Barrister Lottie Campbell is always in a hurry – the only thing that keeps her going is her work. She doesn’t have time for her boyfriend Luke and friend Amy and she often finds herself short – tempered and snapping at them. Then her beloved grandmother Cora dies, and Lottie is determined to re – evaluate her life, spend more time with her Granddad Teddy, Luke and Amy but the road to hell is paved with good intentions, right? Nothing changes, moreover, Lottie is even more under stress and her relationships are suffering but Lottie can’t split herself into four or more pieces to make everyone happy. But Teddy sees how stressed Lottie is, and how much her relationship with Luke suffers. Together with his friends from his Gin O’Clock Club, Arjun, Geoffrey and Howard, he comes up with a plan to help the young with old – fashioned versus modern dating. Is it going to help or will it be too much for all involved?

I’ll be honest, I was a bit afraid to read this book – I was scared that the octogenarian characters are going to spoil the reading experience totally, and not because I don’t like octogenarian characters but because it’s so, so hard and difficult to find believable octogenarians in the books. They’re either serene, having the whole world’s wisdom in them or too overdone and unrealistic. However, and oh my god, thank you Rosie Blake for this, she has written brilliant, real characters that I absolutely adored! The close knit group of Teddy’s friends must probably be one of the best I have come across in my books, their antics are priceless, they’re funny and authentic and their friendship and their support of each other were an absolute joy to read. They were prone to interfere, but within reason, and they really cared about what’s going to happen with Lottie and Luke. The dates they had in store for them were amazingly different! Finally something new and fresh and the dating the old – fashioned way was a highlight of this book. Though I must admit that I wouldn’t say no to more of Teddy’s modern dates.

I think that the author has done a great job in creating Teddy’s character, he was the unspoken hero of the novel. She has captured all his emotions so well, his devastation at Cora’s death, at trying to live life without his beloved wife and the desperation in him missing her so much was so palpable through the pages. Yet he tried so much to stay strong for Lottie and his friends and I really wanted to give him a standing ovation more than once, especially as he so often was forced to jump over his own shadow in trying to comfort Lottie, as it was always Cora who has handled all the emotional problems.

My only problem was Lottie. Yep. I liked her at the beginning though the more I got to know her, the more I felt myself taking a dislike to her. I really couldn’t understand the way she was behaving and really, she had better luck that she was surrounded by people who didn’t judge her and who had a lot of patience. I felt so sorry for Luke and for Teddy when she was in one of her moods, and I was all the time wondering how long are they going to cope with this? Yes, she was torn, I get it, and she really tried to prioritise the things she thought were important, but in the end she took all her frustrations out on people that were always there for her, and while yes, it works like this in real life, I simply didn’t want to see Lottie destructing even more in her life.

There is a lot happening in this story, there is not a single moment that you won’t feel entertained, and it’s full of emotional and unforgettable scenes, both funny and poignant ones. There is golf playing, women’s protest, vintage cars, art classes, ballroom dancing, music making and a lot of gin, of very different flavour. It is told in alternating narrations, between Lottie and her grandfather, and this last one in the form of letters to his late wife, and those letters were beautiful. Full of love and emotions, and it was great to see Teddy opening up, at least on the pages, writing how the things really are. And Teddy had a great sense of humour and was a brilliant observer!

Even though I had some problems with Lottie I still adored this book. It was brilliantly written and I loved the story – telling and the fact that it felt so refreshing and different. Rosie Blake has written a brilliant, uplifting novel, filled with a wide cast of colourful and unforgettable characters. This novel was entertaining, a bit thought – provoking, full of feel – good factor and touching moments at the same time. It was a story about family and friends, about grief and finding your way again that I highly recommend!

A touching read about life, career, family and relationships - and how hard it is to fit them all in!

Lottie is a career girl; a barrister, she aims to be the youngest ever silk but it needs an inordinate amount of focus. When her beloved grandmother dies, Lottie needs to support her grandfather and make sure he isn't lonely; as her best friend's bridesmaid she need to support her - and then there's her boyfriend Luke, ever supportive and undemanding. How will she fit them all in to her days?

