When Jennifer goes up to Cambridge University with her head full of the Romantic Poets, she never dreams that she will find her very own Byron. But then she meets gorgeous actor Laurie Lewis, and finds herself living a real-life love poem.

Fifteen years and two children later, Jennifer and Laurie’s relationship is starting to feel more like an epic tragedy. After a series of revelations turn her world upside down, Jennifer will do anything to keep her family together – even if it means moving hundreds of miles away to Laurie’s childhood home in Westenbury, Yorkshire.

As she reluctantly enters into village life – complete with interfering in-laws, new friends and a surprise delivery of alpacas – Jennifer is amazed to find herself feeling happy for the first time in years. But the village holds one last, devastating secret and Jennifer must decide once and for all what she wants her future to hold.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The last time I was on stage was when I was an angel in the Reception Nativity… I was already so pissed off at not being Mary, I broke my cardboard halo, took a swing at Joseph and got really told off by the old boot in charge. If you look at photos of me on stage, I’m scowling throughout and giving everyone black looks while I refuse to sing.

Net her? I turned to look at Laurie. Had Laurie actually said net her? As if Tod Mayhew had spent hours dipping his rod into a pond of potential marriage partners and had come up with a prize catch?

‘Call him Laurie,’ I suggested. ‘Everyone else does.’ Everyone except me, who now prefers wanker, pillock, bighead…

‘Protection?’ Janice laughed hollowly. ‘Laurie couldn’t protect the skin on a rice pudding.’

My Review:

 

I enjoy the clever wry humor and amusing yet perceptive observations in Julie Houston’s agile storytelling. She wrangles emotive insights into her narratives that set the perfect pitch and extra oomph to her tale. This story had a unique cast of characters with real-world problems and issues, as well as significant personal foibles and pitfalls. The storylines were engaging and held my interest, even when the characters were annoyingly weak or obtuse, as we all are at times.