Hazel used to be adventurous too. But now widowed and in her eighties, she barely leaves the house. When she sees an advert for Daniel’s new walking club, she grabs at the chance of some excitement.
Daniel’s heart sinks when he sees that the only person who’s turned up for his walking club is the crazy old lady from two doors down. But what he doesn’t expect is to discover that Hazel is one of the most fascinating people he’s ever met . . .
The Slow Lane Walkers Club couldn’t have come into my life
at a more apt time as I have just started taking up regular walks so I was
looking forward to reading this book by Rosa Temple.
Daniel is pulled back to his home town in Cornwall by his
sister when their Grandmother leaves her house to them but there is a lot of
work to be done before they can sell it. As keen as his sister Annabelle is
that this visit home may make him settle down and place roots, Daniel is eager
to the opposite because being tied down is not for him.
Hazel is in her eighties and having lost her husband and now
her friend who is Daniels Grandmother she decides to join Daniel’s new walking
club and before long the pair form an unlikely strong friendship that really
touches the readers hearts whilst Daniel learns a lesson or two along the way.
The idea of a walking club as a central part of a novel is a
new concept for me and one I really enjoyed. Bringing a mix of personalities
from all different walks of life together for a variety of reasons may that be
to improve health and fitness or to meet new people and socialise this was a
great way of bringing a variety of characters together to show Daniel that life
in his old home town isn’t somewhere he needs to run away from but he can be a
part of the community and help those around him in a number of ways.
Daniel definitely has a sense of loss around him and as much
as he liked adventure and spontaneity it felt like this was to mask the fact
that he didn’t know who he was or what he really wanted and being pulled home
kicking and screaming by his sister gave him time to grow up and really think
about his life.
Hazel is our little treasure in this book, he is a straight talking
no-nonsense older lady who is determined to carry on as she pleases and she has
a heart of gold and brings a little humour to the storyline too. The friendship
that both her and Daniel develop is heartwarming and it seems the mothering guidance
he missed out on growing up is more than being made up for with Hazel’s matter
of fact advice that she delivers to him now.
There is a little romance that flows through the storyline
but I have to say I would have loved to have seen a little more of Jess in this
book but this is me just being greedy!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book it was a light read with
friendship and self-discovery at the heart. Now where are my walking shoes I am
off for a walk!
Kindle Paperback
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