I'm pretty certain this novel will ring a bell with many women; if only elastic was built into each 24 hour period, eh? But having to commit all to working hours (and later, with prep for the next day), doesn't leave a lot of time to fit everything else in. Add in grief, lack of sleep and we've all been where Lottie finds herself. The Gin O'Clock Club to the rescue! This group of men, friends of her grandfather's are a motley crew, lively and entertaining despite (or maybe because of?) their years. As young and old come together there is such a lot they have to learn from each other and in doing so they provide much entertainment. Uplifting and with huge injections of fun and laughter, this is a book with lots of highs and lows; the question is which will win out at the end of the day? A good read which I'm happy to give 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

This was a really enjoyable read, but one that I found quite emotional.

When Lottie’s grandma passes away, she feels overwhelmed by all her responsibilities. She’s got to look after her grandad, manage her job and try and keep her relationship with Luke going smoothly. It’s all too much for her and her and Luke just keep drifting apart. Then, as a project for her grandad, his friends decide that he should try online dating and in exchange, Lottie and Luke will date the old fashioned way and do some proper courting. Cue a whole bunch of fun date ideas and heartwarming scenes.

What I loved about this book is that although it was a romance, it was different to a lot of romances in that it focused on an already established couple. It showed the realities of a real adult relationship and the challenges that couples face every day to balance everything in life. It felt real and realistic and I really appreciated that. Loving someone is never enough, you have to work at a relationship and this book showed that so beautifully.

I cried quite a bit at this book as it was quite emotional. I enjoyed it a lot and loved the old fashioned dating - so many fun and cute ideas. The characters were all fab and I loved how well crafted they were. The book was engaging and well written and I definitely recommend it.

Found this book a great ready would highly recommend to anyone looking for a book that keeps you hooked...

The right book at the right time. It made smile, laugh and feel good.
It's an engrossing and entertaining story, the characters are fleshed out and likable, the plot kept me hooked.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Gin O’Clock Club is one of those nice feel good books. We have Lottie who’s a barrister. She’s getting more stressed out by the day and snapping at her boyfriend Luke and their relationship has seen better days. Her grandmother has recently died so she agrees if her grandfather starts dating again, she and Luke will try some old school romancing but of course nothing in life ever runs smoothly. There are some great characters in this book and I found it to be a very enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author for the chance to review.

I thought this was a good read, nice light reading and easy to get into. The characters were likable to.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This is my introduction to Rosie Blake's novels, and I adored it to pieces, it is funny, moving, with a wide cast of characters, all of whom I loved, set in London. It begins with the death of Cora, the much loved wife of Teddy, the grandfather of Lottie Campbell, who chose to live with her grandparents after her parents moved abroad. Hotshot barrister Lottie is now living with her beloved boyfriend, graphic designer Luke. Teddy is devastated, finding it hard to imagine life without Cora, and trying to support him through his grief, and desperately missing Cora herself, workaholic Lottie finds herself torn apart, although Luke is a rock, visiting Teddy regularly and supporting Lottie too. Stepping up to ensure Teddy doesn't drop into the abyss of depression are his elderly golfing reprobates, Geoffrey, Arjun and the brash Howard, relating his gory dating details, who organise activities and the tasting of various new flavours of gin in their Gin O'Clock Club.

Teddy worries about Lottie, it was always Cora who handled the emotional needs of those around them, and seeing her relationship with Luke needs help, he agrees to go dating, signing up to various apps, if in return Lottie and Luke agree to go on a variety of old fashioned dates organised by him and his golfing friends. This takes the form of an evening playing whist, where Lottie and Luke meet the elderly Margaret and Paula, an art life class with Arjun as the nude life model and more. However, as a stressed Lottie fails to prioritise Luke, indeed takes all her frustrations out on him, nor find time for her best friend Amy who has always been there for her, Amy is getting married and for a change needs Lottie, her world starts to creak to the point of collapse. Lottie has forgotten what matters in her blind ambition to be the youngest silk, as she goes in full on self destruct mode with her certifiable behaviour, is it going to cost her Luke and Amy?

