A heartwarming story with relatable characters and a charming main character who you can't help but root for.

To start off the cover art for this book is absolutely adorable, as soon as I saw that I knew that this book would be some thing that would be super cozy and charming. The story in reading it is like a hug because it is so cozy and sweet. I love reading every minute of this and can’t wait to see what else the author does.

This is one of those brilliantly written books that transports you so deep into the fictional realm that it could be real. An amazing story about love and what’s important in life, really recommend.

When I read the lovely Jenni Keer's book THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF LUCY BAKER I knew instantly that Jenni would be the next big thing in writing and she has proven this once again with her new book The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows. No one hit wonder for Ms Keer! She's definitely on a roll with 2 brilliant books under her belt now!

Maisie thought life was perfect when she fell for her boss and he seemingly was just as besotted with her. Or so she thought! Maisie was soon brought back to reality with a bump after discovering him having a fumble with another staff member! So, finding herself alone at a time when she should have been with family and basking in the glow of a big romance, Maisie vows to get her family which are scattered all over the place, and not really feeling the love for one another, back together. She also decides that her career needs a bit of oomph and decides to take a career path that leads her straight to an auction house filled with not only quirky items but also quirky characters. Hidden among the many treasures, and rather saucy garden gnome collection, and a teapot that gives her the magical tingles, there is Theo. One of her bosses, he is different from the others at the auction house..............yet like so many items there, he seems unattainable!

This is a wonderful book filled with so many laugh out loud moments but underneath it all there is a story of a woman struggling to come to terms with her childhood and broken family. I could relate to Maisie on so many levels (I even had a few naked garden gnomes once upon a time!). I could feel that deep sense of belonging she craves. Her quest to not only reunite her family and heal old wounds, but to reunite the magical teapot of an elderly neighbour with the rest of the tea set seems representative of all Maisie desires. Outwardly Maisie presents as a confident person who has her life together. Underneath the surface though she's scared and lonely and her messy artwork in her spare room is a reflection of her inner turmoil.

Jenni Keer has pulled together a cast of characters that become a family of sorts themselves. Just like her first book, the older characters in this book take centre stage and are not consigned to being some dodgy secondary characters. They add charm and depth to the story and are important to the plot. I loved loved loved this book and its up there on my list of recommended reads. Its a really magical read.

An easy read that transports you into someone else life. When we first meet Maise, she is jobless and has been dumped by her boyfriend, who she knows from work (I don't want to give spoilers away). The book takes you on Maise's journey to get her life back on track. I found myself laughing and crying while watching her recover.

I loved this author’s previous book, but she has excelled herself in this one.

Straight away I loved the characters, particularly Maisie herself, Jonny, her eccentric boss at the auction house, and Nigel, who I’ll let you discover for yourself, he’s a sweetie.

I could picture the setting perfectly, and loved hearing the tales of the auction house.

Family is such an important thread in this book, and pulls the whole plot together.

There’s an element of mystery, as the tea-set is reunited, and the story of its previous owners emerges.

This is such a charming, readable novel, with wonderful characters, a nicely flowing plot, so much love, and so much humour. Thoroughly enjoyable.

A fantastic, lovable book. The author has created a great storyline that engaged me from the beginning and filled the book with excellent, well developed main characters. I would highly recommend this book and I plan on looking for more books by this author.

I would like to think Jenni Keer, Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

We all have that perfect day from our pasts in our heads and for Maisie that was a Christmas from her childhood. Having broken up with her boyfriend and quit her job she decides that she wants to bring her scattered family together and try to recreate that day
I will admit that I had times when I really struggled with this book and with Maisie as a character. More than once she would do something that made me want to slap her but then she would redeem herself and I would like her again. She is a character who knows her own mind but who is obsessed with neatness and order as it’s one way she can control her life but once I understood this she made a lot more sense to me and I began to really like her
The main focus in this book asks the question about who is most important in your life and can the people you work with be the ones that you want to spend time with instead of your family?
I will admit that there were some fantastic lines in this book that made me smile. In terms of her hamster: he was “ever hopeful of stuffing his expandable cheeks with tasty treats like fluffy bags for life” and that he had “Olympic level gymnastic aspirations”
And Wii fit came into the story more than once as her mother works in a care home which has its own things that make you smile; “keep the boxing low key. Don’t want her launching out of the wheelchair again with those lethal left hooks of hers” just one example
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a slightly more complex story with lots of backstories that weave together and that will make you smile

I really enjoyed this book! A great story line that kept me hooked and excellent main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

This is a really fun, quirky, easy-to-read book. Love, friendship, mystery, families...it has it all!

