Peas, Carrots and a Red Feather Boa

Peas and Carrots #2

by Hannah M. Lynn

Life in the country was supposed to be relaxing

Eric Sibley's life is going pretty well ... Well, except for the fact his new house is falling down around his ears, he has committed himself to preparing a lavish Christmas Day feast for the extend family, his wife is stressed and overworked, his new allotment neighbour is crazy and on top of all that, his mother-in-law has come to stay. Otherwise, the move to the sleepy riverside village of Burlam is going brilliantly.
 

Following on from Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin, once again Eric and his family navigate their way through the trials and tribulations of everyday life. With the edition of some wonderful new faces, get ready to be swept up in a whirlwind of uninspiring leeks, troublesome chickens, inappropriate plumbers and various interlopers, all hell-bent on turning Eric’s life upside down.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Contemporary

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 13, 2018

About the author

Hannah Lynn is a multi award winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments – a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015. Her second book, The Afterlife of Walter Augustus – a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist – went on to win the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Best Adult Ebook.

Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent 15 years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then Thailand, Malaysia, Austria and Jordan. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction.

With over 30 publications spanning a number of genres and translated into a dozen languages, Hannah has proven herself to be both an accomplished and prolific author.

Now settled back in the UK with her husband, daughter and clowder of cats, she spends her days writing romantic comedies and historical fiction. Her first historical fiction novel, Athena's Child, was also a 2020 Gold Medalist at the Independent Publishers Awards.

Reviews

[Justine from Novels and Panda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the author, the author’s work, the publisher, nor any other group of people, nor receive any monetary compensation for doing this review.

Peas, Carrots, and a Red Feather Boa is the second book in the series, it follows up the Sibleys living in a whole new world. And a whole new world indeed it was, filled with the earlier witty humor and as well as setbacks in life that go along their way.

Let’ break it down, the first chapters were better than ever, we get to see Eric Sibley in and his classic quirks; his ego and a dash of selfishness. He is still the same Eric we saw, still changing at the end of Peas, Carrots, and an Aston Martin. Trying as he may and doing what he thought best.

As it progresses we see the old faces around throwing out some entertaining and point-worthy jabs. And new faces too! I like how it was done. We met these new characters into dive into the lives of the Sibleys. It was entertaining. When I say entertaining? Really. Entertaining. Eric Sibley’s mother-in-law came and visits them in their new home! If you know Eric from the first book, then it is no secret that that statement alone is a disaster, a fun disaster.

The chapters with the new picture of family altogether the banter never fades. Abi, Eric’s daughter stood out too, her character is building up more and yet to go break tough challenges ahead. Suzy juggling her life with her job and family dilemmas. Eric, with Tom & Lydia. And another set of people that will make you go nuts. There were scenes that it was obvious and yet took me surprised. But there is that one that you’d see from a mile away.

Yes, it was all fun, lighthearted at the same time poignant with the first book, yet in here it delivers a more emotional ride. I was a fan of the whole Sibleys’ even the new ones, as characters but the latter part of the books was shocked me. I was silently rooting, not it to happen but it did. And when it did. It was a mess. I was a mess. I was invested in these characters so much. Everything happened so fast. And then an event happened again. An event that left my jaw hanging, hands up in surrender.

A much shorter version, there was no dull moment in here. It didn’t fail to compel me to keep going. And up to my last breathe. I was shocked. angry. awed.

I do have a bit concern with the infidelity that had happened here. I hope it gets addressed more in the next book. Because I am very much looking forward to seeing the third one! And I hope my concerns would be answered there.

Trigger Warning; infidelity present in the novel.

More of it here:Bookish Wisps. • Instagram • Twitter • Ko-Fi

[Bonnie Zellerbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the Peas, Carrots series and I very much enjoyed the continuation of the Sibley family saga or better "sagas" since new characters and plot twists were introduced in this sequel. I find the author's writing tight and insightful. She writes about family and interpersonal relationships in a way that resonates with me. Perhaps we all know the feeling of wishing we could take back what we've said or done all too often - just as Eric does. I prefer books in a series to be able to stand alone so I was a bit disappointed by the ending. I think a cliffhanger ending is better suited to a "Part 1" and "Part 2" heading where you know you will not end a story arc at the final page. That's why I gave the book a 4. Also because I am a huge fan of the little girl, Abi, and am hoping she gets more airtime in the third book in the series!

