Country Loving

by Julie Highmore

Ruby Grant has just moved to the country. Her husband, Oliver, is sceptical about anything rural, but he seizes the opportunity to leave Ruby's two grown-up yet inexplicably dependent children behind in the city. Life slows down alarmingly from the moment they set foot in Troy Cottage, but at least Ruby can finally start writing her novel in peace. Until her daughter, Poppy, turns up with boyfriend and dog in tow, announces she's pregnant and moves into Ruby's office. Then Josh needs somewhere to do his washing, and her father wants to stay for Christmas.
Despite this, Ruby finds village life surprisingly seductive. The Christmas pantomime, the weekly pub quiz, the summer fete...she just can't say no. And especially not to Hamish, the handsome journalist who seems anxious to accompany her on investigations for the parish magazine. There's surely no harm in a little crush - but can Ruby avoid the hazards of country loving?

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2002

About the author

After having her three children, Julie became a mature student at first Westminster College, then Oxford Brookes University, where she gained a degree in English. As part of the course, she studied creative writing with Philip Pullman, who encouraged her to continue with her writing after graduation. This she did, and her published work includes nine rom-com novels, and more recently, a crime fiction series for The Book Folks. The Missing American - the first in the series - features the somewhat flawed, Oxford-based private investigator, Edie Fox; a single mother and very young grandmother who inadvertently gets her precious family caught up in her first big case. Although her recent novels have ventured into some dark places, Julie manages to inject humour into the stories without diminishing the danger of situations Edie finds herself in.

Between graduating and becoming a published author, Julie taught English as a foreign language, and for several years was a reader for Oxford University Press’s Children’s Books.

She enjoys music, binge-watching a good TV series, country strolls, doing the New York Times crossword, and hanging out with her husband and ever-expanding family. With two Edie books now in production and a third following in Spring 2023, Julie is hoping to continue with the series while also exploring other crime-fiction paths.

Reviews

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story with a healthy dose of humour. I wanted a light summer read after reading some rather serious novels and this did the trick.

Some people seem to think it is a mystery. Not sure where they got that idea. Set in England, it's a humourous look at a city couple's move to a small village and how things don't turn out as they thought with quirky neighbours and their dysfunctional family descending upon them.

[Pam Wiebe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started this, read the first 100 or so pages and just couldn't get into the story or connect with the characters.

[Emma Tattersall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as I remembered it. Characters have too many flaws now. Ten years ago I thought it was funny. Now it's just frustrating.

[carrietracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an example of a when chicklit is completely unenjoyable. The plot wandered. There were so many characters I stopped caring who was who. Halfway through I couldn't believe I still had half a book left.

Things I learned from this book:

All of your family members will find you and mooch off you no matter where you live.

It's okay to crush on your best friend's boyfriend, lie to her about hanging out with him, and go after him after they've broken up. As long as she didn't like him that much. Even if you're married.

No matter how much your kids will seem to have pulled their lives together, don't worry, they'll screw up again.

Even if it's really out of character for him, your husband will eventually cheat on you with someone with large fake breasts. This okay though, because you'll probably want to cheat on him too, and now you don't have to feel guilty. If you overhear him saying questionable things on the phone, definitely don't ask about it!! You might stop an affair before it's begun, and then you'd have to feel guilty when you cheat!!

Whenever you don't know the actual answer to something, don't ask. Spread a lot of rumors.

So glad I'm done with this book.

[Kimiko-K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haha this bk is a fun-packed & a gd way of taking your mind off from the bundle of paperworks you have yet attend to. It relaxes me. The author plays around with the words & made me laugh out loud several times at the implied meanings of the dialogues. I must say I'm really impressed by the author subtly & observance to her surroundings.

This group of characters are nevertheless a funny & eccentrice gang with a unique quality of themselves such that hey don't feel make up & 2D at all. I also enjoy the short scenes instead of one whole chunk of words revolving around the same incident. Move on!

All in all, a pleasant chick-lit. Go for it, Girls (& even Guys)!

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did have me giggling in places, but it didn't have me reading late into the night!

There were too many characters for my liking, and the storyline chopped and changed too much I thought.

[laurel jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept reading expecting more but never really got there.
no real mystery here.