The Gin O'Clock Club by Rosie Blake

 

Lottie is always in a hurry, rushing through her days ticking tasks off her to-do lists. Teddy is worried about his granddaughter - and he knows that his late wife, Lily, would have known exactly what to say to make things better. Now that Lily has gone, it's up to Teddy to talk some sense into Lottie.

With the help of Arjun, Geoffrey and Howard, the elderly reprobates who make up his Gin O'Clock Club, Teddy makes a plan to help Lottie find her way back to the things that really matter - family, friendship and love. But as Lottie balances a high-powered job with her reluctant attendance at whist drives, ballroom dances and bingo, Teddy wonders if she's really ready to open up her heart to the possibility of true happiness...

I have previously read and enjoyed How To Stuff Up Christmas and How To Find Your ( First) Husband by Rosie Blake and it feels like an age since I was lost in her light hearted witty writing so I was looking forward to starting The Gin O’Clock Club which is her latest release. I love the cover of this novel and think that it is a step up from the previous look of Rosie Blake’s novels.

Lottie is career focused and determined to achieve her career goals but she is crumbling under the pressure of trying to juggle work, her relationship, her best friends upcoming wedding and supporting her recently widowed Grandfather Teddy.

Teddy misses his wife Cora dearly and is trying to adjust to life without Cora to take control. His Granddaughter Lottie and partner Luke seem to be losing their way and with the help of his friends Teddy has a plan for Lottie and Luke to try courting the old way.

This is by far my favourite book by Rosie Blake, her usual light hearted writing style flows through this novel but there is also an emotive element that touched my heart when dear Teddy writes to his wife, the love of his life who has recently passed away. Each letter Teddy writes shows his struggles as he is learning to live life without Cora and it was hard to see how much he misses her dearly and at times his letters are almost asking for help, guidance and forgiveness.

Lottie is extremely hardworking and passionate about her job which is commendable but I also found at times I wanted to throttle her and tell her not to take those around her for granted and dear girl get a diary, notebook and some highlighters and get organised!

Luke was a real gentleman and a real gem with a kind heart and the patience of a saint! He embraced each of the dating scenarios that were thrown at him just so he could spend some quality time with Lottie.

A wonderful light read with engaging characters that touches on grief, romance and looking at the importance and struggles of getting work and life balance right.

How to find your (first) Husband by Rosie Blake

Isobel Graves moved to LA determined to be the Next Big Thing. Instead, she is dressed as a giant prawn handing out fliers promoting a fish market. Rather than attending glamorous parties and dating exciting men, her evenings consist of watching box sets with her sort-of boyfriend, whose idea of romance is a late-night drunken text. 

Where did it all go wrong? 

When Isobel catches sight of Andrew Parker, her childhood sweetheart, in the background of a TV news story she feels it's a sign. If she'd stuck with Andrew everything would have turned out better. Now she just needs to find him...
Join Isobel as she travels from LA to Devon and to a remote Malaysian island in search of true love.

I have just finished reading How to Find your (First) Husband by Rosie Blake and I am sitting here wondering how on earth to review this book because it was unlike anything I have read before it is completely and utterly bonkers and yet I was hooked and couldn’t put it down!

Meet Isobel Graves, the English woman trying to make it big in LA but things have not gone to plan she never envisioned walking around in a giant prawn! With life not panning out the way she had hoped her thoughts return to her first husband Andrew and she is desperate to hunt him down as she has a romantic notion that her happy ever after will be with him the only thing is she hasn’t set us on Andrew since they left school! Isobel embarks on a quest to find Andrew again across the seas to England and Malaysia to catch her man!

There were many laughable moments in this book because Isobel often finds herself in embarrassing situations from fires to awful singing and dancing moments all in aid of cheering up friend. This is a pacey witty read that will hold your attention the whole way through because there is always something mad about to happen. I am pleased to say Isobel wasn’t a character that I could relate to as she came across rather stalker like but she was a character who I found myself laughing at and actually as the book progressed I did begin to hope for a happy ending for her but just not with Andrew who seemed like a wet fish to me, if I traveled all that way for a man I would want Channing Tatum to be there waiting for me!

I loved the friendships both new and old in the book, Mel was a true friend and her character complemented Isobel and helped to provide more witty situations when they were together. Although this wouldn’t necessarily be a book that I would read again I am so glad I read it as it put a smile on my face and has left me baffled! 

If you want a witty read that isn’t challenging and is fast paced then definitely give this one a go.

Paperback              Kindle

How to Stuff up Christmas by Rosie Blake

Eve is heartbroken after discovering her fiance is cheating on her. Being surrounded by the joys of Christmas is more than Eve can bear, so she chooses to avoid the festivities by spending Christmas alone on a houseboat in Pangbourne. Eve gets gets an unexpected seasonal surprise when handsome local vet Greg comes to her rescue one day, and continues to visit Eve's boat on a mission to transform her from Kitchen Disaster Zone to Culinary Queen. But where does Greg keep disappearing to? What does Eve's best friend Daisy know that she isn't telling? And why is there an angry goose stalking Eve's boat?

I love the cute, sparkly and festive cover for How to Stuff Up Christmas by Rosie Blake this book is going to look great in the Christmas stockings this year. This was my first book by Rosie Blake so I was excited to see what this author was going to deliver and I was not disappointed.

Christmas is just around the corner and heartbroken Eve doesn’t want to spend Christmas with her family as it will just be a reminder of the previous Christmas and how much things have changed, so she decides to do something completely new to her starting with staying on a houseboat but what she didn’t expect was to meet the handsome village vet Greg who came to her rescue but can he help mend her broken heart too or is he hiding something?

This was such a delightful read that had a sprinkling of humour and a flurry of romance to keep you hooked on these cold winter nights. A lot of humour came from Eve’s poor cooking skills which I could sympathise with ( yes I am also not a natural in the kitchen unless it is reaching for the takeaway menu!) add a pesky Goose and a jealous peeping husband and you have a perfect mix to have you giggling away.

Eve was such a normal every day woman who was a very likable character so it was a joy to watch her on her little adventure to heal her broken heart with her dog in tow that she was holding hostage!

Greg was a perfect love interest, a pure gentleman with a secret that I have to say I guessed very early on but it didn’t ruin the storyline at all and actually there was another twist in the book that I didn’t see coming so that totally had me by surprise.

The storyline was very light and the chapters short so it was an easy read to pick up and put down, I was stealing moments between clients to read a chapter or two!

This is a wonderful romantic festive read which I thoroughly enjoyed and I loved the authors writing style which flowed so easily and made me eager to get back to the characters each time I put it down so this is an author whose books I will be looking out for in the future.

Paperback                Kindle