[Misfits farm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eric and Suzy are doing up their house and it certainly needs it. The bedroom still has wallpaper from the 1970’s and the carpet is down to the underlay. Throwing caution to the wind, they invite the family over for Christmas and Eric is in charge of dinner, which to his credit he pulls off. No mean feat when the mother in law has arrived unexpectedly and is causing her usual havoc. Eric can’t stand her and Suzy isn’t much better as she has a mind and will of her own. This tells the story of the ups and downs of life and havoc that ensues, all done with a smile. Hannah has a flair for putting things well on the page so you can imagine the scenarios easily and can’t help but smile as you read. I love Eric and his innocence, his good heart and doing his utmost for those around him sometimes successfully sometimes not. I was really enjoying this read and then….. One of my pet peeves is not finishing a story, not from the reading side but from the authors side when it leaves you hanging in mid air and “needing” to read the next book. To me this isn’t how is should be- I feel rather short changed as it were. This finishes on a cliff-hanger with the story wide open hence only 3 stars when it could have been either 4 or 5. In my book there should be a good ending, perhaps a small thread to lead you to the next book whilst finishing what has been started. Sorry Hannah, I loved this but need an ending.

[Genna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, so here's the thing, I really enjoy these characters and the situation. I am attached to them at this point (oh, and I forgot to say, I got a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review). I think Eric is kind of an idiot, but he's well-meaning and generally manages to sort himself out eventually. (My mother, as a side note, HATES Fawlty Towers because if Basil would just TELL THE TRUTH then none of the horrible things would happen, and Eric is similar, though not nearly so egregious, he just... doesn't get around to things and then the things come back and bite him.) He's TRYING though, which is why I continue to like him.

I just have a moral objection to ending a book on a cliffhanger and it just feels WEIRD in this otherwise sweet feel-good series (all two of them so far) for the second volume to Perils of Pauline at me. This book isn't that long; it could have comfortably been twice as long and NOT ended on a cliffhanger. Reading things digitally, too, you're not as aware of the shrinking pile of remaining pages, so I kept trying to scroll and it stopped going and I was annoyed to find that I'd reached the end, and not in an "I cannot wait for the next book in the series" way but in a ".... SERIOUSLY?" way.

I dunno, maybe Lynn is trying to get this out of the sweet feel-good realm and go a little grittier, but it seemed really out of left field.

And now after this review she'll stop sending me books for free and I'll never know what happens. Heavy sigh.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows on from Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin, and I would recommend anyone interested in this book, read book 1 first, as I don't think they work as standalone books, particularly with the cliffhanger ending of this book. (However, it will make sure you read book 3 as soon as possible!!)

The saga of the Sibley family continues, with new members being introduced with some very entertaining results but the story also has its darker moments. It is a story filled with human emotions, good and bad.

I am glad I received ARCs of all 3 books from TBC Reviewer Request Group, so I don't have to wait to read on!

[Tom Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digging up more twists and turns in the allotment than you can shake a chicken at. The shed continues to cook up some inventive menu names. Will Abi be able to dance in front of the whole school, What will happen when Eric and Suzi have a new member of the family.
Time to read or listen to the next exciting instalment and wonder what else can happen to Eric along the way.
I really love the narration, Rafe Beckle brings the books to life with so many different characters his voice changes are exceptional, for me the grandmother’s voice did remind me of Benidorm TV Series. But I wouldn’t change it, makes me laugh all the time.
Thank you Hannah for another fun filled read.

[Georgina Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable sequel to the first book, as lovely and heartwarming as before and lovely to get back to Eric and his family.

[Jacki Prettyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

This is the second book in a series and this one is as delightful, funny and emotional as the first. The main character seems to find ways to get himself in trouble without knowing but continues to grow while his family grows as well. Now, please excuse me while I read #3!

[Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good follow on from the first book. The family have made the big move when bigger moves happen to them.

