This book has an adorable cover and I thought the premise sounded promising. After reading the summary, I thought this would be a great book for the modern woman. So many women are struggling to find a work/life balance right now and I think that a lot of readers could find something to relate to in this one.
I also really loved the idea of a traveling tea shop! Here in Oregon, food trucks are all the rage and I thought that this book would a be a fun little diverting read that would be relevant yet light with some delicious food and tea! A comfort read was the phrase that kept popping into my mind and I was really excited to see how it unfolded.
I read one of Rebecca Raisin’s books a few years ago and remember really enjoying it and I was excited to dive back into one her of books that would be a diverting, feel good read. I don’t know that I loved this one as much as I loved the first book I read by her but I still found it a quick, easy, lighthearted read that left me feeling satisfied and content.
Summary
The trip of a lifetime!
Rosie Lewis has her life together.
A swanky job as a Michelin-Starred Sous Chef, a loving husband and future children scheduled for exactly January 2021.
That’s until she comes home one day to find her husband’s pre-packed bag and a confession that he’s had an affair. Heartbroken and devastated, Rosie drowns her sorrows in a glass (or three) of wine, only to discover the following morning that she has spontaneously invested in a bright pink campervan to facilitate her grand plans to travel the country.
Now, Rosie is about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, and the chance to change her life! With Poppy, her new-found travelling tea shop in tow, nothing could go wrong, could it…? (summary from Goodreads)
Review
One of the biggest strengths this novel had going for it was the changing locations. Rather than having a stationary shop, Rosie is on the move and with it comes a feeling of a story in motion and it keeps thing moving along at a nice pace throughout the novel. I felt like I was on a journey with her and it was fun doing the traveling tea shop adventure with her. I also felt like this book had just the right amount of humor but I had hoped for a little something more though I can’t quite put my finger on what, I just hoped for a little more emotion maybe? I thought Rosie’s character was charming and cute, but there were times when I felt like she was a little all over the place rather than being firmly rooted in her life and direction, if that makes sense. It was a novel of self discovery as much as it was about romance and life taking you in a different direction, but her character felt a little too disjointed at times.
I appreciated that this book was a quick read, but I wished there had been a little more time devoted to the backstory of Rosie and her former husband. The book was a little on the short side (under 300 pages) and the focus was on the future not the past but I would have found Rosie’s story and character a little more believable had there been more development on her backstory and divorce. It seemed to wrap up way too fast for me taste. I also felt that this book would have been fine without the romance. I actually liked the idea of a book about self discovery rather than having it contain a romance. The romance for me was just ok. Their chemistry wasn’t as strong as I had hoped which is why I think it didn’t really care if it was in there or not. It didn’t really add much to the story for me.
Overall the story landed firmly in 3 star territory for me. It was cute and sweet with tea, food, and van life. I liked the traveling aspect and changing scenery but I felt like this book was missing something more. I enjoyed it and it was a fast fluffy read which is just fine by me. It wasn’t bad or disappointing, but just left me feeling like ok that was nice….on to the next. If you are looking for a quick read that is generally cute and has a feel good vibe I would check this one out. I do enjoy Rebecca Raisin but I think that some of her other books are better.
Book Info and Rating
Format250 pages, Kindle Edition
PublishedMarch 4, 2019 by HQ Digital
Free review copy provided by publisher, HQ Digital, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 3 stars
Genre: chick lit
The Lit Bitch 