Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Probably the Best Kiss in the World by Pernille Hughes. It's a romantic comedy with compelling characters and an interesting premise.
Pernille Hughes is a RomCom author and mum, whose debut novel was Sweatpants at Tiffanies, soon to be followed by Probably the Best Kiss in the World (April 2019). Previously her writing has been printed in The Sunday Times and the fabulous Sunlounger summer anthologies. Find out about her new books at www.pernillehughes.com.
Pernille (pronounced Pernilla) studied Film & Literature at uni and took her first job in advertising, having been lured by the temptation of freebies, but left when Status Quo tickets was as good as it got. After a brief spell marketing Natural History films, she switched to working in Children's television which for a time meant living in actual Teletubbyland, sharing a photocopier with Laa-Laa.
Now, she lives in actual Buckinghamshire, sharing a photocopier with her husband and their four spawn. While the kids are at school she scoffs cake and writes RomCom stories in order to maintain a shred of sanity.
Follow @pernillehughes on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, on Facebook, Pinterest, on Instagram, on Bookbub,
Buy Probably the Best Kiss in the World
About the book
Jen Attison likes her life Just So. But being fished out of a canal in Copenhagen by her knickers is definitely NOT on her to do list. From cinnamon swirls to a spontaneous night of laughter and fireworks, Jen’s city break with the girls takes a turn for the unexpected because of her gorgeous, mystery rescuer.
Back home, Jen faces a choice. A surprise proposal from her boyfriend, ‘boring’ Robert has offered Jen the safety net she always thought she wanted. But with the memories of her Danish adventure proving hard to forget, maybe it’s time for Jen to stop listening to her head and start following her heart…
I don't drink beer. I don't really enjoy the taste, but after reading the way Hughes describes the process and passion of brewing, I think I would be persuaded to try a craft beer or two. That's how convincing her main character is. Darn it, she managed to make me feel passionate about beer and I don't even touch the stuff.
Jen is a planner, a writer of lists. There is no room for spontaneity or reckless abandonment, because she had to become an adult far too soon. When her parents were killed, and her younger sister became an amputee as a result of the same accident. Since then she has felt responsible for the well-being of her sister. To the point of control and being worried to the point of being oppressive.
Her responsibilities are more important than having fun or following her dreams, which is how she ends up engaged to boring chauvinist Robert. Mr 'hey babe it's time to be barefoot and pregnant, you know you really want to' treats her like a secondary human with no opinion.
So it's no surprise when Jen finds herself drawn to a handsome stranger who shares an interest in her real passion - brewing craft beer. It is the one thing that brings her closer to her father, and she just loves beer. It's a win win passion. A passion that others, mainly men, tend to belittle because she is a woman.
Hughes balances the romance, comedy and the more serious elements of the story really well. The end product is a really entertaining and cheek blushing read. Blushing in a sweet first throes of love kind of way, as opposed to a horizontal tango kind of blush.
I enjoyed the way the author has this fun aspect of the story and then slides the more serious issues by in a subtle way. The guilt and responsibility Jen is burdened by, the way she tries to control her sister because of her disability, albeit for the right reasons, and of course the issue of gender inequality and chauvinistic attitudes in relationships and society.
It's a romantic comedy with compelling characters and an interesting premise.
Buy Probably the Best Kiss in the World at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HarperImpulse; Paperback edition pub date 27 Jun. 2019, Ecopy 12 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com.
No comments:
Post a Comment