Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Review - The Golden Oldies Guesthouse

Author:  Dee MacDonald
Genre:   Humor; Women's Fiction
Publisher:  Bookouture
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   309
Date of Publication:  August 27, 2019
My Rating:  4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Tess and Simon Sparrow may have a few more grey hairs and wrinkles than they used to, but that doesn’t stop them being swept up in a whirlwind romance and starting over again. Swapping their city lives for an escape to the countryside, they fall in love with a crumbling hotel and impulsively buy it as their forever home to grow old in together… 

Renovating the glorious, wisteria-clad property on the gorgeous cliff-tops of Cornwall was meant to be a delightful retirement project. But the dream soon turns into reality and practical Tess and optimist Simon are faced with leaky bathrooms, creaky stairs and a roof that’s just about holding up. 

Running out of money fast, the couple decide to rent out a few rooms to save their new home. 

Along come mysterious Celia, hapless romantic Benedict and tarnished, lovelorn actress Titania – all looking for a fresh start. Everyone in this eclectic group has their own reasons for being in Cornwall and across the summer they each go on a journey of self-discovery at The Golden Oldies Guesthouse as they realise there is still plenty of time for love, life, friendship… and a few unexpected surprises. 

From the bestselling author of The Runaway Wife and The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane, this is a completely uplifting page-turner about embracing new friendships, finding love and making each day count. Perfect for fans of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village

Tess and Simon Sparrow are in their sixties and have recently gotten married. When they discover a hotel in Cornwall, despite the fact that it is falling apart at its seams, they both fall in love. They uproot their lives, sell their home and start over. This includes myriads of changes and repairs in their immediate future.

The renovation is rich with problems - but both Tess and Simon know that it will prove valuable beyond belief when it is completed. With very little plumbing, no heat, and room after room needing major repair, the two purchase a caravan as their temporary home.

Tess has children and grandchildren, and Simon has a son. Not only do they want to create a vacation destination, they want their new home to be a place to entertain their family, as well as dear friends. After much work, and more than a few mishaps, guests eventually begin to arrive.

I love how this story then shifted. There are two parts to The Golden Oldies Guesthouse. The first portion is about the purchase, repairs and their growth as a couple in this later stage in life. The second half of the book introduces the guests. Most are older like the Sparrows, and they are all rather unique and interesting.

I loved this book for so many reasons! For starters, it is always a delight to see people in love after the age of sixty. I also love the idea of completely starting over, and taking on unexpected challenges. Lastly, I can only imagine having a variety of guests to care for on a revolving basis. The surprises that Tess and Simon ran into did make me laugh more than once.

Although this is only my second book by Dee MacDonald, I was eager to grab it. I remember my first read by her, The Getaway Girls, which I truly enjoyed, so I wasn't surprised that this one would just as delightful. I look forward to reading more by her as time permits.

Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dee wrote her very first book - at around seven years of age! This was a love story which she duly illustrated before sewing all the pages together up one side. Writing was what she 'was good at' in school and she won several essay competitions, but then life got in the way and she didn't pick up a pen again until after retirement.

Dee left Scotland and headed for London at the beginning of the swinging sixties. After typing her way round the West End she became an air stewardess on long haul routes with BA (then BOAC) for eight years. After that she did market research at Heathrow for both the government statistics and for BA, she became a sales rep., and was the receptionist at the Thames Television Studios in Teddington when they had the franchise.

She then ran a small B&B for ten years in Cornwall, where she lives with her husband. Dee has one son and two grandsons who live locally.

6 comments:

  1. I am adding this to my wish list. Great review.

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  2. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that focused on a couple in this age group falling in love.

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  3. Great review, I read Dee's last book and loved it.

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  4. Amazing review Robin this book looks and sounds like an amazingly delightful book. I am really glad you fully enjoyed reading it, thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.

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  5. Great review. This book sounds like such a cute read!

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