I’ve been ever so good over the last month or so – I signed up for a few less blog tours to give myself some breathing space, and I’ve already read all the books I’ve promised to review in August (sunny weather and a chair in the garden work wonders!). So that’s allowed me to fit in a small number of books I really wanted to read – and one of those was most definitely A Colourful Country Escape by Anita Faulkner. It’s her debut (and one of the books nominated for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award this year – you can read my feature again here), published by Sphere on 9th June (with a simply gorgeous cover), and now available as an e-book, paperback and audiobook. My thanks to the publishers for my e-copy, provided via netgalley – and my apologies that I couldn’t get to it rather sooner.
Many of you might already know Anita – she regularly waves her pom-poms and offers the most exceptional support to fellow authors via her Facebook chat group Chick Lit and Prosecco. She has the sunniest personality and an infectious enthusiasm for romance, and I was really keen to try her writing. I must tell you though that she sadly didn’t walk away with that award – top honours went to Suzie Hull for In This Foreign Land, another book that looks right up my street and that I’ll really be trying to fit in over the coming weeks. But graduating from the New Writers’ Scheme and achieving their dream of publication was a remarkable achievement for everyone on that list of contenders – all winners in my eyes, and well done everyone!
So, let’s take a closer look at Anita’s gorgeous book…
Falling in love isn’t always so black and white…
When vibrant but penniless Lexie is dumped by her posh boyfriend who is looking for a more financially suitable match, she decides to pack up her beloved orange campervan Penny in search of a new path. Stumbling upon a vacancy at a family-run paint company in the Cotswolds, Lexie believes she’s found her perfect match…
Lexie arrives at Nutgrass Hall, home of Carrington Paints, but it seems that owner Benedict Carrington is less than impressed with her arrival, and Lexie realises she’ll have her work cut out for her if she’s to convince stuffy “Beige Ben” to trust her with rescuing his out-of-touch business. But Ben has more on his mind than just the company – his mother is determined to find him a suitable wife worthy of carrying the Carrington family name, or she’ll take the business from him.
As Lexie sets to work on injecting some life colour into Carrington Paints, Ben allows himself to be set up with Tewkesbury’s finest ladies. But the more time the pair spend together, the more they realise their feelings for each other aren’t so black and white. Will Lexie be able to brighten into Ben’s colourless world before it’s too late?
Let yourself be whisked away with A Colourful Country Escape and fall in love with the cosy Cotswold charm, the colourful characters and some heart-stopping romance. Perfect for fans of Heidi Swain, Jo Thomas and Bella Osborne.
Do you know, “chick lit” isn’t a description I often use – but, to give you a flavour of this book, just this once I think I really need to. And I’m sure many readers will have come across romantic comedies that don’t entirely live up to the description – not many laughs, and a little lacking in the romantic content too? Well, this might just be the book you’ve been waiting for – sheer fun throughout, all at breakneck speed, a laugh a minute, an unlikely (but rather lovely) romance that has you really hoping things will finally work out, filled with colour and sunshine… and I loved it. All that, and peacocks too!
Lexie’s confidence and self-esteem has been badly damaged by her arrogant and entitled tosser of a boyfriend – she’s already struggling for money, and any she does have tends to find its way to whatever her latest “good cause” might be. But she now has the chance of a fresh start and a proper job – managing the on-line presence of the Carrington Paint company. It’s a family business, fronted by Benedict, one of two brothers – and as soon as Lexie pitches up at Nutgrass Hall in her orange camper van, she can tell that there are more radical changes needed than just redesigning the logo and a few interesting Insta posts. The company’s reins are still firmly gripped by Ben’s mother, Mrs Carrington-Noble – her fearsome reputation precedes her appearance, and the woman herself certainly more than lives up to it, vehemently opposed to change of any kind and running her son’s private life with the same single-minded determination. Lexie enters their lives like a whirlwind, with her unusual fashion sense, quirky humour and contagious enthusiasm – her ideas are good, and she begins to win “Beige Ben” over, but her charms certainly don’t work on his mother.
The characters in this book are quite wonderful – and none less so than Lexie herself, very much the focus of the story (it’s told from her point of view), scatty, madcap, sometimes rather badly behaved, and entirely loveable. I grew quite fond of Ben too, as he began to relax a little – and there’s a whole supporting cast of family and household members on both sides, all really well drawn and playing their parts in the story. There are some nicely developed subsidiary stories too – I was particularly taken by housekeeper Mrs Moon (and her mysterious husband) and the way her story developed, and Lexie’s larger-than-life sister Sky certainly adds another level of complication.
The book really is the most tremendous fun from its beginning to its lovely and very satisfying end – and the ever-present humour is nicely balanced by the ups and downs of life and a few real issues, all particularly well handled. Sometimes a book just comes along when you need it, when you’re happy for everything to be handled with a rather lighter touch, when you’re entirely content to be drawn along through the twists and turns of the story with a wide smile on your face eager to see what happens – and, for me, this book was right on the button. One I’d most definitely recommend to others – and I’m looking forward to seeing what the author does next…
Praise for A Colourful Country Escape
‘A lovely debut, full of fun and colour’ Bella Osborne
‘A heart-warming and uplifting romance – the perfect summer read!’ Holly Martin
‘Such a fun ride! Faulkner brings colour and humour to every line in this hoot of a debut. If you’re looking for a big splash of bright sunshine in your life, this is it’ Pernille Hughes
‘A debut triumph! Endlessly joy-lit. Bursting with character and warmth’ Christie Barlow
‘A vibrant, charming book. Makes me quite want to take a colourful adventure of my own, especially after these rather beige past couple of years!’ Isla Gordon
About the author
Anita Faulkner writes warm and fuzzy romcoms from her upcycled bureau in the south west of England. She grew up sniffing books and devouring stories. And she insists it was perfectly normal to squirrel boxes of pretty stationery that felt far too magical to actually use. She’s also accumulated a brave and patient husband and a strong-willed little boy who brighten up her world.
A Colourful Country Escape is her first novel: her second, The Gingerbread Cafe, is now available for preorder and will be published on 27th October.
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I’ve read this and it’s a lot of fun.
Isn’t it just? A lovely summer read!