Going back to move forward…

Synopsis

After a rough year, the last place Lizzie Warner wants to be is Roseford. It may be a picture-postcard country idyll, but for Lizzie it will always hold difficult memories from her past. But when the alternative to staying with her Aunt Bee, owner of Roseford Blooms, is moving back in with her controlling parents – well, the choice is easy.

Simon Treloar was born and raised to be the Lord of the Manor, but now he’s had to hand over his beloved RosefordHall to a heritage charity, he begins to question his usefulness. Can he find a way to make his mark, or is it better to walk away from generations of history and strike out on his own?

When Lizzie and Simon meet, they recognise kindred spirits in each other. But with both questioning their futures, can one magical summer in Roseford help Lizzie and Simon move on from what is holding them back? Or is there too much history on both sides for them ever truly to be happy together?

My review

Lizzie Warner did not have the best year… After her relationship ended, and the joint business has been sold, the cherry on top of the cake is her ending up in an accident when returning to Roseford. How idyllic the place may be, it holds difficult memories for her. But staying with her Aunt Bee is for sure better than staying with her controlling parents.
She is also hoping to avoid Simon Treloar as much as possible, for those same memories. However, that is impossible as Roseford isn’t that big. And Lizzie feels an undeniable affinity with Simon. But Simon has also his own struggles, as Lord of the Manor. He had to hand over Roseford Hall and wonders f he will be able to make his own mark.
With a history between them, is there a future in store for them? Or will it all be over once summer is over?  

First of all, how wonderful it was to return to Roseford! This place stole my heart more and more with each new book, and this new chapter wasn’t the exception.
For those who haven’t read the previous parts, you can perfectly read this as a standalone, but trust me that you will just feel the need to read more about this wonderful place and their amazing inhabitants! 

Lizzie was a confusing character. In the sense that younger and very recent Lizzie was someone I felt sorry for.
When we meet her, she is out of a relationship and she sold her business, and we can see that despite her bravado, it still hurts. After her accident, I could understand why she decided to stay with her Aunt Bee, despite the memories. Because even I felt suffocated by the controlling behaviour of her parents, and her own sister for sure wasn’t any help. 

It takes a while for us to discover what happened years ago, but you can sense it wasn’t something to take lightly. I ah veto admit, my imagination went in overdrive so somehow I was happy that my thoughts were so off! Yet it also shows how things that happened in our younger years still affect us.

Like I said, Lizzie was a confusing character, because the present Lizzie is a lovely person! Yes, she is still in a bad place, but slowly we see her flourish and find herself. Seeing her finding new dreams again and finding the courage to chase them, is truly heart – warming.
Lizzie deserves to be happy again after everything she has been through. 

I was very curious to see how Lizzie and Simon were connected from even before meeting in this book. Again my mind went in overdrive, but again I was happy to be wrong.
Simon is the kind of man who wants to do right without disappointing anyone. Yet he is also his worst judge, as he sees everything he does in a failure. Giving over the Manor was the right thing to do, yet he fails to see that, as he feels that he let down not only his ancestors but also his family. 

However, in everything that he does, from taking his sister’s dog out, looking after his nieces, to still being protective towards his adult sister, we see what an amazing and caring man he is. 

The thing I liked the most about this story was how alike Lizzie and Simon are. Not only are they both still finding their feet, but also how they were as teenagers. They both were always the odd ones out, and had the same struggles and insecurities.
Insecurities that sometimes still arise as an adult, allowing them to make mistake that made me facepalm several times. But that added only to the charm of this book. 

Lizzie and Simon are connected by a past that still haunts Lizzie, but seeing each other again is what makes it possible to put their past behind them, and get closer together, stronger. 

Obviously we see some old friends again, and having those small injections of previous books was marvellous. But even if you don’t know them, you will still appreciate those moments!

Fay Keenan delivered again a sensational story, with realistic characters that find each other after dark moments. Because even if Simon is the Lord of the Manor, this story could be about anyone of us, as we all have been through what Lizzie and Simon have bene through somehow. But they show us that by not only finding each other, but themselves, they are able to see what their dreams really are. And just like them, we also can find the courage to start afresh and even find happiness in a place we never expected to find it.