Tea with Emma

I have been in a tea mood lately so decided to make myself a nice pot of hot Darjeeling tea and start reading Tea with Emmy by Diana Moody. This novella is part of a series of three. Each book stands apart. It was a nice read with a little Jane Austen thrown in. That can never be a bad thing.

Maddie and her friend Lanie have just returned from a trip to England where they visited Chawton and saw Jane Austen's cottage. While there they visited the tea rooms across the road from the cottage and Maddie got the idea to start a tea room of her own. She would bring Austen to Austin...Texas that is. On the plane, they seem to be annoying Scrooge who is sitting in front of them. Back home, Maddie discovers Scrooge's real name is Dr. Ian Grant and he is living in the guest house of the university which is across the street from her own home she shares with her grandmother.

Maddie decides that she wants to be a modern day Emma and do some matchmaking. But as with Emma in Jane Austen's time, it seems to go all terribly wrong.

A fun and quick romance that might have you running to make a cup of tea. I particularly enjoyed it as I dream of starting a tea garden myself. If only I lived out in the country.....

My only comment is the Christian theme to the book seemed forced and disconnected to the story.

Happy reading!
Heidi

The Day Job

The Day Job - Adventures of a Jobbing Gardener is a book written by Mark Wallington. A fun compilation of stories about the people Mark worked for while gardening as a means to earn some money in 1980. While Mark's dream is to become a comedy writer and he continues to submit scripts to the BBC, he is getting to know many of the people who are the face of North London. In writing about the various people he works for, you cannot help but feel he has grown to enjoy the faces of his day job.

You cannot help but find the people like Joan and Jamie, Annie Kendal, Mr. Nugent, Major Chesney and Kenneth likable and endearing.

Mark has to do battle with his competitors Powerflowers.

You watch the friendship develop with Helen while you hear about his flatmate Neil and neighbor Mandy or his co-comedy writer Dick.

In short this is a book about people and that is what makes the world go around.

Happy reading!Heidi