Living the Good Life

As always, Celia Anderson brings a wonderful story with characters you truly want to spend time with and get to know better. This story revolves around the life of Nell Appledore, her husband, Barney, and her father-in-law, Frank, as they embark on a move from city life to life in a small village. Marriage and the move are not all that Nell has hoped for, and this story delves not only into her life, but also into the lives of Barney and Frank, as well as the lives of the locals they meet and befriend. Getting to know each character a bit more and more throughout the book and finding out what brings happiness in their lives is presented wonderfully through meetings of a mutual group they all join. Without giving away the plot, I'll say show more that each of them learn for themselves, and help the rest of the group learn, what happiness means and how to achieve it. This book is beautifully written, quite deep and emotional at times, and a joy to have read. show less

When Nell, Barney, and Frank (dad) move to a small village from their much larger town, getting used to the idea is an understatement! Each of them struggles to find their place in the new location. Misunderstandings occur, and things get hashed out through discussions and tears. All this happens with a lot of help from their new friends and many new adventures. Characters from previous novels by this author make a return appearance in this novel, but it can easily be read as a standalone. Reading this story made me want to move to Willowbrook and have tea with the three senior ladies: Beryl, Anthea, and Winnie, as they play a major role in this book too. Readers who enjoy quirky characters and small town life will find this book as show more lovable as I did. I read this one out of order, so now I intend to go back to the first in this series.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. show less