AUNT MARGARET'S LOVER - MAVIS CHEEK

Sorry the picture is not clear enough but it was this picture of Elizabeth the First that drew me to the book. Coupled with the title it seemed at odds but reading through of course you get the connection!
Also, not having read of this book elsewhere I thought why not. I like the quirky ones too.

Margaret the proverbial Aunt has bid a temporary goodbye to her niece who is also her surrogate daughter (sister died in crash/brother in law disappeared). Right now Margaret is feeling a bit lost and alone and in between partners - (marriage and sex were not very high on the list of priorities and the marriage bit was shelved). Partners few and far between. A period of one year till Saskia returns from visiting her long lost father and Margaret feels that it is now or never to take a grip on herself and do something special for herself.

Advertising for a lover for one year is not everyone's cup of tea but thinking it over it seemed to Margaret to be the ideal solution. Finding the person was not so easy but then it happened and everyone is happy.  The story set around Margaret with all the other characters who are part of her life are depicted as they live on a daily basis which makes it matter of fact and at the same time maintaining a feeling of fantasy. The best of both combined in this book.

The link to Elizabeth was seen when one realizes that she gave up on love and passion as her overwhelming love was for England. She knew that lovers were well and good but that England was forever. A similar link forged by Margaret.

 I would call the book a romantic novel without being saccharine sweet. It touches on the fraility of humans, the depths to which we could descend and the things we would also do to help a friend and the extent one would go to help someone survive - at the same time gritting our teeth in annoyance at their foibles.

A light read but one which was enjoyable. I have just found out that the author has several books to her credit. I will be looking out for them.

Have been away for a week and its nice to be back. It is raining very heavily in Colombo but that is such a welcome thing for me. Anything to get away from the heat.