Sometimes we need a pretend to see the reality

Synopsis

An heiress to a fortune, Ren’s home-from-home is the Ritz, while the handsome and brooding Sacha has grown up in Paris’s less salubrious suburbs.  So when an accident brings them together, romance seems an unlikely outcome.

When Ren’s society engagement reaches a very public end, Irena’s over-protective grandmother wants her home in London.  Ren needs an excuse to stay in Paris, and so after some persuasion, Sacha agrees to pose as her new boyfriend. But only for the twenty-one days Ren’s grandmother has allowed her to nurse her broken heart before heading home to face the music.

Over the course of three weeks, Ren realises the world outside her exclusive bubble is more beautiful than she could have imagined. While Sacha reluctantly begins to see the goodness of the woman behind the wealth. When their time is up, will Ren want to return to her gilded cage, and will Sacha be able to let go of the woman he’s been ‘pretending’ to fall in love with…

My review

Ren is known as an heiress to a fortune, with a society engagement to be the cherry on top of a cake – merger.
Even if the engagement is over for a while, when it’s made public, Ren’s grandmother wants her to fly over from Paris back to London.
But Ren is not ready to leave Paris, and needs an excuse to stay. And when her car door smashes literally into Sacha on his bike, she persuades him to pose as her new, ‘inappropriate’ boyfriend for three weeks. 21 days is all Ren’s grandmother allows her to spend with Sacha, before she has to return to London and back to business as usual.
21 days, where Ren realizes that the world outside her bubble is much grander and expectantly more beautiful than imagined.
21 days, where pretend starts to shift into something else, despite their differences.
21 days, which once ended, Ren is to return home, because happy endings are after all just things from fairy tales…

Having read several books from this author, I knew I would enjoy this one from the very start till the very last punctuation mark.
Having read several books from this author, I had a small fear that this book wouldn’t live up to the extremely high expectations I had.
Knowing this author, I shouldn’t have had an inch of a doubt about how much I just loved this book! 

First of all, I found it refreshing reading about a sort of reversed Pretty Woman. Having a heroine that is rich and wealthy, and a hero that isn’t, was exactly what the world needs more of. Because why couldn’t be women being as successful as man? 

Ren is the kind of character you know isn’t very happy, as not only her engagement ended, but she also has to live up to the high standards her grandmother dictates. I can only imagine the horror of not being allowed a biscuit when I want, out of fear that my waistline would be too big for the fancy clothes I wear!
There is also something else that scarred her, but we don’t know what that is until later on the story. 

But when she decides to stand up for herself, even using Sacha in her schemes, and her being determined to stay in Paris, that is the point that my admiration for her just started to grow. And seeing Ren feeling free, made me see the real Ren. 

I liked how Ren starts to discover the real Paris, with the help of Sacha. And not only… she sees that richness and wealth doesn’t mean happiness. She also learns that she doesn’t has to pretend with Sacha and his family, but she can just be herself, as that is more than enough. 

While reading, I also had so many laughs. It was jut hilarious to see how many ‘accidents’ can happen in such a short time.  

But overall, the main facial expression I had while reading, was that of a smile… This was just an amazing, wonderful, sweet, romantic book, showing us not only the beauty of a place like Paris, but also the beauty of two people meeting literally by accident, being complete opposites from each other, but being also utterly perfect for each other.
And isn’t that in the end what truly matters? Your background doesn’t matter when it comes to love. Your background made you who you are now, but when love enters the equation, that doesn’t matter as much as the love, passion and feelings you develop for the person standing by your side.

Pebblestow, where everyone fits in

Synopsis

Sometimes, the dream we think we don’t deserve is the one that’s trying to come true…

Esme Blythe has led a nomadic existence for the last ten years, never thinking she fits anywhere, and never feeling she’s earned the right to. But when she moves in above Percival’s, the charming old toy shop in Market Square, Pebblestow, it seems the village is about to weave its signature fairy-tale magic.

Surrounded by wooden toy soldiers, rocking horses, and vintage doll’s houses, not to mention the locals who seem determined to be part of her life – from her endearing grumpy uncle, to warm-hearted co-worker Blodwyn, and smouldering single dad Seth – Esme has to face up to everything she’s been missing, or turn her back on an incredible opportunity.

