A summer like no other…

Synopsis

Can Bellbird Bay provide solace to these two broken souls?

When Ailsa McNeil’s marriage falls apart, an invitation to spend the summer with an old friend in Bellbird Bay offers her the opportunity to escape and regroup. What she doesn’t expect is to meet her friend’s twin brother, the first man to stir her emotions when she was an impressionable nineteen-year-old.

As a young man, Martin Cooper couldn’t wait to leave Bellbird Bay. He has spent the past thirty years travelling the world and has accomplished his dream of becoming a celebrated travel photographer. But it has come at a price and, when his career and personal life take a downward turn, he returns to his hometown to consider his future.

When an accident thrusts the two together, their earlier attraction resurfaces. Torn between the desire to protect herself from further hurt and her renewed feelings for the man she’s never forgotten, can Ailsa find happiness again or is it too late?

A heartwarming tale of family, friends, and how a second chance at love can happen when you least expect it.

My review

Ailsa McNeil did not expect that her own marriage would end after strange behaviour of her husband. Especially when he comes clean…
Devastated by the news, she decides to spend the summer with her friend Bev in Bellbird Bay. She surely needs that time away to get her head straight and decide what the future will hold.
The last things she expects, is seeing Bev’s twin brother Martin… as a young woman, one night was enough to be impressed by him.
But Martin too needs time off to consider his own future, as his career and personal life have taken a turn. Is his thirty years career as a travel photographer over? And will he ever find a place to call home?

When I started this book, I didn’t know what to truly expect. I didn’t know this author, and while I had a clear idea where the story would go, the ‘hows’,, ‘whens’, and ‘whats’ weren’t that clear to me.

Just like Ailsa I was wondering why her husband was being so distant. Was there someone else in the picture? Was he ill? There were so many possibilities, but the truth wasn’t one that I saw coming.
I understood that it was a shock for Ailsa, but at the same time I felt so sorry for Bob, carrying that burden…

Seeing her world crushed, I completely comprehended that Aisla needed to get away to regroup.

And I surely fell in love with Bellbird Bay and its inhabitants!
They are all very welcoming, and have this positive attitude. And seeing how some characters had their own setbacks, yet managed to make the best of everything, felt like something we all should take an example of.

It would have been for Aisla to talk bad about her husband and what happened to her marriage, but I was glad that she didn’t. She took her time to digest the information and did not take any decision without overthinking it.
It would be so easy to throw her whole marriage away, but she spent so many happy moments also, and those prevail over the heartbreak she is currently having.

Obviously we know what will happen once Martin enters the scene. But learning what he has been through lately, and how all his confidence left him, made me feel truly sorry for him.
He just wants some peace, understandable, but I found it also a bit hilarious how suddenly he finds himself involved in several tasks without even really wanted to. Again the positivism of Bellbird Bay worked its magic, and seeing Martin found his passion again, with some changes, was wonderful!

I loved to read how our main characters found that attraction of years ago back, but never take it too far. It would be easy to just give in, but both characters aren’t that kind of people…
Aisla is after all still married, and both people trying to get their life back on track, it’s obvious that giving in to the passion wouldn’t be a good idea.

Of course there are a lot of things happening, also when Aisla’s son appears on the scene. And they all added insights to each character. We see Aisla as a loving mother, a wife on a crossroad, a woman having new feelings, Martin as a maybe closed person, a brother who made mistakes, a passionate photographer, a hurt man and a great friend.

Reading this book was something I truly enjoyed. There are real emotions, both good and bad. There isn’t a villain in this story, making this a pure story about real people. Because not always bad things happen because someone treats us wrongfully. But secrets that are unbearable to carry around anymore, can change our whole lives. And while initially it can seem a bad thing, you will never know where your future will take you.

Old feelings never truly disappear

Synopsis

Sassy and successful, Lila Barlow has done everything to live her best life. Yet even as her real estate career booms and men fall at her feet, something’s missing. Her roommates have found bliss with their new loves, but Lila can’t seem to find her Prince Charming. Perhaps a break from men and relationships is the answer. Unfortunately, unexpected changes are around the corner when her parents give her some life-changing news and when her boss makes a surprising announcement.

