We are returning to France for another great summer read by Gillian Harvey . The Village Cafe in the Loire was published by Boldwood on July 12th. High-flyer Becky Thorne cannot believe what she’s being told. She doesn’t need to be signed off for burnout! Life has been a bit chaotic lately, that’s all. As if dealing with her enviable job and permanent meddling from her mother aren’t enough, she’s also inherited a café in the Loire from an estranged great-aunt, complete with sitting tenant who refuses to budge. But nobody stands in Becky’s way! Ignoring her best friend Amber’s advice, she decides to storm over to France and sort the tenant out. Then she can finally get the café sold and jump back on the career ladder. What she doesn’t count on is the tenant being Pascale, who is six feet of tall, dark, handsome and extremely grumpy about her plans for change. Not to mention the village and the secrets it holds about her past. Becky’s path to succes...
The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells by Virginia Macgregor
I was sent an advance copy of this book by the publisher, Sphere (Little, Brown Book Group) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells pulled me in from the start and proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. It centres around what happens when 'the Mother who left', Norah, returns to her family six years later, only to find that they have moved on and there is now 'the Mother who stayed', Fay, in her place. I admired how the fallout of emotions was dealt with as we explored the repercussions of Norah's absence on each of the family members, even their beloved dog, Louis.
Virginia Macgregor maintained the pace of the story to the end. I was particularly taken with the little pauses through the book as she told us what was happening for each person. The telling of the story through the eyes of different family members was cleverly done. I felt that the voices of the different age groups were captured deftly, especially the younger daughter, Willa.
Behind the deceptively simple scenario, there were some probing questions to explore. What makes someone a Mother or a Father? Is it always better to know the truth? Can you love two people? I found parts of the story quite moving yet the author managed to balance that with a wry look at family life, not to mention the twitter fans and nosey neighbours who observed it all.
In short: An enjoyable, well paced book which was intriguing and at the same time, humorous.
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