Blake's characters and their development is stellar, I particularly loved Luke, Amy and the close knit friendship circle of the Gin O'Clock Club, their antics and behaviour are priceless, their friendship a joy to behold, as they take Lottie and Luke to their heart, invested in trying to ensure Lottie does not carelessly lose all that matters to her. Teddy is so endearing as he tries to step into the emotionally space that Cora used to fill, and his letters to her are so incredibly touching in reflecting just how close and loving their long marriage was. This is the kind of contemporary fiction that I think any reader will love, it is entertaining, full of warmth, hilarious, and moving all at the same time, with a set of charismatic and memorable characters that you will come to love. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

I haven’t read any Rosie Blake novels before and I really enjoyed the humour and down to earth writing style she used. I was not a fan of Lottie at all and could not really understand why Luke put up with her attitude for much of the book. I realise that it was purposeful but goodness she seemed to have little to redeem her character until about two thirds of the way through. I really enjoyed the story but would have enjoyed it more I think if Lottie’s character had been a little less self-absorbed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy.

This is the first of Rosie Blake’s books that I have read and it was a great read. It is centred around Lottie who is living with Luke, has a busy job as a barrister and suddenly loses her grandmother who together with her grandfather brought her up when her parents moved abroad. Lottie finds it difficult to cope splitting herself between her grandfather, her job, Luke and her best friend Amy who is getting married soon. She ends up pushing everyone away before her grandfather and his friends from the Gin o clock club try to bring life back to her relationship with Luke by doing things the ‘old fashioned way’.
A bit predictable at times but it was still a lovely book to read which set out in a lovely way.

Here’s a question. Do you find yourself swamped with work, having lost all semblance of a social life?
Perhaps The Gin O’Clock Club’s gentle steering may give you direction, as it did to Lottie.

Lottie is always in a hurry, rushing through her days ticking tasks off her to-do lists. Teddy is worried about his granddaughter and knows his late wife, Cora, would have known exactly what to say to make things better. With Cora gone, it's up to Teddy to talk some sense into Lottie.

Engaging the help of Arjun, Geoffrey and Howard, the elderly reprobates who make up his Gin O'Clock Club, Teddy makes a plan to help Lottie find her way back to the things that really matter - family, friendship and love. But as Lottie balances a high-powered job with her reluctant attendance at whist drives, ballroom dances and art sessions, Teddy wonders if she's really ready to open up her heart to the possibility of true happiness.

One of the reasons I loved this book was because I saw myself in Lottie – in her letting work take priority, pushing everything else to the back burner until it is ultimately forgotten. As a character she is endearingly relatable, even though you often want to shake her by her shoulders, tell her to wake up and smell the coffee.

Luke, her boyfriend, is delightful, despite Lottie taking him for granted. The scene stealer, though, is Teddy who, while struggling with the death of his soulmate, is determined to help Lottie. The letters he writes to Cora, as a way to draw strength from her, are heart-breaking but also inspiring. The lifelong friendship between the club members is #goals and breaks many age-related stereotypes.

Family, friendships and a cross-generational camaraderie that is hard to come by, is what makes this novel different. Lottie's and Teddy’s stories are guaranteed to worm their way into your heart.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Sphere - an imprint of Little Brown Book Group UK.

Loved this book! I really enjoyed the characters and the story line.
Teddy has just lost his wife and trying to get through the days without her. Their granddaughter lottie is not happy. Working all the time and not really paying attention to the people around her. Teddy and his gin o’clock friends give lottie a challenge. To do dating the old fashion way with her partner. If she does then he will try dating himself. Lots of laughs and tears along the way but lottie finally realises her priorities have been all wrong.

I really loved the premise of this book. I liked the idea of someone being forced to slow down and the rule of dating being reversed so that young people went on dates like their grandparents and grandparents used dating apps and played the field like we have to do. I also loved the idea of a cross-generational novel. I am enjoying the surge of this trope in the market.


