Book Review: Under A Starry Sky by Laura Kemp

One summer to change her life…

Wanda Williams has always dreamed of leaving her wellies behind her and travelling the world! Yet every time she comes close to following her heart, life always seems to get in the way.

So, when her mother ends up in hospital and her sister finds out she’s pregnant with twins, Wanda knows that only she can save the crumbling campsite at the family farm.

Together with her friends in the village, she sets about sprucing up the site, mowing the fields, replanting the allotment and baking homemade goodies for the campers.

But when a long-lost face from her past turns up, Wanda’s world is turned upside-down. And under a starry sky, anything can happen…

I have to be honest, this is not the kind of book I usually read. I am normally more of a crime/mystery/scfi kind of person.

All that said, I loved this book and read it from start to finish in one 7 hour stint!

The story follows Wanda Williams, a girl who has always dreamed of travelling but has never managed to leave due to family constraints.

I found the characters exceedingly well developed and I formed very clear images of them in my mind.

On several occasions, I found myself getting choked up or laughing out loud.

It is quite an emotional roller-coaster (well, compared to the stuff I usually read at any rate) and I found that it drew me through the chapters easily.

There are some good twists and turns and never a dull moment – I never found myself skip-reading dull chapters as there weren’t any. The odd Welsh word thrown in here and three kept me on my toes too!

All in all, Under A Starry Sky had a great plot and engaging relatable characters.

I really enjoyed this book, and I would like to read more from this author.

About Laura Kemp: 

Laura Kemp writes tender but hilarious romantic comedies which are unashamed love letters to the every woman.

Her uplifting message – based on the notion that everything is research apart from the rude bits – is ‘You Don’t Know How Brilliant You Are!’.

A journalist who has written for The Guardian, The Daily Mail and The Sun amongst others, she is married with a son in Cardiff, where she pretends to be a domestic revolutionary so she doesn’t have to do the ironing.

Runs to eat crisps and drink wine, adores her mates and loves her dog, Lego and sweary cross-stitch.

Say hi on Twitter – @laurajanekemp

Under a Starry Sky is due to be released by Orion on 9th July. Click to pre-order/view on Amazon UK. 

by

Chris Parish