You never know where one train trip will take you!

Synopsis

Ruby’s life is about to change for ever…

After years of dating losers, cheats and one guy who did something unrepeatable to her kettle, Ruby has all but given up on romance. But then a stranger sits next to her on a train to London and explains his plan to propose to the woman of his dreams. Maybe true love does exist after all?

When the man accidentally leaves the engagement ring behind, Ruby is determined to save the day. But she hasn’t counted on fellow passenger Curtis stepping in and insisting he should be the one to track the stranger down.

As summer closes in, the unlikely pair make a promise to reunite the ring with its owner. But can they find their own happy ever after along the way?

My review

Ruby has had enough of dating men that eventually appear to be the worst kind. So when she finds herself on the train to London, it’s to taka matter in own hands and make a life changing choice.
However when she meets Lewis, her faith in love is restored, after discovering the proposal plans and seeing the ring he has bought for his girlfriend.
When thanks to confusion, Lewis leaves the train without the ring, Ruby is determined to track him down and make sure the proposal is happening as planned.
With fellow passenger Curtis by her side, it shouldn’t be so difficult, but Curtis is not so sure. With Ruby all ready for a romantic proposal and Curtis putting a damper on all her enthusiasm, will this strange couple manage in their task? And will they be able to keep their differences apart?

After finishing this book, I felt perfectly satisfied! The author managed to write again a story that pulls you in and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions!

Ruby is a lovely character to get to know. Together with her boss Kim, she is a florist, with a passion for making beautiful bouquets.
But it was just nice to see how Ruby and Kim are not just employee and boss, but also real friends.
They have each other’s back  and give a shoulder to cry on when needed.

Having read about Ruby’s list of just wrong boyfriends, I understood her reasoning for making that choice that would change her whole life. Being disappointed too often, makes you think about taking different directions to gain your dream.
However, when she meets Lewis on the train, chasing her dream, somehow she gets her faith in love restored.
And when Lewis is gone without the ring, Ruby’s true nature appears all over again! She truly believes in love, and wants to at least someone else have his happily ever after!
How easy would it have been for Ruby to just take the ring and pretend nothing happened?

Unexpectedly, she has a partner in Curtis, the rude fellow passenger, who appears to have overheard her whole conversation with Lewis.
Curtis is not an easy character to like, because of his behaviour. But during the story, more is made clear and my feelings towards him changed for the better!

Beside the story of Ruby and her quest with Curtis, there is also the bittersweet story of Kim, Ruby’s boss. Her story shows us that we can always be surprised by people, in a good way, but unfortunately also in a bad way…
But Kim also shows us that sometimes the hardest work can be the most rewarding. Her taking a hyperactive dog like Boomer, is the perfect example.
She is a kind character, a real mother – figure for Ruby and is ready to help out, no matter what wrong doing she has faced in the past.

I found this a wonderful story, showing us both beautiful things, but also a few nasty ones. That’s why this book is a rollercoaster, because there are a few twists (some I saw coming far ahead but a few not) that puts mankind not in a good light. But unfortunately that is also the reality in the current world…
But do not despair, because there are so many sweet moments, teaching us that despite our first impressions, people can be totally different than what we see.
And that sometimes, we have to learn to see what we have in front of us, and realize that nobody is worth changing your all persona, because the right one will accept you as you are, weirdness included!

When in Ibiza…

Synopsis

Sometimes first impressions are far from the truth… 

Nina Darwish is a scientist who likes to proceed with caution and careful deliberation. When she arrives at the party destination of Ibiza to play PA for her best friend and international pop sensation Isla Starr, she has trouble adapting to the carefree and easy-going vibe on the island. The situation isn’t aided by Isla’s seemingly surly yet irritatingly attractive music producer, the world-renowned dance DJ Logan Wild, known by his real name—Cameron—to his friends. Plus, Nina’s run-ins with, and repeated rebuttal of, an extremely entitled and very annoying male singer named Zac don’t help to aid her mood.

