The Woman at Number 24 by Juliet Ashton
4 stars
The Woman At Number 24 is a mix of romance and contemporary women’s fiction. The story is set in Notting Hill and begins in 2016. Number 24 is a series of flats and Sarah lives at the top in Flat A. She has recently attended the wedding of her ex-husband, who now, bizarrely, lives with his new wife in the Flat B, below Sarah.
Down in the other flats, there are new residents moving in, plus a single mother and daughter, and rude, grumpy Mavis.
This book is about Sarah and her relationship with the different residents of Number 24. Struggling emotionally after her recent divorce, her work-life is suffering. Added to this the loss of a friend, who also lived in the block. It’s not helped by Leo still living so close, nor the fact that another resident is flirting with her….
There are a good mix of colourful characters with a variety of interesting storylines connected to them. I particularly liked new resident Jane, and Mavis. Una, from Flat D, is an elective mute and her sub-story was heart-rending. But we mustn’t forget that this is primarily a romance. Overall I think this would be an ideal beach read.
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A house holds the hearts of the people who live in it. Under the roof of The Blue House, a now shabby but previously grand Georgian villa in West London, the subdivided space is home to five separate families and five very different lives.
Sarah has just divorced her husband, Leo, and she’s feeling bruised and lonely. And it’s not helped by the fact he has moved in with his new girlfriend – Sarah’s neighbour Helena who lives in the same house. Her loneliness is compounded by hearing their happiness floating up through the floorboards.
Jane and Tom have just moved in to The Blue House, and there’s an instant attraction between Tom and Sarah. But it’s too soon for Sarah to jump into a new relationship, and she wouldn’t dream of breaking up a marriage as Helena did to her.
Mavis has lived in The Blue House for years. She’s the oldest resident by several decades and she’s not one for socialising. Then her sister comes to live with her, to spend her dying days under the same roof, and Mavis finds she cannot hide away forever.
As the stories of the different residents intertwine, Juliet Ashton weaves a story of love and friendship and community that will move you to laughter and to tears.
Rosie Amber 