Guest Review: Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell

Amber, Lachlan and Raffaele met as teenagers in the Cornish seaside home of kind-hearted foster parents. Years on, the bond between them is unbreakable

But Amber has a secret. She's in love with Lachlan. She can't tell him, because that would never work - he's definitely not the settling-down type. Surely it's better to keep him as a friend than to risk losing him for good?

Raffaele has his own dilemma. He had the dream girlfriend in Vee, until it all went horribly wrong . . . and he still can't understand why. Is Vee hiding something from him?

Now their widowed foster dad Teddy has found new love. Younger, charming and beautiful, Olga seems perfect. But is she? Or will she break Teddy's fragile heart?

Against a backdrop of sparkling seas and sunny skies, the unexpected is always just around the corner. Welcome to Lanrock!

Review: I have yet to read a story from Jill Mansell that I did not enjoy, so I was looking forward to the release of her book for 2022. I bought the audiobook as soon as possible and was immediately absorbed in the story. The setting is a lovely Cornish seaside town; a map of that town showing some key locations is included at the beginning of the book, a feature that I always enjoy. 

The story concerns three people who met as teenagers when they were fostered by a caring couple, Teddy and May, living in the small seaside town of Lanrock. Sadly, May has since died, but the three she cared for have stayed firm friends with each other and with Teddy. Amber owns a stained glass studio in the town, chef Lachlan has a restaurant there and celebrity hairdresser Raffaele has a salon round the corner. All is not as peaceful as it seems in their lives. Amber is hiding her love for Lachlan for fear of spoiling the dynamic among the friends, Lachlan also has hidden feelings for her, Raffaele is worried about the behaviour of one-time partner Vee, and all three are worried about Teddy, who has turned up with a new, younger girlfriend, Olga. Amber, Lachlan and Raffaele are concerned that Olga may have ulterior motives for the attention she is giving Teddy.

This is a lovely story of family, friendship and romance, told with Jill Mansell’s usual warmth. The characters are all well developed and believable, with their own stories and their own secrets. As well as the central characters, there are many others in the story, some of whom also have a major part to play in the overall tale. Of course, since there is a chef amongst the cast, there is mention of some mouthwatering dishes as well. The setting for the book sounds like the kind of place we would all like to visit and stay awhile, with the sea on the doorstep and some interesting places to explore. I’m sure that other readers will enjoy this book as much as I have.

I must add that I had problems with the audio version of the book that I bought from Audible. Unfortunately, it was faulty in that there was a portion in the wrong place that contained a big spoiler, and another chapter had been missed out altogether. I was advised to download the book again for a fault-free version, which I did, but I was disappointed that the original version had spoiled my enjoyment of the story to a certain degree.

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