A Cottage in the Country by Katie Fforde

 

Clichéd? Yes. Predictable. Of course. Implausible? Without doubt. And with an exasperating heroine. Classic chick lit and therefore, utterly and deliciously entertaining! 

I enjoyed Fforde’s Island in the Sun (another maddening proganist therein!), and she does know how to craft an easy and undemanding read, even if she is a little out of touch with modern-day romance. When my favourite genre is crime thrillers, some of which have a corpse or six, a lightweight like this* is a refreshing change. (See About the Book below.)

All the familiar ingredients are present: best friends who really ought to stop resisting being anything else, a wedding that very definitely shouldn’t take place, a very dear and with-it nonagenarian being steam-rollered by a grasping relative, some stiff-collared parents and a rather amiable nephew. 

None of it new, really, but it is warm and endearing. I wasn’t left with a ‘wow’, but smiling and uplifted.

*Provided by NetGalley

See also:

Fforde, Katie - Island in the Sun

You Are Here by David Nicholls

 

Not having read anything by this author, it probably took me no more than a handful of pages to ask myself, WHY have I not I read anything by this author?

It's a romance; it's an organic, down-to-earth romance with two very likeable main characters. With such witty, sharp and credible dialogue, I can't help thinking this author would be a very entertaining guest at one of those 'which ten people present or past would you invite to a dinner party'.

It's about two lonely people (Marnie and Michael) who meet on a challenging group walk. But, are they lonely or just alone? That's the beauty of Nicholls' writing…the question is cleverly and beautifully examined.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and loved being in Marnie and Michael's company. The minute I finished it, I headed straight to Amazon to seek out Nicholls' other books. He'll never be at my dinner party, of course, but I'll have many hours in his company.

Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde

 

This isn't my number one genre, but I do like to pepper my reading list with the occasional romance for all its clicheness, predictability, inevitable happy-ever-after ending and if I'm honest, the cheesiness of it all!

This ticks all those boxes, it's true. We have the girl (Cass), we have the (older) man (Ranulph), a lovely sunny (bit prone to hurricanes) island (Dominica), there's the ex, and then there are the misunderstandings. All the right ingredients and although the dish comes out cooked, it's all a bit bland, lacking in spice. (Full synopsis here)

Cass is annoying to the point you want to slap her and tell her to grow up and get over herself. The rest of the characters are all a bit like cardboard cut-outs with no substance or emotion. The Dominican setting is authentic (which the author explains at the end) and almost makes you want to put the island on your must-see list, so job well done there.

But I did enjoy the author's writing, and I was invested enough to see it through to the end. It's an above-average-edited book, which is refreshing, although the author or the editor got in a bit of pickle with step-siblings and half-siblings…probably best to clarify themselves on that one.

Not a 'wow, amazing' book, but a decent enough read.

Steel Journeys: The Road to Patagonia by Lynda Meyers

Two things annoy me about books: the present-tense narrative (thank heavens it wasn't used here) and when books end at 72%. Unfortunately, this is where the book commits that particular crime.

Whilst I didn't find the main character, Abby, particularly 'badass', which is how the blurb describes her, I was rather enjoying her story. I did wish someone would shake her out of the bitterness that has been festering inside her for fifteen years (boyfriend betrayal) and tell her to move on, but for all that, I liked her. I consider her more independent than badass, and setting up what is essentially a travel business for female bikers is commendable. Patagonia doesn't feature much, by the way, but the story and the writing are decent. However, at seventy-two per cent, there are unresolved issues, but I did think, no worries, a quarter of the book to go, there's time. Alas, no, seventy-two per cent, and there it was: The End. I even thought it was a mistake and frantically tapped my Kindle to see where the rest of story was. 

I'm not keen on book excerpts (especially when they take up a quarter of a book) tagged on to the end of novels. I find it rather presumptuous and a teeny bit arrogant: the author is assuming you want to read more of his/her books. I'm not sure, despite this author's competence, I'm particularly motivated to do so. Will I find the answers to Abby's dilemmas? Or will it be another three-quarter offering?  I'm not so sure I want to pay to find the answer.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

There's nothing original about this plot. It's been done before many times, in novels, in TV dramas: girl finds Mr Perfect, but mum-in-law-to-be is a possessive, evil bitch, who will go to jaw-dropping lengths to ensure her Supernova son will never belong to anyone else. It's a tried and tested format, and Jones tackles it competently in this, her debut novel. However, committed though I was, eager to find out how Emily would detach Adam from his mother's, Pammie's, vice-like grip, I found the ending was a little far-fetched and a bit of a let-down. The methods Pammie employs are totally disproportionate to the reasons for them.

