How to keep calm when your past resurfaces?

Synopsis

Layla is calm, in control and is definitely not about to lose her serenity for the man next door!
Surely it can’t be hard to stay peaceful at one of the oldest yoga and mindfulness retreats in the Algarve, surrounded by sea, sun and serenity? Mostly, owner Layla Garcia manages it – with the help of meditation and plenty of camomile tea, of course.
But keeping her grandparents’ legacy alive is stressful, and Layla has become so shackled to the work that, for her, The House on the Hill is fast becoming ‘The Fortress on the Hill’.
Then writer Luke Mackie moves to the villa next door, bringing with him a healthy dose of chaos to disrupt Layla’s plans, plus a painful reminder of a time when she was less-than-serene. But could his influence be just what Layla needs to ‘dance like no-one’s watching’ and have the fun she’s been missing?

My review

Layla is doing her utterly best to keep her grandparent’s legacy, the yoga and mindfulness retreat The House on the Hill, alive.
But that is easier said than done, and no amount tea can keep Layla calm and ahead of things. She stays on top of everything, and even if things get difficult a little bit, why change a working recipe?
And then writer Luke Mackie moves in the villa next door, and suddenly everything turns into chaos. Adding that Luke is part of a past that Layla tries to forget, doesn’t make things easier at all… 

Don’t we all have regrets from when we were young? But how many of those mistakes were really that big of an issue when we think about it now? Not many, right?
Unfortunately that is not Layla’s case… what happened in her past, had such a deep impact on her, that it did not only make her change her appearance again, but also changed Layla’s character.

Layla enjoys running the retreat, but is struggling also with the many issues it’s having. And while many suggestions are being made, she sticks to what she knows and won’t look for any changes.
That made me wonder what happened to her, to be so stoic about not accepting those ideas, because in my opinion, they were good suggestions.
It also bothered me that Layla had no outlet, nothing fun to do. We all need that one thing to release our stress, and chamomile tea surely isn’t the perfect answer! 

Slowly we get to know what burden she is still carrying around, and when it was all revealed, I was repulsed by the actions of some characters.
And seeing how those characters did not learn from the pat, infuriated me. So I was glad that those characters weren’t a prominent presence in this book, but just a dark shadow. 

A dark shadow that also hunts Luke Mackie…
While Luke’s and Layla’s lives are so different from each other, and there doesn’t seem to be a link between them, it was nice to see how the past and present got together.
Even if reluctant, Layla sees that Luke is not in a happy place at the moment in his life, and she tries to help him to see the beauty of it, and tries to help him find his inspiration back. 

I very much liked how these two characters, both carrying their own burdens, and even slightly forced, are spending time together.
Seeing how they start to see Life through the other one’s eyes, understanding the importance of finding an oasis of calmness, but also daring to change course, was not only eye – opening for the characters but also for the readers. 

This story shows us how the past can hold us back, but also how releasing everything and enjoy the things again that made us happy in the past, can make us all better again, even if we didn’t know we weren’t doing okay…  

I had several laughs, but I also felt so much compassion for our main characters, and this book made me realize that just doing okay is not okay…
Add a beautiful setting as the Algarve, and we have a complete package, which includes a lesson that Life doesn’t always go as we would want, but we can make it change direction, as long as we can put the past behind us. And that some things from the past aren’t all that bad, on the contrary, they can be the best thing we ever had!

You can only start to dream when you have complete closure…

Synopsis

Samantha has a secret. Returning home from her dream honeymoon to the normality of running her beloved Hedgehog Hollow rescue centre, she’s ready for the next chapter of her life with Josh. Or is she? Samantha is hiding something which could forever change the dreams they shared and bring their happy ever after crashing to the ground.

Lauren has given up on love. Twenty-six years ago the love of her life, Shaun, left her a note and was never seen again. Two painful divorces later she still can’t face opening up to anyone. But little does Lauren know that the closure she’s dreamt of for all these years may be closer than she thinks, and perhaps the only way to let new love in is to forgive and forget.

Samantha and Lauren will need the love and support from the Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever. After all, some dreams are worth chasing…

My review

Having had the wedding they dreamed of, Samantha and Josh are looking forward to start their lives together after an amazing honeymoon. Yet already during the honeymoon, Sam is having doubts. Obviously not about the love between the two of them, but about the decision they took together. Will these doubts put everything that was built so slowly at risk?

