A Country Affair: A Barleybridge Novel
by Rebecca Shaw
Published by Three Rivers Press
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Reviewed by Sharon Broom
Barleybridge is a small and cozy British village in the Yorkshire hills of England. It's a place where the pace is slower, the people gentler and kinder (for the most part), and where everybody knows your name.
Kate Howard is nineteen years old and has taken a job with the Barleybridge Veterinary Hospital as the receptionist and bookkeeper. Barleybridge employs a number of 'vets' who care for large and small animals.
Kate would have loved to had studied to become a 'vet' but had had some problems with her A level exams. She tries to think of her job as a new adventure that allows her to be with animals and companionable humans.
The more Kate strives for independence as a woman and yearns to become a 'vet,' the more her steady but boring boyfriend, Adam rebels at the idea. After all, why would she want a career when she could marry him? Let me count the reasons, folks.
If you're looking for an exciting and suspenseful story, or a James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small) tale, this isn't it. What it is, is a charming story about a young woman finding herself and learning to trust what is best for her. And along the way you'll meet a whole lot of interesting and unique people who make up the landscape of Kate Howard's life in A Country Affair.
Armchair Interviews says: This is a read best suited for a lazy day when you just want to read something nice and satisfying.