Two Weddings and a Baby by Scarlett Bailey
There are lots and lots of wonderful things about this new book by Scarlett Bailey. The first is that author, Scarlett, alias Rowan Coleman is one of my favourite authors and never fails to disappoint this particular reader. The second is that this novel is set in Cornwall, my most favourite place in the world. Add to the mix a wonderful cast of colourful characters, beautiful scenery, a wedding and a baby and what could possibly fail this as a magnificent read? Answer, nothing. I loved it and devoured it greedily, eating up the story, the humour, the love, the sadness and generally the everyday common things that make life what it is and which Scarlett Bailey portrays so brilliantly.
The very beginning sucked me right in as if I was right there in Cornwall, imagining the rain and the crashing Atlantic, the quaint stone of the houses, picture postcard villages but still so beautiful...but not particularly to Tamsyn, our heroine, who arrives back in her home village after a five year absence for her brother’s wedding. In the intervening years Tamsyn has been in Paris working for a fashion house and the one thing she wanted on her return to Poldore was to look the part of a fashion connoisseur, stylish and sophisticated. Unfortunately, the torrential rain has other ideas and her look proves to be more drowned rat than fashionista and as she takes a detour to the churchyard before reuniting with her family in the local pub she has an impromptu meeting with the vicar which sets the pace for the next few days as one event after another occurs; for not only does Tamsyn learn to confront the past and the reasons she left Poldore and make peace with them and her brother, she starts to rethink her Paris life, sees Poldore in a new light as the village comes together in the wake of flooding and evacuation and finds a tender side to herself when she rescues baby Mo and finds herself falling in love. It’s safe to say that life is not as dull in Poldore as she thought and for us readers it is a rollercoaster of emotion and laughter as we meet the wonderful villagers and the main cast of characters who are not quite as they first appear for underneath spiky exteriors lie soft and loving interiors and even the most organised and efficient appearing people have their heartaches that they hide from the world. As emotions are laid bare and truths tumble out the sense of wellbeing mounts to establish a heart-warming feel good factor for characters and readers alike.
The truly special thing about these characters is that they are entirely believable, none are faultless and they all have their idiosyncrasies and secrets which make them endearing and a joy to read about. I could picture Poldore so clearly, smell the sea, feel the fear of the villagers as their homes are deluged with water but then the sense of togetherness and caring was also very tangible and just made me wish to belong to such a place. Scarlett Bailey understands and writes about human nature so well and the empathetic nature of her writing emphasises that time and time again making readers simply lose themselves in the lives of her amazing characters.
More please.

With thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.