Book Preview: Washed Up by Nicola Knight
- flora183
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
ISBN: 979-8337212913 | Bloodhound Books | 350pp | publishing 6th August
What a charming novel. I think this is going to be my book of the summer.
Washed Up is a cosy, feel-good contemporary rom-com set on the tiny Channel Island of Herm, where just sixty-five permanent residents live alongside a steady stream of tourists. Our young heroine, Frankie Jacks, leads an uneventful, sheltered life working in holiday cottages until she discovers a mysterious stranger asleep in one of the beds.
He claims to be rock star Dylan Wright of The Misdemeanours, desperate to return to the mainland for a gig. Frankie, who has no interest in celebrity culture, doesn't believe him.
As their relationship develops, the story explores what happens when an ordinary woman falls for someone living an extraordinary life. I was really impressed with the way Nicola portrays the immediate chemistry between Frankie and Dylan, even though they initially find each other very annoying. Once he manages to get off the island in a rather dramatic way, Frankie becomes a bit of an online stalker. I found the way Nicola describes this very authentic – the way Frankie felt like such an idiot for being so obsessed with someone who logically wouldn’t want to be with her, she perfectly captures that irresistible urge to keep checking social media, searching for updates.
Nicola Knight paints a wonderful picture of the island; from its coastal walks, sandy beaches and puffin colonies to the realities of living in a tiny, remote community where even a GP has to travel from Guernsey.
Washed Up delivers all the chemistry, tension and escapism you'd hope for from a cosy contemporary romance. As a fellow finalist in the 2025 RNA Debut Romantic Novel of the Year award, I read and enjoyed Nicola’s first book, The Night Before Christmas. This is her third and I can definitely say she’s now really got into her stride as a writer. The author sent me an ARC of this book which is publishing on 6th August but I’d happily have paid for a copy because this is a perfect summer read that I'd recommend to anyone looking for an uplifting romantic escape.
