Tizi’s Book Review

How a strange café can be exactly what you need…

Synopsis

A gorgeously uplifting story about memories, storytelling, love and friendship, about the journeys we take and the people we meet, what we remember and how there are some things we can never forget.

Alex would like to believe she’s a woman who has it all. Or that’s what she tells everyone, including herself. But this is far from true. Actually she’s on the cusp of losing her home, her dream career as a writer is in tatters, her ex won’t speak to her, and her mother’s gone forever.

But then a chance meeting with a stranger named Hope gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, when Hope jokes that perhaps Alex should take over her job in a cafe while she goes travelling.

Just at that moment, it sounds like the answer to all her problems. So Alex persuades Hope to let her step into her shoes for a month. She brushes away Hope’s attempts to explain about the café, instead demanding to know more about the owner Tom.

But she should have asked to know more. Because the ‘Wrong Order Café’ isn’t like anywhere she’s ever been before. And Alex’s life is about to change forever…

My review

Alex is a writer whose books have been very successful. Yet inspiration has abandoned her lately, even making her risk losing her home, after a failed marriage and losing her mother. Despite her situation, she won’t admit it and makes everyone believe that she still has it all.
Perhaps what she needs is to take a step back, just like Hope, a woman Alex has met by cheer coincidence, suggests. And with Hope going travelling for a month, Alex grabs this chance to step into Hope’s shoes. Not only will Alex be staying at Hope’s place, but she will also take over Hope’s job at the Wrong Order Café.  
Yet Alex is going to have the surprise of her life, once she realizes that perhaps she should have been listening to Hope’s explanations about the Café and owner Tom, instead of dismissing Hope so easily… 

Almost in every book I read, I immediately like the main character(s). So with this new book from an author I truly love, I was really ready to feel a connection with Alex.
However, and perhaps even for a nice change, Alex was not the sweet, loveable character I expected her to be.
On the contrary, for a while I absolutely disliked her… 

Alex felt to me like an obnoxious, even self – centred person, only looking at her own misery (which is justified) and not taking other people in consideration. She is even the kind of person who isn’t kind to others around her.
I really had to trust the author that at some point Alex would change because nobody enjoys reading a book about a character who we don’t like… 

But the one thing I absolutely loved from the very start was the café, and its amazing concept…
I have to admit, I think I can count myself lucky that I haven’t been faced with dementia in real life, so I don’t know how it affects not only the person but also those around him/her.
Yet I admired how Tom made it his goal to give people suffering from this disease still a purpose in life. 

Seeing everyone working in the café, with each their own strengths, truly was wonderful to read. The author shows in an amazing way that a disease can yes change you, but that the disease doesn’t define you.
And while Alex initially is rather reluctant of keeping the job, she also starts to see the beauty of the café, and on her own unique way, she understands the people working there and helps them in a way that is perfect for them. 

And seeing that evolution in Alex, not only towards the café, but also how the café has an impact in her life and her own visions, made me change my initial opinion over Alex.
She starts to see the importance of not only the café, but also the importance of supporting your loved ones, and trying to find a shimmer of light in everyone’s lives. 

My heart went out to each character working in the café, from owner Tom to even parrot Captain Beaky, as they all have their own tale of how they ended up in the café. 

For me, this story was not only heart – warming, but also eye – opening in a sense. Because while it’s easy to disregard people with any kind of disease, they just aren’t. Even if they cannot remember who they are, where they are, or who you are, they still are the people we love. And they still matter… 

And while there were heart – breaking moments, with me having tears in my eyes of sadness, in the end I closed this book with a warm feeling inside, as it made me see that even when we think all is lost, it isn’t…

Where one myth ends, can another tale take off?

Synopsis

The friendship that launched a thousand adventures is about to embark on the greatest one of all…

Ever since Stuart Carlson and Dusty Danforth met as kids on a dig in Egypt, they’ve been best friends, supporting each other through heartaches, triumphs, and countless archaeological expeditions. So when Stuart gets hired to help run the American excavations at Troy, he asks Dusty to join him as the site illustrator.

For Dusty, the Troy project isn’t just another adventure. It’s the chance to tell Stuart how she really feels. After years of pining for him, she’s ready for more than friendship. 

