Review: Going Dutch by Katie Fforde

There are some books you finish and enjoy, and then there are the books you remember years later because of how they made you feel. Going Dutch by Katie Fforde has always fallen into that second category for me.

This was actually my second re-read of Going Dutch. When I was choosing a book for our book club, I wanted something I already knew was a good one. This book is warm, funny, romantic and easy to sink into. I’ve also listened to the audiobook version and Rachel Beresford does such a great job with it!

Going Dutch follows two women at very different stages of their lives who both suddenly find themselves having to rethink what comes next.

Jo's husband has left her for a younger woman, leaving her to rebuild a life that had been intertwined with his for years. Meanwhile, Dora has called off her engagement after realising that marrying her perfectly respectable but incredibly boring fiancé isn't the future she wants either.

Their circumstances bring them together aboard a barge on the Thames, and from there we get new friendships, adventures, food, romance and two women slowly discovering that having your life thrown off course doesn't necessarily mean you're lost.

Sometimes it means you're finally heading somewhere better.

The best way I can describe this book is lovely.

It has such a wonderful feel-good quality to it. There are friendships, new beginnings, romance and characters making big changes to their lives, but none of it feels overly heavy.

It's the sort of book that makes you want to spend a sunny afternoon in the garden with a glass of Pimm's, ignoring everything else you should probably be doing.

The setting is a huge part of its charm. Life aboard the barge and the community surrounding it are described so beautifully that it's easy to romanticise the whole idea. I'm sure the reality of living on a barge involves considerably more mud, maintenance and inconvenience than Katie Fforde lets me imagine, but I don't particularly care.

One of my favourite things about Going Dutch is that we aren't following just one heroine or one romance.

Jo and Dora are at completely different stages of life, but their stories work beautifully alongside each other. I particularly loved watching Jo rediscover herself after being left by her husband.

At the beginning, her confidence has understandably taken a beating. So seeing her gradually become more independent, build a new life and realise that she still has plenty of adventures ahead of her was probably one of my favourite parts of the book.

Dora's journey is different. She's walked away from the life everyone expected her to want and now has to work out what she actually wants instead.

Neither woman has everything figured out and that's what makes them so relatable.

There are two romances running through the story, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend picking this up expecting a romance-heavy read. The love stories are important, but they're really just one part of something bigger.

For me, this is as much a story about friendship, independence and starting over as it is about finding love.

Katie Fforde is brilliant at filling her books with characters who actually feel like people. They're funny, flawed, occasionally frustrating and often surprising.

Carole was a particular highlight for me. I loved watching her evolve from someone who could easily have been dismissed as the stereotypical "dumb blonde" into a character who is much more switched on than people give her credit for. She knows far more about what she wants than we initially assume.

It's those little character journeys that make the world feel so warm and lived-in.

There's also plenty of food, entertaining and community woven throughout the story, which only adds to the cosy atmosphere. At times, I didn't even need anything dramatic to happen, I was quite happy just hanging out with everyone. It did make me crave cups of tea though, they are always putting the kettle on!

I went into this re-read already knowing the broad strokes of what was going to happen, so there wasn't the same sense of discovery you'd get the first time around. But that's also part of the joy of returning to a comfort read. Going Dutch still gave me exactly what I remembered; lovely characters, beautiful surroundings, plenty of humour and that comforting feeling that even when life doesn't go according to plan, something wonderful might still be waiting around the corner.

There's a reason I remembered this book well enough to choose it for book club.

Going Dutch isn't an angsty, dramatic romance that will have you frantically turning pages at 2am, it's something much gentler.

If you're looking for something uplifting, charming and wonderfully British, preferably accompanied by sunshine, a comfy chair and a cup of tea, this is a lovely one to add to your TBR.

And considering I've now read it at least three times, I suspect this won't be my last visit to the Thames either.

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