Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence

by Holly Hepburn

Ice-cold drinks, summer sun and colourful characters – welcome to the perfect village pub!
 
Nestled in the quiet countryside sits the cosy village of Little Monkham, home of The Star and Sixpence, a renovated pub owned by sisters Sam and Nessie. As the locals welcome the new season, it appears that change is afoot in their tiny community, and not all of it for the better . . .
 
Nessie is moving in with her boyfriend, leaving Sam alone in the pub. But with the arrival of new chef Gabriel causing a flutter among the women of the village, it seems that Sam might not be so lonely after all. Having just recently come out of a relationship, Sam’s attraction to Gabe is inconvenient, but that’s the least of her worries when an unexpected visitor arrives at the pub, determined to stir up trouble.
 
As Gabe and Sam grow closer, Little Monkham’s latest arrival threatens to reveal a secret that will turn more than one world upside down. Can Sam and Nessie work through the fall out, or is it really last orders at The Star and Sixpence?
 
The brand new novel from Holly Hepburn, author of A Year at the Star and Sixpence , perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Jenny Colgan.

~*~Praise for the STAR AND SIXPENCE series~*~

'A fresh new voice, brings wit and warmth to this charming tale of two sisters' Rowan Coleman

' Warm , witty and laced with intriguing secrets ! I want to pull up a bar stool, order a large G&T and soak up all the gossip at the Star and Sixpence!' Cathy Bramley

'You'll fall in love with this fantastic new series from  star of women's fiction, Holly Hepburn. Filled to the brim with captivating characters and fantastic storylines in a gorgeous setting ...   simply wonderful. I want to read more!' Miranda Dickinson

'The Star and Sixpence sparkles with fun , romance , mystery, and a hunky blacksmith . It's a real delight ' Julie Cohen

'Like the dream pub landlady who always knows exactly what you want, Holly Hepburn has created the most delightful welcome to what promises to be a brilliant series, in the first Star and Sixpence. The sisters are warm and intriguing , the neighbours are (mostly!) friendly and the gossip is utterly addictive . I was very sad when it was time for last orders, and am already looking forward to the next round. Especially if a certain blacksmith happens to be at the bar...' Kate Harrison

++  Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence  is the bind-up of the new Star and Sixpence e-novellas. If you have already enjoyed the novellas, then you have already enjoyed  Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence . For new novellas from Holly, check out her Castle Court series and her Picture House by the Sea series ++
  

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Audiobook, Fiction

455 pages, Paperback

Published June 6, 2020

About the author

I’ve wanted to write books for adults for as long as I can remember but I was too scared to try. One day I decided to be brave and dipped a toe into the bubble bath of romantic comedy with my first novella, Cupidity, and I’ve never looked back. I often try to be funny to be funny, except for when faced with traffic wardens and border control staff. My favourite thing is making people smile.

I’ve tried many jobs over the years, from barmaid to market researcher and I even had a brief flirtation with modelling. These days I am mostly found writing.

I live near London with my grey tabby cat, Portia. We both have an unhealthy obsession with Marmite.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a series it's one I want to read on quickly to find out what happens next at the same time as not wanting to finish.

The main characters Nessie and Sam (two sisters) are again brilliant lead characters, it's nice to have a two sister relationship leading a book. The first part of the book involves a brother? and a pregnancy.

With a strong first part the next part (2) is the one that made me feel the saddest. Until part 2 of this book none of the parts had made me feel sad. It is however so beautifully written even in tragedy. I feel for Nessie and Owen but are happy they get through the challenges together. Part 2 lead on to part 3 well.

Quite possibly my favourite part just due to the different setting of Easter. It was the fastest read of the parts. Sam and Nessie are at their best supporting each other and this part tests that relationship. I do believe Sam did the right thing in telling Nessie. Nessie is torn with mixed feelings while Sam has to face the facts with Joss and Gabe. Just when Part 2 got tragic, Part 3 continued the theme with the death of a well loved character.

Part 4 exlopres the baby dadies in detail. I was team Gabe even though I did like Joss. Due to the fact I wouldn't want someone to be my partner just because of the baby, even though i'd be pleased the dad wanted to be part of the child's life. Nessie and Sam get happy endings (Sam's baby has the best of names/nicknames).

The Star and Sixpence seems like a great place to be for all, Always (Unless your name is Laurie).

I love the character of Luke and he's so sweet with Nessie. This little speech about Nessie and his birth mum was so grown up for his age.

