Review: The Love Shack by Jane Costello

Wednesday 22 April 2015
Title: The Love Shack
Author: Jane Costello
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 23rd April 2015
Pages: 496
ISBN: 9781471129278
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon
Life's great when you're 29 years old with a gorgeous girlfriend and fulfilling job. Until you have to move back in with your mum . . .

Dan and Gemma have found their dream first home, but the asking price is the stuff of nightmares. The only way they'll ever save enough for the deposit is by moving in, rent-free, with Dan's mum.

It's a desperate solution, but it's only for six months. And Gemma's determined to make it work, no matter how bad things get.

But between Dan's mum's kitchen karaoke, her constant innuendos, irrepressible argumentative streak and - worst of all - her ham and pineapple curries, life back at home would test the patience of two saints. Which Dan and Gemma most definitely are not.

Then, as they're trying to convince themselves it will all be worth it, Gemma's past comes back to haunt her. And suddenly the foundations of their entire relationship are shaken to their core…

Jane Costello has become one of my favourite Women's Fiction authors in recent years, so I was very excited about The Love Shack, especially when I got my hands on an early copy. The blurb sounded brilliant, and it's a subject that I think couples across the UK are going to really be able to relate to.

Dan and Gemma have found their dream home. The only problem being that to purchase it, they must move in, rent-free with Dan's mum, the only way they can possibly save enough money to afford the deposit (well, not the only way, but more on that later). From the minute they arrive it is every kind of awkward and embarrassing you could possibly imagine. Dan's mother is outrageous, at times perhaps a little bit over the top but at others completely believable as this cringe-worthy mother who seems to have forgotten her son is an adult. So begins a true test of their relationship, not helped one bit when Gemma's past comes back to haunt her...

There seems to be a trend in Women's Fiction lately whereby the story is told from both the female and male perspective. Usually it's just the female character that we follow, and this often results in two male characters: the weak drip that the female ends up leaving for the insanely gorgeous, great in bed stud that is always conveniently waiting in the wings. Telling the story from both perspectives works brilliantly here, giving the reader a real insight into both characters and what they are thinking. I especially enjoyed the flashbacks, seeing how the two characters met. It felt a bit like prying at times, knowing more about their relationship than they knew themselves.

I think living with your boyfriend's family is a little bit like going on holiday with them. You are either going to come home loving them, or never wanting to set eyes on them again. Gemma has a lot of patience, let's just say that, but it's stretched very thinly as the story progresses and as such, I had no idea how this story would ultimately conclude. Especially when an old face from Gemma's past comes back into her life, and suddenly her future looks very uncertain.

I liked Dan as a character but had a couple of issues. I did find myself wondering why he wouldn't just accept financial help from his mother, it was only a few thousand that they needed, but then the story would have been a non-starter without his refusal! He was a little bit secretive at times, but what I enjoyed the most was the absolute love that he obviously had for Gemma. His family have their roles to play in the story, specifically his mother and grandmother. His mum, Belinda I thought was an absolute BLEEP when we first met her, but as the book progressed she grew on me. Towards the end of the book something happens regarding Dan's family that left me wondering whether Jane was about to break my heart! Say no more.

Jane's humour is definitely her own, and she is one of the few authors that can actually make me laugh out loud with some of the lines that she comes out with. It really is brilliant, and I could sit here and fill a review with them, but the enjoyment always comes from reading them in a book. So rest assured those readers that love Jane for her comedy, will not be disappointed with The Love Shack. Nothing about The Love Shack felt predictable, and with a couple of little twists throughout, things I thought would happen, didn't. Towards the end of the book I had my conclusion in my head and Jane well and truly delivered! A wonderful ending to a brilliant book, and one that I very highly recommend.

5/5

1 comment:

  1. I love Jane Costello! I don't get around to enoughof her books.great review..I'lllook out for this one.

    ReplyDelete

Blog Archive

Copyright © 2014 Book Addict Shaun
Template by These Paper Hearts