Cover reveal - Appleby Farm by Cathy Bramley

Happy Friday!

If you follow my blog you may know how much I love the Ivy Farm series by Cathy Bramley. I've had a bit of a book hangover all week after finishing the final installment (it's fantastic, make sure you read it).

However, fantastic news! Cathy has announced a new series, Appleby Farm, which is a spinoff from Ivy Lane. The first installment is released on 5 February (my birthday yay). I am very excited to be able to reveal the covers and a bit about the series. I am sure you will agree that the covers are beautiful, and the books sound fantastic. I can't wait to get my hands on them!

Cathy kindly explained where the idea for Appleby Farm has come from:

After I finished writing Ivy Lane earlier this year, my editor asked me if I’d consider a spin-off series, taking one character from Ivy Lane and plunging them into a new setting and a new story with perhaps a few surprise visits from some old friends from Ivy Lane. I thought this was a great idea and immediately set to work creating Appleby Farm, which I’m hoping readers of Ivy Lane will fall in love with.

It’s set in the glorious Lake District, an area I adore, and follows the story of a young woman and her fight to save the farm which has been in her family for generations. It features lots of wonderful people including a very attractive farmer on neighbouring Willow Farm, Vintage tearooms, a trip to Paris and a wedding. Appleby Farm will be published by Transworld in four monthly parts between February and May 2015 and they are all available to pre-order now!

The covers themselves have been designed by Kate Forrester, the same illustrator who drew my Ivy Lane covers and I think she has conjured up the warm and friendly farm set in the beautiful Lake District perfectly.

Appleby Farm is an irresistibly charming novel following the adventures of Freya Moorcroft in love, friendship and a spot of farming.

Freya Moorcroft has wild red hair, mischievous green eyes, a warm smile and a heart of gold. She’s been happy working at the café round the corner from Ivy Lane allotments and her romance with her new boyfriend is going well, she thinks, but a part of her still misses the beautiful rolling hills of her Cumbrian childhood home: Appleby Farm.

Then a phone call out of the blue and a desperate plea for help change everything…

The farm is in financial trouble, and it’s taking its toll on the aunt and uncle who raised Freya. Heading home to lend a hand, Freya quickly learns that things are worse than she first thought. As she summons up all her creativity and determination to turn things around, Freya is surprised as her own dreams for the future begin to take shape.

Love makes the world go round, according to Freya. Not money. But will saving Appleby Farm and following her heart come at a price?

The link to part one on Amazon UK is http://smarturl.it/Af1

Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin

Out now
Published by Carina
Purchase from Amazon here


The blurb:

You are invited to the wedding of the year!

Snow is falling thick and fast outside the Gingerbread Café and inside, its owner Lily is planning the wedding of the year. Her wedding! She never dreamt it would happen, but this Christmas, she’ll be marrying the man of her dreams - in a Christmas-card-perfect ceremony!

The gingerbread is baking, the dress is fitted and the mistletoe’s in place – for once, everything’s going to plan. That is until her mother-in-law arrives... Suddenly, Lily’s famous cool is being tested like never before and her dream wedding is crumbling before her eyes.

In the blink of a fairylight, the Gingerbread Café has been thrown into chaos! Lily thought she had this wedding wrapped up, but with so much to do before she says ‘I do’, can Lily get to the church on time – and make this Christmas sparkle after all?

The Gingerbread Café series:

Christmas at the Gingerbread Cafe

Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Cafe

(The Bookshop on the Corner)

Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café


My review:

How would I sum up Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe? Irresistible, delicious perfection! I cannot tell you just how much I loved this, and the other books in the Gingerbread Cafe series. They are simply magical and once I picked them up I was unable to put them back down again.

Part of me has been dreading reading this book, but purely because I know it is the final book in the series and I don't want it to end. Rebecca has written such great characters who don't feel like works of fiction, they feel like real people who are so kind, and funny, and quirky that I would love to be part of their friendship circle.

The books are set in a small town where everyone is one big community. There is the cafe, the hairdresser, the book store, and other small stores that make them one big family. I adore all the characters but Lily and Cee Cee who run the gingerbread cafe are my favourites.

Lily is the main character in the books and we have previously seen her transform into a wonderful lady who has left her past behind her, and found love with Damon. As this book starts we are ten days away from their wedding, and each chapter counts down day by day as the wedding approaches. I love the warmth of Lily's character. She is one of life's good eggs and I can't imagine any reader not wanting her to have a fairy tale ending.

