It is great to be involved on another Judy Leigh tour and I am delighted to feature her latest novel, Lil's Bus Trip which was published on August 26th by Boldwood Books.
It’s always a good time for a road trip…
When 82-year-old Lil decides to book herself, her 65-year-old daughter, Cassie, and her friend Maggie on a bus trip across Europe, she hopes for a little adventure to counteract the monotony of life in sheltered accommodation.
Along with three members of the Salterley Tennis Club and the Jolly Weaver five-a side football team, whose ideas of a good time are rather different to Lil’s and strikingly at odds with each other’s, the merry band of travelers set out on their great adventure.
From moving moments on the beaches of Normandy, outrageous adventures in Amsterdam, to the beauty of Bruges and gastronomic delights of France, the holiday is just the tonic Lil, Maggie and Cassie needed.
And as the time approaches for them to head home, Lil makes an unexpected discovery - even in her advancing years, men are like buses – there isn’t one for ages then two come along at once. Is Lil ready to share her golden years, and can the ladies embrace the fresh starts that the trip has given them. Or is it just too late to change…
My Thoughts
This is a refreshing and uplifting read with a whole cast of lively characters, none more so than Lil, herself. You are taken on a tour of Northern Europe and as the journey develops, so does the friendships which are formed between the group. They all have their own preoccupations and reasons for going on the coach tour. Some are quite elderly and it is great to see them featured so positively in the story.
I enjoyed the journey all the way and loved revisiting some of the stops on the tour. Anyone who has visited Bruges will immediately recognise it. There is plenty of humour to be found in these antics, especially when they venture into Amsterdam. There are also some poignant moments and Lil proves that you are never too old to re-evaluate your life and make some new friends. Her relationship with her daughter, Cassie is touching and at the same time feels authentic. Cassie has an independent streak and so many facets to her creativity but she too takes the time to look again at her friendships and work out where, or with who, she wants to spend her life. Full of warmth and witty observations, this is just the romcom to cheer up a long weekend.
In short: Friends and family, laughter all the way.
About the Author
Judy Leigh is the bestselling author of A Grand Old Time and
The Age of Misadventure and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of
women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but
currently resides in Somerset.
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Thanks for such a lovely review. Sending warm wishes. :)
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