Unbeknownst to Nina, Cameron remembers her from the past, when he was a geeky student who admired her from afar. Unfortunately, it’s clear that Nina considers him ill-natured, no doubt due to his natural awkwardness, which he masks using a stage persona. However, even if that weren’t the situation, he’s involved in a dead-end relationship with his celebrity girlfriend Ash. Plus, Nina’s eye appears to have been drawn onto Ash’s no good ex-boyfriend, Zac, therefore there’s no point in believing anything could ever happen between them. 

But despite all of that being the case, for some reason, he just cannot stop thinking about her.

My review

Nina Darwish is flying over to Ibiza. Not because she is such a big party girl, but because she is going to be the PA of her best friend, and international pop star Isla Starr.
However the pace in Ibiza is not something scientist Nina is used to. Instead of spending a lot of time with Isla, Nina finds herself often more spending time with anyone else but Isla… And being around attractive music producer DJ Logan Wild, real name being Cameron, is only making Nina feel more confused… But no matter how she feels around Cameron, he is in a relationship with Ash…
Add an obnoxious singer Zac who doesn’t seem to comprehend a “no” and being Ash’ ex – boyfriend…
So of course her feelings are doomed to be unrequited, right? Or does Cameron feels anything for her too? Because apparently this is not the first time they meet…

Spending some time in Ibiza, with your best friend, is there even a better offer around here somewhere?
So when Nina sets off for her new adventure, I was very curious to see which adventures she would be living.
Obviously, if everything would go perfectly, we wouldn’t have such a captivating, beautiful story!

Nina is a very recognizable woman. Okay, except her being a scientist, because science is not a lost love in my case!
But she is just like us, she just doesn’t jump into a new adventure, but thinks about just every possibility and weights what would be best for her, but without taking too many risks…
She is also a kind, caring person, wanting to help when realizing something is not right with Isla. But she also understands boundaries, and knows that pushing too much, can be counterproductive.
Beside her kind character, she is also not afraid to put a certain annoying character into place, no matter how famous he is!

Oh and if there is a man that made my heart melt, it was surely Cameron! Even if my first impression of him wasn’t a very good one, it’s obvious that there is so much more to him than we think!
Okay, his looks are amazing  and he has an amazing career with the corresponding wealth, but when we get to learn the REAL Cameron, and not just Logan Wild, I fell in love with him too!

Nina and Cameron are having this mutual attraction, but Cameron being in a relationship with Ash surely complicates things. And Nina really liking Ash makes it even more difficult. Adding then a Isla behaving not like herself, is giving Nina more issues than she imagined thought before venturing to Ibiza.
And the fact that Nina doesn’t do anything with her feelings for Cameron, shows the reader the real character of Nina. She has standards and no matter how much the pull is, she will not be the reason of a relationship ending. And even when things look terrible for a moment, Nina has a clear head about what doing the right this is.

This was a lovely story, but not only about a woman falling in love with a man. It shows us also the complications that life can throw us. Friendships are being tested all the times, and a world of fame and fortune isn’t a guarantee for happiness. People aren’t always what we initially think of them, and can surprise us both in a good way and in a bad way.
However, the author managed to tell us that no matter how terrifying a jump may be, sometimes it’s worth it!

I loved reading this new book of this author, and I am surely looking forward to read even more of her! She’s got a new fan!

Love isn’t something real, right?

Synopsis

The cool, aloof earl

And the enchanting lady

For Jack Beresford, Earl of Hawkenden, emotional entanglements are the path to pain. But when his brother brings his new wife and her best friend to his country home, everything changes. Lady Cecily Thornhill is both vibrant and beautiful, and Jack finds himself increasingly captivated by her sunny nature. Yet he must resist her charms, for in a month she’ll be gone—unless his frozen heart thaws before then…

My review

Lady Cecily Thornhill is, after her being initial sceptical, over the moon about the marriage of her best friend Nell with Tom Beresford.
She is happy to be spending some time with them at the country home. But when Tom’s brother Jack also planned to be spending some there. But Jack and Tom couldn’t be more different… while Tom is totally in love with Nell, Jack has his doubts about this marriage. He truly believes that love is not real, and that women are bound to leave the men they claim to love.
So certainly his growing attraction to Cecily is something he should ignore…

Whenever you read a Harlequin book, you know what to expect. So why bother with this book you must think? Well, because I said so!

