New Girl In Little Cove by Damhnait Monaghan

New Girl in Little Cove by Damhnait Monaghan

Published by Graydon House ISBN 9781525811500

Trade paperback, $16.99, 336 pages

If you are charmed by the lovely cover of Damhnait Monaghan's debut novel, New Girl in Little Cove, wait until you read the delightful story inside.

Rachel O'Brien left the metropolis of Toronto for the small town of Little Cove in Newfoundland, which, while technically part of Canada is a province unto itself.

After the death of her beloved father, and her mother heading to Australia on sabbatical, Rachel takes the only job she can get as a French teacher at a small Catholic high school in Little Cove. She replaces the teacher who ran away with the parish priest.

Set in 1985, we meet the interesting people in the small town of Little Cove. The first person she encounters is Phonse, the kindly school handyman who is also a mean fiddle player. He directs her to the home of Lucille, the woman who rents Rachel a room.

Rachel has a hard time adjusting to the small town vibe of Little Cove. Everyone is curious about her, and in true small town manner knows everybody's business. There is no library, big grocery store, or  restaurants. A fun Friday night is hanging out with the Holy Dusters, Lucille and her friends who hook beautiful rugs.

The other new teacher at school is Doug, who has lived in Little Cove his entire life, caring for  his mother. Rachel is attracted to Doug, but he has a fiancee who lives elsewhere. Rachel works hard to connect with her students, but she has a few missteps, including one that could seriously jeopardize her employment. 

Seeing Little Cove through the eyes of Rachel is enlightening. As she gets to know the residents, she becomes attached. Growing up she played the violin, and Phonse gave her fiddle lessons that she put to good use as she joined him and some of her students playing in the local pub. Her rescue of a dog that fell through the ice makes her hero in the eyes of the town.

New Girl in Little Cove  combines elements of the Broadway show Come From Away and Schitt's Creek, with a dash of Netflix's Derry Girls. If you enjoyed any or all three of those (like I did), pick up New Girl in Little Cove. It will put a big smile on your face as you read, and if you come from a small town, or wish you did, you'll love it even more. I give it my highest recommendation, and I can't wait to read what Damhnait Monaghan writes next.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on Damhnait Monaghan's tour.

Friday 5ive- April 30, 2021

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post featuring five things that caught my attention this week.

Can you believe it's the last day of April already?

1)  Walking home from midtown, we saw this lovely lighted floral display on the exterior of Van Cleef & Arpels on Fifth Avenue. It really brightens up the corner.

2) While running errands, I spotted this interesting (?) display in a store window of clowns in ferris wheel. I was just talking with a friend about her collection of clowns, but I don't think hers were like these Stephen King-type of clowns in the window. 

3)  Author Lauren Willig is hosting a monthly read along of her wonderful historical fiction/romance/spy Pink Carnation series, and this week it was a discussion of the third book, The Deception of the Emerald Ring. Author Eloisa James, whose six book historical romance series, The Wildes of Lindow Castle, is equally enjoyable, was the special guest host, and the conversation between the two was fascinating and educational. They also added to all of the attendees To-Be-Read pile with their callbacks of books that influenced their writing. The Deception of the Emerald Ring is my favorite of the series so far (perhaps the Irish setting had something to do with it), I so enjoyed the snappy dialogue between Letty and Geoff.  You can watch the discussion on Lauren Willig's Facebook page here.

4)  I really enjoyed watching the NBC comedy series, Kenan, starring SNL star Kenan Thompson. Kenan plays a widowed dad of two young daughters, and the host of a local Atlanta TV morning talk show. Don Johnson is so funny as his father-in-law who lives with Kenan and helps with the girls. Throw in SNL star Chris Redd as Kenan's live-in brother and manager, and you've got a fresh, funny take on Full House. Kenan has been in television since he was a teenager (remember Kenan & Kel on Nickolodeon in the late 90s?) and he is so completely charming and at ease on camera. The bro chemistry between Johnson and Redd is hilarious, and I hope we get to see more of Fortune Feimster as reporter on the talk show in season two, she always adds such fun to any show she is on. You can catch Kenan on Peacock TV, and it's a free app. You'll laugh at the snappy, witty dialogue. 

5)  I've done a lot of reading this week.  My favorite read of the week is Damhnait Monaghan's charming debut novel, New Girl in Little Cove, about a young woman who moves from Toronto to the tiny Newfoundland town of Little Cove to teach high school French. It's a mashup of the Broadway show Come From Away, TV's Schitt's Creek and Netflix's Derry Girls. I just adored this feel-good story, my full review will publish here on May 4th.  

I hope you all stay safe, socially distant when necessary, wash your hands, and follow all the health guidelines for your area, including wearing masks when required. More and more of us are getting vaccinated and we're moving towards a return to the life we all miss.