It’s Friday!! I’m glad to be bringing you a good book for some weekend reading and if you are in the UK then there is a giveaway you won’t want to miss.
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Meet Lucy, aged 25, and Brenda, aged 79. Neighbours and unlikely friends.
Lucy Baker is not your usual 25-year-old. She is more at home reading and knitting in her cluttered little flat than going out partying and socialising.
79-year-old Brenda is full of wise and wonderful advice, but when she’s diagnosed with dementia her life begins to change. Before her memories slip away for ever, Brenda is desperate to fulfil one last wish – to see Lucy happy.
Gifting Lucy the locket that helped Brenda find her own true love, she hopes to push her reticent neighbour in the right direction. But is Lucy Baker ready for the opportunities and heartbreaks of the real world? It’s about time she put her knitting needles aside and found out…
The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker will be the most charming, heart-warming and feel-good novel you will read this year, perfect for fans of Ruth Hogan and Gail Honeyman.
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This has been a perfect weekend read for me, it’s the kind of book that is light-hearted and fun but really engaging, great if you’ve been in a bit of a reading funk which I certainly was before the new year.
I like that there is a lot going on in the book, it centres around the friendship between Lucy and Brenda but you are involved with all the aspects of Lucy’s life, her relationship with her family, her work life and then, of course, the quest to use the locket to try and get neighbour George to fall for her, even if it’s more for Brenda’s sake than her own.
I think because I found Lucy such an interesting character, almost a kindred spirit, I really enjoyed getting entangled in her life. She’s a bit shy to begin with and maybe isn’t living the kind of life that others would want for her but as the story progresses she gains some confidence and I liked getting to see how that changed her relationships with those around her, especially in her workplace.
Brenda was also a fascinating character and I loved that her friendship with Lucy managed to stay intact even though they were both having to deal with the difficulties that dementia throws up. I liked her quirky nature and that she was so outgoing to Lucy’s shy and reserved nature, and even when she had moments of confusion, getting muddled and almost losing herself, she still made you feel as if it was all as she planned. I admired that she was very honest and upfront with herself about her condition because that really is half the battle.
The antics that Lucy and her friend Jess get up to because of the locket were exceptionally entertaining, any time she finished one task I wondered what crazy thing she would have to do next. It was nice to see her start to enjoy it though and maybe to think that George wasn’t too bad a guy to set her sights on.
There were a few things that I guessed were going to happen, I know that some people say predictable and maybe see that as more of a negative, but with this book I liked it. I liked that I had an inkling of what might happen because I was never sure how Lucy would respond.
This is a very enjoyable read and a lovely story with wonderful characters who often surprised me. I’m looking forward to seeing what Jenni Keer comes up with next.
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Now it’s the bit you’ll be excited to hear about…the giveaway…so click the link below if you want to be in with a chance of winning…
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Here are the stops that you can find out more about this wonderful book.
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Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.
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everywhere-and-nowhere.com 