Book review – Sometimes it Happens by Pauline Barclay

Winning the lottery was just the beginning for Doreen Wilkinson, nothing prepared Doreen for her holiday at Villas Bonitas and nothing prepared Villas Bonitas for Doreen Wilkinson.

Sometimes It Happens … is about secrets, deception, lies, love and laughter. Tears will flow because this is one holiday that will never ever be forgotten by many!

For her third self-published novel, Sometimes it Happens, Pauline Barclay has created a set of characters that sparkle just as brightly as the wonderful beach-side paradise that is the setting for this bubbly summer story.  The book opens as Doreen Wilkinson settles into the millionaires resort of Villas Bonitas for her first ever holiday abroad and the plot plays out in soap opera style moving between the villas and the characters that work and play there to build up a lively story with some fun twists.

Doreen is a loveable character from the start. A true ‘East Ender’ from London who recently became a  multi-millionaire after winning the Lottery. This is Doreen’s first holiday abroad and I really enjoyed reading about her down to earth reactions to her new glamorous lifestyle. Doreen’s interactions with the people she meets at Villas Bonitas made me smile as she encounters a certain amount of snobbery from some of the villa owners and a warm welcome from others but retains the upper hand in her own unique way. As a character Doreen is well written though I thought she ‘giggled’ a bit too much at times and the use of her strong dialect in direct speech sometimes stemmed the flow of the story for me but overall Pauline makes clear point; that money can’t buy you manners or integrity and that whatever walk of life you are from, you should treat others with respect.

The supporting characters are well written and have developed back stories that make them interesting. I liked the way that the book focuses on those who work at the Villas as well as the villa owners themselves which gives a really balanced view of the characters and their lives. My favourite characters included lawyers Simon and Chicky who make a lovely couple and bring much humour to the story; Frau Hecks, a German widow fighting her loneliness and the long suffering Bob, the Villa’s caretaker who made me smile with his wry take on the occupants of the different villas. By the end of the book, I felt like I really knew the characters and had grown quite attached to many of them. I’d love to read more about the occupants of Villas Bonitas and there is certainly potential for Pauline to focus in on one of the other characters or to set a sequel at the Villas if she ever felt like it!

There are a number of good twists that will keep readers entertained not to mention wondering what will happen next as the plot moves on; is it just coincidence that Doreen’s childhood sweetheart makes a sudden reappearance? What is Simon hiding from partner Chicky and will Jack Hoskins continue to have his cake and eat it?! There are also a number of love stories woven into the plot, my favourite being the summer romance between Doreen’s seventeen year old daughter Trisha and Bob’s grandson, Ben which I thought was very sweet.

This is Pauline Barclay’s third novel and although I haven’t read her previous books, Sometimes it Happens seems to be a bit of a departure from her earlier novels. I think Pauline has really found her niche with Sometimes it Happens which is an ideal beach read combining romance, mystery and humour with fun characters and a gorgeous location to make me as a reader feel like I’d had a little holiday!

4/5

Sometimes it Happens it out now and I’d like to thank Pauline for sending me a copy to review.

You can find out more about Pauline and her books at: http://www.paulinebarclay.co.uk/