How a monthly book club can change lives, no matter the age

Synopsis

Deep in the Somerset countryside, the Combe Pomeroy village library hosts a monthly book club.

Ruth the librarian fears she’s too old to find love, but a discussion about Lady Chatterley’s Lover makes her think again.

Aurora doesn’t feel seventy-two and longs to relive the excitement of her youth, while Verity is getting increasingly tired of her husband Mark’s grumpiness and wonders if their son’s imminent flight from the nest might be just the moment for her to fly too. And Danielle is fed up with her cheating husband. Surely life has more in store for her than to settle for second best?

The glue that holds Combe Pomeroy together is Jeannie. Doyenne of the local cider farm and heartbeat of her family and community, no one has noticed that Jeannie needs some looking after too. Has the moment for her to retire finally arrived, and if so, what does her future hold?

From a book club French exchange trip, to many celebrations at the farm, this is the year that everything changes, that lifelong friendships are tested, and for some of the women, they finally get the love they deserve.

My review

Jeannie is running the local cider farm in Combe Pomeroy. But lately she has been wondering if the time has come for her to retire. Because she s always the one looking for everyone, but no one is looking after her…
But she can count on her friends, who are not only total opposites from each other, they are also in a different situation…
Like Ruth, who runs the library, but is afraid she will never find love. Or Aurora, that even at seventy – three is looking for the excitement she used to have. Then there is Verity, not understanding why her husband Mark has turned into a grumpy man. And Danielle, with a cheating husband who isn’t worthy of her…
The friends all come together on their monthly book club, and when their discussions turn into a plan to all go to France for an exchange trip, they could never imagine that this trip will be the start f a year filled with many changes. 

I absolutely love how this author manages to make me forget the age gap between me and her characters!
While just looking at the age, the characters could all be my grandmother, but their liveliness, passion and courage for adventure makes me see them more as a friend than an elderly (no offence!). 

The friends couldn’t be more different from each other, yet it was great to see how it all just clicked and made sense for the reader. In each clique there is the extravagant one, the quiet one and it was easy to pinpoint each friend into the right category.
However, it is not a case of there being one leader, and the rest follows. Because in their own unique way, they manage to help each other through each crisis. 

I can tell you right here and now what each friend is going through, but that would also take away your joy and surprise when you decide to read this book (which would be a great choice by the way!).
With each crisis it was easy to feel compassion for the character. Even if I am not at that stage in my life (yet), I can comprehend the doubts every one of the women is feeling.
And seeing how these friends decide that age is just a number and that that number shouldn’t hold them, almost made me want to stand up and applaud them! 

The more I was reading into this book, the more I found bits from each character that were recognizable. I could relate (to some extent) to each character, finding some features that applied also to my own persona.  

Of course this book wouldn’t be a Judy Leigh book if it wasn’t also filled with tons of humour! And laugh I did! Violet for sure took the spotlight whenever the mood needed be much lighter. For a ninety – five years old wonderful lady, she for sure knows how to make everyone groan or laugh with her silly jokes!
But she is also the voice of reason in a few occasion, trying to let not only Jeannie see that there is still so much to enjoy from life!
However, she is also the cause of a few misunderstandings, which only made me laugh even louder than before! 

Each person in the end makes a choice that changes her life, but that choice isn’t taken lightly, as it shouldn’t. Each woman finds the courage, with the friends on her side, to take a frightening step to a brand new future. Each person in the end makes a choice that changes her life, but that choice isn’t taken lightly, as it shouldn’t. Each woman finds the courage, with the friends on her side, to take a frightening step to a brand new future even if not knowing for the 100% what else in store for them. But nothing ventured is nothing gained, right? 

This is a wonderful book, about second chances at not just love, but also at life. The author takes her time to show the change in each character, which is totally understandable as people don’t just change overnight… And seeing how much can change in a year, but also how solid friendship can be, made reading this book a true enjoyment. Again the author wrote a wonderful story, about great characters and not disappointing her reader at all!