When I read the lovely Jenni Keer's book THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF LUCY BAKER (see review HERE), I knew instantly that Jenni would be the next big thing in writing and she has proven this once again with her new book The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows. No one hit wonder for Ms Keer! She's definitely on a roll with 2 brilliant books under her belt now!

Maisie thought life was perfect when she fell for her boss and he seemingly was just as besotted with her. Or so she thought! Maisie was soon brought back to reality with a bump after discovering him having a fumble with another staff member! So, finding herself alone at a time when she should have been with family and basking in the glow of a big romance, Maisie vows to get her family which are scattered all over the place, and not really feeling the love for one another, back together. She also decides that her career needs a bit of  oomph and decides to take a career path that leads her straight to an auction house filled with not only quirky items but also quirky characters. Hidden among the many treasures, and rather saucy garden gnome collection, and a teapot that gives her the magical tingles, there is Theo. One of her bosses, he is different from the others at the auction house..............yet like so many items there, he seems unattainable! 

This is a wonderful book filled with so many laugh out loud moments but underneath it all there is a story of a woman struggling to come to terms with her childhood and broken family.  I could relate to Maisie on so many levels (I even had a few naked garden gnomes once upon a time!). I could feel that deep sense of belonging she craves. Her quest to not only reunite her family and heal old wounds, but to reunite the magical teapot of an elderly neighbour with the rest of the tea set seems representative of all Maisie desires. Outwardly Maisie presents as a confident person who has her life together. Underneath the surface though she's scared and lonely and her messy artwork in her spare room is a reflection of her inner turmoil.

Jenni Keer has pulled together a cast of characters that become a family of sorts themselves. Just like her first book, the older characters in this book take centre stage and are not consigned to being some dodgy secondary characters. They add charm and depth to the story and are important to the plot. I loved loved loved this book and its up there on my list of recommended reads. Its a really magical read.