Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Review - - Dinner on Primrose Hill

Dinner on Primrose Hill
by Jodi Thomas
A Honey Creek Novel - Book 3
Publisher: Zebra Books
Release Date: October 26, 2021
Reviewed by PJ




Benjamin Monroe is pretty sure how his life will play out. He’ll continue teaching chemistry in his small college, and spend his free time biking through the valley. Eventually, he’ll retire to putter around in his garden and greenhouse.


His colleague, Virginia Clark, is not one for routines. She’s chatty, spontaneous, and bubbly, and before Benjamin realizes what happened, she’s talked him into collaborating on a research project—studying the mating habits of college students. Virginia knows her desire to work with Benjamin is motivated by more than the potential prize money . . . and hopes he might not be quite as indifferent as he seems to be.

Ketch Kincaid, one of Benjamin’s star students, returned to college after serving in the army. He needs something to get his mind off his recent breakup and collecting research data might do it. And there’s another distraction on the horizon—a woman who looks like she, too, knows about heartache.

Soon enough, their project, “The Chemistry of Mating,” is gaining notoriety. Friends, neighbors . . . the whole town has become involved. But no matter what the data determines, one conclusion seems inescapable: love follows its own rules . . .

PJ's Thoughts:

One of the things I've most enjoyed about this series is how Thomas captures the spirit of a small town and the people who live there. In Dinner on Primrose Hill, her characters span a wide range. Some have spent their whole lives in the same small town while others couldn't wait to get out as soon as they turned eighteen and still others are newly arrived. They all have stories, they all have flaws, they all deserve love. Even when they aren't looking for it...or don't believe they're deserving of it...or think the time for love has passed them by. 

Thomas focuses on three couples in this book, one in their forties, one in their late thirties, and the third in their twenties. While events (a bit of mystery/suspense) cause the couples, and a few others, to weave in and out of one another's lives, each of the couples' relationships unfolds in alternating chapters told primarily from the male perspective, a twist I found to be very entertaining. Each couple has a unique vibe and while I related to some more than others, their journeys were all sweet, heartfelt, a bit quirky, and enjoyable. 

This is the third book in Thomas's Honey Creek series and while a few continuing characters appear, readers new to Honey Creek should have no problem starting with Dinner on Primrose Hill. For fans of the series, reading this newest book is like a trip home, where you catch up with old friends and make a few new ones. I'm already looking forward to my next visit in Sunday at the Sunflower Inn, which is scheduled to be published April 26, 2022. 


6 comments:

  1. I will have to check out this series. I love the titles of the 2 you mentioned.

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  3. Sounds like a book I will enjoy. Thanks for the review.

    Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.

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  4. Jodi Thomas is a wonderful writer, and this is a great series--nobody layers their stories like Miss Jodi!

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  5. I enjoy Jodi Thomas' books. The characters and situations feel "real" and relatable. I love how she balances several plot lines and weaves them together. Thank you for the review.

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  6. I am off to look for this series. I had seen that it was out, but haven't started yet. I love the pace of her novels and the little unexpected quirks of humour.

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