Dan and Gemma it's interesting having an already established couple and I love the meeting (again) in Lake Windemere. I loved the setting of places in this book, I hadn't read one on Liverpool before most of the books I pick up are based around London.

The main story is of Dan and Gemma wanting to buy a house (A Love Shack) in order to have the house of their dreams (they thought) they must live with Dan's mum for a while. I love the books she writes and quite her but wouldn't be too keen on living with her. A side story develops of Gemma's Ex Alex (Her first love) seeing him when on a job in Manchester. I didn't actually mind Alex too much even though Dan is my favourite. Dan's job is so rewarding but not the highest paid in the world when needing so much money for the house.

It dragged a little in the middle for me to give more than 3 stars however it was an easy read.

I the story being told from Dan's view point as well as Gemma. I really think Jane Costello manages to write well from his point of view. I do Dan much more than Gemma. In the end Dan does get what he wants showing sometimes people and doing what you love is better than having an expensive house and I'm pleased his job situation is sorted out too.great-guy laughoutloud liverpool ...more11 s Rosie104 47

I was given this book as a Christmas present so it's not the usual genre I would read, however I tried not to let this impact upon my rating.
Gemma and Dan are house hunting, when they finally come across the "perfect" house for them. Unfortunately, it's not in their budget and to be able to afford it they need to move in with Dan's mum. This is not the best arrangement for their privacy or sanity.
I d the way the story was told from both Dan and Gemma's perspective and it was quite humorous in parts. I did literally laugh out loud at some of the incidents. I did find the storyline a little flimsy, although it kept me entertained for most of the book. It was only towards the end that I really started to lose interest and just wanted things to move at a faster pace. It was very romantic and quite "lovey dovey", which is definitely not my cup of tea, but to be expected in a book titled "The Love Shack". Overall it was alright and I would recommend if wanting something very light hearted and easy to read. Also would recommend for those who romantic comedies. 12 s Prabhjot Kaur1,059 192

After reading Jane Costello's Summer Nights at the Moonlight Hotel and Girl on the Run and absolutely loving those, I had high hopes from The Love Shack but after reading about 40 pages I knew that I was not going to love it. But what I didn't anticipate was how much I was going to hate this book and I am really upset that I hated this book because I really wanted to love this.

Gemma and Dan are already a couple so it's a bit of a different premise than meet cute rom-com story. There are some flashbacks thrown in how they met and got together but I never saw any chemistry between the two. Also, this is told both from Dan as well as Gemma's perspective. In the beginning they both sounded the same and I couldn't care for either of them but about half way through I didn't mind Dan's character. He was thoughtful, caring and really loved his job helping people where he didn't even get paid that much.

Gemma on the other hand was an awful character. She was completely different to Abby from Girl on the Run and Lauren from Summer nights (both these characters I could relate to and didn't hate). Gemma was controlling, she lied, she cheated even though it was mostly distracted emotional affair and kept on butting in everyone's business. There was no explanation about her background save for a small mention of her mother. And what I hated most about her character was that she kept lying to everyone and told their secrets to others while keeping her own secrets safe with her. When Dan confronts her about borrowing money from his mother behind his back even though he repeatedly told her not to, she started crying. OMG I hate people when they are confronted for lying and they start to cry and pose as the victims. I cannot stand people those. I just hated her character more and more as the book kept progressing.

Also, it's a book about saving up to buy a house. I don't know how could this keep going for 484 pages. I wanted to DNF but kept on reading thinking may be it will get better but it never did.

This was supposed to be funny but I didn't even smile once let alone laugh at anything in the book. All the supporting characters were just plain boring and were there just for the sake of them being there. Again, I cannot believe that this was Jane Costello's work. I have her other books lined up for reading and I hope they are better.

0 starsadult-romance chick-lit contemporary ...more9 s Agi1,604 100

I've had a pleasure to read all Jane Costello's books and I loved all of them, without exception. They are light, easy and often have many laugh - out - loud moments, and there is nothing better after a stressful and demanding day to be able to sit with a book and relax. I am always waiting impatiently for Jane's new novels and every new publication day is my birthday coming sooner, and when I spotted that "The Love Shack" is going to be published in April, the countdown began.

