Written by Sharley ScottI loved it! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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I so enjoyed the first book in this series, The Two Lives of Maddie Maddox, that I could not wait to read the next instalment and purchased a copy of The Gift of a Rose as soon as it was published!
Today, as well as my review, I'm delighted to be able to bring you a Guest Post from the author herself, Sharley Scott, about the negatives and positives she is finding in 2020.
Today, as well as my review, I'm delighted to be able to bring you a Guest Post from the author herself, Sharley Scott, about the negatives and positives she is finding in 2020.
The blurb:
Even better, her long-held dream of happiness for her lonely father seems to be coming true.
But roses come with thorns.
The thorn in Maddie’s side arrives in the guise of a man with a film-star name – and a scheming nature. Is his interest in her purely professional? And what strings will be attached?
If something feels wrong, it often is. But Maddie’s in too far to disentangle herself.
When a vengeful ex-colleague gets involved, Maddie’s world begins to crumble. Can her relationship withstand the coming storm? And are her hopes for her father doomed?
It may all depend on the gift of a rose…
Women's Humorous Fiction
My thoughts:
The Gift of a Rose is every bit as wonderful as The Two Lives of Maddie Maddox. I loved catching up with the lovely familiar characters I'd made a connection with in the first instalment of this every-day story which pulled on my heartstrings.Maddie is still keeping it all together. She is holding down a demanding job, helping the community, whilst fending off an amorous councillor and juggling family life.
Maddie's relationship with Sean is going from strength to strength, that is, until an ex-colleague with a bee in his bonnet about Maddie stirs up trouble for her.
Maddie's son Josh is now three and even more of a handful. His antics made me smile. Been there - to some degree - done that, got the tee-shirt!
The Flying Scotsman has gone from the estate, but is replaced by a young woman and her son who are running from her violent ex-partner.
Samson's café is in need of a new venue as the council is redeveloping the current site. The young adults who use the café, including Maddie's brother Will, Tariq, and Christabel, demonstrate outside the council offices causing Maddie more than a little embarrassment. I still love Tariq and his jokes. They are really silly jokes; ones I'd not heard before; and had me giggling and snorting in appreciation.
There's good news too as Maddie's dad, Alan, has made a new friend who has brightened his outlook. Maddie's friend Rachel may have cause to celebrate too, and Maddie's dedication to her job sees her locate and set up a venue for lonely men to meet and work on their woodwork projects.
The Gift of a Rose is a well-written, uplifting story from Scott with likeable, well-drawn characters, which was an absolute pleasure to read. And... whilst it could be read as a standalone, I would recommend starting at the beginning with The Two Lives of Maddie Maddox to be able to really appreciate the events and characters in this story.
A Guest Post from Sharley Scott
2020
Last Christmas, my dad sent a Christmas card. Inside, he wished my husband and I ‘a wonderful 2020’. Neither my dad or I had psychic abilities. We had no idea this would become the worst year for so many people.
My dad died unexpectedly a few months later. His death has given me a new perspective. It’s hard to worry about a business when so many people are losing friends and family. I don’t mean to sound trite about it though. A failing business is the last thing anyone needs, especially when people invest their lives and savings to keep their businesses afloat.
In our case, our guesthouse is not just a holiday business. It’s our home. We’ve been able to access grants, but they barely cover the mortgage repayments, let alone everything else that comes with the high overheads on an eight-bedroom B&B.
But there have been positives. In a bout of lockdown fever, I realised that if I didn’t like being confined to a house, there were plenty of creatures who had no choice other than to live in small pens. So, I became a vegetarian. It’s over six months on and I have no intention of backtracking.
Although we opened between lockdowns, we weren’t as busy as previous years – we’d decided to run at a reduced occupancy to keep our guests safe. The additional spare time enabled me to write three novels this year: The Two Lives of Maddie Meadows, which I started to write for my dad before he died; its sequel, The Gift of a Rose; and the one I am currently editing, which is set in 1988 and has the working title, A Little Birdie Told Me.
My books are no longer as funny as Bedlam & Breakfast and B&Bers Behaving Madly. Maybe this year has sapped a little bit of my humour, after all – although there are still comical episodes in the newer books. But I found I wanted to explore relationships, in particular the bonds of families and friendship. The parts of life that are so important.
I find writing stills my mind. It’s hard to worry about the present, when I’m stuck in the eighties with characters who are dealing with their own issues. Many of the people who feature in A Little Birdie Told Me are elderly. They wouldn’t be here to see 2020, but they would have lived through so much more strife: two wars, the Spanish flu and numerous other events.
I was in my teens in the eighties. What I recall from that period, is the wonderful sense of humour my elders displayed. I thought it was innocent, but when I watch old clips of Nationwide and older people are interviewed, I realise they had a wicked sense of humour and perfected double entendres. They understood the importance of lots of laughter and love. That’s what I wish you in 2021.
| Author Bio – Sharley Scott |
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Sharley Scott is the author of the 'Devon Seaside Guesthouse' novels - Bedlam & Breakfast and B&Bers Behaving Madly. Her latest book 'The Two Lives of Maddie Meadows' was published in June 2020. The second in the series 'The Gift of a Rose' will be available in the autumn. Sharley is a guesthouse owner in South Devon. She is thankful to have been blessed with lots of amazing and kind-hearted guests, who are nothing like some of the characters featured in the Devon Seaside Guesthouse series. The Two Lives of Maddie Meadows is a fictional account, but Sharley has never forgotten how interesting life can be with a toddler. Some of the mischief Josh gets up to will be familiar to all parents. Sharley has carried out the threats she made to her son decades ago and now embarrasses him by telling tales to his girlfriend, although he gets her back by recounting stories about his mum. |
| Social Media Links – | |
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| Goodreads | Sharley Scott |
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