My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The thoughts she was having about Riley were downright bad, evil almost. She’d had a moment last night when she’d imagined burying him under the patio. The problem was that she didn’t have a patio. And if she had one, she wasn’t sure whether she’d want his body underneath it.

 

…. when Hattie is in this mood it’s easier to give in and go along, rather than try to fight her. She’s more tenacious than a meerkat digging for a scorpion.

 

‘Barry wants me to sell up and move into an old people’s complex,’ the grumpy one said. ‘When I told him, “over my dead body”, I could have sworn he was measuring me up for my coffin.’

 

‘Her name is Tanesha, and she’s a poppet. If you ignore the tongue-piercing.’ Hattie stuck her tongue out and shuddered. ‘I try not to look at it, but I can’t help it. Anyway, she seems sensible enough for a seventeen-year-old and she can speak in proper sentences.’

 

‘Please look a bit happier,’ Juliette pleaded. ‘The pair of you look like you’ve lost a pound and found a penny.’

My Review:

 

This was a sweet and appealing tale of small village life laced with humor and featured a blossoming attraction between fellow shop owners in transition, family drama, and a villainous ex.   The writing style was engaging and flowed smoothly with endearing and likable characters and entertaining and relatable storylines that were easy to follow and engaging. I’m already looking forward to the next installment as I always enjoy my forays to Ticklemore. The character of Hattie is one of my favorite octogenarians and a force of nature; I aspire to her level of feistiness at any age.