It’s such a pleasure today to be joining the blog tour for Lessons in Life by Julie Houston, the second book in her new Beddingfield series, and sharing my publication day review. Published on 12th May by Boldwood Books, it’s now available as an e-book (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. My thanks, as always, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading copy (provided via netgalley).
I suspect you’ll already know how much I love Julie’s books – if you pop her name into my search bar you’ll find my many reviews. She’s one of the best storytellers I know, and I particularly enjoyed her Westenbury series that followed the lives of the Quinn triplets – Eva, Rosa and Hannah – after they unexpectedly inherited Heatherly Hall (and all three books are free via Kindle Unlimited). This is her first series with Boldwood, and A Class Act really couldn’t have got it off to a better start – complicated family dynamics and relationships, every individual so wonderfully drawn, a few intriguing storylines to be developed further, heartwarming and uplifting, and with characters I really loved (you’ll find my full review here). I was rather looking forward to returning to Beddingfield…
The Yorkshire village of Beddingfield is home to the wonderful women of the Allen family: teacher Robyn, wannabe chef Jess, teenage tearaway Sorrel and matriarch Lisa, who holds the whole family together. But underneath her warmth and brilliance, Lisa has a secret – she longs to know who she really is.
In Hudson House, the grand manor on the edge of Beddingfield which is now a care home, lives seventy-something Eloise Howard. With film star beauty but memories fading fast, Eloise is slowly taking one foot at a time back into her past. Born into a prestigious family, her father the owner of the local Hudson’s Mill, Eloise’s life was destined to be one of finishing schools and balls. But when her path crossed Junayd Sattar’s, the most striking and kindest man she had ever met, nothing would ever be the same again.
When Lisa begins to spend time at Hudson House and befriends Eloise, the two women form an unbreakable bond. But unbeknownst to them both, they share secrets that, once uncovered, will change everything they believed about their own lives.
In her unmatched warm and uplifting voice, Julie Houston’s funny and profoundly moving tale of forbidden love, friendship and family ties will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page… perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Fiona Gibson and Cathy Kelly.
The main focus of the first book in this lovely series was Robyn, her return to Beddingfield after having to leave the London stage and taking up a teaching job, and her on-off relationship with Fabien – and life’s still not running smoothly for them both, for reasons you’ll soon discover. But this latest book would be entirely readable, and equally enjoyable, as a standalone – I was delighted to find that the other members of her family took their turns in the spotlight, with compelling stories of their own.
Robyn’s sister Jess works as manager of a nursing home but with dreams of being a full-time chef; teenage sister Sorrel hopes for a stage career, with a talent nurtured by Robyn, but with real complications caused by her errant boyfriend. And then there’s mother Lisa – on the road to being well once more after a difficult time with an inherited condition, yearning to knowing more about her birth parents but knowing only, from the scant information reluctantly passed on by her adoptive parents, that her mother was Asian.
And it’s Lisa’s story that perhaps predominates – delighted to find a neglected garden she can tend as she regains her strength at the nursing home where Jess works, a former family-owned mansion, she strikes up a friendship with elderly and sometimes confused resident Eloise, the daughter of the family who used to own it. And, in tandem, Eloise’s history unfolds – seamlessly done, intriguing at every turn – and we slowly discover that there are unexpected links with Lisa’s own story. It’s all told with a perfect sense of time and place – her claustrophobic existence as the daughter of the local mill owner, her mother remote and intent on introducing her to society, while she finds considerably more joy in new friendships with the mill workers, all less socially acceptable in their different ways.
In the grounds of the nursing home there’s an extraordinary summer house, perhaps the property Fabien – no longer enamoured with the legal profession, sharing Lisa’s passion for cooking – could consider developing as a restaurant. But there are rumblings that a local developer has already bought the whole site, planning to knock everything down and build a factory – and the school where Robyn works, which the teaching team are finally managing to turn around, is also in their sights.
But I really mustn’t tell the story – it follows a number of equally engaging threads, laced with moments of drama and poignancy, as the family and other relationships bring plenty of complications. Much of the joy in the book is through seeing Lisa finally getting some answers and achieving a sense of belonging, showing real determination and bravery, finally living her life to the full. But I enjoyed the other intertwined storylines every bit as much – the book attempts a lot, and succeeds in every possible way.
While it does tackle a number of serious issues – particularly sensitively, and extremely well – those moments of humour that always feature in the author’s books are very much present, with situations that had me in stitches alongside the many others that couldn’t fail to move me to tears. And every single individual, however minor their role, is so superbly drawn – these were all people I really cared about, every setback giving a real stab to the heart, every little victory making me want to cheer. I honestly don’t think the author has ever written better – I’m very much looking forward to the continuation of the story, and discovering what life might have in store for everyone. Very much recommended – I loved every moment.
About the author
Julie Houston is the author of 13 previous novels published by Head of Zeus/Aria, set around two fictional West Yorkshire villages, and writes warm and funny books about characters who are still learning about life.
She lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where her novels are set, and her only claims to fame are that she teaches part-time at ‘Bridget Jones’ author Helen Fielding’s old junior school and her neighbour is ‘Chocolat’ author, Joanne Harris. After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior school teacher. She now teaches just two days a week, and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children. She has been a magistrate for the past nineteen years, and, when not distracted by Ebay, Twitter and Ancestry, spends her time writing.
Julie is married, with two adult children and a ridiculous Cockerpoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she’s been told it’s good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book – preferably with Matthew Mcconaughay in attendance.
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