What do you think?
Rate this book
Swell Valley #2
The Show
Welcome to Swell Valley – where the scandal is in a class of its own…
The second book in the Swell Valley series by bestselling author Tilly Bagshawe
Nestled in a glorious patchwork of fields, surrounded by chocolate box villages, Wraggbottom farm means everything to Gabe and Laura Baxter. But love and tradition doesn’t pay the bills. Luckily, Laura has an idea that will share the secret of her happy (if sometimes muddy) country life: producing a reality show that will save the farm!
Until the interfering new vicar, ‘Call-me-Bill’ takes it upon himself to lead a protest against the show. Suddenly the village is divided; even Gabe is torn between his new found fame and his old, happy life.
With so much at stake for her village and her marriage, will Laura be able to weather the storm or will her big idea turn out to be her biggest mistake?
The second book in the Swell Valley series by bestselling author Tilly Bagshawe
Nestled in a glorious patchwork of fields, surrounded by chocolate box villages, Wraggbottom farm means everything to Gabe and Laura Baxter. But love and tradition doesn’t pay the bills. Luckily, Laura has an idea that will share the secret of her happy (if sometimes muddy) country life: producing a reality show that will save the farm!
Until the interfering new vicar, ‘Call-me-Bill’ takes it upon himself to lead a protest against the show. Suddenly the village is divided; even Gabe is torn between his new found fame and his old, happy life.
With so much at stake for her village and her marriage, will Laura be able to weather the storm or will her big idea turn out to be her biggest mistake?
480 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2015
89 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Tilly Bagshawe
50 books912 followersMatilda Emily N. Bagshawe was born on 12 June 1973 in England, UK. She attended local all-girls Catholic schools near her family home in Surrey. She was a single mother at 17, but she won a place at Cambridge University and took Persephone, her ten-month-old baby daughter with her. As a journalist, she went on to enjoy a successful career in London, and contributed regularly to The Sunday Times, Daily Mail and Evening Standard, before turning her hand to novels. Her first book, Adored as Tilly Bagshawe, was a smash hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 2005, and she hasn't looked back since.
Tilly is married Robin Nydes, a US businessman, and the couple have two sons together, Zac and Theo. The family divide their time between their homes in London and Los Angeles. Tilly is also the sister of the writer and politician Louise Bagshawe.
Tilly is married Robin Nydes, a US businessman, and the couple have two sons together, Zac and Theo. The family divide their time between their homes in London and Los Angeles. Tilly is also the sister of the writer and politician Louise Bagshawe.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 23, 2023
Book two in the Swell Valley trilogy, and in this book, we see the residents of the Valley star in a Channel 5 reality show.
Bagshawe is excellent at creating both the characters and atmosphere of the upper classes. Those with new money in their fancy cars and those from old money living hand to mouth.
This was fun, and there were many times where I laughed out loud. The reality show, the drama of it, leaps off the page.
However....
As much as I enjoyed this, there are some micro aggressions that pulled me out of the story.
The whole cast is described as beautiful, elegant, handsome, perfect etc etc, except the Asian girl with the dead eyes. Sigh.
Then there's the Black Lawyer who of course is mistaken for a burglar and fell into every Black stereotype possible; abandoned by his father, led a life of crime before a white man saved his life etc etc. Sigh.
I did enjoy this on the whole, but these things pulled me out of the book and affected the reading experience.
Putting token characters of colour into a story purely to create diversity and then stereotype them is not cool.
Three stars.
Bagshawe is excellent at creating both the characters and atmosphere of the upper classes. Those with new money in their fancy cars and those from old money living hand to mouth.
This was fun, and there were many times where I laughed out loud. The reality show, the drama of it, leaps off the page.
However....
As much as I enjoyed this, there are some micro aggressions that pulled me out of the story.
The whole cast is described as beautiful, elegant, handsome, perfect etc etc, except the Asian girl with the dead eyes. Sigh.
Then there's the Black Lawyer who of course is mistaken for a burglar and fell into every Black stereotype possible; abandoned by his father, led a life of crime before a white man saved his life etc etc. Sigh.
I did enjoy this on the whole, but these things pulled me out of the book and affected the reading experience.
Putting token characters of colour into a story purely to create diversity and then stereotype them is not cool.
Three stars.
January 16, 2018
Now I know I’m not reading this series in order, but the books are so loosely connected that I feel it makes no difference what order they’re read in. And I don’t think reading them in order would have made this book any less painful. I had problems with the first book I read in the series but I did enjoy it for the most part. Sadly that was not the case for this one.