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book and the follow on was just brilliant so good to go back to the village and hear more about the pub and village. It's heartbreaking at times but also full of love and friendship and village life with families and romance and so funny a times to and a great book to get so engrossed in and sweep me of my feet simply fantastic.
Sam and Nessie are still running the pub and getting involved in the village life. Nessie has moved in with her boyfriend and Sam stays in the pub. They have employed a new chief Gabriel and the women of the village think he's very good looking and Sam at least isn't lonely any more. Also someone turns up at the pub and could this really change the life of Sam and Nessie and when strange things start going on at the pub how will everyone react. Also Nessie has a heartbreaking experience to cope with and can she and her boyfriend cope with this upsetting news or will it pull them apart. Then when Sam announces some news how will Nessie react will it bring back memories and can they work through the upset together or will they split and end up closing the pub or not. So many secrets and upsets along the way but will they work through it.
Brilliant read.

[Agi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence" is the follow up to "A Year at the Star and Sixpence" and covers a year in the lives of Nessie and Sam. It takes us back to Little Monham and the lovely, atmospheric village pub. Nessie has moved in with Owen and Sam is staying at the pub but not alone, as the sisters have just hired the Michelin star chef Gabe. Nessie's love life is stabilized but Sam's not, and what with Gabe, who's not only the top notch chef but is incredibly handsome, and lives in the pub as well... But after what has happened with Joss, Sam is cautious - or isn't she? The sisters also discover a new member of the family - but is he the one he claims to be?

I loved being back in Little Monkham, with all the quirky, warm characters, it was great to see how they were getting on and what has changed for them. There were some better changes, there were some heart - breaking moments for them, but they were written in a way that I was experiencing it all together with them. I loved Nessie and Sam's closeness and it was so sad to watch them experiencing all the things, not being able to open to each other when they went through really tough times. Gabe is not the only new character in the book, but in comparison to the other one he was absolutely adorable and I liked him from the word go, with him being a little snippy but nevertheless always fair and honest - which I can't say about the other character, and I'm sure he's going to make you pretty suspicious, just like me.
The community spirit felt even stronger this time, as the girls settled in the village, all rallying around each other - it was so heart - warming and nice to see.

The pub goes from strength to strength (just like Holly's writing and storytelling!), it's like a character of its own, and I loved all the events the two sisters were organizing. The pub itself was, again, so inviting, a lovely, cosy place to spend time, and it was even better at the end when Sam adopted a dog.

It was a wonderful, cosy and comfortable read - simple like that. Holly Hepburn has managed to capture the lovely atmosphere and the overall feeling of this book is so uplifting, and not all authors can write like this - there was this "something" that is so difficult to describe but that makes the makes outstanding and perfect. This time it was a real roller - coaster journey full of emotions, touching upon so many poignant, difficult but also much lighter issues - family, friendship, grief, opening to each other, lies and secrets, and this all wrapped up in vivid, rich descriptions. Holly has amazing way with words, and she captured all of the emotions in such a way that I suffered and enjoyed together with the characters. And the addition of Gabe was a perfect idea, though don't read the book when you're on a diet - his food sounded delicious! A gorgeous summer read - highly recommended!

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Lisa M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was wavering over 3.5 rating but by the end I was ready to put it down and move onto something else. It was nice to get an update following A Year at the Star and Sixpence but it was probably a touch too long. The book is actually 4 novella's merged into 1 for this full-length novel and by part 4 I found it a bit tedious that each character and their background was briefly mentioned as I was obviously reading the novella's one after the other so it was unnecessary. I did like visiting Castle Court again, albeit very briefly indeed, as I adored that book!

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a book I would have chosen myself but the book 'chose' me when I won it in a tombola.
It was nice for a change to step away briefly from my usual genres especially as this was a lovely, cosy and easy read. I believe this is part of a series but you honestly don't need to have read the series before, this stands alone perfectly well.
Plus, my mom, who is a reluctant reader, has been tempted to read this after me.

[Kaisha (The Writing Garnet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

Without sounding at all corny, 'Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence' truly was a 'pint' sized perfection of a read. It's not often I find myself frequent pubs...if at all to be honest, however I wouldn't have missed this one for the world!

If you're after a novel which delivers both romance and drama in one mouthful (sorry, I'll stop with the puns soon....or will I?), Nessie and Sam can serve that up for you, no problem at all. Of course, being set in the local pub, you would have thought that the storyline would focus solely, if not mostly, on the ins and outs of the villagers who step foot over the threshold, right? Whilst it does to a point, there is a lot more to the villagers of Little Monkham than their favourite pint, and by golly the drama kept me going to the bar for more! (See, told you I wouldn't stop!).

