Book Review: The Long Weekend

By Becky Gulc

I am a huge fan of Veronica Henry’s, so I was delighted to be able to review "The Long Weekend," her latest release. Veronica’s books are so atmospheric and have a great sense of place; have a great range of characters and stories going on which make for memorable ‘keeper’ books in my opinion, so I had high expectations of this latest book! Firstly, I think the book has a great cover fitting with the story and title – it might not be summer anymore but you can wish away with this book in your hands! I actually read this book over the long August bank holiday weekend (forgive me for the belated review!) and it really was the perfect read for a weekend away. So what’s it all about? Here is the synopsis:
In a gorgeous quay-side hotel in Cornwall, the long weekend is just beginning . . .

Claire Marlowe owns 'The Townhouse by the Sea' with Luca, the hotel's charismatic chef. She ensures everything runs smoothly - until an unexpected arrival checks in and turns her whole world upside down.

And the rest of the guests arrive with their own baggage. There's a couple looking for distraction from a family tragedy; a man trying to make amends for an affair he bitterly regrets . . . and the young woman who thinks the Cornish village might hold the key to her past.

Here are affairs of the heart, secrets, lies and scandal - all wrapped up in one long, hot weekend. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon UK.)
Do you ever sit at the bar in a hotel or sit having your breakfast and wonder what the other guests' stories are? What are they doing here this weekend? If we’re to take this fictitious hotel in Cornwall as an example, there is a lot more to peoples' stays than simply deciding on a weekend break to get away from the normal routine! As suggested by the synopsis, there are several stories going on in this book revolving around the people running the hotel and those staying there this particular weekend. A strong point for me was that I found each story as equally interesting as one another – often when there are multiple narratives in books, you find yourself less interested in some stories or get a bit lost, but that’s absolutely not the case here! Each story had something different to offer: a sense of intrigue and suspense, some kind of emotional attachment; hurt and uncertainty about the future and plenty of secretive goings-on. I felt like I really got to know each of the characters and grew to care about them and their troubles, and saw behind the often tough fronts of some of the characters. Veronica manages to cover a range of subjects seamlessly in these stories in a gentle manner, even though there are some serious issues involved. I also thought the book is never too predictable, particularly in some of the stories such as Colin’s.

The best part of the book for me (as it was for "The Beach Hut") was the sense of place and escapism the coastal setting invoked for me and I had vivid images of the Cornish hotel in my head. Veronica really is great at working with imagery. It left me feeling very summery indeed. This was a book you will take everywhere with you until it’s finished, and it was a book I hugged at the end, I felt so content with it. The only slight criticism I have is that a few typos made it through to the finished copy, but not a big deal and the writing itself is excellent as always.

Another great book by Veronica Henry, I personally can’t wait for the next one!

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