NEW RELEASE
A Seaside Affair - Fern Britton (2014)
The Pavilions theatre has been standing in the seaside town of Trevay since 1954, but when a large national coffee chain want to take it over, it seems it's the end of the road for the unassuming theatre. However, local residents are soon ringing in favours and Jess Tate, girlfriend of TV icon Ryan Hearst; Ollie Pinkerton, boyfriend of international singing sensation Red; and the up-and-coming Brooke Lynne are amongst the names recruited for the theatre's latest production. This story has something of a false start, indeed what starts off as a story about saving the theatre and the locals involved in the project soon becomes more about the newcomers Jess, Ollie and Red and their various relationships and love affairs. The novel turns back to the original story and characters at the end and feels somewhat disjointed. Similarly situations turn around quite quickly and unexpectedly and the final quarter in particular is a bit of a hodge-podge. The look into celebrity, acting and the world of showbiz was fun and it's a fast and easy read. Overall, pleasant enough but not particularly gripping or different, with the author trying to fit too much in and losing focus. (JC)
A Seaside Affair, by TV personality Fern Britton, sees a village trying to save its theatre. The summary says: "When the residents of the Cornish seaside town of Trevay discover that their ramshackle but much-loved theatre is about to be taken over by a global coffee chain, Cafe au Lait, they are up in arms. It is up to Penny Leighton, hotshot producer and now happily married Cornish resident, to come up with a plan to save it. Armed with only her mobile phone and her enviable contacts book, she starts to pull in some serious favours. Trevay soon finds itself at the centre of the universe when more A-listers than you can shake a stick at arrive to take part in a charity season at the theatre. The play throws out a chance to Jess Tate, girlfriend to TV heart-throb Ryan Roberts. His career is on the rise while hers remains resolutely in the doldrums. But when opportunity comes calling, it isn't just her career prospects that are about to change. Tevay is about to put on the show of its life - but can the villagers, and Jess, hold on to the thing they love the most?" A Seaside Affair is out in April 2014.