"Glanna had found rainbows magical from when she was just five years old. Whenever one appeared, her dad would look across the estuary from Riversway and tell her that, "Rainbows end in Ferry Lane Market, dear Glanna." And that if she was a good girl and went to sleep straight away every night, the fairies who lived at the end of the rainbow would one day lead her to her very own pot of gold, which would not be money, but happiness".
"Glanna was so grateful for her God-given talent. Through art she could express herself, release her pain and give shape and colour to her memories, hopes and regrets, with that ever-present symbol of hope, the rainbow".
Rainbows End in Ferry Lane Market by Nicola May is a heartwarming treat from one of the bestselling authors.
This is book three in the popular series, set in Cornwall. You can catch up with book one, Welcome to Ferry Lane Market, and book two, Starry Skies in Ferry Lane Market. The latest book in the series reads as a standalone.
Glanna Pascoe, aka the Rainbow Painter, is fast approaching forty. She runs a little art gallery in Ferry Lane Market in Cornwall, which is called Hartmouth Gallery. Until recently she lived without any responsibilities, partying and enjoying a carefree life.
As she says herself, "I drank, partied and slept my way around it... There wasn't exactly a lot of sightseeing involved. I was so young then and took it all for granted. In fact, when I look back, it's all rather a blur. What I need now is to find some peace".
Her life is chaotic. "Through the first three years of her thirties, still supported purely by the ugly currency of money instead of love, Glanna Pascoe's cycle of addiction and indulgence began to spiral out of control".
Rather than taking responsibility for her own actions, Glanna holds her dysfunctional upbringing and her parents' separate lives accountable for her own misguided lifestyle. Her snobbish mother is a sex-obsessed, selfish woman, who'd rather spend time with an endless string of much younger lovers than pay attention to her troubled offspring.
The descending spiral of alcohol-fuelled existence ends up with a much-needed stop-off at the rehab, after which Glanna moves back home from London, to live close to her parents. That's when she opens the gallery and starts to pursue her artistic career in earnest.
Glanna is still nursing her broken heart. Two years previously after a drink-fuelled ONS, she leaves her partner. Oliver is considerate and caring, but he wants a stability and a family, which Glanna cannot commit to. She is not a maternal type, and children are not on her agenda. They want different things in life. Just because she is approaching forty, and everyone around seems to be having babies, Glanna doesn't want to conform.
When visiting the Modern Tate in London, Glanna compares her life to the giant Babel exhibit. "Why, when in relationships, did most people speak in different tongues? Why had she been such a fool as to let a man like Oliver Trueman slip through her fingers?" (I find this comparison very apt, as it's true, most relationships are akin to the Babel tower. We often speak in different tongues).
Once installed in her little apartment above the gallery, with her whippet Banksy, Glanna feels like something is missing from her life. Pining after Oliver seems pointless.
There is another man who catches her eye, an elusive Cornish artist, "the one, the only, and the extremely talented and very mysterious, Mr Isaac Lowen Benson".. To protect himself, he prefers the life of a recluse. Glanna and Isaac find that they are soulmates, who can share their inner thoughts and aspirations. Her feelings for Isaac are growing.
She starts a new initiative based in her art gallery, a life-drawing class, with nude models, which will make the locals clasp their pearls.
Events are happening in a rapid succession for Glanna: there is a theft from the gallery, and her ex re-appears in her life, her parents' complicated relationship is reaching a nadir.
Now that Glanna is sober and committed to her art, will she be able to forgive herself and find romance again? Will she find that elusive pot of happiness at the end of the rainbow?
There is a whole set of supporting secondary characters, from Glanna's snobbish, bordering-on-caricature mother who sees herself as the local Lady Chatterley to her loyal and caring father who after years of being single is tentatively entering the dating scene again, from Glanna's new friend Jen who is torn between London and Cornwall, to mischievous Banksy in its colourful sparkly collar.
