Guest Review: A Leap of Faith by Trisha Ashley

Sappho Jones stopped counting birthdays when she reached thirty but, even with her hazy grip on mathematics, she realises that she's on the slippery slope to the big four-oh! With the thought suddenly lodged in her mind that she's a mere cat's whisker away from becoming a single eccentric female living in a country cottage in Wales, she has the urge to do something dramatic before it's too late.

The trouble is, as an adventurous woman of a certain age, Sappho's pretty much been there, done that, got the T-shirt. In fact, the only thing she hasn't tried is motherhood. And with sexy potter Nye on hand as a potential daddy - or at least donor - is it time for her to consider the biggest leap of all? It's either that or buy a cat . . .

Review: This book was originally published in 2001 under the title The Urge to Jump. Trisha Ashley explains in a foreword that it has not been majorly rewritten, merely given minor adjustments before being re-released. I missed it in its original form, so was pleased to pick up this edition. I would have to admit that I wasn't drawn into the story immediately; it took me a while to understand what was going on. However, it soon settled down in my mind and I was hooked. 

The story features Sappho Jones, a writer of fantasy fiction, who suddenly realises that she has reached the age of thirty-nine and, although having accomplished many things in her life so far, she needs to consider motherhood before it's too late. At the start of the book, we find her moving into her cottage in the Gower Peninsula, a lovely part of Wales. She has some good friends living nearby, including: Miranda, a skilled cook with a very unlikeable husband; and Mu, a children's book illustrator who is desperate for a baby and is willing to go to extremes to become pregnant. The village where Sappho lives is home to some other interesting characters, such as her eccentric neighbours (three sisters in their seventies, but all with active careers), a rather gorgeous potter called Nye and Lili, a bit of a man-eater. Also featured is Dave, an ex boyfriend of Sappho's who doesn't know when to let go and is a bit of an ominous presence. 

This story is absolutely brimming with humour and I found myself laughing out loud on more than a few occasions. Although It is full of funny characters and events, there are also some darker episodes. There is a mystery of a disappearance running through the book and also the worrying presence of the slightly unhinged Dave. I wouldn't rank this as my favourite Trisha Ashley novel, but it's most definitely one worth looking out for. As usual with her books, there are some recipes tagged onto the end of the story and also an excerpt from her new upcoming novel to whet the appetite. 

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