The Golden Oldies Guesthouse by Dee MacDonald
Today I am so happy to take part in the Books-On-Tour for The Golden Oldies Guesthouse by Dee MacDonald.
Thank you to Kim from Bookouture and the author for a copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly.
Tess and Simon Sparrow may have a few more grey hairs and wrinkles than they used to, but that doesn’t stop them being swept up in a whirlwind romance and starting over again. Swapping their city lives for an escape to the countryside, they fall in love with a crumbling hotel and impulsively buy it as their forever home to grow old in together…
Renovating the glorious, wisteria-clad property on the gorgeous cliff-tops of Cornwall was meant to be a delightful retirement project. But the dream soon turns into reality and practical Tess and optimist Simon are faced with leaky bathrooms, creaky stairs and a roof that’s just about holding up.
Running out of money fast, the couple decide to rent out a few rooms to save their new home.
Along come mysterious Celia, hapless romantic Benedict and tarnished, lovelorn actress Titania – all looking for a fresh start. Everyone in this eclectic group has their own reasons for being in Cornwall and across the summer they each go on a journey of self-discovery at The Golden Oldies Guesthouse as they realise there is still plenty of time for love, life, friendship… and a few unexpected surprises.
From the bestselling author of The Runaway Wife and The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane, this is a completely uplifting page-turner about embracing new friendships, finding love and making each day count. Perfect for fans of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village.
My Thoughts
We first meet Tess and Simon Sparrow on their honeymoon in Cornwall. When they set eyes upon a large clifftop house, they both fall in love with it. With retirement looming, Tess and Simon decide to take a huge leap of faith. They buy the property with a view to open a guesthouse which they will run together.
Once in Cornwall, they discover that it will take much more than a lick of paint for their dream to become a reality. With finances running out, ceilings falling down and no heating, their marriage is stretched to its limit.
Will the hotel be ready for their guests in time?
I saw this as a book of two halves. In the first half, we read about the extensive renovations and how the Sparrow’s coped with a Christmas family invasion. In the second part of the book, we get to know the guests who arrive. Each guest has their own reason to stay at Sparrow’s Nest. They are all quirky characters with interesting backstories. Dee MacDonald describes the Cornish coastline to perfection with the amazing clifftop location. You get a true feeling of the slower pace of life in that part of the country. I liked the contrast between Tess and Simon’s characters, they really balanced each other out well. There is so much humour and warmth throughout the book and you feel part of Tess and Simon’s journey. There are plenty of surprises in store and some life-changing decisions made.
The Golden Oldies Guesthouse has some multi-layered characters, a stunning location, and a feel-good atmosphere. People of all ages will be inspired by this wonderful story. It really shows that you can turn your dreams into reality at any age!
Author Bio
Dee wrote her very first book – at around seven years of age! This was a love story which she duly illustrated before sewing all the pages together up one side. Writing was what she ‘was good at’ in school and she won several essay competitions, but then life got in the way and she didn’t pick up a pen again until after retirement.
Dee left Scotland and headed for London at the beginning of the swinging sixties. After typing her way round the West End she became an air stewardess on long haul routes with BA (then BOAC) for eight years. After that she did market research at Heathrow for both the government statistics and for BA, she became a sales rep., and was the receptionist at the Thames Television Studios in Teddington when they had the franchise.
She then ran a small B&B for ten years in Cornwall, where she lives with her husband. Dee has one son and two grandsons who live locally.
You can find Dee on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeeMacDonald/
and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DMacDonaldAu
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