pleins de petits rebondissements
c’est écrit un peu petit mais une fois qu’on est habitué au bout de quelques chapitres y’a pas de soucis
c’est écrit un peu petit mais une fois qu’on est habitué au bout de quelques chapitres y’a pas de soucis
June 22, 2021
Lucy Diamondin Rantakahvila on kepeää kesälukemista helteen sumentamille aivoille. Romaani vie lokkien kirkunaan Cornwalliin meren rannalle. Jo-täti jättää Oxfordissa asuvalle Evielle perinnöksi rantakahvilansa, jossa Evie on ollut teininä kesätöissä. Kahvilanpitäjän alku on kivinen: nuoret työntekijät ovat surkeita ja nenäkkäitä, ja tulevat töihin miten sattuu. Se pakollinen komistus tarinassa on ystävänsä koiraa kylässä hoitava lontoolainen Ed. Mies on komea, mutta vaitonainen menneisyydestään.
Kaikki käy kuin sadussa. Alkuhankaluuksien jälkeen yritteliäästä ja hyväntahtoisesta Eviestä tulee täysivaltainen ja pidetty yhteisön jäsen. Kahvila menestyy: siellä aletaan pitää naisten iltoja, ruokakriitikko kirjoittaa suopean arvostelun ja pääseepä Beach Café valtakunnalliseen televisio-ohjelmaankin. Tämä pieni cornwallilainen kylä osoittaa, että yhteisöllisyys on edelleen Briteissä voimissaan.
Käypää kuunneltavaa tämäkin kesäromaani, mutta minulle vähän liiankin kepeä. Evien tarina saa pian jatkoa, sillä marraskuussa 2021 ilmestyy osa #2 Rantakahvilan uusi tulokas.
Kaikki käy kuin sadussa. Alkuhankaluuksien jälkeen yritteliäästä ja hyväntahtoisesta Eviestä tulee täysivaltainen ja pidetty yhteisön jäsen. Kahvila menestyy: siellä aletaan pitää naisten iltoja, ruokakriitikko kirjoittaa suopean arvostelun ja pääseepä Beach Café valtakunnalliseen televisio-ohjelmaankin. Tämä pieni cornwallilainen kylä osoittaa, että yhteisöllisyys on edelleen Briteissä voimissaan.
Käypää kuunneltavaa tämäkin kesäromaani, mutta minulle vähän liiankin kepeä. Evien tarina saa pian jatkoa, sillä marraskuussa 2021 ilmestyy osa #2 Rantakahvilan uusi tulokas.
July 1, 2022
Absolutely adored this book. It was just what I needed during the rainy season to snuggle up with.
We follow Evie, who inherits a cafe from her aunt and tries to run the cafe with a lot of obstacles in her way. Lucy Diamond has this beautiful way of writing that immersed me into the setting and I could just imagine myself at the beachside cafe with the sun shining down on me or at the local pub drinking beer and having fish and chips. All the characters were so well fleshed out and absolutely believable.
The story was definitely predictable and nothing thrilling. But that’s what made it so cozy and relaxing to read. I loved the mundanity of it almond everything. And the detailed description of Evie’s everyday life at the beach cafe.
I have discovered a new favourite author and I cannot wait to read more books by her!
We follow Evie, who inherits a cafe from her aunt and tries to run the cafe with a lot of obstacles in her way. Lucy Diamond has this beautiful way of writing that immersed me into the setting and I could just imagine myself at the beachside cafe with the sun shining down on me or at the local pub drinking beer and having fish and chips. All the characters were so well fleshed out and absolutely believable.
The story was definitely predictable and nothing thrilling. But that’s what made it so cozy and relaxing to read. I loved the mundanity of it almond everything. And the detailed description of Evie’s everyday life at the beach cafe.
I have discovered a new favourite author and I cannot wait to read more books by her!
January 29, 2018
I have no idea why I decided to buy this book, but buy it I did.
