‘A charming read!’ Heidi Swain ‘A wonderful antidote to a harsh world’ Bella Osborne ‘A magical story about love and friendship, full of fun and sparkle. You won’t be able to resist the cast of quirky characters!’ Fiona Harper Meet Lucy, aged 25, and Brenda, aged 79. Neighbours, and unlikely friends. Lucy Baker is not your usual 25-year-old. She is more at home reading and knitting in her … home reading and knitting in her cluttered little flat than going out partying and socialising.
79-year-old Brenda is full of wise and wonderful advice, but when she’s diagnosed with dementia her life begins to change. Before her memories slip away for ever, Brenda is desperate to fulfil one last wish – to see Lucy happy.
Gifting Lucy the locket that helped Brenda find her own true love, she hopes to push her reticent neighbour in the right direction. But is Lucy Baker ready for the opportunities and heartbreaks of the real world? It’s about time she put her knitting needles aside and found out…
The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker will be the most charming, heart-warming and feel-good novel you will read this year, perfect for fans of Ruth Hogan and Gail Honeyman.
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What a lovely heartwarming book.
Lucy is a kind soul, if a little lacking in confidence. Her neighbour Brenda is a colourful character who may or may not be a little bit magic. When Brenda gives her a locket which urges Lucy to do some spells to help her win the new neighbour George’s heart.
There were some lovely touches in this book. I especially liked the office awkward/sexist guy Adam was a really nice guy at heart, despite his clumsiness and sexist comments. The feud between Danny and Adam was fun. Likewise, I liked that Sam was painted as a nuanced character.
If you’re looking for something to keep you company on a chilly winter night, this would be just the thing.
I got a review copy of this book from Netgalley.
Favorite Quotes:
There was an inaudible twang as one of her heartstrings was plucked.
A man of few words, and even fewer talents.
She’s got me running around like a squirrel on speed.
Adam rubs people up the wrong way and doesn’t stop rubbing until there are friction burns.
I can imagine you’ll be the sort of parent who responds to a question about death with a PowerPoint presentation depicting the various stages of decay occurring in the human body – maggots and all.
My Review:
This debut author’s work was a delight to read, I was quickly enamored with her dynamic characters and vivid storytelling. I adored the friendship of the elderly yet feisty Brenda and her quiet yet kind neighbor Lucy. Brenda had purple streaks in her hair and was gifted with many talents. Young Lucy was a crafty knitter and an endearing and tenderhearted soul, yet timid and lacking in confidence. I enjoyed watching a stronger and more colorful Lucy evolve although Brenda’s deterioration squeezed my cold heart, put hot rocks in my throat, and caused my eyes to sting in a curious manner. The storylines were crisp, engaging, evocative, and laced with clever levity. Jenni Keer is one to watch and taught me a new Brit idiom of “big up,” which Mr. Google taught me was to praise or speak well of. I will gladly big up Jenni Keer anytime!
I found this lovely story to be a delightful romance with some very positive points made by several characters.
Lucy is an attractive 25 year old young woman, hopeful of finding her one true love, but she is also an avid knitter and much more of a homebody than a party girl. She does her best at her job and this often means she gets taken advantage of. Lucy is also a good person who has developed a friendship with her neighbor Brenda, the 79 year old widow of an old rock star. When George moves into their neighborhood, Lucy finds him very attractive and Brenda lends her a bit of magic in the form of an old locket to help Lucy win his heart. There are ups and downs to the process of Lucy and George’s coming together but they are well written and a pure pleasure to read. I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.
A charming read.
I loved this book as I’m a huge fan of magic creeping into the mundane world we live in. Such wonderful characters and I had tears in my eyes at a couple of points.
There were parts to this book that I really loved that are worthy of 5-stars. Lucy’s elderly neighbour, Brenda, was one of those. What a fascinating character! I also loved the friendship between Lucy and Brenda and the care Lucy showed towards Brenda. I struggled a bit more warming to Lucy because she is such a pushover at the start but that makes her journey all the more delicious because her growth is gradual and you can understand why she hesitates at certain points to move forward.
There were parts that I didn’t warm to quite so much which is why, overall, I give this a 4-star rating rather than 5. Some of the office banter, antics and characters didn’t move Lucy’s story forward as much as I’d have liked making a couple of bits slower. I wasn’t quite so invested in why she was drawn to her new male neighbour when he was so rude and distant. There’s a scene partway through (won’t give spoilers) where something happens that changes their relationship and I felt much more invested in it from that point.
I absolutely loved the ending. Aww. Overall, this is a warm and entertaining book and, for me, a 4 star read
I enjoyed Lucy’s story. So nice to read a romantic comedy where the characters actually have morals.
Magic and charm says it all. Characters caring for others and changing their lives in the process. The book was thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to reading more by Keer.
