Saturday 13 May 2017

Book Review - Abi's House by Jenny Kane - Back Catalogue Books



Back Catalogue Books is my new regular Saturday feature, focusing on books that are not the latest releases. There is going to be a mix of Q&As and also reviews, depending on what I have the space for. 

If you are an author wanting to take part in Back Catalogue Books then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you. 

I hope everyone enjoys this weekly look back at some of the slightly older books that are about but still great, going to aim to read books that have been out for at least 6 months, and that I eventually make a dent in my TBRs as a result of it!

Today I have a review of Abi's House by Jenny Kane, which is the first book about Abi. The second Abi's Neighbour was out on 4th May, and I'm really looking forward to reading it too. 

Amazon UK
Title: Abi's House
Author: Jenny Kane
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Accent Press
Publication Date: 13th June 2015
Rating: 5 Stars


Cornwall - the perfect place for new friendships, fresh hopes, and a dream house. 

Newly widowed and barely thirty, Abi Carter is desperate to escape the Stepford Wives lifestyle that Luke, her late husband, had been so eager for her to live.

Abi decides to fulfill a lifelong dream. As a child on holiday in Cornwall she fell in love with a cottage – the prophetically named Abbey’s House.
Now she is going to see if she can find the place again, relive the happy memories and maybe even buy a place of her own nearby?

On impulse Abi sets off to Cornwall, where a chance meeting in a village pub brings new friends Beth and Max into her life. Beth, like Abi, has a life-changing decision to make. Max, Beth’s best mate, is new to the village. He soon helps Abi track down the house of her dreams … but things aren’t quite that simple. There’s the complicated life Abi left behind, including her late husband’s brother, Simon – a man with more than friendship on his mind…

Will Abi’s house remain a dream, or will the bricks and mortar become a reality?

Sumptuous summery story, would be a great summer holiday read, while picturing yourself in Cornwall alongside Abi, having cream teas and generally making the most of the slower pace of life. 

I absolutely loved how Abi remembers a house in Cornwall from when she was a child, remembers it was called Abbey's House but not much more, and now that she is widowed and determined to make a fresh start, she feels drawn to not only Cornwall, but to Sennen, to try and ideally locate this house, and then find somewhere to live. 

Not long after Abi arrives in Cornwall she meets Max whos is a decorator, and all around nice guy, and he introduces her to Beth, his best friend. Beth is a school teacher who is also on the verge of a life changing decision, and a friendship is soon struck up between the three of them. 

I was really hooked in by the decisions the characters had to make, the new friendships being formed, my shock at how outrageous Abi's brother in law Simon behaves, and the way new opportunities are presented to the main trio. The incredibly sexy potter that appears also ramps up the appeal too! 

I love books set in Cornwall, and this one really gives a good feel for the area, while providing some fascinating storylines, that I just don't want to even hint at, but rest assured they are worth reading. 

This is the first book I have read by Jenny Kane, and I found myself really enjoying her writing style, which is easy to follow, and the story flowed really well. I loved her characters, and even the Cornish burr for Stan I could really hear in my head. In fact Stan was one of my favourite characters, although in theory he could be seen as a naive old man, he really is a gentleman, and he adds a lot of local colour to the story. 

I am already eagerly awaiting the sequel to this charming book. 

1 comment:

  1. Delighted you enjoyed my Cornish tale. Stan is my favourite as well. He is really my two Grandfathers rolled into one person! xx

    ReplyDelete

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