When life doesn’t go your way, the only way is the way to home…

Synopsis

Jennifer McAndrew thinks she’s living her best life in London – wonderful man, great job, happily child-free. Except the ‘wonderful man’ turns out to have a secret that ruins everything…

Shocked and devastated, Jen doesn’t know what to do. So, she packs her bags and runs for the hills – away from her problems, all the way to her childhood home in Scotland and the safety of her dad.

But her dad is a changed man. Busy with his girlfriend, golf and G&Ts, he doesn’t have time for Jen’s worries. And she can’t see her sister, Isla, who she fell out with years ago.

So, Jen rekindles friendships with her old school pals, Alison and Rory. They’re juggling work and young families, but still find time to take her out and set her up with some terrible dates.

The more time she spends with Rory and his daughters, the more Jen thinks there could be something big missing from her life. But could she ever go back to small town life? And can she forgive what happened in the past? Should a good friend become something more?

The biggest question for Jen is – will she try to solve her problems, or will she cut and run for the hills again?

Another brilliant laugh out loud emotional read, perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Ranald!

My review

Jennifer McAndrew is living the life in London. She loves her job, she loves her boss and is waiting patiently for him to be ready to make them being a couple public. That is until she discovers the hard way that her boyfriend/boss has been keeping secrets from her.
Now, with no job, no boyfriend and after a run to the A&E, Jennifer decides to pack her things and go back to Scotland, to her childhood home.
With her dad being more interested in his girlfriend, golf and G&T and having no contact anymore with her sister Isla, Jennifer rekindles her old friendships with Alison and Rory. And even their lives couldn’t be more different, both Alison and Rory always find ways to spend time with Jennifer.
And Jennifer may slowly realize that no matter how wonderful her life in London was, perhaps she was missing something bigger…
Could she possible be thinking about changing from a city – girl into a small town – girl? And what she was missing, could it be closer she ever imagined? 

This books starts with a good portion of Murphy’s Law… not only does Jennifer discover the truth about her relationship, it means also that she has to quit her job. To make things even worse, she ends up in A&E and what she thought might end in a great gesture, only ends in disappointment. And all the above give her no other option than returning to her childhood home all the way back in Scotland. 

I have to say, I liked it how Jennifer did the right thing when she discovers the truth. Although it breaks her heart, she knows where her boyfriend/boss has to be. And yes, even if she hopes for that great gesture, she knows deep down she is hoping in vain.
I liked it also how, despite her broken heart, she doesn’t exploit her situation. It would have been so easy to expose her boss or even demand for more money. Yet she only demands what is right, and the most admirable thing to do in that situation, asking him to leave her alone, allowing her to get over him.
Again it shows that Jennifer is not only a responsible and respectful person, but also a righteous one. 

Going back home, a place that holds so many sad memories for Jennifer, is not an easy thing to do. While we don’t know exactly what happened in the past, especially with her sister Isla, retuning back home, admitting somehow defeat, is never easy. 

Seeing Jennifer back in her former life, if we can say it like that, wasn’t only eye – opening for her, but also for me.
We all get to see what she left behind for a life in Glamour – London, even forgetting about those she left behind. But we also see how forgiving and welcoming her old friends can be.
I saw it like realizing once again that we only seme to remember the bad stuff that happened, forgetting about the lovely people and the good memories. 

Now, this is also absolutely a funny story!
We see Jennifer having a few dates, ending in disaster. And yes, it may be evil to find those bits funny, but who cares! 😊
But it was also amazing to see how she can make fun of those dates too, with her old friend Rory.  

I absolutely adored Jennifer and Rory spending time together. It was sweet to see how their friendship became such a strong one, where they can rely on each other. But not only that… Jennifer has never thought of having children, yet she manages perfectly to be around and look after and help Rory’s daughters. Talking about hidden talents! 😊  

Jennifer is not only changing her own vision of her hometown, but she is also reflecting on her own past choices, and is having a change herself.
She realizes what she has been missing, on several levels. Not only where she has been missing out, but also where perhaps she could have been making different choices. And while it may be too late to make a different choice, she sees that it’s never too late to make amends. 

We also see the real Jennifer resurfacing, as she is there when her friends need her, and even offer help and her knowledge to others.
Making her understand that not everything she thought she needed was to be found in London. 

I truly loved reading this story, as it was funny but also heartfelt. The author shows us that returning home isn’t always a bad things, as it will allow us to find what we have been missing in our lives. And she also shows us wonderfully that perhaps, we have been looking for something but it has always been there, right in front of us!