Book Review | “Can’t Buy Me Love” by Jane Lovering #ChocLitSaturdays

Posted Saturday, 27 May, 2017 by jorielov , , , 2 Comments

ChocLitSaturdays Banner Created by Jorie in Canva.

Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features)
and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):

I wanted to create a bit of a niche on Jorie Loves A Story to showcase romance fiction steeped in relationships, courtships, and the breadth of marriage enveloped by characters written honestly whose lives not only endear you to them but they nestle into your heart as their story is being read!

I am always seeking relationship-based romance which strikes a chord within my mind’s eye as well as my heart! I’m a romantic optimist, and I love curling into a romance where I can be swept inside the past, as history becomes lit alive in the fullness of the narrative and I can wander amongst the supporting cast observing the principal characters fall in love and sort out if they are a proper match for each other!

I love how an Indie Publisher like ChocLitUK is such a positive alternative for those of us who do not identify ourselves as girls and women who read ‘chick-lit’. I appreciate the stories which alight in my hands from ChocLit as much as I appreciate the inspirational romances I gravitate towards because there is a certain level of depth to both outlets in romance which encourage my spirits and gives me a beautiful story to absorb! Whilst sorting out how promote my book reviews on behalf of ChocLit, I coined the phrase “ChocLitSaturdays”, which is a nod to the fact my ChocLit reviews & features debut on ‘a Saturday’ but further to the point that on the ‘weekend’ we want to dip into a world wholly ideal and romantic during our hours off from the work week!

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

Acquired Book By: I am a regular reviewer for ChocLitUK, where I hand select which books in either their backlist and/or current releases I would like to read next for my #ChocLitSaturdays blog feature. As of June 2016, I became a member of the ChocLit Stars Team in tandem with being on the Cover Reveal Team which I joined in May 2016. I reference the Stars as this is a lovely new reader contribution team of sending feedback to the publisher ahead of new book releases. As always, even if I’m involved with a publisher in this sort of fashion, each review is never influenced by that participation and will always be my honest impression as I read the story. Whether the author is one I have previously read or never had the pleasure to read until the book greets my shelf.

I received a complimentary copy of “Can’t Buy Me Love” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

a bit of back-history on this sequence of roms:

The Yorkshire Romances received a sixth entry into the series with Can’t Buy Me Love, which I thankfully spotlighted last May! What is interesting about being able to read this book over Memorial Day weekend, is the timing of the book in my hand vs. the weekend last year, when it was a book I was itching to read but could only speculate about what I would find inside it! Isn’t that a wicked sweet coincidence!?

The Yorkshire Romances in sequence:

{please note: all of these are stand-alone; only the setting unites them}

To properly recap my ruminative pre-reading thoughts about the series, kindly visit my Spotlight w/ Notes!

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

My initial thoughts about why I wanted to read this particular release:

What I appreciate about the Yorkshire Romances series as a whole is each installment reads to be individually unique to it’s own setting and cast of characters; I am unsure what threads the series together as a whole, as I haven’t yet read one of the novels, but to find a series where you can meet such a varied and diverse set of stories is quite champion, if you ask me! I think it speaks to the different themes of interest on behalf of the author, how she likes to pull together different threads of interest per each character she’s focusing on in turn and thereby, deepening where each installment can take the reader. For instance, I Don’t Want to Talk About It had a very emotional context to it’s central heart.

I must confess, I oft was drawn into stories of inheritances (especially the unexpected kind!) since I was a young girl – those were the Classical novels I would delight in reading because they had such a capture of ‘real life caught between a change of circumstance and the reality of who you really are’ merging into a story where you have to choose how your going to proceed. I even followed this up by watching tv movies of the same theme; each story in turn featured a character who had to go through a period of growth and self-reflection where they truly developed into a better version of themselves. Even in my beloved Cosy Mystery series Aunt Dimity the title character has to come to terms with an inheritance that truly was quite magically wicked in the end!

