Reviews for Always and Forever

The average rating for Always and Forever based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-05-20 00:00:00 Edgar Lavoie Amabel Parsons is an Araminta who is running a B&B single-handedly while her mother/partner is in Canada for the birth of a grandchild. Among the various overnight guests are our RBD, Oliver Fforde, and his mother. When Mum returns from Canada with her new husband, Keith, Amabel quickly realizes she must leave; Keith doesn't like her (and her mom is a TERRIBLE mother for letting him treat her daughter so badly), he hates the family dog, Cyril, and Oscar, the cat, and threatens to have them put down. So Amabel sneaks away to an aunt who lives near York; she gets a job in York working in a shop that belongs to a friend of the Veronica. Note: the Veronica - Miriam by name - and Dolores are very believable in this book. I know and loathe women who behave like them! Anyway, Miriam persuades Dolores to sack Amabel, and she and her animals are left homeless. She takes sanctuary in a church, which is where Oliver finds her. No, he doesn't know he's in love with her yet; he's at the stage where She Was Always on his Mind, to paraphrase Willie Nelson. As Fate Would Have It, his aunt has recently had a stroke and needs a companion; this will kill two birds by giving her a job and a home and she will be accessible for him to see her regularly. But Evil Step-Father is lurking in the weeds. He calls Amabel, tells her that her mother is very ill, and guilts her into coming home - smart girl that she is, she leaves Cyril and Oscar at Lady Haleford. Of course, mum isn't really ill; Keith just wants slave labor. Oliver to the rescue one final time. D&P& Kisses! I really, really loved this book. It had everything essential to TGB. Plus, the denouement took up several pages! My favorite scene in the book is at Christmas: Oliver gives Amabel a gift and tells her that next Christmas will be different. The gift is a lover's knot brooch. Reread December 12/13, 2016. I suspect this may become an annual Christmas reread. There are so many delightful bits. Geography: The village of Bolton Percy, where Aunt Thisbe lives. York. Animals: Tiger is Oliver's dog and accompanies him just about everywhere. Cyril is Amabel's dog and Oscar is her cat. She leaves home because her new step-father is an ARSE and wants to have the animals put down. Tiger, Cyril and Oscar are actual characters in the story. Oliver and Amabel carry on important conversations with them, like this one: "�Am I being a fool?� he enquired of Tiger, whose gruff rumble could have been either yes or no�" And observations like this: "'Oscar is in the kitchen,� he observed. �What a sensible animal he is. Mrs Twitchett and Nelly have already fallen for his charms.�" "Oscar, that astute cat, knew on which side his bread was buttered, for he settled down primly on the old lady�s lap and went to sleep." People. Yes, stepfather Keith is a jerk and Mom is a selfish pig for treating Amabel like a slave with no life of her own. But as a positive, we have Lady Haleford, and her housekeeper, Mrs. Twitchett (who reminds me of Tabitha Twichett in the Beatrix Potter. Even minor characters, like the nice girl at the patisserie in York help to balance The Mean Girls, Miriam and Dolores. And this scene. This! "He got up to go presently. It was still snowing and he had some way to drive still. She went with him to the door, and Tiger, reluctant to leave Cyril and Oscar, pushed between them. Amabel bent to stroke him. �Go carefully,� she said, �and I hope that you and your family have a lovely Christmas.� He stood looking down at her. �Next year will be different!� He fished a small packet from a pocket. �Happy Christmas, Amabel,� he said, and kissed her." *sigh*

Review # 2 was written on 2013-09-08 00:00:00 Rob Gardiner One of my favorites by Betty. Even though he isn't dutch ; -)