A new city, an exciting prospect but then…

Synopsis

It’s been years since Anna has seen Leo Knight. And of all the apartments in all the cities in all the world, he just happens to walk in to her cosy new attic home – as her new housemate.

As the two walk the cobbled streets of Prague, taking in the sights and sounds from Wenceslas Square, frosted with snow, to the soft glow of candlelit Charles Bridge, the enchantment of the City of a Hundred Spires soon starts to work its magic on them…

My review

Anna is over the moon and super excited to be staying in Prague for an actual beer brewing competition. She cannot wait to work at the brewery, and being able to create her own special beer for the competition. Even if that means being away from her steady and safe boyfriend…However, Anna is shocked to learn who her housemate will be for the next few months. Because of course there are other competitors, and as board and lodging are included, although shared. Of all the people, the man that is staying with her at the apartment, is Leo Knight, the man that broke her heart. So obviously Anna wants to keep as far away from his as possible. However, even if they are adversaries, living back together, discovering a wonderful city together and sharing a love for beer, what will happen?

Being an Italian Belgian (or Belgian Italian, depending on my mood 😊), you would assume I would love drinking a good beer. Because Belgium is of course also known as a beer country. Unfortunately, I do not. The only kind of beer I enjoy drinking, is a good kriek, a fruity beer. And only if it’s the right brand. Me picky? No, not at all! 😊

However, I let people enjoy their beers, and I can for sure enjoy reading books about this beverage, even if I would pick something else to drink while reading.

And I absolutely love reading stories about people moving (even if only temporarily) abroad, ready for a brand new adventure. And as Prague is on my bucket list for cities I want to visit asap, could I get a better preparation than reading a book set in this city? Oh, and a book by an author that I for sure love?

While it’s clear that Anna is a great person, it’s also clear that she is holding back for reasons that aren’t known yet. For one thing, there is the boyfriend that I didn’t think was truly a match. He doesn’t do anything wrong initially, but from his first appearance, he just didn’t do it for me. And further along in the story, my dislike for him only grew. And no, it doesn’t has anything to do that I was Team Leo from the start 😊

But back to Anna for a moment… Because what she has been through in the past, for sure turned her in the person she is now. And no matter how lovely Anna is, she is also wary, scared and very careful. She has not have an easy childhood, and while growing up, well, it’s easy to say that she didn’t have the best example in front of her…

I was eager to learn more about Anna’s and Leo’s past, as it’s obvious that things didn’t end on good terms. Yet seeing Leo, and getting to know him better, I kept wondering what…

Because let’s be honest, Leo is this open, warm, friendly character. He is the kind of person that will help anyone out, is easy approachable, easily makes friends and for sure is the light of the party. Yet we also see that when things ended with Anna, he truly got hurt by it.

Even when things don’t start very amiable between Anna and Leo, their forces proximity, and with the help of their lovely and funny neighbours, there is a slow shift taking place. They start spending more time together, are discovering the wonderful city that Prague is together and even are able to clear the air about the past.

While this for sure is a slow – burning story, as Anna starts in this book as being in a relationship, this was absolutely a heartwarming story to read. Heartwarming because not only we see two people rebuilding some kind of friendship again, but also heartwarming because we see how surrounding yourself with the right people, can make you feel more confident. And this is so clear with Anna, because she is the perfect example how self-doubt, a low self – esteem and just fear in general can jeopardize the best thing you could have…

Julie Caplin didn’t disappoint me at all with this wonderful book. This is escapism at its best, with an amazing setting, wonderful characters on an inspiring journey, and a message that perhaps sometimes taking a chance can be scary, but won’t the final rewards be worth it?