But soon after they arrive at the site in Turkey, they’re caught up in a feud with a group of German archaeologists. While both teams are eager to make a major find, Stuart’s boss is so determined to beat his rivals that he’s willing to break a few rules. Or laws.

As Stuart and Dusty work together to keep the dig on track, they give in to the passion that’s been simmering under the surface. But will their romance survive when their boss’s scheme puts the entire project in jeopardy?

My review

Dusty Danford and Stuart Carlson have been best friends for years, from the moment they met as kids on a dig in Egypt. No matter where life took them, they could always rely on each other on not every high but also every low. They even worked together on several archaeological expeditions.
So when Stuart get the chance to help run the American excavations at Troy, in Turkey, he asks Dusty to help as the site illustrator.
Now that Stuart is available again, perhaps this is the perfect opportunity for Dusty to come clean about her feelings for her best friend, as she has been loving him for years.
But things aren’t that easy as it seems, because at the site it’s clear that Stuart’s boss is adamant to make a major find to restore his reputation, competing against the German archaeologists. And he is ready to break not only the rules, but also the laws…
Will Stuart and Dusty be able to keep things on track and protect not only the dig but also everyone involved? And will their passion surface and survive without their boss putting everything everyone worked so hard for in jeopardy? 

While I am not into the whole archaeology – thing, I am into Carla Luna 😊
She makes it possible for even a complete layman like me to enjoy a great story of archaeology. 

I always had and always will have a soft spot for stories where friends turn into something more. I find it so amazing to see that relationship evolve into something deeper, where characters know each other inside out. 

However… 

The real romance in this book takes a rather long time to happen. But that isn’t a bad thing! Because the longer we have to wait, the better we can understand both main characters and see not only their hopes but also their fears.
And whatever Dusty and Stuart do, they do it to protect each other, even if the feelings aren’t known. 

I felt a bit sorry for Dusty, because she has a lot of pressure on her shoulders. Not only from her parents, as especially her mother is pushing her, but Dusty doesn’t seem to appear to know what *she* truly wants…
And that made me sad, because everyone should know where their heart lays and should be able to follow their dreams.
But my heart went out to her also concerning Stuart…
It cannot be easy to be in love with your best friend and I could understand her fear of ruining their friendship. 

Even if it were wrong, I admired the lengths Dusty would go to protect Stuart. Because his boss, Professor Hughes, is truly a disgusting man. And I am not only talking about his persistence on the dig itself, but his behaviour in general… He also uses his ‘power’ in his own advantage, making people, Dusty included, do things that aren’t right. 

But Dusty isn’t the only one being protective, also Stuart is very protective towards Dusty. Yet we see him also struggling with doing the right thing. He isn’t doing anything bad per se, but he has also worked very hard to be where he is right now, and he doesn’t want to make any mistakes… Making him make mistakes obviously. 

I loved reading about the dynamic between these two lovely main characters, but I also absolutely liked all the side characters (with the exception of the professor of course!). While my archaeological knowledge is barely existing, I could feel myself getting enthusiastic at the dig myself, eager to see if there would be any actual discovery!
And there are two characters that I for sure would like to have their own story, as their antics for sure made me laughs throughout this book!    

This was again a story that didn’t disappoint, as it shows us not only the curiosity of a dig, but also the dynamics in a changing relationship, where the love for each other make the characters want to protect each other at their own cost.
But also about characters finding not only the courage to admit their feelings towards each other, but about characters finding themselves, with the help of those who they love the most. 

As this book was way too quickly over, I cannot wait to read what else this author has in store for us!

How can an entire class just disappear?

Synopsis

One spring morning, a bus full of children and their teachers from a Cotswolds primary school head off on a much-anticipated day trip.

But as night falls and the well-heeled parents – one or two of them famous, as well as wealthy – wait at the school to collect their weary offspring, it soon becomes clear that something has gone very wrong.

The children and their teachers simply do not come back.

What’s happened doesn’t seem possible.

How can an entire class of children simply vanish?

