Thyme Out

In the 10 years since the collapse of her tempestuous marriage, Perdita Dylan has become beautiful, confident and determinedly celibate. Now the owner of a thriving salad nursery, she has patched her life back together and has almost completely forgotten how much she loved, and then hated, her ex-husband. So when she finds out that he has taken over the kitchen belonging to one of her most important clients, she is understandably wary. Add to this the fact that she is going to have to play at being polite to him during the filming of a new TV celebrity chef programme at her run-down cottage and it seems inevitable that her world is about to fall apart.

Thyme Out is Katie Fforde's sixth novel and builds on her strength as a funny, poignant storyteller. She has the knack of portraying realistic, self-sufficient women such as Perdita, who although vulnerable and alone, especially when the mainstay of her life (the 87-year-old Kitty) has a stroke, is never desperate--indeed it is only the concern of her colleagues and friends that forces her to reassess whether or not she wants to do anything about being single. Predictable yet comforting in its familiarity, Thyme Out is perfect reading for the bath. --Jane Honey

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A Really Fun Read! - Rated
Written with the winning combination of wit and poignancy for which Katie is renowned, this novel is a sheer delight to read. The humour and vivid characters has ensured that this book remain with me long after first picking it up.

After her acrimonious divorce, Perdita Dylan has built up both her life and a successful business growing unusual salad. When she arrives at the restaurant with her usual delivery of vegetables, she expects it to be a normal morning. She certainly does not expect to find that her ex-husband Lucas has taken over as head chef. In the ten years since their disastrous marriage, Perdita has grown in confidence and is now perfectly capable of standing up for herself against the volatile and determined Lucas.

Sit back and enjoy the fireworks as these two strong individuals struggle to maintain a working relationship, a task that is made even more difficult when they are forced to appear together on a television cookery programme. The chemistry and sexual tension between them only adds to the fun. Then, when Perdita's elderly friend Kitty suffers a serious stroke, she discovers a side to Lucas that she had not previously envisaged.

This novel is guaranteed to have you both laughing out loud and wiping away the tears.

Not as good as the others - Rated
Note; Thyme Out and Second Thyme Around are the same book!
Despite the other reviews I actually did enjoy this but found the characterisation of the 2 leads a bit hard to swallow. Still a very fun piece of escapism. Read Restoring Grace which has a larger cast of characters for some more fun.

Unusual Flop for this writer, and hard to swallow!! - Rated
I've liked the 3 previous novels I've read from Katie Fforde but this one, which I started to read with interest, was an irritating bore almost from the first page. It seems surprising that one same writer could write such different books, but it's obviously the case. This one is, simply, a clumsy and implausible read.

First, the male hero, Lucas, is an over the top cartoonish version of the typical "cheap" romantico hero-- volcanic, violent, arrogant, aggressive and always in some sort of bad mood. Plus, he's always right --or the reader is supposed to think! Secondly, the heroine, Perdita, is just annoying. Her backstory and what she's doing with her life right now, the whole veggie garden etc, is quite appealing, but her personality sways from teenage angst to irritating little girl wishy washyness. She never seems to know herself and her reaction to Lucas is unrealistic and unappealing. What sort of woman in the 20 century remains "untouched" for 10 years because of one guy, and then responds with this level of repressed Victorian passion to the same guy, as if by a magic click? Ridiculous.

And thirdly, and perhaps worse, it's just not well written-- unlike the other books I've read by Fforde. There are typos, syntax mistakes, strangely worded sentences and voice confusions. In all, an amateurish effort and very disappointing.

Messed up, unappealing main characters - Rated
Katie Fforde has written some wonderful romantic comedies like Wild Designs, but Thyme Out is a huge disappointment. ...I found the nasty temper of Lucas (the "hero") hard to take. He's not only obnoxious to Perdita, but also abusive to his kitchen staff (more unforgivable in my opinion because they're not in a position to strike back). ...I didn't find much to like about Perdita either. The scene where she attacked Lucas with a kitchen knife made me particularly queasy, since I don't find domestic violence all that entertaining. I much prefer the charm, kindness, and humor of couples like Wild Designs' Althea and Patrick.

Heathcliff meets Darcy - Rated
I really loved this book -- so much so, that I promptly re-read it once I finished it (I haven't done that since I was 10 years old). Lucas Gillespie is so-well drawn that you can truly understand why Perdita just can't deny her attraction to him. He is dark and brooding, but his outstanding love for Perdita is hard for him to hide (although he certainly tries to hide it throughout the book). Perdita is a charming character, and her relationship with her quasi-grandmother Kitty is just perfect. This is a perfect book when you are in the mood for a light (but clever) romance, witty repartie/sparks between the main characters, and a cozy setting to boot.