First of all, we have Cecily. She is kind, loving, warm and wants the best for those she cares about. But she is not just a giddy woman, looking for a man who would provide the most advantageous marriage.
She knows how a marriage out of love looks like, and she wants the same. However she also has her head on her shoulders. Because when Nell married Tom very quickly, Cecily is initially having her doubts about it being so hasted.
But when she sees the pure happiness, she cannot not be happy for her friends!
She is also the kind of person who wants to understand why someone is the way he is. And Jack’s behaviour may be cold and even rude in some moments, but she knows that there is something still haunting him. And her kind character wants to find out what it is and help out every way that she can.

Jack… it’s obvious that he has his heart broken several times. But not because his love was unrequited, but on a much deeper, meaning and thus also hurtful level. Slowly his behaviour makes more and more sense and him being sceptical towards Nell is something I could understand. Not that I agreed with him, but I saw where he was coming.

This was partially a sad story, because seeing how the past had an effect on Jack was terrible. And then learning that is was because of someone that supposed to have your best interest at heart, made it even worse!

But it was also a heart-warming story, because no matter what happened in the past, it can always be overcome.
There are so many sweet moments, enlightening moments and even moments I almost had tears in my eyes.
It was beautiful to see how thanks with Cecily’s presence Jack could face his demons and come clean about his fears and feelings. And that’s what daring to love is all about!

Can moving on meaning moving back?

Synopsis

Dreams can come true, you just have to believe…

All new from Irish bestselling author Sian O’Gorman

After 10 years in London, working in a stressful City firm, Liv O’Neill returns home to Sandycove, a picturesque seaside village, just outside Dublin to care for her mother after a fall.

Whilst Liv reconnects with friends and family, she is amazed by Sandycove’s thriving community spirit with its artisan shops, delis and cafes – it’s not quite the place she left behind.

As village life begins to creep under her skin, Liv is forced to confront the things that drove her away.

Can Liv balance her past, present and future and find her own happy place?

And will a handsome young doctor help her make a decision about the life she really wants?

Suddenly her old life in London begins to seem extremely unappealing and Liv is forced to use her family’s past in order to forge a brand new future.

My review

When her mother takes a fall, Liv O’Neill makes the temporary move from hectic and stressful London back to Sandycove, nearby Dublin.
For Liv it’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with her friends and family. But being back in Sandycove is also seeing all the changes that took place in her 10 years of absence yet stayed the same.
Liv finally has the chance to find answers to her questions of the past, and being back in Sandycove makes her wonder where her future is.
And will her future involve a young handsome doctor with a dog?

This is an author I have recently discovered, and I absolutely adored reading one of her other books. And even if I had high expectations, there was also this little fear that this book didn’t fulfil them…

But me of little faith! I found this just a wonderful, beautiful, emotional and enthralling story!

Liv is a very conscious woman. She is kind of driven mad by her boss, but when her mother needs her, even when not said with that many words, she is happy when karma pulled some cards and made it possible for Liv to spend four weeks in Sandycove.

I can only imagine what it would feel like returning home after so long, to a place with many happy memories, but also memories about times you failed and where a few life mattering secrets have been kept.
I found it beautiful to see how Liv discovered everything that has changed while being away, but also seeing how many things remained the same.

I understood the dilemma Liv was facing, because Sandycove looks like a wonderful place to be living in. But what about her current life in London? Is her job really that satisfying? And what about her friend Roberto who knows just everything about her and is her shoulder to cry on in London? But Sandycove is also the place that reminds her of her past failure… And what would she do as a job there? There are so many things to take in account…

This was a story that showed all the beauty of a community, but also a few things that aren’t so beautiful… Jessica’s story broke my heart, however I was comforted how everyone stood by her side and helped her however they could.
There were so many characters to fall in love with, because of their kindness and warmth. Bronagh is the kind of friend that will stand by your side year after year, Roberto is the crazy, funny friend that just everyone should have in their lives, just for the hilarity.
Will is the kind of doctor I would want to have myself! And even Pablo The Dog made my heart melt!