In a shocking turn of events Lila’s path crosses with someone she thought was out of her life forever. The spark is still there, the only problem is he’s spoken for—by Lila’s new friend. Now Lila has tofigure out how to navigate change, love, and friendship. What lessons will she learn on her quest for happily ever after?

My review

Lila Barlow has the whole world at her feet. Her career as a real estate agent is booming, and men are falling at her feet all the time.
But no matter how much she enjoys being with each man, there is always one man still on her mind.
So could her surprise be bigger that when her new friend makes Lila meet her boyfriend, it’s actually Cal Sims, The One That Got Away? That spark is suddenly back again, but no way she can or will break up a steady relationship and betray her friend…
And then Lila also has to face changes at her work, and also the house she called ‘home’ for so long is suddenly not a certain place anymore….

Oooh how much I was looking forward to read Lila’s story! Not only because she is a feisty one, but I also wanted to see what Love had in store for her!!!
And Love, and obviously Melissa Baldwin delivered!

While it would be easy to think that Lila is a woman who has an easy life, without any worries, it’s also very obvious that she is a very caring and protective woman.
Her roommates (best friends would be a better description) know that Lila will always have their back, even if she isn’t good friends with Gabby’s boyfriend Theo.
But here also, because of her love for Gabby, Lila is doing her best to put her own feelings concerning Theo aside.
And she also cares about her clients, even if sometimes they are too clingy… She makes sure that all her clients find the perfect house.

It’s thanks to one of her clients, that Cal comes back in her life. Cal, the man that she could never forget…
And while her old feelings resurface, I was proud of how she did the right thing. Because Cal is in a relationship with Sara, for a while now. Add also the doubts Lila has over Sara’s honesty, she still keeps her thoughts to herself, avoiding to make a fool out of herself.

And Cal… from what I’ve read in the previous parts of the series (which I truly recommend reading!), I didn’t know what to think of him. I wanted to really like him, but also I felt very protective over Lila, because he broke her heart… But actions always speak louder than words and he proved that he was one very loveable doctor!

I found it very sweet to see Lila and Cal becoming friends again. Of course we know how it will end between the two of them, but I appreciated very much that while Cal was still with Sara, they didn’t do anything out of line.

Lila is having several issues in her tale, and how difficult they may be for her, her friends Gabby and Reagan are always by her side, even putting their own boyfriends on hold for a moment. And that kind of friendship was wonderful to read and even become a little bit envious about it!
But also the boyfriends show what kind of nice guys they really are!

This book, and the whole series, shows us readers how life can sometimes knock us down. But surrounded by the right people, we are ready to fight for our own happiness and love.
All the ladies and their respectively better halves, show us that even when we are not all alike, a strong bond can be formed, and that real friendship is stronger than any curveball someone throws at us. And that love, second chances at love, can come unexpected and make us feel insecure, but no matter what, love will always find a way!

Retirement is the real test for a marriage

Synopsis

When retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

Meena Fisher is a middle-aged medical secretary with a husband, two grandchildren, a house to run, and more hobbies than you can shake a stick at. She is perfectly happy with her life just the way it is.

Her husband, Oscar, is a middle-aged workaholic who spends his days either in the office or on the golf course. With his wife looking after both him and the house, he gets on with the business of making money. He is also perfectly happy with his life just the way it is.

They share a house, and they sometimes eat dinner together if they can both manage to be in the same place at the same time. Aside from that, their paths rarely cross. The arrangement suits them both.

But when Oscar is forced to take early retirement and decides it’s only fair that he takes over the running of the house, both their previously happy lives are turned upside down.

The question is, can they find a way to live together with the new status quo? And, more importantly, do they want to?

