A getaway to realize what to cherish at home

Synopsis

‘Delightful and witty with a heroine you’ll be rooting for . . . joyful escapism’ Milly Johnson

‘Spirited, adventurous and full of heart!’ Heidi Swain

Although thirty-three-year-old Kara Moon loves her hometown of Hartmouth in Cornwall, she has always wondered if she should have followed her dream of going off to study floristry. But she couldn’t bring herself to abandon her emotionally delicate single father, and has worked on Ferry Lane Market’s flower stall ever since leaving school.

When her good-for-nothing boyfriend cheats on her and steals her life savings, she finally dumps him and rents out her spare room as an Airbnb. Gossip flies around the town as Kara welcomes a series of foreign guests to her flat overlooking the estuary.

Then an anonymous postcard arrives, along with a plane ticket to New York. And there begins the first of three trips of a lifetime, during which she will learn important lessons about herself, her life and what she wants from it – and perhaps find love along the way.

More praise for Nicola May!

‘This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings’ – Milly Johnson
‘A fun and flighty read’ – Sun
‘A funny and fast-paced romp – thoroughly enjoyable!’ WOMAN Magazine
‘One of those books that I can’t stop thinking about way after I’ve read it! – Kim The Bookworm
‘This book is so addictive that you will literally lose 3 hours of your life, and you won’t care!’ – Cara’s Book Boudoir

Readers love Nicola May, too!

‘A FABULOUS must-read’ – 5 STARS
‘An excellent book of friendship – with a little wickedness!’ – 5 STARS
‘Good for the soul’ – 5 STARS
‘I loved it and devoured it in a matter of days’ – 5 STARS
‘A wonderful, feel-good novel with some grit thrown in’ – 5 STARS
‘Marvellous, beautiful and heart-warming’ – 5 STARS
‘Sea, sand and sex – a soppy delight’ – 5 STARS
‘A truly lovely book’ – 5 STARS
‘Fun and whimsy, plus a dog!’ – 5 STARS
‘Nicola May is a brilliant, relevant writer for today, exposing today’s issues with tenderness, and always demonstrating a warm, human, heartfelt response’ – 5 STARS

My review

Kara Moon loves her life in Hartmouth in Cornwall, and even if her potential is bigger than her current work on the Ferry Lane Market’s flower stall, she wouldn’t dare to dream to leave it all behind, especially her father.
But when she finds out that her boyfriend is not only cheating on her, but also been stealing her life savings, it’s time to change her life course.
So renting out her spare room as an Airbnb, she meets a series of guests having all an impact on her life.
And when suddenly a postcard arrives, together with a ticket to New York, Kara embarks on an adventure not knowing where it will bring her. On this trip she will learn more about herself and her dreams than imagined and maybe even what she truly feels about a certain person…

After finishing reading this book, I was thinking that Kara was just a too kind of person. Not only did she give up her dreams of studying floristry, she also keeps up with her boyfriend I surely would have kicked out sooner!
But of course that makes her also so recognizable. Even in real life we keep sitting in the situation we are in because it’s an easy option. Changing something means more change and being afraid of the unknown holds us back.

But her kind heart sparks from the pages, whenever she is with the beloved granddad, or her father or her best friend. They all appreciate Kara and her sacrifices and love her just the way she is, and they all help her out however they can, not like her lousy boyfriend Jago.

The end of her relationship with that scumbag is the start of a whole new adventure. Not only does she meet new people thanks to her renting out her spare room, but she also learns somehow a lesson from each guest. And when she embarks on her biggest adventure on her own, it somehow all comes together.

I loved reading how Kara goes from one place to another, not knowing who planned this whole trip for her. Even for us as a reader it was a mystery and when the truth came out, I was honestly surprised, as I didn’t see that coming!

There is some sweet romance in the story, but that it not the main subject. This book is all about
self – discovery, daring to chase your dreams again and turn something bad that happened to you in something good.

This story was just beautiful, because seeing how Kara trying to figure out where her future lays, and even with whom, are struggles every one of us has.
But having so many people supporting you, and even literally cheering for you, is just heart-warming. Sometimes what we all need, is a time away from our comfort zone to truly appreciate what we already have and see even more clearer what we have in front of us.