There is some romance in it, but this book is just so much more… it’s about finding yourself again, about secrets of the past that had an influence on you.
The strength of the book is the strength of all the characters. There is so much courage mentioned in it, because there are several characters making life – changing yet difficult decisions.
I found this a lovely, inspirational book! When can I pack my stuff and move to Sandycove???

A summer to decide what your future will hold

Synopsis

When Kate Harris accepts the job of redecorating her brother Aidan’s house in the picturesque town of Willowbury, she knows it’s just a stop gap before she has to decide what to do with the rest of her life. While her three sons spend the summer holiday with their father, Kate has an opportunity to prove to herself that there is a new life, after her divorce.

Harry Sinclair is the owner of Vale Volumes book shop on Willowbury High Street. Content, if a little bored with his lot, his shop, as well as his life, could do with freshening up. When Kate offers to spruce up Vale Volumes ready for the visit of a famous author, they find they have a lot more in common than colour schemes. 

But both have secrets and responsibilities, and when the trials of family life threaten their burgeoning friendship, can they overcome the experiences of their pasts? Will Somerset’s most magical town cast its spell on them? Or will Kate and Harry have to concede that their friendship really is just for the summer?

Let Fay Keenan transport you to the perfect British summertime, with beautiful countryside, an unforgettable romance, and just the right dose of escapism. Perfect for all fans of Cathy Bramley, Fern Britton and Katie Fforde.

My review

Getting divorced means for Kate Harris that she has to decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Her decision will not only affect her future, but also those of her three sons. So it’s obvious she has a lot to ponder over.
As her brother Aidan has asked her to redecorate his house during his absence, Kate sees this as the perfect opportunity to think over everything.
And when it appears that there are more redecorating jobs in the town of Willowbury, like Vale Volumes Book Shop, Kate has to decide if she sees a future there. And will her blooming friendship with the bookshop owner Harry be just for the summer?

First of all, I just LOVED returning to Willowbury again, and seeing how the people I care about again!
However, I was also eager to open my heart for new characters again, and Kate and Harry surely managed to capture a piece of it!

I felt so sorry for Kate, as it was very obvious she was feeling lost. Okay, the divorce didn’t break her heart, but it is something that ended the life she was used to.
Now the only prospect she has is going to live in her mother’s annexe. Let’s be honest, as an adult going back to your mother’s, is not really something to look forward to!
So when she accepts the redecorating job from her brother Aidan, and is able to spend the summer at his place, it’s clear that this will be start of something new.

I loved reading about these three siblings being together again, and even if Aidan is not always actual present, he is still around!
Reading how Kate always looked after her brothers was heart-warming, and even now as adults, she wants to protect them from every possible harm.
And this also confirms her behaviour as a mother. Having three sons is not always easy peasy, but she knows her sons, and knows when something is bothering them and who needs her comfort.
Her warm and loving character is just sparking from the pages!

Her helping character also is shown when she is redecorating Vale Volumes book shop. She befriends the owner Harry. And when Harry is on the verge of cancelling a very important visit from a famous author due sickness, she again steps up and offers a helping hand.

Harry is the kind of character easy to like. Of course owning a book shop, is already a big giveaway! He is really kind, ready offering a holiday job to Kate’s runaway son Corey, and he shows what friendship is without expecting anything as compensation.
However when he tells Kate his secret, my heart broke a little bit. Because if there was one person who deserved to have what he now can’t, it surely is Harry!

Even with all the romance in it, I found this more a story about how people can find themselves at a crossroad. Being in the situation that you have to decide which direction to take is not easy, and having to take in account how it will affect the loves of your loved ones, doesn’t make it an easier task!

But sometimes you have to take a dive into the deep, believe in yourself and surround yourself with people that also believe in you.
This was a wonderful story about new beginnings, not being afraid and realize that one summer can be the catalyst of realizing what you want your future to look like!

And here a little sneak peek!

Synopsis

It’s ten years on from The Road to Cromer Pier, and Summertime Special Show Director Karen Wells has two potential headliners, but both have issues. Dare she take the risk? And Karen herself is at a crossroads. Will her mother Janet ever retire and allow her to run the pier theatre?

