Sun, Sea and Strawberry Shortcake by Rosie Green

This is one of my favourite series of books. Each and every character is lively, vibrant and believable. Each story works well as a standalone despite some regular recurring characters and overlap in terms of events and themes. I love the gorgeous covers and the fun titles, which link to the overall uplifting mood of the books.

Blurb:

It was meant to be a gloriously romantic getaway for Ruby and Hudson. That was the plan, anyway. But then friends start inviting themselves along, lured by the idea of unwinding in a chocolate-box pretty cottage, enjoying the promenade and the gorgeous beaches, and soaking up the sun. With Ellie, Jaz, Katja and Madison popping up around every corner, a work emergency for Hudson plus another sinister mystery to solve, will the lovebirds ever find time to indulge their desire for sun, sea and . . . strawberry shortcake?

My thoughts:

What appears to be an idyllic and romantic holiday, with the added bonus or complexity (depending how you look at it) of having some of your best friends nearby, quickly becomes much more mysterious and complicated.

The multiple perspectives work well to increase the pace of the story and share different aspects of the plot. It also ensures that the reader is not omniscient and is left to make their own predictions about a number of different mysteries that are occurring. Why is Hudson spending so much time with Joanna? Who are bothering Bee and Jodie? Can Jaz and Harry move forward?

I loved the fact that the story raised so many questions and for much of the book, these questions remain unanswered as quite literally ‘the plot thickens.’ Hudson and Ruby are two of my favourite characters from the entire series thus far and I was really hoping that their holiday would be a success at bringing them even closer.

I was angered then by snakey Joanna who just seemed to be getting in the way, and I even found myself annoyed with Hudson as he appeared too ‘wet’ and nice to put his foot down and say no.

I found myself flying through this one once again to find out the conclusion. A fast paced and entertaining read, there are definitely a couple of twists that you won’t predict.

I absolutely adore this series. They are easy, uplifting reads and I love the mix of mystery, romance and friendship that Rosie explores. As always, I am already excited for the next installment!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

J