Money money money, must be funny…

Synopsis

What do you do when your life becomes more dramatic than reality TV?
As the devoted carer for famous antique expert Harold Kershaw, Karrie Morgan was always happy to keep a professional distance from his four spoilt grown-up children, who rarely made time for their father. But then a surprise involving Harold’s Will means Karrie is flung headlong into a press scandal, and into the chaotic world of the surviving Kershaws.
With the support of her trusted childhood friend Andrew, mild-mannered Karrie must face down ruthless ice queen Portia, master manipulator Gabriel, Botox fanatic Arabella, and ladies’ man Rafe, star of reality TV show Raised in Richmond … although perhaps not as fake and flashy as he initially seems?
As vicious rumours circulate and Karrie’s past comes back to haunt her, she struggles to know who to trust. Can she keep up with the Kershaws’ schemes?

My review

Karrie Morgan may not have all the requirements, but she is devoted in looking after famous antique expert Harold Kershaw. She enjoys spending time with the old man, especially as his own children don’t bother with visiting their father, even if they have been always spoiled and don’t expect anything less than more money…
So obviously, after Harold’s passing and the Will is being found, the Kershaws aren’t happy at all when they discover that Karrie is mentioned in it, and not for just a little bit of change money…
And against her own will, Karrie is dragged into a press scandal and schemes of the four siblings to regain what they think belongs to them.
Luckily Karrie still has her head on her shoulders and she can always count on her best friend Andrew.
And when the youngest sibling, Rafe, is offering an olive branch, Karrie starts to doubt if he truly is as fake as everyone thinks.
But with a childhood where she learned that nobody can be trusted, can she learn to trust Rafe and his honesty? And how far will the Kershaws go with their schemes?

Ooh Helen Buckley, what do you do to me? Each time I read one of your books, I think I know beforehand where you will go. But each time you keep surprising me. And yes, obviously in a good way!

Karrie is the kind of character I loved reading about. She didn’t have the easiest childhoods, but she made it all work somehow and now she finds herself working for Harold Kershaw. While the difference between them couldn’t be bigger, when there is a click, your background doesn’t matter. And Harold saw something in Karrie and that is the start of a story that I loved, but sometimes also disliked (because of the ugly, selfish characters represented by Harold’s children).

It was not a surprise that Karrie would inherit from Harold, but I was a bit surprised reading just how much was left to her.
So maybe (just a little bit although!) I could understand why the children were not happy with that Will.
But any sympathy I had, was quickly gone when Portia, Gabriel, Arabella and Rafe start plotting against our poor Karrie.

Slowly I had to change my mind about Rafe, because even if it was part of their schemes, Rafe starts to see how honest Karrie really is.
And while I initially thought the Kershaws were a tied family, reading more about the struggles Rafe had to face and is still facing, made my dislike disappear more and more.

I have to admit, I didn’t like Andrew. Yes, he is always there whenever Karrie needs him. But I didn’t like it how he kept her and their past a secret from his current life.
And the way he behaved towards Rafe, well he wasn’t scoring extra points!

While I understood why the author would show us the different point of views of Karrie and Rafe, I didn’t really comprehend Andrew’s input, because just like I said, I didn’t really really like him.
But these three different views made it possible for the reader to comprehend each action better, each struggle, each doubt, each happy moment, each laugh and each surprising discovery.

There is obviously romance in this book, but I felt that wasn’t the main storyline here. For me, it was more about doing the right thing, discovering yourself again, fighting against bullies, accepting the past, and putting your trust in the people who deserve it.
The main characters have all their own demons to face. Karrie has a past with a father who will never get a reward for his parental skills, causing Karrie huge trust issues. Rafe is a member of a wealthy family, but has always felt being left out of the tight unit, causing him to make some wrong decisions. And Andrew who is ashamed of his past in foster care, and finds it difficult to bring his two different worlds together.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, even if the author managed to surprise me, by taking an unexpected turn. Sometimes it takes a strange event to learn more about yourself and make a change for the better.
A wonderful reading session, I found myself quickly submerged in this story, forgetting everything around me. It was impossible to put this book down, and for those around me, complaining about my lack of interactivity… I have no regrets at all!