‘Poolside Gossip’ is the escapist read we need this summer

With the glorious weather from the weekend now a distant memory, I think a lot of us have found ourselves landed back into (still!) locked down lives with a crash. It almost feels like we’re back in January again, with grey skies, a very slow lockdown exit route ahead and little hope of escaping somewhere for the summer any time soon.

It can all feel a little overwhelming some days, and it can be hard to pick ourselves back up again. But that’s where the ultimate tool of escapism comes in: Reading!

A lot of people found themselves picking up books again during the pandemic, and were surprised to find themselves enjoying reading more than they had in years. It was a year that we needed distraction from the constant news developments, case updates and general drudgery and reading provided us with an escape route; either into someone else’s head, their life or to a whole other world completely. Either way, we all realised that even if we couldn’t go anywhere, it didn’t mean we were stuck in our own four walls.

Wexford author, Victoria (not Vicky) Kinsella had this realisation years ago. An escapist fiction enthusiast since forever, the author decided to try her hand at writing an escapist fiction of her own. An accountant by trade, ‘Poolside Gossip’ is Victoria’s first book. It was written over the course of a year after leaving corporate life feeling burnt out and fed up from endless travel and stressful meetings.

‘While the buildings in The Canaries may be pure white they hide lives filled with love and loss…’

‘Poolside Gossip’ transports us to the Canaries this summer, when we can’t escape ourselves, and places us in the shade by the pool in the perfect spot to hear all the gossip! And around the pool of the El Castille boutique hotel, there is plenty of intrigue and heartbreak to be heard!

‘At a time when your readers are denied the pleasure of a sun-soaked holiday abroad, we hope ‘Poolside Gossip’ will help to lift the spirits and bring a little light-hearted entertainment while they wait to dust off the passports again.’ – Victoria Kinsella

What comes out when we sit and listen to conversations around a sunny hotel pool? El Castille is a hotel where the walls hold many secrets. It’s a place where problems are solved, pain is eased and dreams come true.

Sheila has a secret that has been years in the making. It has been growing like a weed for thirty years. The agony started as a green shoot that is now strangling her sleep, but is this the time and place to finally open Pandora’s Box? Ellen, Karen, Leyla and Denise are four best friends, and each has a host of talents. But who called off their wedding, and why? And can the others support her and the decisions she makes?

Then there’s Veronica, who pops pills to cope with being married to a monster. How did she get herself to this place, and will she have the courage and strength to end the relationship? Can poolside gossip at El Castille forge friendships and cement love that can conquer all these dramas?

For the challenging times we live in, Poolside Gossip is a timely reminder that what really matters most on life’s rollercoaster are those with whom we share the ride.”

Victoria Kinsella lives in a dream location by the beach in Ballymoney Wexford close to her parents, sisters and an endless stream of cousins which makes life so special in the sunny south east. She shares her life with her husband Har and Shih Tzu Tia who has been nicknamed ‘the replacement dog ‘after losing the original dog Muffin who enjoyed 14 wonderful years bouncing around and bringing a smile to every living thing she met.

Poolside Gossip is available from Eason’s Gorey, Enniscorthy and Wexford and directly from www.poolsidegossip.ie where an audio introduction of the book can be heard. It can also be found in Dunnes Stores and Tescos nationwide