Blog Tour – A Midwinter Match by Jane Lovering

Ruby Oldbridge needs to learn to take her own advice.

A brilliant counsellor at work in York, she is however floundering in her own life. Her romantic track record is woeful, her finances are in a pickle, and she’s back in a house-share after splitting up with her useless ex.

But one thing Ruby is brilliant at, is helping other people find a way through their problems, and she excels at the job she loves, doing just that.

Happy-go-lucky, Mr Positivity, Zac Drewe also loves his job – the trouble is, it’s the same as Ruby’s, and the management have decided to ‘rationalise’ their department. There’s only room for one of them.

As the snow and winter close in on York, Ruby and Zac have everything to lose, and Ruby starts to wonder if the happy face Zac shows the world, might be disguising a sadder secret.

Set against one another, they are unlikely friends. But perhaps, if they could take the time to understand each other, they might discover that rather than rivals, they could be the best thing that ever happened to one another…

Purchase here

Review

I received a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I make no secret of being a Jane Lovering fan, and this latest book just reaffirms my position. Set in the realms of coaching and counselling, A Midwinter Match introduces us to Ruby and Zac. We already know what is troubling Ruby, but slowly we learn about Zac’s problems.

For me, this book has added magic as it is set in York at Christmas. There is magic, just from those points alone. Jane is skilled at adding real depth to her stories, with descriptions of the surrounding areas. I could envisage the details of York Minster as I imagined staring through Ruby’s office window.

As is often the case in Jane’s books, her lead characters are slightly flawed as they battle through life carrying personal burdens. Whilst they are both wary of each other, there is a gentle connection that I found myself willing them to explore.

Of course, there’s more to the story than the lead characters, and it’s the other character’s stories which lead to some of the best twists. In particular, I loved Miriam and Bob, as well as Ruby’s office bestie, Priya, together they had some of the funniest lines in the book.

My takeaway from this book, is that no matter how bleak our personal circumstances may seem, there is often someone with much worse prospects. Finding a way to work through your troubles will help you see life improve.

Author Bio

Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who won the RNA Novel of the Year Award in 2012 with Please Don’t Stop the Music. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in September 2020.