I found that this book went drastically downhill from the first one I read and I really struggled to stay interested in this one. The characters annoyed the living hell out of me and I couldn’t relate to a single one. And their terrible morals just grated on my nerves from the start and made me want to throw the book across the room.
I found that this book went drastically downhill from the first one I read and I really struggled to stay interested in this one. The characters annoyed the living hell out of me and I couldn’t relate to a single one. And their terrible morals just grated on my nerves from the start and made me want to throw the book across the room.
November 12, 2015
I have read and enjoyed several earlier books by Tilly Bagshawe with 'Adored' being a favourite of mine, but I have not yet had the pleasure of reading 'The Inheritance' which is the first book in this series. The Show can be read as a stand alone as I did not feel I had missed out on anything.
Once again Tilly has written another brilliant book with plenty drama, scandal and glamour and a wonderful mix of characters. I flew through it and was sorry to see it end. I shall certainly be reading the first book as soon as I can. This book has everything that you could want for a brilliant story, and it would make great holiday reading. Perfect escapism!
Once again Tilly has written another brilliant book with plenty drama, scandal and glamour and a wonderful mix of characters. I flew through it and was sorry to see it end. I shall certainly be reading the first book as soon as I can. This book has everything that you could want for a brilliant story, and it would make great holiday reading. Perfect escapism!
August 9, 2015
DNF
It's rare i give up on a book but this book just didn't do anything for me. Unrelatable characters, too many characters from the get go and very unbelievable.
It's rare i give up on a book but this book just didn't do anything for me. Unrelatable characters, too many characters from the get go and very unbelievable.
June 9, 2015
Laura is a tv producer and her her husband Gabe is a farmer and as they are struggling financially Gabe comes up with the idea of a tv reality show based on the life of Wraggbottom Farm in the Swell Valley
This causes a split in the village a protest group lead by the new vicar Bill is not keen on the idea of tv cameras everywhere, whereas Sir Eddie, a disgraced politician who has just been released from prison is keen to get involved.
What follows are a lot of amusing episodes and great characters involving a lot of intrigue and scandal typical of village life
Great lighthearted easy reading story that you wont want to put down until you have finished
This causes a split in the village a protest group lead by the new vicar Bill is not keen on the idea of tv cameras everywhere, whereas Sir Eddie, a disgraced politician who has just been released from prison is keen to get involved.
What follows are a lot of amusing episodes and great characters involving a lot of intrigue and scandal typical of village life
Great lighthearted easy reading story that you wont want to put down until you have finished
August 13, 2020
I always enjoy Tilly Bagshawe's books and this was no disappointment. If you're looking for something hard hitting or something to impress friends with your reading prowess then this is not the book for you, HOWEVER if you're looking for a rollicking read, something easy, fun, and fast, this is the book for you.
May 11, 2017
These books have definitely become my guilty pleasure. Following the lives of residents of Swell Valley, this series has every chic lit dream of rivalries, hot affairs, romances and celebs to keep you going. It's the kind of book to read when you really can't be arsed for the intellectual and just want to submerse yourself in pure gossip type extravagance for a couple hours with tea and far too much chocolate!
As far as his genre goes, I think these are up there, esp as Bagshaw doesn't spend hours discussing clothes and make up brands like other books can.
I'd recommend to anyone just wanting some escapism, esp if you don't currently have the brain power to stay on top of heavy plot lines.
As far as his genre goes, I think these are up there, esp as Bagshaw doesn't spend hours discussing clothes and make up brands like other books can.
I'd recommend to anyone just wanting some escapism, esp if you don't currently have the brain power to stay on top of heavy plot lines.
February 1, 2022
Loved the concept, the characters, the story line, but felt that it ran out of oomph about half way through and was laboured after that. It was as if the author had run out of new ideas but needed to make a word count. The story became a saga that drifted on rather than climaxed. All that aside was a guilty pleasure, escapist kind of book, perfect for summer holiday reading with very little thinking required by the reader, as the author continually reminds us who is who in the vast cast of characters and what they have done previously and most importantly how ravishingly handsome they all are.
March 25, 2018
It took me a little bit to get into this and get my head around all of the different characters as it’s been a while since I read the first one but once I did I really enjoyed it. Though some elements of the story were a bit unbelievable.
