I'm so thrilled that my first review of 2019 is for a book by a lovely lovely lady. I first met Jenni a couple of years ago at the Romantic Novelist Association's conference and I'm proud to call her a friend who now and again gives me words of wisdom or a good kick up the backside to get on with my own writing. I'm even more proud of the fact that today sees the publication of her debut novel The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker.

Sometimes reviewing a friend's book can be fraught with danger! What if you hate the book? What if you hate the writing style? How can you be honest without hurting their feelings, particularly when you know how much hard work they put into it. Thankfully however I didn't encounter any of those problems because Jenni has written a simply wonderful book!

Lucy Baker is not your typical 25 year old. She's not into the latest fashions. She's all about the comfort. She's not out-going or interested in clubbing. She'd rather sit at home and knit copies of her fave celebrities (a little bit obsessed with Poldark!) or get lost inside a steamy bodice buster romance. She's in a steady job in a toy suppliers and is surrounded by a host of co-workers, each with their own little quirks and stories. Lucy just gets on with her job and never questions anything or stands up for herself. A new manager arrives and soon starts to shake things up and Lucy knows she needs to change to keep her job.

 Lucy's friendship circle is fairly small, with her elderly neighbour Brenda right up there as her best friend. However, Lucy's life is to be tipped on its head with the arrival of a new neighbour, George. Tall, dark and super moody the elusive George isn't exactly initially viewed as a possible romantic partner but Brenda has other ideas for Lucy and with the help of a stray cat, an antique locket and a few spells, Lucy sets out to make George hers! Albeit, both do put up a bit of a fight and sometimes if feels as though the universe is conspiring against them!

This is such a beautiful book with a cast of characters that will make you instantly fall in love with each and every one of them, particularly the enigmatic Brenda who despite her memories slipping away is full of fun and mischief and her love for Lucy is evident. I adore her quirkiness and the little bit of mystery around her. Brenda is me in about 30 years time! I also particularly enjoyed how George's character evolved throughout the book and I really grew to like him.

The book very sensitively handles the issue of dementia. A difficult area to write about but Jenni has done this very well and in a very respectful way and in a way that makes the reader fall even more in love with Brenda. Lucy's kindness and her selflessness are portrayed beautifully. She is almost a younger, less quirky version of Brenda until the magic locket soon brings out the real Lucy who manages to get herself into all manner of hilarious situations in this book. This a beautiful, sad yet happy book about love, enduring friendships and overall kindness. It teaches us to never assume we know what a person's situation is. All may not be as it seems and we should always be mindful of that. This is such a wonderful and truly heartwarming read that I cannot recommend it highly enough. What a wonderful start to my year!

ABOUT JENNI KEER