Meanwhile Janet’s nemesis, businessman Lionel Pemrose still has designs on the pier theatre, but he is facing growing financial problems. Bank manager Peter Hodson is haunted by a past indiscretion, and calls in recently widowed turnaround expert Tom Stanley. Can he keep the indiscretion a secret?

Tom is bereaved and has recently been made redundant from his own firm. He is too young to retire, and after years of long hours, suddenly finds himself unemployed. He pours his energies into the assignment, which could be his last hurrah.
Old enmities, loyalties and past mistakes surface as the future of the pier theatre is once again under threat, and those involved must deal with unresolved issues in their lives.

Extract

Lech Wojiek:

Lech is one of my favourite characters, featuring in both books. Here is his introduction in the second book, arriving in England from his native Poland. I guess it could be criticised by the ‘show don’t tell’ gurus, but I need to bring in the back story of the first book here. He is naturally funny, has the comic rubber face and uses his deficiency in English as a part of his act. Originally hapless and incompetent, ten years on he is slick and professional, a master of his craft. But above all he is a well loved team player.

Extract:

Lech Wojiek flew into Norwich that afternoon. The affable Polish comedian-come-hapless-magician had been hired as the compère for the season’s Summertime Special show. As his flight landed, he removed the headphones from his ears and got ready to extract his six-foot-five frame from the lamentably small space in economy class. He could have afforded a seat with more legroom, but was not about to pay any more than necessary to Mr Ryanair, as he called the budget carrier.

He’d been reading some material Les Westley, a fellow comic and formerly the director of the show, had emailed to him. They were firm friends, although as Les was now Lauren’s manager and partner, they didn’t meet often. 

Lauren had done three nights in Warsaw over the winter, and they had shared a lovely meal in Lech’s favourite restaurant. Lech recalled that it was now ten years since he had first visited Cromer as a young and inexperienced magician with an unintended habit of bungling his tricks. Les had recalled a comprehensive dressing-down he’d given him in that first week.

Lech laughed at the memory. At the time, he hadn’t understood more than half of what anyone said to him in English, but regular visits had made him pretty fluent in the language, although it was still very obviously not his native tongue. His wife Marina would be joining him in a couple of months with their daughter.

His career in England had been good. He now played the haplessly incompetent magician act for laughs, behaving as though he knew very little English. He’d come to enjoy British sitcoms too, and adopted Manuel of Fawlty Towers as a kind of role model. His ability to poke fun at the English had won him some comedy awards, and his one-man show at the Edinburgh Fringe had been particularly successful. He had no difficulty getting work in pantomime either, and enjoyed that particular piece of Britishness.

He had even thought about moving to Britain full-time. He loved the country which had given him a successful career doing what he loved. He was confused by this Brexit business, but knew it was off- limits in his act. Too many people had too many strong opinions to find jokes about it funny.

He walked through the main exit of the airport and out into the grey afternoon to collect the car he’d rented for the season, still a little confused by the right-hand drive. This time, he’d plumped for an automatic to avoid at least one of its complications.

He drove out of the gates of the airport and followed the signs for Cromer. He had rented Les Westley’s old place for the season at mate’s rates. It was rather more comfortable than that musty old mobile home he’d rented so cheaply when he had first visited all those years ago.

He had other offers now, of course. He had quite a following, and his agent had talked of television. His huge, shiny bald head and rubber comedian’s face was so distinctive that he stood out from the crowd and could turn his hand to most things. But Lech still felt a loyalty to Cromer Pier Theatre that had taken a chance on him when he was a complete nobody. So now, having done other things in previous years, he’d been offered the compère role in the show. 

He would shop for food the following morning. Karen would have helped by buying in a few basics for him. It was hard to think of Karen as his boss, because she had been in the show with him as dance captain when he first joined the cast. He was meeting her the following day to discuss plans for the show. 

He would have the English fish and chips he loved tonight, washed down with warm beer. He parked the car and went into the first-floor flat he would call home for the next few months. The wind had got up and the tide was in, with waves crashing onto the promenade near the pier. He never tired of the view, with the little theatre on the end of the pier seeming to smile benignly at him in the teeth of the gale. He felt like he’d come home.