And what about Josh’s Auntie Lauren? Her husband walking out on her so many hears ago without giving her any explanation, made it impossible for her to truly open up to anyone else, even if she has faced already a second divorce. But is love coming her way in a way she saw coming? Or is it in an unexpected way? And does she dare to open up her heart?

Both Sam and Lauren are standing at crossroads at their lives, but no matter where their lives will take them, Hedgehog Hollow will always be needing their help.

It’s not a secret that I absolutely adore this series from this amazing author. And it’s common knowledge that the lack of tissues in Belgium is totally my fault while reading these books.

But Belgium, do not worry anymore, because for this book, not one tear was spilled! And no, it doesn’t mean I didn’t like this book as much as the previous ones.

Sam is being constant in being Sam. Even if it may seem she has everything she could ever wish for, she still has her doubts and fears. While it was sometimes frustrating reading about her fears and not wanting/daring to express them, because we know Josh loves her unconditionally, it shows again how human, real and illogical our fears can be. Because don’t we all say one thing, and then start doubting what we said?

But no matter what, her love for hedgehogs and her desire to help them all never diminish. And the love as a reader for hedgehogs only grows!It was also a kind of refreshing that there wasn’t a major drama in this book, like a reappearance of a certain horrible family…

And it allowed us to focus on Lauren, Josh’s aunt…

Slowly we learn about her past and both her marriages. The focus is on her first marriage, as it was the catalyst of being who she is now.

And it broke my heart to read how Lauren’s heart got broken. When a marriage ends, most of the times the involved parties know the reason of the ending. But Lauren, having no idea, having no clues even afterwards and not even getting all the answers later on, it was just so sad…

So obviously, I truly hoped she would get some closure and even a new chance at love. However, the love interest was not what I expected, especially as we saw in the previous book that something was starting to bloom… But maybe on the other hand, it was even better like this, because this new character is even a better fit!

I loved, loved, loved reading this marvellous next chapter in the series. Jessica Redland manages perfectly to grasp the humanity in each character, and yet keeps surprising us.

I have to admit, when Shaun made a reappearance, I wasn’t totally surprised by it, as a few tips were given, but I admired the courage of the author, and the character, of broaching this topic. While many would not understand it, Jessica manages to show again the humanity of facing the reality of it.

I know that the series is slowly reaching its end. And while it breaks my heart a little bit, as I truly love each character and each little hedgehog, I am already looking forward to the next chapter. And I hope that everyone, somehow and someway, get their happy ever after, like they deserve! And if they don’t, I will come and haunt you down Jessica! Because you don’t write such amazing characters and wonderful stories without a happy end!!!

Love and faith are easy to believe in when all goes well, but what when it doesn’t anymore?

Synopsis

Midwife Izzy is devastated to learn that her beloved grandmother is dying. Abandoned as a baby by her own mother, her grandparents have been the only family Izzy has ever known and she wants to spend every last precious moment with them.

New locum vicar, Noah, is a wonderful support – kind, considerate and always there for Izzy whenever she needs a shoulder to cry on. But secretly Noah is battling his own doubts about his faith – how can he offer Izzy comfort if he doesn’t truly believe his own words?

When Izzy and Noah are brought together to support grieving parents, Noah reaches breaking point. He can’t stay in Port Agnes and live a lie. But Izzy is adamant it’s the only place she can be….

Will love find a way or will Izzy’s hopes of a future be dashed?

My review

Midwife Izzy may have the most selfish mother on earth, but she also has the best grandparents of just the whole universe. They raised her while her own mother abandoned her and they gave Izzy all the love they had. But Izzy has recently learned that her beloved grandmother is dying, and so Izzy wants to spend every moment with Eileen.
And Eileen herself finds comfort at the vicarage and finds a listening ear in the form of new locum vicar Noah.
While Noah tries to be there for everyone in Port Agnes, and that includes offering his support to Izzy, even if he is struggling with his own doubts with his faith.
And when Izzy and Noah are brought together with their helping out grieving parents, they realize that there is more than just friendship.
But when Noah reaches his breaking point, is their new relationship strong enough for this big test? Or is it all over before it even began?