I simply adore Cee Cee. She is one talented baker, but more than that, she is a confidante,  a loving and open person with a knack for seeing what happens to people. She has endured heartbreak in the past, but rather than being destroyed by it she seems to be even warmer and more loving from it. I love how she isn't only a employee of Lily's but is also like a mother figure for her.

I could almost single out all the other characters for various reasons too. Rebecca has an exceptional way of writing characters and settings that feel like a home from home. So down to earth and loving, warm and safe. I adore her writing and will be reading all her books from here on in.

We know that weddings can be tense affairs, with so much to do, and with families coming together often for the first time. This wedding is no exception. As the clock ticks down of course there is drama, both on the practical side, but also emotionally as we meet Damon's parents. His mother Olivia is a force to be reckoned with, and at times I wondered if Rebecca had modelled her on someone I know (I shall say no more!!).

I could gush about the book all day but I really don't want to give away any of the storyline. I lapped it up and would hate to have read any spoilers. I hope you as a reader enjoy it just as much as I have.

I have to admit that I pretty much sobbed my way through the last third of the book, and stayed up well past my bedtime totally engrossed, and needing to finish it before I could rest. There are some parts that tugged at my heart strings and had me crying my eyes out with sadness, but equally I was like a  voyuer who couldn't get enough of the love and affection in the book, which had me crying with happiness.

My Mum is Irish and grew up in a small village on the border of Cork and Kerry. We spent every summer there as kids and it is somewhere I still hanker after to this day. If I could move back there I would, in a heartbeat. It has a small close knit community, where everyone knows eachother, but more importantly, everyone looks after eachother. This is how this series feels for me, and probably part of the reason I am so sad to see it end.

If you love a good series with great characters who you feel part of, and uplifting tales, this is perfect. I would really recommend reading them in order, and particularly leaving this til the last of them.

Thank you to Carina who provided a copy via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The Boy in the Cemetery by Sebastian Gregory

Publication date: 29 October
Published by Carina UK
Purchase from Amazon here

The blurb:

This is the story of a girl who didn’t want to live…

Carrie Anne is desperately unhappy. Tangled in a web of abuse, she seeks solace in the cemetery that backs onto her garden. But something creeps between the gravestones. Carrie Anne is not alone…

…and a boy who cannot die.

The cemetery is home to a boy. He has guarded these forgotten bones since meeting a gruesome end two hundred years ago. Neither dead nor alive, he has been watching for a long time. And now, he finally has the visitor he’s been waiting for…

My review:

I love horror / creepy books, and with Halloween approaching it seemed the perfect time to  read The Boy in the Cemetery. Firstly I loved the cover which totally drew me in. It has an eerie look about it, but also reminded me a bit of a Tim Burton film. Then when I read the synopsis, I was ready to download and get started.

We are initially transported back in time to meet 'the boy' who lived in London many years ago. There is talk of the consumption which once it took hold inevitably led to your death. The boy lives a life of poverty and has to watch his Mum get ill and die from the consumption. His father, a crook, takes care of the boy and teaches him to rob graves in the local cemetery to try and earn money. His father is caught and attacked and also meets his death. Left to fend for himself the boy returns to the cemetery to try and get some stuff to make money. Whilst there he meets an untimely end at the hands of a gruesome man who is already dead.

From then on we meet Carrie Anne whose family are also dysfunctional. Her father is not a decent man, and her mother is a coward. Carrie Anne is very unhappy and we learn just how unhappy when she tries to take her own life. They move house to a new area to start over. This house backs on to the cemetery and Carrie Anne becomes fascinated.

We see Carrie Anne start at a new school and quickly becomes the victim of bullies. In her haste to escape she runs to seek solace in the cemetery, the bullies follow and attack her. However the boy comes to her rescue and they strike up a friendship.

Together Carrie Anne and the boy seek retribution for the things Carrie Anne has suffered during her life. This involves the police investigating the goings on, whilst Carrie Anne pretends not to remember in order to protect the boy. I don't want to tell you any more or I will give away the ending!!

I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to. When I started reading I realised it isn't the usual form of horror I tend to read, as there was less gore and more of a developing storyline. However, as the book went on the gore began (which I love), but there was also a strong plot that added another dimension to my reading.

I really felt for Carrie Anne. She had suffered some horrible things in her life at the hands of her father and he always seemed to get away with it. When she started being bullied at the new school I hated it. I was actually pleased to see the boy look out for her, even if it does up the gore levels!!!