He showered and called Marina to say goodnight to the family before walking into town. He said hello to a couple of guys he recognised at the amusement arcade where he had worked some years before, when he was still scrabbling for every penny to send home. It still bore the name PemroseAmusements. But Lech didn’t find Lionel Pemrose amusing at all; he was the racist bigot who had fired him, simply for being a migrant. 

He bought his fish and chips and, since the wind had abated somewhat, headed for the pier to eat them there. Sitting out of the wind in one of the shelters, he ate hungrily. He watched the fishermen as they tended their rods. He had tried his hand at fishing one time, thinking that he might save some money by catching his tea, but the fish had proved elusive. 

As he binned his fish-and-chip paper, he saw a leaflet stuck to the wall advertising the previous night’s Amy Raven concert. He remembered when they had both been new to the show, back in 2009. He recalled that Amy was a local girl, with jet-black hair, hence she’d adopted the stage name Raven.

He walked to the theatre, and as he walked in through the door, he saw a friendly face. Debbie was the bar manager, and he’d often enjoyed an after-show drink with her in the past, at a time when he’d had no other friends.

‘Hi Lech, what are you doing here? Just before closing time as usual,’ she said.

Lech smiled. ‘I am looking for my favourite girl, and a pint of your Woodforde’s Wherry please, Debbie.’

Debbie obliged, and as she handed it over, she asked the obvious question.

‘You in the show, then?’ she said.

Lech drank a third of his pint in one swallow and then paused, setting the glass down with a look of appreciation.

Debbie smiled. ‘You don’t get that in Warsaw,’ she said.

Lech held the glass up in appreciation. ‘Even worth flying with Mr Ryanair for,’ he said.

He could see that she was vexed, hands on hips. ‘You didn’t answer my question,’ she said.

Lech paused. It wasn’t official yet. 

He adopted a James Bond voice as he spoke in furtive tones. ‘If I told you, I’d have to kill you, Miss Moneypenny.’

Debbie laughed. ‘Like I’m shaken but not stirred. I know these things. There are no secrets from me.’

He left it there. Debbie tidied up, bid goodnight to her last two customers and locked the door.

A stubborn new housekeeper and a haunted owner…

Synopsis

She arrived as a housekeeper
Will she leave as a countess?
To some, Thornhallow Hall might be tarnished by tales of vengeance and ghosts, but to new housekeeper Rebecca Merrickson it represents independence and peace from her tumultuous past. Until the estate’s owner, William Reid, the disappeared earl, unexpectedly returns… After clashing with him over the changes she’s made to the house, Rebecca slowly unearths the memories that haunt brooding Liam—and her defiance gives way to a shockingly improper attraction to her master!

My review

Rebecca Merrickson is ready to start to work as a housekeeper at Thornhallow Hall. She is determined to gain the respect of the other servants, while at the same time making changes to the house. Of course making changes is easy when the estate’s owner William Reid isn’t nearby, in fact he has just disappeared!
But when Liam returns, he is not happy at all with the made changes, and more than once he clashes with Rebecca.
However, Rebecca uncovers the secrets and ghosts haunting Thornhallow Hall and its master, while she is keeping her own secrets and fighting the attraction she begin to feel.

When I was reading the first chapters of this book, I was reminded of one of my favourite books ever, namely Jane Eyre. There were many similarities, like a young woman going to work in a place with a dark secret, the master being initially an absent character, but also with a past that still haunts him.

But luckily this story takes another turn. Not that changing direction was a bad choice, on the contrary, because if you have to read a rip – off of a beloved book, it’s certain that you will be disappointed in the end.
And I surely wasn’t when I reached the end!

Often in historical romances, there is one character with a secret, but in this romance, both main characters are having their own secrets.

Rebecca her secret has made her being on the run for a long time, and she is still looking over her shoulder being afraid that her whereabouts have been discovered.
But no matter what happened in her past, and her fear, she is determined to make the best of the time she is staying at Thornhallow Hall.
She is also a strong character, ready to take responsibility for her actions, and slowly she is also having the respect of the other servants.
When we get to know her secret, and how it changed her, I felt truly sorry for her. At a young age she realized that not everyone is acting with good intentions and that people work with ulterior motives.