My review

Meena Fisher could have an easy life. Now that she could take it easy, and look forward to her retirement, she is doing the total opposite. Not only is she a medical secretary, she makes also sure that you could eat from the floor in the house, and each evening has been booked for one of her many hobbies.
On the other hand, we have her husband Oscar, workaholic and golf – lover. With a wife like Meena, looking after everything, life couldn’t be easier for him. That is, until Oscar is forced to take early retirement. It’s only fair that Oscar now steps in the domestic chores.
But with Meena’s high standards and realizing that their lives were not that in sync with each other, will a compromise be found, and more importantly, are they both ready to lower their swords? 

Liz Davies always manages to write compelling stories that are a some far – off thing in my own future.
But she writes about characters that I can sympathize with, and understand the way they are acting. 

I have to admit, Meena was not always as easy to like. Of course, we know from the start where she is coming from, and how her past has made her into the woman she is now.
So I understood why she acted the way she did, but sometimes it was also utterly frustrating…
Nobody can keep her high standards, but even when things aren’t done the way she likes, I found that sometimes she should appreciate the efforts Oscar was making.

Okay, it’s true that Oscar very often was blind and did not see that he was causing more damage than doing good, but it’s also true that a helping hand, and patience could work miracles.

And I found it very confusing how Meena would expect Oscar to do everything now, while she would just continue her life just like before, not taking in account that in a marriage there are two people, and marriage is still a teamwork, with equal shares in it. 

But that is also the beauty of this book. Because whenever there is a marriage not working, it’s not just one party doing wrongly…
Meena is too focused on the cleanness, but Oscar too is not taking his wife’s feelings in account, and sees his tasks more as a side – activity than his main focus. Instead of making things easier for Meena, he often is making things terribly worse… 

I have to be honest, this may not be my favourite book of this author, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy reading it.
Often in a book, marriage and relationships are overly romanticized, that once at a certain age, everything is just working perfectly.
But Liz Davies manages to show us that no matter your age or how long you are together with your partner, you have to keep working on the partnership, keep communicating and not take things just for granted.

And this book grasps perfectly all the booby-traps in a marriage, but also shows that with patience and communication great things can be accomplished.

And even the most unexpected guest at a house, like sweet, heart – warming Lulu, can be the cherry on top of a cake!

A family doesn’t only consist of the people in out, but the pets too!

Synopsis

An unexpected call means the end of the marriage of Meriel and Phil. Hearing Phil having ‘fun’ with another woman, makes sure that Meriel’s world is falling apart.
Not only is there the loss of her marriage, but also having two teenage children in a mood doesn’t help things, add a friend’s own trouble and it’s obvious that Meriel doesn’t know what to do… And then a great loss makes her put things back in perspective… or not?
Luckily she can always count on the family Labrador Benji, that understands each family member’s feelings better than they think. And Benji is also struggling with the changing dynamics, while his own greatest wish is to have his family back together like before…

My review

I have to say, reading a book through a dog’s perspective was something very new for me. And it was also very refreshing! 

It shows us that pets, not only dogs, can understand human feelings, perhaps even better than ourselves!
And it was very cute to see how Benji is trying to there for each member and trying to hold his family together. 

On the other hand we are also reading Meriel’s perspective, and that shows us a truly heart – broking woman, hurt, dubious over each decision she has to make and also facing other difficult moments in her life.
Even if somehow I could understand her hut and doubts, I found it also frustrating, purely as a reader, how she couldn’t stick to her decision…  One moment she wants to give her husband a chance, then she doesn’t anymore. She starts to see another man, but gets angry when Phil officially dates the ‘other woman’.
I just kept thinking that she can’t have the cake and eat it too! 

But also on the other direction I found it frustrating, Phil wants to save his marriage but at the first setback, he kind of just gives up…

Despite being described as a novella, there is a lot going on. The marriage falling apart is the start of everything, but the list only gets bigger and bigger.
And seeing not only people trying to get a hold on things, but also that lovely Labrador, was not only very realistic, but also gave us insights in how everybody copes with unexpected twists in their lives.

Maybe there were a bit too many twists, but that also is life, sometimes you don’t know what else is lurking around the corner.

