A Girl's Best Friend by Jules Wake

4.5 Stars

This was a thoroughly entertaining read, even if the benefits of dog ownership are somewhat rammed down your throat - becoming a bit of a theme in Ms Wake's books unfortunately.  At least in this one the downside is also showcased, particularly as the heroine, Ella, gets landed with the canine equivalent of a garbage disposal - a labrador.  To be entirely fair, as much as I am not a dog person, the author did make dog ownership seem kind of fun despite the whining at night and the close call with the chocolate eating.

The story itself is well structured, with the story arc taking place at a gentle pace over a few months.  In the beginning Ella is completely disenfranchised - she has split up with her boyfriend and moved to the country from London to house sit for her Aunt and feels completely out of her depth.  As an illustrator her creativeness seems to have flown the coop and her hopes of becoming what she feels is a "real" artist are completely subsumed.  Slowly the village and Tess (her dog) help to break her out of her depression and help her reconnect with herself and her creativity.

The writing really drew me in to the story and I loved the little glimpses of Ella's artistic life.  It was her illustrations that captivated me and the descriptions almost allowed me to see Cuthbert, Englebert and the gang in her drawings - particularly the ill-fated image of the Cavalier hat wearing Cuthbert.  It also reminded of Trisha Ashley and her character (Tansy) who draws the Slipper Monkey books in Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues, which is no bad comparison in my opinion.

The characters are all flawed, normal sounding people and somehow you feel like you have known them forever.  So much so, picking up the book felt like settling in to a cosy couch with a brew for a good natter with friends.  Warm, funny and bittersweet in places.  The only thing that really let it down was the section dealing with Patrick, Ella's ex, and her realisation that he had been stealing from her - for me it really didn't need that thrown in to the mix and it jarred with the feel of the rest of the book.

A comforting read that entertains and enthralls.