Meet Me at Number Five

Debut novelist and Choc lit search for a star winner, Lisa Hill, begins her debut novel, Meet Me at Number Five, with a scene so gut-wrenchingly unfair that only a hard-hearted reader could fail to empathise with her heroine, race horse trainer, Grace Cavendish. And so right from the starting line, we are willing Grace’s lying, devious husband to get the comeuppance he deserves. But Grace isn’t the only character with problems to resolve, there’s her divorced cousin Hennie, as well as the matriarch of the family, their indomitable grandmother Clara. I loved that Hill gave us three heroines to follow and particularly enjoyed the strength of the relationship between Clara and her granddaughters. As well as being a lovely romance, this is a generational novel about women supporting women – something I always enjoy.

Also, I knew very little about the world of horses, training stables and racing before reading Meet Me at Number Five and enjoyed both the Cheltenham setting, as well as a peek behind the scenes into the way family members are affected by the business decisions required.

Meet Me At Number Five is a strong debut by Hill, with a hint in her author’s note of a sequel to follow. Good news, as I’d love to spend more time with the Cavendish clan.

Thanks to Choc Lit for providing an Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Me at Number Five, Lisa Hill

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: women's fiction, Romance

What a terrific debut!! I find I almost always love Choclit publications, so where I'm sometimes wary of debut reads, the Choclit tag tips the balance. I'll read debuts happily without reviewing, but if the book and I don't gel, I feel so guilty giving a low star review so early in someone's writing ideals. 

I love horses, so have over the years devoured lots of horse based stories. The premise for this, and in fact the way it read reminded me very much of Jilly Cooper style. So when I read the author notes afterwards it made sense Jilly is one of her authors of influence.
Its got that same east read, fabulous characters though thankfully Lisa's are a lot less stereotypical, much less OTT than Jilly's later reads. 

Its a light and easy read, but with some real issues, real emotive sections.
There's Grace' smarmy husband Charlie, devious, manipulating, conscienceless, and now he's a caught out cheater in the worst way too. Poor Grace, that's never easy to find out, but its come in the worst way and at the worst time possible for her.
She gets swept away by grandmother Clara, a wonderful lady, to live in her luxurious home in the local town, along with Colin, who helps Clara in everything, from chauffeur to PA, Hennie her cousin, Hennie's two children and Natalya and her son Symon. Natalya is a kind of Girl Friday, living there as she needed a home and job, and she and symon fit in so well with the family. 

The romance is wonderful, not just one but two...and I adored both Farrier Guy, and local Restaurateur Sam.
There were bits that felt a little unreal, the retrieval of Clara's horse, the battle over the foal. As owner she shouldn't have had to deal in subterfuge, but of course marching up and taking her in the usual way would have meant less story, so go with the artistic licence bit here, as it adds another connection between the groups. 

The story romps along merrily, horses and training, baking and racing, the day to day issues of a mixed family group, the pressure of divorce, Charlie's infidelity. There's also the battle for Farrier's, home for generations of the family, and the base for the training stables and home Grace and Charlie shared. 

Its doesn't stop there though, there's intrigue and double dealing, family issues and backgrounds to sort out and an awful, heartbreaking secret Clara is holding. 
It all plays out beautifully, with a sting in the tail for the bad guy, a couple of lovely romances that finally come together after so many problems, and of course the secret Clara is carrying which provides some real weepy moments. 

Stars: five, a fabulous debut, wonderful, lighthearted contemporary read. I look forward to many more from Lisa. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

I absolutely loved this book. I fell in love with all the characters, well except maybe one haha. There was a hint of maybe a sequel I do hope so

Karma. Such a fickle thing. But you’ll be waiting for karma to come along and bite one particular sleazy, no good jerk on the butt… and hope for painful teeth marks to be at the very least one result.

Grace and Charlie were trying for a baby, now through IVF. It was the weekend before the big day and Grace was full of nerves and excitement. Unfortunately her joy would soon turn to devastation when she’s told that Charlie already has a baby on the way… to another woman. How does one survive when the ground has been swept out from under your feet? If you’re Grace then it’s one day, one moment at a time. With the help of her determined, kick butt grandmother, Clara and her cousin Hennie who is living her life as a single parent now with two young children, Grace is about to get some lessons in life, surviving, and finding out that she’s made of much stronger stuff than she ever realized.

While, yes, Meet Me at Number Five is a romance it’s also a wonderful story of strong women and a family that anyone would be proud to be part of. There will be tears, and laughter and justice eventually. But for now Grace is learning how to live on her own two feet. She’ll discover that not every man is like her jerk of a husband and that there is life after one dream has ended. Hennie will find that she’s not totally “off of men” when one man can show her how a real confident man treats a woman. Clara will hold onto secrets and work toward helping her granddaughters to find happiness and bring one arrogant slime ball to his knees. We might have to wait for karma to bite – but it sure is sweet when it finally happens.