Interesting characters and a great story. This story was hard to put down because I wanted to know what’s going to happen. I enjoyed the characters, the fact they were caring people, and the way the interacted. These people would be fun to know better.
New author to me…have pre-ordered next book!
Beautifully written, funny and well observed, I loved this book and the relationship between the older somewhat eccentric Brenda and her younger neighbour Lucy. Definitely a must read!
A magical story about love and friendship, full of fun and sparkle. You won’t be able to resist the cast of quirky characters
A wonderful antidote to a harsh world.
The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker is a little bit of everything, that has warmed my heart and reduced me to tears, and it all starts with one stray cat!
Lucy Baker is the young women with a soft heart, who doesn’t seem to have learned the word no, is treated like a nobody by pretty much everyone in her life from her mother to her supervisor Adam. Lucy is belittled for her lack of boyfriend, successful career and her ability to make amazing crocheted figurines.
But Lucy is not without friends; she has Jess, who not only works with her, but is a really good friend, then there is Brenda, her landlady, confident, and the person that gives her the gift that changes her life!
The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker is such a darling of a book, that once you start you cannot put down! Especially when Lucy is up to no good. This book made my whole day! It honestly reminds me of a cheekier version of a Jenny Colgan book, but also maybe a little more daring.
From the get-go you can’t help but to love all of the characters, from Lucy and her sweet personality to George and his many allergies and finally onto Adam and his hidden life, you cannot help but be sucked into their lives and it feels like they have been apart of yours forever. This is definitely a book I recommend.
“Sometimes a little something can mean everything.”
This is a delightful novel about friendship, love and a bit of magic thrown into each page.
A friendship that is least expected between a 79 year old quirky lady, Brenda and a 25 year old named Lucy who lacks spontaneity and confidence in her life.
As the story unfolds, both women realize how much they need each other and they come to truly care for one another.
The old locket that Brenda gives to her friend has the magic that will help Lucy step out of her comfort level and find happiness.
This is absolutely a heartwarming, feel good story and one the world needs to read and share!
I believe in fate and that things come into your life for a reason. I was attracted to this book and requested it from NetGalley. I was so pleased when I was approved. I have always had older women as friends since I became an adult. I adore the older population and see so much wisdom, strength and love in them. I am happy when I see an older character in a book and I always hope that the love that I have felt so often will be present in the character’s personality.
I was not disappointed in the character of Brenda Pethybridge. She is wise, magical and loving. She makes me miss all the friends I held so closely over my life, that sadly are not here in physical form any longer, (they are always in my heart).
I love the character of Lucy Baker also. I would be great friends with her. I love to do crafts and mine are sometimes a bit odd, just as Lucy’s are. I have a tendency to be on the clumsy side, seem to be overheard saying the wrong thing at the right time and find myself in situations that I cannot believe myself.
Lucy has been living next to Brenda for two years and they have become the best of friends. Brenda is slowly showing signs of confusion and it is revealed early in the story that she will only get worse as time goes on. Brenda has taken it upon herself to be a reliable overseer, popping in to check on Brenda, which allows Brenda to continue living as she has in the past.
George moves into the property next to Brenda at the beginning of the story. He is not outgoing and is short with comments and appears extremely rude to begin with. As with everyone, we know that the surface is just what people let stranger see and there is much more below the surface that comes out after becoming friends.
Brenda has been known in the community as a spiritual person and the source of herb related cures for all that hurts you. She gives Lucy a locket that has magical powers to bring you and your true love together. Soon Lucy is following the messages that appear on the locket, with George in mind as her love.
We meet Lucy’s family in the story and see where her caring soul comes from (her father) and her insecurities (her mother) and her protective instinct (her sister).
Lucy loves her job at Tompkins Toy Wholesaler, but knows the company is not doing the best. A new manager is brought in to bring the company to success and everyone is fearful of the outcome. This adds more stress to Lucy, but she stays true to herself and that is all anyone can ask of her.
So much happens in the story, however the plots flows wonderfully together. The book is believable with a little magic installed in it, to make it sparkle. I truly loved this warm, feel good story and I will be missing Brenda, Lucy and George for a while, since they took hold of a piece of my heart.
Thank you to Jenni Keer for writing this wonderful book, her first published. I look forward to many more books in the future. I also want to thank NetGalley.com and the publisher Avon Books UK for allowing me to read the ARC. I am so blessed that you chose to let me read this book and let me remember my wonderful, older, strong women friends I have had in my life.
One of the most enjoyable books I have read for some time. Very believable characters and plot. Well written with some scintillating dialogue, and masses of emotion in the story.
Well done, Jenni Keer. I look forward to many more of your books.
When I wrote this review, one thing I forgot to mention was the underlying theme of early-stage dementia. I thought it came across brilliantly. Not mawkish at all, sympathetically and wittily. Jenni mentions her own family experience with this.