My latest book review is of Flip-Flops, Fiesta and Flamenco by Donna Hepburn – a novel full of sun, wine, animals and friendship. What a treat!

Flip Flops, Fiestas, and Flamenco is the first in a series of three books about two best friends, their lives, loves, and adventures after moving to a small village in the Andalusian hills.

Abby and Lou have been BFF’s since the first day at Uni. Despite being opposites in both looks and personality they were drawn to each other, sharing a flat, dreams and a love of animals.

Through the ensuing years despite heartache and divorce, they remain as close as ever.

Abby would be the first to admit her life needs an injection of fun. Middle-aged, divorced and slightly overweight, she’s a mother/general dogs-body to two lay-about sons, a pink-haired Amazonian on-off girlfriend and an incorrigible British Bulldog named Chester. Her lifelong dream of living in Spain’s glorious sunshine has been long forgotten or has it?

Lou was stuck in her own rut, never fully recovered from a tragedy in her past. A long list of online dating disasters had left her wondering if she will ever find love again. Her cool ice-maiden persona is shattered along with her cat’s eardrums when she wins £400,000 on an online bingo site.

Could this be the answer to both their prayers?

Flip-Flops packed, they embark on their adventure, but it isn’t all sun and sangria. Warring pets, new neighbours, cooking experiments, scary wildlife and an escapee Donkey named Santos combine to make it an unforgettable Summer.

Can their friendship survive or will the Mediterranean dream become a nightmare?

As we all know, I do enjoy a novel set abroad and Flips-Flops, Fiesta and Flamenco has only encouraged my love of them more.  Abby and Lou are two middle-aged best friends.  One has a divorce and two children behind her, whilst the other has never recovered from a past tragedy, something she has never quite been able to move on from.  They have both found themselves in the prime of their lives but significantly lacking.

An online bingo win suddenly opens up possibilities for them, and pushes them to consider what they really want from their lives.  With Abby’s two sons being grown up, there is very little responsibility that keeps Abby and Lou in the UK.  And so begins their adventure in Spain!

Firstly, I liked the fact that this novel is not about two twenty-somethings who are looking for some meaning in their lives.  Abby and Lou have both worked hard despite the pitfalls that have befallen them both in their lives, and in spite of these pitfalls they have come through them, together.  This unexpected windfall therefore seems all the more deserving.  In a womans life, her female relationships are often the ones that carry her through life and I was so pleased to see this celebrated in this novel.  Romance, of course, features in this novel but I really enjoyed watching Abby and Lou’s relationship.  Their years of friendship really shows, as they each know what the other wants and needs, often before they know themselves.  If we then add into the mix the locals, the beautiful climate, a stunning villa, a menagerie of animals and a spot of romance, what is not to love!  I am already looking forward to the next book in this series, to see how Abby and Lou progress in their new Spanish life!  Let me know if you have read Flip-Flops, Fiesta and Flamenco!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to the lovely Donna Hepburn who kindly provided me with a copy of her novel in exchange for my honest review.

Author Bio

I live in the North East of England with my partner and two beautiful boxer dogs; Floyd and Freya.

From a very young age my head has always been full of stories and I’ve been wanting to write a book since way back when, well forever really but finances (running my own business,) procrastinating, and self-doubt have conspired to hold me back.

Dithering about what to write was another stumbling block, my reading taste is so eclectic; Vampires, Serial killers, Dystopia, Vikings, Witches, History, Travel, Autobiographies, the only genres I don’t really read are Spy Fiction, Westerns or Chick Lit Comedy.

Oh, I know I’ll write a Chick Lit Comedy!

Anyway, I digress. After my Eureka moment I decided to scrap all my almost finished, half-finished, ten chapters, first page attempts, concentrating on actually finishing my first novel.

Flip-Flops, Fiestas, and Flamenco is the first in a series of three novels, I am currently writing the second. I’m on a roll!

When I’m not writing I enjoy reading, travel and cooking I’m passionate about animals and consider myself a bit of a Gin connoisseur.

Social media Links
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/donna.mullan.98

Twitter:  @DonnaHepburn66

Blog:  www.donna.wordpress.com