Pammie's manipulation is very clever and strategic, making it very hard for Emily to convince others. I couldn't help thinking, though, 'Emily, you have a twenty-first-century phone, record your vitriolic conversations between you and Pammie.' That would have put the kibosh on all Pammie's plotting. But then, I guess, the story would have run out of steam.

I won't give the editor any stars, either: apostrophes to pluralise words is an editorial sin, an 'I was sat' (aarrgghh!), one too many instances of 'there's' which should have been there are, along with...'for asking Kate and I'. For I??? Naughty, naughty.

Despite all the negatives, the rather stereotypical characters and the misnomer of a 'thriller', it's quite well written, and strangely, rather addictive.

Hungry for Love by Maya Sacher

Here, supposedly, is a lady with a dilemma. Or has she?

Dentist, Elizabeth’s husband, Jesse, has been in a coma for two very long years. Along comes very handsome Australian zoo curator Aiden, and of course, she falls head-over-heels in love with him. She moves in with Aiden and doesn’t tell him she’s married until, rather predictably, Jesse wakes up. What an inconvenience. Elizabeth then spends the next seventy-five per cent of the book trying to convince herself and the two men that, well, couldn’t the three of them work in a non-ménage-à-trois sort of way. Why couldn’t she just merge them into one perfect man? Really.

I’m afraid I found this situation and Elizabeth very irritating. In fact, I rather wanted to slap her. Let’s remind you, dear: you’re married, and you must have realised that there was every likelihood that your husband (you know the one…in sickness and in health?) might wake up. I disliked her for her infidelity, I disliked her for expecting Jesse to be okay with her infidelity, and I disliked her for continually striving for a three-way set-up. It could work, couldn’t it, alternate weeks with each one? Seriously? I kept hoping that both men would just tell her to get on her bike, but no, she said, 'jump', they said how high. 

I found it difficult to feel anything for any of the characters; they were all rather bland and one-dimensional. Aiden came over as an Eastender, rather than an Aussie and had a very irritating habit of saying ‘bout, instead of about. I’m not sure why.

I think I would have rather read ‘bout Jesse and Elizabeth rebuilding their lives after such a life-changing event. This author certainly has the ability and competence to develop these characters. Maybe there’s a sequel I don’t know about.

The Blow-In by Susanne O'Leary

I’ve read a number of this author’s books. Whilst there’s no question that I obviously love her books, I’d be hard put to say which is my favourite because they’re all good, and The Blow-In is no exception. It’s another five-star read.

In this, we have the sassy, no-nonsense (my favourite female character!) Finola stepping down from edgy journalism to revive a local newspaper in a little Irish town. Not a bad place to start a calmer, less stressful life, away from failed relationships and controversial reporting. But we all know what happens to well-laid plans…conspiracy, good-looking men and way-too-adorable puppies upset the rural-bliss applecart.

O’Leary’s romances are mature, wholesome and robust. The plot is never predictable; there are surprises and twists. The Blow-In ticks all those boxes, along with some snappy, witty dialogue, characters who are colourful, interesting, funny, annoying, arrogant, all contributing to a cracking read.

See Also:

A Woman’s Place
Borrowed Dreams
Finding Margo
Hot Gossip
Hot Property
Hot Pursuit
Selling Dreams 
Sonja's Place

A Very Distant Affair by Faith Mortimer

Mortimer’s books are like a reassuring comfort blanket. You have reassurance that you’re going to have a cosy, satisfying and thoroughly delightful read. This is number four in the ‘A Very...Affair’ series and stands proudly amongst the rest.

It’s true what they say about money. It doesn’t always bring you happiness. It certainly didn’t bring Cheryl Taylor happiness. Success, yes, fame, yes, a luxury lifestyle, yes. But for talented artist, Cheryl, certainly not the contentment she imagined would accompany all those things. As a struggling artist in her early twenties, Dan Taylor saw a glittering future for her. So he married her and managed her and her success. And therein lay the problem. When did the management become control? When did Dan last look at Cheryl as a woman, a mother, a wife? These are questions that buffet around in Cheryl’s head when she meets Michel, an Australian-French hotelier from Australia. And when she visits him in Australia, these same questions gradually get answered. Just when her future is suddenly looking very clear, a bombshell from Dan rocks her world, and she has to decide whether to follow her head or her heart.

