Product Description

A combination of overwork and jet-leg propels Julia Fairfax into becoming engaged to a golf-playing wine buff called Oscar. But when she realises that she has fonder feelings for his adorable Labrador than for Oscar himself, she is forced to confront the fact that there is something drastically wrong. Ditching her fiance and jacking in her job, she decides to revolutionise her life. Her new career as a cook on a pair of hotel boats is certainly a departure, and teaches her more about life than how to get a couple of narrow boats through a lock. But even afloat, Julia's past catches up with her. Not only must she contend with the persistent Oscar (not to mention his frightful mother and her own mother's determined matchmaking), but also the arrival of her childhood enemy, the enigmatic Fergus Grindley.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45697 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
Katie Fforde lives in Gloucestershire with her husband and some of her three children. Recently her old hobbies of ironing and housework have given way to singing, Flamenco dancing and husky racing. She claims this keeps her fit.

Customer Reviews

definitely not one of her best
This book follows the usual Katie ground of (normally thirty something) heroine having a life change for one reason or the other and breaking new ground and like all her books is a pleasant read but, and this is a big but, there is one major problem in this book for me - that Julia's life change to working on the canal boat is prompted by a male junior being promoted over her and given charge of the department she's created, which is just about as open and shut a case of blatent sexual discrimination as you can get. So instead of flouncing out and handing in her resignation why doesn't she threaten to sue her boss? As it stands it just wasn't credible, even if she was unloading an unwanted fiance at the same time. Also not credible is her not being able to drive when she works for a country estate agent - it's an essential requirement for the job and it honestly isn't likely thaat she'd be relying on taxis. otherwise this was a pleasant enough read, though i did find Julia generally a bit irritating and wondered why Fergus put up with her. Living Dangerously and Wild Designs are still Katie's best - if you haven't read them yet, do it now.

Great Introduction to Katie Fforde
Picked this book up in a Wal-Mart in Northwest Michigan, of all places, not knowing it was Brit chick fiction, as I call it. I was immediately captivated, and stayed up all night to finish it! "Life Skills" made me want to be on the boat with Julia, maneuvering the canals and putting up with the weirdo guests. The author writes so well, I found myself seriously wishing the tale would never end. I'm hooked on Katie's fiction now! My latest trip to London in February 2002, I bought all her paperbacks! Sadly, I breezed through them like a hot knife through butter and am anxiously awaiting her next. This little gem, though, was a splendid introduction to Katie Fforde's seemingly effortless writing. Lots of fun!

Could have been funny but didn't quite make it
Oh dear! If only the characters had been believable this could have been such a lovely story.

Katie, the central female character, decides to chuck in her job and ditch her fiancée to go in search of pastures new. Looking for a complete change she applies for and gets the position of cook onboard a hotel canal boat.

Running the boat is a poor little rich girl called Suzy who really doesn't know her windlass from her gunwales. Together the two girls somehow manage to make a go of the business and everything's pretty much hunky dory.

The problem is, this is supposed to be funny but isn't. There are a few scenes that could have been hilarious if they'd been better written but most were very clichéd - I felt I'd read them before and not only once, either.

Katie, once a high-flying estate agent somehow knew enough about cooking to cater for 8 people to hotel standing and yet she cannot drive. How often do you come across an estate agent that doesn't drive? Very odd!

I've no idea what drives Oscar, the ex, to keep coming back for me and as for Fergus, a man who Julia seems to despise for no good reason, how he puts up with our so-called heroine is nothing short of a mystery to me. The poor guy must be a glutton for punishment, that's all I can say.

This is a light-hearted read that you'll easily finish in a day or two so is suitable for travelling or beach literature. Just don't expect it to be a laugh-a-minute and remember that the characters are as fictional as they can get.