5*
Another winning romance from Jill Mansell! It’s been awhile since I have read one of her books after discovering this British author a few years back and reading through her entire catalog. She hooked me with her complex romantic relationships, her quirky and colorful characters who are integral to the stories they inhabit, and her descriptions of England that make me yearn to be there. She infuses her books with a balance of humor, heartbreak, friendship, and, ultimately, hope that life will turn out like it’s supposed to, regardless of the mistakes we make or the tragedies we face.
In this, her latest offering, we meet Didi and Shay at age 17 when they’re both in Venice celebrating the birthday of a mutual friend. The magic begins on a snowy night in St. Mark’s Square when they build a snowman together and inevitably fall in love. Unfortunately, an event six months later fractures their relationship, and Shay disappears, only to show up in their quaint Cotswold Village thirteen years later to help his father who’s dying of cancer. Unfortunately, Didi is engaged, so any lingering feelings they may have for each other can’t be acted on. As Shay spends months renovating his childhood home so his father can spend his last days there, we come to learn and care for Red, the charming reprobate, Didi’s best friend Layla who has a blossoming romance herself, and Layla’s mother Rosa who is working through her grief over losing her husband. There are a couple of surprising secondary relationships as well that add further depth to this second-chance romance, ensuring that readers of the genre get their fill. Highly recommended for fans of Maeve Binchey, Sophie Kinsella, and Jenny Colgan.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
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