I also liked the way the character of the boy was written. I got a real sense for who he was at the start of the book and whilst he is dead and carries out some horrible attacks, I couldn't bring myself to dislike him or wish him ill.

From a horror perspective the last third of the book was when it all comes together. Some of the descriptions are pretty graphic, and I built up a strong image of being in the cemetery, or at the house when some of the action is taking place.

The author has written this book in a clever manner, combining a strong story with just enough action and death. The book just flowed with the characters and I definitely built up allegiances with the 'goodies' versus the 'baddies'. I really enjoyed the ending and can see another book featuring Carrie Anne following in the future.

A well written Halloween read with a strong storyline and some macabre scenes for lovers of death and gore.

Thank you to Carina for providing a copy in return for an honest review.

The French for Christmas by Fiona Valpy

Out now
Published by Bookouture
Purchase from Amazon here

The Blurb:

A year to forget. The perfect escape. And a little Christmas magic…

Touching, uplifting, and filled with delicious French cooking, The French for Christmas is the perfect Christmas treat.

Evie used to LOVE Christmas, but this year she can’t wait for the tinsel and presents to be a distant memory.

When her best friends offer the use of their cottage in the beautiful French countryside, Evie jumps at the chance. With her soon-to-be-ex-husband, celebrity chef Will Brooke, plastered over the news with his latest ‘love interest’, leaving the country seems like the perfect plan.

Armed with her French grandmother’s tattered notebook of recipes, Evie is determined to ignore Christmas altogether and bake herself back to happiness.

And when Evie meets her next-door neighbour – the très gorgeous doctor Didier she finds a very willing taste-tester. But is it possible that he could be interested in more than just her Tarte Tatin?

With snow falling, a special Réveillon dinner and a little Christmas magic in the air, could Didier even be the one to thaw Evie’s heart? Or will a visit from the ghost of Christmas past change everything?


My Review:


I have to start by confessing that the reason I picked this book out was the gorgeous cover, and the word christmas in the title! I had no idea what the book was about and how touching I would find it. The book is beautifully written and within the first couple of chapters I was hooked. I know I am going to find it hard to do justice to this book in my review without giving the storyline away, so I will try my best as I don't want to give spoilers away and ruin it for readers.

The main character is Evie. We meet her in the lead up to Christmas, a time which is usually associated with joy and celebration. However, last Christmas Evie lost her daughter who was stillborn. We also learn that the strain has led to the breakdown of her marriage. As Evie's life is stuck in pain and grief her husband is launching a tv show, and has been snapped with another woman in magazines. Evie's sister is pregnant and Evie seems to worry about her as well as it triggering memories of her own experience.

Understandably Evie's world seems to have collapsed around her, and she just wants to get away from Christmas and all the bad memories. Her best friends come up with the idea of Evie using their french cottage, an idea which appeals to her. We follow her trip, via Paris, to a beautiful cottage in the middle of nowhere. It made me feel desperately sad that she is in a remote cottage, all on her own, suffering with this unimaginable grief. However, as she settles in we begin to meet some characters who may just give her hope....

We meet Didier who lives next door to the cottage. He is a Doctor who has also moved there in sad circumstances. He comes to Evie's rescue when she gets sick, and it starts a friendship and attraction between them. Didier also spends alot of time in his garage at all hours banging around which is all very mysterious. What he is up to does get revealed and it is wonderful. I think it played a big part in my love of Didier. A kind, loving, strong man who wants to do his bit to make a difference in a cruel world. We learn that he has spent time in Africa helping out as part of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders). It was a stark reminder of how lucky we are to have a great health system which is of a high standard and accessible to all.

We also meet another set of neighbours, an older couple who are very strong, self sufficient. They grow their own food, keep animals and are real down to earth wise folk. But behind this strength there is real sadness.

These three characters all become very important to Evie and the story. What brings them all together is food funny enough. Evie ran a restaurant when she was married and the couple grow all their own fruit, vegetables and meat. Evie is looking to reignite her love of cooking, and after she gets ill and befriends her neighbours their shared love of food leads to plans to share Christmas together. The talk of food in the book was delicious and I would definitely love to sit down to dinner with them!!

I felt a real affinity to Evie. I was genuinely moved when reading of her losing the baby, and then the breakdown of her marriage. I can't even begin to imagine how awful it must feel to lose a child and to have to carry on living afterwards. The book is so beautifully written that it allowed me as a reader to glimpse how Evie may have been feeling, but in a respectful, non voyeuristic way.

