The Slow Lane Walkers Club by Rosa Temple {Book Tour Review}
{This book was gifted* in exchange for a place on the book tour and an honest review. This article also contains an affiliate link.}
Hello Readers,
It’s my turn today on the book tour for Rosa Temple’s The Slow Lane Walkers Club. I’ll list all the details of the tour at the end of this review in case you’d like to read what everyone else on the tour thought of this book.
But as always, before I share my thoughts on the book, let me tell you what it’s about:
Daniel isn’t used to living life in the slow lane. So when he finds himself unexpectedly jobless and back in his old Cornish hometown, he can’t sit still.
Hazel used to be adventurous too. But now widowed and in her eighties, she barely leaves the house. When she sees an advert for Daniel’s new walking club, she grabs at the chance of some excitement.
Daniel’s heart sinks when he sees that the only person who’s turned up for his walking club is the crazy old lady from two doors down. But what he doesn’t expect is to discover that Hazel is one of the most fascinating people he’s ever met…
I found Daniel as a main character really interesting and I loved seeing him grow as the story progressed. He starts out struggling with a big change in circumstances and his life is no longer full of parties and fun with his friends / work colleagues. You really get a sense of him feeling unsettled and not quite knowing what to do with himself or how to adjust to his new circumstances. All he wants to do is figure out what to do with the house he and his sister have inherited from their grandma, the reason his life has changed, and go off on an adventure again. Daniel is also at that age where it seems all his old school friends in his hometown are married, have children, good jobs and he has none of this and doesn’t really want it ~ I think this is something many people can relate to and it was interesting to see how Daniel handled that and the pressure being put on him by sister to “settle down.”
He just feels lost and to give him something to do Daniel starts a walking club. But when the only person who turns up for the first walk is the little old lady from down the road, Daniel is more than disappointed. None the less, he and Hazel set off on their very first, very slow walk together and from that comes the most wonderful, endearing friendship I’ve read about in a long time. Honestly, I adored Hazel so much and just want her to be my grandma.
As the story goes on, you begin to see Daniel adjusting to his new life back in his hometown and make connections with the people around him. Most of this is thanks to the walking club as it gains new members and you really get a sense of the small, “everyone knows everyone else” type of community Daniel has found himself in. I loved that Hazel, being the oldest and slowest sets the pace and distance of the walks. She also brings the snacks and they all embrace the slower pace and just enjoying the time together and the scenery of the coastal footpath they’re traveling along. The cast of side characters that join the club are all full of life and feel quite realistic to the setting they’re in and really add to the dynamic of the walking scenes. I also felt like with each walk you were watching this group become closer and that they all genuinely cared for one another and I really loved that.
The setting Rosa Temple chose was wonderful and felt just as important to the story that the characters. I had lived in a coastal / seaside town in the North West of England all my life and the coastal path the walking club meandered down reminded me of the ones I have walked down many times over the years. There’s nothing like the sea air to clear your head, straighten out your thoughts and give you a sense of peace. I felt during certain scenes in the book, Daniel felt that as well.
Overall, this was just a lovely, cosy read, with great characters. I loved Rosa’s writing style as it flowed so nicely and made this book really easy to read. So I enjoyed every turn of the page and found I had to force myself to put it down as I read at night and was in danger of far too many late nights because I just needed to know what would happen next.
So I’d highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a something that gives you a “warm hug” kind of feeling and unexpected friendships and family connections.
Stay Safe. Read a Book.
L x
*Thank you so much to Literally PR for sending me this book and giving me a place on the tour.
The Slow Lane Walkers Club Book Tour has been going since the end of June and finishes on the 23rd of July. Below you can find all the social media handles for everyone who is taking part in the tour. If yo’d like to know more about the author, Rosa Temple, you can find her on Instagram at @rosatempleauthor
Book Tour Details:
27th June: Danielle ~ @asreadbyDanielle
28th June: Sophie ~ @bookdrunksophie
29th June: Els ~ @BookreviewB / Grace ~ @reviewerlady
30th June: Sophie ~ @Booksofsoph
1st July: Lesley ~ @janelesley
2nd July: Rhianydd ~ @rhianyddmorris
3rd July: Joanna ~ @thelibraryofimagination
4th July: Anasua ~ @a_n_a_s_u_a
5th July: Charlotte ~ @desperately_seeking_charlotte
6th July: Tam ~ @reading_tamishly
7th July: Alina ~ @book_nerd_cafe
8th July: Emma ~ @emsbookshelfx
9th July: Katie ~ @kates.bookcorner
10th July: Courtney ~ @courtney_in_a_book
11th July: Natalie ~ @reading_with_wine
12th July: Lynette ~ @netsreadsbooks
13th July: Joanne ~ @portybelle
14th July: Ria ~@the.hungry.reader
15th July: Rosie ~ @rosieandthebooks
16th July: Alexandra ~ @alexthebookish
17th July: Silvia ~ @silvia_reads
18th July: Gill ~ @gillianyoungauthor
19th July: Esther ~ @peacocks.bookreview.5
20th July: Karen ~ @un_lucky_clover
21st July: Louise ~ @louiseslittlelife
22nd July: Lucia ~ butterflys1974
23rd July: Suzanne ~ @bookread2day
