When everyone suddenly needs the help of the black sheep of the family…

Synopsis

The course of true love never did run smooth, but with Phoebe MacLeod it always gets a chance. Perfect for fans of Jo Watson, Mhairi McFarlane and Portia MacIntosh.

The black sheep is coming home for her sister’s wedding.

One week with the whole family in one house.

What could possibly go wrong?

Poppy is a therapist. You’d think her parents would be proud. But Poppy is the type of therapist that makes her mother cringe – she helps people with their, ahem, bedroom problems…

Normally Poppy deals with her difficult family – two parents, one brother, a couple sisters and an assortment of nieces and nephews – by keeping a county or two between her and them. But with her little sister about to get married there’s no avoiding the week-long family holiday in Cornwall.

The trip was always going to be a catastrophe, but Poppy never imagined how much her family needed her professional skills… Nor did she expect to meet a sexy surfer on what was supposed to be the most unromantic holiday ever.

Can a nightmare holiday lead to the love of a lifetime?

My review

Poppy is great at her job as a therapist. However instead of having proud parents, especially her mother feels ashamed of Poppy’s career as a sex therapist.
But it’s not only her job that turned Poppy into the black sheep of the family, as with each relative the relationship is strained.
So obviously, spending a whole week with them for her little sister’s, isn’t something Poppy is looking forward to…
With the expectation that it will all end in catastrophe, Poppy is shocked to see how her family is seeking her advice…
And then there is Sam, her sexy neighbour Sam, teaching her how to surf. But will things remain platonic between them? 

I always know beforehand that I once I start reading a book from this author, that I will be enjoying it from start until the very end.
And this book for sure wasn’t an exception. Or perhaps an exception in the sense that I devoured it even faster than Phoebe’s Macleod’s other books! 

When we meet Poppy, it’s crystal-clear that she is amazing at what she does. She sees the struggles in a couple and without admonishing them, she is able to make the relationship work again.
Yet she also finds herself in awkward, hilarious situations where for example one patient tries to do something right but misses the mark completely. I can only try to imagine the horrendous object he bought while trying to spice things up! 😊 

While she is a real competent therapist, it infuriates me to read how her own family acts towards her. First of all there is her mother, who is truly ashamed of Poppy’s job, even if she doesn’t even know what the job consists of…
And the strained relationship between the siblings made me sympathize with Poppy even more.
Why can’t they all see the great person that Poppy is, instead on hanging on to prejudices and the past (which was totally innocent!). 

Obviously from the moment the family holiday starts, I was in Poppy’s corner. Poppy tries to stand her ground against everyone, but we also see how difficult it is to keep the peace. Because just like everyone in the world, Poppy loves her family, even if they don’t understand her. 

And then the real fun begins… 

It is just hilarious to see how Poppy turns from some kind of pariah, with a job nobody, especially the groom’s parents, must know about, to the confidante.
Somehow, everyone suddenly needs Poppy’s advice. Well, if Poppy were more like me, and she would be a petty person, well, they could all go f*ck themselves and sort their own issues!
But Poppy isn’t that kind of person, and even in situations she herself feels uncomfortable in, she tries to help anyway she can. 

There is a bit of romance in this book, but Poppy meeting Sam isn’t the main focus of this wonderful book. While seeing Poppy sneaking in and out of the house like a teenager, even taunting her mother with it, kept putting a smile on my face.
But also seeing Poppy and Sam growing closer, with the extra help of someone from Sam’s side, made me keep smiling. 

But the main focus of this story is on the family. Phoebe Macleod captures perfectly the dynamics of a normal family, even if in this case it’s taken a little bit to its extreme.
Just like in reality, Poppy’s family members are all different from each other, and while they all love each other, they aren’t all on the same page.
However, we all should appreciate and respect each other, and sometimes even take the time to listen to each other and even get to know each for real…
This important message arrives very loud and clear, surrounded by a great layer of (un)intended humour!