Beth Williams hasn't been home for ten years. When she fell pregnant at just sixteen, knowing that her family would never approve, she ran away from the imposing Scottish estate that had been her home, building a new life for herself and her daughter hundreds of miles away.
But when her father begs her to return home to see her gravely ill grandmother, Beth is apprehensive at the thought of seeing her family again. With her daughter Isabelle, now a feisty ten-year-old, in tow, she plans to cut her visit as short as she can whilst fulfilling her duty.
Beth has worked hard to leave her past behind her, living in London with Isabelle and working hard to be the best single mother she can be. Returning to the Glendale Hall estate means facing her strict and unaffectionate mother, formidable grandmother, as well her teenage boyfriend, Drew, who broke her heart and doesn't know that he has a daughter.
But Beth is about to discover that everyone has their own version of the past, and the true story she thought she knew for the last ten years might well be a very different one to the truth. Will Beth be able to find it in her heart to forgive her mother and grandmother (and herself) for what happened ten years ago? Or will she end up running away all over again?
Review: Oh my goodness this storyline had everything, twists and turns, romance and a mother daughter relationship to rival that of the Gilmore Girls! Seriously if you love Lorelai and Rory, you will love this book too!
This is a Christmas story but this just happens to be set at the most wonderful time of the year so this would absolutely be alright to read at any time of year. I loved the festive touches here and there and the effect the cold had on our main characters but this book is really a homecoming and everything that comes with that. There are secrets to be uncovered, romances to be had, more secrets to be uncovered and bonds to be rebuilt and I loved the balance of all of these aspects f the plot, they were just woven together so beautifully.
Of course I love the characters and well, Beth and Izzy are a great mother daughter combo. Beth is such a great character because she is independent and yet she isn't quite sure how she's going to move forward from the position she has found herself in. I loved her vulnerability whilst still being so strong! Izzy just provides the counteracting point to some of Beth's moments and together they are just such a cute little family. Of course Beth is home to see the rest of her family and there are many skeletons in closets and past mistakes that need to be explored there but I loved watching them reconnect and grow together.
And then there are the friends the Beth left behind, we have Drew, Rory and Heather and they form a great squad when they are all in the same place. I loved Rory's comedy moments, he and Izzy really do lighten the atmosphere sometimes.
This book is also about a sense of that lost community spirit from so many of our smaller towns and villages, I loved watching Beth rediscover what is was like to grow up in a small town and see the perils facing that community as a whole. This is a great take on what modern society can and has become and possible suggestion in how to fix it.
I would love to see a sequel to this book, perhaps with a business plan from lovely Beth and I really really hope there will be one because I would love to revisit these characters and Glendale hall again. Highly recommend.
The paperback is currently on an awesome offer, just click here to order your copy now!
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