Book Review: The Love Shack by Jane Costello

Blurb: Life's great when you're 29 years old with a gorgeous girlfriend and fulfilling job. Until you have to move back in with your mum . . .

Dan and Gemma have found their dream first home, but the asking price is the stuff of nightmares. The only way they'll ever save enough for the deposit is by moving in, rent-free, with Dan's mum.

It's a desperate solution, but it's only for six months. And Gemma's determined to 

make it work, no matter how bad things get.

But between Dan's mum's kitchen karaoke, her constant innuendos, irrepressible argumentative streak and - worst of all - her ham and pineapple curries, life back at home would test the patience of two saints. Which Dan and Gemma most definitely are not. 

Then, as they're trying to convince themselves it will all be worth it, Gemma's past comes back to haunt her. And suddenly the foundations of their entire relationship are shaken to their core…

First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: When you pick a Jane Costello's book, you know that you are in for laughs, romance, lovable characters and happy endings. But her latest one, The Love Shack, is a bit different. I mean, it has all that but a lot more too. In this one, Jane presents us with a couple who has been happily together for four years. They are still madly in love with each other but they already know all their secrets, flaws and perks. Or do they? When the process of finding the perfect house to buy starts getting more complicated that they first expected, the tensions start and some bits from the past resurface again to make they wonder if they really are made for each other.

I really love books that start in the middle of a relationship. We are used to read about the build up of a relationship, the flirting, the eye contact, the first kiss... but I am often left wondering if they'll even survive the first month together. In this case, Gemma and Dan seem quite a settled couple but enter to the mix, a crazy mother with no boundaries, an aloof estate agent, indecisive house sellers and all the imaginable obstacles in the world. And you get a hilarious and lively story that entertains you to no end.

I think I laughed out loud non-stop during the half part of the story. I think Jane nailed it, choosing to write the story from both Gemma and Dan's point of views. You really get to know both characters and understand them better. I especially liked Dan's part. He was such a fun, easygoing guy. But also considerate and with a big heart. I might have fallen a bit in love with him. 

During the second part of the book things get a bit more serious and you have no idea how the story is going to go. And by the end of it, it is hard to say good-bye to the characters. 

The Love Shack might be, for me, Jane Costello's best. There wasn't anything I didn't love. I highly recommend you pick it this summer. Laughs and love guaranteed. 

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