Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.
Expected: January 2020
Jeannie always wanted to fall in love, and now she’s finally got the whirlwind romance she dreamed of. Dan’s gorgeous, he’s a successful young vet, and he flew her to New York and proposed on Brooklyn Bridge. Jeannie has to remind herself this is actually her life. It seems too perfect, too magical, to be real. Yet it is.
But now she’s on her way to the wedding she can’t shake off the tight sensation crushing her chest. Is it just nerves . . . or is this all happening a bit too fast? Jeannie has one last chance to shout, ‘Stop!’ But just as she grabs it, a twist of fate throws everything she knows into the air like confetti. What Jeannie learns about Dan, about her own heart, and about the power of love itself, will change her world for ever....
In my opinion
I like the theme of this book - unexpected lessons in love - and totally agree with the learnings which were:
1. Don't mistake falling in love, for love.
2. Love is not how it seems on Instagram - it's unfiltered, unnerving and unedited.
3. Love has to start with a click.
4. Timing and pure coincidence play a big part in love.
5. There's many types of love including the love and companionship provided by pets.
And, being an animal lover, I really enjoyed the dog and animal sanctuary parts of this story. Main character, Jeannie's, landlady and soon-to-be best friend runs an animal sanctuary which is stretched to its limits when it takes in three dog families from a puppy farm. Cue plenty of cute animal antics and heart-seeking bonds, but also lots of entrepreneurial spirit as the friends seek ingenious ways to raise money for their rehabilitation including a wedding dress sale and fashion show.
However, that was also part of the problem for me in that there was a lot going on. The main story is obviously the love story - that of Jeannie getting cold feet on the day of her wedding, right before a twist of fate intervenes. But, there's also the animal sanctuary and the fund-raising as mentioned, as well as Jeannie's struggle as a singer-songwriter, her falling out with her ex best friend and band mate, family relationships and the secret life of Jeannie's fiance.
All in all there's a lot going on but weirdly at the same time nothing going on at times. There's a lot of revisiting to the point where it felt like you were just reading the same thing again and the pace is pretty slow with the story(ies) limping sedately along towards a fairly predictable ending.
That said overall it's enjoyable and definitely a nice easy read. I've never read the author before but have no doubts that fans of Lucy Dillon will love it. For anyone else, in my opinion it's worth a read but just not a must-read.
The author
Follow @lucy_dillon or find out more at lucydillon.co.uk
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