Practically Perfect

Practically Perfect
By: Katie Fforde

Outer back cover: Anna, a newly qualified interior designer, has decided it's time to put her money and expertise where her mouth is. She's risked everything on buying a tiny but adorable cottage so she can renovate it, sell it on, and prove to her family that she can earn her own living.
Outside, the chocolate-box cottage is perfect, but inside all is chaos: with a ladder for a staircase, no downstairs flooring, candles the only form of lighting, and a sleeping bag and camping mat for a bed, Anna's soon wondering whether she's bitten off more than she can chew.
Her neighbour Chloe comes to the rescue, providing tea, wine and sympathy - and a recently rescued greyhound, Caroline. But just as Anna's starting to believe she's found the perfect idyll, the good-looking yet impossible Rob Hunter arrived on the scene, putting up more obstacles than the Grand National. Can Anna get over all of life's hurdles?

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't really care about Anna's love life, as I could guess what would happen with that, but I loved reading about her friendship with Chloe and how her relationship with Caroline the greyhound deepened, and it was also interesting reading about all the building work as she did it all herself.

I am not a dog person (I don't mind other people's dogs, but I don't want one myself, a bit like kids really), but after reading this I have to admit that owning a dog doesn't sound so horrible. The book also makes renovating a house sound like fun, although I think that sounds like fun already so maybe that's just me. Reading about rural England really makes me miss living there, and as the book is set in the Cotswold it makes me want to see it as I never got around to go down south when I lived in England.

It is a very feel-good book and, although I didn't have too much trouble putting it down, I was always looking forward to continue reading it.

I'm leaving this at the Canberra City YHA, or maybe on the coach to Melbourne....