Review: The Room with the Second-Best View by Virginia Smith

Third Time Lucky

This wasn’t t easiest book to get in to – it took me three tries to get past the first few chapters. I suspect part of that is that it’s the final book in a series, and I haven’t read any of the earlier books (I didn’t actually realise it was part of a series when I requested it for review). This made my first two attempts more difficult that they would have been if I’d read the earlier books in the series.

No, it’s not a fast-paced thriller. It’s not a romance (although it’s certainly a story of love and marriage, with Al and Millie providing some important lessons on how to make a marriage last). But it is a well-written character-based novel with a group of interesting characters and a pile of low-key interpersonal conflict provided by Lulu the annoying neighbour (who has odd recipe ideas--recipes included), and Miss Hinkle, the opinionated unexpected guest (opinionated and manipulative).

The overall tone was light drama—once I got into the story, it had a little of the feel of The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel, only set in small-town America (something which is as foreign to me as the Indian location of the Marigold Hotel). Oh, but Al and Millie’s B&B is a lot classier than the Marigold Hotel. Especially once Miss Hinkle has visited.

If you’ve read the earlier books in the series, you’ll enjoy this. If not, you might want to read the earlier books first. And if you have read the earlier books (or this one) ... you won't want to miss A Goose Creek Christmas, the new Christmas novella, available as a free Amazon download (and probably from other retailers as well).

Thanks to Harvest House Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about more about Virginia Smith at her website, and you can read the introduction to The Room with the Second Best View below: