Het was lang geleden dat ik een feelgood had gelezen en wat heb ik ervan genoten om het wel te doen! Met zo'n sprankelende persoonlijkheid als Lou is dit boek een enorme vrolijkmaker. En hoewel je de grote lijnen van dit boek wel redelijk kunt raden, zijn er genoeg grappige details of onverwachte momenten om je het hele boek geboeid te houden en de personages in je hart te sluiten. Overigens is 'het hele boek lang' niet heel lang, want dit boek leest als een trein! Een prachtige balans tussen feelgood en af en toe wat tragiek of dingen die niet lopen hoe je verwacht en/of gehoopt had, maken het boek realistisch en wel optimistisch. I love this author, and this book certainly didn’t disappoint. We are taken on a wonderfully heart-warming journey of love and friendships with the main character Lou. Lou is visiting her childhood friend, Sammy when she bumps into grumpy 80-year-old, Edgar Allsopp. Edgar isn’t the easiest man to get on with, but he seems to take a begrudging shine to Lou and makes her an offer she can’t refuse. I loved Lou’s character and connected with her straight away. I’ve worked as a carer and have come across many grumpy old men like Edgar in my time and knew right from their first meeting that they would end up being friends. Lou had a good job, and a flat in Birmingham, but every changes overnight and she’s homeless and unemployed. Lou recently stayed with her friend Sammy in the Cotswold village of Foxwell. Whilst there, she was offered a job by eighty-year-old loner Edgar. Edgar is probably the most offensive, grumpy old man ever created and Lou has avoided his numerous calls so far. However, needs must and when he makes an offer that she can’t refuse, she decides to give it a go and becomes Edgar’s live-in carer.

Pure escapism . . . A simply gorgeous read that I would highly recommend' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐Wie had kunnen denken dat de excentrieke Edgar Allsopp de oplossing zou hebben voor Lou’s problemen? Hij biedt haar een baan en een dak boven haar hoofd in het dorp Foxwell in de Cotswolds. Dit jaar heeft Luitingh-Sijthoff Amsterdam flink uitgepakt. 'Het zonnetje in huis' schreeuwt lente. Wat is het toch een prachtig exemplaar! Met fleurige bloemen die de cover én de edges sieren. Mooi vanbuiten, maar is het ook mooi vanbinnen? Secrets never stay hidden for long in Foxwell, nor are promises always kept. And no one could guess what lies ahead . . . Dit is een hartverwarmend verhaal over de kracht van aandacht en omkijken naar elkaar, over echte vriendschap, liefde, begrip, eerste indrukken en verandering, over kiezen voor geluk, wat miscommunicatie en interessante afspraken, over charmante façades en twee gezichten, over verdriet en vreugde. De warme, vloeiende, luchtige, beeldende en vlotte schrijfstijl van Jill Mansell zorgt zorgt voor uren puur leesplezier en dit fijne en meeslepende verhaal zal je feelgoodhart als een zonnetje verwarmen! Edgar is a treat. What a difficult and disagreeable old man. Lou does her best with him and we do see a more affable, but still brutally savage Edgar emerge. It is amazing what the love of a good dog can achieve too.

Lou is surprised to see the size of the estate that Edgar is living alone on. It is evident that he needs help to maintain his home and she soon learns that he has gone through a series of caregivers. When he offers Lou the job she explains that she already is caring for a woman in the town she lives in. He continues to pursue her and shortly thereafter her circumstances change. To sweeten the deal, Edgar offers to leave his estate to her upon his death.And with that, she discovers so much more about herself, helps the people around her, genuinely just cares to do what's right. Edgar, the old man set upon living life to the fullest before he passes away, does push her to her limits; but, she knows that despite the pay-off she believes she'll receive after, she just wants him to find a bit of happiness, no matter how late in life it comes. Lou is a good person at heart and is determined that she will make Edgar begin to enjoy life, and slowly, she does begin to make changes, although Edgar is still rude, still grumpy and still hard to please.

Edgar's final decision was supposed to redeem him for making other decisions out of spite...it doesn't. Jill Mansell is one of Britain’s most accomplished authors. She has authored books which have had huge success not just in the United Kingdom but the world over. She has written many books which are of the romantic comedy genre. To prove her success, the writer has had over ten million copies of her books sold worldwide. She was raised in the Cotswolds UK and when she went to school, she attended Sir William Romney’s School in Telbury. Before she opted to be a full time writer in 1992, she worked as a clinical neuropsychologist at Burden Neurological Institute in Bristol. She worked in the medical field for close to 18 years. She is a family lady and lives with her partner and children in Bristol. She began writing when she was a child, she used to write a lot but she never imagined that one day she will be doing it for a living. She is inspired by the love she has for her readers since she cannot imagine failing to publish another book, that is what keeps her grounded.Taking the job means she's living close to old school friends, including the gorgeous Remy, in the tiny, picturesque Cotswolds village of Foxwell. Lou is een personage om wie je meteen gaat geven: ze heeft een groot hart, tomeloze energie en een positieve instelling, ze is zorgzaam en altijd op zoek naar manieren om andere mensen gelukkig te maken, al laat ze daardoor ook wel eens over zich heen lopen en is ze redelijk naïef, ondanks alles wat ze heeft meegemaakt. Haar omgang met de knorrige en botte maar eenzame Edgar maakt je vrolijk, ze zorgt ervoor dat hij weer onderdeel van de gemeenschap wordt en bezorgt hem echte blijdschap door een nieuwe vriend op zijn pad te brengen: de lastige hond Captain Oates, die voor grappige en ontroerende momenten zorgt en de held van het verhaal wordt. MY REVIEW: Hurrah! The new year can now officially begin, because we have a brand spanking new read from Jill Mansell to devour.