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A Springtime Affair by Katie Fforde (view source)
Revision as of 09:36, 8 August 2020
, 09:36, 8 August 2020no edit summary
I've wanted to read author Katie Fforde for ages and this was pretty much exactly what I was expecting - a warm, cosy read focused on romance, family and friendships. This provided two romances for the price of one, but it was actually the family element as opposed to the romance that I really enjoyed.
This was a story of new beginnings for the two main characters, mother and daughter, Gilly and Helena. Gilly is a fifty- something woman running a B&B business after a difficult (marriage and) divorce have left her fighting to keep hold of her much- loved family home, much to the disappointment of her son who introduces her to estate agent Leo in a bid to get her to sell up. At the same time, talented weaver Helena, also running her own small business, is embarking on a budding relationship with her new landlord. But, will either of them get their happily ever after?
For me the heroine of the story was Gilly and the romantic perspective of a mature, self-deprecating female , as opposed to an optimistic, love-struck twenty-something , was really refreshing for me. The author perfectly and sympathetically captured the conflicting emotions and reactions, of both Gilly and her two adult children, to Gilly's first romantic encounter as a mature and single lady. I was also fascinated by her son's selfishness in believing his mother no longer had dreams and a life of her own to live, instead wanting her to devote herself (and her finances) to looking after his own family. As such it was great to see Gilly embracing a new life, post-divorce and children, running a business, dating not one but two handsome gentlemen and taking up new hobbies such as gliding.
In fact, I always love an entrepreneurial subtext to any story, one of strong, independent women doing it for themselves and running their own successful small businesses. And, this didn't disappoint on that front as I particularly enjoyed reading about the day-to-day running of Gilly's B&B and Helena travelling around the country to sell her woven crafts at various fairs.
All-in-all there's nothing not to like about this book - it's the sort of book that you can just relax into and enjoy. However, that said it definitely falls into the ''good read'' rather than ''must-read'' category. There's enough going on and enough intrigue from a cast of likeable characters to maintain interest and enjoyment throughout but it lacks a little of the extra spark needed for a full five-stars.
Other similar heart-warming romances that you might like are [[The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson]] or perhaps [[An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell]] and of course anything else by Katie Fforde. You might also enjoy [[A Diamond in the Sky by Margaret Pelling]].