I do love a good matching between two opposite personalities or two people who live different lifestyles; it works either way for me; to see how differences either make or break a relationship. Equal to that, there is something about the quirkiness of geeks vs nerds (in case you hadn’t known, I’m a geek!) and how each of them can be a good match for someone who doesn’t self-identify as either/or too!

When it comes to money and people’s true colours shining through their intentions – that happens to be one of my favourite twists in a plot to read! I like noodling out which person wormed into someone’s life looking for a quick take from a person who came into an inheritance vs the sincerity of friendship for the sake of genuine concern for another person’s welfare. It’s a slippery slope as they say – whom to trust and when to know to question the trust you put into others when circumstances change overnight.

I could tell immediately I liked the potboiler brewing into the backbone of this installment, as it’s quite a truthful statement to make – does money have the reverse effect of muddling your life further than it might have been already or does it present certain assurances but give you a bit of a new set of curious hiccups to circumvent as well? I think the title brings the scope of the story into play quite nicely and if you trust a title, I think it forebears well the outcome we’ll all have to wait to read!

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

On my connection to the author:

I happily have had the pleasure of interacting with Ms Lovering through #ChocLitSaturday the chat off/on for two years; up until when she had to take a hiatus from joining us in the Autumn of 2015 or thereabouts. I am always thankful when the ChocLit authors can find a niche where they feel comfortable chattering with fellow ChocLit authors, Romance novelists, book bloggers, readers, and other bookishly chatty spirits who alight on Saturdays! Ms Lovering always knows how best to give us a heap of laughter, a wicked good smile and happily make #ChocLitSaturday a lovely place to be!

I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with her ahead of reading her novels. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time. This is also true when I follow-up with them on future releases and celebrate the book birthdays that come after their initial publication.

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

Notation about the Cover Art: Interestingly enough, the tagline on my print edition differs from the initial cover reveal – therefore, I hadn’t noticed this ahead of time when I received the novel until the day I sat down to write-up my review! In my opinion, both taglines work for the story’s premise but somehow I think the original one softened it a bit more than the latter. Although, in truth, money truly isn’t everything when it comes to true love and romance; ergo, they are both fittingly honest.

Book Review | “Can’t Buy Me Love” by Jane Lovering #ChocLitSaturdaysCan't Buy Me Love
Subtitle: Money isn't everything...

Is it all too good to be true?

When Willow runs into her old university crush, Luke, she’s a new woman with a new look – not to mention a little bit more cash after a rather substantial inheritance. Could she be lucky enough to score a fortune and her dream man at the same time?

Then Willow meets Cal; a computer geek with a slightly odd sense of humour. They get on like a house on fire — although she soon realises that there is far more to her unassuming new friend than meets the eye…

But money doesn’t always bring happiness, and Willow finds herself struggling to know who to trust. Are the new people in her life there because they care – or is there another reason?


Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

Book Page on World Weaver Press

ISBN: 9781781893531

on 9th May, 2017

Pages: 288

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)

Originally titled: Reversing over Liberace [2008]

Formats Available: Ebook, paperback

Converse via: #JaneLovering, #YorkshireRomances + #ChocLit

About Jane Lovering

Jane Lovering

Jane was born in Devon and now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, four cats and two dogs! She works in a local school and also teaches creative writing.

Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and has a first class honours degree in creative writing. Jane writes romantic comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’.

Her debut Please Don’t Stop the Music won the 2012 Romantic Novel of the Year and the Best Romantic Comedy Novel Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Novels: Please Don’t Stop the Music, Star Struck, Vampire State of Mind, Hubble Bubble, Falling Apart, How I Wonder What You Are and I Don’t Want to Talk About It.

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

My review of can’t buy me love:

Straight-off I must admit, I liked how Lovering matched wit with humour with her cheeky analogies! Reminds me of someone! (side smirk) Honestly – anyone who could cross-compare the certain aesthetics of Goth clothing and the Death Care Industry deserves proper street cred! Plus, I liked how she re-angled her setting and the height of one woman’s inheritance against the backdrop of a pub where everything has come into focus through a re-hash with mates and a vodka cocktail; it’s the type of setting someone gobsmacked over their inheritance might entertain logic to sort out the point behind the unusualness of the event.

Definitely a quirky side-effect to anxiety round men, I must say – as Willow self-destructed into a bottle of nerves by emptying her stomach whenever she saw a bloke she fancied. However, nerves  can and do play havoc on a person’s well being; the idea of this isn’t too far fetched even though I am sure other readers might feel it could be. More to the point is how Willow has the habit of reflecting on her life and it’s lived moments as if it were about to be transitioned into a film and thus, what changes or additions needed to happen in order to bridge the gap from reality to motion picture magic! I loved these inclusions, as it was a cheeky way of trans-positioning her internal thoughts into a creative juxtaposition of alighting her life outside of its parameters. Definitely reminded me of why I dearly loved Cameron Diaz (coincidentally she’s mentioned in this novel) in the lovely RomCom: The Holiday [2006] opposite Kate Winslet.

Her best mates: Katie and Jazz are the true salts of the earth who have your back even when your unsure about your next step; as they listen and support you without judgement. Although, having best mates with you cannot forestall all embarrassing encounters; as Katie had already popped back off for home when the man of Willow’s heart collided into her as she was attempting to nip back home herself. It was one of those moments in life you’d love to dial back and resume before you could blubber out strange short responses and actually make a mark of an impression on a bloke you hadn’t seen in the last decade before having your lives disperse as quickly as they crossed. I felt for Willow, I truly did – as she gets all discombobulated to the point she has trouble functioning.

Willow’s siblings are as different as night and day: they truly are their own individuals but without too much in common between them, which is a bit odd for siblings but quite normal at the same time. Whenever I was round siblings growing up they were either at each others’ throats over some disagreement or grievance they felt strongly about or they were championing each other with support. I found observing siblings to be interesting fodder as a budding writer as each day they did something to surprise me. Hers though truly take the cake as they are a bit indifferent towards community and togetherness as they are akin to being self-involved and self-absorbed into their own affairs. When they had to meet-up to hear the will of their late grandfather, they were having a whinge about this or that but never truly commiserating the loss which you think might have united them.

Willow life becomes a bit more complex when Luke re-enters the scene; gone since University days and suddenly keen on whipping together a connection with her, it nearly felt Willow hadn’t quite settled into the relationship. Especially considering she was masking her stomach woes from Luke and trying dearly not to overshare any of the details of her dates with him with her inner circle. She’d been a singleton for such a long while, dating felt different at this stage of her life; different in a plausibly good way but still a bit different. Almost as if she were out of step with how to proceed and was hoping for the best despite her insecurities.

There was a moment on their date at the posh restaurant where I was inclined to see Luke not as the upstanding second-chance Romeo but of someone with a trick up his sleeve instead. Something about how he answered or rather, didn’t answer a simple enquiry from Willow which struck me odd for someone who was seemingly forthright. And, of course then there was the moment he had returnt from New York and had dodged questions about what he did during his downtime. Something was definitely off about this bloke and it was starting to irk my ire a bit as he was seeming less than sincere each time he met up with Willow.

An unexpected inheritance is tricky business especially if your one heir out of a family of siblings of whom did not fare quite the same way in the decrees of your deceased relative. You started to feel for Willow – first it’s quite overwhelming to find out she inherited more than a ‘nose’ but then, what? How do you even propose to explain the reverse in fortune to your siblings? Much less, carry on as if nothing has changed in your everyday life and at work? I must admit, I thought Katie had a good idea: take the day off and try to reconcile the news.

ooh! What delight! Willow was inspired by The Good Life (what we Yanks know of as Good Neighbours) – must say, I could understand why! I loved the series myself! We ploughed straight through the seasonal dvds – requesting them so quickly, our library laughed at having whip lash for how quickly we watched the episodes before the next season would arrive! Laughs. It was quite incredible from the perspective of being independently sufficient and of having just enough land to sustain yourself and your family. Side note: after you watch this lovely, you really ought to follow it with To the Manor Born!

For me personally, I felt the relationship with Luke was being pushed a bit too quick ahead of where it would normally find its course to be taken. Luke just felt too motivated to me to be married and a bit too keen on having Willow bankroll his interests. If anything, the whole affair felt rather premeditated and I am uncertain why I had such a distrust of him from the get-go except to say, I think Willow was so eager to get on with her life, she ended up being blindsided by the first bloke who granted her attention. It wasn’t so much is he the right guy for her to be with but rather, what is motivating this guy to be with Willow? Their not exactly the pair you’d think would be an ideal match for longevity… I think Katie said it best when she felt it was more causal than serious. Although, it is serious if you take a hard look at why Luke might be trying to get on the better side of Willow’s affections.

This isn’t to say I don’t believe in whirlwind Romances – after all my own Mum and Dad were wed within nine months of meeting each other – but their Romance and this one had several distinctive differences between them. I just don’t trust Luke’s motives and why he’s always winking off interest from Willow to know more about his business. He feigns distrust by giving out information he wants to share with her but he never truly answers her questions when she’s curiously eager to understand more about what he’s doing overall.

Bree’s story-line surprised me – as her character was harder to gauge for most of the story – I never would have thought she’d have been dealt such a harsh reality so close to her delivery of her first child. Although, it’s very realistic as some men are absolute cads about such things and I could see it happening just as it was described. She never felt to me like the sister Willow needed as Katie fit that role much better, but Bree; ooh, you do feel for her in the end. So much turmoil and on the cusp of being a new Mum!

Willow has a marked growth as a character, as the more confidence she finds in herself and in being in a steady relationship the more her nerves settle and the less she finds discomfort in how her body reacts to men. In many ways, this is her late blossoming coming-of age story; where a woman finds herself for the first time in her early thirties and starts to understand who she is on a different layer of self-awareness. She comes into her own skin in many ways; sorting out what she wants vs. what she has accepted as her social norm of not being with anyone at all and half hinged to her siblings without finding flight to live on her own.

Cal surprised me the most – especially as his occupation was the subject of a short-lived series I grieved the loss of after it was cancelled! I liked how he took Willow off guard and how he helped her come into her own; of seeing herself differently and of seeing herself more authentically than she ever had. Cal had a special way of understanding things which take most people a long time to recognise but in his humble way, he imparts his wisdom to those he believes needs to understand what he does if only to find their own freedom in seeing themselves in a new light of acceptance. To me, this was the beauty of the story – it wasn’t about the inheritance but about how to live life and how to best view ourselves whilst we’re alive.

Fly in the Ointment:

I cannot get accustomed to strong language in stories; it’s my one aversion truly, which makes my nose flitter with disinterest to find against the  page. There are strong words sprinkled throughout the novel but when it came to Ash, the other half of Willow (her twin) his words of choice just rankled. Honestly some people are too brass for me and Ash definitely fits that bill to a ‘t’ as they say. He was in good stead with the twins of the office, too.

The only other qualms if you want to call them that, were some of the conversations broached things that would make most girls blush but for others, might be par for course. It’s an honest representation of what can be discussed in groups of friends about relationships, etc. however, I cannot claim the same to be true of my own circle of friends. Just differences in lifestyles and conversational topics; this isn’t the first time I’ve read a book which ran contrary to my own life but there were a few instances where I was a bit surprised about what was being openly discussed rather than at one of their flats.  Outside of this, I didn’t take fault with anything else – as the story is rounded around how one woman has to realise not all lifepaths follow a traditional trajectory and that’s alright!

