A Year at the Star and Sixpence

By: Holly Hepburn

Narrated by: Karen Cass

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

The perfect escapist listen, for all fans of Cathy Bramley and Scarlett Bailey. A Year at the Star and Sixpence is Holly Hepburn's four Star and Sixpence novellas collected together as a novel for the first time.

When sisters Nessie and Sam inherit a little pub in a beautiful country village, they jump at the chance to escape their messy lives and start afresh. But when they arrive at the Star and Sixpence, it's not quite what they imagined - it's pretty much derelict, ruined by debts, and it's going to be a huge job to get it up and running again. But they are determined to make the best of this new life, and they set about making the pub the heart of the village once again. Their first year at the Star and Sixpence won't be easy, though nothing worth doing ever is.

But when the sisters' past comes back to haunt them, they start to think that the fresh start they needed is very far away indeed....

Curl up with A Year at the Star and Sixpence - the perfect novel to start the new year the way you mean to go on.

A Year at the Star and Sixpence is the collected Star and Sixpence novellas. If you have already enjoyed the novellas, then you have already enjoyed A Year at the Star and Sixpence. For new novellas from Holly, check out her Picturehouse by the Sea series, starting in January 2017!

©2018 Holly Hepburn (P)2018 Simon & Schuster UK

Critic reviews

"A fresh new voice, brings wit and warmth to this charming tale of two sisters." (Rowan Coleman)

"You'll fall in love with this fantastic new series from a new star of women's fiction, Holly Hepburn. Filled to the brim with captivating characters and fantastic storylines in a gorgeous setting, Snowdrops at the Star and Sixpence is simply wonderful. I want to read more!2 (Miranda Dickinson)

"Warm, witty and laced with intriguing secrets! I want to pull up a bar stool, order a large G&T and soak up all the gossip at the Star and Sixpence!" (Cathy Bramley)

Great Distraction

I loved this story and the detail of each recount. What a great distraction on my daily 2 hour commute.

Meh.

I liked the beginning, but for most of the book I often felt irritated or bored

A Year at the Star and Sixpence

A Year at the Star and Sixpence. I really enjoyed this book. It was a warm story the only thing that annoyed me was Nessie would not face up to anything and took twelve months to get past having a brief kiss with the guy she was crazy about. We are in 2019 not 1899. Apart from that I loved it. Would recommend it to anyone who loves Milly Johnson. Jill Mansell.

Warm hearted, feel good listening

Wonderful voices with memorable well developed characters. A family feel good listen with real people with interesting issues.

Felt more like a hundred years

Nessie is a compete wimp with zero decision making skills. Her sister chose the guy that verbally abused and abandoned her at her lowest point. None of the them understands the disease of addiction/alcoholism and “distill” it to the moist trite and inaccurate/dangerous ways to address the issue. I’ve never asked for my money back on a book, but this one pushed me over that threshold. What a waste of a great narrator.

Toxic behavior is not romantic

I’ll acknowledge up front that this story has some sweet elements and positive stories. It’s a shame they are tainted by continuous examples of toxic behavior. First, the main characters have a real problem with being honest with those they claim are important in their lives. Over and over, feelings are hurt and misunderstandings happen because one of them didn’t explain the truth.

However, I am most dismayed by the romanticizing of one male love interest’s behavior, when it has classic earmarks of abuser behavior. What’s more, the woman even acknowledges that he makes it all her fault - and continues to do also until the very end! “I’m sorry I was a jerk - but you just make me so crazy!” NO! That is not an apology and is not a man who will change.

To put a fine point on it - do not ever accept for a partner anyone who assumes the worst about you, judges you, and who physically ambushes you for a kiss or other physical contact. If you have to worry about defending yourself to someone who should be squarely in your corner, then that person is not deserving of your love and energy. That is not how a relationship should be. That is an abuser. Pretty blue eyes, a good kisser, and strong arms do not make a good person.