My review

The children of class 3B in a primary school in the Cotswolds are looking forward to their trip. After the day is over, the parents are eagerly waiting for the bus the return. But no bus returns…
The more time passes, the more realization dawns that something has happened. No matter how hard everyone is trying to find a trace of the bus with its children and teachers, no sign of them can be found. How can a bus just disappear into thin air?
A race against the clock begins, as it becomes clear that if the parents don’t come up with the ransom money, a dark secret will come out. And with famous parents on the scene, whose secret exactly? 

I am not a parent myself, so I can only try to imagine the terror when you realize that your child, whom you trusted in the capable hands of teachers, just disappeared.
So while reading, I kept having the chills because everything happening in this book is just terrifying. And that is all thanks to this author who kept me sitting at the edge of my seat! 

What I liked about this story, is that we see many different points of view. Not only we see how the police are trying to find any clues, but we also see the desperation of the parents, and how each couple or even each parents handles it differently.
And disturbingly, we also get to learn that several parents are having secrets… so to which secret is the abductor talking about??? 

I was rather disappointed in some of the parents, even a little bit disgusted… It’s obvious that some of them are very selfish, not appreciating what they have and just thinking about themselves. I found it terrible to see how their behaviour, past or present, could be the reason that innocent children were just taken. 

The more I dived into the story, the more I started to have my own suspects of the crime. But while the culprits were not that difficult to find, the reason of their actions were. I was very hard trying to find the common thread between it all, but only to fail at it, as I was surprised by all the revelations, one more surprising than another! 

Perhaps it isn’t a nice thing to say, but with this book, my faith in humankind did take a small downfall. Yes of course, this is fiction, none of it real.
Yet some aspects could totally happen in real life, to some extent. Perhaps in that aspect I am too trustworthy, gullible? Because I always believe that people are good, kind, yet this story shows us the opposite. 

Throughout the biggest part of my reading sessions, I found the pace of all the events rather slow. But I don’t mean this in a bad way, as the slowness only added fuel to the agony, despair and mystery.
However, towards the end the pace went up a few notches, aligning perfectly with what happens in the story itself. Yet to me personally, it felt a bit too quick and several storylines seemed to be closed off too easily, compared to the big scheme of it all. 

I found this a nail-biting thriller (and I am a fervent biter myself!). The author made sure that her readers become even more distrusting towards people, as it would appear that everyone has secrets they keep…
This story is a real nightmare for every parent, and even hose without children find themselves in terror.
A real page – turner that makes you read it quickly while having your fingers crossed for a positive outcome…

An impossible love during war, impossible choices to make…

Synopsis

A forbidden romance in occupied Norway…

Narvik, 1940. After Laila awakens to the sight of warships in the fjord, it isn’t long before she turns resistor to the brutal Nazi regime. She is horrified when local girls begin affairs with enemy soldiers, yet against her own principles, she finds herself falling in love with German soldier, Josef.

Josef is not like the others. He becomes involved in helping her and the locals with resistance activities, risking his life on more than one occasion.

But then Laila finds out she is pregnant. With Josef sent to the Russian front, and Laila cast out by her family, she turns to a home for women which promises to care for her and her unborn child. But instead, she finds herself caught in a system of evil far beyond what she thought possible…

My review

In 1940, many lives were changed, just like Laila’s life. Even in Narvik, Norway the Nazis find their way and occupy the place. However, Laila and many others try to find ways to resist the German occupation.
But not everyone is keeping their distance, and Laila is horrified when she learns that local girls are having affairs with the Germans. And this is just unforgivable!
Yet Laila also sees that not all Germans are the same. While some are convinced of their right, there are others that are just following the rules but are seeing the injustice and even help the locals. And one of them is Josef…
Before she knows is, Laila is falling in love with Josef and the feeling is mutual…
When she falls pregnant, not only when Josef is being sent to the Russian front, but also cast out by her own family, she has no other option to seek refuge in a home for women in her condition, with the promise of being taken care of.
However, Laila learns that there is more going on at the home, something more evil than she could ever imagine… 

We have all learnt about the horrors of the war. Yet with this story, I have learnt more disturbing aspects of the war I wasn’t aware of before. 

This book starts rather innocent, as Laila and whole Narvik are living all in peace and enjoying life. Laila herself is a young woman, with a great sense of responsibility yet also wondering when she will fall in love.
She still has this innocence over her, as she hopes in vain that perhaps even when the Germans invade, a lot will stay the same. 

I admired her courage when realization strikes and she sees the terrible things the Nazis are doing to her hometown. She sees the injustice, and wants to do her bit with helping the resistance activities.
We see Laila turn from a kind of gullible girl to a young woman seeing injustice and being unable to just stand there and watch. 

But she also turns into a young woman who sees that not everyone, even Germans, is the same. There are several characters in this story just confirming the horrendous things that happened during the war, but there are also characters that show us that there are people, Germans, seeing how wrong it all is, and are even risking their own lives to help out. 

Laila has very strong thoughts about familiarizing with the Germans, and she even despises the girls who are having affairs with Germans, just for the advantages.
Yet, as part of her growth, she falls in love with Josef, a German, but with his heart at the right place. 

This book is divided in several parts, showing also the different stadia Laila is going through. While the first part is mainly about her life in Narvik, falling in love with Josef, the second part takes an even darker turn.
Because now Laila has to live with the consequences of her love for Josef.  

I never heard of Lebensborn before, showing only my ignorance. Yet even if it’s thanks to this book I learnt more about it, when things are too good to be true, they mostly are.
I was very wary of when Laila arrived at the Lebensborn home, yet I was truly shocked by what happened there. 

Yet there were also small silver linings, as Laila befriends other girls in the same situation. Here again we see Laila maturing. She knows which fights to fight or when to keep silent. And she knows that something terrible is going on at that place, and is determined to not only discover the truth but also to get away from it as soon as she cans. 

This book was for me an eye – opener in many different occasions.
I saw the determination for fight for love. Because Laila is ready to lose everything she has for the man she loves and the child she carrier.
But I also understood that we cannot paint everyone with the same brush. Even at the most gruesome bits of history, people on the wrong side of the war are trying to undo the injustice.
And I learnt more about those horrors of the war, counting my blessings that I am living in a place and time without war.
However, mostly I learnt about the courage and determination people had. No matter what they had to endure, they would never stop fighting against abuse and crime… 

A really gripping story about the terror of the war, but also about the power of love and hope… This author managed perfectly to show us the brutality of it, yet also managed perfectly to keep shining the light of good things happening in a terrible time…

An impossible love during war, impossible choices to make…

Synopsis

A forbidden romance in occupied Norway…

Narvik, 1940. After Laila awakens to the sight of warships in the fjord, it isn’t long before she turns resistor to the brutal Nazi regime. She is horrified when local girls begin affairs with enemy soldiers, yet against her own principles, she finds herself falling in love with German soldier, Josef.

Josef is not like the others. He becomes involved in helping her and the locals with resistance activities, risking his life on more than one occasion.

But then Laila finds out she is pregnant. With Josef sent to the Russian front, and Laila cast out by her family, she turns to a home for women which promises to care for her and her unborn child. But instead, she finds herself caught in a system of evil far beyond what she thought possible…

My review

In 1940, many lives were changed, just like Laila’s life. Even in Narvik, Norway the Nazis find their way and occupy the place. However, Laila and many others try to find ways to resist the German occupation.
But not everyone is keeping their distance, and Laila is horrified when she learns that local girls are having affairs with the Germans. And this is just unforgivable!
Yet Laila also sees that not all Germans are the same. While some are convinced of their right, there are others that are just following the rules but are seeing the injustice and even help the locals. And one of them is Josef…
Before she knows is, Laila is falling in love with Josef and the feeling is mutual…
When she falls pregnant, not only when Josef is being sent to the Russian front, but also cast out by her own family, she has no other option to seek refuge in a home for women in her condition, with the promise of being taken care of.
However, Laila learns that there is more going on at the home, something more evil than she could ever imagine… 

We have all learnt about the horrors of the war. Yet with this story, I have learnt more disturbing aspects of the war I wasn’t aware of before. 

This book starts rather innocent, as Laila and whole Narvik are living all in peace and enjoying life. Laila herself is a young woman, with a great sense of responsibility yet also wondering when she will fall in love.
She still has this innocence over her, as she hopes in vain that perhaps even when the Germans invade, a lot will stay the same. 

I admired her courage when realization strikes and she sees the terrible things the Nazis are doing to her hometown. She sees the injustice, and wants to do her bit with helping the resistance activities.
We see Laila turn from a kind of gullible girl to a young woman seeing injustice and being unable to just stand there and watch. 

But she also turns into a young woman who sees that not everyone, even Germans, is the same. There are several characters in this story just confirming the horrendous things that happened during the war, but there are also characters that show us that there are people, Germans, seeing how wrong it all is, and are even risking their own lives to help out. 

Laila has very strong thoughts about familiarizing with the Germans, and she even despises the girls who are having affairs with Germans, just for the advantages.
Yet, as part of her growth, she falls in love with Josef, a German, but with his heart at the right place. 

This book is divided in several parts, showing also the different stadia Laila is going through. While the first part is mainly about her life in Narvik, falling in love with Josef, the second part takes an even darker turn.
Because now Laila has to live with the consequences of her love for Josef.  

I never heard of Lebensborn before, showing only my ignorance. Yet even if it’s thanks to this book I learnt more about it, when things are too good to be true, they mostly are.
I was very wary of when Laila arrived at the Lebensborn home, yet I was truly shocked by what happened there. 

Yet there were also small silver linings, as Laila befriends other girls in the same situation. Here again we see Laila maturing. She knows which fights to fight or when to keep silent. And she knows that something terrible is going on at that place, and is determined to not only discover the truth but also to get away from it as soon as she cans. 

This book was for me an eye – opener in many different occasions.
I saw the determination for fight for love. Because Laila is ready to lose everything she has for the man she loves and the child she carrier.
But I also understood that we cannot paint everyone with the same brush. Even at the most gruesome bits of history, people on the wrong side of the war are trying to undo the injustice.
And I learnt more about those horrors of the war, counting my blessings that I am living in a place and time without war.
However, mostly I learnt about the courage and determination people had. No matter what they had to endure, they would never stop fighting against abuse and crime… 

A really gripping story about the terror of the war, but also about the power of love and hope… This author managed perfectly to show us the brutality of it, yet also managed perfectly to keep shining the light of good things happening in a terrible time…

The sky is the limit…

Synopsis

Penny is not living her best life.

Her job is far from thrilling and her long-term boyfriend shows no sign of wanting to commit.

She has just turned fifty and is going nowhere.

Wanting a new start, Penny applies for a job as cabin crew, to find out if she can push herself out of her comfort zone.

Her new job brings the adventure she craves, even if she does keep bumping into impossibly handsome but deeply annoying pilot, Matt Garcia. 

Stuck in Paris on an unscheduled stopover, the chemistry between them grows. But the path of love never did fly smooth, as Matt’s past threatens to come between them.

Beside which, Penny is not looking for love. But what if love finds her?

A romantic, uplifting and inspirational read all about taking chances later in life – fans of Milly Johnson and Sandy Barker will love this!

My review

Penny is living  rather dull life. Her job brings her no joy, and her boyfriend is showing no signs of commitment, even if they are together for a while now.
So even if she has just turned fifty, she decides to apply for a job as cabin crew, to get a fresh start and get out of her comfort zone.
Her new job takes her to places she only dreamed about, and friendships between the crew are begin made. But no matter how much she loves the comradery, there is one person who annoys her… pilot Matt Garcia.
Yet their schedules put them on the same flight on several occasions. And when they find themselves stuck in Paris on an unscheduled stopover, they realize that what they feel in not annoyance…
However, Penny is not looking for love, and Matt comes with a baggage that may put a halt to everything… 

At the start of this book, I could easily relate with Penny in some aspects. Even if not having the most exhilarating life, things work for her just like they are.
Just like her, I was a bit flabbergasted when her boyfriend instead of proposing turns out to break up with her. And things get even worse when he tells her that, well, there is someone else! 

But while my heart went out to her, the sc*mb*g boyfriend is also the catalyst for Penny changing her life completely!
Being a flight attendant has never been a dream of mine (I still hold on dearly when the plane takes off or starts it landing!), yet I admired Penny and her decision to just jump into it. 

If I were in Penny’s shoes, I don’t think I would have made it through the trainings! Just like one of the trainees, I think I would freak out by learning all the things that could go wrong.
So extra kudos for her, as she persisted and didn’t give up after one failed test! 

