Amazon UK
Title: Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me
Author: Caroline James
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: ARC supplied by Brook Cottage Books
Publisher: Ramjam Publishing Company
Publication Date: 12th February 2016
Rating: 4 Stars
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| Amazon UK |
From Cumbria to the Caribbean...
Flying solo again in their middle years, can life really begin again for Jo and Hattie? Is there hope for the newly single baby boomers and can romance happen?
Continuing the Coffee Tea... series, join Jo and Hattie as they romp into their future and prove that anything is possible!
Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me is a stand-alone read but also the sequel to Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me which shot to #3 on Amazon and was E-Book of the week in The Sun Newspaper.
"A story about friendship and loss...is there hope for those of a certain age?"
‘The time to be happy is now...’ Jo remembers her late husband’s words but is struggling to face the lonely future that lies ahead. A heartbroken widow, Jo finds herself alone with ghostly memories at Kirkton House - a Cumbrian Manor that until recently, she ran as a thriving hotel. Her two sons have moved away, Jimmy to run a bar in Barbados, and Zach to London to pursue a career as a celebrity chef. Middle-age and widowhood loom frighteningly and Jo determines to sell up and start again, despite protestations from colourful friend, Hattie and erstwhile admirer Pete Parks.
Hattie convinces Jo to postpone any life-changing decisions by enjoying a Caribbean holiday but their holiday sets off a course of events that brings mayhem and madness to Jo and her family. Confused and anxious for her future, can life really begin again for Jo?
Flying solo again in their middle years, can life really begin again for Jo and Hattie? Is there hope for the newly single baby boomers and can romance happen?
Continuing the Coffee Tea... series, join Jo and Hattie as they romp into their future and prove that anything is possible!
Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me is a stand-alone read but also the sequel to Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me which shot to #3 on Amazon and was E-Book of the week in The Sun Newspaper.
"A story about friendship and loss...is there hope for those of a certain age?"
‘The time to be happy is now...’ Jo remembers her late husband’s words but is struggling to face the lonely future that lies ahead. A heartbroken widow, Jo finds herself alone with ghostly memories at Kirkton House - a Cumbrian Manor that until recently, she ran as a thriving hotel. Her two sons have moved away, Jimmy to run a bar in Barbados, and Zach to London to pursue a career as a celebrity chef. Middle-age and widowhood loom frighteningly and Jo determines to sell up and start again, despite protestations from colourful friend, Hattie and erstwhile admirer Pete Parks.
Hattie convinces Jo to postpone any life-changing decisions by enjoying a Caribbean holiday but their holiday sets off a course of events that brings mayhem and madness to Jo and her family. Confused and anxious for her future, can life really begin again for Jo?
I really enjoyed Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me, it is a fabulous sequel to Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me, and is set over twenty years later. If you have read the first book, then it fills in the gaps of what has happened between the two books, and if you haven't then don't worry as this is easily readable as a standalone.
Jo and Hattie have both had a tough time of it recently. Jo's husband suffered a shock diagnosis and death, and she is clearly still mourning him. Hattie's husband left her, after a string of affairs, and although she is upset and coming to terms with it, she is far more concerned about Jo. She decides that what they both need is a Caribbean holiday to re-energise them.
Jo's sons are now grown up Jimmy (formerly Thomas) now runs a bar and entertainment venue in Barbados, and Zach has become a Michelin starred chef, who has just moved to London, and his agents are trying to make him into the next big thing.
Jo may feel like giving up on love, but she has no shortage of male admirers, with one being a fresh character to this book, and the other is Pete Parks, who has been her friend for many, many years.
Throughout the book we have various focuses, as the story has many different threads. There are not only spotlights on Hattie, Jo and her two sons, but also on his agent, the various love interests. This gave a very well rounded view of many people's lives, and I felt like I knew them a lot better because of it.
The Caribbean holiday is a big part of this story, as it changes the ladies outlooks on life. Although I didn't really get a great feel of Barbados, its clear that the locals are very friendly, and that there are some great cocktails available.
As someone who had read the first book, it was fantastic to see Thomas (now Jimmy) as an adult, and to see just how he turned out. I did find it a bit odd that there was no mention of his biological father, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him.
I'm loving Caroline James' writing style, and her sense of humour is very entertaining. This is a lovely sunny book, with some slightly more mature characters, approaching the middle of their lives, and it's very heartening to see how they deal with what life throws them.
Very much looking forward to reading the next book in this amusing and friendly series.