[Pat Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

I found this second book to be an absorbing story following on the first one, which was equally enjoyable. Its sad too, telling the story of a married couple who really love each other, but they are completely out of sinc with each other. Each one becomes frantically busy with their career, living past each other. His father dies in the first book but having been a very unloving father, he compounds it from the grave by leaving his home to the church, and his Aston Martin to his son, however, conditions exist for his son to retain possession of the car. He must work in an allottment every week or lose the car. His son is furious but is compelled to dedicate time to working on the allottment. Some hilarious scences take place there as he attempts, with very bad grace, to tame the land. Yet, somehow, working the land grounds him, which is probably what his father wanted to give him.
After some time, he resigns from a very good job and buys the house of Norman, his father's old friend and his allottment neighbour, nemesis, friend and mentor. His wife supports his decisions but throws herself into her own career as an author, while he struggles alone to refurbish the old house and work the allottment.
Sadly, they do very little together. They have no faith and permit her bohemian mother to teach their only little daughter to be a new-age witch as well as a dancer. His mother-in-law's crystal "healing" mumbo jumbo and her naked dancing class in the back yard disturb him badly. How long will she stay with them? When he walks in on her performing oral sex in a plumber half her age in their bathroom he us sick to the stomach. That is not all. Her tasteless vegan lifestyle with all sorts of weird ingredients and influence over their little daughter and disregard of their rule nor to pierce her ears infuriate him, but his wife expects him to accommodate her mother. He tries to please his wife by buying her a beautiful puppy which he has fallen in love with. She rejects it outright. He is heartbroken, not wanting to return it. Fortunately a recent female allottment owner offers to take the puppy, which will allow him to continue to see it.
Eventually his wife's father's affair with a young girl old enough to be his granddaughter comes out, when, after a three-month separation, he pitches up and makes a play for her mother again. He convinces her of his remorse then persuades her to transfer all her money to an offshore account, telling her they would make a new start on a quiet island. It is only when his young pregnant lover's brother arrives to beat the old Casanova up that the truth comes out.
After a life-threatening fight, the massive man is apprehended by the Police who expose the grandfather's duplicity.
Sadly, his daughter does not turn to her husband for comfort. She screams at him, blaming him for not having told her of a strange phone call he had received which she claims put them all in danger. She orders him out of her office. He is very distressed at this turn of events and goes out in the pouring rain, looking for the comfort of his puppy's unconditional love. Maybe sub-consciously he turns to Lulu's nee owner for comfort? One kiss sends him flying home to his wife. Consumed by guilt, he tells her. Reach the rest to find out more.

[David Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy sequel to Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin, Feather Boa continues to follow the life of Eric and the many mishaps that happen to him. The story picks up a few months on from the end of the last book, and welcomes the addition of some interesting new characters. Eric's character is likable, if little frustating in some of his decisions/reactions to events, and certainly very relatable. Another easy read, perfect for taking yourself away from the trials and tribulations of your own life; certainly in some places one can benefit from seeing that things could be worse! Be warned though, whilst the ending will certainly leave you desperate for more, I personally found it a little too abrupt to be truly satisfying. It feels a little like the remaining pages are missing, rather than a true cliffhanger. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to the next instalment!

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from TBC reviewers- Thank you
As always when books are part of a series my advice is to treat yourself and read the first book first( in the case of this series of books I think the story would make very little sense without reading the first book)

The book picks up where the first book leaves off I loved the continuation of the story, it's like a well worn pair of slippers you just dive straight back into the characters lives. Eric and Suzy are finally doing up their house - the imagery in the book is brilliant you can totally see what the author describes. Hannah also manages to bring to life the complex relationships between in laws in a funny but truly accurate description.
The book ends on a bit of cliff hanger so you'd definitely need to read book 3!
A genuinely lovely story

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the series sees Eric and his family settled in their new home and desperately trying to get things ready to celebrate Christmas with Suzy’s sister and her family. Just when he thinks things can’t get any worse, his mother-in-law arrives to add further mayhem into the mix.

Eric continues to be hapless and unwittingly gets most things wrong despite his best intentions. Suzy is the main breadwinner in this book, taking on the stress of keeping them afloat whilst Eric takes a break from work and renovates the house. Equally as enjoyable as the first book, with the delightful writing that pulls you into the Sibley family’s life with all the sadness and joy that brings along the way.

For everything to make sense, you really do need to read this series in order as they don’t sit as standalone books.

[Arkgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This follows on from book 1 so I highly recommend reading in order, it also has a big cliffhanger so I was very glad I had book 3 to hand!
Eric and family are settling into rural life but not without some challenges and then their life is completely turned upside down by the arrival of Yvette, Suzy’s mum, and a new neighbour on the allotment also makes an impact on the family.
It has a darker thread running through and you might, like me, want to move on to book 3 to continue the story !
Engaging characters, laughter and tears, it is becoming an intriguing series of books and I am interested to see where it goes next.