Gemma and Dan are a couple, very lovely couple. They want to be with each other for ever so they decided that it's the highest time to buy a house together. And so the viewings begin... After months and months of seeing all sort of houses they find it: The Pebble Cottage. That's THE house. There is only one problem: it's a little over their budget. What now? Gemma has an idea: they should give up on the flat they're renting, move with Dan's mum and money that they are going to save this way invest in their dream house. Easy - peasy? Not necessary, but what has to be done, has to be done... Add to this an ex - boyfriend, crazy estate agent, mother who cooks so gladly, even though she can't cook, creaky bed and, shortly, no privacy... Are Dan and Gemma going to not only buy the house, but stand the test of time?

Eeek, I can't tell you enough what a gorgeous, funny, but also touching read it was! It has lived up to all my expectations and more. I have raced through the pages, fell in love with the characters, laughed out loud at their antics, kept my fingers crossed for them and actually felt a part of the story myself.

To be honest, I haven't expected Belinda, Dan's mother, to be this, and just let me tell you that she couldn't surprise me more! She's a colourful bird, larger than life character who first tells and then thinks about the consequences (or rather not!), and made her career as an author of books about bastards. I mean, men. Because in her eyes there is not a man that could be okay. Especially Dan's father, who is a different story, really. And well, it doesn't take long for Gemma and Dan to be desperate to move out again, and tucking Dan to sleep in the night is only the most harmless example why.

The story is told by Dan and Gemma alternatively, and it slowly goes round in a circle, as they both tell us not only about what is happening now but also recall their past and how they got to know each other. I absolutely loved the chapters told from Dan's point of view and Jane, really a great job to put herself so much into Dan's shoes, it all sounded so true and realistic. And well, now it's time for a confession, I bloody adored Dan. Swoon. Swoon. And swoon again. And maybe a little sigh. He was funny, he was ambitious, he was gorgeous, and he had a heart in the right place, and oh my god, I've just melted when I've seen what he did to secure the house for his girl. Meow. And instead of earning big money in the City he decided to work for a homeless charity. Shall I continue? I think you have the picture already, right?

Gemma was so relatable to and I could so absolutely understand and justify all the things that she did. Yes, maybe she shouldn't lie to Dan but oh my word, who of us haven't once closed your eyes and though: it is going to be okay, things will work out somehow? So there.

There is a bunch of great, colourful supporting characters, and I adored all of them, especially Gemma and Dan's work colleagues, or even Fanny Magnet. Ha! Sadie and Pete and their antics with the boss' car or falling in love were incredibly entertaining and they added tons of warmth and fun to the story. And let's not forget Rich, one in a million estate agent.

After reading "The Love Shack" I am so, so thankful to all the concerned and responsible that I NEVER had to look for a house. What an ungrateful job, guys...! And finding a house seems to be the easiest thing to do, the real work start later, with the surveys, all the paperwork and having to deal with the estate agents... Especially when they are called Rich, haha! Scenes with Rich with exceptional, the ones and only, believe me!

But the book is of course not only about finding your dream house. There is also the issue of having a father who doesn't feel father at all, of being honest to yourself and to your other half, of making decisions, of being adult, and yes, being adult often sucks! It is a bitter - sweat rollercoaster of a brilliant story, that is told in the most adorable, funny way. There were some scenes that had me laughing out loud, literally, especially when Gemma's boss was bemoaning his car, or when Gemma was "delicately" getting him to understand that she knows what he does in his office, but also all the scenes with Belinda have added so much humour, they were absolutely hilarious. The whole episode of buying the house is described with so much wit and every time the house sale was stopped or delayed because of some new - of course unpredictable - circumstances, I could only frown and eventually I myself couldn't wait for Dan and Gemma to GET. THEIR. DREAM. HOUSE. Without a squeaky bed and a group of Dan's mum's friends listening to the music (and all other things) in the kitchen downstairs.

