The Best Boomerville Hotel

by Caroline James

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Let the shenanigans begin at the Best Boomerville Hotel …

Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business!

Perhaps not surprisingly Boomerville attracts more than its fair share of eccentric clientele: there’s fun-loving Sir Henry Mulberry and his brother Hugo; Lucinda Brown, an impoverished artist with more ego than talent; Andy Mack, a charming Porsche-driving James Bond lookalike, as well as Kate Simmons, a woman who made her fortune from an internet dating agency but still hasn’t found ‘the One’ herself.

With such an array of colorful individuals there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Somewhere in the universe, there is someone who will love us, understand us and kiss and make it all better.

 

In Kate’s experience, it was nigh on impossible to form a relationship with anyone of her own age and the men attracted to Kate were doddering around on a walking frame or looking for a ride to their next doctor’s appointment.

 

The fabulous fifties that everyone raved about seemed lonely and unwelcome and she yearned for some stimulating company to stop her from disappearing into the oblivion of middle age… She prayed that some day soon The One would come knocking on her door. But, in truth, Kate knew that the only knock would be the postman with a catalogue for comfy shoes and hearing aids.

 

Sir Henry had caused chaos in creative writing last week and the other students had to be calmed at the end of the session. Sir Henry’s half-completed memoirs, Fifty Shades of Sheepdogs, had upset some of the ladies in the group, although one or two, including Hattie, enjoyed the scintillating excerpts.

 

‘Guests who go to his sessions say they feel like they’ve gained a new lease of life. Hattie did one before we opened Boomerville and I asked her to research the Shaman’s course.’ ‘Did she enjoy it?’ ‘Hard to say. She went missing for three days and came back with an eagle tattooed on her bottom. She couldn’t sit down for a week.’

 

My Review:

 

Being a boomer myself, I found this amusing and smirk-worthy tale a delight to read. I want to book a stay there for myself. This was my first experience reading Ms. James’ clever and entertaining words and she didn’t miss a trick. Her well-crafted and engaging storylines were laced with levity, insightful observations, and an oddly compelling and quirky cast of characters. I adored them all but found dear Hattie to be what my Gran would call “a caution.”   Slyly nestled among the antics, this talented scribe has provided a easy to follow and enjoyable mixture of humor and intrigue with a mysterious and powerful (yet creepy) shaman, an accurate fortune-telling gypsy, blackmail, embezzlement, a slick and conniving gigolo, feisty seniors, a precious pup, several new romances, and a raging stormy night without power for the culmination of the plot. I could never get enough of this unconventional yet uncommonly endearing group and currently yearn for a bit more. And score, I unearthed a new addition for my Brit Word List with punters – which the Urban Dictionary has informed me is British slang for a gambler or someone making a risky investment, as well as a customer or client. I am getting smarter by the day!

Author Bio:

Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, consultant and food writer, Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association and writes articles and short stories and contributes to many publications.

Her debut novel, Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me is set in North West England, at the time of a famous gypsy horse fair.  The book went straight to number three on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun.

So, You Think You’re A Celebrity…Chef? was runner-up the Winchester Writers festival for best TV Drama and takes a light-hearted look at the world of celebrity chefs as they battle it out for fame and fortune. Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me was runner-up at The Write Stuff, LBF, 2015 and is an Amazon best-seller and top recommended read by Thomson Holidays. Jungle Rock, a romcom novella set in Australia, revolves around a TV game show.

In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.

Caroline James Links:

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk http://www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

Twitter:@CarolineJames12 https://twitter.com/CarolineJames12

FaceBook: Caroline James Author https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolineJames/

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