Published by Pan
Publication Date: 9th December 2021
Genre: Womens Fiction, Humour
Book Description:
In life, nothing is certain. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something can happen to change the course of everything . . .
Liv Brooks is still in shock. Newly-divorced and facing an uncertain future, she impulsively swaps her London Life for the sweeping hills of the Yorkshire Dales, determined to make a fresh start. But fresh starts are harder than they look and feeling lost and lonely she decides to adopt Harry, an old dog from the local shelter, to keep her company.
But Liv soon discovers she isn’t the only one in need of a new beginning. On their daily walks around the village, they meet Valentine, an old man who suffers from loneliness who sits by the window and Stanley, a little boy who is scared of everyone, hides behind the garden gate and Maya, a teenager who is angry at everyone and everything. But slowly things start to change…
Utterly relatable, hilarious and heart-breakingly honest, this is a novel about friendship, finding happiness and living the life unexpected. And how when everything falls apart, all you need is one good thing to turn your life around and make it worth living again.
My Thoughts:
My first thought about this book is that it is a big hug on paper. Yes it is perhaps a little predictable: middle aged woman gets dumped by her husband in favour of the younger, more glamorous model, moves to a new town and makes a new life for herself. Can't argue there, but that would be a harsh summary as there is SO much more to this book which had me cheering Liv, the said middle aged former teacher, on to the new improved version of herself. Liv is such a lovely lady, she really deserved better than all that life in London had dealt her.
The introduction of delightful Stanley, the little boy whose view is that everything in life is scary unless he can categorise it somehow on to his list of things to expect and in what order, is just the start of Liv's new friendship group. Valentine keeps himself to himself, another character struggling with the challenges life has thrown his way until a homemade bird feeder causes him and Liv to strike up an unlikely friendship. The common denominator which ties these three characters together is Liv's decision to adopt the oldest dog at the rescue centre, Harry. After a throw away comment from her friend back in London about her getting a dog as a loyal companion instead of a new man in her life, Liv decides that maybe it's not such a bad idea; an opinion she has second thoughts about when Harry decides to wreck her living room while she attempts to get her social life back on track.
This is a story which will have you chuckling, cheering and crying at depending on which page you're on. The characters are as diverse in personality as they are in age groups but I can guarantee you will have fallen in love with them all by the final page. Well, maybe with the exception of Liv's ex-husband. He's still a rat. But given that it was down to him that Liv rediscovered who she really was, maybe I might just forgive him.
About the Author:
Alexandra Potter is the bestselling author of romantic comedy fiction novels in the UK, including Me and Mr Darcy. These titles have sold in twenty-two territories and achieved worldwide sales of more than one million copies (making the bestseller charts in the UK, US, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Serbia).
Yorkshire born and raised, Alex currently lives in South-West London with Mr California and their Bosnian rescue dog and when she’s not spending time writing or travelling, she’s spending far too much time on Instagram being reminded that she should be exercising regularly, drinking enough water, practising mindfulness and feeling blessed.
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