The funny bits were whenever Penny and Matt were each other antagonists. They kept irking each other for each little thing. And while I understood Penny’s frustrations, it only added more fuel to me finding it funny, because I knew what direction their relationship would go. 

And while Matt initially didn’t have to try very hard appearing to be as obnoxious as Penny thought, once they are both “stuck” in Paris, we also see this vulnerable side of him. And while I didn’t agree with his actions, I could understand his emotions, and lack of knowledge of how to handle the situation. 

But what I liked the most, was seeing the evolution of Penny. At first, she is an insecure woman of fifty, just tagging along, not daring to take any chance.
Yet we see her grow more confident of herself,, ready for new adventures. She also becomes more assertive, but never loses her kindness. While at one occasion it would have been so easy to say ‘no’, she shows everyone, in the book but also the readers, that being kind and helping out is never the wrong thing to do.  

I found this a wonderful, even sweet story about finding the courage to finally chase your dreams. It’s never too late to embark on a whole new journey, as you will never know what will cross your path. And even at the age fifty you can find the most amazing things if you can find the courage to make a change. Penny made a great change in her life to just show of what can happen, but why cannot great things be found also in small changes?

When a trip takes everything from you, but also gives you everything…

Synopsis

To find true love, first you have to truly love yourself…

Fleur French does not have the best of luck when it comes to life and love, and her current boyfriend Jasper is yet another person who only seems to like Fleur when she moulds herself into his idea of the perfect partner. So, when she finds herself single, jobless and homeless, Fleur has to decide if she’s ready to finally be herself – if only she knew who that was.

Matt Morgan saw things he’ll never forget when he was deployed in the military, but now back home in Wales, the recuperative powers of the stunning countryside are working their magic.  And when Fleur takes a job at his mother’s hotel, Matt senses she could benefit from that same magic – if only Fleur realised it too.

It’s hard to be yourself, when you’ve never felt you quite fitted in. But with new days come new opportunities, and as Fleur begins to flourish and find out who she really is, her luck in love might be about to change too.

My review

Fleur French never thought that her trip to Wales with her demanding boyfriend Jasper would end in her being single, homeless and jobless. With nobody telling her what she should, do, say, behave, and even wear, Fleur doesn’t know who the real Fleur is…
Luckily she can count on the goodness of the Morgan family, as they offer her a job in the hotel she was staying in.
Matt Morgan knows that the hotel and his family could be exactly what Fleur needs and that she can find her own voice. But despite his good nature, Matt too has his struggles, especially after he has returned from where he was deployed in the military.
Fleur and Matt find that they can count on each other as friends, but while finding themselves, perhaps they will also find each other? 

This
Was
A
WONDEFUL
Story!!! 

My heart broke from the start for Fleur. And it’s not only because Jasper is a complete sc*mbag, which he absolutely is, but especially because despite Fleur being an amazing woman, she doesn’t see it herself and she lets her fears hold her back. 

Of course, with her past it makes a lot of sense why she is the person she is now. But why can’t she see that Fleur is perfect as she is? Why should she listen to whatever anyone has to say about her, or wants to change her into someone she is not? 

She also finds herself in the position of apologizing for Jasper’s behaviour in Wales, and I have to say, I admired her patience… because I would have slapped that b*st*rd so often in those moments that it’s wouldn’t have been nice! 

While my heart was already broken for her, seeing how she is treated by Jasper, dumping her, even abandoning her at the hotel, really broke my heart in even smaller pieces. 

Luckily there are people like the Morgans in this world, seeing more in Fleur than she does herself, and give her everything she needs, from a place to stay, to a job, to kindness and friendship.
And from there on a wonderful journey for Fleur begins. 

It was so great to see how Fleur start to open up and finds herself. Seeing her realize that she is good enough (even more than enough), and how she feels at home in Wales, doing a job she loves, was the best thing ever.
But the even better bits were seeing her confidence grow and how she learns to speak out her feelings and even adding several layers of banter. 

