Dorothy let her eyes scan the wanted advertisement for a second time before she clicked her mouse to exit the page. She sat back in her late husband's chair, her fingers resting on his walnut desk as she looked out of the window down the stretch of garden to the boathouse...
***
The Blurb
Two old friends. One unexpected adventure!
When, at the age of 71, Gina Knight's husband of four decades left her unexpectedly, she thought her life over. Until she met Dorothy Reed – a woman so full of the joie de vivre you'd think she was 21, not nearly 90. Gina would do anything for Dorothy. So when Dorothy suggests she take on the role of companion for one of Dorothy's old friends, Gina sees no reason to say no.
Meredith Harper is a successful writer, living in Provence, and needs help looking after her husband, whose health is deteriorating. But when Gina arrives at the grand chateau, it becomes clear that Dorothy has not given Gina the full story. Because Meredith is also writing her memoirs, and Dorothy wants to know the contents before anyone else. So much so, she's sent Gina to spy.
But what secrets is Meredith keeping? And will Gina be able to find out the truth before her cover's blown?
My Review
This book is set in the South of France, and I could practically feel the sun upon my face.
This was a very enjoyable book about ladies in their later years, who are still full of fun and a little mischief. When Dorothy suggests to her friend Gina that she might take up the temporary position of companion to an elderly couple in the South of France, we soon learn that Dorothy has an ulterior motive!
This book was a lot of fun to read. The main character, Gina, was well portrayed. She is a sensible and caring septuagenarian whose husband has recently left her. However, with a friend like Dorothy behind her, she is not going to spend much time licking her wounds but getting on with life. I genuinely liked Gina's character. She was so easy to engage and identify with and the more I read of her the more I liked her. The author has done a great job of bringing her to life on the page. She equally well portrays the secondary characters, and it was impossible not to enjoy spending time with them.
Stories with hidden secrets are always intriguing to read. As Dorothy's and Meredith's secrets are gradually revealed it was heart breaking to understand the circumstances of their estrangement. Life has not always been easy for these women but with the eventual support from one another they are able to confront those challenges.
The book has much to say about love, friendship and the strength of these characters. It is also humorous and has an element of mystery running throughout. I could tell from the writing how much the author cares about her characters and she has done a fantastic job in demonstrating this.
It is an excellent novel that I highly recommend.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1835338728
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)
No. of Pages: 272 (paperback)
Purchase Details
About the Author
Kate Galley is the author of uplifting golden years fiction, including The Second Chance Holiday Club. She was previously published by Aria, and is a mobile hairdresser in her spare time.
(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)
(author photo courtesy of the publisher)
(all opinions are my own)
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