When a marriage ends, it’s time to find yourself again

Synopsis

It’s never too late to change your story…

Tess Alexander lives an enviable life with her husband Charles, at Hollyhocks Cottage in the idyllic Cotswold village of Lower Leaping. Dreaming of their early retirement, Tess’s plans are dashed when Charles shares some devastating news and suddenly she’s left alone with only Barney, her adorable Beagle dog, for company.

Facing an uncertain future, Tess tries to reconnect with her old self. She begins to transform the neglected garden office into a beautiful retreat, the perfect spot for her to indulge in her long-forgotten creative passions.

However, a chance encounter with charming but down on his luck, Rob Templeton, soon puts pay to her plans, when she offers him the place to stay instead, sensing a kindred spirit.

With the support of old friends, Gina and Suzy, Tess must now step out of her comfort zone and embrace a different way of life, one that is filled with secrets, possibilities and second chances, if only Tess is prepared to take them.

With so many demands on her attention, will Tess find a way to follow her heart and discover her own happy ending?

My review

Tess Alexander lives a content life with her husband Charles and at – the – moment – on – the – road trip – of – a – lifetime daughter Hannah. And let’s not forget about adorable beagle Barney! So even if her life isn’t one of the most exciting , she is shocked when her husband admits to have fallen in love with someone else, and leaves their home, Hollyhocks Cottage. Whatever plans Tess may have though about when Charles would have his retirement, are now thrown in the drain, and Tess needs to make new plans, as she has no idea what her future, as a single woman would look like. But most important, she must learn who the real Tess is once again. And why not start with rediscovering her creative passions, and transform her neglected garden. And she can always count on the help and support of her friends Gina and Suzy, to lift up her mood and to step out of her comfort zone. And when she has an encounter with Rob Templeton, who is also at a low moment in his life, Tess finds a kindred spirit that allow her to help him, but also him to help her…

I was eager to read this book from an author that I have loved in the past. As I have loved previous books from her and fell in love with the series I couldn’t wait to start reading the start of a new series.

Although I have to admit that this story wasn’t what I was expecting. But different isn’t bad, not at all! 

I always feel bad when the main character of a story discovers that his or her partner has been unfaithful and has fallen in love with someone else and wants to end the relationship or the marriage to be with the other person. Of course I understand that when the love stops, the relationship cannot continue but why does it always have to involve someone else or that there has to be cheating involved? Obviously it is part of the plot line and there needs to be happening something big to change the course of the life that the main character had in mind.

In that aspect I truly felt sorry for Tess, because she doesn’t deserve the way her husband treats her and how easily he dismisses her for his own benefit without taking in account the life that they have built together and how it will affect not only Tess but also everyone around them. And of course it’s obvious that Tess feels blindsided and she didn’t expect for her husband Charles to inform her about what has been happening.

On the other side I admired her how despite the shock, she is determined and strong with her next choices.  Having Charles leaving her, gives her the opportunity to discover once again who Tess truly is. And this is something that Tess really has to learn again. Because in all the years that she has been married to Charles the life that they have been building together, she lost herself somewhere in the process. She has given up a lot for her family, but she has also gained a lot, let’s not forget that. But how much of the real test has been left after all these years?

While Tess is truly at loss after Charles leaving her,  we see how slowly she is finding her feet again. Not only that, but also her passions. I am not a garden person myself, but I can understand how Tess can find her inner peace while gardening. Now that she doesn’t have to take into account what Charles wants,  she has some ideas of her own. Not all of them are that smart, perhaps, but it fits her current mindset. I liked reading what she did with the annexe and how she had a vision for it. On her own, Tess slowly stars to have some great ideas that she has to bring to fruition.

And like I said, some ideas were great. Some, not so much. I liked the idea and the compassion she had for inviting Rob to stay at the annexe. But let’s not forget, that Rob is a complete stranger. A stranger with a certain past that could be worrying. But also with a past and past actions that are understandable. And let’s be honest, haven’t we all took a wrong decision at least once in our life? Haven’t we all?  Making mistakes is human and as long as we learn from those mistakes, those mistakes shouldn’t define us.

What Tess does to Rob is showing a lot of compassion. And it shows us what a kind and generous person Tess truly is. She also shows us what kind of loving and caring person she is, not only with Rob, but also with her daughter Hannah and her own mother. Tess is a person that you cannot not like.

Luckily, she can also count on her best friends, Gina and Suzy. No matter what the turmoil Tess is going through, her friends are always there for her. And she is always there for her friends. No idea is too crazy. No idea is too wild. And no thought or emotion cannot be talked about. They have known each other for years, know each other in and outside, and they will always be there for each other no matter what is going on in their lives. That kind of friendship is something to be really envious of.

In this book we see Tess going through a real journey, a journey of self discovery of reigniting passions finding her feet on her own. But also about finding her voice again. The voice to stand up against Charles, a voice to be there for her friends, for her daughter and for her mother. An it’s also about finding the strength to move on with your life. The strength to do something, not everyone would do. But doing something unexpected isn’t a bad thing. Something unexpected, can bring you marvellous things on your path and bring new people in your life. So when life gives you lemons, it’s up to you to squeeze those lemons, to add some sugar and enjoy that delicious lemonade you made.

Perhaps the author didn’t write the exact story that I was expecting to read. But I enjoyed going on this journey together with Tess and the other characters in this book. And as this is the first book of a series I cannot wait to read what else this great author has in store for us.