Love's Labours

‘Love’s Labours’ by Simon Truckle

‘Love’s Labours’ by Simon Truckle

A Book Review

It’s always a nerve wracking experience to review a book for a friend, or a friend of a friend, and you know that all their hopes are pinned on a positive outcome.  

I mean how bloody awful would it be for a new writer to receive news that their months and months of hard work, sweat and tears is a load of old pants?  I can tell you… it’s pretty awful.  

Well, fortunately for Mr Simon Truckle who has put his first ever novel OUT THERE, it’s going to be nothing but positive feedback.  Hoorah!!!  

Let me start with the warning that you cannot remain grumpy while reading this book as it will make you snort with laughter.  Even the write up on the back will make you giggle, with reviews such as: 

“I couldn’t put it down!” – Barry from the glue factory 

“I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!” – (can I take these boxing gloves off now?)

Without a word of a lie, you all need to get your backsides over to Amazon and order this book immediately so that you can soak up the sun in Greece with unlikely heroes Scott and Oliver. 

To give you a brief overview, Scott is not in a good place when we join him, and when his beloved Uncle Terry dies, leaving him all his (many) worldly possessions, he is tasked with completing his own version of the modern day labours of Hercules before he can cash in on his inheritance.  

Love's Labours

With best friend Oliver in tow, they head off to Greece to carry out the labours with their own very personal twist.  This is no mean feat bearing in mind Scott suffers from an extreme travel anxiety which makes it difficult enough to venture next door, let alone to the Greek Islands; and Oliver is incredibly shortsighted but too vain to wear glasses.  

From hen do’s in the Blue Parrot Club to disgruntled donkeys in a public restroom, you really need to join this hapless duo and their friends on their journey.  The characterisation in this tale is great too.  We really can empathise with the lovely and long suffering Vanessa, and totally fall for Taffos the Greek taverna owner, who’s parents sent him off to Wales to learn the English language. 

In my view, this book is one of the funniest summer holiday reads that you will come across.  I mean, who else would describe unused windsurf boards which never go in the water as Chardonnay, Stephen Fry, Gobi, and Rot….because they are all very, very dry.  

Simon writes like the love child of Nick Hornby and Kathy Lette, and has actually provided me with one of my favourite funny quotes of all time… “If he’d been any less intelligent he would have needed watering twice a day.”  

Simon, just so you know, I will be using this fairly frequently in every day life from now on and claiming it as my own!

Sherry x

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