It’s not a secret I have fallen in love with this series! So I was very eager to start reading this next chapter and getting to know Izzy better.
While I thought what I would get into to, I didn’t expect that the expected rollercoaster of emotions would be such a big one!

If there is someone who doesn’t love Izzy, it’s definitely you, not her!
Izzy is one of the kindest, caring, loveable persons in the writing world. Her love for her grandparents is obvious from every word and act.
She knows that she has the best grandparents in the world, and they have given her everything her mother didn’t.
And I could completely comprehend how Izzy didn’t want to hear anything from her mother, or even being disgusted by her mother’s behaviour.
Even I was repulsed by it, and I knew it was fiction!

And if I were ever having a baby of my own (after finding my Prince Charming obviously), I just wish I could go to port Agnes, as Izzy and the other midwives are just amazing! Each Midwife going beyond their strict duty and seeing how a terrible event shakes Izzy, showed me again what amazing people there are in Port Agnes.

Even the latest addition, Noah stole a piece of my heart. Despite him having doubts around his faith, and not knowing where his future is, he is there for everyone in need and offers advice and kind words.
What I liked about him too, was that he is so down to earth. He knows what people think of him, but he wants to be known for his good actions, and not for the way he looks.
The reason of him doubting his faith was a terrible event in his past, which I could understand. And it made Noah a more realistic person. Because doesn’t everyone has a moment of doubt? And not just about faith, but about what direction we want our lives to take and if previous choices were the right one.
It doesn’t matter if Noah is a vicar or just a ‘normal’ person, because having doubts is what makes us human.

Seeing Izzy and Noah together is just something that warmed my heart. The way Noah easily fitted in Izzy’s family, and even understood Izzy’s feeling towards her mother, was proof how just perfect they are together. And when he makes the most stupid decision ever, I could see what his reasoning was. While not agreeing with him, I saw what he was doing, and it was all for Izzy…

Now, be warned, because while reading, you will definitely need tissues, as I absolutely did! There were moments I had tear after tear falling of my face, even needed a moment to get myself back together…
The author wrote such loving characters, that I wanted only the best for them. But obviously, life isn’t only filled with the good stuff. So when the heart – breaking moments arrived, I wanted to rewrite the story myself, as the characters didn’t deserve to endure those terrible moments!

But the main feeling I had after finishing this lovely book, was the feeling of love. Because this book is filled with love in so many different ways. The love between grandparents and grandchildren, the love of parents for their (unborn) children, love for your job, love for people around you, and even the love animals have for their owner and the other way around. Because let me tell you, Pablo and Franny surely stole a piece of my heart, with their enthusiasm but also comprehension and their offering comfort in their own little ways…

Even with the many tissues I had to use, this was an amazing, heart-warming book to read!

When something fun turns out to be the revelation of an unknown past

Synopsis

What if the key to your present lies in the past?

London, 1939
On the eve of the Second World War, Canadian Maggie Wyndham defies her family and stays in England to do her bit for the war effort. Torn between two countries, two men and living a life of lies working for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Maggie’s RAF sweetheart locket is part of who she is…and who she isn’t.

San Francisco, 2019
Over twenty years after Maggie’s death, her daughter Millie and granddaughter Willow take a DNA test that’s supposed to be a bit of fun but instead yields unexpected results. Willow has always treasured her grandmother’s sweetheart locket, both family heirloom and a symbol of her grandparents’ love story. But now she doesn’t know what to believe. She embarks on a search for the truth, one she doesn’t know will reveal far more about herself…

A gripping and heart-breaking dual timeline novel about love, loss and buried secrets, The Sweetheart Locket is perfect for fans of Lorna Cook, Rachel Hore and Suzanne Kelman.

My review

The last thing that Willow expected when she took a DNA test for fun with her whole family, was discovering that her ancestry was not what everyone thought.
Willow always believed that that their grandparents had the greatest love story, and that’s why she treasured her grandmother’s sweetheart locket.
Wanting to know the truth, Willow decided to make the trip van San Francisco to London, to see if she can find more about her grandmother Maggie, who in 1939 decided to stay in London and not return to Canada.
And with her wish to do her bit for the war, Maggie finds herself falling in love, working for the  Special Operations Executive and learn how much a heart can be broken. But one thing she will always keep with her, is her sweetheart locket…

When I start reading a book with dual timelines, I am always a bit scared that one character won’t have enough spotlight and making me not completely bond with that character.
So I was relieved to see not only the length of the book, but also seeing how both Willow and Maggie got their spotlight.

