A London Times bestseller praised for its irresistible characters, comic timing, and romantic appeal, Stately Pursuits is the story of Hettie Longden, freshly dumped and brokenhearted, who agrees to look after her great-uncle's long-abandoned mansion in the countryside. She is at something of a lifetime low: no job, no lover, no prospects, and no particular talent for resuscitating crumbling estates. So she hopes for nothing more than a good old-fashioned escape. What she finds, though, is a cast of quirky and ever-present neighbors, a couple of sensitive New Age guys, some very humorless bank officials, two disarming little canines, one gracious, dilapidated, romantic old house--and, just maybe, enough elbow grease to polish everything up again.
About the Author :
Katie Fforde is the author of romance novels are set in modern-day England. She lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England with her husband, some of her three children, and many pets. Recently her old hobbies of ironing and housework have given way to singing, Flamenco dancing, and husky racing. She claims this keeps her fit.
Roe Kendall (a.k.a. Vanessa Benjamin), a native of the British Isles, graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London. She has performed on stage, as a voice-over artist, and as an audiobook narrator.
Review :
"This Old House meets the Love Channel...A delightful, unabashedly unpretentious love yarn."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"[The] colorful cast of characters and wit are delightful enough to raise it above others of this genre. Both male and female voices are highly differentiated and totally in keeping with their characters."
-- "AudioFile"
"Charming...Enormously enjoyable."
-- "Newsday"
"The novel has a warm and fuzzy charm, some nice comic scenes, and the usual romantic contretemps."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"Two opinionated and obstinate people discover, in spite of their different views, a remarkable attraction to each other...[which] bodes well for the house, the couple, and even the cat, Clovis."
-- "Library Journal"
"Fforde's appeal is her ability to reproduce the eccentricities of everyday life."
-- "Times (London)"