So guys, the book is so worth reading! It contains love, drama, humour, tears, uncertainty, brilliant characters that you very quickly start to root for, and much, much more, written in the most pleasurable writing style. As usual in Jane's books, there are funny moments, balanced with the more serious one, and it certainly constitutes a great read. "The Love Shack" is a kind of read that you're going to treasure and care for. With every new book Jane Costello only confirms her strong position in the women's literature world, and this book is Jane at her best. So. Have you got your copy yet?

Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
2015 favourite8 s Rea Cobb431 701

I have yet to read a book this year that has really made me laugh so I treated myself to The Love Shack by Jane Costello as I can always rely on this author to get a smirk on my face. The cover is a complete new look compared to her previous books and I much prefer it, it is bold, bright and fun and really stands out so it gets a big thumbs up from me.

Dan and Gemma have found the house of their dreams but they need to raise more money and their only option is moving back in with Dan’s mum. Will their relationship survive the stress of buying a house on top of the troubles of living with Dan’s mum or will Gemma be tempted by her past?
I could really relate to parts of this book because my husband and I are currently in the process of moving back in with my parents, I just hope that we don’t have to endure half of the problems Dan and Gemma faced!

The storyline was realistic with wonderful relatable characters, Gemma and Dan were a delightful couple but it was Dan’s mum Belinda who won me over she provided a lot of the humour in this book, her innuendos when it came to sex had me in stitches! This is the first book in a long time that has really made me laugh. Jane Costello manages to write with such witty humour that flows so well it really seems to come naturally and fits in perfectly with the storyline.

I never knew all the way through the book if the couple would ever manage to get their dream house or not but I was really hoping they would because they were so good together and they really tried so hard to do everything in their power to make the house theirs they were desperate to get their dream home.


This was a fantastic, witty read and this is definitely my favourite by Jane Costello.
8 s Littlebookworm255 84

Gemma and Dan are madly in love and ready to move on to the next big step in their lives - buying a house together. They fall in love with Pebble Cottage at first sight, and are resolved to do anything in order to secure the house of their dreams - even moving in with Dan's mum Belinda for a few months in order to improve their financial situation. Needless to say the next few months prove to be challenging in more ways than one; they face obstacle after obstacle to finalise a deal on Pebble Cottage, the surmounting pressure taking its toll on their relationship, nor does the fact they get hardly any privacy now that they've moved in with Belinda help. To cap it all off when Gemma's ex boyfriend Alex shows up on the scene again, she can't help but feel the old spark between them strike up. However, what does it all spell for Dan and Gemma's relationship?

The central premise of the story is certainly quite different from Costello's previous work, with our hero and heroine already in a firm relationship at the start of the story. As such this is not the conventional boy meets girl, but rather boy and girl facing the everyday ups and downs of life and relationship challenges that you don't read about in most chicklit; this is more after the happy ever after territory. As such in some ways the story makes for a refreshing change; and the pressures and stresses that come Gemma and Dan's way are ones that most couples ly face at some point - especially buying your first house.

Given the subject matter, the plot did sometimes suffer from feeling too mundane though I thought. I want to read a book to escape, not to delve into the frustrating world of property markets and mortgages etc. Merely reading about the nightmare that was Pebble Cottage was enough to give me a headache. Perhaps as such I didn't find this quite such an easy read as Costello's other books, nor as sharp in humour. Certainly there were some funny parts, but the laughs didn't seem to come as often in this book.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of both Gemma and Dan; and yet despite this I didn't connect to either of them as much as some of Costello's previous central characters. Nor did I think that the chemistry between them was as palpable.

Overall I have to say I was left a little disappointed from what I have come to generally expect from Costello.7 s Irena BookDustMagic676 771

Review to come.7 s Terri 255 25

This isn’t something I would normally pick up. I usually tend to lean more towards the Young Adult or New Adult just because it’s closer to my actual age, meaning I relate to it more. But I was browsing the book section and thought this book looked quite interesting, and so here I am.

This book was so damn funny. I really d that it wasn’t funny in a silly, unrealistic way. There are so many books out there, that try to be too funny, and it’s just way over the top. But the humour in this book, was done so well and I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit.

