Guest review by Julie Williams
of
Coffee, Tea, The
Caribbean & Me
by
Caroline James
by
Caroline James
Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me is a story about friendship and love proving that there is hope in
middle years, romance can happen and
life really does begin again.
Set in Cumbria and the
Caribbean.
‘The time to be happy is
now...’
Jo remembers her
late husband’s words but is struggling to face the lonely future that lies
ahead. A heartbroken widow, the love of her life has died suddenly and Jo finds
herself alone with ghostly memories at Kirkton House - a Cumbrian Manor that
until recently, she ran as a thriving hotel. Her two sons have moved away.
Jimmy to run a bar in Barbados, and Zach to London - to pursue a career as a
celebrity chef. Middle-age and widowhood loom frighteningly and Jo determines
to sell up and start again, despite protestations from colourful friend, Hattie
and erstwhile admirer Pete Parks. Hattie convinces Jo to postpone any
life-changing decisions by enjoying a Caribbean holiday in Barbados and their
holiday sets off a course of events that brings mayhem and madness to Jo and
her family. Confused and anxious for her future, can life really begin again
for Jo? Is there hope in middle years and can romance happen?
Review
The main two characters of this book are mature single ladies who are best friends. Jo, recently widowed, is sensible, serious but lonely. Hattie, a divorcee, is everything Jo isn’t and more! I loved her crazy character and she certainly provided many LOL moments.
The three different settings of Cumbria, Barbados and London
intermingle beautifully.
Barbados is my
favourite location as it offers sun, sand and ’what happens on the Island stays
on the Island ‘.Home to Jimmy Jo’s son this exotic Isle gives Jo and Hattie a
holiday to remember.
Cumbria is home where decisions inevitably have to be made
and can’t be put off much longer.
London is where Jo’s other son Zack has recently moved to
chasing his dream job as a celebrity chef.
This Rom-Com is a breath of fresh air and although is the
sequel to Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me, can be read as a stand-alone. It
offers friendship, love and lots of fun and as if that’s not enough the great
news is that the sequel Coffee, Tea, The Boomers & Me is coming out soon!
Thank you Caroline for sending me this delightful book in
exchange for an honest review –it was a pleasure to read. Also thanks again
Julie for allowing me to gate-crash your wonderful blog.
About the author
Author Biog:
Caroline James was
born in Cheshire and wanted to be a writer from an early age, she trained,
however, in the catering trade and worked and travelled both at home and
abroad. Having lived in Cumbria for many years Caroline owned and ran a pub in
Appleby followed by a country house hotel, south of Penrith and says that her
time in Cumbria was the inspiration that led to her writing path.
Caroline's debut
novel, Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me shot to #3 on Amazon and was
E-book of the Week in The Sun newspaper. Her second novel, So, You Think
You're A Celebrity… Chef? has been described as wickedly funny: 'AbFab
meets MasterChef in a Soap…' The manuscript for Coffee Tea The
Caribbean & Me was a Top Ten Finalist at The Write Stuff, London
Book Fair 2015 and the judge’s comments included: “Caroline is a natural
story-teller with a gift for humour in her writing.” Her next novel, Coffee
Tea The Boomers & Me will be published autumn 2016.
Caroline has owned
and run many catering related businesses and cookery is a passion alongside her
writing, combining the two with her love of the hospitality industry and
romantic fiction. As a media agent, Caroline represented many well-known
celebrity chefs and is currently writing a TV script and accompanying book
about the life of a well-known chef. She has published short stories and is a
member of the RNA and The Society of Authors. Caroline writes articles on food
and celebrity based interviews and is Feature Editor for an online lifestyle magazine.
When she's not running her hospitality business and writing, Caroline can
generally be found with her nose in a book and her hand in a box of chocolates,
she also likes to climb mountains and contemplate life.
For further
information please contact:
Caroline James
Twitter: @CarolineJames12
Huge thanks to two lovely Julie's ... One for hosting and the other for reading. A real pleasure to be on your blog and enormous thanks for reading my new novel, Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me. Happy reading :) Caroline xx
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