New friends, formidable foes, and the thrill of a budding romance, conspire to make this the most bittersweet December ever. But when she finally learns the truth about the toy shop’s owner, her elusive benefactor, the mysterious Mr Percival, is it already too late for Esme to change her mind… and heal her heart?

My review

Esme Blythe has never felt at home in any place, that made her live a nomadic life for the last ten years.
Her latest escape brings her to live above  Percival’s, a wonderful old toy shop in Market Square in Pebblestow, where also her uncle lives.
While she has no intention of turning Pebblestow into her permanent home, she finds herself surrounded by the locals who wouldn’t love to have Esme be turned into part of the community too.
But no matter how lovely everyone seems to be, will they also accept Esme the way she is, as her way of looking at the world is not how everyone else seems to see it. And will Esme realize that she deserves her share of happiness too, perhaps even with single dad Seth and his little girl Tamika, who has a lot in common with Esme? 

Returning to Pebblestow was for sure a pleasure! I loved seeing the characters of the previous book again and to learn how things were going for them.
But if you haven’t read the previous book, do not worry, as this story can be perfectly read as a standalone! 

From the very start, my heart went out to Esme, even before I knew what her ‘situation’ was. Because with or without that ‘condition’, if we can call it like that, it broke my heart to read how she feels like an imposter somehow, that she doesn’t deserve anything good in her life.
I could sense her fear of moving to Pebblestow, and I understood her feelings so well. We all are who we are, but what if people won’t accept us for who we are?  

But Pebblestow didn’t disappoint me at all, as Esme quickly learned all the wonderful people there, like her co – worker Blodwyn, Cara (who we all know already) and Seth with Tamika…
It warmed my heart to read how everyone just opened their arms and heart to Esme, wanting to help her, and make her feel that Pebblestow is ready to welcome its latest inhabitant. 

But what made my heart melt the most, was the interaction between Esme, Seth and Tamika. Seth has been through something terrible not so long ago, and Tamika is a very withdrawn little girl. The bond between Esme and Tamika made me ‘aaaawww’ several times.
And it’s with Tamika that I understood better Esme. 

I found it refreshing and more correct in a way how the author let us know Esme and her struggles. Way too often we get to know about those struggles but we do not always comprehend how it is for those people to live with them.
I was a bit surprised to discover the truth about Esme, because I never linked the two dots together. Just showing us the wide spectrum that there is. Not everyone is the same, and that for sure also applies for people in the spectrum. That was truly opened my eyes. 

While it was important to know more about Esme, the author didn’t put the focus too much on this point. The story she wanted to tell was one about finding love, finding home and finding yourself (again). No matter what happened in your past, in Esme’s or Seth’s, if you have found the perfect person for you, it doesn’t matter if there are prejudiced (and even overprotective) people who don’t understand you. As long as you find that one person that does…

To fall in love while breaking up

Synopsis

Ellie Shaw loves love. Unfortunately, she’s also an expert in break-ups. When a friend needs help with her ‘too nice to dump’ boyfriend, Ellie agrees to help. What she doesn’t expect is for American Dan to be kind, caring, to love dogs and look like a Disney hero. In other words, completely too good to be true.

She lets him down with grace and, encouraged by her friends, sets up Softer Landings, offering kinder, gentler break-ups.

A year later American Dan reappears in her life. With a new girlfriend. One who also decides he’s not the one for her.

The team hatch a plan to let Dan down easy, but while Ellie attempts to lead him gently away, real sparks start to fly. There’s just one big problem she can’t ignore. Can Ellie reveal that their romance is the result of an elaborate con without it feeling like a huge betrayal? Or is she about to star in the most awful dumping of all time?

My review

Ellie Shaw never expected to run a business specialised in breaking up. Whenever someone wants to break up with their partner, they can hire Ellie and her team of Softer Landings to break things up kindly and gently.
Ellie’s business started all when a friend needed help with her ‘too nice to dump’ and American boyfriend. And American Dan is just too good to be true.
When one year later, American Dan returns, Ellie is shocked when his girlfriend hires her to break up with Dan too.
While working on the best plan to ‘dump’ Dan, sparks start to fly around. But how can Ellie tell Dan the truth without breaking his heart? And convince him that she wasn’t pretending? 

A book with this title, how cannot it not trigger my interest? We have had all a break – up that didn’t go that well, so having a agency like Ellie’s for sure would have come in handy in those moments! 

And Ellie is also talking from experience, as her own break – up was a shocking one, and knows also from helping out her sister that there is a gentler way of breaking up.
Not only from knowing that she has helped her sister, and also her friend, it’s easy to see what kind of character Ellie is.
She is kind, caring and loving. Who else would agree to take a dog in house while the righteous owner is going away for a year?
But she is also insecure, which is shown in several occasions, like not telling her own family she is no longer in a relationship and not being sure that her colleagues are also real friends.  

She has met her perfect man in ‘American Dan’, but she knows he is of limits. Not only because you don’t start something with a former boyfriend of your friend, but also because when he returns after a year, he is in a relationship.
And I admired her how she respected those boundaries, even when it’s clear that he will be single again very quickly… 

Dan couldn’t be more perfect, just like Ellie says, he is the perfect Disney Hero. They like the same things, and the two of them just click somehow. And the way he fusses over lovely Gus the Dog, well, ovaries exploding alert!
However, there is something he is hiding. And while during the whole story we know something happened to him, but it’s only in the very end that we know the full details.
And while I felt sad for him, I also had to admit to have full admiration for how he has been and is still handling his situation. 

While I had my doubts about the agency itself (because no matter how handy it would be to have someone doing the breaking up for you, it also shows a level of maturity doing it yourself), this story shows us that your perfect match sees you and loves you for just the way you are. And while keeping something hidden, as you are afraid of the reaction is understandable, but you should never underestimate the understanding of the person you love. 

But in this story we see also each character, not only Ellie and Dan, mature, evolve in this story. Ellie learns to be more confident and open her heart, Dan learns that not everyone will pity him, but also the other side characters learn important lessons about living in the now, enjoying the time together and the true meaning of friendship.

I enjoyed reading this story, about lovely characters who deserve the world but have to learn to open up. And with some twists in this tale, it shows us to treasure what we have and enjoy all the beautiful bits. But most important, to just be yourself and trust those around you, because they love anyway, even when you don’t expect them to…

Will an offering hand be healing two hearts?

Synopsis

Music sensation Aurora Storm finally has her career back on track, but then she’s caught up in a media storm. Desperate to distract from the story, she enlists the one man she trusts to pretend to be her boyfriend. 

Meanwhile, in the small seaside village of Mermaids Point, Nick Morgan never expected to see Aurora again. When she calls out of the blue needing his help, he agrees at once. It feels like she’s back in his life for a reason, and he’s determined to make the most of it.

Aurora joins Nick and the rest of his family for their festive celebrations and, as the snow falls, Aurora finds herself caught up in the romance of Christmas. But having tasted worldwide fame, can she ever be content with village life? 

Two weeks is all Nick has to prove to Aurora that there’s a happy ending for them both in Mermaids Point.

My review

Nick Morgan never expected to be pining for music sensation Aurora Storm after their short fling. Especially has she seems to be ghosting him.
But when Aurora finds herself in a media storm, she needs the help of the one man she felt safe with, Nick.
Nick agrees at once to pretend to be her boyfriend and offers her accommodation at Mermaids Point.
Aurora finds herself joining Nick and his family with all the festive celebrations around Christmas, and realizes what she has been missing, both in romance and family aspect.. But is a simple life enough for someone who is used to stand literally in the spotlight?

I have to be honest, from what I have read in the previous parts of this series, I didn’t really like Aurora and her behaviour.
So Sarah Bennett had an almost impossible task to make me like Aurora… But she did it!

Mermaids Point is definitely a lovely place, with wonderful characters. And seeing these wonderful people getting together previously, warmed my heart.
Yet if there was one character that saddened me, it was Nick for sure. I can imagine how hurtful it can be seeing everyone around you being all happy and in love, while you are also in love, but heart – broken.
However, despite his own feelings, we see how great he is. Not only is he an amazing brother, friend or son, but he is always ready to help out when needed, even without having been asked for help.