January 31, 2020
Couldn't put this book down! Thoroughly enjoyed it Tilly Bagshawe is a fab writer, theres bits to laugh at, bits that make you want to cry and shout at the characters! She makes you feel like you know all of the characters and can visualise the village so well! Can't wait to read more of her books!
February 21, 2020
I didn't think it was as good as #1, but did enjoy it. I must say though when I read one sentence I almost abandoned the book. I will never ever get accustomed to a man referrring to his partner as "his husband"; yuk.
August 3, 2021
I personally have never been disappointed with the author’s books. This particular one went a little slow but still kept my interest. I love how she wraps the storylines together throughout the trilogy so it’s still easy too follow throughout.
May 4, 2018
Another brilliant and enjoyable book from Tilly Bagshawe. I always thoroughly enjoy her stories. Great characters and great story plots. I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish.
August 19, 2018
More like a 2.5/5 star. Too much drama. Not sure I ended up liking any of the characters.
August 24, 2018
Fun, easy read .
August 31, 2018
DNF.
This is so not for me: a ridiculously melodramatic soap opera with the most annoying and unlikeable cast on the planet.
Yuck.
This is so not for me: a ridiculously melodramatic soap opera with the most annoying and unlikeable cast on the planet.
Yuck.
July 5, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Only the second Tilly Bagshawe i've read. Her writing reminds me a lot of Jilly Cooper. Thoroughly recommend it.
October 12, 2019
An easy light holiday read. Reminded me of the Jilly Cooper books I read in the 80's and 90's.
January 23, 2020
A delight. Immerse yourself in an English village for a year. Lots of goings on!!!!!!!!!!!
February 15, 2021
This is my first Tilly Bagshaw book and it won't be my last, fun and enjoyable read with characters I liked. I'm going to have to find the rest of this series
December 10, 2022
Scandal in a small country town, quaint!
February 19, 2023
Loved it. Part 2 of 3 books in this series. Didn't like as much as the first one but ai never do. Won't hesitate to read the 3rd one too
February 5, 2024
4 stars - lovely read about a gorgeous village in England and all the drama of the locals - thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 14, 2024
Enjoyed this book , great series, onto the next one. So glad that everything work out for all the residents
July 29, 2025
Great book but a bit repeatative
May 4, 2020
Goodreads Synopsis
Welcome to Swell Valley – where the scandal is in a class of its own… The second book in the Swell Valley series by bestselling author Tilly Bagshawe
Nestled in a glorious patchwork of fields, surrounded by chocolate box villages, Wraggbottom farm means everything to Gabe and Laura Baxter. But love and tradition doesn’t pay the bills. Luckily, Laura has an idea that will share the secret of her happy (if sometimes muddy) country life: producing a reality show that will save the farm! Until the interfering new vicar, ‘Call-me-Bill’ takes it upon himself to lead a protest against the show. Suddenly the village is divided; even Gabe is torn between his new found fame and his old, happy life. With so much at stake for her village and her marriage, will Laura be able to weather the storm or will her big idea turn out to be her biggest mistake?
My Opinion
Although The Show is part of a series it can also be read as a stand alone book but there are certain references that you may not pick up on.
This book brings back the characters of its predecessor, The Inheritance. Tatiani, Brett, Logan and Jason do not play a vital role in this story but you do get to catch up with these characters and see where they are at.
A whole new set of people are introduced to us. In the previous book we were introduced to Laura and Gabe Baxter. The Show is their story with everyone else playing supporting roles.
Gabe and Laura Baxter
Originally Laura was portrayed as the strong, loyal mother who would do what it took to keep her family afloat. She had a inner and outer strength that I admired. She was the glue that held her family together. Whilst trying to hold it all together she neglects her husband. Laura goes from being a strong, independent, lovable character to a stiff, stressed out mother who stretches herself too thin.
Gabe Baxter is the lovable family man with a roaming eye. He never acted on his impulses until Maci came along. The town have always had a different opinion of Gabe than what his wife has. Laura neglected Gabe on her quest to making a better life for her family but Gabe does many questionable things and gets caught up in his new found fame and neglects his whole family.
Other Chracters
We meet Sir Eddie, who is a disgraced politician, just released from prison. He hears about Laura’s idea and thinks it is a perfect hobby for him to get involved in whilst he fights to get back into politics. We also meet his wife Annabel who is a stuck up snob and thinks everyone should be placed in neat little boxes and stay there.
