Happy Hour
Jacquie Byron
Reviewed by Helen
This is a fabulous debut, I loved it from page one, it pulled me as we meet Franny Calderwood and join her in her life after the death of her beloved husband Frank, it is a story about grief and coping with life, I do highly recommend that you come along and meet Franny and the other characters that added so much to this story.
Franny is an artist and author, her and husband Frank are a fabulous couple the life of the party and always organising a party for their very many friends, but three years ago life changed when Franny lost Frank in a tragic accident and Franny closed herself of to everyone it is her way of coping she has her two dogs Whisky and Soda and photos of Frank around the house and talks to him all the time, she still maintains her regular cocktails and paints in her studio.
Then new neighbours move in next door, The Salernos and Franny is soon spending time with this family who have their own problems but Franny cannot help but get close to teenager Dee and lovely young quirky Josh and mother Sallyanne, she is shocked herself by how much she enjoys their company and is soon cooking up a storm and planning parties with them in her eccentric way.
But as the anniversary of Frank’s death gets closer Franny finds coping harder and when an accident brings friends and family to her, Franny is starting to re-think her life and realising what she has done to her closest friends and finally has she gone through her grief for long enough? She will never get over losing Frank, the love of her life but her life must go on with a G&T at six o’clock.
This is a beautiful story, fabulously written filled with emotion and laughter, I loved Franny she is witty and wonderful and Josh, Dee and Sallyanne where such fabulous characters I loved getting to know them and the relationship Franny had with them was moving and lots of fun. This is a story that I would highly recommend, a fantastic read huge congrats MS Byron for an awesome debut.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin AU for my copy to read and review
Franny is an artist and author, her and husband Frank are a fabulous couple the life of the party and always organising a party for their very many friends, but three years ago life changed when Franny lost Frank in a tragic accident and Franny closed herself of to everyone it is her way of coping she has her two dogs Whisky and Soda and photos of Frank around the house and talks to him all the time, she still maintains her regular cocktails and paints in her studio.
Then new neighbours move in next door, The Salernos and Franny is soon spending time with this family who have their own problems but Franny cannot help but get close to teenager Dee and lovely young quirky Josh and mother Sallyanne, she is shocked herself by how much she enjoys their company and is soon cooking up a storm and planning parties with them in her eccentric way.
But as the anniversary of Frank’s death gets closer Franny finds coping harder and when an accident brings friends and family to her, Franny is starting to re-think her life and realising what she has done to her closest friends and finally has she gone through her grief for long enough? She will never get over losing Frank, the love of her life but her life must go on with a G&T at six o’clock.
This is a beautiful story, fabulously written filled with emotion and laughter, I loved Franny she is witty and wonderful and Josh, Dee and Sallyanne where such fabulous characters I loved getting to know them and the relationship Franny had with them was moving and lots of fun. This is a story that I would highly recommend, a fantastic read huge congrats MS Byron for an awesome debut.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin AU for my copy to read and review
5 stars
Published August 31st 2021 by Allen and Unwin
