I have previously read and enjoyed Nicola May’s previous books, so I was keen to read her new one – The Hub. This is set in a shared workspace – the Futtingbrook Fram Hub (The Hub of the title!) – where we meet all the characters who work there.
August Saunders (37) is a crime writer who hasn’t written a word since her ex Scott dumped her six months previously. She has left London and moved to a village in Wiltshire, living next door to her sister Ellie (34) and partner Grant, who have two young children – Wilf and James. August lives with her big ginger cat called Prince Harry (loved that!).
Nicola May’s writing style is lovely, really accessible and relatable. Reading August and Ellie talking to each other felt like eavesdropping on a real conversation and I could easily see and hear them together, they are great characters. Their mum Pam is a brilliant character too and very relatable.
The Hub is full of interesting people. I loved the handsome but mysterious Max Ronson (known as Mad Max, 41, and the owner of the place), the adorable Jonah (and his Touching Cloth company!) and bossy Beryl – in charge of the reception, lunches, cleaning, etc. What a great place to set a story!
The book has all you’d expect from a Nicola May novel – wonderfully warm and realistic characters, great dialogue and a lot of witty humour. There’s also plenty of serious messages included, especially when the local suicide helpline is featured.
My only tiny complaints are that there’s a bit too much “sexy stuff” going on and that the C word is used, which I’m not a fan of. But otherwise, it’s damn near perfect and I loved it!
The Hub
ONE TURKEY FARM, FIVE WILD COLLEAGUES AND A BARN FULL OF MYSTERY
When jilted crime writer August Saunders returns from London to her roots in rural Wiltshire, she feels lost and lacking in inspiration. Determined to reignite her writing mojo, she responds to an advert for a shared workspace in a converted barn.
At the Hub, with its ill-equipped gym, inedible catering and motley array of fellow users, including a matchmaker more interested in her own conquests and a TikToker with a dodgy nocturnal sideline, August is confronted with a real-life mystery to solve.
Why is Max Ronson, the handsome but volatile owner of the Hub, so evasive about his past? And who or what is he hiding on the premises? She is determined to find out – but will her curiosity snuff out the spark of romance?
Nicola May mixes mischief with mystery in a fast-paced rural romp which will make Futtingbrook Farm as beloved a location as Ferry Lane Market or Cockleberry Bay.
Perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary, Sarah Morgan, Jill Mansell and Cathy Bramley.
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hub-uplifting-laugh-out-loud-romance-mystery-ebook/dp/B0B4PYPFWC/
US – https://www.amazon.com/Hub-uplifting-laugh-out-loud-romance-mystery-ebook/dp/B0B4PYPFWC/
Author Bio –
Nicola May is a rom-com superstar. She is the author of sixteen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Her books are translated into fourteen languages. Two of them won awards at the Festival of Romance, and another was named ebook of the week in The Sun. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay became the best-selling Kindle book in the UK, across all genres, in January 2019, and was Amazon’s third-bestselling novel in that year. Described by Winifred Robinson of BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours as ‘the invisible bestselling author’, Nicola campaigned successfully for the introduction of ebook charts in the publishing trade press.
Social Media Links –
T: https://twitter.com/nicolamay1
i: https://www.instagram.com/author_nicola/
Giveaway to Win a signed copy of The Hub (Open to UK Only)
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