Fast Eddie and Annabelle are a couple that I can’t help but think, why are you together? She is a stuck up woman who thinks that everyone else is beneath her including her own son. She will do anything to get her disgraced husband back into politics. She acts mightier than the other residents of the swell valley and places herself higher than everyone else. However she has a past that is revealed sensationally by David Carlyle (Eddies nemesis) When her past comes to light we see a different Annabelle and Eddie but only briefly. Although I felt a great dislike for Annabelle, Eddie was the most likeable character even with his mighty flaws.
Maci is simple a vile woman who uses her childhood as an excuse to take what she wants when she wants. Not only is she the reason for the animosity in Gabe and Lauras relationship she becomes one of the villains of the piece by breaking them up (granted it’s not all her fault) Throughout the book she uses people for her own means, sometimes not even realising it and instantly forms an opinion about someone and that becomes all she can see. She definitely is not a likeable characters and once again she is another of Bagshawes characters that don’t have any redeeming qualities.
Overall
As is the norm for this series it is told in the third person (An aspect to the book I like) with lots of different points of views. Tilly Bagshawe didn’t iron out the problems I found within her previous book. There were two many sides to the coin and too many characters to wrap your head around.
The more I’m reading this series the more I feel that the mistakes the characters make are swept under the carpet as if they never happened, instead of being addressed and facing the appropriate consequences.
A good aspect to the book is the list of characters at the front. With so many to remember it was a helpful addition to keep track of everyone and a good reference point.
Welcome to Swell Valley – where the scandal is in a class of its own… The second book in the Swell Valley series by bestselling author Tilly Bagshawe
Nestled in a glorious patchwork of fields, surrounded by chocolate box villages, Wraggbottom farm means everything to Gabe and Laura Baxter. But love and tradition doesn’t pay the bills. Luckily, Laura has an idea that will share the secret of her happy (if sometimes muddy) country life: producing a reality show that will save the farm! Until the interfering new vicar, ‘Call-me-Bill’ takes it upon himself to lead a protest against the show. Suddenly the village is divided; even Gabe is torn between his new found fame and his old, happy life. With so much at stake for her village and her marriage, will Laura be able to weather the storm or will her big idea turn out to be her biggest mistake?
My Opinion
Although The Show is part of a series it can also be read as a stand alone book but there are certain references that you may not pick up on.
This book brings back the characters of its predecessor, The Inheritance. Tatiani, Brett, Logan and Jason do not play a vital role in this story but you do get to catch up with these characters and see where they are at.
A whole new set of people are introduced to us. In the previous book we were introduced to Laura and Gabe Baxter. The Show is their story with everyone else playing supporting roles.
Gabe and Laura Baxter
Originally Laura was portrayed as the strong, loyal mother who would do what it took to keep her family afloat. She had a inner and outer strength that I admired. She was the glue that held her family together. Whilst trying to hold it all together she neglects her husband. Laura goes from being a strong, independent, lovable character to a stiff, stressed out mother who stretches herself too thin.
Gabe Baxter is the lovable family man with a roaming eye. He never acted on his impulses until Maci came along. The town have always had a different opinion of Gabe than what his wife has. Laura neglected Gabe on her quest to making a better life for her family but Gabe does many questionable things and gets caught up in his new found fame and neglects his whole family.
Other Chracters
We meet Sir Eddie, who is a disgraced politician, just released from prison. He hears about Laura’s idea and thinks it is a perfect hobby for him to get involved in whilst he fights to get back into politics. We also meet his wife Annabel who is a stuck up snob and thinks everyone should be placed in neat little boxes and stay there.
Fast Eddie and Annabelle are a couple that I can’t help but think, why are you together? She is a stuck up woman who thinks that everyone else is beneath her including her own son. She will do anything to get her disgraced husband back into politics. She acts mightier than the other residents of the swell valley and places herself higher than everyone else. However she has a past that is revealed sensationally by David Carlyle (Eddies nemesis) When her past comes to light we see a different Annabelle and Eddie but only briefly. Although I felt a great dislike for Annabelle, Eddie was the most likeable character even with his mighty flaws.
Maci is simple a vile woman who uses her childhood as an excuse to take what she wants when she wants. Not only is she the reason for the animosity in Gabe and Lauras relationship she becomes one of the villains of the piece by breaking them up (granted it’s not all her fault) Throughout the book she uses people for her own means, sometimes not even realising it and instantly forms an opinion about someone and that becomes all she can see. She definitely is not a likeable characters and once again she is another of Bagshawes characters that don’t have any redeeming qualities.
