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The Newcomer
Escape to the countryside for Book One in a new Three part series set in the fictional village of Sixpenny Bissett.
Life begins at 50. That’s what Jenni Sullivan was soon to find out.
Her escape to the countryside was meant to be a fresh start for Jenni. A chance to reinvent herself amongst strangers. How was she to know that her arrival would kick off a chain reaction of trouble.
The Newcomer causes a stir with her fancy cosmopolitan style and her big city ways, alien to this quiet Dorset backwater. Jenni awakens the sleepy village of Sixpenny Bissett where even a snail could win a race against the pace of change.
Jenni is keen to get to know her new neighbours and make friends. Unfortunately, she will find herself attracting all the wrong attention and adding fuel to the gossip fire. The one person who she thinks can heal her broken heart, seems immune to her charms. How can she persuade him otherwise?
Life begins at 50. That’s what Jenni Sullivan was soon to find out.
Her escape to the countryside was meant to be a fresh start for Jenni. A chance to reinvent herself amongst strangers. How was she to know that her arrival would kick off a chain reaction of trouble.
The Newcomer causes a stir with her fancy cosmopolitan style and her big city ways, alien to this quiet Dorset backwater. Jenni awakens the sleepy village of Sixpenny Bissett where even a snail could win a race against the pace of change.
Jenni is keen to get to know her new neighbours and make friends. Unfortunately, she will find herself attracting all the wrong attention and adding fuel to the gossip fire. The one person who she thinks can heal her broken heart, seems immune to her charms. How can she persuade him otherwise?
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2022
20 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Rebisz
8 books23 followersCaroline has always had a passion for reading and has a wide range of tastes. As a teenager she wrote her first novel, very much before the days of self-publishing. Unfortunately it was consigned to the loft only to surface when moving house recently.
Caroline spent over 35 years working in financial services. Meeting many interesting people during her career, she was lucky to have many experiences which have weaved their way into her stories. When she had the chance to take early retirement, she and her husband moved to the countryside in Norfolk. It was their new home, an old pub, which inspired her first novel A Mother’s Loss. Loving books which have a dual timeline, where the past and present live in the same space, made the story of Sarah come to life. A Mother’s Deceit was also based in their Norfolk home and is a prequel to her debut novel.
Her novel, A Costly Affair, had been brewing in her mind for years. On a trip to Manchester when working for the bank, she observed a couple meeting for the first time on the train and a story of deception and blackmail was formed.
The Sixpenny Bissett trilogy was inspired by her recent move to a thatched cottage in Wiltshire. It focuses on friendship, love and a good dose of humour.
Caroline’s stories refuse to fit neatly into a particular genre. A story comes to her and has to be written. She is currently working on both a murder mystery and another romance story set in France.
Follow Caroline on X @Carolinerebisz
Caroline spent over 35 years working in financial services. Meeting many interesting people during her career, she was lucky to have many experiences which have weaved their way into her stories. When she had the chance to take early retirement, she and her husband moved to the countryside in Norfolk. It was their new home, an old pub, which inspired her first novel A Mother’s Loss. Loving books which have a dual timeline, where the past and present live in the same space, made the story of Sarah come to life. A Mother’s Deceit was also based in their Norfolk home and is a prequel to her debut novel.
Her novel, A Costly Affair, had been brewing in her mind for years. On a trip to Manchester when working for the bank, she observed a couple meeting for the first time on the train and a story of deception and blackmail was formed.
The Sixpenny Bissett trilogy was inspired by her recent move to a thatched cottage in Wiltshire. It focuses on friendship, love and a good dose of humour.
Caroline’s stories refuse to fit neatly into a particular genre. A story comes to her and has to be written. She is currently working on both a murder mystery and another romance story set in France.
Follow Caroline on X @Carolinerebisz
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 7, 2023
An entertaining read that kept me reading on with lots of unexpected twists and relatable characters. I may not have agreed with all of Jenni's decisions but it made for a fun story. Set in an idyllic village which I could picture well. Be interesting to see what happens in book 2.
June 4, 2024
Well, this to me was a modern-day English version of Peyton Place. A one Jenni Sullivan lost her husband Reggie in a horrible car accident, two years prior. She had decided to move out of Birmingham to Sixpenny Bissett, leaving the past behind and starting a new life. The oldest son, who has taken over his father’s very profitable car business is all for it while the younger, James, is not. This creates its own dynamic as the story progresses.
Looking for a fresh start she befriends, Kate and Jeremey, who is the local rector. Alaistair Middelton, the local builder, who is very bitter about his wife leaving him for another woman and taking half of his empire, Henriques, her Gardner half Jennie’s age, with a body of Adonis, who has a girl back in Barcelona, but will remain faithful? The St. Paul’s, Peter and Paula, Both are successful in their personal ventures, but Peter only looks at marriage as a convenience when it suits his purposes while his wife has blinders on to his, shall we say, frequent dalliances The General, Herbert who is old enough to be Jenni’s father and lastly, Richard Samuels, who is still grieving over the loss of his life, Agatha. See the similarities to our Peyton Place?
Jenni is still stunning at fifty and every suitor in town, married or not, is on the prowl to bed her and make her theirs, with the exception of Peter, who looks at her as only another notch in his bedpost. He really is a cad, to say the least.
The author, Caroline Rebisz does an excellent job in fleshing out all the characters in this soap-opera tale. Scenes are well laid out and described, placing the reader right in the middle of the action. When Jennie decides to throw her inhibitions aside, the sex scenes, no, I’m not telling, are well described without going into a lot of detail. Well done!
Overall, it was a fun read.
Who will like this? Women of course. Why watch a soap opera when you can read and be part of one that keeps moving forward at a well-thought-out pace. When time allows, I’ll be looking into books two and three.
Four stars
Looking for a fresh start she befriends, Kate and Jeremey, who is the local rector. Alaistair Middelton, the local builder, who is very bitter about his wife leaving him for another woman and taking half of his empire, Henriques, her Gardner half Jennie’s age, with a body of Adonis, who has a girl back in Barcelona, but will remain faithful? The St. Paul’s, Peter and Paula, Both are successful in their personal ventures, but Peter only looks at marriage as a convenience when it suits his purposes while his wife has blinders on to his, shall we say, frequent dalliances The General, Herbert who is old enough to be Jenni’s father and lastly, Richard Samuels, who is still grieving over the loss of his life, Agatha. See the similarities to our Peyton Place?
Jenni is still stunning at fifty and every suitor in town, married or not, is on the prowl to bed her and make her theirs, with the exception of Peter, who looks at her as only another notch in his bedpost. He really is a cad, to say the least.
The author, Caroline Rebisz does an excellent job in fleshing out all the characters in this soap-opera tale. Scenes are well laid out and described, placing the reader right in the middle of the action. When Jennie decides to throw her inhibitions aside, the sex scenes, no, I’m not telling, are well described without going into a lot of detail. Well done!
Overall, it was a fun read.
Who will like this? Women of course. Why watch a soap opera when you can read and be part of one that keeps moving forward at a well-thought-out pace. When time allows, I’ll be looking into books two and three.
Four stars
January 6, 2023
Sixpenny Bissett: The Small Town You Wish You Lived In
This book is a fun read about the people of the small town of Sixpenny Bissett and how they adapt to newcomer Jenni. Rebisz does a great job showing the small town atmosphere, full of quirky characters with their own desires and flaws, and all the ripples a new addition creates. At first, I felt bad for Jenni and all the unwanted attention she receives as someone just trying to blend in. But, as the story unfolds, you see those ripples lead to good changes for everyone. Necessary changes in friendships and relationships to help people grow. Changes that would never have happened without her.
In the end, thanks to great world building, it’s not just our MC Jenni, but it’s the entire town of Sixpenny Bissett I want to learn more about. Thankfully, Rebisz tees it up quite nicely for us to learn more and deepen our understanding of these characters as more books our planned! I can’t wait to read more and to keep saying weird phrases, at least to an American, like Sixpenny Bissett!
This book is a fun read about the people of the small town of Sixpenny Bissett and how they adapt to newcomer Jenni. Rebisz does a great job showing the small town atmosphere, full of quirky characters with their own desires and flaws, and all the ripples a new addition creates. At first, I felt bad for Jenni and all the unwanted attention she receives as someone just trying to blend in. But, as the story unfolds, you see those ripples lead to good changes for everyone. Necessary changes in friendships and relationships to help people grow. Changes that would never have happened without her.
In the end, thanks to great world building, it’s not just our MC Jenni, but it’s the entire town of Sixpenny Bissett I want to learn more about. Thankfully, Rebisz tees it up quite nicely for us to learn more and deepen our understanding of these characters as more books our planned! I can’t wait to read more and to keep saying weird phrases, at least to an American, like Sixpenny Bissett!
October 31, 2022
As an existing fan of C.Rebisz I’d been eagerly waiting for this release, and it did not disappoint!
Sixpenny Bissett is exactly the sort of village I’d love to live in. With its quaintness, quirky characters and sense of community.
Elegant, beautiful and sweet - recently widowed Jenni causes quite the stir when she chooses the village for her fresh start.
I loved how she made friends and sussed out people’s true intentions. I don’t want to give any of the plot away but I’ll be ordering the second book for sure.
I love the final chapter, it reminded me of an episode of desperate housewives (one of my favourite ever shows!) where the narrator would recap the mishaps and drop hints about the next installment.
November 16, 2023
Although this is not really my genre, I enjoyed this story about a middle aged widow, Jenni, and the stir she causes when she moves to a quiet village to rebuild her life. A gentle, if slightly saucy, romp through English village life, following her adventures and the villagers’ reactions. Book one in a trilogy that definitely needs to be read in order.
December 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Great characters all very interesting. The storyline is good and I am really looking forward to book 2 in the series. This is the second book of Caroline's I have read, A costly affair was equally as good. The books are also well edited I have to say which is nice. Definitely would recommend if you like a nice easy read.
November 6, 2022
This is a fun quirky little village.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to find out what happens next to the residents of Sixpenny Bissett.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to find out what happens next to the residents of Sixpenny Bissett.
March 11, 2024
This charming story is for everyone who wants a blissful escape from their everyday worries. I kept turning the pages, smiling and giggling at Jenni’s antics, and couldn’t get enough of quaint Sixpenny Bisset. Even though this pretty town in Dorset is fictional, it felt every bit real to me.
“The Newcomer” by Caroline Rebisz centres around Jenni Sullivan, who, at the vulnerable age of fifty, has to start her life afresh. It’s only when you are young that changes are all about excitement and new experiences. When you have the first half of your life behind you, you know for sure that the chances are high that you might encounter not only endless fun but a few – dozen – obstacles as well.
I could relate to Jenni, who moved from Birmingham to Sixpenny Bisset in Dorset – from North to South – on many levels, for, a couple of decades ago, I made a similar move. True, I didn’t move within the country, but I did move to Dorset from a place very different from it. I also travelled around the UK a lot at that time, and, among other places in the north, visited Birmingham.
After a bustling city where she had enjoyed the bliss of family life, bringing up her sons, under the care of a very successful husband, Jenni finds herself in a small rural spot, surrounded by nosy neighbours who are keen to learn more about a rare newcomer to their tightly-knit community. Despite her age, Jenni has kept her figure and attractive looks, and she inevitably becomes an object of unwanted attention from local men. The intentions of some are noble – even though Jenni doesn’t need this well-meant chivalry – while others treat her as the next trophy on their shelf of conquests.
Jenni finds herself in funny, awkward, and also unpleasant situations while trying to adapt to her new life. She quickly makes friends with some of her new neighbours. Jenni likes her new home and Sixpenny Bisset and is determined to make her new life work. Alas, some people's egoism and inability to judge outside the imaginary picture of what others want, which they have drawn in their self-centred minds, put Jenni’s plans in danger.
“The Newcomer” is a read for you if you enjoy immersing yourself in a quaint setting with a set of quirky, vivid characters that keep the readers interested from start to finish – and leave them craving more.
“The Newcomer” by Caroline Rebisz centres around Jenni Sullivan, who, at the vulnerable age of fifty, has to start her life afresh. It’s only when you are young that changes are all about excitement and new experiences. When you have the first half of your life behind you, you know for sure that the chances are high that you might encounter not only endless fun but a few – dozen – obstacles as well.
I could relate to Jenni, who moved from Birmingham to Sixpenny Bisset in Dorset – from North to South – on many levels, for, a couple of decades ago, I made a similar move. True, I didn’t move within the country, but I did move to Dorset from a place very different from it. I also travelled around the UK a lot at that time, and, among other places in the north, visited Birmingham.
After a bustling city where she had enjoyed the bliss of family life, bringing up her sons, under the care of a very successful husband, Jenni finds herself in a small rural spot, surrounded by nosy neighbours who are keen to learn more about a rare newcomer to their tightly-knit community. Despite her age, Jenni has kept her figure and attractive looks, and she inevitably becomes an object of unwanted attention from local men. The intentions of some are noble – even though Jenni doesn’t need this well-meant chivalry – while others treat her as the next trophy on their shelf of conquests.
Jenni finds herself in funny, awkward, and also unpleasant situations while trying to adapt to her new life. She quickly makes friends with some of her new neighbours. Jenni likes her new home and Sixpenny Bisset and is determined to make her new life work. Alas, some people's egoism and inability to judge outside the imaginary picture of what others want, which they have drawn in their self-centred minds, put Jenni’s plans in danger.
“The Newcomer” is a read for you if you enjoy immersing yourself in a quaint setting with a set of quirky, vivid characters that keep the readers interested from start to finish – and leave them craving more.
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February 24, 2024Badly written and boring
This was far and away the worst written book I have ever read, or more accurately, partly read, because it was also one of the most boring, with the dullest, creepiest characters, so I couldn't get anywhere close to finishing it. Seriously, don't bother. I assume the writer must have self-published, as it's very hard to imagine a publisher would have accepted it.
This was far and away the worst written book I have ever read, or more accurately, partly read, because it was also one of the most boring, with the dullest, creepiest characters, so I couldn't get anywhere close to finishing it. Seriously, don't bother. I assume the writer must have self-published, as it's very hard to imagine a publisher would have accepted it.
September 4, 2025
You are in the head of so many people it gets hard to keep track. Especially when the POV changes within the chapter back and forth and round the corners. Lots going on in the village, but not much depth.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews