Frank Derrick's Holiday of a Lifetime by J.B Morrison

Frank Derrick is eighty-two. And apparently that makes him old. But he just doesn't feel old. Sure, his limbs ache, he can't sleep more than a few hours a night and it takes him a while to get going in the morning. But he's still Frank. A dad, a granddad, a friend to Bill the cat. So when he receives a phone call from Los Angeles with news that his grown-up daughter's life is falling apart, his natural instinct is to drop everything to be with her. 

Unfortunately for Frank, that means using his life savings and putting himself in danger of losing his home. But then, Frank's never been one for long-term plans. He can sort out where he and Bill the cat will live when he's back. And so Frank gets on a plane for the first time in his life. He was never much good at helping his daughter through crises when she was growing up. He left all that to his wife Sheila, who died nearly ten years ago. Now it's time to step up to his role of father to Beth. 

Joining forces with his determined granddaughter Laura, they begin The Reunion Project in an attempt to bring some happiness back into Beth's life and to bring the family back together again for one happy family holiday.

I didn’t realise when I started reading this book that this is the second book about Frank Derrick with the first being The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81. I still managed to read this as a standalone book but I did feel like something was missing and I think that had I may be read the first book I would have known a bit more about our lovely Frank and his back ground.

Frank is now 82 and after a phone call from his daughter in LA he longs to be there by her side to see her and he would do anything to be there for her even if it meant he had to lose his home. We follow his journey over to LA and watch him discover all of the must see places thanks to the itinerary his quirky granddaughter Laura has arranged for him but this isn’t the only thing she has planned!

Frank is instantly lovable gentleman and it is quite admirable and yet comical at the thought of this adventurous 82 year old jetting off alone to see the iconic settings from various movies I am in awe of Frank! I love how although it is quite clear how lonely Frank is he still has it in him to decide to grab life with both hands and really make the most of the life he has left. At times I had great sympathy for Frank but he also gave me some great witty moments. His love for Bill the cat is on another level!  The storyline was exciting and adventurous but there were also some emotive challenges too not just with Frank but also with his daughter Beth who was a strong and loving character.

All the way through I was sure I knew how this book was going to end but I hold my hands up and say I got it wrong! This was a light fun read that also was at times emotive too, I have rated this a 4 star because I just felt like I was missing something but to be fair I do feel that if I had read the first book then I would have enjoyed this book more. Off I go now to buy the first book!

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