Evie Flynn is a bit of a drifter. She has artistic tendencies and wanted to be an actress but has settled for temporary office work. She lives with her boyfriend in Oxford and has two older, prettier, more successful sisters who love to condescend to "poor Evie".
When Evie's aunt dies in a car accident she leaves her beach cafe in Cornwall to Evie, her favourite niece. Evie soon discovers that she can't leave the cafe to muddle along by itself, the existing employees aren't capable or reliable. Soon she has to make a hard decision, sell the cafe or move to Cornwall. But can she escape from her daydreams of a bucolic existence wafting around the cafe being glamorous and successful, long enough to actually learn how to use the coffee machine and make a bacon sandwich?
This is a lovely feel good story, a triumph of hope over adversity as Evie learns what it takes to run a business and becomes embedded in the local community.
I look forward to reading more in the series.
Evie Flynn is a bit of a drifter. She has artistic tendencies and wanted to be an actress but has settled for temporary office work. She lives with her boyfriend in Oxford and has two older, prettier, more successful sisters who love to condescend to "poor Evie".
When Evie's aunt dies in a car accident she leaves her beach cafe in Cornwall to Evie, her favourite niece. Evie soon discovers that she can't leave the cafe to muddle along by itself, the existing employees aren't capable or reliable. Soon she has to make a hard decision, sell the cafe or move to Cornwall. But can she escape from her daydreams of a bucolic existence wafting around the cafe being glamorous and successful, long enough to actually learn how to use the coffee machine and make a bacon sandwich?
This is a lovely feel good story, a triumph of hope over adversity as Evie learns what it takes to run a business and becomes embedded in the local community.
I look forward to reading more in the series.
April 16, 2018
Dit boek staat al heel lang in mijn currently reading. In de tussentijd heb ik nog andere boeken gelezen. Toen ik uiteindelijk weer verder ging lezen was het eigenlijk best makkelijk op te pakken, en ik had geen moeite om het verhaal steeds ergens opnieuw op te pakken.
Misschien ook doordat ik er lang over heb gedaan en het boek lange tijd heb weggelegd, dat ik het verhaal niet zo heel bijzonder vond. Het was makkelijk te lezen en te volgen, maar geen ander soort verhaal dan andere feelgood boeken.
Ik weet dat het een serie is, en misschien ga ik toch wel het vervolg lezen. Puur om er achter te komen wat er verder met Evie zal gebeuren.
In dit boek volgen we Evie die een cafe erft. Ondanks wat struggles vanuit haar werken en relatie besluit ze het cafe te houden en deze te runnen. Alle tegenslagen maakt Evie mee, maar ze maakt er wel wat van.
De vriendschappelijke en open sfeer die zich in het cafe voordoet, houdt zich het hele verhaal aan en dat is wel prettig om te lezen.
Al met al een prettig, niet moeilijk boek voor drukte of even niks bijzonders te lezen.
Misschien ook doordat ik er lang over heb gedaan en het boek lange tijd heb weggelegd, dat ik het verhaal niet zo heel bijzonder vond. Het was makkelijk te lezen en te volgen, maar geen ander soort verhaal dan andere feelgood boeken.
Ik weet dat het een serie is, en misschien ga ik toch wel het vervolg lezen. Puur om er achter te komen wat er verder met Evie zal gebeuren.
In dit boek volgen we Evie die een cafe erft. Ondanks wat struggles vanuit haar werken en relatie besluit ze het cafe te houden en deze te runnen. Alle tegenslagen maakt Evie mee, maar ze maakt er wel wat van.
De vriendschappelijke en open sfeer die zich in het cafe voordoet, houdt zich het hele verhaal aan en dat is wel prettig om te lezen.
Al met al een prettig, niet moeilijk boek voor drukte of even niks bijzonders te lezen.
October 15, 2016
It was ok.
The story started off interesting and then it just all became a bit dull, everything for the main character came way too easily. It was a chick lit without much drama. I did like the main plot, it just felt overly padded out by subplots - for me it might have made a better novella than novel.
