Trouble Brewing

This delightful comic novel gives us a "miracle" beer from a small spring in Yorkshire. It's seeking protection from the EU for geographic uniqueness. Into the battle come two me, a washed up chef on the verge of suicide and a PR whiz.

The town and the delightful characters in it change both men for the better.

It's a classic and wildly funny story of a David meeting a Goliath.

Hello Readers!

Recently, I was sent a digital copy of "Trouble Brewing" by Paul Carroll in exchange for an honest review. I was delighted to get the opportunity and hope that this review expresses what I intend to share about this novel. Any quotes that may appear come straight from the text.

Let's see. Where do I begin? "Trouble Brewing" was a wonderful read. I greatly enjoyed it. I am not one that gives out false praise. If anything, I tend to be a bit of a literary snob at times. I admit it. From the first page, I knew that I wanted to read more. That is rare.

Who doesn't love an underdog story? Small town brewery being harassed by a larger one that hopes to destroy it. We have all seen and/or experienced events similar. From page one, the reader finds themselves rooting for the underdog. In fact, I found myself getting frustrated with some of the characters to the extent that I would talk to them. "Don't do that!" "What are you doing?" I was taken deep into the story and wanted nothing more than to see it develop. Within the pages, you see characters grow in such a way that you honestly feel for them. In a way, it becomes your town and your friends.

Overall, it was a pleasure to read and I hope to read more of Carroll's work. His novel left me wanting more. Perhaps, I will reread it in the near future. It will be like having a pint with old friends.

Brimdale Brewery is in need of help. They brew a light ale with their special Brim water in Yorkshire. But other breweries are cashing in on their name, acting like just anyone can come along and called their ale a "Brim" or "Brim-like" blend. But like Champagne, the bubbly beverage, can only come from Champagne, the specific location in France, a Brim beer should only be able to be brewed in Brim. Right? 

That is what the Brimdale Brewery needs to convince the European Union of, and fast. With the impending deadline of Brexit, the brewers need that special designation before Britain breaks away and all their hard political and diplomatic work goes by the wayside. 

That's why the BBA, the Brimdale Beer Association (Gary Merriweather and Howard Amos, actually), have hired celebrity chef Brian Parkin to headline their cause. Sure, his television show got canceled in the wake of that minor scandal, and his wife ran off with his agent, but he's still a household name. He still gets noticed. 

But brewery managing director Simon Backhouse has different ideas--he's hired PR guru Brandon Todd to make sure that the EU agrees to their proposal and then to run a giant media campaign for the brewery after their political victory. 

Add in the machinations of a local environmental agency, a historical novelist who is interested in the monks who first brewed beer in Brim, and an overzealous international beer company that wants to acquire Brimdale no matter what the EU says about using the name, and you've got trouble. Trouble Brewing, to be exact, the newest novel from Paul Carroll. 

Trouble Brewing is a fun, fetching comedy about the business, the politics, and the passion of brewing beer. It's a genuinely well-written comedic novel, something I don't get to say often enough, and it's the perfect diversion for those dark winter days that are coming this way. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite brew and sit down with this page-turner. I truly loved it, and I hope you do too!



Galleys for Trouble Brewing were provided by Troubadour Publishing Limited through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I got this book basically just because I like beer and (small) breweries. I didn't expect much, but it turned out to be an entertaining and witty read.

It revolves around the efforts of people of Brimdale to save their local beer Brim, which is delicious and supposedly has miraculous healing powers due to the local water source. An evil corporation sells an imitation of this beer, and Brim needs to get a geographical indication from the EU to be confirmed as the only authorized manufacturer of Brim ale to survive.

So we've got charming small-town characters, a former celebrity chef who was on the verge of killing himself and is starting again now, and a PR shark in wonderland who quickly finds a few aspects he really likes about this town.

There are marketing and business strategies, politics, intrigues, as well as romance and family relationships. The writing style felt quite sophisticated, I liked that the characters were well fleshed out and I think I basically enjoyed all of them.

It was really good, so if you like modestly sophisticated adult fiction (or beer), you might like this too.