Book Review - A Class Act by Julie Houston

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: A Class Act

Author: Julie Houston

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 30th July 2024

Rating: 5 Stars

Robyn Allen is finally getting closer to her dream of West End stardom. And along with her role dancing in the latest hot musical, she’s being wined and dined by an equally hot man – the wildly successful and well-connected Fabian Carrington. But one slip up and her dreams are shattered, and Robyn has to hobble back to the Yorkshire village of Beddingfield, and the life she hoped she’d escaped.

Moving back into her mum’s house with her recalcitrant teenage sister Sorrel, next door to her older sister Jess who’s fed up with picking up the slack, is not how Robyn pictured her year. But there’s more to come. Sorrel needs a new school, and the school needs a new drama teacher. Despite having vowed never to teach again, Robyn knows she has to support her sister.

So together Sorrel and Robyn vow to take on St Mede’s – home to jokers, tearaways and trouble-makers, but with a hidden heartbeat ready to be inspired. And who knows, the kids might have something to teach Robyn about life too…

Welcome to the village of Beddingfield and the first book in bestseller Julie Houston’s new series set in Yorkshire. Funny, fabulous, heart-warming and hilarious, you’ll never forget the Allen sisters and their one-of-a-kind community. Perfect for fans of Jo Bartlett, Cathy Bramley and Philippa Ashley.

My first thoughts on finishing this fabulous book, are next please, I definitely want to read the next book in this series. 

I am loving the Allen family and was drawn to this book by Robyn, as she dreams of being a West End star in musicals and the first part all about her journey and career to date really appealed to me, being a massive musicals fan. 

And then the story progresses and she ends up in Yorkshire helping out with her family, all of which need her help and also gets persuaded to be a teacher while up there (she has the qualifications but was determined never to go back into a classroom). 

And watching Robyn's growth during the story, as well as hearing about her past was great to see.  And the change in her younger sister Sorrel was rather impressive too. 

It's a bit of a dysfunctional family but in the best way, I loved every member of the family, especially the more we saw of them.   And I really hope to see more of 10 year old Lola in future books, she is fabulous. 

I've really enjoyed every page of this story, that had be totally unaware of where I was on a tube journey, as I was that absorbed in what was going on. 

Between Robyn's love life and interesting choice of men, to her mother's long term condition, her younger sister's attitude and her older sisters passion for food we have a truly heartwarming story and the starting point of what promises to be a fabulous series. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily