Starting Over in Cariad Cove

Cariad Cove Village #2

by Darcie Boleyn

A freelance travel writer, Hannah rarely stays in one place long enough to call it home. After a childhood of moving between foster homes, her nomadic lifestyle means no lasting connections, keeping her fears of losing loved ones at bay. So when Hannah's work takes her to Cariad Cove, it's just another job.

Will loves being a dad. It's just him and his wilful six-year-old, Beti, but their family of two has love enough to keep them happy. When Will meets Hannah, attraction ignites, but one woman has already left Beti behind - he can't have it happen again.

Hannah will soon be moving on, meaning there's no future for her and Will despite their sizzling chemistry. It will take a leap of faith for them to believe in each other. Could one summer at Cariad Cove change their lives forever?

Genres: Audiobook

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2022

About the author

Darcie Boleyn has a huge heart and is a real softy. She never fails to cry at books and movies, whether the ending is happy or not. Darcie is in possession of an overactive imagination that often keeps her awake at night. Her childhood dream was to become a Jedi but she hasn’t yet found suitable transport to take her to a galaxy far, far away. She also has reservations about how she’d look in a gold bikini, as she rather enjoys red wine, cheese and loves anything with ginger or cherries in it – especially chocolate. Darcie fell in love in New York, got married in the snow, rescues uncoordinated greyhounds and can usually be found reading or typing away on her laptop.

Reviews

[Sarah Kingsnorth · Rating 5 out of 5]



STARTING OVER IN CARIAD COVE
BY
DARCIE BOLEYN.

This is book two in Darcie Boleyn’s cosy series set in Cariad Bay.
Starting Over In Cariad Cove, can be read as a stand alone story, but I’d always suggest reading a series in order to get the best from the book.

The Plot: Hannah is a successful travel writer, who finds herself in Wales, staying at Cariad Cove.
Hannah has never felt at home anywhere and has had a tough time growing up.
Seduced by the charms of Cariad Cove and its inhabitants, will Hannah stick to her plan and move on to her next assignment? Or will Hannah finally find a place to call home and the love of a good man?

My Thoughts:
There is nothing not to like in this heartwarming story.
It’s well written, with some delightful characters.
I truly felt for Hannah. She’d had a tough life.
It was good to catch up with old characters too.

This book has the nicest of settings. Wales really is that lush!

Over all, this is a heartwarming tale, that will make you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy.

Delightful!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out now on all formats.

With thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for a digital arc of this title.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect summer read, cute characters, great story and romance, set in wales , what more could you want , oh pets and emotional, yep this has it all, you will want to dive right in.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting Over in Cariad Cove by Darcie Boleyn is a charming feel-good story about a woman desperately searching for a place to belong. Hannah was a travel writer and a good one. Having to family or anything to hold her back she was ready to go at a moment’s notice so that made her really appealing. She is in West Wales having taken over this assignment from someone who was pregnant and too ill to travel. She was not totally excited about it but it was good to be near the sea. Shortly she met Ffion, the daughter of the owners of the hotel and a lovely young woman who had grown up her in Cariad Cove but had left for a number of years. She seemed a little sad but very happy. Hannah wan’t really sure why. She coaxed Hannah to start running again and through her Hannah met Will and his daughter, Beti, with whom she fell in love immediately. They became friends and since Will was a teacher, they both had the next six weeks off for the summer holiday, so Hannah joined them on some of their excursions.

Hannah was a complex character: her mother had died when she was ten; she lived in foster homes where she managed but did not thrive; she went through a period of drinking and partying and accidentally got pregnant and miscarried before she’s even realized she was carrying a child. It broke her and her life was changed completely. Will’s partner had left him when Beti was a toddler and he was over her, but he wasn’t really over the situation. They were perfect for one another, if only they realized it before she had to leave Cariad Cove to return home. It was a gentle romance and an inspiring one. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Starting Over in Cariad Cove by Canelo, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Canelo #DarcieBoleyn #StartingOverInCariadCove

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The h is a travel writer who came to Cariad Cove to write about the Summer Festival, named, Hannah (Banana) k nickname. The H is Will Hopkins a History teacher and a single Dad who lives in Swansea but likes to run on the beach at Cariad Cove.

Hannah was orphaned at 10 and spent 6 years in foster care. She went to college and became a writer specializing in travel writing. She sells her articles to magazines.

Will was in a relationship with a girl from college and she had their daughter Beti but left them for a surfer and moved to Australia. This hurt both he and Beti.

Both Hannah and Will had trust issues about getting close to another person.
They are attracted to one another and spend time together over the Cariad Cove summer festival. This is a slow burn beautiful feel good romance with lots of sweet and happy moments.

I gave this four stars. This author is good about writing heartwarming nostalgic scenes about loss, fears and taking a chance on a relationship and rescue dogs and cats.