Maggie and Willow are two characters different from each other, yet so much alike too.
As Willow grew up in not the easiest circumstances, and her own adulthood hasn’t been a walk in the park either, receiving the notice that she is not what she thought she was, I could see how it devastated her. And I could surely understand why she wanted to discover the truth and the past of her beloved grandmother.

And Maggie finding herself in London all alone, I could see her struggles too. But I also saw her determination, as she becomes of an added value with her work. But also seeing her to go from a bit of an ‘innocent’ girl into adulthood, with everything that comes along with it.
Maggie is the kind of woman I would have liked to have known myself, as she doesn’t make a distinction based on your background. She likes you for who you are.
Falling in love during wartime isn’t easy, but it warmed my heart seeing how Maggie fell in love for the first time. And he couldn’t be any more perfect!

Unfortunately, the War makes no distinction either, and seeing Maggie getting heartbroken, broke my heart too.
But even after her most difficult moment, I admired Maggie’s resilience.

I can go on and on describing what happens to each woman, and while it may seem that the focus is more on Maggie, we get to know Willow also much better.
The more Willow is doing her research in London, together with her new friend, Dermot, the more I saw the similarities between both women. Not only their strength and determination, but also their vulnerabilities.

This was a lovely book to read, with secrets and (un)expected twists. It took my on a journey where characters are discovering themselves, learning every bit of life, and finding strength to move forward.
I liked both characters equally, as their stories were entwined, but even if their paths took them to different directions, but found each other closer, even if separated through time and place.

Well, this cover surely has my interest, I NEED to read the book asap!!!

Synopsis

‘Gorgeous, glorious and uplifting. A delight to read.’ (Christie Barlow)

List-juggling, business-owner mum-of-three Louisa is reeling after a tragedy, as well as learning how to cope after a life-changing revelation. With oil worker husband Ronnie possibly being able to move onshore, she hopes he can help her manage the burden.
But the secrets she keeps are causing her headaches and she’s unsure if her ability to make good decisions has deserted her. All she seems to do is upset those around her.
With Louisa’s to-do list gathering pace at an incredible speed, will she manage to provide a stable home for them all, embrace her new normal as well as rebuild their life from what’s left?
And if she gets what she has always wanted, will it match up to her expectations?

For fans of Milly Johnson, Sarah Morgan and Heidi Swain.

Pre-order link – https://books2read.com/u/3yKNa6

Publication Date – 26th July

About the author

Susan Buchanan lives in Scotland with her husband, their two young children and a crazy Labrador called Benji. She has been reading since the age of four and had to get an adult library pass early as she had read the entire children’s section by the age of ten. 

Susan writes contemporary fiction, often set in Scotland, usually featuring travel, food or Christmas. When not working, writing, or caring for her two delightful cherubs, Susan loves reading (obviously), the theatre, quiz shows and eating out – not necessarily in that order!

THE COVER!!!

Sometimes, love is as easy as A to Z…

Synopsis

Experience has told Jenna Oakhurst that Happy Ever After may happen in all the best stories, but Happy For Now is the best one ought to expect in real life. Yet lately even that isn’t quite enough, so when a strange set of circumstances leads her to discover a mysterious letter in an abandoned storage unit, she takes the chance to embark on a journey into the unknown…just like the heroines from the storybooks.

Reaching out to the letter’s author, Henry Somners, changes Jenna’s world irrevocably and she starts to realise that the magic she believed in as a child might not be such a fanciful notion after all…

My review

Growing up, Jenna Oakhurst has learned that Happy Ever Afters are only for in stories, but in real life there are only Happy For Nows. And proof is her current relationship.
Matt is more focused on his way to make money without too many efforts, and that is the same way he sees his relationship: not putting too much effort in it.
Being a helping hand again with clearing out an abandoned storage unit, Jenna finds a mysterious letter and she is determined to find whoever wrote it to return it to sender.
And with her success, as she finds the author, Henry Somners, will she also find her Happy Ever After, or is meeting Henry again a case of being too good to be true? 

