Veronica Henry: The Impulse Purchase (October 2026)

The Impulse Purchase made is The Swan, a pub in the village where Cherry grew up. She has, reluctantly, sold her late widowed mother’s house and feels that she is severing her links with her past when she discovers that The Swan is going to be sold for redevelopment into flats. The pub was always at the heart of village life and she has previously, skilfully restored properties for pleasure and financial gain.

She has money from the sale of the family home that her mother instructed her to spend on herself so it does seem to be a sound idea, but Cherry presents her recently retired partner, Mike, with a fait accompli which, given all their plans for their future together, was rather startling.

There was an incident at his retirement party that caused Cherry to have fears about their relationship but they have been happy for fifty years and he is a loving, committed, partner, father, grandfather and great-grandfather so we wondered why she didn’t simply ask him if her insecurities were justified?

Mike is left on his own while Cherry is joined by her widowed daughter, her granddaughter and great granddaughter who are ready to undertake the project and the daughter has a marketing company so has relevant skills to contribute.

The usual building company Cherry employs is available, so work begins and the pub is given its makeover in an astonishingly short period of time.

It was good to have three generations of women pooling their talents and resources, four generations counting the great-granddaughter, and other characters are introduced who play their own parts.

The Swan is now very stylish but maintains the qualities of a friendly local pub.

This is a warm, feel-good novel, easy to read and full of descriptions of nature, lovely interiors, food and chic clothes, oh, and a handsome pig farmer!

The family at the centre are enviably gorgeous, talented and clever although there has been a bereavement with the quite recent death of Cherry’s son-in-law and the grief and conflict of considering the possibility of a new relationship is sensitively portrayed.

There are other difficult issues covered, such as the worn-out teenage girl who is a carer for her mother and has responsibility for her siblings. However, we felt that there could have been more grit in the novel and there were occasions when we thought the plot or characters were going to take a dark turn but didn’t.

We are obviously not used to uplifting stories where people are helped through great difficulties with loving support from friends and family.

This is well-written and warm and there is definitely a place for heart-warming books.

3/5