Country Wives
A Novel
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Welcome back to Barleybridge, the picture-postcard English village where everybody knows their neighbors . . .
Kate Howard is still working as the receptionist at the Barleybridge Veterinary Hospital, but now she is determined to attend veterinary college. Things are running smoothly, both at work and in Kate’s life, especially now that Scott Spencer, the handsome Australian vet who stole Kate’s heart, has left town. But Scott’s replacement, Daniel Brown, is quickly making enemies of the staff and clients alike with his abrupt style and unreasonable demands. When Dan causes the loss of an important client, the wives connected to the practice determine that something must be done to stop him.
For her part, Kate secretly appreciates Dan’s no-nonsense approach, despite everyone else’s ongoing annoyance. When Kate is faced with a devastating tragedy, Dan reveals a sad secret of his own and helps her through her crisis. But what will the rest of the town think of their newfound friendship?
Delightfully warm, engaging, and filled with the simple joys of small-town English life, Country Wives will inspire readers to return to Barleybridge again and again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The second entry in Shaw's Barleybridge series (after A Country Affair) is a charming account of life in and out of a small English town's veterinary hospital. Newcomer Daniel Brown is a temporary vet with a passion for his craft, but his gruff manner costs the practice an influential client, angering his employers. Dan does have a few fans, though, including Miriam Price, the senior partner's wife, and Kate Howard, a receptionist who aspires to be a vet. Both rightly suspect something unfortunate has happened to Dan in his past, and as he takes Kate along on appointments, pieces of his past come to light. Kate, meanwhile, wants to know more about her mother, who abandoned the family when Kate was born, but she doesn't want to hurt her dad or her stepmom, Mia, who raised her. When a tragedy befalls Kate's family, she gets her wish, for better or worse. Though Shaw creates memorable characters, she goes overboard with one villain. That aside, the action at Barleybridge from catching an animal abuser to the office politics spurred on by the vets' wives makes for addictive reading.
