London Times best-selling novelist Katie Fforde creates delicious romances that are both light-hearted and intelligent. Suddenly released from her engagement and out of work, Julia Fairfax is looking for a new direction in her life. When a classified ad catches her eye, she embarks on a hilarious trip through the English canals in a rickety hotel boat. Along the way, she encounters hard-to-please guests, an unsettling ex-boyfriend, and the challenges of cooking in a tiny galley with rattling crockery. Life Skills is both a delightful romp and a step-by-step guide about how not to see England's scenic canals.