A family life doesn’t always goes straightforward, and you have to work with what you have, and always be honest to yourself too. When is something worth the fight and when is something truly insurmountable?
And this book shows perfectly how difficult the right decision can be, and how one decision affects all the lives of your loved ones, furred or not…

A new job on a faraway island, what will happen more?

Synopsis

A penniless governess

And the dour Laird of Ardmore

Lydia Farnham must travel to a remote Scottish island to work for widower Alasdair MacDonald, who doesn’t trust her or her unconventional teaching methods! Yet as his daughter flourishes, so, too, does the intense connection between Lydia and Alasdair. Only she should know better than to fall for the handsome laird when it could leave her without a job, or a home…

My review

Lydia Farnham is a governess that has been forced several times to change the family she is working for. Not because she is not good at her job, but because of her looks, she is often recipient of unwanted admiration and advances.
After again being ‘thanked’ for her services, she accepted a position on a remote island in Scotland. The Laid of Ardmore needs someone to teach his beloved, but also sickly, daughter a much required education. But when Alasdair MacDonald meets Lydia, he is sure she cannot be trusted, not only because of her looks, but also because she has unconventional teaching methods.
However, when Alasdair sees the progress Mairead is making, he has to reassess his prejudice. And even admit there is an intense connection with the governess he wants to keep at distance? 

So, I have a weakness for women that have been treated wrongly, I have a weakness for Scottish men and I have a weakness for children, especially those in need.
That makes it impossible for me to dislike this book! 

How often is there a female character with great looks that ‘uses’ her assets in her own advantage? Well, in my opinion, too much.
That made me like Lydia immediately, because she does whatever she can to look like a plain Jane. Of course the reason behind it, is wrong in every way, because a woman should never be hiding her looks, afraid of being assaulted by men and that lower organ… 

But that was not the only thing I liked about Lydia… Obviously I admired her courage to start a new job in Scotland, so far away from everything she knows. Not only does she has to adapt to a place with its own traditions and lifestyle. But there is also the language that she doesn’t comprehend, and she is facing again prejudice.
Lydia wouldn’t be so loveable if she wouldn’t get back on the horse and try to adapt to the Scottish way of life, by not only trying to learn the language but also showing her determination to be part of the community. 

And the way she takes care of Mairead, easily understanding how to persuade the little girl and find a way to teach her things, truly warmed my heart. She is the kind of teacher each child should have.
But not only does Lydia looks after Mairead’s education, she is also trying to understand what happened to the poor girl and if there truly isn’t a way to make her better. 

However, Lydia wasn’t prepared for the force that Alasdair is! Initially I found it rude how he dismissed Lydia and how he held a grudge towards her, while she didn’t do anything wrong. But learning about his past and what happened to him, made me understand, yet not always agree with, his actions.
Nevertheless, the love he has for Mairead, the lengths he would go for her, was so beautiful to read about!
And then the way he looks after the inhabitants, even risking his own life, well, I was in awe! 

There was one event that broke my heart, but I understand that the author had to add some level of drama to the story. But I found it very unfair what happened to a wonderful couple, that I haven’t forgiven Catherine Tinley yet! 

Beside Lydia and Alasdair and their romantic tale, there is one, little character that stole completely my heart. As you can guess, it’s Mairead. This little girls hasn’t had the easiest of lives, even if she is just a young girl. But her being so strong – willed, witty, stubborn, clever and adorable, who wouldn’t love her? 

I found this an entertaining, beautiful story about starting a new life again. Not because of moving to an unknown place, but because our main characters, so stubbornly determined to not seeing what’s right in front of them, dare to open their eyes, trust the people around them and dare to also open their hearts and love the person(s) who is worthy of their love. 

The author managed to make me dream of a Scottish adventure, making me read page after page, but also wanting to pause my reading so that I could enjoy my stay there longer!

Hate and love are two sides of the same coin…

Synopsis

The earl she loved to hate…until she stayed in his mansion!

