Finding yourself in the place where you need to be

Synopsis

Sometimes, the Last Place You Intended to Go is Exactly Where You Need to Be.

When 26-year-old Daisy’s life in London comes crashing down around her, the only thing she can think of is getting away – far away. That’s how she found herself stumbling off a train in England’s picturesque Peak District – 150 miles from home, with no idea why she’d gone there and even less idea how she intended to get home.

As Daisy explores the gorgeous village of Upper Finlay, she glimpses the possibility of a different life. The Derbyshire Dales offer up new friends, new opportunities, and a distractingly dishy object of attraction in the form of local bookstore owner Alex (and his bumbling Great Dane.) When Daisy discovers Alex’s business is in trouble she steps in to save the day.

But London’s Calling – literally. The life Daisy ran away from is calling her back. Why then, is she so reluctant to heed its call?

Daisy’s got a decision to make: Will she play it safe, and return to what she knew? Or is she brave enough to take a leap of faith and create a bold, new life for herself in the last place she’d ever expected?

Daisy Does it Herself is a sweet, uplifting romantic comedy about the power of self-confidence, friendship and of course love! Fans of warm and witty romantic comedies with a guaranteed happily-ever-after will be entranced.

My review

Daisy believes that this day will turn out great. She has a meeting with her boss and she truly feels that she will get the promotion that she deserves, even if she cannot present the right degree. But what was supposed to be a great day, turned quickly into a nightmare, as she finds herself without a job and she finds her boyfriend Phil in a compromising situation…
Wanting to get away as far as possible, Daisy finds herself suddenly in the village of Upper Finlay. And with the help of local bookstore owner Alex, she finds new friends, new opportunities and plenty of time to think about her own future. A future that perhaps will keep her in Upper Finlay? Especially when she learns that Alex’ business is in trouble and maybe Daisy can find the solution.
But what when London, and Phil call her back? Will she return back to the hectic of London and to Phil? Or is her place in Upper Finlay? 

I truly hate it when a nice character has the most terrible day in the world. Especially when she has absolutely nothing to blame!
Just like Daisy, she has shown her worth at her job, and instead of being grateful, her boss just dismisses her with the lamest of excuses.
And if that isn’t bad enough already, she finds her boyfriend Phil in the arms of another woman! Can you blame her for wanting to run away as far as possible? 

In normal circumstances (well, whatever you call normal…), someone in this situation would to her family or friends. Well, I was left flabbergasted by the reaction of Daisy’s mother! How can a mother act that way? Instead of standing by Daisy’s side, she acts like it’s all Daisy’s fault… the audacity.
And it broke my heart to realize how few friends Daisy has she can actually rely on, something also to blame Phil… 

But of all the places Daisy could find herself stranded, Upper Finlay was just perfection! Not only because the kindness of Alex, but the whole community! It felt like a warm place (figuratively speaking 😊) where anyone in need of help could just find it there. 

And Alex is just the kindest man in the world. Not everybody (excluding the inhabitants of Upper Finlay) would open their place to a stranger and offer more than just a meal. It made me believe again in the goodness of people. 

I could perfectly understand the attraction between Daisy and Alex. But I had also great respect for them. It would have been easy to just give in to that attraction, but that would have also been the wrong thing to do, as Daisy was officially still with Phil, and she has planned to return to London.

Daisy ending up in Upper Finlay may have been the best thing that could happen to her, because slowly she starts to believe in herself again. It was great to see how her confidence grew, and how that confidence made her confident that she could help out with the problems of Alex’ bookstore. And it shows us also the kind of friend Daisy is. Because she would do anything to help out a friend, even if that means to do something she isn’t sure of herself. 

Don’t expect in this story a lot of ‘action’, as the characters never cross that line. But that doesn’t mean that sparks don’t fly around. Because they do for sure! 

I found myself enthralled with Daisy’s tale, on her journey to find herself, her self – confidence but also trying to understand where her future may be. It’s easy to stick to what you know, but is it the right decision? Or is the right decision to take a step into the unknown, not knowing where it will take you, but it may be the perfect thing for you?