Walking on Air

Reading [b:Walking on Air 22979647 Walking on Air Christina Jones https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411047042l/22979647.SY75.jpg 1768413] by Christina Jones was an undertaking. At 581 pages, it did take a while to get through the story. That said, it was worth it to me. I've been to the part of England where the book is set. I've even flown off a grass strip there. I'm also semi-versed in aerobatic jargon, or at least airplane parts, because my husband was a cropduster. I've also visited England enough to know some of the colloquialism used. I do wonder if those outside of England who don't know much about airplanes would enjoy, or even understand, parts of the books as much as I did. Billie Pasco is trying to escape her past and make something of her future. But something keeps dragging back to her big mistake of having an affair with a married man. At first, it seems her boss at the taxi company is the one constantly hounding her about her indiscretion. But even when she leaves his employ, he continues to remind her of it. It takes the bulk of the book to find out why, and you aren't going to guess it. I didn't. I thought for sure that the married man was being blackmailed by Billie's boss, who knew about the affair after picking them up as a cab fare. If Billie decided at some point, she didn't care if that secret got out, then the blackmail would stop being paid. Boy, was I WAY OFF. I enjoyed the on/off/on interest in the local pilot/airline owner/aerobatic enthusiast. As someone married to a pilot, I have to say the author nailed the obsession with flying and being around planes. Until you've lived it, you don't know it. However, there were days I wished I had landing gear instead of legs so maybe my husband would be obsessed with me.This is truly a fun book, full of crazy characters, each fraught with their own personal issues. I admit some of the comparisons to celebrities mentioned didn't make sense to me because I don't watch much British TV. However, it didn't have any overwhelming impact on my understanding of the story. I'm sure it would have made the writing even more colorful/colourful for me if I had understood those references.If you have a few days—it took me five—you should read this book. I'm glad I did.