When a break is final, yet there is still so much in the open…

Synopsis

A summer to remember…

A love to last a lifetime…

Stranded in Rome, with all planes grounded due to volcanic ash, Callum gratefully accepts a lift back to London with a friend-of-a-friend who’s on her way home after a European road trip in a campervan.

But when he meets her, his heart plummets – she’s Emma, his ex, The ex, and he can’t be stuck in a van with her.

When Emma sees Callum again, she’s horrified. It’s taken so many years to heal her heart – she really doesn’t want to spend the next few days in close quarters with him.

As they embark on the drive of a lifetime, it begins to feel as though fate might have had a hand in reuniting them. But understanding what happened in the past and coming to terms with the present isn’t easy. Can the gift of time – and forced proximity – bring them back together again?

A gorgeous romantic comedy set against the beautiful sights of Italy and France, perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary and Mhairi McFarlane

My review

Years ago, Emma and Callum were together. But as Callum didn’t have his life yet in order, Emma told them they needed a break. Only to never hear from him again. It took her a while to get over her heartbreak, as she truly loved Callum.
So you can imagine the shock when the person who needs a lift back to London, as a favour to her friend, is in fact the man that broke her heart.
And spending time together, in a confined space, is the last thing she wants.
The feeling is mutual, because Callum really doesn’t want to be that close to Emma. But he has no other option, as volcanic ash has made it impossible to fly back home from Rome.
So they start the drive back to London together in Emma’s camper van, but with the past still between them, will they have a chance to clear the air? And where will it leave them once safely arrived in London?

We all have that one relationship that ended badly, leaving us utterly heartbroken. But I can say, I never had the end of a relationship like Emma and Callum did. I can only try to imagine how hurtful that must have been.
And while it’s obvious the pair loved each other deeply back then, I could also understand why Emma had to put things on hold, as the path Callum was taking wasn’t a healthy one…

My friends know that when they are in my inner circle (and there are just a lucky few in it! 😊) they can ask me a lot. But even if my bestest of friends would ask me to pick up a stranger and bring them to London, I don’t know if I would just do it.
Because no matter what, for you he is a complete stranger, and who knows what will happen during the journey! (yeah, I watched too many thrillers, Criminal Minds, CSI etc 😊)

The shock when realizing that the ex – lovers are going to spend a lot of time together was for me rather hilarious. That is just my evil streak, as I can truly enjoy the awkwardness between people, especially when I totally not involved! 😊

Things start very very awkward between Emma and Callum, which makes absolute sense. And as they have different opinions over even random things (driving with flipflops for example), the journey appears to be a very exhausting one…

But it’s also that when you are forced spending time together, that those are the best moments to clear the air and to also get to know each other again.
Because years have passed between Emma and Callum, and they aren’t the same people they were when they were together.

While initially they clash over almost everything, slowly they start to understand each other, and it was lovely to see how when the love in the past used to be that great, it’s easy to let that love return.
However, even if the past is now water under the bridge, in order to move on, you need to talk about even the most hurtful moments in your life.

Reading how Emma and Callum are getting closer once again, was truly sweet. And reading how they get themselves in particular and peculiar situations, like in the monastery, for sure put a smile on my face! 😊

So while it was lovely to see that evolution between this pair, it also saddened me to read how fear was holding them back. Fear is something powerful, as it will protect you, even from heartbreak. But that same fear is what will prevent you to be truly happy and find the courage to love again.

This was a beautiful story, showing us how love can hurt you but also how it can heal you. And sometimes the most awkward situations can bring us the closure (or opening? 😊) that we need to move on in our lives, and it can let us find the courage to put our trust again in love.