A Proper Family Holiday By Chrissie Manby

[amazon_link id=”1444742736″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’A Proper Family’ is the latest book by Chrissie Manby.

Newly single magazine journalist Chelsea Benson can’t think of anything worse. Your grubby small nephew torpedoing any chance of romance with the dishy guy you met on the plane . . .

Your eighty-five-year-old granddad chatting up ladies at the hotel bar . . .

Getting nothing but sarcastic comments from your older sister, who’s always been the family favourite . . .

And all this is before your parents drop their bombshell. Is a week enough time for the Bensons to put their differences aside and have some fun? Or is this their last ever proper family holiday?

‘A Proper Family Holiday’ sees the welcome return of Chrissie Manby, one of my favourite authors whose previous books I have consumed in mere hours, with her witty writing, fabulous characters and creative dialogue, her stories all make for compulsive reading that make the books impossible to put down.

In ‘A Proper Family Holiday’ we see estranged sisters Ronnie and Chelsea reluctantly go on a family holiday to Lanzarote to celebrate their mums 60th birthday. But both sisters are dreading it as neither of them feel like celebrating as neither of Ronnie and Chelsea’s lives have turned out as they wanted and the two of them feel a bitter jealously towards each other other. Ronnie envies Chelsea’s highflying job as a journalist for ‘Society’ one of the UK’s leading magazines, her life is filled with glitz and glamour whereas her job as an undertakers receptionist is far from charming with a moody teenage daughter and an inquisitive little boy, she hardly has a moment to herself. Whereas Chelsea finds her life lonely and wouldn’t mind a bit of Ronnie’s chaos in her life.

Regularly at loggerheads, the sisters find themselves on a holiday that is far from relaxing with a 24 bug raging through the hotel, a stroppy six year old girl who hates Chelsea and her four year old nephew who idolises her and follows her around like a lost puppy.

Seen from the perspectives of both sisters, we see how misunderstood the two women are and how little they really know about each other and that they wish that they could repair this rift that is ruining the family holiday for everyone. Sometimes, I thought this part of the story was a little bit sad, as it delved a bit deeper into the characters and we got insights into what was really happening in their lives and just how unhappy they really are.

I have to say I genuinely loved this story, I found myself reading it into the late hours, snorting into myself so I wouldn’t wake others. Deliciously funny, Chrissie has written a charming family holiday that is quite similar to ‘Benidorm’ and has just as many laughs. With vibrant characters such as Granddad Bill, a loveable rogue with an eye for the ladies no matter the age and the adorable Jack who questions everything.

A hilarious tale packed with sun, sea and mishaps that makes for delicious reading, Chrissie has delivered another charming and funny tale that is the perfect holiday story. I’m delighted to see that Chrissie is back!

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1444742736″ target=”_blank” ]A Proper Family Holiday from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.