Sophie Gilbert has thwarted the standoffish new earl’s plans to sell his country estate and the quaint village which forms part of it. But when disaster strikes and he offers her refuge, she must reconsider everything about this vexing, determined man. After the heartbreak in her past, it’s a revelation to feel her pulse racing and her body yearning for his touch…

My review

After a tragedy that broke her heart, Sophie Gilbert is content with living at her aunt’s house in the little village of Whittleston – on – the – Water.
But when news flies around that the new Earl Rafe Hockley plans on selling his estate and the village, Sophie is ready to fight to save the home of not only her aunt, but the homes of the whole community.
However, when disaster strikes again, and Rafe offers her a place to stay, Sophie realizes that nothing is what is seems. And her reaction to Rafe is not what she expected at all… 

Whenever I start reading a story that came out of the mind of this author, I know I will enjoy it!
Not because the love is immediately, but because of the enemies – to – lovers theme, the struggles the main characters have to face and add the layer of the past in it, and we have a perfect blend! 

It’s very obvious that Sophie is a strong, independent woman, who isn’t afraid to fight dirty for the right cause. And poor person who dares to insult her aunt, who she loves unconditionally.
Initially, it isn’t clear why Sophie is living with her aunt, and not with her father, but when her past is revealed, it shows us also a vulnerable side of Sophie. When she loves, she loves with all her heart. And because she did it once, she won’t allow anyone to get that close anymore, because she couldn’t endure that pain once more when she will lose him.
She shows that she won’t let any injustice pass without a fight to protect those she loves.
I liked her fierceness but I also loved her vulnerability.  

While Rafe may look like a cold character, when I was reading his side of the story, I saw a different side. He is a loving brother to Archie, and also very protective.
There isn’t one thing he wouldn’t do for Archie, even if that would mean to call a dog Mary…
But he is also a stubborn man, he made a decision and it’s very hard, not to say impossible, to make him change his mind. 

Obviously it’s written in the stars that Sophie and Rafe will clash, big time. But that doesn’t mean that they will allow the other one to suffer.
And Rafe offering shelter to Sophie and her aunt, and Sophie looking after Rafe after an injury, showed perfectly how they could put their issues beside them, and show their nurturing and caring character. 

And the attraction between the main characters is palpable and seeing how they are pushing and pulling all the time, was very entertaining to read, because we just know better!

However, if everything would be so easy, this story would lose a big part of its charm. Because Rafe has to decide to believe in love and trust the village to accept the wonderful Archie how he is. And Sophie has to decide what her feelings for Rafe is, and if she is strong enough to open her heart. 

I truly enjoyed reading this story, Virginia Heath delivered again a great book, that may be eve my favourite one of all I have read from her at the moment.
But that doesn’t mean that now she can rest on her laurels, because the bar is set rather high now!

When secrets of the past and the present collide…

Synopsis

Cottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm sits at the end of a pitted track, with the glorious Yorkshire moors stretching behind it.  

Just a simple two up, two down, the cottage holds the promise of a new start for two very different women, but it is also full of secrets. 

Fifty years ago, newly-wed Stella is relishing making the little cottage a happy home. But for all the lovingly handmade curtains, and the hot dinners ready on the table for her husband, Stella’s dreams of married life jar painfully with the truth.

Fifty years later, the cottage is a new beginning for Tamzin. Determined to get away from her previous life, she makes the move to the wild and vast Yorkshire countryside. 

When Tamzin finds a sepia photo of a woman, Stella, standing in the cottage’s garden, there’s a sadness in her eyes that Tamzin recognises.  As the cottage reveals more of its secrets, Tamzin is desperate to find out whether Stella got her happy ending.  And as she gradually makes new friends, and starts to win over her mysterious neighbour Euan, Tamzin dares to dream about her own happy ending too… 

Escape the rat race with this heart-warming, page-turning new novel from Jane Lovering. Perfect for fans of Julie Houston, Beth O’Leary and Kate Forster

My review

Wanting to leave her life behind, Tamzin decides to move to the Yorkshire countryside.
In her new cottage she suddenly finds a picture of a woman. What Tamzin immediately recognizes is the same sadness in the woman’s eyes Tamzin herself had not so long ago.
Tamzin discovers that the woman is Stella, who lived in the cottage fifty years ago. Tamzin is determined to find out if the sadness ever disappeared from Stella’s eyes and if Stella got her happy ending.
Slowly Tamzin discovers more of Stella’s story, with the help of her new friends she is making, and even winning over her reclusive neighbour Euan.
But can Tamzin truly put her past behind her and start over at this cottage?