→ UPDATE: I’ve since learnt from the author the language issues I had with this older RomCom of hers is one of the few where the language is more overt than her latter novels. I am wicked thankful to have found this out, as this one truly did push me a bit to get through on that particular scale of inclusions which wrinkle my brow in disinterest. Although this is a new release, it’s a reprint / revised edition of an older story Ms Lovering had written previously and thus, her style has altered in the years since this one was first writ. Per my words about her comedic styling as an author below you will find I am still happy I had the pleasure of ‘discovering’ how she makes readers laugh & gives us all something hilarious to chew on!

on the comedic rom styling of Ms lovering:

I had a sneaky feeling going into a Lovering novel, I might love her smart wit and wicked sense of humour; I wasn’t entirely sure, mind you as I only have seen her charming wit lace itself through #ChocLitSaturday in the past, but there was always a noddle of a wink towards what I might find inside her fiction! Oy vie. I nearly think I’ve waited a bit too long to dig into her stories – as one thing is for certain – I do love writers who make analogies into their own one liners of comedic relief! I do love clean stand-up comedy and improv; mostly as I come from a family of jokers and comedians; if there is a way to spin-off a connection between pop culture and life; we’re your family! We also love finding the cheekiness of ordinary life and imparting a bubble of a laugh out of anything that can be spun into a slice of comedic joy! We’re crackers I guess half the time, laughing at our own jokes but what makes us endearing is how we approach life with the light of joy even when times turn dearly turbulent. Without humour, we’re would any of us be anyway?

Some of the genius of Lovering’s pop cultural wit and humour was so innate you had to understand it was a reference when you stumbled across it such as the cheeky reference to the Daleks (ie. Doctor Who!). I found these instances and passages were my absolute favourites – which also goes to prove I have had such a hearty appetite of British tv and movies alongside my own country’s offerings (and Canada’s) that it would appear I have dual understanding of the insertions one can make on everyday life by lending wisdom from what we watch on either the small or large screen! lol

Truly Lovering has great wit and her best strength is how she augments her humour into the streamline of the conversational plot; as I liked how this didn’t read like a traditional RomCom on that level. No, it reminded me a bit when Ferris Bueller turns back to the camera and starts to talk to the audience? So, too does Willow speak to the reader rather than the writer whose narrating her story. It’s a tongue in cheek method of the craft but also, when you overlay and insert the pop culture one liners, zingers and over the top wicked inclusions only those of us ‘tuned in’ would understand becomes a wicked romp of a Rom to read; minus the overtly vulgar words which at one point felt ‘eh’ too much.

The ending Lovering conceived was ‘just desserts’ for a bloke who deserved understanding you cannot do what he did and not have consequences. There was a story-line similar to this one on Law and Order: SVU but with a different twist to it, but the outcome of course was the same; too many women were betrayed by the callus actions of one man who only did what he did to satisfy his own needs. In both instances, the ending was the best because neither man ever thought they’d have to ‘face the music’ so to speak in such a collective way in which they did. I loved Lovering for ending it like this as it was fitting to have the women re-take their power over a rat of a man.

Equality in Lit:

Willow’s brother Ash is a single gay man who is actively dating as much as his sister but with a more wayward approach to finding the romance he’s seeking. Lovering introduced Ash so easily into the plot-line it felt as if he’d always been there; not that I appreciated how brass he was with his words, but he felt organic and real to being Willow’s twin even a bit more than Bree as I felt Katie truly stepped into the role of Willow’s sister better (which is also expressed in the novel, too). I appreciate finding characters of all lifestyles and backgrounds inside novels – however, I have a personal preference for finding them organically knit into the texture of the story, and Ms Lovering did not disappoint me with Ash!

Cal on the other hand is dimensionally different from Ash; you think he’s on equal footing with Ash from the perspective of being a semi-happy gay couple but part of me wondered if Cal was either secretly bisexual or wasn’t entirely sure about his sexuality as a whole when you look at how he responded to Willow. Except this is only on the surface of what you think is going on as Lovering explores Cal’s romantic side with equal importance and of all the men in the story, I felt Cal had the most foundation set in his personality and character growth as he had ‘something’ more than the others in regards to character depth. The best part about Cal truly is how much he reminded me of why I *loved!* the film Sneakers (1992)!

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

This book review is courtesy of:

ChocLitUK Reviewer Badge by ChocLitUK.Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

In case you’ve missed my ChocLit readings:

Please follow the threads through #ChocLitSaturdays!