When we were young, didn’t we all believe that Happy Ever After was a real thing? That one day we would meet our Prince Charming and it would be all sunshine and rainbows from there on?
And with growing up, we learned that Love isn’t like that and is always a work in progress, where two people who love each other have to put in the same efforts to keep things working. 

In this story, Jenna doesn’t believe in love, not even in the sense of the keep on working on it version. She only believes that love can give you happiness for a limited moment.
And seeing Jenna like that saddened me, because, despite me not having found my Prince Charming myself, I keep on believing that he is out there somewhere. And that sometimes we have to encounter many frogs before our Prince emerges. 

Jenna isn’t happy in her relationship, and I couldn’t blame her. It’s one thing if both parties are equally putting an effort in it, but it’s obvious that Matt is more concerned with his friend and dubious affairs, than investing his time and love in Jenna.

However, Jenna is obvious also a romantic type. And this side clearly emerges when she finds the mysterious letter.
She wants to find the writer of it, and even after meeting Henry, she does whatever she can to help him out, even if that means using a scheme to get his camera back from Matt. 

I also admired her strength in a way. Because when she finally had enough, she makes a clear break from Matt, choosing herself for once.

And in my opinion, that is when the real story starts…
Yes, it’s important to know her background, and how she meets Henry, but when she finally moves out of her place and stays with her sister and her partner, the real Jenna appears. 

The more I read about Jenna, the more I liked her. She is a kind person, offering helping hands wherever she can. She is also funny, as she shows with her colleagues. But she is also righteous. Even if there is one colleague that pushes her buttons, she still handles his expenses according the rules of the firm and when the truth comes out, even then she shows her kind heart, no matter how easy it would have been to get some ‘revenge’. 

To be truly honest, the bit that truly stole my heart, was the guinea pig rescue. I never heard of such a rescue before, but seeing the efforts and love was put in helping those poor animals and the efforts to keep the rescue, warmed my heart. And even if I am not a fan of the candy – type, Snickers stole my heart! 

And seeing how she and Henry are growing closer, was just wonderful to read about. Add that Jenna also has a physical disadvantage yet Henry sees the Power Woman she truly is, made me even believe more in finding Prince Charming! 

Yes, Henry made me furious at one specific point in the story, but seeing how he cares about Jenna and seeing how his heart gets stolen by the guinea pigs, made me still believe in the good in him. 

This was a wonderful story to read, about how hardships in our lives have twisted our vision of love, and can even make someone fear to love.
There are so many topics handled in this book, but all handled in a subtle, nice way without ever getting too judgy or teachy.
While reading, I understood perfectly what this author tried to tell us, and while the messages were important, it never made the smile disappear of my face.

Not everyone wants the protection of a knight

Synopsis

A knight’s protection…That she doesn’t want…or need?

Joan Lovent may be losing her sight but she refuses to lose her independence too. So when Sir Warin de Talmont tells her it’s too perilous to be out alone in the city, she doesn’t pay him any heed. But with threats surrounding them, she begins to value his protection and helps with his dangerous work in return. If only the powerful connection between them wasn’t so impossible to ignore!

My review

Joan Lovent has lost so much in her young much, and not even the prospect of losing her sight takes away her wish for independence.
When her brother, her only family member she has, asks Sir Warin de Talmont to protect and keep Joan safe, Joan still does as she wants, with a frustrating Warin as a result.
But the both of them quickly learn the advantages of spending time together. Joan start to value his protection and sees a side of Warin she didn’t expect. And Warin finds himself being helped in his dangerous job, as Joan shows her capability of sensing things that no one with sight would see.
But joined forces means also growing feelings, however with both having lost so much and still have to lose, will they stand a chance? 

By now I have read many stories in this genre and several books by this author. And while the ending isn’t coming as a big surprise, I loved the whole journey towards it. 

In this tale, there are two characters, that are strong in their own ways, but also stubborn in their own ways.

The tragedy Joan has faced, and even the tragedy that is waiting for her, would have been easy to turn her into a depressed character, just sitting back and wait for her destiny to arrive, without any happy prospects. Having a loving husband and her own family is something she only dreams about, but she is also realistic that no man will want a marriage with a woman who in the end will lose her sight.
But Joan won’t allow her progressing disability to hold her down. And that is what I truly admired in her. She still ventures outside to help those in need, and turned her disability into a good thing, as she reinforced her other senses and can easily pick up what no one does. 