Like I said, I didn’t like Aurora from what I have read before, but getting to know her better in this book, made me realize how wrong my impressions were of her. It only shows how much people hide to the outside world!
I admired her determination how she followed her passion of making music. But I also liked how despite all the glitter and glamour, she just enjoyed wiping all the make – up of her face and sit back in her hoodie and leggings…

But she is also a gentle character, wanting to please her fans, and longs for the love of her parents. But her past is also a bit of a dark one, as she has been hurt by love tremendously. And reading about that past made me understand her character, her behaviour, and her fear of opening up much better.

It was lovely to see how Nick is ready to help Aurora out, despite her behaviour. And it’s for sure a good sign that Aurora thinks of Nick when needing someone to feel safe with.
While everything start as a pretend, it’s impossible to ignore the sparks that fly around with these two persons.
And I found it really sweet to see how not only Nick’s family, but the whole community made Aurora feel welcome, even if they had their own suspicions if it were the right thing to do…

In this book, Aurora realizes that she missed something in her life, and now that she has found it, has to make a life altering decision. Is music something she can give up? Or can she give up on Nick? I for sure wouldn’t want to be in her shoes!
Nick doesn’t have a doubt what he wants in his life, but the choice is up to Aurora, and he gives her the space and time she needs. And while we know it would break him completely if Aurora would leave again, he will respect her decision anyway, because that’s the kind of man he is.
If there somewhere a mold I can use to create my own Nick?

And obviously, I loved reading how my old friends were doing! And how united they all are as a family (truly related or not!). This unit of family member show us the real meaning of loving and accepting each other unconditionally!

This was a wonderful, heart-warming, lovely, Christmassy story to read. I enjoyed reading every page of this book! It saddens me a lot to say goodbye to Mermaids Point, but on the other hand, it couldn’t have been a more perfect ending!

Christmas, where anything can happen

Synopsis

Snuggle up for the holidays with 12 very different tales of love that will have you dancing under the mistletoe!

The Mistletoe Mixtape, the second anthology from The Christmas Collective, is a diverse and inclusive mix of stories, with more swoon-worthy characters, second chances and happy endings.

Amongst these twelve Christmas music inspired stories you will discover long lost love, festive fantasy, LGBTQ+ love stories, witty one liners and holiday romances. There really is a story to capture every reader’s festive spirit. So grab yourself a hot chocolate, pop on your favourite festive tunes and immerse yourself in the magic of The Mistletoe Mixtape.

My review

Twelve short stories, all about Christmas and music inspired. Stories about lost loves, magical loves, LGBTQ+ loves, they all have one thing in common in this collective, they all take place around Christmas and in all shapes and forms. 

Sometimes, you just need a short story to lift your spirits. And other times you need a collection of short stories to lift your spirits even higher.

Twelve stories, each was different from the previous one, yet I cannot pick a favourite one. I didn’t care if it was a story about new loves, long lost loves, or love between men, I loved them all equally.
Because I felt that the message of love was more important than who was the one feeling all the love. 

It happens that with short stories, you sense that there is so much more potential in the development of characters or storyline. And I felt that these stories COULD have been longer, but as Christmas is only one day in a year, I found it also fitting that we only have a glimpse of the lives of the characters. 

Each story warmed my heart, as they all show us that how impossible it may seem, one day it all it can take to find your perfect match. And even if some magical bits were causing strange movements from my eyebrows, they also fitted perfectly in the special feelings surrounding Christmas. 

And it was a nice touch of the authors to have a song to use as inspiration for the tale.  

This ‘mixtape’ is perfect to read while sitting under a blanket, with a hot chocolate and marshmallows, and dream away and hoping of finding your own magical moment of love at Christmas!

Is there a better way for a fresh start than at St. Aidan’s?

Synopsis

St Aidan: a cosy Cornish village where friendships are made for life and it’s always cocktail hour somewhere…

A clean slate in the world’s cosiest cottage by the sea…

When Gwen Starkey and her best friend, Ella Simpson, arrive in St Aidan to take on a cottage renovation, it’s the fresh start they both so desperately need. But when their new adventure begins with them unintentionally breaking into their neighbour, Ollie Lancaster’s cottage – thinking it’s their new home – and Gwen accidentally flashing the gorgeous Ollie before they flee, the life-long friends realise that life in Cornwall is going to be anything but quiet!

