A Match Made in Devon by Cathy Bramley

I was surprisingly swept away by this book.  It closely follows the genre formula but somehow the author manages to make you immune to that aspect of it and you do find yourself rooting for Nina.  I think this is because Nina is both physically and emotionally clumsy and she feels real on the page.  It helps that Brightside Cove is truly idyllic and chock full of eccentric characters but rather than becoming a parody of a rural village it feels vibrant and just real enough.

There is a lot going on in the book too.  From Nina's burgeoning acting career, to a Mermaid School, setting up a Holiday Let business, saving a forlorn Lifeboat Shed and romance, plenty of romance.  There are lots of cautionary tales here too - the fallout of celebrity, the loss of a child, the suppressing of your needs and wants to try and match up to family.  Honestly, there are a lot of balls in the air here but the author manages to deal with them all particularly well.  Unfortunately, it did feel like one or two strands too much at times.

It is definitely a fun book that made me smirk rather than laugh - particularly the scene in the Agent's office with Nina's arch-nemesis.  The relationships in the book do have a tendency to feel forced rather organic at times and presented the odd stumbling block in my reading enjoyment.

On the whole it is fun, light and enjoyable.  Beware though, you will find yourself staying up just that little bit later than you should or missing your commute stop as it does suck you in to the world.  For once it is a world where the tide DOES come in!