Coming Home to Sturcombe Bay by Susanne McCarthy

Sturcombe Bay #2

They were never truly over – and this time love might just get it right.

After ten years of globe-trotting, Cassie Channing returns to Sturcombe Bay to care for her ailing grandmother. Only to find herself face-to-face with Liam Ellis – the man she once loved and left behind.

A devoted single dad and vet, Liam has moved on since the day Cassie left, or so he tells himself. But the moment she steps back into the village, old feelings come rushing back.

Liam’s determined to keep his distance – but the spark between them is impossible to ignore. And, as Cassie settles into village life and grows close to his daughter, staying away gets harder.

The more time Cassie and Liam spend together, the more the heat between them intensifies – but so do the unresolved tensions from the past.

With Cassie’s flight booked to leave in six weeks, they both must decide if the love they never really got over is worth a second chance.

Coming Home to Sturcombe Bay by Susanne McCarthy is published on 4 June 2025 by Joffe Books.

Discover more about this heartwarming series on Amazon , Goodreads and The StoryGraph. Each story can be enjoyed on its own, but reading them together really lets the charm of Sturcombe Bay shine.

I am excited to share my review as part of the Virtual Book Tour hosted by Zooloo’s Book Tours which is running 4 – 10 June 2025.
You can follow along with the Book Tour Schedule to see what other readers thought about this romance.

Thank you Susanne McCarthy, Joffe Books and Zooloo’s Book Tours for inviting me along and for providing a copy of the digital edition of this new novel (via NetGalley) to read and review.

About Susanne McCarthy

I’m a Londoner, though I haven’t lived there for many years. But if you’re born a Londoner you’re always a Londoner. And what could be better than growing up in London in the 60s? The clubs, the live music, the shops – all now passed into legend.

I got fed up with school and left before taking my A levels. Over the next few years I had lots of jobs – measuring fabric in Jones and Higgins in Peckham, cleaning chalets at Butlins Bognor Regis, even a short stint in the Civil Service. Then I decided it was time to grow up, so I went to Liverpool to train as a teacher. I loved life at University, but I wasn’t so keen on teaching, so I switched to adult education, which suited me fine.

Shortly after I met my husband we moved to Shropshire, where we lived on the side of a hill with a series of rescued Afghan Hounds, a couple of small terriers, some cats, some birds, some fish, and an iguana called Spike.

A few years ago we decided to move to Devon. My husband is a Devonian, and had always wanted to come home. And me… I wanted to live near the sea. So now we are settled here in South Devon, a twenty minute stroll from the beach. And I love it!

Instagram: @susannemccarthyauthor

Website: susannemccarthy.com

My Review

Returning to Sturcombe Bay felt a little like going back to somewhere safe and familiar – the kind of place where the sea air clears your head, the neighbours know your business in the nicest possible way, and there’s always someone ready to put the kettle on. After loving A Fresh Start at Bramble Cottage, I couldn’t wait to revisit this beautiful seaside village, and Coming Home to Sturcombe Bay completely stole my heart.

This time the story follows Cassie and Liam, whose history together gives the whole novel such an emotional undercurrent right from the beginning. There’s something especially poignant about second-chance romances when so much has been left unsaid for years, and Susanne McCarthy captures that mixture of regret, tenderness and lingering chemistry so beautifully.

I loved watching Cassie slowly settle back into village life while reconnecting with both her past and the people she left behind. And Liam… honestly, single-dad Liam with his guarded heart and quiet devotion was impossible not to love. The scenes involving his daughter added so much warmth and emotion to the story too, making their growing connection feel even more meaningful.

One of my favourite things about this series is the atmosphere McCarthy creates. Sturcombe Bay doesn’t just feel like a backdrop – it feels alive. I could picture the windswept clifftops, cosy cottages, little village conversations and the comforting rhythm of seaside life so vividly while reading. These books have such a lovely sense of warmth and belonging running through them that you can’t help wishing the village was real. More than anything, this story felt comforting. Gentle, uplifting and full of heart without ever losing the emotional depth underneath. It’s the kind of book that leaves you feeling calmer and happier after reading it – like you’ve escaped somewhere peaceful for a few hours.

By the final page, I found myself genuinely reluctant to leave Sturcombe Bay behind. Susanne McCarthy has created such a warm, comforting and vividly real seaside world that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to it — or to the lovely characters who made it feel so special. I can only hope there are more visits to this gorgeous little corner of Devon still to come.

#ComingHomeToSturcombeBay #SusanneMcCarthy #SturcombeBay
#JoffeBooks #ZooloosBookTours

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