In his fourth novel set in Dudley, Michael Taylor tells the story of Clover Beckitt, her family and their struggles to turn their home brew pub, the Jolly Collier, into a thriving business.
Clover Beckitt is surprised when her mother announces that after fifteen years of widowhood she is about to be married to a man younger than herself. All at once, Clover finds herself with not only a new "Pop", Jake Tandy, but a new stepsister, Ramona, as well.
Despite her initial fears, all seems settled in the household. Clover is permitted more freedom because of the free rein afforded to her more outgoing stepsister, and new plans for the brewery promise to bring the family wealth and prosperity.
When love blossoms with Tom Doubleday, the photographer she met at her mother's wedding, Clover feels that things have turned out just right. Then Jake's younger brother Elijah joins the business, and both Clover and Ramona find their lives changed forever.
