As the nanny to four quirky but loveable children, Charlie French has learnt that if there was ever a cement shortage Weetabix would be a viable substitute and that YouTube videos can go viral in seconds, much to her horror. But, most importantly, she's learnt that whatever happens you stick together as a family.
When tragedy strikes, Charlie is forced to decide whether it’s time to move on or fight to keep the children she loves. With the distraction of the children's gorgeous Uncle Felix and the chance of a holiday in stunning Antigua, she’s left wondering if turquoise seas can wash away their present troubles. Is the pull of white sand beaches too tempting to resist or will paradise fail to keep them all together?
Last year I was introduced to author Bella Osborne when I got the chance to read and review her debut novel ‘It Started at Sunset Cottage’ (click here to read my review) which I really enjoyed. A few weeks ago I was contacted by Bella herself with the question of whether I would be interested to be part of the blog tour for her newest release ‘A Family Holiday’, and of course I said yes, so here we are! I’m incredibly excited to not only share my review of ‘A Family Holiday’ with all of you today, but I also have an exclusive guest post from Bella herself and a give-away for UK readers to win a special ‘A Family Holiday’ tote bag. Be sure to scroll down to go through all the blog tour content and visit some of the other blogs on the tour to get to know everything about this exciting summer release!
Twenty-something Charlie French has made her fair share of mistakes in life, but starting working as a nanny for the Cobley family is definitely not one of them. Charlie loves the four kids with all of her heart, so when their parents unexpectedly pass away and a new guardian needs to be appointed, Charlie is anxious and unsure about what will happen to her. The only two possibilities are the kids' aunt Ruth, who seems to be more concerned with getting rid of Charlie than what is best for the kids, and their absent uncle Felix, who has built a life for himself abroad and isn't about to give everything up for a family he hardly knows. Charlie decides the best thing to do is to go on a family holiday with the kids; the perfect chance to relax and forget about everything that's been happening back home. Because even though Charlie doesn't want to think about it, this could be her last chance to spend some quality time with the kids she loves so much...
I was introduced to Bella Osborne's writing last year when I read and reviewed her debut novel 'It Started at Sunset Cottage.' I was curious to see what Bella would treat us to next and I'm happy to say 'A Family Holiday' has definitely managed to even exceed my expectations; what a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable read! I was hooked from the first few chapters onwards and the story managed to keep my full attention until the very last page. One of the absolute strengths of this book is the collection of characters; I simply fell in love with all of them. Protagonist Charlie is the kind of heroine you easily find yourself rooting for, she has a great best friend in the form of Fleur, and I loved how the four kids Ted, George, Eleanor and Millie all had their own personality and were very different from one another. A special mention goes to Millie who just cracked me up with all her great one-liners and actions; I really fell in love with her!
I want to applaud Bella Osborne for managing to make a great and convincing mix of humour, realism and emotions. The kids in this book have experienced something horrible and while they are still dealing with their grief, Charlie tries to help them in whatever way she can, and the story made my eyes water every now and again but also made me laugh out loud. If you ask me to describe what a perfect summer holiday read looks like, it's a novel just like this one. It really has everything I look for in an enjoyable romantic comedy read and it's the perfect read for a day at the beach or in the garden/park. 'A Family Holiday' is a stunning, well-written, warm-hearted book about family and friendship which I loved from start to finish; without a doubt worth picking up this summer!
Rating:
10/10
Thanks to the publisher and author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
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