Just because things don’t work out like you’d planned, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not going to be great in the end! Sometimes we need a plot twist to realize that maybe there’s something else that could be just as good, if not better, than the path we originally thought we’d take. A Class Act is a classy reminder of this!
Blurb:
Robyn Allen is finally getting closer to her dream of West End stardom. And along with her role dancing in the latest hot musical, she’s being wined and dined by an equally hot man–the wildly successful and well-connected Fabian Carrington. But one slip up and her dreams are shattered, and Robyn has to hobble back to the Yorkshire village of Beddingfield, and the life she hoped she’d escaped.
Moving back into her mum’s house with her recalcitrant teenage sister Sorrel, next door to her older sister Jess who’s fed up with picking up the slack, is not how Robyn pictured her year. But there’s more to come. Sorrel needs a new school, and the school needs a new drama teacher. Despite having vowed never to teach again, Robyn knows she has to support her sister.
So together Sorrel and Robyn vow to take on St Mede’s–home to jokers, tearaways, and trouble-makers, but with a hidden heartbeat ready to be inspired. And who knows, the kids might have something to teach Robyn about life too …
Welcome to the village of Beddingfield and the first book in bestseller Julie Houston’s new series set in Yorkshire. Funny, fabulous, heart-warming and hilarious, you’ll never forget the Allen sisters and their one-of-a-kind community. Perfect for fans of Jo Bartlett, Cathy Bramley and Philippa Ashley.
My Review:
What a delightful cast of characters Julie Houston has created here! When we first meet Robyn, she’s living a rather solitary, but goal-oriented life in London. She knows what she wants to achieve and has left her hometown village of Beddingfield (and her dysfunctional family) in order to do so. She has her eyes firmly on the prize: stardom at any cost! And she very nearly gets there, with the gorgeous guy thrown in for good measure.
But in the blink of an eye, a severe injury, together with Robyn’s stubborn nature, a whole lot of prejudice and some snobbery and misogyny, put paid to all her dreams. The cherry on top is her mother’s recurring illness landing her back in hospital, and she finds herself with no choice but to head back to the village to help her sister Jess, who has her hands full with their teenage sister Sorrel and her own young daughter, Lola.
With a father who has always flitted in and out of their lives, the girls and their mother have always learned to manage without him and I found it so interesting that each of his daughters interpreted their relationship with him in completely different ways. He’s not a bad guy, just an absent one, while he travels around wherever there’s an opportunity to work, doing what he loves as a musician. He’s not stingy with money and although they aren’t living the high life in Beddingfield, he does ensure that they have what they need to follow the opportunities that come their way. It’s a conversation starter for sure … is it better to be absent and earning, or would it be better if he remained at home, with a stable job (doing something he would probably hate), earning a steady (mediocre) income that might not bring in as much as he makes on the road?
Our introduction to Beddingfield is a delightful one. Robyn and her family are complex – as most families tend to be. Their relationships with each other and with all who they come into contact with as they navigate their way through challenges and triumphs, are full of warmth, regardless of how stormy things may get. I can’t wait to read more in this series and see how things develop.
Julie Houston cleverly weaves some serious themes into this otherwise light and easy read: racism, dysfunction, drug abuse, sexual grooming among others. There are numerous, perfectly paced, unexpected twists that pleasantly surprised me too and for me that really elevated this from a simple cosy read to something rather special.
Thank you to RaRa Resources for the Blog Tour
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/ClassActSocial
Author Bio:
Julie Houston is the author of 12 novels. She lives in West Yorkshire and writes warm and funny books about characters who are still learning about life.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: @JulieHoustonAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieHouston2
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JulieHoustonNews
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