Overall
As is the norm for this series it is told in the third person (An aspect to the book I like) with lots of different points of views. Tilly Bagshawe didn’t iron out the problems I found within her previous book. There were two many sides to the coin and too many characters to wrap your head around.
The more I’m reading this series the more I feel that the mistakes the characters make are swept under the carpet as if they never happened, instead of being addressed and facing the appropriate consequences.
A good aspect to the book is the list of characters at the front. With so many to remember it was a helpful addition to keep track of everyone and a good reference point.
May 16, 2015
This is Tilly Bagshawe back to her best, and in the return to her area of Swell Valley. Although this is a return to the place featured in The Inheritance, and those characters do return, they are not the focus of this story at all. This can easily be read as a standalone book, and a very enjoyable one at that!
There are two main couples this book features around. First up we have Gabe and Laura. Laura is a television producer, and Gabe is a farmer, and they have 2 adorable children. However they are struggling financially, until Laura has a gem of an idea for a TV Show.
She wants to do a scripted reality show based around life on Wraggbottom Farm and Swell Valley. However not everyone is so keen on TV cameras around the village. Head of the protestors is new local vicar "Call-me-Bill", who is adamant that the show will do more harm than good.
The other main couple featured are Sir Eddie and Annabel. Eddie is a disgraced politician who we first see as he is leaving prison, having served his time, and had his private life smeared all over the courts and papers. Eddie and Annabel leave their Westminster life behind them and move to Swell Valley to start over, and Eddie gets involved with Laura's TV Show idea.
I am a huge fan of Tilly Bagshawe and this book doesn't disappoint. As always with her books, she features a lot of various storylines and characters, some major and some minor, and as the story progresses between them all, it is easy to get absorbed. I never got confused or lost, which is always a potential problem with books like this.
There are some incredibly amusing antics, especially during the protests of the reality show, and there was only one person I didn't like. David the editor of the Echo who really was all out to destroy Sir Eddie. I don't think he had a compassionate bone in his body, and was focused not even on selling papers, but on his personal vendetta.
There is a lot of intrigue an scandal in The Show, there are tales of revenge and personal vendettas and shows that even the most solid of couples, can have their sticky points.
Fantastic story that leaves you wanting more from Swell Valley. I really hope there will be another return in a future book.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for my e-ARC of this book. This was my honest review.
There are two main couples this book features around. First up we have Gabe and Laura. Laura is a television producer, and Gabe is a farmer, and they have 2 adorable children. However they are struggling financially, until Laura has a gem of an idea for a TV Show.
She wants to do a scripted reality show based around life on Wraggbottom Farm and Swell Valley. However not everyone is so keen on TV cameras around the village. Head of the protestors is new local vicar "Call-me-Bill", who is adamant that the show will do more harm than good.
The other main couple featured are Sir Eddie and Annabel. Eddie is a disgraced politician who we first see as he is leaving prison, having served his time, and had his private life smeared all over the courts and papers. Eddie and Annabel leave their Westminster life behind them and move to Swell Valley to start over, and Eddie gets involved with Laura's TV Show idea.
I am a huge fan of Tilly Bagshawe and this book doesn't disappoint. As always with her books, she features a lot of various storylines and characters, some major and some minor, and as the story progresses between them all, it is easy to get absorbed. I never got confused or lost, which is always a potential problem with books like this.
There are some incredibly amusing antics, especially during the protests of the reality show, and there was only one person I didn't like. David the editor of the Echo who really was all out to destroy Sir Eddie. I don't think he had a compassionate bone in his body, and was focused not even on selling papers, but on his personal vendetta.
There is a lot of intrigue an scandal in The Show, there are tales of revenge and personal vendettas and shows that even the most solid of couples, can have their sticky points.
Fantastic story that leaves you wanting more from Swell Valley. I really hope there will be another return in a future book.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for my e-ARC of this book. This was my honest review.
May 14, 2018
The Swell Valley is an idyllic paradise nestled in the foothills of English countryside. Gabe and Laura Baxter own Wraggsbottom Farm along with their two infant children. Gabe operates the farm while Laura is a television writer in London. After experiencing some financial hardships, Laura comes up with the idea to feature Wraggsbottom Farm and the rest of Swell Valley in a scripted reality show, with Gabe being the shows presenter. The networks go for Laura’s idea and bring in Macy, a beautiful Californian, to help co-produce. The show creates a divide through the town, with the people against the show led by the new vicar Bill Clempson and the people for the show led by disgraced politician Eddie Wellesley.
