Filled with a cast of delightful, a number of somewhat eccentric characters, a couple of dogs and a litter of puppies, this is a feel-good story which would be an ideal summer read. There is nothing challenging about it so it can very easily be picked up and put down – perfect if you are lounging about by the pool or curled up on the sofa! Jen’s is the only voice we hear but the other characters do come to life as the story progresses. Although they are somewhat over-exaggerated at times, I did find myself warming to them – and also to feeling like hissing at the “villain” of the story, the verging-on-corrupt councillor! The plot often requires a suspension of disbelief (for instance, it seemed ludicrously easy to obtain a licence and set up a gin bar!) but I found it quite enjoyable to escape into this good-feel story and grew fond of the characters who inhabited it. There were lots of moments of gentle humour and I thought that the dynamics of a family facing change – offspring growing away yet still needing the security of family, concerns about an aging parent, mid-life crises etc – were very well captured. I enjoyed the way in which life in a small town in Devon was captured and could almost smell the sea air and the scent of violets! So, if you want to escape into gentle fantasy, I suggest that this story would probably be even more enjoyable if read whilst sipping a gin cocktail!
I was going to give this easy-read story a three-star rating but decided on four because of all that I discovered about the distilling and refining of gin – a fascinating and complex process.
With thanks to Readers First and Allen and Unwin for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review