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The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander #Review

  The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander was published by Avon Books on September 25th.  A charming literary-themed novel about a young woman determined to save her great-aunt’s beloved bookshop from extinction by the shiny new competition—which also happens to be run by the handsome son of her family’s rivals. The cute, seaside town of Portneath has been the home of Capelthorne’s Books for nearly a hundred years… The shop, in the heart of a high street that stretches crookedly down the hill from the castle to the sea, may be a tad run-down these days, but to Jules Capelthorne, the wonky, dusty world of literary treasures is full of precious childhood memories. When her great-aunt Florence gets too frail to run it alone, Jules ditches her junior publishing job in London and comes home to make the bookshop’s hundredth birthday a celebration to remember. Jules quickly discovers things are worse than she ever imagined: The bookshop is close to bankruptcy, ...

A Year of Mr Maybes by Judy Leigh #Review

 

I am delighted to feature another uplifting romcom by Judy Leigh, A Year of Mr Maybes. It was published on 29th March by Boldwood Books


Never say never to falling in love…

Val didn’t expect to be starting again in her seventies, but when life gives her lemons, Val is determined to make lemonade.

Settled into her new home – a picture-perfect fisherman’s cottage in the small Cornish seaside town of Lowenstowe – Val is ready to start a new chapter. And with her son due to get married next Christmas, there’s also the little job of finding herself a plus-one to help her face her ex-husband and his new girlfriend.

With the support of her neighbour Connie, and after decades of married life, Val takes the plunge back into the world of dating with trepidation and excitement. But can she remember how the single life works, let alone what her type is? There seem to be plenty of Mr Maybes, but no sign of Mr Right.

As the year passes, and as friendships and community life flourish, Val begins to blossom. And as Christmas approach, she might just decide she doesn’t need that plus-one after all - although never say never...

Judy Leigh is back with her trademark promise of laughter, love and friendship. The perfect feel-good novel for all fans of Dawn French, Dee Macdonald and Cathy Hopkins.


 My Thoughts

This is a fun and entertaining read, which follows Val through a whole year, month by month. She is having to start again in her seventies after the breakdown of her long marriage. As she moves into her cottage in Lowenstowe, she meets her neighbours and builds up a network of friends and acquaintances. Desperate to have a plus one to take to her son's wedding, she sets about trying to meet one. Month by month she meets a different man and this gives much scope for humour with some lively characterisation. 

      As the year progresses, Val learns quite a lot about herself and whether she needs someone else to rely on or not. She emerges as a feisty, independent character, with a heart of gold and a brave attitude. This is well up to Judy Leigh's standard. The story has wit and also a little intrigue surrounding one of her elusive neighbours. There are some surprises along the way but it certainly makes for an entertaining read. 


In short: Can love find a way?

About the Author

Judy Leigh is the bestselling author of Five French Hens, 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.

 

You can follow Judy here: Twitter 

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Book link: Amazon UK  
 
Thanks to Judy Leigh, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources   for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 
 
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Comments

  1. Thanks so much for a lovely, kind and joyous review. Sending best wishes, J x

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