Nessie and Sam find themselves coming face to face with a visitor who could change their lives forever. Me being forever the cynic, had no faith in this person whatsoever and I smelt trouble a mile off. Obviously I couldn't exactly shout through the pages to the characters to warn them, but it didn't stop me from wanting to. And no, I'm not meaning Gabe here. He seemed to be changing lives without even being aware of it...if you catch my drift!

Ruby......my goodness, what a woman. I ADORED her character and I was so glad that Sam and Nessie had someone in the corner, determined to fight for them where necessary. I really don't think that either of them would have been able to go through half of what they went through if it wasn't for Ruby. I know that they had each other, but as the storyline will tell you further in, it wasn't always easy for the sisters to approach each other about changes in their lives due to the turmoil it would have caused the other. I did feel for the sisters, I'm not going to lie. They were such fiery yet warm hearted characters, I couldn't help but hope for a happily ever after for both of them.

'Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence' had such a cosy feel to the entire storyline - I really didn't want the book to finish! I wanted to stay in the bubble that Holly Hepburn had created because, as weird as this sounds, I felt safe. I loved being able to escape to Little Monkham, and I will definitely remember Franny's character. I mean, who wouldn't?

Holly Hepburn never fails to deliver storylines which open your heart and soul to characters you could only wish to have in your own life. When certain events happened in the book, I couldn't help but have a lump form in my throat, yet the author still managed to incorporate such heartache into the storyline in such a spellbinding and beautiful manner. To say I was captivated by Little Monkham would be an understatement. To say that 'Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence' stole my heart, would be absolutely bang on. I honestly urge you all to put this book in your shopping basket the next time you're out. Like I say, it truly is a pint sized perfect novel.

[Emma Star Crossed Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free for a Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book and for letting me take part in this tour. I love Holly's writing style, I absolutely adored the first series at The Star and Sixpence and A Year at Castle Court. I was so excited to return to Little Monkham.

The Star and Sixpence is going from strength to strength and sisters Sam and Nessie have just hired chef Gabe. Not only is Gabe a top-notch chef he is also pretty easy on the eye. There is an instant attraction between Sam and Gabe but after what happened with Joss, Sam is more than cautious. I was really rooting for these two from the beginning. They have a lot in common and its clear they feel something for each other.

Gabe isn't the only new character in this series. We also meet Laurie. I was pretty suspicious of Laurie from the off. There was something about him that I just didn't trust. Laurie clearly has a lot of unresolved issues.

Nessie and Owen go through a really tough time in this book. My heart was breaking for them. It's such a tough thing to go through. I think Holly did an excellent job with these scenes.

It was also great to catch up with the other residents of Little Monkam and see how they have been getting on.

Holly took me through a lot of emotions in this book. I was crying and laughing right along with our main characters.

It was wonderful to return to Little Monkham and I can't wait to see where Holly takes us next.

[Sol' · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Review T01 & 02]
Une romance légère et agréable. Je pensais qu’elle serait centrée sur Noël, mais elle fait le tour complet du calendrier ! Chaque saison est axée sur un événement lié au bar, qui permet aux sœurs de se développer, autant dans leur personnalité, dans leurs relations que dans leurs romances. L’histoire est bouclée sur chacun des aspects de leur vie.
On suit donc Sam et Nessie, deux sœurs qui héritent du bar de leur père alcoolique, dont elles ne gardent que de mauvais souvenirs. Le sujet de l’alcoolisme, par rapport au bar, était important et plutôt bien traité à mon sens – à travers le père des filles comme par Ruby.
Ces deux sœurs vivent deux romances très différentes. Celle de Sam, toute en tension, ne permet jamais de deviner avec qui elle finit. Celle de Nessie prend son temps. Parfois trop pour moi. Elles sont souvent interrompues dans des scènes romantiques par d’autres personnages, si bien que ça en devenait redondant et un peu agaçant sur la fin. Genre, c’est bon, stop, laissez-les avancer à un moment donné ??
En somme, c’était une lecture mignonne qui fait du bien pour commencer l’année !

