Fun, funny and sweet – this is a feel-good romance set in an
idyllic English village.
Natalie Hill is quite the village sweetheart of a slightly
whimsical but rather perfect village in Cotswold. She runs a gin shop, an
extension of a family gin business which includes a distillery. She’d realised
that she is gay after being married for quite a few years and ever since her
divorce she’s been unlucky in love – particularly with Londoners – and her love
life is pretty much everyone’s business in the village. Ellie Knap, a
Londoner who caught her partner cheating is burnt out by London and her work,
and has just shifted to the village to reinvent her life. Her first step is a
chocolate store and the second is an ice cream shop which happens to be next
door to Natalie’s store.
Both the MCs are really likeable, the relationship
development well-paced and the romance is sweet. Lydon’s writing is her strong
point and there are some really giggle-worthy moments and situations. There is
some angst but thankfully, it is quickly resolved.
The one glaring weirdness was the whole thing with Ellie’s
sofa. She’s not supposed to have a sofa in the village, yet her ex spends a
night on that non-existent sofa in her house (thus the angst). This was
particularly strange because there is this whole tack about sofa-buying and
sofa-importance appearing on and off in the book – and that Natalie is going to
accompany Ellie to buy that sofa. Wonder how this detail escaped everyone from
the author to the beta readers to the editors.
Anyhoo, this is a good weekend read.
⭐⭐⭐☆
