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I’ve really enjoyed Beth O’Leary’s books so far, and this was no exception!

Leena is forced to take a two month break from work after a bad presentation, after which it’s noted that she hasn’t taken annual leave in forever.

Her grandmother, Eileen, recently split from her unfaithful husband, and doesn’t want that to be it.

They decide to swap places for the two months, Leena heading up to Eileen’s little village in Yorkshire and keeping up with Eileen’s social responsibilities there – and Eileen heading down to Leena’s flat share in London, hitting the dating apps, and revamping the communal area of the building to create a space for those who are lonely. And because it’s chick-lit, of course there are romantic storylines for both of them. There were some very sad parts too – throughout is the background that Leena’s sister died a year or two ago, and how Leena’s relationship with her mum has suffered since then.

You could see where some threads were going from pretty early on, but I don’t think that’s always a bad thing, and some still kept you guessing.

Overall it was a fun read, uplifting, and very sweet, I particularly enjoyed the neighbourhood watch gang up in Yorkshire.

A couple of silly quotes that made me fold page corners down from those people:

“And she’s vegan. Which is really annoying.”
“Oh yes, my friend Kathleen has that.”
“Has what, sorry?”
“Veganism.”

“She loves detective stories.”
“Most nosy people do, it’s good validation.”