Can a heart love again after being broken so terribly?

Synopsis

She came to Provence in the hope of a fresh start, she never expected she would fall in love in and find herself along the way.

Inheriting an old stone house in Provence, along with her sisters is the catalyst Ellie Gilchrist needs to put some distance between her and her grief. But when she arrives at the run down ‘La Masionette’ hidden amongst overgrown Lavender and Ivy, she wonders if she’s made a mistake?

That is until she meets her guarded neighbour Julien and his adorable little boy, and she’s surprised by the flutters of excitement she never thought she’d feel again. Add in rescuing a stray dog and she has the much needed distraction she needs. Ellie decides to stay temporarily and work on bringing the little house back to life again. If only she can ignore the fireworks that explode every time she’s around Julien. They both have hearts they want to protect, but a little temporary affaire can’t be too dangerous, especially when Ellie has stated she will be leaving after the last summer market of the season. But something in the alchemy of what she discovers in this part of France seems to be casting an irresistible spell making it difficult to walk away.

My review

Ellie Gilchrist has recently faced the most terrible heartbreak someone could ever face. Even now she is still grieving over her loss. So when she and her sisters inherit an old house in Provence, perhaps going there will put some relief on her pain. But La Maisonette radiates also a sadness, making Ellie wonder if coming to France was the right choice.
That is until a few things happen around the same time: meeting neighbour Julien and his little boy Theo, rescuing a stray dog, and finding inspiration again for her art.
After a long time, Ellie finds something to be excited about, and she doesn’t want to lose it again. So she decides to stay at La Maisonette. While attempting to bring La Maisonette back to life, she also grows closer to Julien. But as he also is protecting his heart, perhaps a short fling is the perfect solution to make them both feel alive again. Because after all, Ellie will be leaving after the summer…

When I started this book, I thought I would be reading a book like I have read so many before. Woman is heartbroken, takes off to a dreamy setting, falls in love, *some drama*, and then there is a happily ever after.
Of course there is absolutely nothing wrong with such stories, as I can truly devour them, but sometimes I just need something different.
Yet I was very quickly realizing that this story was different. And while it was heartbreaking reading Ellie’s story, it was also a wonderful one.

There are many ways of heartbreak, and each heartbreak is one too many. But I cannot imagine how Ellie can even just live with her kind of heartbreak. Because just reading what she has been through, made my heart ache, and I was just reading about it. I know that what happened to her, is something that unfortunately happens in the real world too, and it’s not something anyone should go through…

It angered me also that not everyone around seems to understand the pain Ellie is feeling, and that there isn’t a time limit on grief. It takes what it takes, it can be weeks, months or even years. Everyone has to grieve on their own terms, and it takes what it takes…

And sometimes, getting away from everything is exactly what someone needs, to not only be away from all those reminders, but also to clear the mind. And who knows, perhaps the getaway is exactly what is needed.

When Ellie arrives at La Maisonnette, it’s so clear that she is still not okay. Even the discovery she makes with her sister in one of the bedrooms, brings her back to her own experience.
And my heart practically literally broke during her first encounter with Julien and Theo…

Yet seeing slowly Ellie changing, was truly beautiful and heartwarming. It starts with something perhaps unimportant, yet it’s just that thing that ignites a passion, a fire back in Ellie’s life. A light that Ellie needed, but couldn’t find anywhere else.
And that spark makes her decide to stay in France, as that is something she feels she needs to do.

I truly loved getting to know the real Ellie, the one that isn’t carrying all the pain in the world, but a woman that is ready to face the world again.
And seeing her getting closer to Julien was also just sweet.

Julien has his own reasons to keep his distance, but what I liked the most about him, was not only him being a wonderful dad to Theo, but he also seems to comprehend Ellie’s struggles or what may trigger her.

Both main characters aren’t ready to open up their hearts for love again, as they know the hurt that can come afterwards. But we all know that love perhaps won’t come easy, but it also cannot just be stopped because we don’t want to get hurt again…

Before you think that this is a slow walk in the park, think again. Because the author for sure wrote a few twists and turns, shocking ones, but also heart – stopping ones! And with those twists and turns we also see that the main characters are human, perhaps saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time…

Now, I still have a few questions that are left unanswered, or rather mysteries that I had a hunch about. 😊
And perhaps the grand gesture of Julien at the end was a TOO big of a gesture? Or let me say it differently: I don’t know anyone in my life that would be able to make that kind of gesture 😊

I have to be honest, I didn’t expect to be so captivated by this story. So I surprised myself by how quickly I was devouring this book. Yes, there is a lot of pain in it, but there are also so many ray of lights in it. We not only see the resilience of people, but we also see that small steps need to be taken. And that a change of scenery can be the answer that was needed…