Phillipa Ashley writes warm, funny romantic fiction for a variety of world-famous international publishers. After studying English at Oxford, she worked as a copywriter and journalist. Her first novel, Decent Exposure, won the RNA New Writers Award and was made into a TV movie called 12 Men of Christmas starring Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Hopkins. As Pippa Croft, she also wrote the Oxford Blue series - The First Time We Met, The Second Time I Saw You and Third Time Lucky. Phillipa lives in a Staffordshire village and has an engineer husband and scientist daughter who indulge her arty whims. She runs a holiday-let business in the Lake District, but a big part of her heart belongs to Cornwall. She visits the county several times a year for 'research purposes', an arduous task that involves sampling cream teas, swimming in wild Cornish coves and following actors around film shoots in a camper van. Her hobbies include watching Poldark, Earl Grey tea, Prosecco-tasting and falling off surf boards in front of RNLI lifeguards.
Praise for A Secret Cornish Summer: ‘I LOVED A Secret Cornish Summer – the uplifting summer read for every holiday tote bag. Gloriously uplifting and unashamedly warm-hearted!’ Faith Hogan ‘A lovely summery read, full of secrets and hope. A smashing slice of life in a seaside town, the perfect place to draw a line in the sand and for new beginnings.’ Jo Thomas ‘Escapism at its very best, what a book! The most wonderful setting, lovely characters and oozing with heart and hope – I adored it.’ Milly Johnson ‘Combines romance, humour and intrigue so well … The whole thing was so captivating, and I loved that there were secrets peppered and hinted at throughout … that I was desperate to uncover. A Secret Cornish Summer is blissful story, full of sunshine, secrets and Phillipa’s trademark romance, that I loved diving into.’ Cressida McLaughlin ‘Sunshine, secrets and a stunning setting make this the perfect summer read!’ Heidi Swain Praise for Phillipa Ashley: ‘Sheer joy!’ Katie Fforde ‘Within moments you’ll feel like you're at the Cornish seaside, gazing out on the waves, cream tea in hand. The ultimate summer reading escape!’ Yours Magazine ‘Full of genuine warmth and quirky characters’ Woman’s Own ‘Serious festive escapism . . . like a big warm hug’ Popsugar ‘A page-turner of a festive read’ My Weekly ‘Romantic and life-affirming’ Woman’s Weekly ‘A feel-good read for summer’ The Sun