The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry

14 Feb The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry

There’s a real sense of home-coming in this three-generation story

*****

#Blogtour

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! It’s time for me to spread the love about Veronica Henry’s lovely new book – if you’re looking to treat yourself, you can’t go wrong with this story of three generations of women, that embraces family, romance and various life challenges as they strive towards a brighter future for them all.

We first meet Cherry, her daughter Maggie and Maggie’s daughter Rose at a retirement party for Mike – Cherry’s life partner, a father, grandfather and great-grandfather. It’s a happy occasion, but as it draws to a close, Cherry witnesses something that makes her question her relationship with Mike.

It’s in this frame of mind that she makes one last visit to her childhood home in the small village of Rushbrook, before the family house is sold. By the end of the day she’s said goodbye to the house, but not to Rushbrook – for Cherry has bought its rundown village pub The Swan.

Determined to restore it to its former glory, she enlists the help of Maggie and Rose – but will saving the pub help solve the life challenges each faces?

Moving to Rushbrook puts distance between Mike and Cherry – a distance that’s more than mere miles.

Their daughter, Maggie, a widow, takes on the kitchen and the PR – but will this fresh venture allow her to move on from her grief over husband Frank’s death? She may joyfully plunge naked into the crystal clear river that runs behind the pub, but she’s uncertain about dipping her toes in the water of romance again.

Maggie’s daughter Rose, single mother of little Gertie, has been lost since her father died. She’s dropped out academically, and despite charity work helping addicts, at just 22, she feels she’s a failure in life. Will the pub finally give her fresh direction?

This is a really charming story peopled with lovely characters who complement each other perfectly. Cherry, Maggie and Rose have a strong relationship, and are always sensitive to the other’s needs and wishes.

It’s really a four-generation story as their relationship can’t be viewed without reference to Catherine, Cherry’s late mother, who set the standard high for kindness, unity and support both in family and in community.

Along with the strong family thread, that sense of community is followed throughout the story. Locals and incomers bring an extra dimension to the main narrative, which holds its course steadily as we learn about each women’s past and travel with them on to a hopefully bright and better future.

Does their destiny lie in the pub, or is The Swan, renamed The Three Swans, a stepping stone to other, equally exciting new horizons?

The Impulse Purchase delivers on so many levels. Besides the characters and an intriguing plot, the prose offers a feast for the senses, with its descriptions of nature, art and fine food – all enough to make your mouth water.

Themes of family, relationships and new beginnings are all woven into the narrative, but for me the most impelling was the strong sense of homecoming, as Cherry, Maggie and Rose work together to ensure not just the pub, but the community of Rushbrook survives for another generation.

The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry is published by Orion in harback and ebook

About the Author – in her own words!

People often ask me what kind of books I write and it’s a very difficult question to answer in one sentence. Primarily, I love to take my readers somewhere they might like to be, whether a gorgeous house in the countryside or on a seaside clifftop. There, my characters go through the trials and tribulation of everyday life, embroiled in situations and dilemmas we can all relate to. Love is at the heart of it, but all kinds of love, not just romantic: the love of friends and family, or a place, or a passion for what you enjoy.

I have a background in writing television drama (Heartbeat, Holby City) so that has been an influence – creating lots of characters whose lives impact on each other. Working on The Archers I was taught ‘Make ’em laugh; make ’em cry; but above all, make ’em wait’!

I hope my books are beautifully written, uplifting and a little bit escapist.

Contact me via Twitter @veronica_henry, on Facebook @VeronicaHenryAuthor and on Instagram @veronicahenryauthor

Thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me on this blogtour and to Orion and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Catch up with the rest of the blogtour at the links on the posters