I am happy to be featuring Isabella May on the blog today with her latest novel, Bubblegum and Blazers. I thoroughly enjoyed Isabella's Costa del Churros , Oh! What a Pavlova, The Cocktail Bar, and The Ice Cream Parlour so I was interested to see where she would set her next book. Just like most of us, it seems it is staying at home in the UK!
When Ali, Blake, Charlotte, and Grant sign contracts to star
in a Back to School reality TV show, LOVE is the very last thing on their
minds:
Ali flies to the UK from New Zealand, intrigued by the
golden opportunity to advance her amateur social media influencer career.
Blake carpe diems the moment with both hands after a
constant flurry of bad luck.
Charlotte jumps at the chance to relive her sporting glories
of the past - and take a hiatus from her humdrum marriage.
And Grant is just relieved to get away from his failing
second-hand music shop.
But once the advances hit their bank accounts, it soon
becomes apparent that producer Jock’s Pied Piper-style offer to change their
lives is distinctly lacking in sherbet fizz!
In fact, the only sweet thing about this gig for the former
students and the rest of their Bubblegum and Blazers competitors, may just be the packet of candy in
their pockets.
Re-enacting their past is a rollercoaster of revelations,
retaliation, and unlikely romance in a gold-fish bowl of mayhem where Raphael
(Agony Uncle of the school sweet shop) and his rhubarb and custards reign
supreme...
My Thoughts
Based on a reality TV show format, there are plenty of opportumities for humour and this romcon has them in abundance. There is quite a cast of characters who all have their own reasons for wanting to be on the programme. Reuniting years after they have left school, but back in their school setting can't help but give some a misstep. It took me a while to work out just who was who but was rewarded with some surprising characters and a most amusing plot.
There is a story from the past to uncover and some retribution for wrongs carried out. I liked hearing their views on their past school friendships which had been seen through the filter of adolescence. Of all the characters, I would say that Ali was a favourite as she was quite vulnerable but hid behind a facade. There are plenty of allusions to the 1990's and the description of all those retro sweets was always a delight. This is a fun read with plenty of fizz!
In short: A trip back down memory lane has surprising consequences for some.
About the Author
Isabella May lives in (mostly) sunny Andalusia, Spain with
her husband, daughter and son, creatively inspired by the mountains and the
sea. Having grown up on Glastonbury's ley lines however, she's unable to
completely shake off her spiritual inner child, and is a Law of Attraction
fanatic, as well as a Pranic Healer.
After a degree in Modern Languages and European Studies at
UWE, Bristol (and a year working abroad in Bordeaux and Stuttgart), Isabella
bagged an extremely jammy and fascinating job in children's publishing...
selling foreign rights for novelty, board, pop-up and non-fiction books all
over the world; in every language from Icelandic to Korean, Bahasa Indonesian
to Papiamento!
All of which has fuelled her curiosity and love of
international food and travel - both feature extensively in her cross-genre
novels, fused with a dollop of romcom, and a sprinkle of magical realism.
| Instagram |
Check out the rest of the tour!
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe by clicking here
Comments
Post a Comment