And, visit my ChocLit Next Reads List on Riffle (recently upated!)

to see which stories I fancy to devour next!

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

This marks my first ChocLit reading of the Summer!

I had planned to read & post this review on Saturday, however, my computer decided to whinge itself into a firestorm of tech issues and updates to where I pushed my review into Sunday. Being a holiday weekend (in both the US and UK) and the lovely arrival of my parents 43rd Anniversary; I ended up taking most of the weekend ‘off’ to resume my readings and polishing up my ruminative thoughts on Tuesday; the day after the weekend officially ended. For me, Tuesday became my ‘last day of the weekend’ and thus, I back-posted this to Saturday, the original day I had hoped to share my thoughts! It made sense to me to do this as this was the book I dearly wanted to read most over the hols and the story I couldn’t stop thinking about until I knew the ins/outs of how everything would tie together in the end for Willow!

Stay tuned – I will be making an announcement about all the lovely ChocLit novels which arrived for me to read this week!

Reading ChocLit is a cuppa comfort & joy. You get to ‘return home’ to the stories penned in the beauty of the Romantic genres you love to devour with characters who inspire you & give you such a lift of joy to meet.

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

IF you love chatting about Romance novels, #amwriting adventures and being in a wicked good circle of writers and readers joyfully sharing their writerly & bookish lives, I invite you to join us for #ChocLitSaturday which is an extension of my reviews & guest features on behalf of ChocLitUK! All are welcome! Visit @ChocLitSaturday for more details! Dates are announced for our chats in MAY! Topics will be shared mid-week ahead of the chats!

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

I look forward to reading your thoughts & commentary! Especially if you read the book or were thinking you might be inclined to read it. I appreciate hearing different points of view especially amongst bloggers who picked up the same story to read.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

{SOURCES: Book cover for “Please Don’t Stop the Music”, “Hubble Bubble”, “Star Struck”, “How I Wonder What You Are”, “I Don’t Want to Talk About” and Can’t Buy Me Love” as well as the book synopsis, author photograph of Jane Lovering, author biography and Choc Lit Reviewer Badge were provided by ChocLitUK and used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: ChocLitSaturdays Banner (Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo) and the comment box banner.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2017.

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About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

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Posted Saturday, 27 May, 2017 by jorielov in 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Britian, Brothers and Sisters, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Equality In Literature, Family Life, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inheritance & Identity, LGBTTQPlus Fiction | Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Romance Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Siblings, Vulgarity in Literature




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2 responses to “Book Review | “Can’t Buy Me Love” by Jane Lovering #ChocLitSaturdays

  1. Carolyn Steele

    Another delightful Jorie blog! I was totally wrapped up in this review, as I’m currently writing about Lancashire. I love witty banter and it sounds like this book has plenty. But, I appreciate the warning about language and conversational content. I’ve grown tired of raw and prefer to avoid it. I hear enough “realism” in my day-to-day; I prefer to avoid it in my reading and viewing. Hoping you can find me other interesting Brit Lits, though!

    • Hallo, Hallo Ms Steele!

      :) I was quite caught up in the slices of comedy this book afforded me – in fact, had it not been as wicked funny with those inclusions, I might not have lasted as the language was quite fierce! The wicked news for me is when the author let me know this was not conconcurrently true of all her stories – learning she used less vulgarity throughout her career warmed my bookish heart! Mostly as she was fastly becoming one of my favourite Contemporary writers for RomCom but if the vulgarity continued, I wasn’t sure how far I could follow her stories.

      I am thankful to know my warnings about content + language inclusions are beneficial to my readers, as I do draw attention to things which make me uncomfortable as a reader in case there are others out there who are striving to find their own way in the world of today’s literature by attempting to dodge the colourfulness of this century’s content. Ooh, yes! I think I’ll have quite a few #BritRom + British stories coming up this Summer which will tip your hat of interest! Stay tuned! I do envy you a bit — curling into a manuscript whilst writing about England must be a dreamy delight!! :)

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