When the past resurfaces at your lowest…

Synopsis

When thirty-four-year-old Nellie Wagstaff loses her job and discovers her fiancé is a cheating scumbag in a single day, she feels like the world has come crashing down. And that’sbefore the solicitor’s letter, along with a request to visit a place she hasn’t thought about for a very long time.

Heartbroken, Nellie escapes to the beautiful seaside town of Muddleford in Dorset, where she discovers she’s inherited more than she ever bargained for. Nellie never knew why her mother stopped talking to her sister, but now childhood memories of Muddleford come flooding back: long hot summers, the sea glistening beyond the sandy cove… and a stolen kiss with a boy called Jack.

Jack, now a devilishly handsome vet, has the local pet owners swooning over him, and as Nellie and he become close once more, and she gets used to gossiping with the locals and sipping wine at her beach hut with sand between her toes, she’s sure she can feel sparks flying once more. But just as she thinks she might be able to open her heart again, her newest frenemy, the glamourous Natalia, tells her a secret about Jack that changes everything.

Nellie will never know why her mother and aunt parted ways. She’ll sell the house, forget about Jack, and get back to real life. Because there’s nothing for her in Muddleford… is there?

An utterly uplifting and completely hilarious summer read about learning to trust yourself and of finding love and friendship in the least expected places for fans of Jessica Redland, Heidi Swain and Holly Martin.

My review

At the age of thirty four, Nellie Wagstaff wouldn’t have expected that her life would all fall into pieces in just one day.
Not only does she loses her job, but she discovers that her fiancé is not only leaving her, but has also been cheating on her.
So when a solicitor contacts her because she has inherited from her Aunt Lilian, she sees this as the perfect escape from her heartbreak. Little did she expect that she would inherit so much because after all, it has been years since her last visit to Muddleford in Dorset. And spending time back there, her childhood memories come flooding back and also her best friend back then Jack is still around.

But what will Nellie do with all the inheritance? Sell it all and go back to her real life? And why are sparks flying around whenever handsome Jack is around, as he is totally unavailable? And will she ever discover why her mother and her Aunty Lil parted ways? And who is this mysterious Norman, who seems to be the love of her Aunt’s life?

This author was a discovery for me, never having read something from her before. But I have noticed how everyone is enjoying reading her books, so I gave it a shot.
And now I am sorry I ever started reading her books, because I feel a new addiction to an author in the making!

When I reached the end of this book and I was counting how long it took me to finish it, I didn’t know what feeling should take over. Should I be feeling ashamed? Or proud? Because it took me just one… single… day… to DEVOUR it.

From the first page, I found myself standing beside Nellie, feeling with her. My heart got broken, I felt her loneliness, her moments of happiness and her felling of just belonging in Muddleford.

Nellie is a woman I could honestly easily befriend in real life. She did not have an easy childhood, as her mother was facing her own demons. And now she finds herself again alone after being betrayed by her fiancé in the most selfish way ever.
When she is back in Muddleford, I saw her opening up, and I liked her even more! Even if her Aunty Lil passed away, Nellie still regards the house and the belongings with the required respect.
And when she hears an information about Jack, even if she is a bit devastated by it, she does the right thing. Because she is NOT that kind of woman!

I’ll be very quick about my feelings about Jack… he’s just perfect!!! But so I found the whole community just amazing. Even if there was a character I initially disliked, in the end I found myself loving just each and every one that appeared in the story.
And then there is Norman… he is the One that truly stole my heart!!!

This story was about finding a place to call home, of having the feeling of belonging somewhere. It was sweet, hopeful yet also a few times heart-breaking.
It shows us that sometimes a change of scenery can have a huge impact on our lives and it’s easier to realize what was going wrong before and what changes we need to make to find happiness again.

I think this book should start with a very important warning because you will find it just impossible to put away! You’ll need to find a hiding place to avoid interruptions because no matter what you will do in-between sessions, this story will keep your mind busy. And for me, this book was a treasure and I gladly gave up any sleep for it! I want to applaud the author and give her a big hug for making me forget everything in this chaotic world!