They also quickly discover that they’re in over their heads and it’s going to take a village to turn their cottage’s narrow walls into the luxurious hideaway of their dreams. St Aidan is full of colourful characters just waiting to welcome them, if only Gwen and Ella can find the courage to start leaving the past behind them…

My review

Gwen Starkey and her best friend Ella Simpson both need a fresh start. Taking on a cottage renovation in St. Aidan is coming up at the right time, and the friends are ready to start this new adventure together.
Their fresh start does not exactly being as expected, as they end up in the wrong house and unintentionally Gwen flashes the owner Ollie, who is also their neighbour.
Realization also quickly dawns that Gwen and Ella are in over their heads and they may need the help of everyone in St. Aidan to turn the cottage into the place of their dreams.
But Gwen also learns that relying on a community like St. Aidan is the perfect medicine to heal her broken heart. Is it however also enough to find the courage to open her heart again and start living again? 

It must be said, St. Aidan is just a wonderful place! I wish I could live there myself and be surrounded by all these amazing characters! 

Although, I must admit that my heart broke with Gwen’s story… I am close with my brother and I cannot imagine losing him. So I could feel Gwen’s pain over losing her beloved brother, and in exact the same way she lost her mother too…
It makes sense that Gwen wants to avoid anything that will remind her of her brother, because it is still too hurtful, even if some time has passed already.
However it saddened me how she turned her back on things she used to love, to avoid the pain that links her now with her brother…

Luckily she can rely on her best friend Ella, who is facing her own heartbreak, as her husband fell in love with another woman. While Ella’s pain is different, the women understand what they are enduring and are there to help each other at the hardest moments. 

And then the magic of St. Aidan begins… as a fan of the series, I know what this place does to newcomers, and I was very curious to read all about it, to see who Gwen would meet, and how the place would be like a healing balm for all her pain. 

Little did I expect that Gwen’s love interest would be Ollie and that he also was somehow in the same situation Gwen was in.
But sometimes it takes someone who knows what you are feeling and is going through the same things, to slowly put the past behind you and learn to live again. 

Grief is a very important presence in this book, as it makes the characters hold back and not live their lives at their fullest. But having people in the same position, and having wonderful people in St. Aidan with their understanding, can make it possible to take those small yet important baby steps and realize that moving on with your life doesn’t mean you will forget the person you have lost. It’s the right thing to keep them in your heart, but it’s wrong to let their memory hold you back from things you love. 

Now, this isn’t a complete sad story, as there are so many funny moments in it that made me laugh. And that is exactly what I expected from this book, yes characters that have been through a lot, but also the message that life is too short to not have fun and laughs.
Seeing how Gwen and Ollie, and even Ella, start to realize that you cannot keep looking back at the past, but you have to look forward to your future, warmed my heart.

This was again a wonderful, warm story I found impossible to put away. The characters are so easy to like, the place did its magic tricks again, and we even have recipes now to make Gwen’s fudge! Although, as believing its powers, maybe better not to make them myself, or I will not be on my own in nine months’ time! 😊

Time for an amazing cover reveal!

Synopsis

Pregnant Louisa is just getting back on track when life throws her another curveball. Now, it’s not a case of how she’ll get through her to-do lists but how she’ll manage being a mum again.

No one seems to understand. How will she run her company, be partner in a new venture, look after her three kids and handle a newborn? And why does everyone think this will be easy? Except her.

All Louisa wants is to be a good mum, a good wife and have a bit of time left for herself, but sometimes that’s too big an ask. Can she find the support she needs, or will she forever be pulled in too many directions, always at the mercy of her to-do lists?

Pre-order Link – books2read.com/u/baDkGL

Publication Date – 3rd November

About the author

Susan Buchanan has published eight books in the romantic comedy and contemporary romance genres: Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, Just One Day – Winter, Just One Day – Spring, Just One Day – Summer, and now Just One Day – Autumn.

As a freelance developmental editor and copy editor, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it. She loves romantic fiction, psychological thrillers, crime fiction and legal thrillers.

