15 September 2015

eBook Review: Five Go Glamping by Liz Tipping

"Glamping Check list
Festival tickets
Double check best Instagram filter
Avoid thinking about work/Connor/five year plan!!

A four day break from her hectic life to relax in the countryside and hang out at a local festival (for free!) is just what Fiona Delaney needs. With her best friends, great tunes and a cool looking hat her Instagram shots are going to look A-Mazing!

Until suddenly glamping starts to feel a lot more like camping and Fiona’s in desperate search of a comfy chair, wi-fi and a chilled glass of wine. But when she finally makes it to the local pub she discovers this trip could be more than just a holiday, it might just change her life forever…"

Rating: 3.5/5

Available to buy now.

Another book from Carina I have been looking forward to reading is the debut novel from author Liz Tipping. She mentions in the acknowledgements of the book that it is influenced by Enid Blyton's books, something I loved reading when I was a young girl, so I hoped this would be exactly my cup of tea. As usual with Carina, the cover is gorgeous (publishers are seeming to realise the importance of a good eBook cover!), and I was very much looking forward to getting stuck in.

The story is based on the character of Fiona, or Fi as she is known to her friends. When she's offered the chance of a four day 'glamping' trip in a yurt, she jumps at the chance, keep to get away from her job, her boyfriend and much more. But when she arrives, she isn't sure she is the glamping sort. She starts missing the luxuries of home, and finds that she is far too bored. She takes a walk and ends up at a local pub, run by a bit of a strange fellow. However, Fiona decides to give him a chance and so begins another adventure...

This was a fun read with characters that were enjoyable to read about, and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. I did enjoy it, but found it did drag in parts, and I wanted the action to get going a bit more, and for something more to happen. I liked Fi, she was on a bit of a downer and so needed a bit of cheering up, although I'm not sure glamping was the best choice for that! The festival is a bit ridiculous, not exactly anyone's cup of tea if I'm honest, and I felt sorry for Fi having to put up with that! Her friends make sporadic appearances, but I felt I didn't get to know them well enough to care about them much if I'm honest. There's also some strange festival goers that pop up occasionally, but I found it hard to tell the difference between them all and sort of glossed over them.

The best part of the book for me was the story between Fi and the landlord of the local pub. He comes across as a bit rude and abrasive, but I was glad that she gave him a chance and got to know him. I loved reading the scenes with Fi cooking in the pub, you could sense her passion for what she was doing, and I did hope she would give it some serious thought when she got home - that she might just need a career change after all! The chemistry between the pair was well written, and I enjoyed the 'will they, won't they' scenario, Tipping wrote this part of the book really well.

This was a good read, something a bit light and fun to read on these autumn evenings, but it didn't blow me away. Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high, but I just felt it lacked a bit in the middle and lost its way, and I thought the festival was just a bit out-there for me. As I said, I did enjoy the story as it got going, and there were some really funny moments that did make me giggle, but something just didn't quite click fully for me. I did enjoy it, and it was a good read but I wasn't left wanting more as I finished the eBook, which is how I like to feel when I reach the end of the book. I'll still  be looking out for Liz Tipping's next book though!

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