A NOVELIST who grew up in the Clay Country near St Austell but now lives in Nashville in the USA has been announced as a finalist for the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards 2026.

Angela Britnell has been shortlisted in the festive/holiday romance category for her novel, The Cornish Christmas Book Club.

Angela said: “I grew up in St Stephen, a small village outside of St Austell, where my father was the postmaster for many years. My mother grew up in Mevagissey where her father was a fisherman and also, around the time of the Second World War, the harbourmaster. My father’s family were from St Austell, where his father worked in the china clay industry.

“I was thrilled and incredibly honoured to find out that The Cornish Christmas Book Club has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s festive/holiday romance award.

“I’ve been a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association for almost 20 years and it is a wonderful champion of romantic fiction. The friendship and support of my fellow writers is invaluable, despite the fact that, as a long-distance member, living in Nashville, Tennessee, I’ve rarely met any of them in person.”

Angela said she returns regularly to Cornwall from Nashville to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat pasties. A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in places she’s lived in or visited during her extensive travels. Thanks to her American husband, she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

Publisher Choc Lit says of The Cornish Christmas Book Club: “Tamara Pascoe has spent years saving every penny and perfecting her baking in the hopes of opening her own cafe in the cosy Cornish village of Penworthal. But when she loses her job, her long-held dream is suddenly out of reach.

“To make matters worse, her perfect cafe location is snapped up by newcomer Gage Bennet – a brooding ex-marine with plans to open a bookshop. Gage has no time for pleasantries, let alone Christmas spirit. But he didn’t count on Tamara – sharp, stubborn and full of festive cheer.

“Tamara is impossible to ignore, and when the village book club throws them together, Gage realises they might just be able to help one another. Tamara needs a job. He needs help connecting with the community.

“Striking a reluctant truce, Tamara and Gage’s frosty beginning starts to melt as they bond over their shared love of books. As snow begins to fall and the fairy lights go up, could a little Cornish book club help two opposites write their own happy-ever-after?”

A spokesperson for the awards said: “The shortlisted novels were determined exclusively by reader-judges and the finalists illustrate the highest standards of romantic fiction across all genres. The winners of the 11 categories will be announced during the awards ceremony on May 18 in London. The ceremony will be held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City.”