[Georgina Abbotts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book by Holly I really enjoyed seeing how things were going for nessie and Sam.the new chef was a hit among all the ladies.i felt as if I was living in the village with the characters it's heartbreaking in places. I'm going to miss Sam and nessie and the other characters.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this sequel to A Year at the Star and Sixpence. All the usual joys of a Holly Hepburn.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce livre m'a juste donné envie d'être en automne et d'apprécier encore le changement de saison jusqu'à l'hiver.
On s'attache à chacun des personnages de Little Monkham jusqu'à être émue de leur histoire à certains moments.
Un livre qui donne du beaume au cœur.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so this isn't my genre at all but I read the first one a couple of years ago and actually really enjoyed it because it never felt cliche and was just a real light-hearted read. So when I realised there was a sequel I knew I had to read it.

I was honestly so disappointed in this book; this book felt so packed full of every cliche and was at times just so painfully frustrating. I don't feel like either of the main characters Sam or Nessie were overly likeable in this book and just appeared to be stuck in a rut.

The book just started to feel tedious as it went on and felt quite slow in it's pacing. I feel like thy could have chucked 100 pages out and got rid of the Laurie storyline and it would have been much better paced. I feel like the author just tired to deal with too many different plots and so the ending felt so rushed and not satisfying.

I hated the whole storyline with Laurie because it was so obvious where it was going and I didn't get how the sisters could see it coming. And then then he is dealt with so quickly and it's never mentioned again?? it was just so frustrating.

I wish i'd just left it at the first book and hadn't bothered with this one!

[Sarah Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Orders at the Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn is a follow on to a Year at the Star and Sixpence. we again follow the 2 sisters Nessie and Sam, in a year at their cosy little pub. A great read, with just lovely characters, a good plot line, some parts made me cry and some laugh. I don't feel that you need to have read the previous book to enjoy this but as Holly's books are so good, why would you not want to. I hope that there will be lots more coming from this author as her books are such a pleasure to read.

[Jam Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I'd give something completely out of my comfort zone a try. A genre I have never read before. So I borrowed one of my Mum's books. I can't believe how much I enjoyed it! The village, the atmosphere, the characters. I feel at home there already. Reading it felt like a guilty-pleasure soap opera playing in my head, lol.
I will definitely be returning to the bar for a pint of Bishop 🍺

[Alicia Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and enjoyable (despite the rant to follow). Not my usual genre, and this is the first chick-lit I've read in a very, very long time, but I needed something light-hearted. This provided a rest-bite, though I did find it frustrating in parts...not that that is an issue with the book necessarily but more my own taste. In fact, you could say that as the book roused such emotions, it's a good book!
And to be fair, it is a good book. Too much meat and animal products for my liking, to start with. But I think my main points of annoyance was the predictability (not surprising in this genre), and how annoying the love story in it was. I mean, to start with, one sister, Nellie, loses a baby, and then her bloody sister gets pregnant very soon after, and people are basically like, 'it's totally understandable that you're upset, but get over it as your sister needs you'...um, no.
Then to make me more annoyed, and what's more ridiculous, is that the heart-throb of a chef, Gabe, is sooo in love with pregnant Sam, despite her sleeping with a man soon after she said she liked him (eurgh)that he is willing to look over the fact that she is pregnant by this other man....I mean, come on. No. It's utterly unrealistic and made me eye-roll more times than I can remember.
Oh, and finally,why the author didn't use capital letters for her name is beyond me. It's a book. She's an author. Use capital letters for your name, please!

Surprisingly, and despite all this, I still enjoyed the brain-break this book gave me.

[W H Nicholls · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had issues with reading this book and contrary to making me feel good it was the opposite. This fist thing I spotted was the name cellerman (normally employed by breweries or vineyards), well after working in a pub when I was younger we had no cellarman. The landlord kept a good cellar and looked after the beer all we have to do was change the barrels or the optics. I don't know a pub that has a cellarman but then this one was run by to ladies so that may have needed a guy who knew about beer. The second this that got me was the little fling with Joss and Sam getting Pregnant. That seems a little lax in this day and age. Was she so stupid not to have taking precautions and face it there is a thing called the day after pill, as for having the baby I know what I would have done and it would not be letting the Ex know. I have to wonder what type of person would take on another after they sprang the line about being their step brother. My suspicions would have been razed and now way would I have taken the guy on. The story did go on to have a happy ending but Gabe should have jumped in sooner.
Not a bad book but 2 stars as I could not get into it and I guessed who the villain would be in the end.

[Melanie Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing end to The Star and Six Pence series, I loved this series from the minute I started reading it and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

This set of novellas had me feeling extremely emotional, with the arrival of a new chef, Gabe, I was disappointed to learn what had happened between Sam and Joss, also the arrival of Nessie and Sam's brother, Laurie, made me suspicious from the start.