[Dave Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and Captivating

What a great follow on from the first book of this series. You don't need to have read the first one to read this book, as it can be read standalone.
Another great story by Darcie and I loved the characters. Beti was a gem of a character and I loved how the story unfolded. Emotional towards the end, but such a great read.
The story is centred around a visiting travel writer and a teacher, who is a single parent with a young daughter. I enjoyed the way the story evolved and you learned more about them as it developed.
A full 5/5 for me

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook.

This was a lovely story, well written, emotional and heartfelt in places. I enjoyed getting to know the characters of Hannah, Will and little six-year-old, Beti who was a sweetie and seeing them all interact with each other. Was also a treat to be reacquainted with characters from book 1 being Fiona and Joe, lovely to see how they were both getting on.

This is in fact book 2 of a 2 book series but they can be read as standalone.

The narrator was great, she told the story well and it ran smoothly.

[Darci Kester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely story. Hannah and Will are such a cute couple. Both have traumas in their past that they need to work through, but they work so well together and, along with Will’s daughter, Beti, are just adorable together. And I really enjoyed seeing Hannah find her place, turning new friends into family.

This was a quick, feel-good read and made me smile, which is exactly what I was looking for today.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice romance overall, about a woman with a hard childhood who learns to open herself up to friendship and love. Good characters. I felt it dragged a bit at times restating her past and experience more than felt needed. But a good read.

Full disclosure- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Darcie Boleyn's stories and this one was poignant and sweet.
Hannah is a sort of drifter terrified by losing someone she cares for. Cariad Cove is the place where her fears are challenged.
I liked the characters and the story made me smile and move.
I cant' wait to read the next one
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Jenn Webley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rom-com at its loveliest here. Two strangers meet, each with their own backstory difficulties and the chemistry is instant. After a glorious summer, the time comes for normality to resume, but can it?!

Loved the characters, the community sounds stunning and well Beti had me in absolute stitches.

[Psalmea Vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

middd but the summer vibes are so gooddd. pero its average, it's something na makakalimutan ko in a week. Still cute though cause it has dogs hihi

Idk why pero medyo na cringe ako sa serious usap nila maybe its a me problem 🤷‍♀️

[Susan Elkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gower Peninsula

A lovely story of friendship can turn to love and happiness to becoming a real family in a small Welsh community

[Jane loves to read · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading both books in the Cariad Cove series you can’t help but be filled with a warm glow. Eventually love has a way of working out if you are prepared to open your heart.

[Carol Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical love story. Found it a bit slow and boring

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting Over in Cariad Cove by Darcie Boleyn aka Cathy Lake

This was such a lovely uplifting read that had me daydreaming about warmer weather and a summer by the sea 🏖

The story follows Hannah, a freelance travel writer, as she experiences everything Cariad Cove has to offer, including the attention of handsome, down to earth, single Dad Will.

Hannah has never had a real place to call home, since her mum passed away when she was younger, but there's just something about Cariad Cove that connects with Hannah, she just needs to take a leap of faith ❤️

The characters in this book are lovely and wholesome and little Beti, Will's daughter, absolutely steals the show.

A slow burn romance that tugs at you heartstrings, and follows on perfectly from the first book in the series ✨️

[klaudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75⭐️
Fun, just wish the characters had more than 2 personality traits each that were repeated every other paragraph throughout the whole book

[Book Escapes Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having adored my previous visit to Cariad Cove, I instinctively knew that I was going to be in for a treat. The environment and characters, that Darcie Boleyn created in the first book, return to add a special kind of magic for book two.
This time, we meet travel writer Hannah and single parent Will, with his adorable daughter, Beti. This gentle romance takes its time before even introducing Hannah to Will and Beti. It felt right that I got to know these wonderful characters first, before they developed their chemistry.
When Darcie Boleyn creates new characters, they always feel fully considered and their development is complete. This book matches that criteria and I honestly felt that I knew each of them like old friends.
What I really loved about this story is the way that Will and Hannah dealt with each other’s stories. Each of them was carrying a weight of emotional baggage that was difficult to comprehend. Will struggled with feelings of rejection and not being good enough, whilst Hannah was still grieving for her lost childhood and guarded a secret that she found overwhelming. As they accepted each other’s pasts, they helped to heal themselves.
Of course, there are pet adoptions and another trip to the animal sanctuary to enjoy. Sadly, I still can’t get involved in the couch to 5K, but I was certainly cheering them along! This beautiful story slips easily into my favourites and I hope there’ll be more in this series.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was ok. I felt the romance was very rushed at the end. The characters never really connected or were honest with each other. Hannah was asking Wills friends very personal info about him instead of talking to him directly. It was kind of odd that a child brought up leg shaving something like three times, why is a seven year old so focused on adults leg hair? Why not have her ask about her dads leg hair?

Overall this just didn’t work for me.

[samantha • insomniabungalow • · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried and failed to finish this a few times. There was to much information overload and not enough plot for the first 17% and then when the MCs finally met, the chemistry was bland and I couldn't connect with the male character, too subdued for my liking. I will try again in the future, but for now I'm afraid it's a DNF for me.