Lola’s Secret by Monica McInerney

Blurb

Magic can happen in every family.

At the Valley View Motel in South Australia’s picturesque Clare Valley, eighty-four-year-old Lola Quinlan is up to her usual mischief. She’s sent her family away for Christmas and invited a number of mystery guests to come and stay. But who are all these people, and why aren’t they spending the festive season with their own loved ones?

As the big day draws closer and Lola’s personal family dramas threaten to unravel her plans, she discovers that at a special time of year, magic can happen in every family – especially your own.

My Perspective

Lola’s Secret is the sequel to The Alphabet Sisters. I only managed to read two books on my holiday, something i was extremely shocked at as i usually read at least five or six. We were quite busy though so that’s probably why (i don’t know whether i felt more relaxed or more exhausted after our holiday!).

The story follows the Quinlan family four years after the first book. Lola is starting to feel old, so she decides that she wants the rest of the family away for Christmas while she plans a Christmas extravaganza at the motel as a kind of last hurrah. Cooking up a scheme to attract guests, Lola finds herself in deeper water than she anticipated when not everything goes to plan.

I think i actually preferred Lola’s Secret to The Alphabet Sisters. Lola is such a larger than life character and as the book mainly follows her story it was extremely vivid and enthralling.

I really liked the way the author intertwined all the different storylines together. There were quite a few twists and i have to say that i did not predict the outcomes, which was refreshing.

I really enjoyed this book. It was humorous and lighthearted with also moments of seriousness.

Even though this was a sequel, you don’t necessarily have to read the first book to understand what’s going on. However i definitely think that you will appreciate Lola’s Secret more if you read The Alphabet Sisters first.

I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you like chick lit. And i would read it again.