Isn’t it always the case that when something seems too good to be true…

Synopsis

Pia Temple has always had a soft spot for Jackson Moody following a passionate teenage love affair that burnt out over one long summer, more than ten years ago. First loves can be hard to forget, and the devastatingly gorgeous Jackson, is harder to forget than most.

After putting aside her ambitions while she cared for her parents, it is finally time for Pia to think about herself. So, when she’s offered the perfect job running the social calendar at Primrose Hall, with a dreamy flat included, how can she refuse? There’s only one problem… The new owner of the refurbished seventeenth-century manor house set in the idyllic Primrose Woods, is none other than Jackson, the man she’s thought about every day for years.  

In a whirl of weddings and craft fairs, literary festivals and tea parties, Pia blossoms in her new role. But with the delectable Jackson a daily distraction, maybe this isn’t the dream job after all – especially when Jackson’s unfeasibly beautiful ex-girlfriend Tara, comes back to visit the hall… 

Dreams Come True at Primrose Hall is the perfect feel-good love story to brighten even the darkest day. Just right for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.

My review

As a teenager, Pia Temple thought she had her whole life figured out. Unfortunately, she had to give up her dreams to take care of her parents, and she even saw her teenage love affair with Jackson Moody end abruptly and unexpectedly.
Now it’s finally time for adult Pia to think about herself and her dreams again. Even if she has low expectations, she applies for the perfect job, running the social calendar at Primrose Hall. Being in a situation where she needs to find a new place to live, the fact that the job comes with a flat, it’s the perfect solution to all her problems.
But another issue arises, as it appears that the new owner, thus her new boss is no one else but Jackson Moody himself, the man she never forgot…
Surrounded by weddings, craft fairs and donkeys, Pia finally has the chance to blossom, even if Jackson seems to become a continuous distraction… 

What I love about this wonderful series, is that each story can be perfectly read as a standalone, and each time I fall in love with not only the wonderful characters, but also an amazing setting. 

Having read the previous parts, I already saw glimpses of Pia and Jackson, but in this story we are able to get their whole story, which made my heart break a little bit, but also made me feel all warm and cosy on the inside… 

Pia is a beautiful woman, inside and outside. She ‘gave up’ her own dreams to look after her parents, doing what not just everybody would do. And now that they are gone, it was absolutely understandable how lost Pia felt…
And I could perfectly comprehend how difficult it was for her to leave her childhood home behind, having to stand on her own two feet, and find herself not only a job but also a place to stay, while having no real references… 

However, despite her situation, it’s crystal-clear that her heart is at the right place, just read how she looks after not only her elder neighbour but also doesn’t hesitate to take care of Bertie, the Dalmatian.
And I am not talking the lengths she would go for her friends… 

Obviously, when Pia starts her PA job at Primrose Hall, she feels like a fish out of water, as she hasn’t done anything like this before. Yet I admired her determination to work everything out, and just own the job.
And I have to say, she has some great ideas, perfect for the place, understanding and feeling what it needs and what it doesn’t (or what Jackson needs and doesn’t need). 

Initially it was difficult to decipher Jackson’s character. His actions were some moments contradictory, and for sure he isn’t always a ray of sunshine.
But we also see this softer side of him, and the way he is around Bertie, speaks volumes. Slowly we get to understand Jackson better, seeing his struggles, his issues and his demons that keep chasing him. 

While it’s clear that this story will have romance in it, and who the love interests are, for me it felt more than just *that* kind of story.
I saw it more as a story where a young woman is still trying to figure out what she wants to do in her life, where her place in the world is and also has still a lot to learn, as her priorities were so different in her earlier life. 

And it is also absolutely a story about second chances, at love and at life. Reading how Pia and Jackson cannot ignore that spark that is still alight after so many years, was just proof that we can never underestimate feelings, no matter when they were developed. 

I found this a marvellous book to read, filled with many realistic, real issues. But also with realistic and real positive developments. Each solution made sense, and wasn’t something that could have been fixed by using a magic wand. They were real solutions for real problems. 

Devouring this book may be an understatement, as I enjoyed reading each page of it. And seeing my old friends again, making new friends and fall in love with this wonderful setting was the perfect recipe to lighten my day!