She lives near Glasgow with her two children and a Labrador. Oh, and her husband. 

She’s a member of the RNA, the SoA, ALLI and SAW.

When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.

THE COVER

When an Italian man meets a Jewish girl…

Synopsis

“The Hating Game meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding!”

You think you have a crazy family? Meet Leo Donati, a great guy from a wacky NY Italian family, who is expected to live his life a certain way. There are a few family rules etched in stone that he has done his best to follow:

1. Attend Sunday family dinner. It’s at 2:00. Nobody knows why.

2. Love your mother. 

3. Never tell Nonna you’re full. Unless you have a death wish. 

4. Marry Italian. 

5. Family comes first. Always. Friends come and go, but family is forever. 

The only problem? He’s not living his best life. Not even close. Single, lonely, and spending way too much time at the gym burning sexual energy and ungodly amounts of pasta, Leo hopes his life will change when his father hands over the family business. If only things were that simple. A takeover offer on the business puts Leo on the war path against a strikingly sexy, but overly competitive Jewish woman who is seemingly intent on ruining his life. At least that’s how Leo sees it. 

As tension rises and Italian tempers flare, Leo wonders if perhaps hate isn’t the most accurate word for how he feels about his new nemesis. But it could never work. Yeah, the pizza bagel exists, but real-life cultural divides are more complicated than that, aren’t they?

Humor abounds as corporations and cultures collide. Leo tries to thwart the takeover, find love and happiness, while also trying to avoid being bludgeoned to death by his Nonna’swooden spoon. 

Love & Agita is a laugh-out loud, romantic comedy that has it all: twists, turns, emotional depth, sparkling chemistry and hilarious banter that flies off the page.

My review

Leo Donati’s family is a typical Italian one. Sunday family dinner, always listen to you mother, keep eating even if you’re full, family first and you must marry an Italian.
Leo sees himself as the cheese of a lasagne, keeping all the other bits together. Yet he feels that he is not living his best life. His family, especially his mother and nonna keep pushing him to get married and have children, and now even the family business is causing him headaches.
Leo is ready to take over the business from his father, and is left flabbergasted when his father tells him that a takeover offer has been placed. So Leo won’t become CEO at all and now he also has to face the businesswoman who will make sure the takeover will take place.
But on top of that all, Rae is not only his enemy, but also a woman Leo slowly cannot get out of his head. And while tensions rises, not only business-like, Leo wonders if choosing his family over everything is the right thing to do. Or is it choosing love, with Rae and the many cultural differences that for sure will cause a break with his family? 

THIS BOOK WAS SO F*CKING RECOGNIZABLE FOR ALL ITALIANS!!!!
Every Italian reference Grayson Avery wrote in this book, had me nodding in agreement, even the wooden spoon (at home, named with the terrifying name ‘la bacchetta’)! 

It’s obvious that Leo truly loves his family, with all their traditions and even absurd superstitions. Perhaps he didn’t want to work in the family business, yet he did because he was expected to. And now that he is ready to guide the place into the 21st century, he feels his future fall into pieces.
I totally understood his anger towards his father, as Leo had great ideas, but his father is the typical stubborn Italian, not listening to reason and believe that his word is law.
So obviously, Leo will do whatever he can to keep the business in family hands. 

Enter Rae… and let the fun begin!
We know immediately that Leo is going to fall into love with Rae, but before and while we get there, I had so many laughs!
It was so funny to see Leo turns into a complete idiot, saying the wrong things, things he would never say otherwise, making him look like a real pappagallo (parrot, meaning an idiot 😊)!

Rae is the total opposite of Leo, not only is she obviously a woman and Jewish, but she keeps business and pleasure strictly separated and is focused on showing her father her own worth. Why shouldn’t a woman be capable of doing what Rae is doing? It’s not that being a woman means we are less capable! 

Sparks immediately fly around between Leo and Rae. They started on the wrong foot, yet slowly they become friend-ish and find themselves more attracted to each other.
But they both know that their feelings will cause heartbreak anyway. If they stay together, their families will never approve. And Leo knows from his own family that they can hold on to a grudge for a very long time. And if Leo listens to his family, how can he be truly happy when he has lost the woman he loves? 

