Love & Laughter (and other disasters) – Elora Canne – Bookshine And Readbows

March 17, 2025

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*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Blurb: Life in Pelican Cove is about to be disrupted when felines and big feelings move into the neighbourhood, along with the newcomers.

Book cover for Love Laughter (and other disasters) by Elora Canne. Image is a drawing of a woman, standing centre and facing forward. She has black hair pulled up in a messy bun with loose strands. She is wearing a white turtleneck under a yellow jacket, with grey-ish brown trousers and black shoes. She is holding a large brown handbag with both hands in front of her and there is a bouquet of tulips poking from the top of the bag. Her eyes are closed and she is smiling calmly. The ground she stands on is yellow-and-pink sunset coloured and in the background is a row of quaint, pastel-coloured shops and cafe, with green trees and blue sky above them.

Meryl starts having unsolicited feelings for local yogi, Louis, aka Captain Underpants. She valiantly fights the moral dilemma of falling in love ‘at her age.’ However, she’s secretly enjoying the new experience, until her grown-up daughter casts doubt in her mind.

In a spontaneous act of defiance, Meryl decides to engage in the friendship of a secret admirer, Gardening Pop, via a local gardening forum as well. They share misguided messages of blooms as their friendship blossoms.

Meanwhile, Louis, Captain Underpants, finds himself in a love triangle of his own, when yogi, Glenda, makes her move on him. Glenda elicits the help of her close friend, Antoinette, and the two go off on a relationship101 Girls Only Weekend Getaway. There, they literally stumble upon sizzling trail guide, Andy. Soon, Glenda discovers she has no need to poach Louis after all.

Will Meryl still be interested in Louis’ suave moves? Or, has Gardening Pop plucked at her heartstrings?

This laugh-out-loud romcom novella brings out the best and the worst in the people of Pelican Cove, in a tangle of love and laughter, and other disasters.

This short novella is a lovely, gently humorous story about a group of mature men and women finding love and romance after retirement, via their hobbies of gardening and baking, and regular meet-ups for senior yoga – they have far better social lives than I do and are definitely more sprightly!

The characters are all totally believable and the romcom-ish second chance romances blossoming between various couple really bring out their young-at-heart sides, as they blush and giggle like teenagers and wonder whether they can date someone their friend likes if they were asked first.

Light-hearted, warm in tone and very easy to read, with little touches of humour in the details and dialogue and very endearing characters, this is perfect for a quick uplifting spring read.

About the author

Elora speaks openly about her relationships across all dynamics. She reveals nuances that expose her insecurities and resultant growth with naïve honesty. Elora shows us how she copes with mother-guilt, people-pleasing and intimacy with an unusual blend of insight, pain and resolution. Her candid disclosures are sometimes sombre, sometimes humorous, always enlightening.