The Golden Oldies Guesthouse: The perfect feel good novel about second chances

· Bookouture
4.6
18 reviews
Ebook
350
Pages

About this ebook

I ended up reading until the wee small hours of the morning… Certainly took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride with all the ups and downs, the happiness and sadness, the laughs and the sobs.’ Ginger Book Geek ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Tess and Simon Sparrow may have a few more grey hairs than they used to, but that doesn’t stop them being swept up in a whirlwind romance and starting over. Swapping their city lives for an escape to the Cornish countryside, they fall in love with a crumbling hotel and impulsively buy it to renovate as their forever home. But soon the newlyweds have had their first fight (and their second and third…) and building costs are spiralling out of control. Their families think they’re mad and Tess is starting to agree – she just wants to escape back to civilisation.


Doing up the glorious, wisteria-clad property was meant to be a delightful retirement project. But the electrics are faulty, there’s no central heating, and the kitchen ceiling’s fallen in: the dream has become reality and things only get more chaotic when the first guests arrive…


Mysterious Celia, hapless romantic Dominic and tarnished, lovelorn actress Titania are all looking for a fresh start. Everyone in this eclectic group has their own reasons for being in Cornwall, but the summer is full of secrets and surprises. As plans go awry and truths are revealed, Tess and Simon realise that they’ve taken on a bigger challenge than they intended to: can their happily-ever-after survive the chaos or will this end up being the biggest mistake of their lives?


From the bestselling author of The Runaway Wife and The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane, this is a completely uplifting page-turner about embracing new friendships, finding love and making each day count. Perfect for fans of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village.


Why readers are loving The Golden Oldies Guesthouse:


Five golden stars for Dee McDonald’s latest… charmingThe Golden Oldies Guesthouse features humour with a deft touch, charm, fun, love and romance.’ Jena Books ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Utterly charming!... It’s gentle, humorous, heart-warming and packed full of characters that you will remember long after the book is finished. I adored every word and my only complaint is that the story ended!’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Absolutely loved everything about this book. It was charming and fun. I loved the characters and settings. Will be recommending.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Loved this book, the characters, the setting. A really special read one I didn’t want to end. I will be recommending this.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘I loved this book, it was a perfect summer read and it made me laugh loud more than once. I loved the quirky and well written characters and the plot. I look forward to reading other books by this author. Highly recommended!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


A hilarious romp… larger than life characters…Told as only Dee Macdonald can tell these stories of ‘older folk’ having another swipe at life and all that follows this book is funny, heart-warming, makes you feel good… a joy to read… 10/10.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘An absolutely delightful read… If you want a book to snuggle up with and totally enjoy then this is it… totally enchanted with this one.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘This book has everything in it. Romance, humour, mystery and some unlikely friendships... An engaging, fun and heart-warming read.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘How this book made me laugh and made me realise that at the age of 63 life is not over for me. Whopping 5 stars’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

4.6
18 reviews
Gaele Hi
August 29, 2019
We last saw Tess at her daughter’s wedding : where she meets Simon the on-again-off-again actor with a mellifluous voice and charm enough for three. After a bit of a whirlwind courtship and marriage, and remodeling a London flat, the two are on a ‘getaway’ to Simon’s childhood vacation spot in Cornwall. Planning just a ‘fisherman’s cottage’ getaway, the two are soon looking at property that overlooks the town and ocean, the Over and Above it’s called. Soon they’ve sold the London flat, with plans to renovate and repurpose the old house into a luxurious, specialty longer-stay B&B. From one sportscar that is woefully unequipped for country lane driving, to a campervan dubbed Windsor Castle, the struggle of adapting to “direkly” and the isolation – not to mention the expense and Simon’s rather cavalier attitude toward the costs involved, Tess is masterminding the plans, cajoling the workmen and generally holding down the fort while Simon is, as she has come to learn, charming his way through life and the unpleasant tasks. Again, MacDonald has created two characters who interact exactly as people really do – with the little things being more aggravating and causing more strops than the big ones, and everyone tense and worried about the unknown questions. Yet soon, they have their first guests – a former publisher, now retired, in Cornwall to be close to his ex and to write a book on smuggling, a woman planning to paint with watercolors for a few weeks following her ‘retirement’, and a faded actress, dressed in clothes more appropriate to her great-grand-daughters with a need for all the attention……. The charm and stories unfold with the usual amounts of tumult, particularly when a couple arrives to “rekindle” their marriage and ends with him leaving in a not-so-gracious way. From finding new friends, reconnecting with family and discovering the ‘actual’ purposes of their guest’s extended visits, the story is a gentle and clever tale of taking the road less traveled on the way to a new start after 60. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
1 person found this review helpful
Claire McPartlin
August 27, 2019
I love a Dee MacDonald book, they're always so much fun, with this one being no exception. This book catches up with Tess from Dee's last book (The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane) and her new husband, sometime actor Simon. Whilst on a holiday Tess and Simon come across a house for sale in Cornwall, with great views and great potential. After a bit of a discussion they decide to sell their London house and buy the Cornwall house and open it as a B&B. Of course there is loads of work to be done on it to get it to the level they want, as the last owners started the work, decided it was too much, and it has been on the market for a few years now. The first half of the book is about the renovations on the house and slowly getting to know everyone around them, and the second half is when the guests start arriving and their stories. A real bunch of completely different characters, all over 60, and a couple with some interesting stories they're hiding from the other guests! Orla, Tess's best friend and ex-business partner, also makes an appearance and finds unexpected love. It was like an unexpected matchmaking service for the golden oldies for a few of the guests! Very enjoyable story, with a little bit of intrigue, set in a wonderful location. The house sounds absolutely perfect, I'd love to stay there. I really enjoy Dee's books, they're always interesting and great fun and I look forward to reading her next one.
2 people found this review helpful
Judy MacRae
October 12, 2019
I loved this book, funny, loving, a page turner, and beautifully written. I bought a copy for my sister, I am sure she will love it also.

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