I know the book might sound a depressing read, and anything but festive, but it's not! Yes, the background is horrible, but to me, this was a book that gave hope, and showed that with love and support, in time, life is worth living. As Christmas approaches we see a shift in Evie and its almost as if she starts to blossom again.

One of the scenes I connected with most was one set in the local church. Evie went in and saw the children all singing on St Nicholas's day. This stirred memories in her and she remained in the church after the service. The priest sees she is upset and comes over to speak to her. When Evie explains her situation to him he provides really wise words which felt like the start of the healing process for her.

The way the author has portrayed the relationships Evie forges with Didier and the older couple was fabulous. Sharing their stories with Evie re-enforced the words of the priest and told how, even when you think things cant get worse you can survive, and learn to smile and build your life again. Towards the end of the book we see Evie start to make plans for the future, and not to be held back from going for her goals.

Whilst this book is a work of fiction the reality is that people experience loss every day. It is of course devastating and you naturally want to run away and hibernate to get through it. But we can help support eachother through those darkest days by being there and supporting them.

I also found it humbling to read and reflect on the work  Medecins Sans Frontieres does in such hard and poor conditions. It must be terrible for those who are ill, but also for the medical staff working out there in such terrible conditions.  I moan about the NHS but it has made me appreciate the healthcare I receive.

This is a wonderful book which explores not only loss and grief, but also forgiveness, love and compassion. The story left me feeling moved but also inspired and with the belief that with love, determination and courage you can achieve whatever you want.  I should add that it is not all seriousness, there are some fun and warm scenes that will have you smiling. By the time I finished I had a warm and fuzzy feeling of contentment and happiness.

Thank you to Bookouture who provided a this in return for an honest review.

Guest post by Liesel Schmidt - author of Coming Home to You

I am delighted that Liesel Schmidt, author of Coming Home to You has written a guest post about her experience of writing her debut novel. Thank you to Liesel for taking the time to write this. I often wonder what it is like to be on the other side as the person creating the characters and the storyline, This has really given me a feel for it. Perhaps one day I may be brave enough to have a go at writing something myself!

If you haven't already read her book I would highly recommend it. My review is here

Can You Feel It?

Liesel Schmidt

I’m going to be perfectly candid and admit that this whole experience has been quite surreal. I feel a but as if I might be using that word far too often these days, but I don’t know quite how else to describe it. It’s surreal to know that you’ve written a book––from start to finish––and that people are actually willing to read it. It’s surreal to know that it’s been published, that it’s out there for the whole world to see and experience. It’s surreal to realize that a goal and a dream have finally come to fruition. Maybe one of these days, I’ll have another word to pull out of my hat, but right now, this is all I have.

That, and honored, simply for the fact that I’m grateful that someone saw beauty in the story I told and that they took the risk and the time to put it out there. You reach a point in this whole process of book writing that one more letter or email from an agent couldn’t possibly be anything other than a rejection, a one-lined, canned assassination of your work. You dismiss them before they’ve even been opened, so accustomed to that rejection are you that you’ve grown past the point of allowing yourself to hope that this one might actually be THE ONE!

I think, for any author who truly connects with their work, that writing a book––even if it’s non-fiction––is extremely emotional, so this whole process is actually one that puts them in a vulnerable position. The characters you create are part of you, even if it’s only in some small way. I think they all represent different facets of your personality and your history. Their story is your story, reimagined and divided into these people who live only on the page. You have to be able to imagine them and breathe dimension and life into them, so as you write, you feel. It’s taxing, sometimes, the way that writing some of the characters effects your mood. If they hurt, you hurt. If they’re afraid or overwhelmed or joyous, you feel all of those things. You have to. There’s no other choice––because if you can’t feel it, your readers won’t be able to, either.

By the same token, for a character to be more real and relatable, you have to let them lead. If it doesn’t seem to happen naturally, the writing suffers and the characters seem too contrived. Real people and real life are unpredictable, so even when you’re the writer, I think it’s important to be surprised by some of the things your characters do. There must be a certain concept in place, yes––but it shouldn’t be so rigid that they never stray from the straight line of “the plan.” You have to let them inspire you and surprise you; you have to be interested in knowing them more––otherwise, your readers will never experience any of that, either.

I think it’s that true connection that makes a book successful. No one wants to read a story that feels flat and formulaic. No one wants to be able to predict, step-by-step, the outcome from the very first page to the last. Life isn’t like that, so neither should a book be like that.

