The House Sitter: The only grumpy/sunshine romcom you need to escape with in 2024! by Elizabeth DrummondMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Three and a half stars.
Pippa Munro has helped her long-term boyfriend Alex turn his family farm into a successful business, so when he says he wants to discuss something important with her she is expecting an engagement ring so that they can finally start the family she's been dreaming off at the heart of Hurt Bridge, the Yorkshire village in which she grew up. Unfortunately, what Alex wants to discuss is something very different. Now Pippa is single, homeless and jobless, sleeping on her cousin Frankie's sofa.
Pippa is informed that the current owner of Squires House, Wolfie Squires, needs a live-in caretaker urgently since his current caretaker needs to take care of his wife who is suffering from early onset dementia. Pippa remembers Wolfie and his sister from when she was a child and their grandfather hosted an annual Summer Fair which culminated in a series of Wheelbarrow Races. Woflie and his sister always held themselves aloof from the village kids and it seems nothing has changed, now he's some big city hotshot and rarely visits Squires House.
Despite having never lived or worked in a stately home, Pippa gets the job, but its only a short-term thing because Wolfie is in the process of selling the house; something Pippa can't understand, she thinks even in its slightly dilapidated state it is still an amazing home. However, despite their initial antipathy, there may just be a spark between Wolfie and Pippa if the two of them can let go of the past.
When the local school needs a new roof urgently Pippa and her friends decide the only way to raise the necessary £8,000 is to revive the Summer Fair, ticket sales and pitch fees should easily net them what they require.
I did enjoy this but I felt that Wolfie in particular seemed to be stuck in a bit of a loop of feeling that Pippa had rejected him/got back together with Alex - I mean once is okay but he seemed to default time and time again. Also, Wolfie's motives for selling Squires House seemed a bit muddled, two reasons were given and all I kept thinking about was his father's wine collection gathering dust in the cellars. On the positive side, there's a fabulous pig with a mind of her own :)
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
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