The One Who Loves You (Tickled Pink)

It is the hilarious hijinks that you expect from Pippa Grant books, with a truly unique plot. Chocked full of crazy, silly, and heart-warming characters, it really squeezed my heart in a warm hug.
Phoebe is a snob, who spends her time trying to emulate her grandmother. She will do most anything to uphold the Lightly name. She is allergic to weakness and would never let anyone know how lonely she feels. She has always imagined taking over the Lightly fortune and has spent her life grooming herself to follow in her grandmother’s iron footsteps. When the matriarch of their family has a near death experience, she insists that the entire family must learn to become better people. Phoebe is ripped away from everything that is familiar and placed in a unique sleepy little town. The town is everything she never wanted. That is when she meets Teague.
Teague has a past. He ran from his former life to live a quietly and raise his daughter in the tiny town of Tickled Pink. When the Lightly family shows up in his town, he will do most anything to get rid of them. But he didn’t bank on Phoebe being different than most of the shallow high society types he has known in the past. He doesn’t want to like her, he doesn’t want to help her, but she worms her way under his skin.
This is such a heartwarming story about how people can change; how your past doesn’t define you; how to love your neighbor and all their differences; and how life is a journey to discover who you are and teach you how to become a better human being.

I used to like this author but lately her stories have too many really silly characters that just are not that likable. Also, this particular just took too long for anything to happen. Very silly premise and again, not particularly likable characters.

4 1/2

The One Who Love You by Pippa Grant begins with granddaughter, Phoebe Lightly, late for a dinner with her grandmother which sounds like a fate worse than death and almost is because grandmother Gigi chokes on a bite of steak and almost dies, but is saved. No thanks to her hapless granddaughter, however. As a result of nearly passing, Gigi demands that her son, daughter-in-law, and their children live with her in Tickled Pink, Wisconsin in order to learn how to be better people before it’s too late.

Once in Tickled Pink, Phoebe decides to take on the man who sold the dilapidated school, where the family is supposed to live, to her grandmother, certain that he’ll be compassionate and see that her grandmother may not be of sound mind. Teague Miller is not. He’s a grumpy single dad who lives in a treehouse and seems able to give as good as he gets and doesn’t put up with any of the Lightly’s shenanigans.

After closing my mind to the fact that Schitt’s Creek seemed to be the inspiration for The One Who Love You, I was able to enjoy it far more. Also, in a world where pronouns have never been discussed more widely, Pippa Grant chose to ignore them in chapters narrated by Teague, which I found annoying on a moderate scale. While people slur pronouns with verbs, they rarely drop them altogether, doncha know.

Anyway The One Who Love You grew on me very quickly. I loved Phoebe realizing how different she can be in a different world from her Manhattan skyscrapers and superficial relationships, and I loved all of the little secrets that popped out along the way, making me look forward to any future installments in this series.

I found Teague and his treehouse intriguing. I couldn’t help wondering how the treehouse would stand up to winds, Wisconsin snowy winters, etc. Exactly what did this three story (I believe it was just three stories) treehouse look like? How did he get electricity into it? I guess I’ll Google to see if it’s been done before because I need to know! And, Teague seems perfect–until he’s not.

Add in a madcap family, quirky townsfolks, and beloved four leggeds, and you have a fun, very readable story. A beach read! Escapism! Something to make you smile!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.