I just loved reading how Leo and Rae are falling deeper in love, yet never losing their constant banter. Like a real Italian, Leo wants to proof that Italians are the best in everything, like having the best pasta, pizza, actors,… the list is just endless. And even when it seems impossible, he finds a way to proof that Italians are the best anyway! 

Reading Rae’s notes were the cherry on top of an amazing cake (Italian cake that is! 😊) and I was really looking forward to read more of Rae thoughts! 

In so many ways, Rae and Leo are just perfect for each other. But it also saddened me a little bit to read how wrong it felt for Leo to give up his own happiness for his family. Even with a twists I didn’t see coming, his family finds reputation and how people see them, more important than having a happy Leo. 

This book shows how amazing Italians are (I am not biased at all!) but also the other side of the corner, how they can stubbornly hang on to values that would turn someone into the unhappiest person in the world.
But it’s also the Italian stubbornness that makes Leo reflect on what the right choice to make is. And while I loved the ending, it’s obvious it’s not the end of Leo and Rae, and I cannot wait to read how their romance will evolve even more!

Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices to chase your dream…

Synopsis

Escape to France with this warm, witty romantic read.

After ten years of loyal service Lily Butterworth has been made redundant. Like any clever woman, she knows the cure to redundancy is a little too much wine and her best friend.

Only the next morning, Lily has more than a hangover . . . she has a whole new house – in France!

Seeing this as an opportunity instead of a disaster, she’s excited about finally moving to France, just as she and her husband always dreamed of. However, Lily is in for another surprise. Despite planning to move there for over 20 years, her husband never actually intended to go. 

So begins a year in France, alone, renovating the gorgeous old farmhouse that is held together by wallpaper and wishes.

Will a year at the French farmhouse be just what Lily needs? Or could it be the previous owner, Frederique, that is the answer to Lily’s dreams?

My review

Lily Butterworth has the opportunity to finally realize her dream a year earlier than expected. She has always dreamed of buying a place in France together with her husband Ben.
Now that she has been made redundant, why wait an extra year with this opportunity? To celebrate this new chapter in her life, she celebrates this with her best friend and a bottle of wine. Only to discover she has bought a house online… in France!
However, Lily is shocked when Ben tells her he never wanted to move to France… And Lily decides to move on her own, renovating the old farmhouse she is now owner of.
Lily quickly learns that there is a huge difference in thinking of speaking fluently French and being actually fluent French. And that the French approach life differently.
Nevertheless the differences, is living in France exactly what Lily imagined what it would be like? And will Frederique be part of that dream too? 

I always admire people who have the courage to move to a whole different country. I would be terrified to that myself, so luckily I can dream away with lovely books like this one! 

From the start, Lily finds herself in a difficult position. Now that she has been made redundant, she sees this as a sign to finally chase the dream she thought she shared with Ben.
So I shared her shock when Ben told her that not only he didn’t share the dream with her, but he was adamant of also not moving with her!
It’s obvious the two still love each other, but Ben’s decision made me wonder why it would always be Lily to compromise.
That realization also dawned onto Lily,  and I found it courageous of her to follow her dream on her own. 

I felt that in this story there were two major subject.
On one hand, we have Lily moving to France and trying to adjust to the French way of life, discovering that dreams and reality re very different. Yet she manages to make the best of it, make new friends, finding help in renovating the place and finding a peaceful place.
On the other hand, we also have that same Lily coming to terms that her marriage may have come to an end. And while she still loves Ben, maybe they aren’t that well matched anymore.
And that heart-breaking realization makes her wonder if Frederique may be the next step in her new life. 

But also, we see Lily evolve from a woman who always compromises to a woman who stands up for herself, yet never losing the bits that make her Lily.
I also loved how even if things didn’t go well towards the end for them, she still is truly concerned about Ben. And it’s obvious that all those years together, they know each other inside out, and have been through so much together.
And while Ben may look like a total jerk during the most part of the book, in the end, my heart went out to him, when it’s revealed what his struggles were. 

I loved reading this book about starting afresh in another country, creating a place to call home and making new (and even strange) friendships. But also about how real friends help each other out during the most difficult parts.
And what truly stole my heart, making me swoon, was the beautiful, lovely, heart-warming ending. The closer I came to the end, I felt something big was going to happen. And I was glad that Lily got what she truly desired.

How the death of one man devastates the lives of three women…

Synopsis

New from the NUMBER ONE bestselling author of The Note.

As the crowds gather for charming and charismatic SebCooper’s funeral, three women sit in the congregation, mourning his loss.

First there is Clair, Seb’s wife and partner of twenty years, and mother of his two children. Furious at Seb for dying and leaving their children without a father, Clair isn’t sure of her place, and has been left baffled and bemused by the conflicting stories of Seb’s last days.

Then there’s Desiree, the woman Seb left Clair for. Heartbroken, self-conscious, and wondering if she made a mistake coming today. 

And the third and noisiest mourner of all is Noemie – Seb’slover and the last woman to see him alive. 

Three women who loved Seb in their own different ways.

Three women whose lives have changed forever.

But only one woman knows what really happened at the end…and only one truly had his heart…

Bestseller Zoe Folbigg returns with a utterly compelling and page-turning tale of love, betrayal, family and unlikely friendships. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Celeste Ngand JoJo Moyes.

My review

Seb Cooper was a man that loved dearly, not once but three times. So after his unexpected death, all three women are at his funeral.
Clair was Seb’s first love, wife and mother of his two children.
Desiree was the other woman, for which Seb left Clair to be together with her.
And then there is Noemie, his latest partner and last woman who has seen him alive.
All three women are very different from each other, and they have all loved Seb in their own way… And Seb has loved them all very differently, and has been very important for all of them.  

At the start of this story, we know that Seb has died. But we don’t know how and what the dynamics are with the women he has loved. 

Through several flashbacks we get to know how he first met Clair and how they fell in love, and started their family.
We see how they both grow into adulthood together, have lovely moments together but also face harder bits as a united front.
While I did know that things wouldn’t end all that happily for this couple, I saw how good these two fitted together. 

When Desiree entered the scene, knowing that she would be the reason of the end of the marriage of Seb and Clair, I was ready to dislike her.
But I quickly realized that even if she was somehow the ‘other woman’, I couldn’t dislike her. She knows that Seb is married, and she keeps her distance, but sometimes the attraction is just too strong to ignore.
Desiree knows she breaks up a marriage, but she understands that being with Seb means that Seb comes as a package deal. And it warmed my heart to see how well she got along with his children, but also understands when she needs to make herself scarce.
I could also see how good Seb and Desiree were together… So it saddened me to get to know the reason of their break – up. I understood both visions, but it broke my heart nevertheless… 

Noemie was vey easy to dislike… there was not just one bit I liked about her. I saw her as a terrible mother, a liar, a real drama queen, a woman who uses her looks to get what she wants.
Even if Seb didn’t always behave the way he was supposed to, I was totally shocked how he just couldn’t see how Noemie truly was.
And then I am not talking about her behaviour at the funeral. She totally things it’s all about her and later on she even is more despicable… 

The enigma of Seb’s death is only revealed in the end. And with the build – up we have had until then, I had imagined something more dramatic. Not that his death wasn’t, but the author let me think it was way more than what turned out to be. 

In many books we see how a family is being formed, from first falling in love, getting married and having children together. But in this book, we see also how it can all end. Love isn’t a feeling that once you have, it never goes away or changes.
And while Seb may seem like a man who doesn’t stand up for himself, or wants what he cannot have, he also shows the reality. Because even when you think you have reached your happy ending, it doesn’t mean you truly have. 

And people aren’t always good people unfortunately… each and every one of us are surrounded by selfish people, stupid people and people who have a nasty character. That can go from a friend, your new partner or even as close as a sibling… 

While there were plenty of characters that I truly liked and sympathized with, those nastier ones turned this story into an interesting one.
As a reader/watcher, it’s easier to comment or tell the characters what the right thing to do is. But if you are in it, it’s more difficult to see the reality.
And that reality can be that sometimes you make a wrong call of judgement. However, after that clouded moment, you can see clearer as ever what your heart truly wants. But on some tragical twist of faith, that clarity can come too late…