Overview: Fenella’s Fair Share: A Novel by author Chris Chalmers tells the story of Fenella Woodruff who shares with housemates half her age to stay young — then the arrival of handsome divorcee Martin changes everything.

Verdict: It was fear of missing out on life and succumbing to cats that drove 49-year-old Fenella Woodruff into a house share with young, free singletons. Juggling her job at a gallery with the demands of an invalid mum, the arrival of a handsome new housemate near her age throws Fen into a spin.

For Martin, who radiates a certain woodland charm, she is keen to act as sounding board over a bottle of wine while his divorce plays out.

As the younger housemates embark on carnal adventures of their own, things look hopeful, until Fen is dragooned into accompanying her parent on a Norwegian fjord cruise. Onboard ship, her focus switches to Mother, who voices strong opinions on her daughter’s life while refusing to let infirmity dictate her own, and to an enigmatic gentleman they meet in Bergen.

Normal service resumes when Fen returns home, ready to turn things up a notch with Martin. But a horrid surprise awaits, for some more than others, and yet, and the handsome divorcee is front and center.

This novel is chock full of delightfully memorable characters, moreover they be female, but regardless, they are three dimensional and at all times we can close our eyes and picture them right there on the page.

Author Chris Chalmers’ lead comedic firecracker has no real issues in her life, pretty much has all her angles covered mothering (or, as she herself calls it, cat-herding) all her half-her-age female housemates, and yet in the blink of an eye, well, their safe little haven has suddenly been infiltrated by divorcee Martin.

And yet she, perhaps even they, only have themselves to blame, as they already had in place the unwritten constitution of No. 4, The Ridge, that the presence of all housemates was required to vet potential new residents!

And yet, here we are. A cock in the henhouse, as they say.

Freeflowing with a warm, charmingly playful, and easy to read prose throughout each and every chapter, Fenella’s Fair Share is highly recommended for an afternoon or two’s lazying around the house. Whether it be on the bed or the sofa, the sunshine beaming down atop you as Spring gives way to Summer, or Summer gives way to Fall, it is the most perfect novel to pick up and read at any of those times.

About the Author - Chris Chalmers writes contemporary fiction when he’s not freelancing in the world of advertising. As well as visiting 45 countries and swimming with iguanas, he’s been the understudy on Mastermind and kept a diary for 40+ years without ever missing a night. He lives in London, UK.

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