There are many moments she clashes with Liam, which of course is inevitable as Liam is not ready for all the changes Rebecca made, despite his clear instructions.
Liam is a brooding man, carrying his guilt around like a dark cloak. Thornhallow Hall holds too many sad memories for him, and he is looking for a way to escape his title as an Earl.
But he is also a caring man, the way he acts towards his servants, seeing them as real people and not just as ‘things’ he can bend at his will. And the way he starts to see Rebecca in a different light shows the readers that there is always more than meets the eye…

I found this a beautiful story about scarred and also scared characters, but also strong characters. The author wrote a story that somehow would look like thirteen in a dozen, but she managed to add her own things, making this a unique story.
Not only the characters but also the twists in the story made me keep reading it, making me feel like I was walking around Thornhallow Hall myself!

When getting out with your friend is easier than getting in on your own…

Synopsis

London, 1817: When Barclay Durbin, a young street preacher, encounters Honora Goodwin, injured on a London street, he doesn’t know she has just escaped from Titania’s Bower, a brothel. Taking her to his ancestral home to recover amongst his family, he falls in love with the vivacious girl and comes to believe that she is divinely appointed to become his wife.

Honora begins to feel similarly and knows that the good-hearted gentleman’s attentions would likely ensure her future happiness, but she is intent on liberating Celia Woodlow – the friend she was forced to leave behind at the Bower. Telling Barclay only parts of her own story, Honora enlists the besotted young man to help her.

When their plan goes awry, Honora realizes that only the truth can deliver them from the emotional and societal maelstrom in which they find themselves. But if she divulges all, what will become of Honora and Barclay’s budding attachment? And will Celia ever gain her freedom?

Out of the Bower tells the tale of a forbidden romance, an ardent friendship, and the ever-essential redemption of self.

My review

Barclay Durbin is a young street preacher, ready to help and rescue people in need. So when one day he meets an injured Honora Goodwin, he doesn’t hesitate one moment to offer his helping hand and takes her to his home, allowing Honora to recover from her injury.
Honora is welcomed not only by Barclay, but also by his family. As times passes, Barclay realizes that his feelings for this beautiful woman are deeper than imagined.
But he doesn’t know that the day he met Honora, she was running away from a brothel, Titania’s Bower.
Honora knows that Barclays is a righteous man, and she also develops feelings that go deeper than just sympathy. But how can Barclay ever be thinking of marrying a woman that escaped from a brothel? And Honora has a mission of her own: rescue her friend Celia Woodlow, who Honora was forced to leave behind.
If Honora wants to move on with her life, she first must find a way to save her friend and find the courage to come completely clean with Barclay…

When reading how Honora ended up working at Titania’s Bower, I found her a bit naive. Where did she expect to be working, especially after having witnessed the behaviour of the other girls?

But Honora is not only a naïve young woman, she is also a strong one. Because she is determined to leave that place as soon as she can. Besides being strong, she is also loyal. In that horrible place, she befriends Celia. And no matter how bright her future can be with Barclay, she will not just abandon the one friend she has!
Honora just being Honora, made it very easy to like her.

Barclay is an admirable man. Being a preacher, you would assume anyone in that position would show his kind and forgiving and accepting heart, but unfortunately, that is not always the case.
However Barclay is the good kind of man. Not only doesn’t he judge Honora, he doesn’t judge the other women in the same position.
He knows that not everyone is there on their free will, and wants to help, no matter what.

This is a dark story, because we also see the reasoning of the villains. And it’s despicable the lengths some people would go!
But there is also so much beauty in it, because there are good people around. Barclay and his family welcome Honora, despite her past.
We see a love blooming, we see the lengths a man would go for a woman, we see friends being made.
We see women not just being compliant, but fighting for their freedom, we see them stand with their heads high, not ever just giving up.

I found it an inspirational, hopeful book to read. the reality is not being sugar-coated, however the author managed to switch the darker moods with lighter moments. and it somehow restores the hope for mankind, because as long as there are people like Honora and Barclay, showing real kindness, there is always that ray of light that not everything is lost…