How will the return of her first love change her life?

Synopsis

Does first love deserve a second chance?

Ava Flynn sometimes feels like the clothes donated to her charity shop have seen more life than her, but ‘maximum dedication for a minimal wage’ is what it takes to keep her mother’s beloved wildlife charity, All Critters Great and Small, running – especially in the village of Dapplebury, where business is certainly not booming.

But when Ava’s first love, Henry Bramlington, returns to the village, suddenly life becomes a little too eventful. Henry escaped Dapplebury many years before, but now he has the power to make or break the village he left behind – All Critters Great and Small included. Can Ava trust the boy who ran away to give both her and her charity a second chance?

My review

Ava Flynn proudly runs her charity, even if there are some strange or totally useless things donated. All the time she keeps the greater picture in mind: to keep her mother’s wildlife charity running. But no matter all the effort, business is not really booming in Dapplebury.
When suddenly Henry Bramlington returns home, changes are coming Ava’s and Dapplebury’s way. Can Ava trust her first love, and what are his ideas concerning the village? And is her charity All Critters Great and Small at risk? And is her heart also at risk?

Oh how much did I enjoy reading this story! it was captivating, funny, sweet but also with a few heart – breaking revelations…

I took instantly a liking to Ava, because she truly has her heart at the right place. She runs a charity shop, does whatever she can to keep her mother’s dream alive and is truly a good friend to Mary and Gino. And the love she has for her sweet Myrtle… just adorable!
Ava is the kind of person you want to have in your life.
She is also surrounded by the best of friends. Mary and Gino are always there for her, even in the hardest moments. And even if sometimes Mary could be very frustrating, you couldn’t not love her!

Henry was initially a harder nut to crack… he was all mysterious about what his vision was Dapplebury so I had all the time my fingers crossed that it wouldn’t be a bad thing, because I really really really wanted to keep on liking him!

There is some history between Ava and Henry, even if it was really sweet and innocent back then. But now being adults, they realize that they haven’t truly every forgotten each other and the way they felt. And reading about these two people, with their own past somehow still  haunting them.

But this isn’t the cutest couple around. My heart was lost the moment it was clear that little Myrtle was pregnant! And father – to – be was Granger. Ooh how adorable these two dogs just are! And even the puppies made me want to jump into the book and I wanted to be surrounded by them!!!

However if it were ‘just’ a romance, I would enjoy it, yet this story was more captivating because of how the whole community is a close unit. Everyone takes care of each other, and have the best interest of Dapplebury in mind.

When some secrets of the past were uncovered, it was truly heart – breaking because that event didn’t only had a consequence on only one person. And even in a place like Dapplebury where secrets are an unknown concept, the villagers who know, realize this is not something to gossip around.

I found this a beautiful, sweet story about second chances. But also about beautiful people who deserve the best and people who truly care about each other, in every sense of the word.
Each character stole a piece of my heart, and after reaching the end, I was both sad and happy. Happy because I enjoyed every bit I read, but also sad because I wanted to stay in Dapplebury!