A Seaside Affair Review and interview with Fern Britton

Today on the blog I am talking to Fern Britton about her new release A Seaside Affair.

1. I have just finished reading your new book A Seaside Affair and I have to say it is my favourite of yours, what gave you the inspiration for this book? 
 Thank you very much! I suppose with all of my novels something just pops into my head – I try not to think too hard about it. You could say I just wait for the writing angel on my shoulder to give me inspiration! A SEASIDE AFFIAR, is partly inspired by my recent tour with Strictly Come Dancing. So it’s set back in the theatre world, which was lovely for me to write as I trained to be a theatre manager – and the plot revolves around a local theatre that needs saving!

 2. This book features some previous characters of yours ( even my favourite Simple Tony is back!) are your characters based on people you know and do you have a character that you feel you have moulded around yourself?
If anybody’s me, and she isn’t really, it’s Helen Merrifield. Helen is the main character in Hidden Treasures, and she’s also in A Seaside Affair a little bit – she’s not me, but her experiences are a bit like mine.

 3. Have you started working on your next book and can we expect your previous characters to make an appearance again?
There are three more coming in fact, and I’m working on the first of them now. It’s all about fishing families in Cornwall – the fleet, the relationships between the families – I’ve only just started, but I’m very excited about it! I hope you like it too.

 4. We know you from your T.V work but what made you decide to take a change in your career, has writing always been something that you have wanted to do?
The truth is I had written my autobiography, which did amazingly well to my great surprise, and then I thought I’d finished with writing. But HarperCollins came to me and asked if I would consider writing a novel, and assured me they’d be on hand to help me with any problems. New Beginnings was a huge learning curve for me, but I so enjoyed it, and when I couldn’t wait to start my second novel Hidden Treasures. Here I am still writing – and if you keep reading, I’ll carry on!

5. Do you get much time to read yourself? If so what was the last book you read and would you recommend it?
I do read a lot; I love it. If anything I’m even more of a reader since I’ve been writing. I like to steer clear of books that seem like they might be similar to mine as I don’t want to absorb a character or a storyline unconsciously and accidentally reproduce it. Most recently I received a copy of Val McDermid’s reworking of NORTHANGER ABBEY, which is part of HarperCollins’ Austen Project, and I can’t wait to get started on that one.

I Big thank you to Fern Britton for taking the time to talk to us. A Seaside Affair is due for release on the 24th April so remember to pick up your copy.

MY REVIEW

I have read all of Fern Britton’s books, I couldn’t get to grips with New Beginnings but I loved both Hidden Treasures and The Holiday Home so I had been looking forward to this years release. 

When Trevay residents find out that their pavilion is under threat they are determined to come together as a community to try and save their beloved theatre, the last thing they want is a coffee chain store taking over. They lay their hopes on funding money by putting on a remake of the first ever show that was performed in the theatre but will it be enough?

This was such an enjoyable read. I had been in a reading slump and this has brought me out the other side. We have some characters from Hidden Treasures that are back in A Seaside Affair, it was great to see how both Penny and Helen are getting on and having characters that we have already built a relationship gave a welcoming familiar feel to the book. We did get a little glimpse of Simple Tony as well who I loved from Hidden Treasures it is a shame he didn’t feature more in this book. There are also a large amount of new characters some who I loved and some who were put there for us to love to hate such as the big show biz ego loving Ryan and Red.

Jess, Ollie and Brooke struck up a relationship and their friendship felt as though it comes from way back so they all had a good connection.

I did feel as though the outcome of the book was very predictable but this didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book because it was great to read about the rehearsals as well as the various romance problems and new friendships.

Praise where it is due Fern Britton has managed to bring us another cosy country read that will be perfect for your holiday reading this summer. Full of romance, fame, lies and scandal as well as good old community spirit there is more than enough to keep you entertained.

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