Wow, the emotions I had while reading this story, I wasn’t expecting that at all!
But on the other hand, I shouldn’t be surprised, as I know this author!

The tragedy, but on the same time also the beauty of this story, is the one thing that links all the characters. Both Stella, Tamzin and even Euan went through the same thing. Even if reading about the trust that has been broken by their loved ones, at one point they decided to stand up and walk away.

What made this story even more peculiar, was that Tamzin’s timeline goes from past to present, like we are used to.
But Stella’s goes from her present to her past. So when we meet her for the first time, she already made up her mind. And through flashbacks, we see what brought her in that particular situation.
Only her ending… I’m not going to give any further explanations…

Rather quickly after reading what made Tamzin move, I found myself in awe. Never have been in her same situation (and I hope I never will…), I could only try to understand what she has been going through. But the way she found the courage to leave it all behind, and found that strength, just WOW…

Now, before you think that this is a story with only bad things happening, you are wrong. I loved to read how Tamzin is changing the cottage into her new home, even if that would mean an overload of cushions.

And then there is Euan… while it would be easy to dislike him from the start (yes, I admit, I did too), once we see more of him, and when his past is revealed too, so much made sense. And from dislike I went to pity, to also admiration to fallen head over heels in love with him.
His story is also a tragic one, and I admired the author that she dared to switch roles. Because it’s easy to see the victim being a woman and the culprit a man. But the truth is, that roles aren’t always so stereotypic…

It warmed my heart to see these two broken persons (even literally) find each other, open up and together they find a way to move on from the past that was still haunting them.
Tamzin and Euan went from ‘Survivor knows Survivor’ to being a rock during more difficult moments.

There is one thing I haven’t addressed yet… and that is Brack… I would never imagine having him as a pet, and he just stole my heart!
But Tamzin knows he has to be the wild, free animal he was supposed to be. and even if it would break her heart, she has to do the right thing. And making that decision and taking that step with Euan by her side, made things more bearable.

Like I said, this is a tragic yet wonderful story to read. It shows us how ugly people can be, and use us for their own schemes.
But this book is also filled with so much strength, because it is possible to escape a situation that brings sadness in our eyes.
And being strong can maybe bring us someone on our path that knows the real meaning of love and act like it.

A haunted marquess and a broken widow, will love stand a chance?

Synopsis

A brooding marquess

And a mysterious widow

On the outside Henry Spencer, Marquess of Clairborne, has it all: title, fortune and dashing good looks. Inside he’s haunted by nightmares. Seeking sanctuary at his Scottish estate, his peace is disturbed by a new tenant, widow Genevieve de l’Omont. Her beauty and spirit lead to a growing desire that distracts him from his troubles, but as he unravels a mystery from his past, he discovers Genevieve has secrets of her own…

My review

Henry Spencer, the marquess of Clairborne may seem to have it all, but the contrary is the truth. He is haunted by nightmare and needs to find some peace.
So without informing anyone, he goes to his Scottish estate, Yew park House, hoping that he will find answers to his tormenting questions.
But he didn’t expect to find a new tenant on his estate, widow Genevieve de l’Omont and her daughter Elizabeth.
Meeting them and their friend, stirs something inside him he never thought he would feel.
But Genevieve is keeping a secret, making getting closer impossible and also Spencer’s past seems to hold a few dark secrets..

