Joe Cawley - Even More Ketchup than Salsa: The Final Dollop (More Ketchup than Salsa #2)

 

Joe Cawley - Even More Ketchup than Salsa: The Final Dollop (More Ketchup than Salsa #2)

 4 ⭐

Genre: Travel, Non-Fiction, True Story, Contemporary

Pages: 259

Format:  Kindle Book 

Favourite Quote: 'My 'freedom' also felt like it had been frozen in a perpetual state of monotony. Same thing everyday: feed the masses, smile like an idiot, then clean, sleep, rinse and repeat' (Page 16).

Book Blurb: 

The first six months of running the Smugglers Tavern had been a baptism of fire. The subsequent years were about as much fun as bobbing for apples in a vat of acid. Having swapped the tin roof of a cold British fish market for the sunny skies of Tenerife, one of Spain's holiday islands, Joe and Joy succeeded in thwarting the first wave of attacks from bungling bureaucrats, bewildered holidaymakers and their own spectacular ineptitude. What they didn’t realise was that their enemies were regrouping. Not only that, but those enemies had made camp a lot closer to home, enemies that would make their encounters with exploding gas bottles, East European squatters and big-time Charlies seem like chapters from a children's picture book.

My Review: 

Having read the first instalment of this book, I found this to be a quick, delightful, little read. It was even better than the first one! I felt engrossed in how Smugglers Tavern was doing over the years and trust me, it did not disappoint. 

I loved how the author portrays Tenerife without sugar coating the reality of running a business there. This book really shows how hard is to run a business abroad in an ever-expanding and growing holiday destination. I just loved reading the insights into the author's and Joy's experiences...The many ups and downs, the cracks and upsets...So many different emotions throughout this book! 

I also really liked that this book had less humour than the first one and was a bit darker in its mood. It very well contrasted with the first instalment, where Joe and Joy were both excited to run a bar in Tenerife. This second book, however, portrayed how the excitement turned into struggles and hard labour to keep the bar open, which also took a toll on their relationship and ambitions. 

Overall: I loved this book, even more so than the first one. Definitely recommend it to anyone who wants/ needs an easy summer read or wants a break from fiction. 

Although, before reading this book, I recommend reading the first instalment, so that you really meet the characters, get to know them and follow their story from the very beginning. It would also help to see the changing moods between the books, which really adds to the overall story of Joe and Joy in Tenerife.