My thoughts




Narrative and Plot


The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows has an upbeat tone which is particularly suited at the beginning of the year. The entire story is told from Maisie's perspective. The reader can see the confusions building up however the characters seem oblivious to it which is always a bit of a fun.

Maisie is an interesting person and her worldview is always entertaining to follow.The hint of mystical and magical elements is simply becoming a trademark of Jenni Keer books. If you love to believe that there is a bit of magic in everyone's life, then you will definitely enjoy her books.


Characters and Conflicts

Maisie is your main protagonist. She is a brave, strong and kind woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. Maisie is bold in her own subtle way. There is a freshness to her unlike many of the chic lit heroines you come across who seem to lack a bit of self confidence in the beginning of the back. Is she perfect? No. But Maisie acknowledges her flaws and does not wait till the end of the book to work on her shortcomings.

The central conflict of the book is to unite the tea set. This has some mysterious connection to Maisie's life, or not. It sounds like a superfluous conflict but the story does a good job of making you care for the goal. Just for Maisie's sake. The romance in the book is endearing. Theodore and all other characters at Gildersleeve had depth and everyone's little quirk came a full circle. In the end, the story establishes that families aren't forced but created with love and respect.



Conclusion


The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows, like any of your lives, is filled with a bit of worries, issues, happiness, romance, mishaps, kindness and also a pinch of magic. This is worth your time if you're looking for a simple and upbeat read.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

After reading and loving Jenni’s debut novel earlier in the year I just couldn’t wait to see what she would come up with next!

Maisie Meadows is a very unique quaint character. She has to leave her job because of an idiot of an ex so she ends up at Gildersleeve’s Auction House. The story centres around a very strange tea set that Maisie just has to bring together. This gives us the introduction of the owner of the tea set and her three sisters. I loved meeting each and every character to this story such as Theo, Arthur, Jonny and Ellie. They all have such different personalities but get along with each other so well. All Maisie wants to do is bring together her family but this doesn’t go as plain sailing as she hoped. Does the tea set really have anything to do with fate!?

Jenni’s stories always have this magical element to them and this is what I love most about them. Her writing is so easy going and this is great for when you just want to curl up and escape into a different world. ‘The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows’ is about family, love and friendship ❤️ I give this beautiful story 4*/5* 😊

Thank you to Avon Books UK for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

I was drawn in by the cover, which is similar to The Keeper of Lost Things. But unlike Hogan's novel, this didn't draw me in immediately and I was considering to bail several times. I couldn't really connect to the MC. Did not understand why she kept her hobby secret as if it was a state secret. The misunderstanding that kept her from getting together with the love interest was jarring. I seriously hope that the ARC I read was revised before publishing.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, Avon Books UK and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is my first experience of Jenni Keer's writing and I know it won't be my last. This novel was a delight to read. Laugh out loud funny in parts with relatable characters in extraordinary circumstances.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Very appealing story with great characters and beautiful writing. I couldn't out it down! Thanks to net galley for the ARC in exchange for honest review.

Here we have a lovely lot up for your perusal - a delightful tale set in an auction house where the quirky characters are just as colourful as the items up for sale.

The main character, Maisie, is just out of a job and a relationship. With her life turned upside down, the organised Maisie tries to bring some order by determining to bring her chaotic and fractured family back together. She starts working at the Gildersleeves Auction House, where she meets a delightful array of people, including Theo, whose mismatched clothes and untidiness is at complete odds with Maisie's self-disciplined way of life.

It's an exceptionally well-written story, with some real laugh-out-loud moments (eccentric naked old man!) intertwined with some moments of poignancy (I did have something in my eye when I got to know Arthur). Plus there's also an element of mystery, involving a magical tea-set...

It's a great, thoroughly enjoyable read

I love the magical undertones of this book as Maisie finds a job at an antique auction house with an eclectic group of staff. It made me smile and want to continue reading. I didn't want it to end. It is a book I will return to and reread when I need a duvet day.

I loved this book so much. It was a very easy book to read, bright, funny and sunshiny. I loved the fact that the main character had a mission to find all the pieces of a tea set and how her family all connected up with people from work.
Her references to her pet Nigel was very funny and I could picture him as I read this book.
Although this was a second in a series it was a stand alone book, and I will looking for more of hers in the future.
My thanks to Netgalley and Avon publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

After leaving her job, Maisie finds a new job at an auction house, filled with quirky characters. Add in a touch of enchantment around an old tea set, and her hopes of reuniting her family, and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable story, filled with misunderstandings, sibling rivalry, but mostly family loyalty and love. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.