I enjoyed my time in this world. As a debt novel, Meet Me at Number Five is an excellent story and now I’m waiting to see what Ms Hill brings us next. I’d recommend this story for any Romance reader who enjoys strong characters, a compelling story… and watching the bad guy get exactly what he deserves.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I loved this book! It started out with Grace learning her husband Charlie has cheated on her and his new girlfriend is pregnant. While she is having IVF treatment herself. Angry, hurt and upset she leaves her home (HER childhood home) and moves in with her grandmother Clara. Her cousin Hennie also lives with Clara after a nasty divorce.

Grace finds herself a job, meets charming Sam and Hennie also has romantic entanglements. All the while Clara is having her own secrets and is trying to do what's best for her granddaughters. The story made me smile but also blink away a tear. I was happy when Charlie got his comeuppance! And there was a HEA. What's not to like?!

I requested and received an ARC via Netgalley from the publisher for which I am grateful. This is my voluntary and honest review.

Oh this book had everything that I want in a story; compelling characters, a smattering of romance, a struggle that everyone can get behind and even a touch of loss that brings everyone together. Lisa Hill set this story around a racing family: generations managed by the matriarch Clara: a woman with strong opinions and a stronger will, the story quickly draws the reader in and instantly provides a touch of drama and a clear-cut villain. When you add in the stories of three women working through their own life-changes, the despicable behavior of a husband and some questionable behaviors, and you can’t help but want to know more.

Grace is the focal-point of the action in this story: with an unfaithful husband (Charlie) who has gotten a stable girl pregnant, his overbearing nature, refusal to speak with Clara about her horses in training, and his general domineering posture when it comes to Grace’s involvement in the business of her family’s stable – there is plenty on her plate. But, at first, she’s just a mess: living with Clara, her cousin Hennie and her two children, the au-pair and her child, and the constant feeling that she failed –Grace is broken.

Then we have Hennie: working at the Cheltenham racecourse doing PR, she’d finally taken the reins into her own hands, leaving her cheating husband in Dubai and relocating with her two children to Clara’s home. She’s in the “men aren’t worth the effort” mode, and isn’t interested in dating or relationships. But, a new addition hired by Charlie at the stable, Guy the American farrier is yummy-licious and just as nice on the inside. There may be something there if only Hennie can get past her own issues.

Lastly is Clara – a woman who has ALWAYS gone for what she wanted: widowed young, she’s now realizing that she wasn’t the best mother to her two sons, but has the chance to remedy that with her grandchildren and great grands. A woman who has always controlled and defined her own life on her terms, she’s facing her own mortality and not willing to go quietly or without a defined plan. Perhaps the strongest of the characters from start to finish, Clara is one of those women that you want on your side, and will go to great lengths to not upset.

Throughout the story (that is a read in one-sitting, don’t stop) each of the characters has moments to grow and face their own changes: from Grace finding a job at Number Five, a coffee-bar/restaurant run by Sam, and the sparks (and challenges) for these two are strong. Hennie is fighing the attration to Guy, and everyone is concerned with the changes and actions Charlie is making in deciding the fate of Clara’s horses that he has in training. From sweet moments with her own horses that every girl who ever owned a pony will completely empathize with, to the grandeur of the racing and the always-present Colin, serving as chauffer and general do it all man for Clara, the story winds to an inevitable conclusion, gently coaxing readers on to the finish. A wonderful debut story that had everything: heart, heat, growth, conflict and love: the greatest of all being the love and support found in a family that accepts and strengthens through good times and bad.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9bl/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

a good well written read.

Seeing the cover of this book meant loving it and wanting to read it. Fortunately the content did not disappoint either.

It is a very pleasant cocktail of romance, horse-racing, family saga, cheating & intrigue in the right proportions.

The plot reminded me a bit of Jilly Cooper books, which was a welcome sensation as I love her novels in a guilty-pleasure kind of way, but this was a lighter, easier read altogether.

Funnily enough, it was not so much the love stories that caught and held my attention until the end of the book. They were nice, but predictable, including some mild eye-rolling moments. Things were happening a bit too fast for my liking and were a bit detrimental to credibility, but most of the time I managed to rise above that because the overall story was so interesting.

It was Clara, the MC's grandmother who bloody stole the whole show from practically everyone else around her. She had so much style, sass, presence of mind, cunning, determination and humour that made me concentrate on her storyline, pushing everyone else's in the background. (view spoiler)

The other memorable character was the antagonist, Grace's cheating husband, Charlie. I really wanted to punch him hard and kick him in the drawers and possibly jump on his back a few times for good measure. The author built the narrative of his cheating and then trying to oust Grace and her family out of their family inheritance very well: there was intrigue and tension all right.

Very much recommended for a summer-read.

What an enjoyable book! I loved reading about Grace and her family, and I couldn't get enough of the horse and divorce drama. While the book started out a bit slow, it picked up the pace quite nicely and I was sad when it ended. A great book for an escape.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

A fun and witty book set in the countryside of England. I really liked all the characters, except for the wicked ex-husband of course. The side by side love stories of the two cousins was great too, as I like seeing multiple stories, with links of course. Bittersweet ending, but still a HEA for all, except the ex-husband of course. Would highly recommend this book and author. A fun book for the summer, and if you are a horse lover it will be hard to put down.