Author: Jackie Fraser
Genre: Contemporary; Romance
Publication Date: November 17, 2020
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Thea Mottram is having a bad month. Her husband of nearly twenty years has just left her for one of her friends, and she is let go from her office job--on Valentine's Day, of all days. Bewildered and completely lost, Thea doesn't know what to do. But when she learns that a distant great uncle in Scotland has passed away, leaving her his home and a hefty antique book collection, she decides to leave Sussex for a few weeks. Escaping to a small coastal town where no one knows her seems to be exactly what she needs.
Almost instantly, Thea becomes enamored with the quaint cottage, comforted by its cozy rooms and shaggy, tulip-covered lawn. The locals in nearby Baldochrie are just as warm, quirky, and inviting. The only person she can't seem to win over is bookshop owner Edward Maltravers, to whom she hopes to sell her uncle's antique novel collection. His gruff attitude--fueled by an infamous, long-standing feud with his brother, a local lord--tests Thea's patience. But bickering with Edward proves oddly refreshing and exciting, leading Thea to develop feelings she hasn't felt in a long time. As she follows a thrilling yet terrifying impulse to stay in Scotland indefinitely, Thea realizes that her new life may quickly become just as complicated as the one she was running from.
Rating
Hello Fellow Readers,
Thea is such a better person than I am because if I had found out my husband was cheating on me with my friend I would have went ballistic, but fortunately for her things turned out so much better for her in the end. I loved Thea, I felt she was realistic and down to earth, even if she was a bit too down to earth. I was not sure about Edward at first, I thought he was going to just be a complete Jerk the entire time but he proved me wrong.
Their romance was subtle and somewhat of a slow burn which I loved. You see them become friends, then you see them start to have feelings. It was great to watch their relationship blossom. I loved the small town vibes but wished they included the townfolk just a little bit more, but I could understand why they didn't
Overall, a nice start again romance for those of us a bit older.
I would love to have a book store with all of the coziness and second chances. Those are the best book stores. ;)
ReplyDelete