I can’t believe that it has taken until now for me to pick up one of Julie Houston’s novels. Booked in for the blog tour this week I devoured this story while basking in the Easter sunshine. It’s a fun uncomplicated read that had me laughing out loud in parts.
Jennifer is an English Literature student at Cambridge University. Enjoying her course she has her head – and heart – absorbed in her beloved Romantic Poets. There are suitors vying for her attention but she is holding out for her own Byron. When she meets the gorgeous drama student Laurie Lewis she knows that he is the One. Truly mad, bad and dangerous to know – to paraphrase Lady Caroline Lamb. His thick Yorkshire accent and rugged Heathcliff good looks soon have Jen entranced.
Fifteen years later the fairytale is starting to unravel and a series of public revelations turn their family life upside down. The only way to keep the family together is to move back to Laurie’s family farm in Westenbury, Yorkshire.
Life in the countryside is no picnic with interfering in-laws, much rain and mud and a surprise delivery of Alpacas but despite everything Jen finds herself feeling happier than she has for a long time. But just as everything is going well there is one more devastating secret that the village will unveil.
The characters are flawed, and as such very realistic, and soon feel like family friends. Julie takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the lives of her protagonists and while not everyone will be happy than Jen has chosen to try and keep her family together it is a situation that many can sympathise with.
Supplied by Net Galley and Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.
UK publication date: 14 Apr 2022. 400 pages.
Categories: 4 Stars Book Review
angelnet69
Prolific reader, enthusiastic theatre and movie-goer and ex-Olivier Awards judge who spent twenty years working in the music industry in London. Sharing my house with a gorgeous cockapoo called Harry who has taken over completely.
I love sharing my favourite books with friends - nearly always spoiler-free as I hate reading a synopsis of the whole book in other reviews.
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