Today is the final day in the blog tour to celebrate the launch of Jenni Keer's The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker and I am delighted to be taking part. There is also a great Giveaway for you to take part in. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.
Meet Lucy, aged 25, and Brenda, aged 79. Neighbours and
unlikely friends.
Lucy Baker is not your usual 25-year-old. She is more at
home reading and knitting in her cluttered little flat than going out partying
and socialising.
79-year-old Brenda is full of wise and wonderful advice, but
when she’s diagnosed with dementia her life begins to change. Before her
memories slip away for ever, Brenda is desperate to fulfil one last wish – to
see Lucy happy.
Gifting Lucy the locket that helped Brenda find her own true
love, she hopes to push her reticent neighbour in the right direction. But is
Lucy Baker ready for the opportunities and heartbreaks of the real world? It’s
about time she put her knitting needles aside and found out…
The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker will be the most
charming, heart-warming and feel-good novel you will read this year, perfect
for fans of Ruth Hogan and Gail Honeyman.
My Thoughts
This turned out to be a most enjoyable and feelgood read, with interesting principal characters and a varied cast of supporting ones as well, including Scratbags, the all-seeing cat. Lucy and George are both well drawn with some unexpected character traits and not always predictable reactions. Neighbour to them both is the redoubtable Brenda who brings a touch of magic to the whole proceedings.There is a real poignancy about Brenda's deteriorating dementia but she always maintains her sense of humour and affection for Lucy.
There is plenty to get your teeth into in this story line. Lucy's family all have their own backstory and you get the feeling that this could apply to George as well. I was able to visualise all the scenes so well. Lucy's workplace is full of office politics and it is good to see how she faces up to some of the challenges there. I always enjoy a story where you get to see characters grow and develop and I definitely felt that this was the case here. There are some genuinely funny moments but a few sad ones too.
In short: A tapestry of emotions.
About the Author
Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in
contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with
her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master
the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains
a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women's fiction
to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat
by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any
excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.
Thanks to Jenni Keer, Avon Publishers and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Check out these other great bloggers!
Giveaway ( UK only)
Win The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker goodies (UK Only) To enter, just follow the link below and good luck!
Prize contains - Thornton's fudge, a Nu notebook, a Hopes
and Dreams bookmark and a set of five "Scratbag" blank greetings
cards designed by Jenni Keer
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box
below. The winner will be selected at
random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter
and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right
to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the
competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third
parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to
the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which
time I will delete the data. I am not
responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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