The Gin O'Clock Club

Three and a half stars. Meet Lottie, a young barrister with ambitions to take silk (get the title Queen's Counsel, or QC) before she's thirty. Lottie is so busy that she doesn't have time for her friends, or her boyfriend Luke. When Lottie's beloved grandmother dies she tries to help her grandfather Teddy but she's too busy for that too. Teddy can see Lottie is unhappy but she won't listen to reason and she is lashing out at those she loves, especially Luke. So he hatches a plan to help Lottie to see what is really important in life; following a discussion of old-fashioned versus modern dating he proposes teaching Luke and Lottie about dating the old-fashioned way and in return he will try to meet people the modern way, through Tinder etc. Every week Teddy and his golf pals meet up to play cards and drink gin; his wife used to call it the Gin O'clock Club and the name stuck. I requested this book because I had read Rosie Blake's The Hygge Holiday and really enjoyed the gentle romance. Well this is totally different, which isn't a bad thing - no-one likes to read the same book over and over - but I didn't feel the same love for Lottie as I did for Clara Kristensen. In fact, I thought Lottie was a nightmare and I really didn't understand why Luke and her friends either stayed with her or forgave her. Although, I have to confess that her comments about getting into a verbal fight with someone after a few drinks and not really understanding what you are fighting about but refusing to back down did strike a chord. Maybe Lottie struck a little too close to home and I didn't like what I saw? Anyway, Teddy and his golfing buddies are a laugh riot as they try to show Lottie and Luke how to date the old-fashioned way, some of which works better than others. And I did have to laugh at Teddy's disastrous Tinder date. I think Lottie's character overshadowed Luke, TBH he was such a paragon of virtue he didn't feel like a real character whereas everyone else was larger than life. Overall, despite my negativity, this was a gentle, humorous tale about a young ambitious woman who has lost her way and needs her grandfather and his golf buddies to help her get straight again. There's vintage cars, ballroom dancing, picnics and art classes all accompanied by every flavour of gin you could imagine. perfect summer reading. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A touching read about life, career, family and relationships - and how hard it is to fit them all in! Lottie is a career girl; a barrister, she aims to be the youngest ever silk but it needs an inordinate amount of focus. When her beloved grandmother dies, Lottie needs to support her grandfather and make sure he isn't lonely; as her best friend's bridesmaid she need to support her - and then there's her boyfriend Luke, ever supportive and undemanding. How will she fit them all in to her days? I'm pretty certain this novel will ring a bell with many women; if only elastic was built into each 24 hour period, eh? But having to commit all to working hours (and later, with prep for the next day), doesn't leave a lot of time to fit everything else in. Add in grief, lack of sleep and we've all been where Lottie finds herself. The Gin O'Clock Club to the rescue! This group of men, friends of her grandfather's are a motley crew, lively and entertaining despite (or maybe because of?) their years. As young and old come together there is such a lot they have to learn from each other and in doing so they provide much entertainment. Uplifting and with huge injections of fun and laughter, this is a book with lots of highs and lows; the question is which will win out at the end of the day? A good read which I'm happy to give 4.5*.