Why do I always enjoy reading impossible love stories? Especially with a brooding marquess and dark secrets that will devastate the people involved?
So this story surely had my interest, and that was even before I realized that there was a link with a book I’ve read previously of this author!

I was immediately intrigued by Spencer, because I could comprehend the heavy burden that comes with his title, but I wanted to know what else was haunting him.
Despite his brooding behaviour, I found it also funny to read how he wants to learn just *everything*. That is obviously not expected from a marquess, but I liked his curious nature. And seeing how he tries, and also often fails, was hilarious.
But it was refreshing seeing someone like him stepping outside him comfort zone, and trying to understand how everything works.

However, there was one thing that totally made my heart melt… Even if he keeps his distance from everything and everyone, he cannot contain himself to have fun with Elizabeth…
That was proof for me, that despite his demons, he was absolutely, without any doubt, one of the good guys!

Elizabeth, poor little girl! The things she went through, and seeing her bloom again at Yew Park House, truly warmed my heart. Genevieve tries so hard to be a good mother and protect her daughter but when you’ve been hurt and humiliated in the past, I could completely understand why she was wary of Spencer.

But obviously, some feelings are difficult to ignore, and it was lovely to see how both Spencer and Genevieve are able to help each other with facing their demons.
Genevieve’s past didn’t come as a real surprise to me, But Spencer’s was a whole different matter. While even I at one point had a fear for the most terrible thing that could have happened in the past, I was glad the truth was completely different!

This was a lovely, entertaining story about the lengths people would go for love. It starts with trust, but if the love is real, it is about acceptance, ready to fight for your loved ones, and even facing a terrible Galahad (you’ll know what I mean!) to show that love can conquer everything, like prejudice, demons and fear…

Will living together after so many issues solve the problems of a family?

Synopsis

One forgotten discovery will change three women’s lives for ever…

Robin hasn’t been home for decades. After running away to London, she never expected to see her cantankerous mother, Faye, again. But when Faye has a fall, the two women are thrown together once more.

The years apart have not made their hearts grow fonder and the ground between them is unsteady. Then Robin finds an unopened scroll – the last of the treasure hunts her much-missed father used to take them on every Sunday. A hunt he believed might change everything. 

Yet, not even this gift from her beloved father can smooth the way until Robin’s daughter, Amber, arrives to meet her grandmother for the first time.  Amber is determined that the decades-old mystery be solved.

Can a 30-year-old treasure hunt really ‘change everything’?

My review

The relation between Robin and her mother Faye has never been a good one. The relation was even so strained that after her father died and an unexpected news turned her world upside down, she ran away to London to never return.
Now that Faye has had a fall, Robin cannot do anything else than assist her mother.
However, even after all these years, their strained relation has become only more awkward. That is until Robin find a scroll of her father, what was typical for their famous treasure hunts.
When Robin’s daughter Amber also is staying at Faye’s place, the awkwardness is only getting bigger.
But will that found scroll and the treasure hunt be the thing that will bring the three women closer again and fix what was broken for so long?

I know that with this author, I’m always in for a treat! And this story was no exception, even if there were several heart – breaking moments.

From the first moment, I was feelings the emotions Robin was having. Without even knowing the details, I was reluctant of meeting Faye, I  was angry before I even read one word that came out of her mouth.
So it’s understandable I would have the same reactions as Robin when Faye was being stubborn and not likeable at all.

What I did like about Robin being back home, was that seeing her old (secret) room again, she found herself again. While the more mature Robin was wearing ‘adult’ clothes, seeing the younger version, made her realise how she was ignoring the real Robin, who loved flashy colours, weird hairstyles etc.

Of course I was curious to know what happened in the past, and what made Robin run away. Even if I had a feeling what that could be, the process as a reader to get to that revelation was a quest on itself.

Seeing Faye, Robin and Amber staying at the same house, it was both entertaining but also a bit educational to see how different people of the same family could be. Faye, being a distant, closed mother, made Robin become a overprotective, overbearing mother to Amber. Robin does everything Faye didn’t do, but all a bit over the top. Making Amber wanting to take her distance from her mother, wanting to do things according her own rules.

