How Not To Run A B&B

As I'm not a big romance reader, I haven't read anything by Bobby Hutchinson, despite her "bestseller" status. However, I'm always in the mood for a funny read, especially when it also doubles as a memoir or true-life experience -- sometimes the best comedy can be found in real-life experiences, and often real life is much weirder (and more hilarious) than fiction. I've never stayed at a bed-and-breakfast before but have always wanted to, and so when I came across this book I decided to give it a read. If nothing else, I would get a chuckle, right?If you're expecting an actual "how-to" book, this isn't it (though Bobby does have some thoughtful advice). But if you're in the mood for a delightfully funny read with a few serious and heartfelt moments, this will do you just fine.Romance novelist Bobby Hutchinson is a middle-aged romance writer who finds that being a novelist doesn't necessarily pay all the bills... and decides that her British Columbia home is spacious enough that she can refit it as a bed-and-breakfast and make some extra income. How hard could it be? As the reader will probably expect, she soon gets a lot more than she bargained for, as she struggles to account for he guests' dietary restrictions, the eccentricities of her neighbors and friends, and all sorts of problems that are funny in hindsight but mortifying at the moment. From the Jewish family that rents out (and floods) the basement to the "rat" infestation that turns out to be something much weirder, from the neighbor who wakes up guests at odd hours of the night to find his missing cat to the lively Spanish family that invades the establishment for weeks on end, Bobby's story will tickle the funny bone... and provide some unexpectedly touching moments.Bobby has a wry, friendly writing style that serves her subject matter well. She pulls no punches in describing the foibles and idiosyncrasies of her guests, her neighbors, and her friends (whom she calls The Lost Boys for obvious reasons). She also doesn't shy away from describing sexual matters, however, so the reader stands warned. She also has some unusual views on religion, but I find these didn't detract from the book.Bobby also includes some of the things she's learned from her B&B adventures -- recipes, lessons learned from difficult guests, tips on dealing with challenges big and small, etc. And almost every chapter ends with a moral of some sort, like a modern-day Aesop. Sometimes these "lessons" feel a little forced, but most of the time they fit naturally with each story.I like Bobby, and it was a pleasure to get to know her. I feel like she could be a friend, or at least a friendly confidante. And her story of running the Blue Collar B&B is both funny and touching, and I wish her all the best in both her writing career and in her further adventures as a hostess-for-hire. If you like a story that's a good mix of humor and heart, this is a good read.

Bobby Hutchinson calls "How Not To Run A B&B" but it's very easy tosee, almost from the first, that this isn't a book about business, but rather a book about how to live your life - and unlike many books in which spiritual values are held in sharp focus, this one doesn't look down a sharp nose critically at you. I'd love to have Ms. Hutchinson as a sister - and her creator surely is proud of this woman as well."Dreams - and significant others - are like buses," she writes. "There's always another one coming down the street. And if this one didn't stop for you, it just wasn't your bus. By ranting and raving and flagging it down, you're blocking the way for yours, which is trying to pull up in front of you, but can't because of the obstruction. Let go, smile, and start watching for the next one."Books, I have found, are much the same. I used to borrow 10 books from the library - because I didn't want to carry more - and I'd find half of them, I never finished. It wasn't the subject matter; I could enjoy a book on quantum electrodynamics if it were well written. I find that in the last year, I've obtained 1200 books (or previews) on Kindle, and found that the ratio of good to dreck hasn't changed much, and surprisingly, isn't much different for major publishing house versus aelf-published books.Part of it is that tastes differ. There's the story of the guy who finds his best friend in bed with his wife; I have to, Sam; she's my wife, but why you? I don't expect everybody to share my tastes, which is why I try to explain in reviews why I liked or disliked a book; with any luck you'll avoid buying a book and wasting your time on something I loved but you'll hate.So understand this: Ms Hutchinson had written something like 43 Harlequin romance novels before she took up the B&B trade, and this book pretty much is a series of love stories about her guests, friends. neighbors, and lovers, not all of whom are particularly loveable. She doesn't posit herself as blameless; she says her nickname justifiably was "Catch and Release" Hutchinson. People generally do what they can, because they are who they are, and she believes people enter her life when she has something to learn from them.And now I've entered her life, if marginally, with this review. Towards the end of the book, she dreams of concentrating more on her new fly fishing resort, and less on writing. She is, however, what she is, and she needs to do what she does - which is to write. Perhaps she can morph a little to titles which are more appealing to a general audience, rather than the niche audience that Harlequin markets to - but writing, none the less.

I loved this book. It was easy to read and I would love to read the next stage of Bobby's like as Queen of the Elk. Oh and I must copy down some of the breakfast recipe's. Some great lessons in life, lots of interesting characters.

This book, for me was a godsend.The moment I opened it I was transported into a world unlike any I’d known.Having suffered with mental health problems all my life, smiling is something I rarely do.Thank you Bobby for writing this book & giving me a reason to smile.God bless

I really enjoyed this book.The author is a very likeable person with those lovely touches of eccentricity which are so appealing.The recpes were a plus too.A thoroughly good read

I enjoyed this book. It is a light-hearted and amusing account of a B&B owner's experiences and the people she encounters.

Lovely look at life running a b&b. Well written and easy to read.