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About
A sharp andwarm-hearted debut novel with an unforgettable protagonist you can't help but root for.
Noelle is an efficient, friendly hotel cleaner-a model employee. Or so she'd have you think . . . trouble is, she can't help but take little "souvenirs" from the rooms she cleans. Nothing of value-a lipstick, a hair clip, some tweezers. By the time the guest has noticed, she's long gone. As Noelle begins work at her twenty-first hotel, she's determined to last longer than her record of one month in the job. But then she meets her new colleagues. These women are real: they live lives full of happiness and worry, pain and joy. They make her wonder what it might be like to have true friends, people to stick round for-and someone to love. . . . Will they give her the courage to claim the life she deserves, or will her old habits come back to haunt her?
Whether you're looking for your next beach read or need to pick the next title for your local book club, this quirky and endearing tale of love and friendship is perfect for anyone who enjoyed the setting of The Maid by Nita Prose or who appreciates the relatable female characters in books by Beth Harbison or Sophie Kinsella.
Senta Rich began her career as an advertising copywriter. During this time, she also wrote radio plays and magazine articles, before moving into the world of screenwriting. She now writes regularly for film and TV. Rich lives in Dublin with her husband and son.
Hotel 1
3-star.
Hastings.
Feb 2011– Feb 2011
Total stay: 3 weeks
Items
Nail scissors x 1
Tester pot of cream x 2
Cigarette lighter x 1
Hair grip with pearl x 1
Tweezers x 1
Shirt button x 1
Gold brooch x 1 (final item)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 1
I have a first-day rule. Any sign of trouble, even a whiff of a problem and I walk. In hotel 13 I was gone before my first shift even started. I told my supervisor my mother had died and I had to go back to Scotland. I've never even been to Scotland, but I needed to be going far enough away so they didn't expect me to come back. It wasn't the hotel or the way it was run or even the other staff. The problem was the hotel had had someone like me in their midst before.
I don't get nervous on first days. I used to, but I've had so many now I've had to keep a record so I don't forget. This is my twenty-first first day working as a hotel cleaner. So it's a significant milestone and cause for celebration although a very private one. The flutters in my tummy are not the nerves normally associated with starting a new job. Instead, they are the flutters of excitement to get in and get going. Just give me the cleaning trolley, point me in the right direction and I will do the best job in the world cleaning your hotel.
My only hope is that I'm left alone after day one-most establishments "buddy you up" for a few days as part of your induction, to ensure you fully understand how they like things done in their hotel, although there really isn't much difference between one five-star and another, or even one hotel and another whatever the star rating. The only thing that varies is the level of cleaning finish to the rooms. You better make sure you can bounce a coin on a newly made bed in a five-star.
Usually my buddy-up person sees I know what I'm doing and quickly leaves me to my own devices. It's an inconvenience to have someone follow you around all day, watching everything you do, as it means more work and often a longer day. I hate being asked to do it. Having someone looking over my shoulder disrupts my entire routine. The times I have had to supervise a new person, at the end of their first day, whether they're able or not, I tell management they're ready to go it alone. Sometimes they cope with the workload, sometimes they don't. But there are
Noelle is an efficient, friendly hotel cleaner-a model employee. Or so she'd have you think . . . trouble is, she can't help but take little "souvenirs" from the rooms she cleans. Nothing of value-a lipstick, a hair clip, some tweezers. By the time the guest has noticed, she's long gone. As Noelle begins work at her twenty-first hotel, she's determined to last longer than her record of one month in the job. But then she meets her new colleagues. These women are real: they live lives full of happiness and worry, pain and joy. They make her wonder what it might be like to have true friends, people to stick round for-and someone to love. . . . Will they give her the courage to claim the life she deserves, or will her old habits come back to haunt her?
Whether you're looking for your next beach read or need to pick the next title for your local book club, this quirky and endearing tale of love and friendship is perfect for anyone who enjoyed the setting of The Maid by Nita Prose or who appreciates the relatable female characters in books by Beth Harbison or Sophie Kinsella.
Senta Rich began her career as an advertising copywriter. During this time, she also wrote radio plays and magazine articles, before moving into the world of screenwriting. She now writes regularly for film and TV. Rich lives in Dublin with her husband and son.
Hotel 1
3-star.
Hastings.
Feb 2011– Feb 2011
Total stay: 3 weeks
Items
Nail scissors x 1
Tester pot of cream x 2
Cigarette lighter x 1
Hair grip with pearl x 1
Tweezers x 1
Shirt button x 1
Gold brooch x 1 (final item)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 1
I have a first-day rule. Any sign of trouble, even a whiff of a problem and I walk. In hotel 13 I was gone before my first shift even started. I told my supervisor my mother had died and I had to go back to Scotland. I've never even been to Scotland, but I needed to be going far enough away so they didn't expect me to come back. It wasn't the hotel or the way it was run or even the other staff. The problem was the hotel had had someone like me in their midst before.
I don't get nervous on first days. I used to, but I've had so many now I've had to keep a record so I don't forget. This is my twenty-first first day working as a hotel cleaner. So it's a significant milestone and cause for celebration although a very private one. The flutters in my tummy are not the nerves normally associated with starting a new job. Instead, they are the flutters of excitement to get in and get going. Just give me the cleaning trolley, point me in the right direction and I will do the best job in the world cleaning your hotel.
My only hope is that I'm left alone after day one-most establishments "buddy you up" for a few days as part of your induction, to ensure you fully understand how they like things done in their hotel, although there really isn't much difference between one five-star and another, or even one hotel and another whatever the star rating. The only thing that varies is the level of cleaning finish to the rooms. You better make sure you can bounce a coin on a newly made bed in a five-star.
Usually my buddy-up person sees I know what I'm doing and quickly leaves me to my own devices. It's an inconvenience to have someone follow you around all day, watching everything you do, as it means more work and often a longer day. I hate being asked to do it. Having someone looking over my shoulder disrupts my entire routine. The times I have had to supervise a new person, at the end of their first day, whether they're able or not, I tell management they're ready to go it alone. Sometimes they cope with the workload, sometimes they don't. But there are