Banter that was mostly directed to Matt…
Matt is a man who speaks his mind, sometimes too bluntly, only realizing afterwards that how he said it hurt people.
Yet we can clearly see his good heart and kind nature. There isn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for his family, friends and Fleur.
However, sometimes wanting to help out could also turn in his disadvantage… 

But it’s not only Matt, it’s his whole family that turn out to be a wonderful package. They all easily accept Fleur in their lives, they also stand behind her every step and protect her no matter what.
Even when there is someone suddenly looking for Fleur, they have her back and give her all the support she may need. 

Matt and Fleur together, just friends at first, are a delight to read about. They find with each other that person that they can talk freely to, who won’t judge their thoughts and decisions. They have a great understanding. 

There are several things happening in this story, like Fleur trying to discover who she is, the ‘thing’ with Matt, but also an unexpected visit that may be life – altering for Fleur.
But I never had the feeling that the author rushed into any of these subplots, she takes her time to develop things and makes everything make sense. 

This was, like I said a wonderful story to read, about self – discovery, self – acceptance and self – love. But it’s also a story about family, bounded by blood or not. Because when you are surrounded by people that love and accept you, it’s always easier to love and accept yourself, as you never have to doubt that what you do or think is the right thing, because it is…
And surrounded by these kind of people, you will find out that you are stronger than you thought to be.

The author wrote once again a sweet, heart – warming, lovely, even inspiring story about finding yourself even when you thought you lost it all.

Can a curse stop you to find love, or will it make you find Love?

Synopsis

CELESTE thought she had long forgotten the sweet, citrusy kiss she shared with TRAVIS during a game of spin the bottle. Splitting her time between her accounts office in super Instagrammable Notting Hill, and her tiny apartment in quirky Exmouth Market, modern-day life is simply too busy for men. Besides, whenever she tries to find The One, it always ends in disaster. From Tinder tragedies to trampolining tribulations, Celeste is starting to think that she’s cursed.

But then Travis begins to pop up wherever she goes, and Celeste knows with stomach-sinking clarity that fate has finally caught up with them. Inspired by the idea of fake dating, Celeste is convinced the only way out of this mess is to call the curse’s bluff. But will Travis agree to it? And how can she manage not to fall in love?

Pour yourself a lemonade and escape with this gorgeous will-they-won’t-they rom-com set between London and Gibraltar!

My review

Celeste truly believes that the game of Spin The Bottle she played years ago has cursed her. Every date she had, has turned out into a disaster somehow. To make things even worse, now she starts to see Travis, whom she shared a kiss with during that game, everywhere.
As she believes that to lift the curse there is only one option, she is ready to bluff fate over, by fake – dating Travis. But is Travis willing to play her game?  

Whenever I start to read a story by this author, I know I have to keep an open mind, and not overthink about things like curses, spells and even time – travelling.
Even if those things seem impossible in reality, why can it not be happening in books?  

I was very intrigued about the whole aspect of a little game to be an actual curse. And how it affected Celeste in her love life.
And I found it a bit bizarre how Celeste truly believed in that curse, even as an adult woman and even going that far to avoid anything with lemons.
For a moment I even thought, just like her best friend, that Celeste was getting a bit delusional when she sees Travis suddenly everywhere. 

Now that I mentioned her best friend, can I just say that for a big part of the story I didn’t like her? I found her patronizing and even selfish at moments… but I was glad that towards the end she saw the light. 

Back to Celeste and Travis now 😊 

For us readers, the idea of fake – dating, we know that it will never end up like just that. We *know* that things are going to evolve somehow, no matter how hard the main characters try to avoid that.
Yet these fake dates turned out to be the weirdest ones I have ever read…
If it’s not the small talk that doesn’t work, there will for certain rise another issue! It made it difficult at moments to like Travis and his lacklustre behaviour. But at other moments he also had me in complete laughs.  

However, he redeems himself when the truth comes out and we can actually see that his behaviour is not because of his disinterest, but because of his own feelings of shame concerning his situation.
That only shows us that there is more to people than they will initially show is. 

There were several moments that put a smile on my face, but also moments that broke my heart… Yet what didn’t take away I truly enjoyed reading this funny, magical story, about how one ‘silly’ game may be exactly what we need, even if we don’t know that yet as a teenager or even an adult.
With this story we see that somehow love always finds its way to us, no matter how long or how far it takes…  

And as a cherry on top of the (lemon?) cake, there are a few cameo’s that I absolutely adored!