The people of Little Monkham, go through some hard times in this part of the series, but the way they pull together makes you want to be a part of it even more.

This series has so many ups and downs, I have laughed a lot, but also felt sad at times, but it is such an amazing read and I will definitely be reading it again and again.

[Hayley Marsland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Orders At The Star And Sixpence is the follow on from A Year At The Star And Sixpence and it was lovely to catch up with all the characters from Little Monkham.

Sisters Nessie and Sam welcome a new season at the newly renovated pub, but there are one or two changes, Nessie has moved in with boyfriend Owen and his son Luke, and hot new chef Gabe Santiago, has caught the eye of Sam.

Things go well for a time, until the appearance of a stranger, who seems determined to make trouble.

If you've read Holly's other books you will recognise a teeny tiny appearance of The Castle Court location, but I won't reveal why !

As the year passes by there are a few upsets, as well as happier times, will the two sisters work through them, successfully ?

[Nessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book but as the four part ebook series rather than this full length novel, which is why this hasn’t been included or added towards my 2022 reading challenge as the individual four ebooks have been added to it already.

To see my review for this book, then please visit the individual books on here which are as follows:

New Beginnings at the Star and Sixpence
1. New Beginnings at the Star and Sixpence (2018)
2. Christmas Kisses at the Star and Sixpence (2018)
3. Cosy Nights at the Star and Sixpence (2019)
4. Last Words at the Star and Sixpence (2019)

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow is all I can say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. It made me cry at the end. This is the second book I have read by Holly Hepburn and I loved it.

The book catches up with sister's Nessie and Sam Chapman. They are running the pub the star and sixpence after it being left by their late father.

I was not disappointed. I will most definitely be reading more books by Holly Hepburn.

[Jessica Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feel good novel about sisters who run a pub together. I found the story a little soppy and predictable at times, for example that Sam’s crush on Gabe was reciprocated. However in the end I did become quite attached to some of the main characters and finished the book feeling fairly satisfied. However, there was not enough intrigue throughout the book to keep me reading it regularly, it was too much of an easy read.

[Holly is Happy Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

The follow up to a year at the star and sixpence. Nessie has moved in with Owen and Luke. A new chef arrives called Gabe. Sam goes through figuring out who she wants Gabe or Joss. Laurie tells Sam and Nessie that he is their brother but all is not what is seems. I hated Laurie in this and didn’t see the point in him being their, just causing trouble for the pub. I liked the end just not who Sam ends up with.

[Rona Nimmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last orders at the star and sixpence by
Holly Hepburn

Sam and Nessa successfully run the star & sixpence . They decide to employ Gabe a Spanish Michelin star chef to work in the pub. All is going well until Laurie the brother, they didn’t know they had, turns up.

A really enjoyable well written book about life revolving around the village and the star and sixpence. All the village characters and the many twists and turns life takes for the sisters many of them extremely unexpected.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not very often I read the sequel straight after but I just had to read this one straight away. I’ve adored both of these books & The Star and Sixpence has been the perfect place to escape to with everything else going on in the world. Absolutely perfect stories, I’ve laughed and cried! Now I just need more!!!

[Lisa Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book.

Great to go back to Little Monkham and catch up with all the village residents. It just seems like such an idyllic little village with a great sense of community spirit.

I really hope there is another book in this series!

Ps, I didn’t like Lauris!!

A definite 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me

[Sadie Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book and I loved this one even more! I wasn’t sure where it was going to go - but there were so many new things going on and I wasn’t expecting any of them to happen and yet again Holly delivered a really cosy & homely feel to the book and ending!
I will definitely read more of the star and sixpence series

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming story - set in a renovated country pub owned by two sisters Sam and Nessie. A delightful village community, but things are changing now that Nessie is moving in with boyfriend and Sam is left running the pub, then a new chef arrives, so maybe Sam will have something else to occupy her. If you are looking for a sweet feel good book, this is it.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this the second part of the series..., but I did however find a few parts annoying, where it was so obvious what a certain character was up to..,, but maybe it was the author’s intention, to have us screaming nooooo to ourselves.

[Nicki Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I've never cried and laughed so much reading a book. It's taken me less than 24 hours as I couldn't put it down at all and I never wanted it to end. I really hope there are more...it cant finish like that!

[Stacey Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a brilliant sequal to "a year at the star and sixpence". Really hope there will be another book to this series. Lovely characters in nessie, Sam, Owen and gabe.And of course the lovely setting of Little Monkham. Would be nice to see what happens next with the little ones