The story started off interesting and then it just all became a bit dull, everything for the main character came way too easily. It was a chick lit without much drama. I did like the main plot, it just felt overly padded out by subplots - for me it might have made a better novella than novel.
June 20, 2021
This was so heart-warming to read.. The determination and fervor Evie displayed in making her place in a tight-knit community was amazing.. Building a café back up from the scratch definitely needed a strong willed person and Evie along with her little army did just that.. ❤️
October 7, 2022
I've had this book sitting on my shelf for years and I mean years.. 10-11 years and I never got around to reading it. It just got put further down on my shelves and forgotten about. After reading so many fantasy novels I felt like I needed a change and picked this one up for something different.. I'm so glad that I did! I loved it! It was such an easy read and I really felt like I could relate to Evie. It's definitely one Cafe I wish I could go visit that's for sure! I do wish it had a bigger love story though but also it was good that the story was mostly about the cafe.
Anyone looking for a fun, summer, beach read, this book is it!
Anyone looking for a fun, summer, beach read, this book is it!
July 25, 2025
Ouf! un livre hallmark...
May 21, 2025
Ideale zomerlectuur. vlot geschreven, aangename personages en een leuk, gevarieerd verhaal.
April 29, 2022
Não foi um grande amorzinho, mas foi uma leitura divertida e aconchegante! Muitas vezes parecia que estava lá na café lendo a historia dos personagens. rs
June 19, 2011
Whilst I am waiting for some of my favourite authors to release their new books I have found myself reading a few books by authors I have not tried before. I have just finished The Beach Café by Lucy Diamond. I have seen books by Lucy Diamond on the shelves before but they have never seemed to stick out for me until I came across this one which once I had read the blurb I decided to give it a try.
Plot
Evie Flynn is in a relationship which doesn't seem to be going anywhere and is also stuck in a job which she hates. Evie is thrown a life line when she receives tragic news that her dear aunt Jo has died in a car crash but has left her precious beach café to Evie. This is an opportunity for Evie to make something of her life. Surely she can run her aunts café how hard can it be?
Evie soon finds out that running the café although enjoyable is hard work and she is missing her life back home will she be able to stick out running her Beach Café or will she decide to sell up and head back home?
My Opinion
I was looking for a summer read, as a few people have asked me to recommend a great holiday read and although I have read some great reads recently I have yet to find one that has been released this year which really gets me in the holiday mood! This was why this book took my eye as I was sure with the title The Beach Café it was sure to get me in the right mood.
I found that the book had a slow start but by chapter 5 the book started to pick up its pace and I really started to slip into the story. The remainder of the book continued at a comfortable pace. Personally I felt that we didn't need the first part of the book as the story really started for me when Evie arrived in Cornwall.
The main character in this book is Evie. Her character was easy to warm to from the start of the book. She seems to be stuck in a rut and is unsure of what to do about it. She is the black sheep of her family and her family always seem to be sitting waiting for her next failure to happen. It was great to see the determination in Evie to prove to her family that she can achieve something without failing miserably. As the reader we can see that Evie's relationship with Matthew is going nowhere and I was glad that the relationship was not drawn out to long as I think this would have dampened the storyline.
I really enjoyed the mix of characters in this book and the relationship between Evie and the other characters come across so well. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Evie and her chef Ed and Phoebe who was a teenage homeless girl who Evie reached out to. I thought I knew what the outcome of Phoebe was going to be but I was wrong! Although Evie was our main character we did learn about each of the other characters stories which made each of the characters feel more meaningful. I was glad that the book wasn't predictable other than the romance side of things in this book which is why I found it very hard to put this book down.
I thought the storyline was perfect and enjoyable. the story being based in Cornwall was a nice touch and made the book feel more realistic with it being set in a familiar place.
