Clawthorn

I've read and enjoyed the previous two Clement stories. This story was fun, and a very easy read (for me to get through 400 pages in a matter of days is testament to that).

The story follows a journalist, Emma in her mid-40s, living in London on her own and being handed crappy assignments, whilst she's still hungry for her big break.

She comes across Clement (our 70s angel trying to - somehow - find redemption) and he's drawn to her knowing that he must help her in some way. Enter the Clawthorn Club and the story.

Overall, the story is enjoyable, and it's nice to get a little into the feelings of Clement (having read the two previous installments). The story does have some predictable (to me) twists, but it doesn't hurt the reading experience too much.

Sadly the author decided this was the book to push his own opinions about the current climate of how women are to take daily microaggressions.

I understand that Clement's language and attitudes stem from the 60s and 70s which leads to some socially jarring language. This is what adds to Clement's charm, that when he's pulled up on the language be it “casual” racism or sexism he listens to the feedback and adjusts when appropriate.

This book is different to the previous installments, as this story is sprinkled with the protagonist, Emma, casually putting down other women's own struggles. These times throughout the book don't contribute to the characters nor did it help the story along, so I sense this is more that the author is shoehorning their own opinions in. Which served to annoy and frustrate me when I bumped into those random moments in the book.