I'm 10 chapters in and so far there are too many similar characters who all seem to constantly flipflop from feeling wonderful about their idyllic surroundings to feeling utter terror about their relationships. My first by this author & I just wanted a nice summer chickfic read ... hoping it gets better.
Aaaand it didn't very much. At least the ending was happy-ish, though considerably contrived for some of the characters. Think this'll be a one-off. ( )

What a delight this book was! I had never read any Marcia Willett books before but I can see this is a lack I will have to remedy.

There really is no main protagonist but rather 3 main characters. The story starts with Louise taking the train to Devon for a holiday while her husband golfs with buddies (or is he?) She will be staying in a vacation cottage owned by Brigid, a wife of a naval officer who is used to his long absences and rather enjoys her solitary time. For the last little while though her mother, Frummie, has been living in one of the guest cottages. Frummie abandoned Brigid and her father when Brigid was quite young and their relationship has never been warm but Frummie had nowhere else to go so Brigid took her in. Brigid's life seems pretty idyllic, especially to her half-sister, Jemima, but she has a big problem that could impact her husband's retirement and she doesn't know how to tell him. Jemima is single and seems to enjoy her lifestyle with occasional visits from her married lover. Then she falls in love and her world is turned upside down. How these three women interact and help solve each other's dilemmas is an intriguing story. It reminded me a lot of the best of Maeve Binchy but I think Willett has even better descriptions of the countryside. I felt like I was on the moors and at the seashore in Devon.

My one quibble with the writing is the overuse of the word "whilst". Sometimes it would appear 2 or 3 times on a page. Maybe English use the word more than North Americans but it seemed excessive to me. But that's a minor problem in an overall great book. Thanks again mississippimom. ( )

so boring. the characters are sufficiently developed, but nothing interesting happens to them. you can see the resolution coming from miles away, and everything ties up nicely. a great book for those who don't like any challenge of any kind. ( )

The first time I read this novel, I thought it long-winded with too many flashbacks. However, on re-reading recently I enjoyed it considerably more. It's about Brigid, a middle-aged woman who isn't really looking forward to her husband's retirement, and Louise, who is pretty sure her partner is being unfaithful to her. Louise also has a traumatic secret in her past, and Brigid has a looming financial problem, which she doesn't want to tell her husband about.

These main characters are sympathetic and likeable, and there are some other delightful people in the book, including one or two who have also appeared in earlier novels by Marcia Willetts. I did find one or two of the characters rather unlikely - particularly Louise's partner, who appears to undergo a total transformation part-way through - but overall I thought it a good light read. Recommended to anyone who enjoys character-driven gentle novels. ( )