Thursday, 9 May 2024

The Happy Hour by Cressida McLaughlin

 




Jess is happy working in Greenwich market selling trinkets to well-heeled locals and excitable tourists.

Then one Sunday, Jess is thrown together with handsome, funny Ash, as they chase a pickpocket through the market, and before long they are making a habit of running into each other at the same time each week.

Jess starts to realize that their hour together is the brightest part of her life. But Ash isn’t telling her everything – can she discover the truth before it’s too late?



Cressida Mclaughlin is one of my all time favourite authors and I trust and love her writing so much so that I never read her synopsis of her books now before diving in. Her new release is titled The Happy Hour and it is a stand alone so it is a great book to start if you haven’t yet discovered her writing ( although I am going to badger you to get The Cornish Cream Tea Bus next as it is a must read and my favourite of her books!)

We meet Jess who is a creative and supportive woman but who has barriers as high as Big Ben, she is a loved and valued worker of the market community. When a shoplifting attempt brings Ash into her path things begin to blossom for the pair in a unique set up of only spending an hour together every Sunday. But as Jess begins to fall for Ash it is clear he his hiding something important from her.

There was a sense of intrigue created in the early part of this book which really kept me gripped as I had different scenarios running through my head as to why Ash had to dash off every Sunday at the same time.

Was he Married?

Meeting his child?

Having Counselling?

These were just a few of the ideas that were rattling around in my mind. I am not going to give this part of the book away as I think this intrigue was what appealed to me in this book alongside the community spirit that was found amongst the traders at the market.

Jess and Ash were both loveable characters who each have their issues and there relationship was far from plain sailing but at times they did bring out the best in each other and they did have some entertaining hourly dates too.

Weirdly as much as I enjoyed the romance between the pair I actually found myself more drawn to a supporting character Felicity and her situation and I continually looked forward to those chapters that found us back at her house!

The one thing that Cressida always does so well is to bring the atmosphere to life and she does that again in this book with the Hussle and bustle of the market and the various landmarks of London thrown in too.

I really enjoyed my time with these characters and it is certainly a book I will be recommending.


Available to buy here!


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