Wednesday 13 April 2016

The Vintage Springtime Club - Beatrice Meier

"Newly retired Philip returns home to Cologne and is thrown into emotional turmoil upon bumping into his long-lost sweetheart. In the midst of a domestic crisis, Ricarda confides in Philip that she is looking for somewhere to live. And there and then, Philip suggests that she move in with him - he is setting up a flatshare. Will she join him with his mischievous dachshund named Ralf?
To his surprise, Ricarda agrees, leaving Philip to scramble together a crew of retires in time for spring, for the most unlikely of social experiments. There's grumpy cigarette-smoking grandfather Harry; quiet and discreet Eckart, curiously carting around his late wife's headstone; Uschi, brimming with life, harbouring a passion for leotards and aerobics, along with sausages and outrageous knitting patterns; and then, ever-practical and warm-hearted Ricarda, towards whom Phillip is developing real feelings. 
Despite their differences, the flatmates thrive and embark on a series of new adventures. But when Uschi falls unwell, familiar cracks begin to show and this uniquely spirited club of friends must work together in order to survive - and truly blossom."




A delightful read, similar in style to A Man Called Ove, (although that may be down to the translation style) I really enjoyed The Vintage Springtime Club. Beatrice Meier has created some wonderful characters, with a surprisingly fresh plot; which combine together to make this a really wonderful story. The characters are very real – I cried along with Ricarda at Uschi’s fate, and cheered on the burgeoning love story that unfolded throughout. While this is a little unusual compared to my normal reads, I am so pleased that I agreed to review it – a wonderful tale of life, friendship and love that kept me hooked until the very end. 

The Vintage Springtime Club is out now and you can get it here:


**My thanks to the publisher for my ARC**

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