BLOGTOUR: Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence - Holly Hepburn

About the book:
Nestled in the quiet countryside sits the cosy village of Little Monkham, home of The Star and Sixpence, a renovated pub owned by sisters Sam and Nessie. As the locals welcome the new season, it appears that change is afoot in their tiny community, and not all of it for the better... Nessie is moving in with her boyfriend, leaving Sam alone in the pub. But with the arrival of new chef Gabriel causing a flutter among the women of the village, it seems that Sam might not be so lonely after all. Having just recently come out of a relationship, Sam’s attraction to Gabe is inconvenient, but that’s the least of her worries when an unexpected visitor arrives at the pub, determined to stir up trouble. As Gabe and Sam grow closer, Little Monkham’s latest arrival threatens to reveal a secret that will turn more than one world upside down.

Can Sam and Nessie work through the fall out, or is it really last orders at The Star and Sixpence? 

*** Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence is the bind-up of the new Star and Sixpence e-novellas. If you have already enjoyed the novellas, then you have already enjoyed Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence***

My Review:

Now, I do enjoy a good novella but oh the joys of when those novellas are popped together in one book, which is the case here.

I’m so glad I got to read all this deliciousness in one fell swoop, I don’t know if I could’ve hung on between novellas.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this wonderful village, such a fantastic sense of community and of friendship – I would love to live in Little Monkham.  The descriptions are so well written, everything sounds wonderful as Holly as brought this place to life.

What a cast of characters too – fun, quirky, individuals who together make such a lovely bunch of people. Nessie and Sam are so well loved by every customer, friend and villager. It’s nice to see how they all rally round each other in times of need as well as in celebration. Discovering a new brother, the sisters are very quick to welcome him into the pub - a little bit too quick if you ask me; I immediately had him pegged as a bad sort!

Both Nessie and Sam find challenges throughout the storyline, each feeling they couldn’t turn to the other; I was gutted for them as I understand how strong a sisterly bond truly is. They have a rollercoaster of a journey together but also individually. With fun, emotional highs you also get the gut wrenching and heart-breaking lows. I was kept intrigued and wondered what they would do to improve their situations (I don’t want to give too much away if I’m honest!) but with matters of the heart, family troubles, loss and deceit all playing their part – you just know it’s not all plain sailing.

Holly Hepburn has given us such a lovely, romantic yet humorous story with character you will adore and want to know more about. I would love to see what happens next with many of them. I was totally immersed in the book and finished within a couple of sittings… I didn’t really want it to end.

I would recommend if you are looking for an enjoyable, easy read that will take you away and leave you feeling all warm, cosy and full of friendship.

Thank you to Holly Hepburn and Simon and Schuester UK. 

Something Extra Special:

Top Five Things You Didn’t Know About Holly Hepburn

1. She loves cooking and is an especially keen baker – people have been known to call her the queen of meringues!2. One of her first jobs was working in a bar, where she met the boyfriend who would become the inspiration for Joss Felstead and who taught her everything she knows about managing a pub cellar, including how to change a barrel and how to clean the lines.3. Owen Rhys is also based on an ex-boyfriend, although he wasn’t a blacksmith. To learn how to write about Owen’s job, Holly spent a day working in a forge and is very proud to have made a toasting fork all by herself from scratch, which she describes as one of the hardest things she’s ever done.

4. The physical appearance of delectable chef, Gabe Santiago, was inspired by Santiago Cabrera, who played Aramis in the BBC’s TV show The Musketeers. Holly took her research very seriously and watched the show repeatedly to get Gabe’s character just right…5. She makes a mean cocktail – ask her to whip up a Silver Sixpence (the signature Star and Sixpence cocktail from her first novel) and she’ll be happy to oblige. Once again, she selflessly takes the research required for writing about cocktails seriously and is always on the look-out for inspiration.