Probably the Best Kiss in the World

Funny, poignant and wonderfully descriptive - Pernille Hughes mixes family loyalties, perfect kisses and homebrew into an unlikely but perfect romcom.

From Copenhagen to the the British coast, from Yakob's almost perfection to Lydia's lust for life, from the inside of the brewing shed to the fabulous ensemble cast there was nothing not to love.

It's øl-verwhelmingly one of my favourite books of the year.

Jen Attison's life is organised...just as she likes it even though she wouldn't have chosen her current job if she's been honest. Taking on the guardianship of her younger sister meant responsibility far beyond her years and personal sacrifice. Life has been tough. As a consequence, she's making the best of life in an easily predictable way. So when her long-term boyfriend surprises her by proposing, she accepts her fate. Only, her sister, Lydia and their friends have other plans...a premature 'hen-do' in Copenhagen and a mystery man none of them envisaged but overwhelmingly glad he showed up when he did.

Jen is a woman of our current times...micromanaging her hectic life and responsibilities by relying on phone apps, lists and spreadsheets. She's a control freak...it works for her but it also makes her dull and predictable. By stark contrast, her sister is a ray of positivity. Lydia, maybe the younger sister, but she's insightfully refreshing. They clash as siblings do but for once, it is Lydia who is the wise one, pointing out where her older sister is going wrong in her life. For the sisters, it is a long overdue turning point in their relationship, freeing them both to follow their passions in their own unique way.

I can wholeheartedly say is, I was one hundred per cent invested in Jen's Danish distraction. As a reader it wasn't difficult, to fall for this fine specimen of Nordic swoon-worthy masculinity. He oozed sincere charm in a too-good-to-be-true way. As a result, I was sure this novel would be a five-star read for me. However, I felt a bit let down after the end of chapter 31...not because of his dramatic departure but because he didn't re-appear again until chapter 38! I was distraught!

Stand out elements of the narrative are the author's ability to bring her protagonists to life enabling the reader to feel their emotions. Additionally, an integral piece is this novel is passion and Ms Hughes does a fantastic job of drawing these intense reactions from the characters in both a positive and negative way. The dialogue is witty, the humour is subtle...just as I like it. Then there're the contrasting backdrops...Copenhagen, small town, England and the fascinating insight into the craft beer industry. With the latter offering some useful tips.

Last but not least, I haven't read any novels by any of the authors mentioned in the blurb so I haven't a clue if this novel is a good comparison. What I can say is, the author is new to me and one I'll be looking out for again. Skål!

4.5 stars

***arc received courtesy of HarperImpulse via NetGalley***

I have to agree with the title, that almost certainly was Probably The Best Kiss in the World for Jen, after all she has been in a relationship for most of her adult life with a man that doesn't give her any excitement or passion.

So when she finds there is even some attraction to the Danish hunk that fishes her out of a canal, which she fell into saving her mobile phone, her life goes a bit into free-fall.

Jen loves control and to do lists, she has every second of a day mapped out, and hates the unexpected, so for her meeting Jakub isn't exactly in her life plan. After all she has a boyfriend, who she could be engaged to - but it is when she can't bring herself to start lists on her new wedding app, that the reader gets an inkling things aren't quite right.

What I loved about Jen was her true passion, which is for craft beer, and you get to know a fair bit about it. I don't think I've read a book where craft beer and brewing plays such a large part before, but it was incredibly welcome.

However as much as I enjoyed reading about Jen, it was the insights into her sister Lydia that added another dimension to this story. Without giving anything away I will say that Lydia is an inspiration, and the tragic happening in the sisters past has shaped everything about their current character traits.

From the first few pages I knew I would enjoy this, from the funny start, to the company that Jen works for - again definitely not read a main character that is in charge or marketing incontinence pads before! In fact Jen is just rather unique and every time I had to put the book down due to real life I did so with a smile on my face and a yearning to continue.

This is the second book I've now read from Pernille Hughes and it is just a great as the first. If you are looking for a wonderful rom-com, that also had a few surprises in it, then this is definitely worth a read.

Many thanks to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

If you are British you probably recognise that the title is a riff on an advertising slogan for a well-known Danish lager, which kind of encompasses the concept of this novel.

Jen Attison works in marketing for a local firm which sells eco-friendly incontinence pads, it's not her passion, that's brewing her own beer, but it's local and she's good at it and it allows her to look after her younger sister Lydia who lost a leg in the accident that killed her parents. She has also been dating her bosses' brother Robert for the past six years although she has known him since she was a child when he and his parents came to her father's car repair shop or her mother's dressmaking shop. Robert came to Jen's assistance when her parents were killed and he has been a quiet supportive presence ever since.

When Robert springs a proposal on her Jen is surprised and a little bit shell-shocked, on her forced hen-weekend in Denmark she falls into a canal and is rescued by a gorgeous Danish man, called Yakob. Jen and Jakob spend the afternoon and evening together, talking about beer and Jen's pet hate, the global brewing company Kronegaard, which is headquartered in Denmark (any similarity to Carlsberg is probably intentional), they part on a kiss and Jen never thinks she will see Jakob again, until she runs into him at a brewing conference.

Her parent's accident has had a profound impact on Jen's attitude to life, making her risk-averse and leading her to seek security. She gave up her dreams of being a brewer to look after Lydia but will she settle for boring Robert and his plans for her to give up work and live in a big house by the golf course or will she take a chance on her heart and the mysterious Jakob?

I really enjoyed this, it was quirky, contained loads of detail about brewing and was a funny, light-hearted, feel-good romance. Jen wasn't perfect, as the novel progresses the reader discovers Jen is over-protective and controlling when it comes to Lydia and too passive when it comes to Robert and his (frankly) appalling family but she feels real, she makes human decisions and mistakes.

Recommended if you like quirky British romances about choices and following your passion.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a surprising read...I assumed it would be focused solely on the romance aspect, but the relationship between the sisters took front and centre, and our heroine wanted to brew beer was a nice change of pace. A good surprising read

Such a funny, fresh romance! I really enjoyed the depiction of Copenhagen as I don't know if I've read a novel set there before, and it made me want to visit. Jen is a compelling, relatable heroine and in addition to her romantic relationship, readers get a good feel for the heartwarming sisterly relationship between Jen and Lydia. This book reminded me a lot of a Sophie Kinsella book, where there's kind of a formula, but it's one that I love and could read again and again. I would recommend this to any fans of light, witty romantic comedies!

This is the first book I've read by Pemille Hughes, but I am now looking forward to checking out her debut novel. Probably the Best Kiss in the World is a multifaceted rom-com. There's romance, but there's also real character development, and Jen is passionate about her career. It's a book that shows a woman can pursue multiple interests. How refreshing!

This book is a true rom-com and I absolutely loved it!

After a trip to Copenhagen, Jen is caught between the classic battle of heart and head. Prior to Copenhagen Jen was comfortable with her life, newly engaged to long-term boyfriend Robert and in control, then she met Jakob.

What I liked about this book were the aspects that ran underneath the overall love story. A big part of the book was Jen’s passion for craft beer and throughout the story, we learn a lot about the process of brewing. Another underlying story that I think brings another element to the book is that of Jen’s sister Lydia. Lydia faces her own battles and throughout this book, she becomes an inspiration with the things that she is achieving (I’m not going to give spoilers) as well as trying to open older sister, Jen’s, eyes to the possibilities of life.

From the very beginning of the book, there are laugh out loud moments and I just wanted to keep reading.

This is the first of Pernille’s books but I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more in the future.