At the risk of repetition, as with all Mortimer’s books, she has hit bull’s eye again with an engaging, appealing and charming romance…with some surprises and little twists towards the end. A perfect holiday read.

See Also:
A Deadly Learning
A Very English Affair 
A Very French Affair
Behind a Twisted Smile 
Camera...Action...Murder!
Childhunt
Children of the Plantation
Devil's Brae
Harvest - Book 2 of The Crossing
Not Just for Christmas - A Very Seasonal Affair 
On Christmas Hill
Sandstorm In My Heart
The Assassins’ Village
The Green Room
The Seeds of Time-Book 1 of The Crossing
The Surgeon's Blade

Not to Us by Katherine Owen

I admire every single person who writes a book. I may not like the book, it may have faults, but I can’t ever take away from an author that he or she has poured out thousands of words to fulfil a dream to pen a novel. Truly admirable.

So, here’s the thing: the key word there is the ‘a’ in 'a great idea'. I can’t help thinking that this author scribbled down a number of ideas and thought, I know, I’ll put them all into one book. Result? Idea overload. (Which stretched to covers as well: I've seen four for this book.)  Can you have too much drama in one book? Quite possibly. 

Ellie’s husband has an affair with her best friend. The big C rears its ugly head. Ellie marries best friend’s husband. That’s probably enough to make a pretty good story, but no, let’s throw in two tragic deaths, a pregnancy, infidelity (yes, more) and you find yourself pretty stuffed after this smorgasbord of cheesiness.

Despite all that, I quite enjoyed this.

I found it a little hard to understand how Ellie seemed to be able to have men…three of them…falling at her feet. She was full of cancer and babies and not much personality, and yet they were all declaring undying love for her. It was all a bit mushy, despite dealing with some pretty full-on issues, and none of the characters were developed enough. It was hard to like, or even dislike, any of them.

Four things irritated me: the repetitive ‘bodacious tah tahs’. First time was amusing. The second, a little less. The third raised a titter. But after the seventeenth time, I’d had enough. I was also a little irked by the habit-of-stringing-a-whole-sentence-together-with-hyphens-to-make-it-an-adjective. Thirdly, this was written in the first person, present tense. It didn’t work. The (huge) issues in this book were ones dealt with by different people in different ways: I didn't perceive the gamut of emotions of the other characters, because of the first person POV and present tense. Lastly, the main character, Ellie, is an editor. A pity she didn’t edit her own book. There are a number of grammatical and punctuation howlers.

I really can’t quite fathom why I found it such a compelling read! Apart from the afore-mentioned annoyances, this author does write rather well. There was something about this work that drew me in, and ultimately, it was an effortless read.

Silver Rain by Jan Ruth

Marshmallow or nougat? A marshmallow that’s soft and sweet, easy to swallow but immediately forgotten? Or nougat that’s something to get your teeth into and you want to enjoy for a bit longer? 

Silver Rain is nougat. 

What a delightful story. It boasts a cast of solid, credible characters. Few of them win any medals for being perfect, but it’s precisely their lack of stereotype that makes them so believable and thoroughly likeable. 

What is also rather charming is the fact that this romance’s boy and girl are not that. Kate and Al are fifty-ish been-theres. So they’ve been through jobs, marriages, children—grandchildren, even—divorces, deaths and learnt a thing or two along the way, perhaps with a little cynicism. Neither is looking for love, especially. Al’s in a sort of relationship, mainly physical, while Kate, after two husbands is rather sceptical and well, who’s going to want a middle-aged, twice-married woman, anyway?

Not only charming, this story is a well-woven tapestry of unhappy pasts, secrets, untimely revelations, strength of character, lust, fun, humour and good old-fashioned romance.

It’s is a story you feel you want to jump into to get to know Kate and Al. It’s real, it’s earthy, it’s sensible. You want to help Kate with her problems. You want to shake the lovable, but slightly frustrating Al. You want to knock some sense into his brother. You want to offer help to Al’s kind-hearted, animal-loving sister-in-law. You just want to make them all your family and sort them out. And as far as the reader is concerned, there’s no predictability about Kate and Al nor any guarantees. Their outcome isn't revealed until the very end...literally...but what an enjoyable ride to find it out.

I absolutely loved it.

See also:

Midnight Sky

Borrowed Dreams by Susanne O'Leary

There’s nothing like a romance set in Saint-Tropez, one of the most famous resorts in Europe, where the well-heeled escape from it all to their shiny yachts in the glorious sunshine.

Daisy Hennessy isn’t exactly well-heeled, though. She’s rather desperate, in fact, to find a job after splitting up with her rather unscrupulous on-off boyfriend. House-sitting a luxury villa amongst the mega-rich and looking after a couple of pooches is the perfect distraction…she hopes. But when she borrows some designer clothes from the absent owner’s wardrobe to attend invite-only parties, she finds herself caught up in an ever-decreasing circle of lies. Famous Irish author Liam complicates her situation. Not only does she have to extricate herself out of her web of deceit…which seemed a harmless bit of fun to start with…if she’s going to get anywhere with the handsome writer, she suddenly finds herself rather close to home, when there's a series of robberies from the glitteratis' luxury villas.

Susanne has a wonderfully uncluttered and refreshing style and never fails to provide characters who are easy to like; she lures you into their lives and into the beautiful setting—you can feel the warm sun on your skin, see the sparkling azure-blue sea and almost taste the fine French cuisine in the topnotch restaurants.

This book follows Selling Dreams, but stands alone, which is one of the things I love about Susanne’s books. Each book is complete but she leaves the door slightly ajar so that anyone of her characters can squeeze through and tiptoe into another book; it’s rather fun trying to guess who will slip into another adventure.

As always, highly recommended.

Beware the Seventh Wave by Maureen Gregory

This is a debut novel by this author, and there's absolutely no doubt Ms Gregory shows a lot of promise. She can certainly paint a colourful picture with words.

Emma believes she has found the perfect man...Mark—good-looking and well off—and their relationship is heading for a fairy-tale ending until the green-eyed monster in the form of Alicia intrudes, a woman who tramples on everyone and everything to get what she wants. Distraught and heartbroken after their break-up, Emma retreats to her parents’ home and former employment, where she meets the safe and steady Phil. They wed, but the marriage is strained, as a piece of Emma’s heart remains with Mark; inevitably, it ends. Tragic news from Mark after Emma and Phil’s separation finds her back in his arms. However, this time, some shocking truths shatter any dreams of a forever future with her former lover.

The writing grabbed me right from the first page. I can only repeat that this author really does paint a picture with words. That’s hard to do…it can so easily be overdone, but in this case, it’s perfectly balanced, blended skilfully with a well-structured plot, a varied, interesting and well-developed cast of characters. It’s a book that keeps you engaged and guessing right to the very end…quite literally.

A debut novel is a nerve-wracking venture for a new author, but Gregory has nailed it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was delighted to read in the appendix that she has a new novel in the pipeline, which I shall certainly look forward to.

Selling Dreams by Susanne O'Leary

Susanne O’Leary knows how to write a romance.  I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed a fair few, so I can say that with authority.

This is a story of two women: one, Chantal, the owner of an estate agency in the beautiful and captivating sunny French Riviera, the other, Flora, her new employee, who left Ireland with a broken heart seeking a new job and a new future.  While Chantal takes a break to sort out her complicated home and love life, Flora is left in charge of selling properties to sun-seeking expats.  Her new life is looking good, especially with the attentions of a rather good-looking photographer she met minutes after landing in France.  But misunderstandings and mistrust threaten her happiness.  The path is rocky for both Chantal and Flora as they seek the contentment they crave.

What I like about Susanne’s romances is they have a good bit of meat on their bones:  there’s no mushiness about them.  They’re real and robust with rounded and credible characters and an element of the unexpected.  She also has a delightful sense of humour which flavours the dialogue entertainingly.  If you’re not a fan of the genre, don’t overlook Susanne’s romances.  I guarantee you’ll start this very satisfying book and not be able to put it down.

I’m eagerly looking forward to the next!

See also:

A Woman’s Place
Finding Margo
Hot Gossip
Hot Property

Hot Pursuit
Sonja's Place

Seasons of the Fool by Lynne Cantwell

One of the most frustrating things about reading a new author is realising you’ve stumbled across a very good writer and wondering why the heck you haven't read any of his or her books before!  However, in this case, the frustration is very short-lived because Ms Cantwell is now on my 'favourite authors' list!

This book hinted at fantasy, which is a genre I approach with a bit of apprehension, as I'm not overly fond of hard-core fantasy. Seasons teeters on the edge. The reader is led along a path of reality for the most part, but just takes a left turn into a magical world from time to time.

A failed marriage, a failed subsequent relationship and a call to testify against her fraudulent husband pushes Julia to flee to her deceased grandmother’s house in an idyllic lakeside location. It’s an escape hole that holds many memories and is where her former teenage sweetheart, Dave, also lives. He’s riding his own rollercoaster of a marriage. It’s loveless and his children hate their mother. Julia and Dave’s old feelings for each other resurface. But there are many obstacles in their way. Thea and Elsie down the road, however, might well have the answers. Their labyrinth is the key.

I was sucked into this story from the get-go. Julia and Dave have different journeys and different decisions to make, although they want the same thing. Julia requires courage and strategy. Dave needs…more distressingly…to do the right thing for the sake of his children. What we have here is a pot of romance, crime, suspense, peppered with magic and quirkiness (in the form of the rather adorable Thea and Elsie). It’s an excellent story, masterfully written. 

Highly recommended.

Out of Focus by Nancy Naigle

I wasn’t too sure what this book was about before I started reading it. It was on my TBR, so I knew it must have been something I was interested in. I was a tad too lazy to check it out on Amazon, so I just dived in, which was rather fun because I had a bit of treat.

Kasey Phillips is a professional photographer, happy with her husband and three-year-old son. Devastatingly, her husband is killed in a road accident. Quite enough to have to deal with, but to add to the tragedy, their son, Jake, who was in the car at the time seems to have disappeared without trace. A mother’s instinct tells Kasey her son is alive. But as time passes with little to go on, she struggles to keep her hopes alive. Friends and family rally round; so, too, does a rather good-looking policeman.

So, what I thought was going to be a thriller/suspense was actually disguised as a romance. Or is it the other way round? I don’t know. If I’m honest, the thriller/suspense part was just a little too pat and contrived and all too convenient, but I found it didn’t really matter. It was a decent read, with some lively and likeable characters; it's a well-edited book (I so rarely get to say that), and one I couldn’t wait to pick up and finish.  This was my first outing with this author and definitely not my last.

Not Just for Christmas by Faith Mortimer

There’s nothing like a seasonal romance to warm the cockles of your heart, is there? And this one does a very good job of making sure your cockles are comfortably ensconced in a cosy blanket of mushiness and sentimentality.

Scott Tilney is a nobleman (handsome, naturally) who prefers to ignore his title and concentrate on photography and writing books, but is also committed to turning his ancestral home, Tilney House, into a moneymaking concern. Enter Chloe Prendergast, who, with her fiancé, Benedict, runs a catering company. But Benedict and Chloe are keeping some huge secrets from each other that threaten to rock their relationship and future. It remains to be seen how the gorgeous—but somewhat grumpy and pompous—Scott fits in.

As usual, the multi-talented Faith throws all the right ingredients into this charming Christmas romance, along with crispy snow, starry nights, sleigh bells, oodles of canoodles, and love and kisses.

So, draw the curtains, light the fire, snuggle up in your onesie, make a hot cup of cocoa and prepare to be schmaltzed.

Stalker in Paradise by Francine Howarth

With regret, this book disappointed me for many reasons. Let me start with some quotes from the book:

‘Ahoy, their Daddy, how’s the birthday boy?’ 

‘Oh, and Ricky, see to it your back on set by one on the dot.’ 

‘The fisherman are hauling their boats right up the beach’ 

‘Whilst walking down the winding path er thoughts kept turning full circle’ 

'Yee Gods' 

'Clothes-hangar' 

'Gratis a quickie divorce' 

And these are only a drop in the very large ocean of errors in this book. I’m wondering whether this book should have been titled ‘Stalker in Paradise—Draft Edition’. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t well written, the characters were cardboard and one-dimensional, not credible or even likeable. The dialogue was wooden and unnatural, and there was an odd choice of words for a modern chick lit—who uses in a thrice or betwixt or visage these days? 

