Dancing Over the Hill by Cathy Hopkins

 

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publishing Date: 14th December 2017

Source:  Received from publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review, thank you!

Number of pages: 341

Genre: Women’s Fiction

 Buy the Book: Kindle | Paperback (out on 25.01.2018)

 

 

 

Synopsis:

The hilarious and poignant new novel from the best selling author of The Kicking the Bucket List.

When a boxset of Broadchurch is more appealing than having sex with your husband, then perhaps it’s time to hide the remote…

Cait and Matt have been married for 30 years. They are rock solid; an inspiration to others; stuck together like glue – aren’t they?
But Cait can’t shake off the feeling that something is missing. They are fit and healthy, if a bit skint – but the whole world should be their oyster now that Matt has retired, giving them the time to do those things that really matter – and more importantly – together. So why is she left wondering if this is all there is? Has Matt always been this annoying and infuriating? And where have those ants-in-her-pants suddenly come from?
It’s not helped by the reappearance in her life of Tom Lewis, the love of her life who broke her heart at university and who, despite the fact she hasn’t she hasn’t seen him for decades, is still exerting his magnetic pull.
Her friends are Lorna, who recently lost her husband, and Debs whose husband recently left her. The three women must all question what they want out of the rest of their lives – and how they are going to get it…

Rating: 

 

“Dancing Over the Hill” is my second Cathy Hopkins’s book and oh my word, guys, I just can’t wait for more! It was a read filled with fun, laughter and tenderness and it just spoke with me and resonated with me and it was all what I needed at the moment. I was immersed in the story from the very first page, guys, and I really didn’t want to put this book down. It was truly fast – paced but not over – done, it was full of brilliant, larger than life characters that the author so incredibly well brought to life, and it just rang a bell or two, it was so relatable. It was also brutally honest and absolutely hilarious, so really, just the best kind of read, evah. I had great expectations for this book, after reading Cathy’s previous one, “The Kicking the Bucket List” and I was not disappointed, I probably liked “Dancing Over the Hill” even more.

What I absolutely liked in this story is the fact that the characters are mature ones – people with past, who experienced a lot and they really know what they’re talking about. They make mistakes, and oh boy, some really great mistakes, but they are so genuine and honest in all the situations and I just couldn’t help and kept everything crossed for them. Cait and Matt have been married for more than 30 years now and they find themselves in a relationship that’s, let’s say, came to a little standstill. They don’t have anything in common anymore, and they just live in one house, next to each other, but as if separate – if you follow me. Probably more out of habit than anything else they’re still together. Then, after a whirlwind of events, they find themselves both out of work and the big question, what now, is looming above their heads, and it’s not only about their financial situation but also their private lives. Do they want to stay together? It’s not so straightforward, as an old flame of Cait suddenly appears on her Facebook, sending her friend request and trying to seduce her again. Then there are also Cait’s friends, Lorna and Debs, trying their best to help as best they can, that doesn’t always end well, and Matt’s brother (oh boy. Guys! Some of the most hilarious scenes I’ve ever read, please be careful when you decide to talk sex on the phone with your husband!) and Cait’s father, and many, many other characters and things. They were open for new stuff and to learn a new lesson or two.

Really guys, there was not a single thing that I didn’t enjoy in this novel. It was down to earth and close to life, and with some best one – liners ever. The dialogues were just spot – on, so realistic and genuine, and the situations the characters got themselves into were incredibly hilarious but not too far fetched. There were so many situations that made me laugh out loud, and I fell for all of the characters, that Cathy Hopkins so easily and effortlessly brought to life. She can so well write about feelings and emotions, it was absolutely brilliant. The chapters were just the right length, snappy and kept me glued to the pages.

Cathy Hopkins deserves so much more recognition, and believe me, I’ll be shouting about “Dancing Over the Hill” from all the rooftops! This book made me laugh so hard and I couldn’t wait to discover what’s going to happen. It is this best kind of book when you want to turn the pages as quickly as possible but on the other hand you don’t want it to end. It was a brilliant, entertaining story about love, family and finding your priorities, relationships and seeing that grass is not always greener on the other side. It had me emotionally involved and just pushed all the right buttons for me, and I really can’t recommend it highly enough! A perfect read!