Tag Archive | Judy Leigh

The Vintage Village Bake Off by Judy Leigh

Dec6

For The Love Of Baking

The Vintage Village Bake Off by Judy Leigh is the most charming contemporary novel that will warm your heart and make you smile.

The lead characters are three siblings in their seventies. They have a lifetime of experience behind them but prove that you are never too old for a fresh start or a new direction. The future is theirs to grab with both hands. “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.”

We witness a character brow beaten by forty nine years of marriage to a bully who exerted control, squashing the very life out of her. She believes everything he spoke over her – that she is a worthless fuddy duddy in boring clothes. It is beautiful to witness her transformation from black and white to glorious technicolour.

Another character has always been a colourful butterfly but beneath her exterior lies heartache and pain. Her choices to flit about lead to regrets. Is it too late for a do-over?

And the third sibling has had a sensible career as a teacher and then headteacher. Retirement is a time to shine as a new hobby is picked up. Baking is a very popular choice.

I loved the names of the animals owned by a character – Isaac Mewton was a cat. The other names were equally witty and well thought out.

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The Daughter Of The Fens by Elena Collins

Oct4

For All Time

The Daughter Of The Fens by Elena Collins is the most awe inspiring, beautiful timeslip novel that I could not get enough of. I read it in just two sittings, pausing only to sleep.

The action is set in the Fens in present day and also two millennia earlier under Roman occupation. It is an area of mystery where the past and present collide as the veil of time is thin.

This is a beautiful story about a forbidden love that will last a lifetime. A character is searching in the past, and her presence is linked to a soul in the present, through dreams and the landscape.

Alternating chapters reveal the parallels between the characters and the time periods.

Elena Collins brings the landscape of two millennia ago to life as we enter a Roman villa and follow the life of an Iceni servant girl. She is a good soul, loyal and true.

As we follow the servant girl, we see that her Roman mistress is more imprisoned than she is. Roman wives knew their duties. They knew their places. They were not free but had to do the bidding of their fathers and then their husbands.

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Foul Play At Seal Bay by Judy Leigh

Aug13

Amateur Sleuthing At Its’ Finest

Foul Play At Seal Bay by Judy Leigh is a contemporary light-hearted crime novel that I really enjoyed. It is the first book in A Morwenna Mutton Mystery series which promises to be fabulous. I cannot wait for the subsequent books.

Judy Leigh has once more created an eclectic mix of characters who entertain the reader. The leading lady is sixty one and her mother is eighty. Both are a breath of fresh air with their energy, enthusiasm and unconventional ways. They refuse to be put in a box marked ‘old’. Both are bundles of energy. Growing old does not equal being staid.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is a delightful six year old girl, whose mannerisms have been perfectly captured by Judy Leigh. I loved her soft-toy doggy companions named Oggy 1 and Oggy 2 who had to accompany her wherever she went. Her innocence and zest for life were a pure delight.

After a crime is committed, Morwenna Mutton figuratively puts on her amateur sleuthing hat. She believes, and proves, herself to be far more competent at crime solving than the local bobby.

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The Silver Ladies Do Lunch by Judy Leigh

Jun10

A Field Of Four Leaf Clover

The Silver Ladies Do Lunch by Judy Leigh is a most delightful contemporary novel that I adored.

The tale is about community, love and friendship. The reader drops in to glimpse friendships formed fifty years ago in primary school, remain. The village is community-minded. They laugh together, love together and provide support where it is needed.

All the characters are well drawn and realistic. They are an eclectic bunch, such as you would find in any close-knit community. They have very differing traits from Dangerous Dave to a pig named Nadine who is very much a character in her own right. Their interactions are wonderful to witness. There were times when I literally laughed out loud.

I also enjoyed the fact that the majority of characters were over sixty with the former teacher being ninety years old. Growing old does not mean we cannot have fun. The former teacher still had the authority to put her former pupils in their places too!

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