Jill Mansell

I've read quite a few of Jill Mansell's books, I like the fact that she knows Bristol and the Cotswolds so her local details, even when ascribed to fictional places, are good and also familiar to me. But she does keep on making out that Costwold villages are all wonderful. After 16 months in Minchinhampton (technically a town but no larger than a village) I haven't got the same rosy tinted view that she portrays.

Minchinhampton's Cirencester Road is very busy and noisy. The cows roam over the common and the Cirencester Road in the summer months but this leads to angry motorists beeping. Which has no effect whatsoever on the cows who just stand there and stare! But of course it wakes up anyone still trying to sleep at 6.30 am....

And later at night Blueboys Corner seems to attract all the local yobs.

Not quite the sleepy Cotswold village picture drawn in Jill Mansell's books!