These were all things I learned as I wrote Coming Home to You. I found myself lost in the lives of my characters, surprised and angered and excited at things as they unfolded. There were days of exhaustive grief as I wrote portions of it, days when I felt some unexplainable sense of hope. My emotions poured out through my fingers as I typed creating a world that seemed so real to me that, as I neared the end of the story, I began to miss.

I hope that the book is one that readers will love and embrace whole heartedly. That they will see bits of themselves in the characters and that they will realize the ultimate message of the story––that unimaginable gifts can come from grief, and that life is full of  purpose.

Damsel in Distress? By Kristina O'Grady

Happy Friday

I am pleased to have been asked to be part of the blog tour for Damsel in Distress? by Kristina O'Grady. I have read, and enjoyed the book and would like to share my review with you.

Out Now
Published by Carina UK
Purchase from Amazon here

The blurb:

A chance meeting that could scandalise the ton!

19th century England. Harriet is running for her life, chased by three men on horseback through Hyde Park. Knocked unconscious, everything goes black…

Philip, Baron Eaglestone, has never seen such a beautiful damsel in distress. And he’s even more intrigued when she opens her eyes, and begins to speak. Because this irresistible woman can only remember her first name, and has no knowledge as to who was trying to kill her… or where she is!

As Philip cares for Harriet, their attraction burns… and neither can shake the feeling that their chance meeting was truly a moment out of time. But if her memory returns, Harriet will be faced with a question. Will she return home or could it be that family is where her heart is – with a Regency rake!

My Review:

Damsel in Distress? Is set in the 1800's and features Harriet and Phillip as the main characters. We meet them in the opening scene where Harriet is being chased and attacked by a group of men on horseback. Phillip is walking home and stumbles across the attack, ultimately saving Harriet's life. Phillip takes Harriet back to the family home to get her help. It transpires that she has lost her memory during the attack and, having no idea who she is or where she comes from.

There is an obvious strong attraction between them and during her recuperation we see that grow. However, given the era it isn't the done thing to have a single lady stay an eligible bachelors house, so the tongues are soon wagging both locally, and in the press, which also puts her in danger because the attackers are still searching for Harriet, or more that they believe she has something they desperately want.

The story is quite different to what I have read in the past, and when I saw it was set in the 19th century, and was about time travel I wasn't sure if it would be too far fetched, or dated, to appeal to me. However, I have been pleasantly surprised. Whilst the story is set in the backdrop of the 1800's, it isn't dated or stale. I liked imagining the house, and how the characters would have dressed and acted in those days. Whilst it was over a century later I felt a bit Downton Abbeyesque at times in thinking how they would have spoken and carried themselves. It took me a while to see how the time travel element was going to feature and it was done in a way that to me didn't seem too over the top.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Harriet and Phillip grow, and this formed the majority of the book. It was more of a love story if anything, particularly in the first half. I was willing them to make things happen. I can tell you that there are a couple of bedroom scenes during the story that had me cheering!

As the story progresses we get to know more about why Harriet was being chased, and what I liked is that the content of the package wasn't revealed too soon, which for me helped keep some mystery in the plot.

The book is well written and flowed really easily. I liked that chapters weren't too long but at the same time the pace was steady. It meant that I could pick it up if I had a few minutes to spare without worrying about having to put it down mid chapter. I liked the way the characters were bought to life, and the attraction was portrayed. The steamier parts were also descriptive enough to get the gist of what was taking place, but not so much that you couldn't recommend it to someone I.e. my Mum!!

A much more enjoyable book than I had anticipated it would be before starting it. I am really pleased that I had the chance to read it. I didn't realise that this was book two, and I will be happily looking out for book one too. I am not sure if further books are planned, but if so I wouldn't shy away from reading it.

Thank you to Carina for providing a copy in return for an honest review and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for this book.

Coming Home to You by Liesel Schmidt

Out now
Published by Carina UK
Purchase from Amazon here


The Blurb:

When one door closes…

Zoë and her fiancé Paul had everything ahead of them. So when Paul dies suddenly, Zoë doesn’t recognise the life she’s left with. Helping a friend by housesitting for a stranger is the last thing she wants to do – but she can’t deny that she needs time away from the memories which crowd her flat. So, collecting the keys, Zoë lets herself into her temporary home.…another one opens.