[Em Yarnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Having read the first book Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin I knew I was going to read this as soon as I could. I was laughing out loud, cringing and crying because it's such a well written roller coaster of a book. I like to read thrillers and this is the perfect escape from dark psychological worlds into light humorous and very addictive reading.
The characters just keep growing on you and I love learning more and more about them.
This is not a standalone book, though you could read it first, i'd definitely recommend reading them in order, with book 3 now available! I can't wait to start reading the next one, Peas, Carrots and Six More Feet.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second episode in the Peas saga is an absolute delight again. I loved the way the extended Sibley family has developed. Yvette has proved an inspired addition. Whilst I felt there was likely to be a dramatic ending picking up on various clues I was truly amazed, and a little shocked, when it finally came about. There may be some readers who will be unhappy in the way this book finished but, for me, I can’t wait to read the next book

[Tobin Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody wonderful!
A great read as we follow Eric on his meanders through the allotment of life, and daily life is made exciting and engaging. Hannah has the talent to make a simple, relatable, life something we want to follow, and an ordinary man, someone we want to root for.
Normal life brought to life in a way that pulls us in, throws us up and down, and then really spits us out at the end!
Can't wait for Peas3!

[Annette Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and poignant. I really enjoyed this book. It was lovely to catch up with Eric and co again. Bless him he is still blundering on trying his best but having to deal with all sorts of distractions. The relationships portrayed are very realistic and very funny, although there are serious undertones.

[Melissa Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying this story only got 4 stars because of the ending.

I listened to book 1 several months ago and loved it. At the time, I wasn’t sure how the author was going to make a book 2 with how the first one ended. Months later, the author was advertising books 2 and 3. “Yes, please!” Overall, I think the series has gotten better as it’s moved along. The characters are great, and Abbie has stuck out to me as a being one of my favorite characters. Eric is enjoyable as he's always trying to do his best for his family yet sometimes makes mistakes. Stories that have a lot of funnies, whether they’re meant to be comedic stories or not, are my favorites.

Like the books, I love the narrator as well. He does a great job and it’s always easy to tell who is talking. I do have to admit when Evette first showed up on their doorstep, when the narrator did her voice, I thought it was a drag queen. That was before it was revealed who the person was.

Questions/Comments:

I was wondering about Eric and all the cooking he did in this book. I don't remember him being into cooking in book 1 and am curious as to what changed. Yes, he has the allotment where he grows vegetables but still.

“At the minute…” I have never heard this phrase before. “At the moment” is the common version. It's strange considering at the moment means right now, as at the minute means… right now. Why change it?

I haven’t been a big fan of Suzy. Either she’s overreacting about something minor or she’s asking Eric what he did wrong. I think I said something in my book 1 review about how she seems like she's just waiting for him to mess up so she can leave him. I was under that impression with book 2 also. The fact that she was blaming Eric for Catrina’s brother coming to the house and destroying parts of it (not telling her about the random phone call he’d received) was too much.

I know a lot of people aren’t fans of cliffhangers because if you want to know what happens, you have to buy the next story. Most of the time, I don’t care. But the cliffhanger with book 2, I felt it was too big of a cliffhanger, if that makes sense. It’s like usually there’s a thread at the end that entices readers to move forward in the series, but it’s not a major necessity. With this ending… let me rephrase that, there isn’t a real ending. You HAVE to read book 3 if you care at all about any of the characters. Thankfully, I had book 3 to find out what happened to Susie.

I received a free audiobook code for this story in exchange for an honest review.

[Nisareen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life in the country was supposed to be relaxing..

In the previous instalment, Eric gave up his job in London and decided to move to Burlam after purchasing Norman’s home. Unfortunately the house is in need of some serious renovating. With Suzy now the main breadwinner, it’s up to her to keep them afloat and while she throws herself into completing endless deadlines in her career as an author, Eric takes on the task of refurbishing the house and maintaining the allotment by himself.

For their first Christmas, Eric commits himself to preparing a lavish Christmas Day feast for Suzy’s sister Linda and her family. All goes as planned until Suzy’s mother, Yvette shows up unannounced having apparently left Suzy’s father and bringing with her more chaos in the mix. Coinciding with her arrival is a new neighbour on the allotment by the name of Fleur, who has taken over Norman and Cynthia’s plot. Despite his best intentions, Eric’s attempts to settle into rural life goes through many challenges, threatening all that he and Suzy have built...

The Sibley family saga continues in the second instalment of the Peas and Carrots series with another heartwarming addition that hits all the right notes. The novel introduces two new characters with some very entertaining results. Yvette, Fleur - and not forgetting Lulu, were welcome additions adding dynamite wit and loving substance to the plot.

The author has a wonderful knack of creating characters that seemingly come alive and I found myself completely immersed as a hapless Eric tries to work through family issues while juggling the allotment and home renovations.

Having become thoroughly invested in the characters from the get go, I enjoyed visiting Eric and his family again. This series is a truly wonderful read that hooks and reels you in. There are some darker undertones - the ending in particular catching me completely off guard and ensuring that I will be eagerly anticipating the follow up.

I received an advanced free audible copy of Peas, Carrots and a Red Feather Boa and I am voluntarily reviewing it. Rafe Beckley has once again done an admirable job of bringing the story and characters to life with his clear and concise narration. He has fast become one of my favourite narrators.

[Jakeisthecoolest · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story itself is fast paced and the book goes by in a blink. (I actually checked the word count and was surprised it was over 70k) One of the things I really enjoyed was the way that Hannah leads you toward the finale, ramping up the tension without you realising it (I'm sure a second read through would have me kicking myself for all the clues I missed). Although some people might not be fully satisfied with the open-endedness of the novel, I liked it. The final third of the novel is jammed packed with twists and action, which, bearing in mind this is a series, is mostly resolved. It certainly has me hooked for the next instalment without leaving me short changed.
This is a fantastic continuation of the Peas and Carrots story. If anything, I would say the book itself is a little tighter and better written than the first. As usual the dialogue is witty and the scenes are beautifully captured.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in this series, Carrot, Peas and an Aston Martin, was a funny, feel-good, life-affirming story and this book started out the same way. I love the characters and their interaction and I felt it was another enjoyable and cosy read. Right up to the end when, for me, the whole thing went off the rails. This becomes much darker and doesn’t conform to the genre of the first in the series. I can’t imagine where this is going and it left me feeling let down, particularly as it stopped on a cliff-hanger. If there’s one thing that makes me feel dissatisfied with a book, it’s when it doesn’t complete the story it begins. Sorry. I thought I’d enjoy it more than I did.
I received a review copy of this book.

[Sharon Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Peas, Carrots, and a Red Feather Boa with some reservations. At first Eric, the apparent protagonist, was so wimpy I lost patience with him and almost stopped reading, then Yvette entered the picture and my interest ramped up. the story held my attention but the ending annoyed me offering an unresolved situation to hook the reader into another book. Once Yvette arrived, Eric became a more fleshed-out character whom I appreciated and became attached to. I didn't need an artificial non-ending. Outside of those personal reactions, the author wrote compelling characters. Dialogue worked, as did the storyline.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

[–1 ☆ for undisclosed cliffhanger ending]

Overall, I liked this book better than the first. The characters seemed more developed and the zany antics were more fitting for aging cruise-line dancers. However, there was a significant plot twist in the final chapter of the book. I don't mean everyone was living happily ever after, but there was a minor loose end that readers could expect to be tied up in Book 3. I don't mind cliffhangers that are disclosed in the product description, but ending on a major cliffhanger to manipulate readers into buying another book is rude.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is really growing on me!

I enjoyed Book One, but this one is better. Characters are a real strength of this author in my opinion and we get to know the existing ones better and meet some new ones.
A light theme with lots of deeper threads running through and suddenly the book makes you think about lots of issues (and laugh, oh and definitely cry)

Ends on a cliff hanger but not a to be continued one which is always a plus. Did make me want to read the next one, so I did!

[Rosemaryknits · Rating 2 out of 5]

The constant catastrophe is exhausting.

Eric continually chooses to do things that he knows are wrong. This is also exhausting.

When Daphne smuggled in the chickens? That's where I gave up.

I have no idea how this story ends, and I couldn't care less. The characters are flat, and without personality. The author tells us that they had certain characteristics, but the characters never really show us. The mother-in-law? Is that supposed to be a real person?

[Michelle Bartlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free audio version of this book in exchange for a honest review. I would have liked to start at the beginning of the series but beggars cannot be choosers and all. I liked the characters and the story but the ending had me hooked...I had to find out what happened....luckily I received a free audio version of book 3 so I am starting that straight away.

[Anne Egbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this book in the series certainly ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. It is certainly fortunate that I obtained the first 3 books at once. On to the next installment. Did Suzy really kick Eric out?

[Tonya Mathis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Except for the fact that it ended in a cliffhanger.

[Caffeinated Weka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining light-hearted fun.