I would recommend this book as a holiday read although a word of warning put it in your hand luggage as the book is 489 pages long so will damage your luggage allowance! After reading this book I will keep my eyes open for future book releases by Lucy Diamond.
Also on my book blog http://reabookreview.blogspot.com/
Plot
Evie Flynn is in a relationship which doesn't seem to be going anywhere and is also stuck in a job which she hates. Evie is thrown a life line when she receives tragic news that her dear aunt Jo has died in a car crash but has left her precious beach café to Evie. This is an opportunity for Evie to make something of her life. Surely she can run her aunts café how hard can it be?
Evie soon finds out that running the café although enjoyable is hard work and she is missing her life back home will she be able to stick out running her Beach Café or will she decide to sell up and head back home?
My Opinion
I was looking for a summer read, as a few people have asked me to recommend a great holiday read and although I have read some great reads recently I have yet to find one that has been released this year which really gets me in the holiday mood! This was why this book took my eye as I was sure with the title The Beach Café it was sure to get me in the right mood.
I found that the book had a slow start but by chapter 5 the book started to pick up its pace and I really started to slip into the story. The remainder of the book continued at a comfortable pace. Personally I felt that we didn't need the first part of the book as the story really started for me when Evie arrived in Cornwall.
The main character in this book is Evie. Her character was easy to warm to from the start of the book. She seems to be stuck in a rut and is unsure of what to do about it. She is the black sheep of her family and her family always seem to be sitting waiting for her next failure to happen. It was great to see the determination in Evie to prove to her family that she can achieve something without failing miserably. As the reader we can see that Evie's relationship with Matthew is going nowhere and I was glad that the relationship was not drawn out to long as I think this would have dampened the storyline.
I really enjoyed the mix of characters in this book and the relationship between Evie and the other characters come across so well. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Evie and her chef Ed and Phoebe who was a teenage homeless girl who Evie reached out to. I thought I knew what the outcome of Phoebe was going to be but I was wrong! Although Evie was our main character we did learn about each of the other characters stories which made each of the characters feel more meaningful. I was glad that the book wasn't predictable other than the romance side of things in this book which is why I found it very hard to put this book down.
I thought the storyline was perfect and enjoyable. the story being based in Cornwall was a nice touch and made the book feel more realistic with it being set in a familiar place.
I would recommend this book as a holiday read although a word of warning put it in your hand luggage as the book is 489 pages long so will damage your luggage allowance! After reading this book I will keep my eyes open for future book releases by Lucy Diamond.
Also on my book blog http://reabookreview.blogspot.com/
February 25, 2023
De 32-jarige Evie ziet zichzelf als het zwarte schaap van de familie, als het buitenbeentje zonder hypotheek, fulltimebaan, echtgenoot of kind om haar tekortkomingen mee te compenseren. Ze heeft het gevoel dat ze leeft zonder echt te léven, zonder echt gelukkig te zijn, zonder een concreet doel te hebben. Maar dan overlijdt haar lievelingstante plotseling en Evie erft haar strandcafé in Cornwall. Ze is erg verdrietig en ze voelt zich schuldig omdat ze daar al heel lang niet meer op bezoek is geweest, maar ze ziet dit ook als de ultieme kans om haar leven om te gooien en succesvol te worden, zodat ze haar ogenschijnlijk perfecte familie eindelijk eens trots kan maken.
Eenmaal aangekomen in Carrawen Bay heeft ze al snel door dat er een grote uitdaging op haar wacht: het café kan wel wat liefde en een opknapbeurt gebruiken, het personeel is ongeïnteresseerd en alles dreigt bergafwaarts te gaan. Evie wordt onder druk gezet om de zaak te verkopen, maar ze is vastbesloten om er wat van te maken. Niet iedereen in haar omgeving staat achter die keuze, ze krijgt weinig steun en Evie moet een hoop moeilijke keuzes maken en vooral heel hard werken, maar dat kan ze. Wordt haar missie een fiasco of een triomf?
