How a cinema can change someone’s life…

Synopsis

Patsy Clements lives in Croftwood. It’s been her sanctuary for three years while she rebuilt a life for herself that is safe and happy. Out of necessity, she has learnt to live without ambitions or dreams, but she does have her best friend Oliver who means everything to her.

Oliver Jones owns the trendy local coffee shop and establishes himself as the town entrepreneur when he buys the derelict old cinema in the park. Bringing it back to life is going to be a challenge and he wants his best friend Patsy to be his business partner. 

After lying low for three years is it a mistake for her to change the life that has kept her safe or is it time to start living again? Will stepping into the limelight tempt fate and mean her past catches up with her and can she survive if it does?

Join Patsy and Oliver in the small town of Croftwood for a summer where friendships are made, challenges are everywhere and romance blossoms at the cinema in the park.

My review

Three years ago Patsy Clemens returned back home in Croftwood, with only crushed dreams. Her life now is a safe one, without any real ambitions or dreams. But it doesn’t bother her, as long as she has her best friend Oliver by her side.
Oliver is not only her best friend, but also the owner of the trendy coffee where Patsy works. And contrary to Patsy, he has big dreams. And one of them is to bring back the old cinema at the park to life. And he wants Patsy to be his business manager.
The cinema however is in need of a lot of TLC, both the building and the whole cinematic setup. With the help of local architect Matt and amateur projectionist Ed, Patsy and Oliver hope to bring the cinema back to life.
And perhaps it will bring Patsy also back to life? 

It always saddens me to read a story where a main character has been through something terrible in the past, that now makes her hold back from even dreaming.
So that is why I immediately felt sorry for Patsy, even without knowing the full details of what she has been though. Because even f she seems content with her life now, it’s clear that she still is looking behind her shoulders. And that is not fair, as she also deserves to have big(ger) dreams than just working at the coffee shop of her best friend Oliver.
So even if she doesn’t have the ability to be a real partner with Oliver’s new acquisition, I was happy for her having a chance to do something else, and step outside, not only out of her comfort zone. 

And seeing her opening up, gaining more confidence, and even getting back on the dating scene, was something wonderful, because it’s something Patsy absolutely deserves!
We also see what amazing ideas she has concerning the cinema, showing us her creativity and her brightness. A cleverness she also shows whenever she interacts with the people of Croftwood, even the more difficult characters. 

Yes, this is also a romance story, as Patsy finds herself meeting two men, Ed and Matt. And while with one she gets quickly along greatly, the other one cannot stop from irking her. I am not going to tell you more about this, I will let you discover this all by yourself, also because the romance doesn’t feel like the main subject. 

Because it’s all about Patsy finding herself again, with the help of the best kind of friends you can imagine. Having Oliver by her side, even if he doesn’t know the depth of her fears, means the world to Patsy. And Oliver is such a nice character, appreciating the friendship with Patsy, not ever wanting something in return for everything he does for her.
He wants only the best for Patsy, he wants Patsy to see her potential and to live again. This kind of friendship is the most honest and most genuine of them all, and also the most precious one.  

This kind of friendship, together with finding the courage to live again, are for me the main themes of this story.
This story shows us that sometimes we need a (gentle) nudge in our back to even find the courage to face our most evil enemies. But no matter how scary it may seem, if we dare to stand tall, with the people who truly care surrounding us, even the evilest of enemies can be overcome. And it’s with these same lovely people by your side that you can start to live again, and to dream again…  

It’s obvious that I enjoyed reading this strong story. The author manages perfectly to grasp the essence of how resilient people can be, and how important it is to have great friends by your side, seeing your true potential even when you cannot…