This book tackles one of the vital issues, of the pressure the society puts on women to become mothers, and invalidating those who choose to live their lives child-free. I think all of us can relate to that and tell stories of random people, sometimes strangers, asking inappropriate questions whether we have children, plan to have, or even whether we don't have children because we don't want or can't have them.
Alongside the main romance plotline, I enjoyed the story of the reclusive artist the best. The descriptions of his remote cottage, the studio and amazing sea views are evocative and emotionally charged. Though his sister Lizzie appears only through Isaac's narrative, you can't but feel moved by her story. Isaac is a caring person, a tormented soul who is committed to looking after his beloved sister. In a way, he was the character I cared the most.
I can't say I warmed to Glanna. I appreciated her honesty, and love of art. But in real life we are so different that we wouldn't enjoy each other's compeny, though I might admire her Cornish paintings. And I wasn't amused by the numerous sexually explicit jokes that are on the same level as that of the inebriated hen party gang (banter among the characters). It probably makes me sound like Mrs Whitehouse.
Rainbows End in Ferry Lane Market is a warm and witty story, with a real feel-good factor, with some giggles and even a few raised eyebrows. This is an endearing tale of love and friendship. Perfect for a long summer's day.
I missed reading the first two books in the series, and must catch up on my reading, preferably in summer, to put me in the mood for our Cornish vacation.
I believe a special mention should go to John Meech, the artist who created the cover illustration for the book. I love the light watercolour palette of the harbour with the boats, and the picturesque village. And I can't wait to visit Cornwall again and smell the salty air, feel the sand under my feet and eat the biggest Cornish ice cream.
This book review is part of the blog tour for Rainbows End in Ferry Lane Market.
Many thanks to Nicola May, Hodder and Rachel' Random Resources for my copy of the book!
Praise for Nicola May!
'This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings' - Milly Johnson
'A fun and flighty read' - Sun
'A funny and fast-paced romp - thoroughly enjoyable!' WOMAN Magazine
'One of those books that I can't stop thinking about way after I've read it! - Kim The Bookworm
'This book is so addictive that you will literally lose 3 hours of your life, and you won't care!' - Cara's Book Boudoir
Readers love Nicola May, too!
'A FABULOUS must-read' - 5 STARS
'An excellent book of friendship - with a little wickedness!' - 5 STARS
'Good for the soul' - 5 STARS
'I loved it and devoured it in a matter of days' - 5 STARS
'A wonderful, feel-good novel with some grit thrown in' - 5 STARS
'Marvellous, beautiful and heart-warming' - 5 STARS
'Sea, sand and sex - a soppy delight' - 5 STARS
'A truly lovely book' - 5 STARS
'Fun and whimsy, plus a dog!' - 5 STARS
Purchase Links
UK - – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rainbows-End-Ferry-Lane-Market-ebook/dp/B09LLLD89V
US - https://www.amazon.com/Rainbows-End-Ferry-Lane-Market-ebook/dp/B09LLLD89V
Author Bio – Nicola May writes 'chick lit with a kick' and is the internationally bestselling author of eleven romantic comedies. All have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay became the best-selling Kindle book in the UK across all genres in January 2019 and March 2020 respectively. It was also the second best-selling eBook of 2019 in the UK. Nicola's books have also been sold in many languages.
Social Media Links –
@nicolamay1 @hodderbooks – Twitter
@author_nicola @hodderbooks Instagram
Giveaway to Win PB copies of Rainbows End in Ferry Lane Market for you and a friend (Open to UK only)
*Terms and Conditions –
UK entries welcome.
Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.
The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email.
If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner.
Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.
Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information.
This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.
I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Please note that this giveaway is being promoted on several blogs as part of the blog tour.
Chez Maximka is hosting the Rafflecopter gadget for free for the purposes of the book promotion.
I do not have access to the data collected, and am not involved in the selection of the winner or dispatch of the prize.
Good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment