Even though I knew exactly what was going to happen, who would end up with whom. I still was fully invested in the storyline and loved it. I wanted to see the journey through and enjoy how we get to the happy endings. From quite early on I felt drawn into the book and at the same time a warmth glowing from the words, such is my love of this author. It felt comforting but new simultaneously. I enjoyed the story and the characters had depth, which I am always a fan of. Even the supporting characters were important to the building of the main characters story. And the setting was brilliant!

The old spark is still there, but Didi’s determined to ignore it. As manager of a stunning Cotswolds hotel, she’s happy at last, and soon to be married. Anyway, Shay isn’t staying. He’s made a promise to his father. He’s going to keep it. And then he’ll be gone. But Shay's return stirs up long-forgotten emotions, and the scandal that led him to leave raises its head once again. It's time for buried secrets to come to light. And it seems that this was someone's intention all along . . . I waited too long for both parties to come to their senses! Just because of extra unnecessary angsty, heartbreaking, long chapters, I cut some points and I gave three still I truly enjoyed this book but I wish it could be less angsty more romantic stars. ( by the way I also enjoyed the side stories of residents of Elliscombe but I think I wanted to concentrate on Didi and Shane’s second chance love story)

From the beloved author of IT STARTED WITH A SECRET comes a fabulous new novel about love, friendship and finding the way to your best life. Jill Mansell’s books are always perfect beach reads. Nice and cheesy love stories, including a lot of side characters with their own love stories.

The plot is thoroughly enjoyable and makes for the perfect romantic read. The book is set in the Cotswolds and I adored Mansell's descriptions of well known villages and found myself transported to the beauty of the Cotswolds. This is pure escapism. The characters were all great, well apart from the odd one or two. You can't love them all, but these two were meant to be hated. Then there were the characters that I wanted to know more about, I felt I could have a book about each of these people's storyline and I would be happy. Don't get me wrong, it's not the first work she's pumped out that felt that way, but this had to be the most recycled piece she's done. It read like a book generated from an auto-generator that had previous works of hers input. Or like a ghostwriter taking her bits and bobs and putting it together to recreate a work of Jill Mansell's. There are many plots going on at the same time, all interwoven in some way. I was completed drawn into each one of them and was concerned & joyous along with the characters as they went about their lives. One specific sub plot is about how fragile life is and the author handled this subject with great care and even humor. The old spark is still there, but Didi's determined to ignore it. As manager of a stunning Cotswolds hotel, she's happy at last, and soon to be married. Anyway, Shay isn't staying. He's made a promise to his father. He's going to keep it. And then he'll be gone.Didi and Shay were friends who went on one last group trip abroad before they all went their separate ways for uni, etc. They had some magical moments while there and started their relationship and all was going well until an incident causes everything to change.

I adore Jill Mansell books. They're frothy fun, hilarious to read and full of lovable characters. I haven't read them all, but I've read enough to know the formula she works with. It's a predictable one but it tends to work. Sure, she hasn't hit every book out of the park, but a lot of them have been a really good romp when I'm in the need for a light piece of feel-good fluff. I've read some of her books several times over for that factor alone. Rekindling old flames, sweet second chance love stories are one of my favorites romance themes after enemies to lovers which always comes at the first place! If you like flushed out reads with three-dimensional protagonists, and emotionally meaningful love stories w/ a dash of smut and spice: this book is not for you. But Shay’s return stirs up long-forgotten emotions, and the scandal that led him to leave raises its head once again. It’s time for buried secrets to come to light. And it seems that this was someone’s intention all along . . . The beginning of the book was truly a fairy tale, magical, extra sweet-swoon-soft kind of adorable! Two 18 years old teenagers in Venice, it’s cold, snowing.

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I absolutely loved this story from beginning to end. We are treated a few viewpoints which gave us some rather interesting threads.