Lottie was an interesting character to spend this novel with but unfortunately I didn’t gel with her at all. I love a complex character and Lottie is definitely true to life but I really couldn't get along with her and found her scenes a little stressful to read. She has taken way too much on her shoulders and she is neglecting those around her. The trouble is no one is telling her that she is neglecting them and reminding her that she can’t do it all and so she carries on blindly. I did expect her to grow on me as the book progressed but I just grew to dislike her even more and I think if she had been my friend, I would have said something a long time ago.


I really enjoyed the fact that we alternate between Lottie’s scenes and her grandma's scenes which are told through letters to his late wife. I always enjoy books with letters in and it gave us a chance to really see things from his perspective and I found them to be a refreshing break from what was going on with Lottie to some extent.


There are definitely care warnings here for bereavement, especially if you have recently lost someone and I also found Lottie’s anxieties rubbing off on me and so do take care of your own mental health before reading. I loved the way this book is structured and loved the dual perspective we got but I really wish I had grown to love Lottie over time.

A great heartfelt novel, that left a wonderful warm and fuzzy feeling and a determination to follow in #TheGinOClockClub ethos and inject a touch of OAP style courting back into my own love life.

Good read, enjoyed this one but felt it could have been slightly shorter. I lost interest in certain parts of this one.

I really struggled to like Lottie, even at the end. I feel like she got off too easy from all the people who she had hurt and offended.

This book felt like a bit of a slog just because I found Lottie so utterly annoying. The camaraderie between the guys is what really saves this book and the letters from Teddy to Cora are what carries the story forward. Poor Luke is an absolute saint almost to the point of disbelief.


**Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me early access to this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and the publishers Little Brown Book Group for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 

The book follows Lottie, a barrister who wants to take silk before she's thirty. Because of her busy job and high ambitions for herself making her even busier, Lottie seems to be losing out on time with her friends and boyfriend. When Lotties Grandmother dies (who has been like a mum to her since her parents moved to the other side of the world) she vows to be there for her Grandfather Teddy more. However in order to fit being around Teddy more into her hectic life, she ends up spending even less time with her lovely boyfriend Luke, making their relationship even more strained. 

Teddy can see that Lottie is struggling and so, with a little help from his Golfing buddies comes us with a plan to help Lottie have fun again and see what is important in her life! After a few gins the Gin O'clock Club (Teddy and his golfing friends) get into a discussion of modern vs old fashioned dating and Teddy sees an opportunity. Lottie and Luke must try old fashion courting and Teddy will give modern ways of meeting people a go (think tinder!). 

I was very on the fence with my feelings towards Lottie in this book. Part of me loved that she had a high powered job and was trying to keep it all together, perhaps to highlight why so often women don't have these jobs as it is impossible to stay on top and keep a relationship/family a float. However, the other part of me really disliked her and I couldn't understand why Luke was still with her!

Teddy and her golfing friends remind me a lot of my neighbour who is "granda age" and loves a "wee whisky" and I loved the seemingly easy banter between them!

While the beginning of this book broke my heart and the rest of the book is a good natured, easy read which would be perfect for the summer!

Devoured this in one day and absolutely fell in love with the characters in it. What a wonderful mix of old and young, love and heartache. I so want there to be a sequel. A wonderful storyline that made you smile throughout. Already recommending to my famy and friends

This is a really refreshing read about overworked Lottie and her relationship with her boyfriend Luke with the interesting dimension that alongside Lottie’s perspective the story is also told by her recently bereaved Grandad via letters to her wife. I loved the balance of generations in this, Lottie’s Grandad’s friends were a marvellous eclectic bunch full of life and enjoyment where they could find it. Lottie herself is a more complex character, feeling like she should have it all yet not quite knowing what she wants or why yet she still manages to be likeable. There is so much warmth and honour in this, it’s a real pick me up and makes you think about what’s really important but in a feel good way.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

I really struggled to get into it to begin with, but eventually started to enjoy it and in the end thought it was an okay read, just a little light for my liking.