Being back home, Robin obviously meets people again from before her escape. And it was very realistic to read how some people were happy to see her back, but also to read how the old friends are still hurt because they lost a friend without any explanation.
Seeing how Robin want to fix those broken friendships, with trail and fail sometimes, was again both heart – breaking as heart – warming.

Even if there is the making amends with friends and even finding back a lost love interest, I didn’t feel that this was the main story of this book.
The author managed to show us how different people are, even in the same family. And while everyone tries their best, it isn’t always a recipe for success.

I was even a bit astonished when I even started to like Faye. Because there are always two sides to a story, and I am not afraid to admit I was prejudiced towards Faye.
And when the truth was out concerning those ‘Dear Debbie’ letters, I was for a moment totally flabbergasted, but I feel like somehow I knew it already.

I found this a bittersweet story to read, because all the characters endured so much pain in the past, and putting that behind them, wasn’t an easy task.
But it was also lovely to see how all the women find common ground, even how stupid how a treasure hunt may seem. Because that treasure hunt was exactly what they all three needed to understand each other better, and find the love they felt they missed…

When you love two women…

Synopsis

There are first loves and there are last loves. But what happens when they overlap?

Tom Blythe falls in love quickly. He fell for Olivia the first time they met. The same thing happens when he meets Grace. The problem is: Tom is still in love with Olivia.

Pulled in two different directions, Tom has a choice to make. He knows he’s unhappy, but is that enough for him to forget the vows he made? Both women have difficult pasts and Tom is desperate to help them, but at what cost?

Can he let Olivia go and commit his future to Grace? Or will the pull of the past prove too strong?

My review

When Tom meets Grace, it’s love at first sight. Only once has he fallen in love instantly, and that was when he met his wife Olivia.
Even if at the moment he is unhappy, he stills love Olivia and with Grace’s appearance he has to make an impossible yet important decision. Is it with Grace where his future is? Or is his love for Olivia too big to put behind him? What he does know, is that both women’s past wasn’t easy and it’s in his nature to want to help…

While reading the blurb of this book, I thought it would be about a man that starts cheating on his wife and that he would have to choose where his future would lay.
So while I was intrigued, I was also immediately disliking Tom, before I had even read one word of the book.

But I was happy that this book turned out to be something completely different, and I did not see that twist coming in the end…
Not only do we see Tom in the present, when he meets Grace but also we see Tom when he meets Grace.

While I don’t truly believe at first sight myself, I could see Tom falling easily in love with these two women.

And slowly, getting to know Tom better, I started to like him. Not only because how he is being a loyal boyfriend and husband to Olivia, but  also because he keeps his distance from Grace. He doesn’t cross any line, and he makes it clear that Olivia is still in the picture and he doesn’t want to hurt anyone.

It was lovely to see how, thanks to Grace, Tom finds something to enjoy again. He has been through a difficult period, so seeing him having fun again was a real nice thing.
But while things are strictly platonic, I was always expecting that moment where a line would be crossed. And while I understood that his marriage wasn’t easy at the moment, I couldn’t agree with taking things further with Grace.

Not that I am condemning Grace, because she also has been through difficult moments, and she deserves to finally find a man that will love her unconditionally. But I couldn’t see Tom being that man, as his love for Olivia was still palpable.

So I was constantly having mixed feelings… I wanted Tom and Grace to be together, but I also wanted Tom and Olivia being still together…
And then we had that twist that I didn’t see coming. It was a twist that broke my heart, because of all the things I would be expecting, that didn’t ever cross my mind…
But I have to admit, once that was out, so many things made so much more sense to me. And my hostility towards Tom, evaporated completely.

This was a read that confused me, because there wouldn’t be one right choice to make. And both women deserved that unconditionally love from a man.
But once the pieces of the puzzle fell together, I realized what a beautiful story this was. It shows us the beauty of falling in love, but also the feelings of guilt of meeting someone new when your heart already belongs to someone else…