Thank you to Brook Cottage Books for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
Caroline James was
born in Cheshire and wanted to be a writer from an early age. She trained,
however, in the catering trade and worked and travelled both at home and
abroad. Caroline's debut novel, Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me shot
to #3 on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun newspaper. Her second
novel, So, You Think You're A Celebrity… Chef? has been described
as wickedly funny: 'AbFab meets MasterChef in a Soap…' The manuscript
for Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me was a Top Ten Finalist at
The Write Stuff, London Book Fair 2015 and the judge’s comments included: “Caroline
is a natural story-teller with a gift for humour in her writing.” Her next
novel, Coffee Tea The Boomers & Me will be published autumn 2016.
Caroline has owned
and run many catering related businesses and cookery is a passion alongside her
writing, combining the two with her love of the hospitality industry and
romantic fiction. As a media agent, Caroline represented many well-known
celebrity chefs and is currently writing a TV script and accompanying book
about the life of a well-known chef. She has published short stories and is a
member of the RNA and The Society of Authors. Caroline writes articles on food
and celebrity based interviews and is Feature Editor for an online lifestyle magazine.
When she's not running her hospitality business and writing, Caroline can
generally be found with her nose in a book and her hand in a box of chocolates,
she also likes to climb mountains and contemplate life.
Jo and Hattie have both had a tough time of it recently. Jo's husband suffered a shock diagnosis and death, and she is clearly still mourning him. Hattie's husband left her, after a string of affairs, and although she is upset and coming to terms with it, she is far more concerned about Jo. She decides that what they both need is a Caribbean holiday to re-energise them.
Jo's sons are now grown up Jimmy (formerly Thomas) now runs a bar and entertainment venue in Barbados, and Zach has become a Michelin starred chef, who has just moved to London, and his agents are trying to make him into the next big thing.
Jo may feel like giving up on love, but she has no shortage of male admirers, with one being a fresh character to this book, and the other is Pete Parks, who has been her friend for many, many years.
Throughout the book we have various focuses, as the story has many different threads. There are not only spotlights on Hattie, Jo and her two sons, but also on his agent, the various love interests. This gave a very well rounded view of many people's lives, and I felt like I knew them a lot better because of it.
The Caribbean holiday is a big part of this story, as it changes the ladies outlooks on life. Although I didn't really get a great feel of Barbados, its clear that the locals are very friendly, and that there are some great cocktails available.
As someone who had read the first book, it was fantastic to see Thomas (now Jimmy) as an adult, and to see just how he turned out. I did find it a bit odd that there was no mention of his biological father, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him.
I'm loving Caroline James' writing style, and her sense of humour is very entertaining. This is a lovely sunny book, with some slightly more mature characters, approaching the middle of their lives, and it's very heartening to see how they deal with what life throws them.
Very much looking forward to reading the next book in this amusing and friendly series.
Thank you to Brook Cottage Books for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
ABOUT CAROLINE JAMES
Caroline James was
born in Cheshire and wanted to be a writer from an early age. She trained,
however, in the catering trade and worked and travelled both at home and
abroad. Caroline's debut novel, Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me shot
to #3 on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun newspaper. Her second
novel, So, You Think You're A Celebrity… Chef? has been described
as wickedly funny: 'AbFab meets MasterChef in a Soap…' The manuscript
for Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me was a Top Ten Finalist at
The Write Stuff, London Book Fair 2015 and the judge’s comments included: “Caroline
is a natural story-teller with a gift for humour in her writing.” Her next
novel, Coffee Tea The Boomers & Me will be published autumn 2016.
Caroline has owned
and run many catering related businesses and cookery is a passion alongside her
writing, combining the two with her love of the hospitality industry and
romantic fiction. As a media agent, Caroline represented many well-known
celebrity chefs and is currently writing a TV script and accompanying book
about the life of a well-known chef. She has published short stories and is a
member of the RNA and The Society of Authors. Caroline writes articles on food
and celebrity based interviews and is Feature Editor for an online lifestyle magazine.
When she's not running her hospitality business and writing, Caroline can
generally be found with her nose in a book and her hand in a box of chocolates,
she also likes to climb mountains and contemplate life.
GIVEAWAY
1st
Prize - A copy of the book - UK winner (paperback) / Outside UK (ecopy)
A great review Rachel. Thanks for taking part in the tour. x
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your lovely review Rachel - so pleased that enjoyed Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me xx
ReplyDeleteI loved this book too. Hattie is a great character that you would love to have as a friend or a crazy Aunt.
ReplyDeleteAmanda.
Smashing review! Well done, Caroline! Thanks for sharing, Rachel. :) xx
ReplyDeleteLovely review, thank you. It's nice to have a bit of literary exoticism when the weather is bleak...
ReplyDelete