Evie is een erg fijn personage: ze heeft een lief, zorgzaam karakter, ze is een echte doorzetter en wil alles aanpakken, ze heeft oog voor de mensen om haar heen en brengt ze samen, ze is begripvol en bij vlagen onzeker, maar ze weet toch ook heel goed wat ze wil. Ze is wat onhandig, impulsief, chaotisch en grappig, een herkenbaar, levensecht personage dat je vrijwel meteen mag. Je wordt meegenomen in haar gevoelens, twijfels en overwegingen, en hoewel niet al haar beslissingen even handig zijn, begrijp je haar wel en gun je haar het beste. Ze probeert altijd het goede van een situatie te zien en ze blijft aardig, zelfs wanneer je verwacht dat ze eens flink uit haar slof gaat schieten. Toch werkt haar aanpak wel en moeten meerdere mensen hun oordeel over haar herzien.
Er zijn heel wat obstakels te overwinnen, er volgen missers en successen en zodra Evie het vertrouwen van de gemeenschap begint te winnen, komt de warme kant van de lokale bevolking ook naar boven. De interactie tussen de personages is leuk, de dialogen zijn levendig en door bijzondere ontmoetingen, confrontaties met het verleden, nieuwe initiatieven, samenwerking, echte vriendschap, geheimen en een vleugje liefde is dit verhaal mooi in balans en krijg je dat heerlijke feelgood-gevoel.
De sfeer doet me denken aan een mix van de boeken van Jill Mansell, Jenny Colgan en Debbie Johnson, door de fijne, vlotte en meeslepende schrijfstijl is deze zomerse feelgood vrijwel niet aan de kant te leggen en de lichte voorspelbaarheid zorgt voor pure ontspanning terwijl de auteur ook wat verrassingen in petto heeft. Dit mooie, hartverwarmende en humoristische verhaal over een erfenis, het vertrouwen in jezelf terugvinden en een nieuw begin is dan ook een echte aanrader!
Eenmaal aangekomen in Carrawen Bay heeft ze al snel door dat er een grote uitdaging op haar wacht: het café kan wel wat liefde en een opknapbeurt gebruiken, het personeel is ongeïnteresseerd en alles dreigt bergafwaarts te gaan. Evie wordt onder druk gezet om de zaak te verkopen, maar ze is vastbesloten om er wat van te maken. Niet iedereen in haar omgeving staat achter die keuze, ze krijgt weinig steun en Evie moet een hoop moeilijke keuzes maken en vooral heel hard werken, maar dat kan ze. Wordt haar missie een fiasco of een triomf?
Evie is een erg fijn personage: ze heeft een lief, zorgzaam karakter, ze is een echte doorzetter en wil alles aanpakken, ze heeft oog voor de mensen om haar heen en brengt ze samen, ze is begripvol en bij vlagen onzeker, maar ze weet toch ook heel goed wat ze wil. Ze is wat onhandig, impulsief, chaotisch en grappig, een herkenbaar, levensecht personage dat je vrijwel meteen mag. Je wordt meegenomen in haar gevoelens, twijfels en overwegingen, en hoewel niet al haar beslissingen even handig zijn, begrijp je haar wel en gun je haar het beste. Ze probeert altijd het goede van een situatie te zien en ze blijft aardig, zelfs wanneer je verwacht dat ze eens flink uit haar slof gaat schieten. Toch werkt haar aanpak wel en moeten meerdere mensen hun oordeel over haar herzien.
Er zijn heel wat obstakels te overwinnen, er volgen missers en successen en zodra Evie het vertrouwen van de gemeenschap begint te winnen, komt de warme kant van de lokale bevolking ook naar boven. De interactie tussen de personages is leuk, de dialogen zijn levendig en door bijzondere ontmoetingen, confrontaties met het verleden, nieuwe initiatieven, samenwerking, echte vriendschap, geheimen en een vleugje liefde is dit verhaal mooi in balans en krijg je dat heerlijke feelgood-gevoel.
De sfeer doet me denken aan een mix van de boeken van Jill Mansell, Jenny Colgan en Debbie Johnson, door de fijne, vlotte en meeslepende schrijfstijl is deze zomerse feelgood vrijwel niet aan de kant te leggen en de lichte voorspelbaarheid zorgt voor pure ontspanning terwijl de auteur ook wat verrassingen in petto heeft. Dit mooie, hartverwarmende en humoristische verhaal over een erfenis, het vertrouwen in jezelf terugvinden en een nieuw begin is dan ook een echte aanrader!
June 26, 2015
I wasn't sure I'd like this book as I've only just started introducing some chick lit books back into my reading, as after a long stressful day I need some easy fluffy reading that doesn't require much brain power. I don't mean that in a sneery look down my nose snobby kind of way, as chick lit can be great. It's definitely my guilty little secret again.
Anyway I'll get to the book! It's centred around Evie a woman whose life is stuck in a bit of a rut and feels like she's the black sheep of her family. Her boyfriend seems disinterested, she hates her job, has enrolled in a teaching reading course for lack of any other choices and feels a failure compared to her sisters and their "perfect" lives.
She suddenly inherits a beachside cafe down in a seaside village in Cornwall and initially thinks she can manage it from Oxford.
Well I won't go into too much detail or that'll defeat the need to read it - but the remainder of the book is following Evies new life.
Evies quite an identifiable character and I'm sure many readers will fall in love with the bay and the characters. The descriptions of the bay make it seem extremely vivid and you really can imagine how it looks and practically smell the ocean and feel the sea breeze. It also made me crave pasties and delicious cakes and I really think it will make me actually attempt some baking.
I think this book is perfect holiday reading material and escapism. I used to believe living in a picturesque destination would be perfect. Until I lived in a postcard perfect place and was bored stiff once I realised there was nothing beneath the surface and while it was great for a holiday, it wasn't ideal (for me anyway) as a permanent thing. However Evies village sounds lovely and almost makes me want to move to Cornwall ;)
As it's now December and in the run up to Christmas and I enjoyed this book, I'm now going to read Lucy Diamonds follow up books -Christmas at the beach cafe. I'm really looking forward to revisiting the characters and seeing where they are now up to with their lives. Hopefully they'll be some mouth watering descriptions of delicious Christmas food that'll make it feel more Christmassy. As being in Australia in the sun and heat for another few weeks, I need all the help I can to evoke the sense of Christmas and hopefully Lucy Diamonds books can help.
Anyway I'll get to the book! It's centred around Evie a woman whose life is stuck in a bit of a rut and feels like she's the black sheep of her family. Her boyfriend seems disinterested, she hates her job, has enrolled in a teaching reading course for lack of any other choices and feels a failure compared to her sisters and their "perfect" lives.
She suddenly inherits a beachside cafe down in a seaside village in Cornwall and initially thinks she can manage it from Oxford.
Well I won't go into too much detail or that'll defeat the need to read it - but the remainder of the book is following Evies new life.
Evies quite an identifiable character and I'm sure many readers will fall in love with the bay and the characters. The descriptions of the bay make it seem extremely vivid and you really can imagine how it looks and practically smell the ocean and feel the sea breeze. It also made me crave pasties and delicious cakes and I really think it will make me actually attempt some baking.
I think this book is perfect holiday reading material and escapism. I used to believe living in a picturesque destination would be perfect. Until I lived in a postcard perfect place and was bored stiff once I realised there was nothing beneath the surface and while it was great for a holiday, it wasn't ideal (for me anyway) as a permanent thing. However Evies village sounds lovely and almost makes me want to move to Cornwall ;)
As it's now December and in the run up to Christmas and I enjoyed this book, I'm now going to read Lucy Diamonds follow up books -Christmas at the beach cafe. I'm really looking forward to revisiting the characters and seeing where they are now up to with their lives. Hopefully they'll be some mouth watering descriptions of delicious Christmas food that'll make it feel more Christmassy. As being in Australia in the sun and heat for another few weeks, I need all the help I can to evoke the sense of Christmas and hopefully Lucy Diamonds books can help.
