Sowing Secrets by Trisha Ashley
Monday, 03 Mar 2008 16:48
Sowing Secrets by Trisha Ashley
Avon, out now.
In a nutshell...
A gentle, lightly comedic stroll through a plot containing no nasty surprises.
What's it all about?
Middle-aged cartoon illustrator Fran March has recently been struggling to explain to her daughter that she really does not know the identity of her father. However, when an ex-boyfriend gets in touch and a suddenly-famous TV gardener begins to look rather familiar, it starts to seem as though she may have to address her past.
Who's it by?
Romantic comedy writer and stained glass maker Trisha Ashley, author of reasonably successful books such as Sweet Nothings and Every Woman For Herself.
As an example...
"I'd definitely heard that voice somewhere, I was sure of it – maybe on some other gardening programme. It certainly wasn't one you’d ever forget, with a mellow tone that made you think of dark, rich honey and folded tawny velvet."
What the others say...
"I'm pleased to say that there's no violence, no explicit sex, no bad language and not even a whole lot of shopping." - Sue's Book Reviews
"Sowing Secrets has something for everyone: humour, drama and romance." - Female First
Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster?
Nil. This novel is a charming quiet bed book but would not hold big screen attention.
So is it any good?
This novel is a gentle stroll through a pleasant world where pressing issues such as the possible sale of Fairy Glen and amusing fears about weight override even concerns about the paternity of the protagonist's teenage daughter. Written by - and presumably for - a middle-aged woman, it is a romantic comedy with enough charm to hold the attention and engage a reader with the characters. There is development, mild humour and several intertwining plots but ultimately it is an easy piece of escapism no one would be ashamed to read on the train. It is a bubble bath of a book, gently cushioning the reader in a comfortable world filled with feisty and artistic women who gently overcome adversity.
It can be pleasant to sink into a book with such soft edges and as the summer approaches - and for readers who want a gentle plot to doze over in a hammock with a gin and tonic - this book could be perfect.
6/10
Felicity King-Evans
"Thanks, Felicity. Readers might like to get a balanced overview of Sowing Secrets by visiting the singletitles.com review site at http://singletitles.com/?p=347" - Trisha Ashley
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