Published by HarperCollins
Publication Date: 9th May 2024
Book Description:
Jess is happy working in Greenwich market selling trinkets to well-heeled locals and excitable tourists.
Then one Sunday, Jess is thrown together with handsome, funny Ash, as they chase a pickpocket through the market, and before long they are making a habit of running into each other at the same time each week.
Jess starts to realize that their hour together is the brightest part of her life. But Ash isn’t telling her everything – can she discover the truth before it’s too late?
My Thoughts:
I am going to start by saying: I LOVE THIS BOOK! I'm not sure whether that's because it was just the book I needed as a palette cleanser after a lot of darker books lately, or whether it's because I have some lovely memories attached to the area in which it's set (Greenwich in London, with all its lovely landmarks) - whichever the case, or a combination of the two, this book hit the spot perfectly for me.
The lives of our two main characters, Jess and Ash, literally collide as they assist one of the other market traders in dealing with a shoplifter. The chemistry between them is instant, unlike the coffee that Ash brings them on each of the following Sundays they agree to meet. But Ash is hiding something from Jess and because he refuses to share anything about it with her, it becomes a huge elephant in the room which Jess just can't handle.
While the relationship between the pair ticks along, we are introduced to some other fabulous characters. A few of them are market traders, others are "market ghouls" as they become affectionately known - regular visitors to the market who everyone has come to recognise. I very much got vibes of Clare Pooley's novel The People on Platform 5 from this book. A group of people who only know each other because of a place they pass through regularly but who become emotionally reliant upon one another and look out for each other's welfare.
I don't want to say too much about this book, other than the fact that it left me with a nice fuzzy, warm, happy feeling despite describing some "real life" bumps along its journey. There's a whole lot of goodness going on, and the relationships between the characters felt very real. I finished the book yearning to be part of their community - until my "real" brain kicked in and I realised that would mean living in London, which I don't think I could cope well with!
5 twinkly, glittery stars for this book from me.
About the Author:
Cressida McLaughlin is a bestselling author of contemporary romance who has sold over a million copies of her books. Her feel-good, escapist fiction, featuring unforgettable characters who find their happy place, has established her as a firm favourite among readers and fellow authors alike.
Cressida lives in Norwich with her husband David and when not writing her bestsellers, spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.
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