Escape to the Art Café: A page-turning summer romance

Enjoyed every page. Loved reading all three books. Each story is so different but with the thread of love running deeply through. This book takes you on a journey so real it takes a moment when you finish to realise you didn't actually leave your house! Beautifully written, characters that we all know and love and can relate to. Open the book but take yourself away somewhere to enjoy it without interruption! You'll not want to put it downonce you've started.

I may have hurdled a book or two on my #TBR pile to get to this sooner rather than later, because I couldn’t wait any longer! I was not disappointed – Wonderfully written captivating the essence of relationships, friendships and love.Sue whisks us to Wales on a stolen motorbike to revisit the Art Cafe and a delightful holiday home that you will not want to leave. Flora is engaging to read about, she is formidable, feisty and endearing, like a pocket rocket in a cotton summer dress. Jake pitches up, full of lifeguard muscle, tenacity and more than a little uncertainty having returned to his grandparents hotel and trying to find his purpose in the changed setting. Old jealousies, new love and dastardly deeds are tied up in this inspiring and heart lifting novel.This is the third outing of stories set in Wales and each time I fall in love with yet more characters and the whole charming setting of Sue’s imagination.Each book stands alone, so don’t worry about reading them in order, but just make sure you do read them, you will not be disappointed.Wonderful!

Another great read

Enjoyable read didn’t want to put it down. Love the connections to the other books but you don’t need to have read them

What I especially like about Sue’s writing is her ear not just for dialogue, but for her characters’ internal monologue. This gives you a real insight into their personalities and motivations and also helps you empathise with them. I love Flora, the eternal blurter (me too!) and I obviously cared about her and her friends, because *spoiler alert* I was in tears at the end of the book. Damn you Sue McDonagh! 😂. Sue’s writing also gives a great sense of place and I can just picture the lovely seaside town and the faded ramshackle elegance of the hotel. Having read the previous two novels in this series, it was lovely to see how the characters from those books had developed and moved on and how they were skilfully woven into Flora and Jake’s story. I devoured this book in three sittings and was sorry when there were no more pages to turn.

The third in a series, this feel-good, uplifting novel may easily be read as a stand-alone. The author writes with pace and humour to keep the reader turning the pages. However, for me, her strength is in her charcterisation. Ms McDonagh creates multi-layered characters whom you care about. I sometimes cringed when Flora was so outspoken, but knew that she had a sensitive side that endeared her to the reader. I so admired her energy and zest for life. Both Flora and Jake are characters I really warmed to and as their backstories are revealed, I came to understand more about them. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Gower peninsular and with a great twist towards the end, the theme of community runs through the whole novel. I enjoyed it immensely.

I do so love the Art Cafe series. The characters are so well written I want to sit down in the cafe with them and have a chat over that gorgeous sounding afternoon tea. Just another example of Choc-Lit’s amazing stable of fantastic books and even more awesome writers.Plucky Flora is a character we would all love to be. She is honest, sometimes to a fault, but is such a pocket rocket that she gets away with it. And where do I even start with dreamboat Jake? Yum. Can you send me one of those please. This is just a lovely all round sweet romance. A bit of angst in the middle makes for a riveting story. Thank you again Sue.

Although each of Sue McDonagh’s Art Cafe books are wonderful stand alone stories. If you have read them in order of print, as I have, you will find yourself bumping into old friends. I loved catching up again with Lucy, Ash and Daisy, plus Jo, Ed and Liam. This latest story took a turn I was not expecting and at the same time has introduced us to Flora and Jake and their families. Lovely cosy stories to escape into. I have read every one of Sue McDonagh’s books and they never disappoint. I eagerly await her next one and I am looking forward to hopefully seeing more of these characters.