Book Review: The Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa Greene

"At a car boot sale in Sussex, three very different women meet and fall for the same vintage teaset. They decide to share it - and form a friendship that changes their lives . . .

Jenny can't wait to marry Dan. Then, after years of silence, she hears from the woman who could shatter her dreams.

Maggie has put her broken heart behind her and is gearing up for the biggest event of her career - until she's forced to confront the past once more.

Alison seems to have it all: married to her childhood sweetheart, with two gorgeous daughters. But as tensions mount, she is pushed to breaking point."

Rating: 5/5

One debut novel which caught my eye earlier this year is Vanessa Greene's new book The Vintage Teacup Club. I loved the cover the publishers Sphere came up with - it's simple and understated, yet very effective and pretty to look at. I think it'll make the book appeal to a wide range of readers as well. It's another take on the 'club' books that we see a lot of these days, so I wondered what Greene would be able to do with this book that would make it stand out from the rest, and make her an author to watch out for in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and amongst the many festive novels I've been reading lately, this stands out as a thoroughly enjoyable and heart-warming book for all ags.

The book is the tale of 3 women who start off as strangers and end up as the firmest of friends. There's Jenny who is engaged to Dan, and looking to make her wedding the thing of dreams. She's sure that having a vintage wedding, complete with vintage teacups will add a special something, but when someone reappears in her life, it threatens to ruin her big day. There's Maggie, a lady who runs a successful florist business but is nursing her own broken-heart. When a face from her past reappears, Maggie wonders if she's destined for a happy ending after all. Finally there's happily married Alison, with her two teenage daughters who give her a bit of strife. Alison enjoys making her homemade crafts, and when a big opportunity arises, she wants to take it with both hands...

This book was fun to read right from the beginning, and the three women who the story centred around were really normal, and therefore I found it really easy to get into the story and enjoy it even more. The book is told through 3 different narratives, and Greene uses differing ones to really allow the reader to tell the women apart. Jenny's story is told in the first person, whereas Maggie and Alison's stories are told in the third person. I found it a little odd to begin with, but soon got used to it, and enjoyed the change as I read as it made it interesting and kept it fresh. The name of the narrator changes with each chapter, and their name appears at the start of the chapter too so you're sure who you are reading about. This way, we get to know a lot about each of the women individually, but also their forming friendship.

I really liked reading about all of the women, but my favourite was probably Alison. She was a busy housewife, trying to do the best by her family and found herself frustrated at her husband at home when he's made redundant, but feels guilty for it. I found her easy to like, and could empathise with a lot of what she goes through. I found her relationship with her daughters interesting to read too, and it seemed very believable too. Maggie was probably my least favourite, as I felt she was a bit of a walkover but I could also understand why she did what she did. The three women vary in age, lifestyles and experience, but it's fun to see how their love of vintage teacups unites them, and their friendship comes through above and beyond everything that they go through.

The book is a very enjoyable read, and is peppered with beautifully vivid descriptions of the lovely teasets that the women collect between them. Even though I'm someone who doesn't particularly have a fondness for teacups, I really loved reading about them, and Greene's descriptions are beautifully written. The book also highlights the importance of the women's friendships, and shows how friendships can be made across the generations. It was a quick read simply because I didn't want to put it down of an evening, it was such a warm and inviting novel that I could enjoy every page of. With characters that are appealable to everyone, and lovely descriptions of vintage teacups, Vanessa Greene makes it on to my list of favourite 2012 debut authors, and I can't wait to read more from this new talent. I highly recommend The Vintage Teacup Club, a book to enjoy with your own warm cup of tea in a gorgeous teacup!

You can buy The Vintage Teacup Club as a paperback or an eBook now!