A Country Affair
Disheartened by the results of her exams, 19-year-old Kate decides to take a job as a -receptionist-bookkeeper in a thriving British vet practice rather than pursue a vet career herself. That suits her longtime boyfriend, Adam, just fine; he doesn't want her going anywhere without him. To her surprise, Kate finds the work and the people to her liking, and her show of independence doesn't sit well with Adam, whose life is in a slump as Kate's is becoming richer. Despite the backdrop of the country vet, this bears only faint resemblance to James Herriot'sAll Creatures Great and Small. People are paramount here: an office manager in love with her married boss, a boyfriend who becomes a creepy stalker, a happy-go-lucky vet who runs from commitment. But the animal patients and their owners do provide a few funny, even dramatic bits of background as the characters go forward to solve their personal problems. Look for two more books in the Barleybridge series from this popular British author.Stephanie ZvirinCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an alternatePaperbackedition.