Review: Happiness for Beginners

Happiness for Beginners by Carole Matthews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Molly Baker is nearly 40 years old, living in a decrepit caravan she inherited from her aunt, more at home with animals than humans she runs a rescue centre for unloved or disabled animals which also serves as a therapy centre for children with disabilities or plain anti-social behaviour. Although she lives from hand to mouth, constantly robbing peter to pay paul she enjoys her life to the full. Then one day a famous TV star arrives at the farm with his teenage son Lucas in tow. Lucas has been expelled from school for starting fires and is grieving the loss of his mother to cancer.

Suddenly in Lucas Molly finds a human who she wants to help as much as any of her motley crew of animals, his father's good looks and charm don't hurt either, but when the farm comes under threat from compulsory purchase will it be the end of Molly's dreams?

I enjoyed reading this, especially Luke's poetry and the ragtag assortment of three legged, PTSD, blind animals that Molly cares for. I enjoyed the gentle humour associated with looking after animals with personality. I even enjoyed Molly and her assistant Bev's daily guesses as to the rock star t-shirt the other assistant Alan will be wearing. The biggest disappointment in my opinion was the hero, Shelby. I found him too self-centred and focussed on his career and age-inappropriate girlfriend rather than his grieving son. Also, this just seemed to be a very long book for not very much happening, I think it could have benefitted from either more plot strands or some significant pruning as I didn't feel that there was a passing of time to account for the length of the novel.

Recommended for fans of All Creatures Great And Small.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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