She also is determined to not become dependant from her brother or anyone else, as she doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone. Somehow, despite the pains she has, she will stand on her own two feet and find her purpose in life. 

And seeing how she keeps fighting for her causes against Warin, was just hilarious! Warin, who feels his duty to look after Joan, is doing whatever he can to keep Joan safe, but she just won’t hear any of it!
Warin, who has his own guilt to carry, and put his life at service of the Crown… Warin who is working so hard to find out who is against the Crown, but is also fighting his growing feelings towards Joan.
Warin, who as only one, is able to put a smile on a little girl’s face…  

It was great to see how these two broken persons joined forces, and learned to not underestimate each other. While their scars were so alike, they let those scars change their lives in different ways. And together they learned from each other how a great grief and loss can be overcome and see the joys and beauties of life again.  

I was glad the direction the author took with this story, showing us not only to never underestimate a woman, but also showing us that missing one sense doesn’t mean that we are completely useless.
Even with something missing, we are strong, important persons in our own way.
And that even the most broken person can be healed by the power of love and that it’s only fear that makes us hold back.
But fear shouldn’t be able to have that effect on us, because everyone is worthy of receiving love.

While autumn may seem the end of many things, it can also be the start…

Synopsis

The first in a new romantic comedy series from CP Ward, author of Christmas at Marshmallow Café and Summer at Blue Sands Cove.

Having fled a relationship and a previous life she would rather forget, young teacher Jennifer Stevens throws herself into a demanding new job at Brentwell Primary. Charged with marshalling a group of unruly eight-year-olds to the autumn harvest festival, her only solace is the peace of nearby Sycamore Park.

As the evenings draw in and the leaves begin to fall, will new friends, delicious autumn treats, and a possible new man on the orange-tinted horizon help Jennifer finally come to terms with her past and begin to look forward into the future?

Autumn at Sycamore Park is another delightful romantic comedy from CP Ward, author of several popular seasonally themed novels. Set against a backdrop of warm autumn days, it offers everything fans of CP Ward’s other books have come to love: laughter, friendship, good times, and a hint of newly discovered love.

My review

Jennifer Stevens recently moved to Brentwell, fleeing from her relationship. She is now starting a new job as a teacher at Brentwell Primary. Having turned her whole life upside down, Jennifer is trying to feel at home in Brentwell, together with her dog Bonky.
Learning the dynamics at school, trying to manage her eight – year – old pupils and a autumn harvest festival lurking around the corner, Jennifer needs to find calm and peace. And that she finds in Sycamore Park, where she finds more than just a place to destress, as she learns the importance of the place thanks to her new made friends that understand her better than anyone who she knew before her move. 

How often do we read books where the main characters leave their former home to start all over again?
And how often are these main characters in a bad relationship, having all the rights to have their escape?
Being not that kind of book, made me truly enjoy this story! 

Initially I thought that Jennifer moved because her relationship ended in a bad way. So it was a relief to see that not all relationships are bad, but just sometimes it just isn’t enough.
Her former boyfriend wasn’t a bad man, just he wasn’t the right man for Jennifer, as his priorities obviously laid somewhere else.  

I could completely understand how terrifying it must have been for Jennifer to move to a new place, starting a new job and having no one by her side.
Her fears are obvious to us readers, but also her determination to make the best of each new situation. 

Saying that much doesn’t happen in this book, would do the whole story injustice, because there are obviously things happening. But this isn’t a book filled with action, plenty of drama, heart – breaking, sobbing moments.
This book is just showing us life how it is.
It was very easy to comprehend how things at Brentwell Primary were, even the bantering between teachers. There is obviously the little rascal in Jennifer’s class, Gavin, who you would like to strangle some times, but shows that even eight – years – olds can understand things better than we expect.

And Sycamore Park, with the people who care for the place, shows us the importance and impact of a place in nature to just relax and enjoy all the beauties of life and nature.

I found it amazing to see how Jennifer is finding herself more and more at home in Brentwell, making new friends, a few more important than other ones, but nevertheless friends they are.
And even a new acquaintance with the prospect of becoming something more? 

I knew I would enjoy reading this book, as I know the skills of this author. But throughout the whole reading sessions, I found myself smiling, even laughing, but also having a melted heart in a few occasions.

This is truly a heart – warming story, showing us not only the wonderful things we can encounter when making a change, but also the beauty of a changing season. And I found it even a bit inspirational, because it also shows us the impact we can have on other people’s lives, by just seeing beyond the big pretend and façade they are showing us.  

So what are you waiting for, enjoy this wonderful, cosy and warm book!

Can one splendid night be enough to know? Or not?

Synopsis

One night. But how many second chances?

Heartbroken on Hogmanay, Steph wanders through the Edinburgh street party until she bumps into Jamie. He’s funny, attractive and clearly interested. In a word, he’s perfect – but she didn’t get his number. All she remembers is his lime and mango beer.  

Determined to be reunited, Steph tracks him by a milk carton style campaign, sticking a message to his favourite beer across local pubs. Although eventually reunited, Jamie is frequently uncontactable and evasive, and Steph worries she’s on the path to heartbreak once more.

There’s a fine line between being patient and being gullible, and Steph’s reaching her limit. When a chance encounter with Jamie reveals his secret, she faces an even tougher decision. Should Steph give love another chance, or was one night in Edinburgh all she and Jamie were meant to have?

A funny and emotional romance for fans of MhairiMcFarlane, Beth O’Leary and Rosie Walsh.

My review

The last thing Steph imagined, was that she would be heartbroken. Because the man she has been married with, has fallen in love with someone else.
And is there a better way to get over your heartbreak on Hogmanay than partying in Edinburgh streets with her best friend Anna, where she meets Jamie.
After one heck of a night, and being hurried, Steph forgets the most important thing, to get Jamie’s number.
As she cannot forget the man, she decides to find him with a milk carton style campaign. And with success nonetheless!
Happy to be reunited, Steph enjoys spending the weekends with Jamie. But why can’t they meet during the weekdays? And why is he not easy to contact and avoids any personal question?
Steph knows that patience can be rewarding, but when does patience change into being just a gullible woman?
What is Jamie hiding? And was Steph being used as so many women? Or is there more to Jamie’s story than she thinks? 

Is there something more romantic than meeting a guy on a special evening and feeling that click immediately? That is a recipe to a happy every ending, right? But what when you have no idea how to reach him?
So yes, I loved the idea of using the milk carton strategy to find Jamie back. 

But let’s start from the beginning… Steph gets the shock of her life when her husband tells her he has fallen in love with someone else.
She didn’t see that coming, as often also happens in real life.
But what I admired the most in Steph, as she realizes that there is nothing she can do about it, is that she adamant to stay best friends with Connor. Because even if on a romantic level it didn’t work out, their bond is too strong to break. 

I also loved her determination… while sleeping with the first man she meets on the Edinburgh streets is not something she would usually do (hasn’t done that ever!), she connects with Jamie, and she wants to see what there is in store for them.
It may seem that she is on a rebound, and just clutching herself to the first man she meets, and having too high expectations, she doesn’t give up or listens to her friends.
While I would be siding with her friends, because what do we really know about Jamie, I also understood why she wanted to find him.
A click that easy and strong, that must mean something? 

And I was happy when the two reconnected, but I was also very wary… It’s obvious that there is something that Jamie isn’t telling us, but what? And even if Steph was being very patient with him, giving him time and space, I don’t know if I would be the same. I am not known for my patience, so I think I would have reached my limit much sooner than Steph did. 

While I was going through several scenarios about Jamie, from being married, to being just a man looking for a one night stand, I was truly shocked when the truth came out.
But it also opened my open. Not everything is what it seems, and there is so much we don’t know about people. But is it right to judge them for that? A person’s situation isn’t proof of who the person actual is.  

However, Steph is the kind of person who looks beyond it, and sees the person for who he is, what cannot be said of her own family…
Can a family be more obnoxious than hers? 

This was a lovely story, about how relationships end, but remain in another form, about finding new love, but not letting be played with. But also a lovely tale about people helping out other people, even if it isn’t very rewarding in the monetary business, but more in the emotional business. Because helping those in need is never the wrong thing to do.
But most important, is that we see people for who they really are, and not judge them for the circumstance they are in right now. We never know what brought them in the situation, but there is always a way out. It may take some time, but no matter how deep the fall has been, we can stand up again and stand proud for what we have been through.
And the right people will stand by your side and help, no matter how low or how high you are standing…