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A review by portybelle
Making Wishes at Bay View by Jessica Redland
4.0
I do so enjoy Jessica Redland's lovely, uplifting books - indeed her last book, The Secret to Happiness, was one of my absolute favourites of last year.Making Wishes at Bay View was previously published as two novellas – Raving About Rhys and Callie’s Christmas Wish - but I hadn't actually read either of those so this was completely new to me.
Callie was a character I just loved. She worked in Bay View Care Home and what I really liked about her was her obvious care for the patients she looked after. In fact, caring for people was a huge part of Callie's character. Sometimes she seemed to care a bit too much at times and that care wasn't always appreciated. But she was that kind of loyal friend who would always stick by someone and always try to do the right thing.
Ruby was one of the residents of the care home and I just loved her and her friend Iris. Ruby had lived quite a riotous life when she was younger and it was great hearing about her stories. She had a real no-nonsense approach to life even in her later years and just said what she thought which was quite amusing at times. The friendship between her and Iris was touchingly portrayed. She had known sadness in her life too though and with Callie's help she begins to come to terms with her past.
There's a fair bit of romance in this book too and it's not just confined to the younger characters. It was so sweet to see all the developing relationships either new or rekindled. Jessica Redland shows that love can bloom at any stage of life with the right person. However, she also showed what can happen when love goes wrong, when the green-eyed monster rears its head or when someone is badly let down. There is one character in particular who just has no redeeming qualities and seems determined to mess up as many lives as possible whilst blaming everyone else when it all backfires on them!
Making Wishes at Bay View is a lovely read, one which I whizzed through as I was so taken with the characters, particularly Callie. It was lovely to return to fictional Whitsborough Bay again. It may be fictional but it is based on an amalgamation of a few Yorkshire coastal towns and Jessica Redland's affection for these places is clear. Making Wishes at Bay View is a book which is sure to leave you with a warm feeling inside, a proper feel-good piece of writing.
Callie was a character I just loved. She worked in Bay View Care Home and what I really liked about her was her obvious care for the patients she looked after. In fact, caring for people was a huge part of Callie's character. Sometimes she seemed to care a bit too much at times and that care wasn't always appreciated. But she was that kind of loyal friend who would always stick by someone and always try to do the right thing.
Ruby was one of the residents of the care home and I just loved her and her friend Iris. Ruby had lived quite a riotous life when she was younger and it was great hearing about her stories. She had a real no-nonsense approach to life even in her later years and just said what she thought which was quite amusing at times. The friendship between her and Iris was touchingly portrayed. She had known sadness in her life too though and with Callie's help she begins to come to terms with her past.
There's a fair bit of romance in this book too and it's not just confined to the younger characters. It was so sweet to see all the developing relationships either new or rekindled. Jessica Redland shows that love can bloom at any stage of life with the right person. However, she also showed what can happen when love goes wrong, when the green-eyed monster rears its head or when someone is badly let down. There is one character in particular who just has no redeeming qualities and seems determined to mess up as many lives as possible whilst blaming everyone else when it all backfires on them!
Making Wishes at Bay View is a lovely read, one which I whizzed through as I was so taken with the characters, particularly Callie. It was lovely to return to fictional Whitsborough Bay again. It may be fictional but it is based on an amalgamation of a few Yorkshire coastal towns and Jessica Redland's affection for these places is clear. Making Wishes at Bay View is a book which is sure to leave you with a warm feeling inside, a proper feel-good piece of writing.