I definitely consider Jane Lovering to be a favourite author and have loved each of her books, including the vampires. There’s something distinctive about her voice and the way her books come together; I am always sucked right into the story. If you’d like to read a couple of my previous reviews, you can follow these links: A Seagull Summer and A Cottage Full of Secrets.
I’m grateful to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for the blog tour invite and to Boldwood Books for providing my digital review copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. You can read my thoughts below.
Synopsis
A long-held secret, and a beautiful heart hoping to be understood.
Cressida Tarbet loves her job at an animal rescue centre, even if it means she’s resigned herself to scrimping to make ends meet – a lifestyle far removed from her best friend Ivo’s, in his ancestral gatehouse stuffed with antiques and art.
But although their upbringings were different, Ivo has held Cress’s heart ever since she clapped eyes on him at university. The trouble is – she has never told him. So, when a mystery and a baffling crime throw Cress and Ivo together, she can’t help but wonder if fate is telling her something.
As the puzzle takes them from beautiful Yorkshire, to the stunning Isle of Wight, the pair get closer. Ivo begins to understand the cause of Cress’s risk-aversion and she puts her irritation at his brilliant mind to one side as she starts to appreciate Ivo’s uniqueness. But then the unthinkable happens and their worlds are turned upside down, and Cress has to wonder if fate was calling after all…
Uplifting and unforgettable, settle back to enjoy this one-of-a-kind novel about falling in love with a one-of-a-kind man. Perfect for fans of Jessica Redland, Beth Moran and Jo Barlett.
Review
Cress and Ivo are two delightful characters and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. There’s a different feel to this book and it took me a few chapters to settle in to the story. Of course, I was immediately on-board when I realised that one of the lead characters was a squirrel, affectionately named Fred.
A large part of the book examines Cress and Ivo and gradually more and more is revealed until their characters and flaws become obvious to the reader. Of course, this is a spoiler free review, so you’ll need to read the book to discover more about that.
I definitely identified with Cress and her humble beginnings. Her backstory saddened me but she was victorious in her battle to overcome adversity. Even though she didn’t live in the same level of luxury as Ivo, she had the security of her own four walls. Despite her deep feelings for Ivo, letting him know about her attraction to him was a risk too far. I think many of us have harboured those sentiments.
I really don’t want to reveal too much about Ivo other than the reference in the synopsis to him being one-of-a-kind. I found him to be someone that I would be drawn to and loved his individuality although his dress sense would definitely bother me.
There’s no question that this is a love story and the attraction between Cress and Ivo gathers pace like a landslide and proves to be well worth the wait. There’s definitely an impressive, thrilling storyline that emerges from the pages and I was captivated as it became obvious that there was serious jeopardy to negotiate. I’m not a fan of cosy mysteries but this did sneak up on me and felt less contrived.
I’m incredibly glad that I stuck with this one as it was a thoroughly satisfying conclusion and perhaps the difficulty finding my rhythm helped me to understand a little more about Ivo. Jane certainly never fails to surprise me and I can’t wait to see where she takes me next.
Author Bio
Jane Lovering is a bestselling and multi-award winning romantic comedy writer. Most recently Jane won the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2023 with A Cottage Full of Secrets. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home.
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