4 Star
How can one honeymoon cause so much trouble? Much as Emma loves Tom, she would never have got married if he hadn’t insisted. But with Tom sick for the whole week, shouldn’t she at least take advantage of the entertainment? Winston married Melissa after a three-month whirlwind romance. As a breakfast TV fitness star, he’s anxious to keep things private. But the arrival of Melissa’s two children soon puts paid to that. Rosie arrived at the Villa Rosa homeless and pregnant when she was just seventeen. Now, sixteen years later, she runs the place. However, the appearance of Winston throws her into confusion. He might not remember her, but she has never forgotten him… By the end of the week, none of their lives will be the same. But how will they cope after the honeymoon is over?
Kathryn- 4 Star
As I read this novel I was reminded of Rosamunde Pilcher but in today’s world. There was something that flowed so well about the writing and the story itself unfolded naturally with all the character and plot development that you would want.
I loved the honeymoon portion of the book. The time when all the characters were taking part in their holiday in Greece brought out the relationships in a legitimate manner and I even liked that Winston’s secrets were not dropped on us but rather slowly uncovered. Emma and Tom were so frustrating but Emma so endearing that I couldn’t help but like her and I was appreciative of the fact that Janey Fraser didn’t give them a just humdrum life but also gave Emma some spunk. Their relationship was tired and it unfolded as one would expect during the rest of the story. I liked that Emma unfurled during her vacation, detaching herself slowly from her children and becoming again a woman in her own right. There’s nothing like a holiday to remind you of who you are and for this Tom was in the right. Much as I didn’t care for him during their honeymoon there was something honest about him that I still liked during the start and remainder of the novel.
I found it a little long but that might just be me. There seemed to be some repetition about Rosie and the Winston/Charlie’s connection that could have been left out but on the whole the story missed nothing and it was well paced. It was a fun summer read and I liked that Fraser did not fill the spaces with floaty descriptions, sounds and smells, I enjoyed being able to form the images in my mind on my own.
Thank you to Arrow, Random House for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
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