I have read everything to date that Tilly Bagshawe has ever written and I was not disappointed with this novel. The characters are well written and you can feel what they are going through. I loved the fact that characters from the first novel made appearances in this book. Everything is written in such wonderful detail that you feel as if you are transported to the quiet English countryside. We get everything that we expect from a Tilly Bagshawe novel. The sex, drama, scandal and humour help to make this book incredibly hard to put down. Which I can attest to as I read this book in a day and half. If there was one thing I could complain about, it’s the amount of celebrities that seem to originate from the tiny little valley. It just seems like every other person is or was someone famous. As someone who grew up in a small village, it’s hard for me to believe something like that would happen. Without all the celebrities, there would be no glamour and scandals, so I will just have to deal with it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I can’t wait to read the next Swell Valley installment.
I have read everything to date that Tilly Bagshawe has ever written and I was not disappointed with this novel. The characters are well written and you can feel what they are going through. I loved the fact that characters from the first novel made appearances in this book. Everything is written in such wonderful detail that you feel as if you are transported to the quiet English countryside. We get everything that we expect from a Tilly Bagshawe novel. The sex, drama, scandal and humour help to make this book incredibly hard to put down. Which I can attest to as I read this book in a day and half. If there was one thing I could complain about, it’s the amount of celebrities that seem to originate from the tiny little valley. It just seems like every other person is or was someone famous. As someone who grew up in a small village, it’s hard for me to believe something like that would happen. Without all the celebrities, there would be no glamour and scandals, so I will just have to deal with it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I can’t wait to read the next Swell Valley installment.
May 14, 2015
The Show – Tilly Bagshawe. ARC received from NetGalley for an honest review.
As a fan of TB, and having read all of her previous work, I found the format and style of writing comforting and familiar. I enjoy the wandering tales of the all the characters’ lives. I enjoy how they are all separate stories yet she weaves them together superbly to form a whole that is so much better than the individual parts. Plots and sub-plots swirl together magically and give the story a real depth and intrigue.
The characters are vibrant and real, they become part of your world whilst reading. In my opinion TB’s best skill is creating likable ‘bad guys’, the characters that do the wrong thing but you are still routing for them and this book is packed with them.
The story is about a family trying to improve their standard of living and fighting to correct their work-life balance. The reality TV show, their chance at a more secure future, becomes their most important priority, and all the things they were trying to protect and improve start to crumble around them.
The Vicar was my favourite character – his antics made me laugh out loud, the scene with the manure made me cry – in a good way.
If you like a good long story where you immerse yourself in the lives of others then this is a winner for you. I loved it.
As a fan of TB, and having read all of her previous work, I found the format and style of writing comforting and familiar. I enjoy the wandering tales of the all the characters’ lives. I enjoy how they are all separate stories yet she weaves them together superbly to form a whole that is so much better than the individual parts. Plots and sub-plots swirl together magically and give the story a real depth and intrigue.
The characters are vibrant and real, they become part of your world whilst reading. In my opinion TB’s best skill is creating likable ‘bad guys’, the characters that do the wrong thing but you are still routing for them and this book is packed with them.
The story is about a family trying to improve their standard of living and fighting to correct their work-life balance. The reality TV show, their chance at a more secure future, becomes their most important priority, and all the things they were trying to protect and improve start to crumble around them.
The Vicar was my favourite character – his antics made me laugh out loud, the scene with the manure made me cry – in a good way.
If you like a good long story where you immerse yourself in the lives of others then this is a winner for you. I loved it.
June 13, 2015
There's never a dull moment in Swell Valley, the idyllic country setting of The show. Action packed with drama, affairs and scandal, it's a rip roaring read that's as exciting as it is fast paced. I really loved this book, I found it very hard to put down and was gutted when it ended. Swell Valley is a wonderful rural location, Tilly Bagshawe's vivid imagery really brings the place to life so much that I could see the scenes playing out in my head. The show reminded me of reading Jilly Cooper books a lot of years ago, the steamy romps of the characters, the beautiful English countryside and the fantastic writing style really hit a note for me. I adored all the characters but my favourite has to be Laura, her determination and strength are to be admired. I also had a soft spot for the vicar, he really made me chuckle with some of his amusing antics. I wish I could say more about this book and the reasons why I love it but I don't want to ruin it for the reader. It will definatley keep you entertained and have you either laughing out loud or gasping in shock, it's an absaloute must read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews