Review - The Bow Wow Club by Nicola May

Nicola May wrote a terrific book called Working It Out which I read in 2011 (my review can be found here), where we first met Ruby Matthews and her fabulously flamboyant friends and neighbours. In this book, the sequel, Ruby experiences tragedy and loss like she could never imagine.
 
While she is trying so hard to get on with her life she meets gorgeous author Michael Bell who turns her life upside down.  In an attempt to sort her head out, she volunteers to help out at the BOW WOW Club (Boyfriends of Widows, Wives of Widowers).  She hopes that this club will give her the courage to move forward in an extremely difficult time of her life. It is at this club that she meets the most wonderful people, all with a hilarious background and only Nicola could put someone with Tourette's syndrome into a book and make it hilariously funny without offending anyone.

About quarter of the way through reading this hilarious book, I realised that I had read the majority of it with a bit great big grin on my face. The characters that we met in the last book, continue their lives which are completely bonkers and tons of fun.  The book is told from two sides, from Ruby's and also from Michael's and there are some quite rude thoughts from Michael, but they just make the story what it is and aren't in the least bit offensive. 

In true Nicola May style I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book and just loved every single second of it which I devoured in just two sessions. The first night I was only going to read a couple of chapters but found myself forcing it out of my hands when I got to Chapter 18 and realised that I was going to be exhausted the next day.  It was one of those books that you keep thinking about even when you are away from it and I couldn't wait to get home to read it.
 
I honestly could read about Ruby, her life, her friends and the antics they get up to until the day that she dies. No pressure there Nicola May but one book a year about Ruby till she's in a care home would be pretty fab! Actually I bet Nicola could write some cracking stories about Ruby and Fi in an old folks home! They would be having such a whale of a time! She is so good at developing characters that you feel you have known all your life.  I'd quite like to go to the pub with Ruby, Fi and Nicola - they would be such good fun on a night out although I'm not sure I'd keep up with them!

This completely delicious book was such great fun to read from start to finish but there were also points that I found extremely emotional too.  The ending was exactly what I wished for and had me with tears streaming down my face yet laughing at the same time - not a pretty sight I have to admit!  It warmed the cockles of my heart with the fairytale ending.   A fabulous feel-good read.  

Nicola's biography says that she is a huge fan of and is inspired by her favourite authors Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews.  Nicola May should be high up on the bookshop shelves with these two amazing authors and lovely ladies as she is most definitely a best selling author with a wonderfully emotional and hilarious writing style that I could read forever.   I think her writing gets better with each novel she writes.

If you like the sound of this book which I highly recommend, you can pre-order it right here.  It is due for publication on 14th May.  I'm so honoured that Nicola has asked me to read it before it's out.  It really is a complete honour to be invited and you probably have gathered by now that I completely loved it.    
 

Nicola May lives in Berkshire. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks and enjoying a flutter on the horses.    She has written three other novels Better Together, Star Fish and The School Gates  
 
You can find out more about Nicola and more about the other books she has written at www.nicolamay.com.
 
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