I appreciated the unique story line this book offered. The characters were already in a relationship, and rather than this book being about them resolving an issue they had in their relationship (which most books which deal with characters already in relationships are), they were happy together and trying to make a life for themselves. There were of course a few ups and downs along the way (which is to be expected), but it was very unique I found, and I d the change of pace.

This book is full of fun and quirky characters. From the awkward mother in law who has no filter to the wacky slightly insane real estate agent, you're in for a good laugh. I loved how it was told in dual perspectives with alternating chapters, something I wasn’t expecting. I personally d reading Dan’s chapters more because he is just such a funny, sarcastic character and really sees things for how they are. Also, I just really d Dan and couldn’t get enough of him. Gemma was also a really nice character, although certain events in the book made me kind of not her for about 1/3 of the story. Reading from her perspective was entertaining though and I did enjoy it.

My only issue with this book, was the ending. I felt throughout the whole book the anticipation about what would happen was building and building, until when I finally got to it, I felt a bit let down. There were also times where I felt the story was dragging on a bit, but it wasn’t for long so it wasn’t a huge issue for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It did everything it was supposed to. It made me laugh (a lot), cry and kept me coming back for more. I would definitely recommend this for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Paige Toon, or if you just want a light hearted, funny British read reminiscent of the s of Brigit Jones' Diary.

4/5
4 s Gayathri White35 5

Firstly, I cannot believe all the high on this book, secondly - the best thing about this book is that I managed to finish it in 5 agonizing days and now can put it away for good.
It was dreadful, from page 1 right up to page 485 (?). How an entire premise is based on a couple buying a new house, is simply beyond me, I'm sorry but why was this even a story, no actually where was the story?

Page after page, I was hoping something more would come out from this entire tale, but it really was a sheer waste of time!

The story (if I could call it that) is told through two points of views, Dan and (to be honest I'm struggling to even remember the female character, because it truly was that forgettable and I only put the book down last night.) - Gemma, who have set their hearts on a house they cannot afford, but still want.

So basically the entire book is about how they manage to do everything in their power to try and raise enough funds to buy their dream house.

The book is deemed as a laugh out loud novel - only if you're one who enjoys fart jokes, people having diarrhea and find picking your nose funny will you be able to appreciate the humour in this novel. It didn't even make me smile, not once! At very most, it made me sick and sad that this was considered humour.

To my surprise as well, this book which supposedly is based in the UK, had several US references in it - such as Frasier Crane, which I of course know (I watch too many US sitcoms), but I know enough people who live in the UK, who barely know who this character is. There was also a mention of walking into a seven-eleven for a bottle of wine, which I am sure isn't in the UK.

Factual errors were all over the place. In addition, there was a lot of reference to Dan's family and his back ground, but almost zero to where Gemma came from - no mention of who her parents were or if she had any siblings (maybe I missed it, so correct me if I'm wrong) - therefore character development fell flat for me.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, it was way too long, way too long-winded, background stories dropped into the middle of nowhere, making it really hard to follow and even if it was not in the least bit funny, it didn't even tug at my heart strings. Never have I been so glad to finish a book and put it out of my memory for ever now.4 s ~ Cariad ~1,906 54

Laugh out loud funny, romantic and very British audiobook. I'll definitely listen to more by this author. 00-audiobooks4 s Sophie566 33

Posted in full http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/2015...


Before The Love Shack, I’d only ever read one Jane Costello book which was The Time Of Our Lives. I completely fell in love with Jane’s writing on my first read and even now, having read countless books from other brilliant authors since, The Time Of Our Lives is still one of my favourite books and I still think about the characters now. With that I knew I just had to read Jane’s next novel, and back catalogue and every book to come, and The Love Shack did not disappoint at all. Jane has this gorgeous style of writing that has you actually laughing out loud one minute then feeling so moved emotionally within the next page or so. What I loved about The Love Shack, which was evident from the two introductory chapters to main characters Dan and Gemma, is that this was a book written about two characters obviously genuinely madly in love with each other. It stood out straight away because a lot of women’s fiction is about a girl meeting a guy and then all the feelings and issues that come with the building of a relationship. But Dan and Gemma, their chemistry and love for each other rolled off the pages. They were both wonderfully vibrant, loved-up characters and even though you know that Jane is going to throw obstacle after obstacle in front of them, the characters and plot were so refreshing to read that even with the more tender moments, it was a book that left me feeling warm and happy and optimistic, every time I had to put it down.

Dan and Gemma have found their perfect home. It’s not actually perfect, there’s a mountain of work to be done on it, but it is perfect for them. Pebble Cottage. The issue is (or at least one of the several hundred issues is) that they cannot afford it, on their own, in any sense. I’m sure people who have been house hunting can relate that it can be a complete nightmare. Well poor Dan and Gemma do not fill you with much hope that that’s not the case, but they are both strong-willed and stubborn and decide that they can’t give up on Pebble Cottage. They have to buy it, even if that means giving up their current rented place and moving in with Dan’s mum, Belinda, until they can afford it. For the first half of the book, my jaw was aching so badly I can’t even explain, I was just laughing so much at the chaos that was living with Belinda. Dan’s mum was completely lovely but also completely mad. From her loud singing the wrong words to the strangest of songs, to her horrendous assassination of food (or cooking as she knows it), to her sexual innuendos which had me cringing and Dan desperately wanting to disappear, she was crazy but so much fun to read about. Jane wrote Belinda’s character so naturally funny that I could really picture this barmy woman doing everything that was described, even tucking her 29 year old son up in bed…

The Love Shack is told in alternate chapters between Dan and Gemma. I find it rare to read equally from a man’s perspective in women’s fiction, and especially not as realistically as Jane has done here. Dan’s voice really comes through and he is very believable. I loved his character and yes he did have me swooning but also laughing, a lot. He wasn’t too cheesy-romantic and over the top but at the same time, he wasn’t an overdone typical male character. I felt Jane portrayed him in such a great way in that you know he has those stereotypical male thoughts (the pain of creaky beds when you’re living with your girlfriend at your mum’s house…) but you can also find yourself falling head over heels with the romantic side to his character too. Dan was a witty character but so was Gemma and I really enjoyed her character too. She wasn’t perfect, she wasn’t always completely honest but she was thoughtful and caring and only ever wanted the best for everyone. Some of my favourite Gemma moments were at work where we see her relationships with Sebastian and Sadie. Some of the situations they found themselves in had me cracking up and their solutions made me laugh even more. Jane wrote every character in this book, even the minor supporting ones, so vividly and with so much personality that I had built up such strong pictures in my mind that it felt more I was watching a film and could catch on to the characters and every detail about their image and temperament. Another favourite character of mine was Rich who was just inimitable (and I’m not sure I mean that in a good way).

The Love Shack is a light-hearted novel, a delight to read but it also has lots of depth to it and as the story transpires, you can see there’s much more to this book than a couple saving money for their dream home. Relationships need a lot of work to keep on track but family, friends, careers and memories have a big role in this book too and not every moment is a happy one. This was just the kind of book I’d been hoping to read though, one that made me think but not too much, more the kind of tonic to put a relentless smile on my face and cheer me up, as I’ve learnt Jane’s books are good at. The characters had so much to give which if I’m honest left me not wanting the book to end because this is another set of characters that I will still be thinking of long after I’ve finished the book. Jane has combined a wonderful range of one-liners, a creative and often crazy group of characters and a hectic, over-the-top yet purely romantic core and it worked a treat. Another Jane Costello hit.

*Book received for an honest review3 s Jane LinfootAuthor 25 books248

I loved this book. I've read several other books by Jane Costello, and found them fab, but for me The Love Shack has a lot extra. Great characters, set in a series of agonising, yet very believable situations, all springing effortlessly off the page. A page turner of a read, that sped via a twist or two, to a satisfyingly unexpected end. Brilliant writing, a tremendous book. 3 s Hannah23

The only reason I gave this book 3 stars is because I loved Dan
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