Jane Lovering
Farrago
December 13, 2018
Blurb: Tansy Merriweather is down on her luck. She’s lost her business and her relationship, and instead of a glamorous London apartment, her home is now a campervan on a Dorset beach. And as if things couldn’t get any worse, a scruffy dog called Brian with a taste for sardines has adopted her.
When Tansy’s new-found friends at the cafe in the bay help her find a job as a location scout for a new TV show, things start looking up. However, when she finds herself babysitting the show’s grouchy star, Davin O’Riordan, she’s not sure she wants to stay around. But when Brian forges a touching romance with Davin’s elegant whippet Seelie, Tansy begins to see another side to Davin.
As Christmas approaches, secrets emerge and Tansy and Davin discover a bond between them. But how will they cope with the storms headed their way – and can they save the cafe from closing?
SASCHA DARLINGTON’S REVIEW
If you’re looking for a Christmas romance, this may not be the one for you as Christmas is pretty much an after-thought especially for the heroine, Tansy, who has had a very rough year.
However, this book goes beyond fluff and shows two people who meet at the right point in their lives to help each other and perhaps fall in love.
While Davin is initially shown to be mean-spirited and superficial, it’s a facade to hide his deeper secrets, which he shares with Tansy as their relationship progresses. Likewise, Davin guesses that Tansy has a deeper secret than the one she initially shares, a secret that makes the novel rather poignant.
The supporting characters add a great deal to the novel, especially Mom Karen and her son Rory. Karen has some great one-liners. Even Larch, the supposed self-absorbed actress, is shown to be far more than a pretty face.
After a near-tragedy brings everyone together on Christmas, the novel is indeed heart-warming. There might not be a lot of Christmas, but Karen tinsels everything.
Choose this one if you’re looking for a little more depth and just a shade less cheery in your Christmas story.
And, please, could someone give the scruffy dog a bath?
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating: 
4 out of 5 butterflies
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