A Springtime Affair

By: Katie Fforde

Narrated by: Rebecca Lacey

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

A wonderfully romantic novel from the Sunday Times best-selling author of A Rose Petal Summer and A Country Escape. 

It’s the season of new beginnings for Helena and Gilly.

Gilly runs her own B&B business from her much-loved family home, which she doesn’t want to part with - at any price.

But that's before she meets handsome estate agent Leo. Soon he has her wondering whether it's finally time to sell up and try something new in life.

Meanwhile, Gilly's daughter Helena has a budding romance of her own. A talented weaver, she's becoming very close to her new landlord, Jago, who's offered to help her at an upcoming craft fair that could give her dream career a major boost.

It’s what friends do, and they are just friends. Aren’t they?

With spring in full bloom, Helena and Gilly begin to ask themselves the same question:

Could their new loves lead to their happily ever after?

©2019 Katie Fforde (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"Modern-day Austen." (Woman and Home) 

Oh dear!

I am a fan of Katie Fforde, I mostly enjoy her books, on a light, fluffy level. At the beginning they were real novels but, with age, they have degenerated. Now they don’t know if they are Mills and Boon or Joanna Trollope, and they don’t quite make either grade.
A Springtime Affair has it all - clichéd characters, clichéd plot, and went on too long. Also, she isn’t good with male characters, they are often wooden and unlikely.
It didn't help that the reader has such an elderly ‘mumsy’ voice. If I hadn’t listened carefully to the text I would have assumed that Jilly, was in her seventies. All she seemed to think about was cakes.
I am about the same age as Katie Fforde, I was darting about all over the place when I was the age of her mother character, Jilly, who, we are given to understand is late fifties. At that age I thought I was sexy and swept through life as a pretty lively woman. Even bought a yellow coupe when the first grandchild appeared, in case I was stereotyped as granny. Jilly is a stereotype of a granny, not a real modern woman.
Daughter, Helena, was nice. I liked her character and she was developed with her ambitions and life skills. She and Jake were great, and they should have had a book to themselves.
The son was a pastiche, and his wife, Cordelia, well, they were both quite ridiculous. As if any young man these days would adopt such a daft attitude with his mother, especially with such a sensible sister.
I liked the accountant, think he was Tom. But too young for elderly sounding Jilly.

So, as you can see, it didn't work for me too many plots and stereotyped characters, I’m afraid. Give me back her brilliant reader, Jilly Bond. She understands Katie’s ‘voice’. I will go back and listen to A Summer at Sea next time I want respite from my more gritty thrillers.

Lovely easy listening

I enjoyed this story by Katie Fforde. It made for a relaxing listen without many challenges, as the problems encountered by the characters were all easily resolved, and the nastier characters all either came good or just sort of faded out of the picture. It wasn’t too bland, however, just ideal for falling asleep to, or listening while doing other things.

The narrator has a lovely soft voice, which suits the story perfectly.

Never disappointed

As with all Katie Fforde books I found myself so engrossed with the story that I was laughing out loud and listening to the story as if having a conversation with a friend and saying my remarks instead of thinking them. Which is ok at home but when out walking listening through earphones you get funny looks. Thank you Katie and thank you Rebecca for reading.

predictable

narrator spoilt the book for me as it was very monosyllabic. won't listen to any books narrated by her again

brilliant

Well written and well read. A very good holiday read. A feel good book.

relaxing and sometimes eye rolling

I love these stories to unwind to although sometimes the sexual stereotypes and life goal stereotypes do make me a bit sad/eye roll. that's not to say I don't enjoy it:) just I have to park my ideals at the door! ah the narrator was great, very mellow but sometimes a bit too quiet to listen to in the shower

If you are looking for a story where something happens, this isn’t for you as nothing happens

I kept hoping that the story would liven up but it never did. I agree with other reviewers that the narration was a little out of sync with the age of the characters.

joyful

this book, make me laugh, cry, and laugh again.
the most joyful book I read.

Really disappointed

I normally love Katie’s books, I have read and listened to many but this book left me disappointed. Believe it or not when you are 50 or over you are not ‘past it’ and I found this quite insulting. The narrator was better than her usual one and did well with the poor material. Sorry Katie please go back to your normal standard. The story was weak, drawn out and not to your normal high standard. I’m sorry to say I really didn’t enjoy it, I listened to all of it in the hope it would get better but it just didn’t. Such a shame.

Another perfect read

Just what I needed, an escape. Oooh that Leo made my skin crawl from the off.