Surrounded by a stranger’s belongings – his toothbrush, his favourite records, the pictures on his walls – Zoë begins to build a picture of the flat’s owner, Neil, who is away in the military. Driven by a need to know more, Zoë begins writing to Neil and finds herself feeling an unlikely connection with him. But while some people are destined to share our lives forever, others are sent simply to help us on the way. And for Zoë, a new life is just beginning…

Proof that life can change in the most unexpected of ways, Coming Home to You is the superbly moving debut from Liesel Schmidt, perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern and Jojo Moyes.

My Review:

Coming Home to You is a beautifully written debut novel which tells a story of love, loss and learning to live again. It was a book which drew me in immediately and kept me riveted all the way through. 

The main character is Zoe who we find out has lost her fiance Paul, who died suddenly, leaving Zoe totally bereft and lost in the world. She came across to me as someone, as you would expect, who has had her world turned upside down and is totally at a loss on how to carry on. 

Zoe's best friend Kate is working away from home, and as much as others tried to be there for her, as a reader I got the feeling that she was stuck in her grief, and needed something to happen to bring her out of the depths of it all. Zoe goes to her local coffee shop every day where she can be around strangers, and no one knows her story. The owner, Ray, becomes a key character in the book. He overhears a conversation between Zoe and Kate where Kate suggests that Zoe should move away from the apartment she shared with Paul, and try to escape the memories that it has. 

Ray has a friend called Neil that is in the armed forces and is currently positioned away for a few months. He suggests to Zoe that she housesit Neil's place for a while, until he comes home. Whilst living there Zoe starts to contact Neil and have chats via email, where she spills everything out to him. 

The move to Neil's house changes Zoe's life, and I am dying to tell you how, but I dont want to spoil all the twists and turns that I enjoyed! 

I thought I was quite the detective and that I had it all sussed out by a third of the way through the book. Infact I was probably a little bit smug about it. I was wrong!! There are twists in the plot that I never saw coming, and I loved that! It definitely had me muttering 'oh I didnt see that coming' a couple of times.

It is really a story of Zoe finding that life does go on, even when you think it will never happen, and you will never smile or be happy again. Her friends, particularly Ray play a key part in that, and I love books where there are strong friends supporting the main character so this appealed to me. 

I loved the way it was written, and wouldnt have imagined it was a debut novel if I hadn't read that it was. The characters are written with such warmth and I loved the way that Zoe was portrayed. Whilst it was obvious at her heartbreak I didnt feel that she came across as a pitiful person. She was in many ways quite an inspiration, and a strong, ballsy woman. I thought it helped to show that when you hit rock bottom dont give up. You can pick yourself back up and achieve your goals if you set your mind to it, with a little support along the way.

I love Ray. He is the type of friend I would love to have in my life. He was there for Zoe no matter what, and I felt always looked out for her in whatever way he could. There is one scene where Zoe has had a bit of a turn. Ray turns up unexpectedly to find her in a mess with vomit in her hair, and like a lost soul. Rather than judge her he just cleaned her up and took charge. I loved his empathy and unconditional love, particularly as he hadnt know her that long. He was definitely a little guardian angel and I hope I can be a friend like that if I am ever needed (ok, cleaning vomit may be a bit too much for me!!). He has his own story and I just love him.

As you will see from the blurb, once she is living in Neil's place, Zoe starts to wonder about Neil and who he is. She is living amongst his stuff and it feels quite intimate to do so. She starts writing to him via email and he starts to write back. I loved the email exchanges. They were at times quite amusing, but it helped me build a real empathy for, and get to know Zoe better. For example, her foray into dating is debated with herself in one of the emails. 

I am itching to reveal more about what happens, and some of the other characters, but to do so would be unfair in my opinion, as it would rob you of the beauty of the book. Just trust me, there are some gorgeous moments where we see what love and compassion is. The ending is magical for me. It had me up to the small hours of the night and I was totally engrossed. I had to find out what would happen. Whilst I found it really intense and moving I ended the book with a feeling of energy and calm, and felt quite inspired that life is for living. It was quite poignant for me at the moment, and I wonder if it could be quite a strong book for others struggling too. 

Liesel is an author who, for me, has conjured up a great balance between sadness and all the emotions that go along with loss and grief, but also hope, and inspiration that life can go on and you can battle through. I found it beautiful and laughed, cried and felt strong and ready to face the world by the end of it. 

The blurb is right in that it would appeal to fans of Cecilia Ahern, Jojo Moyes and I would add Rowan Coleman, Hannah Beckerman and Carmel Harrington to that list. 

Right, I am off to make the most of today!

Thank you to Carina UK who provided a copy of this book in return for an honest review.