Trouble in Combe Tollbridge by Roseanna Hall

Sarah J. Mason writing under pseudonym of Roseanna Hall; Published by Farrago 01.08.24

Thank you to Macmillan for sending me a physical copy of the book for the purpose of this review. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for adding me to this blog tour. Please see below for the other dates and bloggers.

For non-blog tours my reviews do not give any spoilers. For a blog tour, I feel it is my duty to provide an overview, which is provided to me by the publisher or promoters, or this could just be the blurb on the back. If, like myself, you prefer not to read the back of books please scroll down past the next image on to my non-spoiler, sensory review.

As a neurodivergent reader I always mention sensory aspects of a book. First of all we have the book cover, that to me looks a very gentle, cosy read. The cover is very colourful image of a quaint, bright and inviting  looking harbour. I found the blurb on the front easy to read.

The book has a very smooth feel to it. The size is rather small at 215 pages but it feels readable in just one relaxing sunny afternoon. This is the kind of book I’d enjoy outside in a seaside town.

As you can see from the cover, this book is set on Exmoor, which is not far from me. I always enjoy a book slightly more if it’s local or I know the area.

I felt that the short number of pages would make this a quite quick however I feel it matched up to any 300+ page book owing to the fact the text is small and fills the page - there are no details included on typesetting. The pages are very soft and not too bright.

I love books that have a map and this one does just before the first page of the story and at the back of the book it’s nice to see a page about the author. The previous book is also mentioned in the back.

I found this book very pleasant read despite the small text and full pages I did read in just a couple of sittings.  If you enjoy a gentle read with quirky characters and about a place of a slightly slower pace of life - some real escapism then this is an ideal little summer read.

Pop this one in your beach bag for a day, if you’re not watching children that is, and go where you can hear and smell the sea with seagulls overhead, and you’ll be away for a few hours with this delightful little read.