Book Description:
The emotional, contemporary, and completely relatable novel from romcom sensation Nicola May
Jilted by her soap opera fiancé, crime writer August Saunders decides to return to her roots in rural Wiltshire. Determined to reignite her writing mojo, she rents a desk in a shared workspace in local Futtingbrook Farm.
The converted barn comes with a motley array of fellow users, including a matchmaker, a TikToker with a dodgy nocturnal side-line and an ethical clothes designer – causing August to realise she doesn’t have far to look for real-life plot fuel!
There’s also a real-life mystery for her to solve. Why is Max Ronson, the handsome but volatile owner, so evasive about his past? And who or what is he hiding on the premises?
As August begins to unravel the shadowy secrets of Futtingbrook Farm, will her curiosity snuff out the spark of romance – or ignite it?
Nicola May uses her inimitable style to convey love, grief, and happiness, making Futtingbrook Farm as beloved a location as Ferry Lane Market or Cockleberry Bay.
Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Sarah Morgan, Jill Mansell and Cathy Bramley.
My Thoughts:
I loved meeting August and everyone at The Hub, a converted barn for business use where people who work on their own can rent a desk but have that feeling of being part of an office environment. I actually thought this was a great idea as working from home, it can sometimes be a bit lonely.
The farm setting with turkeys made me almost feel guilty about what I eat on Christmas day. I liked how it didn’t feel that much like an office, it’s more like a group of people getting to know each other and becoming friends. Usually there is always someone that people don’t like in a work environment but all the characters were lovely and I especially loved Cat who runs a dating agency.
I have to applaud the author for the thread to do with mental health and suicide. It’s not usually what you would expect to read in this genre but it’s brilliantly done and hopefully it highlights the help that is out there for people. Whilst some parts do make for an emotional read, it doesn’t lose the overall uplifting feel and humour that the rest of the story delivers.
The Hub has to be my favourite of Nicola May’s novels so far. I love how she doesn’t shy away from showing women living in a modern world. I think women of today will really appreciate this story. It has sexual encounters, swearing, new friendships as well as a will they won’t they scenario. What’s not to love? On top of all that it deals with a more serious topic and it’s great to see authors incorporating it into their writing to raise awareness. This is a novel that I could happily talk and rave about as that’s how much of an impact it had on me. All the stars!
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