Monday 29 August 2022

The Slow Lane Walkers Club by Rosa Temple.

 



Daniel isn’t used to living life in the slow lane. So when he finds himself unexpectedly jobless and back in his old Cornish hometown, he can’t sit still.
 
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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