Can a city girl adapt in the Italian countryside?

Synopsis

Jenn has always prided herself on being a city girl – she insists on easy access to good coffee, great food from around the globe, not to mention an easy commute. So, when her job takes her to one of the most famous Italian wine regions in search of the perfect Prosecco, travelling to meetings on a tractor is a bit of a culture shock.

Tiziano hates the city.  He was made for the mountains and vineyards of Veneto, and generations of his family have earned their living from the land. But times are changing even in the Italian countryside, and the arrival of Jenn at his grandmother’s B&B opens up a window on a different world.

Jenn has two months to persuade the Prosecco producers to trust her with their business, and Tiziano has one summer to persuade Jenn that there’s more to life than the rat race. But can a city girl and a country boy ever find enough in common to see a future beyond one long summer of sun…

My review

Jenn is a real city girl, loving her shots of coffee to be found at each corner, she knows perfectly how to the public transport. So when her boss asks her to go to Italy, to find the perfect Prosecco, she isn’t ready for the complete culture shock.
Because where she is used to taxis, and public transport, in Veneto and its vineyards, it’s more about tractors…
But also the people are the complete opposite, especially country boy Tiziano. They aren’t exactly jumping at the occasion to do business with Jenn.
Jenn has now only two months the time to persuade them. And Tiziano has the same time to show Jenn that there are more important things… 

A book set in Italy, with the male main character sharing my name, how could I not read it??? 

To read a story about two total opposites, two people who don’t immediately like each other but have to spend time/ work together to have both important realizations, that for sure is a trope of mine! 

There is one thing rather at the start that annoyed me a tiny bit… No Tiziana/Tiziano in the world would shorten her/his name to ‘Tits’. It will always be ‘Tizi’ or ‘Tiz’, to be pronounced as ‘TEATSEA’.
But no worries, this is the only thing that annoyed me, otherwise I loved this wonderful book. 

Jenn is obviously a strong character. She has fought already many prejudices, being the daughter of a single Korean woman. With her background, and her upbringing, Jenn has always had the need to show everyone her worth and proof that she is capable to even grow in the business.
She is also very obviously a city girl, accustomed to have everything in reach.
So that made it very funny to see her in Italy in the countryside, with a dodgy WIFI – reception, and the Italian mentality. 

Ooh, because Italians are a particular kind of people (and yes, I can say that, as I am an Italian myself!).
I could so easily relate to Tiziano, his family and his friends. If we don’t want to do business with you, you won’t do any business with us. And we will help you when you are in need, but on our terms, even if that means that you have to take a ride on a tractor! 

Tiziano was a hard nut to crack, as he and Jenn clearly didn’t get along from the start. He is a typical male, cheeky side included!
Yet he also has a protective streak, and a gentleness that shows his complete character.  
However, he also has a dark cloud around him, keeping people at distance. And it was difficult to comprehend his reasons, but once it was out there, my heart broke for him… 

What I loved the most about this story wasn’t necessarily the romance between Jenn and Tiziano. But it was more seeing how Jenn finds herself understanding the Italian way of living. It’s not because the Italian characters are stubborn for refusing to do business with Jenn, but they want Jenn and everyone else to understand the process and importance of what is needed to create the perfect Prosecco. It isn’t about money, but about respect and understanding. 

The change in Jenn in these two months is very palpable. We see how at first she keeps her distance and is even afraid to cut of a vine, but slowly we see how she starts to understand the Italian country life. It was great to see her accepting that way of life and her realization that perhaps she isn’t a complete city girl at all. 

But of course, seeing Jenn and Tiziano together, finding unexpectedly someone who understand them, without prejudice was great to read about too. Somehow they find out they that are kindred spirits and they learn from each other. Jenn learns that there is more than work, and that she is worth more than she thinks. But also that what we want isn’t always what we truly need.
And Tiziano learns that no matter what happened before, there is always a second chance. And that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting the past. 

This was absolutely a marvellous story, in a great setting, about people who see that with the right people, the furthest thing from our comfort zone may be exactly what we need. And that the most frightening thing may give us the most beautiful feelings…