February 3, 2022
Cakes cakes cakes! What more could I want in a book!
The Beach Cafe was a dream read for me. I felt like I had always known Evie from the very first page. One of those books that you can simply slip straight in and it feels effortless to read.
Evie’s aunt Jo dies suddenly in a car accident, leading to Evie being left Jo’s beach cafe down in Cornwall. Memories of many happy seaside holidays at Jo’s beach cafe makes Evie dream of how it could be, standing behind the counter with a full cafe of happy customers however her family are quick to assume that Evie will just simply sell up. Deciding to prove them wrong and that she isn’t the black sheep of the family, Evie heads to Cornwall to put her all into keeping the cafe running and Jo’s memory alive along with it.
I love love love a Lucy Diamond book and this is just another corker of a read. I loved everything about this, heartwarming, relatable characters, set in a little village in beautiful Cornwall and a story with twists and turns that you won’t expect. I really struggled to put this down.
As I said above I really warmed to Evie, such a caring person and I wanted nothing but the best for her. All the characters were bloody lovely in fact.. even Betty! No matter how small a character, I really enjoyed having snippets of their back story included. Call me nosy but I just have to know everything about everyone!
Lucy’s writing is fabulous and her story telling is simply brilliant. I am so happy to hear that there is more to read of Evie and I cannot wait to get started.
The Beach Cafe was a dream read for me. I felt like I had always known Evie from the very first page. One of those books that you can simply slip straight in and it feels effortless to read.
Evie’s aunt Jo dies suddenly in a car accident, leading to Evie being left Jo’s beach cafe down in Cornwall. Memories of many happy seaside holidays at Jo’s beach cafe makes Evie dream of how it could be, standing behind the counter with a full cafe of happy customers however her family are quick to assume that Evie will just simply sell up. Deciding to prove them wrong and that she isn’t the black sheep of the family, Evie heads to Cornwall to put her all into keeping the cafe running and Jo’s memory alive along with it.
I love love love a Lucy Diamond book and this is just another corker of a read. I loved everything about this, heartwarming, relatable characters, set in a little village in beautiful Cornwall and a story with twists and turns that you won’t expect. I really struggled to put this down.
As I said above I really warmed to Evie, such a caring person and I wanted nothing but the best for her. All the characters were bloody lovely in fact.. even Betty! No matter how small a character, I really enjoyed having snippets of their back story included. Call me nosy but I just have to know everything about everyone!
Lucy’s writing is fabulous and her story telling is simply brilliant. I am so happy to hear that there is more to read of Evie and I cannot wait to get started.
December 17, 2017
Well, I don't read chic lit because it's deep and realistic, but I always want believable stories. The beach café was a nice read for most parts, but I became annoyed about how every detail was perfect in the end, not "good" but "impressive".
Example 1 of annoyance: Every person in the whole world loved, not "accepted" but "loved" main charachter Evie (who, by the way, seems to be an alcoholic since she got drunk every day, but she runs her new business successful anyway).
Example 2 of annoyance: Aunt Jo ran the café successfully for decades (with terrible employees), but the idea of have it open in the evenings nerver occured to her. And no one in the whole neighbourhood thought of asking if they could have birthday party/book club-meeting/art show there before Evie owned the place.
Example 3 of annoyance: The love-story. I'm sorry, but I didn't "feel" the romance. There were descriptions of the physical attraction, but not the butterflies in the stomach at the sight of Ed (just something about his good looks) or anything that make me feel the love on another level than just as a human need for activities in bed.
But, as I wrote before; it's a nice read that had me entertained for a while!
Example 1 of annoyance: Every person in the whole world loved, not "accepted" but "loved" main charachter Evie (who, by the way, seems to be an alcoholic since she got drunk every day, but she runs her new business successful anyway).