I always finish a book, and more often than not I have been rewarded for my determination. I hoped…desperately…that this would be the case in this book, but sadly it just didn’t happen. 

It's a thumbs down for this book.

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

I’m a good many books away from having read a traditionally published book, so I thought I would dip in, just to see if all those harsh critics of self-published books had any basis for their unfavourable comments. Well, on the basis of this book…they haven’t.

The One Plus One features Jess, a single mum struggling to support two children after the departure of their father: a mum who wants to do the right thing whatever the circumstances and who wants instil the same ethic in her children. Tanzie is a mathematical child prodigy, and Nicky is taunted by neighbourhood bullies. They're both ‘different’ in their own way, and Jess wants to do her best for both, but a financially unsupportive ex-husband makes life very difficult.

Ed Nicholls is a computer software genius, financially secure with a glowing future—glowing until an error of judgement in some pillow talk rocks his world. Jess and her business partner, Nathalie, clean his house, and her relationship with him is strictly professional, but as it happens, a great deal is about to change—for him and for her.

I really did enjoy this. It was a very appealing story with some engaging characters, great dialogue and a drooling dog you just had to adore. It was very easy to climb right inside the story and feel you were part of it all. Jojo is obviously very good at her craft. However, I think she’s spent too much time in the US…whilst the writing is distinctly British, a few very American phrases have crept in, and they stood out like a sore thumb; they just weren’t necessary. I also had to raise my eyebrows at the speed at which a character was attended to in A&E. You don’t just drop in and get treated without waiting for at least two to four hours, I’m afraid.

What I was surprised…and irritated…by was the standard of editing. One of the main criticisms of the anti-indie community is just that: poor editing. The editor of this book had no idea of comma usage, there was a time and tense discrepancy and annoying font changes…I had to keep changing the font size of my Kindle. So I’m disappointed that a big publisher and this author simply don’t care about standards or their readers. As long as they’re skipping all the way to the bank with their £££s, that’s enough, it seems.

I do recommend this book, but I have read better-edited self-published books.

A Very English Affair by Faith Mortimer

Summertime, for some reason, seems to be a great time for romances…reading them, that is…and one to include has to be A Very English Affair. Faith has a few very enjoyable romances tucked under her belt, and this one is no exception.

Danielle, in her mid-thirties, seems to have done well: a successful travel agency and owns her own home. Then, the icing on the cake comes in the form of handsome Christian, who sweeps her off her feet and a passionate love affair leads to an undying love for each other they know will last forever. How long, though, is forever?

A bit of a tearjerker, this one, but without being sloppy, cliched or oversentimental. As always, the story is perfectly balanced, and the characters likeable, credible and well portrayed. You’re always in good hands with Faith and you know what you’re going to get, whether it’s a romance or one of Diana Rivers’ adventures: a good, clean, structured plot with characters you can identify with, written with sincerity and feeling.

We’ve had A Very French Affair, now an English one…where next, I wonder…Italy, Spain?

Catnapped (A Klepto Cat Mystery) by Patricia Fry

This is certainly a book for cat lovers. There’s no doubt the author is a passionate cat lover. I was anticipating a whodunit, as the title suggests, and indeed it starts that way; when Margaret—the Mother Theresa of the cat world, rescuing waifs and strays that come her way—breaks her ankle, her niece, Savannah, comes to look after her for a short while. Savannah is herself partial to cats. However, she finds herself not just nursing her aunt, but embroiled in the mystery of the disappearance of the neighbourhood’s cats.

There are a couple of other subplots: a budding romance between Savannah and her aunt’s vet, along with Auntie’s own romance with her neighbour-cum-boyfriend. The problem is that these subplots fight the main plot for supremacy. So I’m not sure whether this was a mystery or a romance. There are some tense moments, well described, but rather spoilt by some unlikely dialogue in a post-traumatic situation.

Despite a lot of headhopping, the scales tipping in favour of telling rather than showing, and the editing—though on course—not thorough enough, it was quite a satisfying novel. I could feel the author’s enthusiasm for cats through the characters, and I did like no-nonsense Aunt Margaret: feisty, gutsy, shrewd, independent and lively.

Light and easy to read, it’s good fun.