Author: Jill Mansell
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: November 2013
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Finding the courage to trust your heart can be the hardest thing of all…
Dexter Yates has the looks, the money, the swanky apartment, and girlfriends galore. But it's not until his niece, Delphi, is born that Dex falls in love for the first time in his life.
Then tragedy strikes when Dex's sister Laura dies in an accident. Suddenly, Dex finds himself a new parent and a single father to boot. With no idea how to raise an eight-month-old baby girl on his own, Dex decides to move into his weekend home in the small village of Briarwood in the Cotswolds.
The quirky neighborhood welcomes him with open arms, especially next―door neighbor and gifted cartoonist Molly who offers to help with Delphi. Molly won't put up with any nonsense and her messy romantic past makes her cautious.
If they can learn to trust each other, there might be a happily-ever-after for all three.
A fresh and fun British women's fiction and a great romantic book with plenty of humor and friendship.
My Thoughts: I initially tried to listen to the audio format of this book back in 2019 and just wasn’t feeling it. This is very interesting because I have recently learned that sometimes when a book isn’t working for me, changing the format is a gamechanger. I wish I had known that back in 2019 as I would have gotten to experience this wonderful story much sooner.
If you are familiar with Jill Mansell’s work, you are already aware you will get a lush story with many characters and subplots. She weaves this story so seamlessly that the reader has no difficulty keeping everyone straight and following all of the individual story lines. At the center of this story is Dexter Yates. He is your typical playboy bachelor. He lives a fast and carefree life and has no intention of settling down with any one woman. When his sister, Laura, has a baby daughter, Dexter is over the moon for his niece.
Unfortunately, Laura dies suddenly eight months after her daughter is born, leaving Dexter bereft and has named him as Delphi’s legal guardian, something he isn’t sure he can take on. Raising a child is a huge responsibility and a lot of work for people who seek to become parents. How will he ever manage with his career and lifestyle?
Dexter moves out of London and meets his new next door neighbor, Molly. I loved the chemistry between these two and enjoyed the building up of their relationship as friends first. Mixed into their story are the numerous characters living in the village all with their own lives and stories. I enjoyed meeting them all and loved the wonderful sense of community in this village.
This story made me laugh and cry and even made me angry a few times at some of the characters’ behavior. It is so easy to get drawn into the lives of these people and spending time with them, I often forget that they are fictional.
My Final Verdict: I am so happy I decided to revisit Dexter’s world as I would have missed an opportunity to meet so many wonderful characters who left a big impression. I highly recommend this story to readers of women’s fiction and contemporary romance.
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