Example 2 of annoyance: Aunt Jo ran the café successfully for decades (with terrible employees), but the idea of have it open in the evenings nerver occured to her. And no one in the whole neighbourhood thought of asking if they could have birthday party/book club-meeting/art show there before Evie owned the place.
Example 3 of annoyance: The love-story. I'm sorry, but I didn't "feel" the romance. There were descriptions of the physical attraction, but not the butterflies in the stomach at the sight of Ed (just something about his good looks) or anything that make me feel the love on another level than just as a human need for activities in bed.
But, as I wrote before; it's a nice read that had me entertained for a while!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2019
Historien handler om Evie Flynn som arver sin tane’s kafe i Cornwall. Evie må finne ut hva hun egentlig vil. Skal hun flytte til Cornwall og drive kafè uten kjæresten Matthew eller fortsette som før i en jobb hun synes er meningsløs.
Handlingen tar oss med i prosessen med å finne ny retning og mening i livet. Hvordan Evie kjemper med seg selv i de store avgjørelsene hun trenger å ta. Hvordan det føles å bli en del av en landsby av mennesker i Cornwall som hadde et nært forhold til hennes tante.
Så dukker Ed opp som en super hjelp i kjøkkenet. Evie’s forhold til ham bidrar til et mysterie ettersom han ikke vil åpne opp om hvem han er, hvor han kommer fra eller hva hans plan er. Evie skjønner fra måten han lager mat på at han må ha god bakgrunn fra enten kafè eller restaurant, men hun får ham ikke til å snakke om det i første omgang.
Etter hvert som historien utvikler seg blir det mer klart hva Evie vil med kafèen og hvilke valg hun føler er riktig for fremtiden. Hun tilpasser seg nærmiljøet i Cornwall og ikke minst blir bedre kjent med Ed.
Standkafèen kan anbefales til alle som liker Lucy Diamond’s bøker og generelt til lesere som liker chick lit bøker.
(Omtalen inneholder kun mine egne meninger).
Handlingen tar oss med i prosessen med å finne ny retning og mening i livet. Hvordan Evie kjemper med seg selv i de store avgjørelsene hun trenger å ta. Hvordan det føles å bli en del av en landsby av mennesker i Cornwall som hadde et nært forhold til hennes tante.
Så dukker Ed opp som en super hjelp i kjøkkenet. Evie’s forhold til ham bidrar til et mysterie ettersom han ikke vil åpne opp om hvem han er, hvor han kommer fra eller hva hans plan er. Evie skjønner fra måten han lager mat på at han må ha god bakgrunn fra enten kafè eller restaurant, men hun får ham ikke til å snakke om det i første omgang.
Etter hvert som historien utvikler seg blir det mer klart hva Evie vil med kafèen og hvilke valg hun føler er riktig for fremtiden. Hun tilpasser seg nærmiljøet i Cornwall og ikke minst blir bedre kjent med Ed.
Standkafèen kan anbefales til alle som liker Lucy Diamond’s bøker og generelt til lesere som liker chick lit bøker.
(Omtalen inneholder kun mine egne meninger).
December 26, 2023
Evie Flynn – the black sheep of her family. Unlike her older successful sisters, she’s known as the dreamer.
She’s tried all sorts of things to make a name for herself but nothing ever works out. She finds herself stuff, with life just passing her by.
When her aunt Jo passes away unexpectendly, Evie finds out she has left her beach cafe to her. Evie is determined to make it a success, something she has struggled with all her life, but she soon finds more than she bargained for.
Read the full review here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2022/...
She’s tried all sorts of things to make a name for herself but nothing ever works out. She finds herself stuff, with life just passing her by.
When her aunt Jo passes away unexpectendly, Evie finds out she has left her beach cafe to her. Evie is determined to make it a success, something she has struggled with all her life, but she soon finds more than she bargained for.
Read the full review here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2022/...
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