Sisters Annie and Jess are used to their mother Julia being spontaneous. But when Julia announces she’s flying off to Rome to meet her first love Patrick, whom she hasn’t seen for fifty years, it's an adventure too far. So, her daughters decide the only way to keep Julia safe, is to go too – without actually telling their mother she has chaperones!
Julia and Patrick’s love story was everything – epic, once-in-a-lifetime, with a tragic ending and life-long consequences. First love is hard to forget, but sometimes, just sometimes, life delivers a chance to rewrite your story.
As the eternal city of Rome works its magic, old secrets, old friends and old loves become new possibilities and new dreams. And when the four travellers return home, nothing will ever be the same again.
Join Helen McGinn for a timeless, joyous, unforgettable journey through love, family, and long-forgotten dreams. A novel to hold to your heart and treasure, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Noble, Cathy Kelly and JoJo Moyes
Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3eR441O
Review
Permanently exhaused mother Annie and her career-driven sister Jess know their own mother Julia too well to not worry when she declares that she's going to meet up with her first love in Rome. Determined to stop a fourth marriage - or at least be there to witness it - they follow her to Rome where secrets are revealed and each must examine her own life and what she wants out of it.
Each of Annie, Jess, and Julia were distinct but relatable in different ways, especially in their creeping fear that they've made the wrong choices in life, brought to a head at a delightful seafood restaurant in Rome.
Rome as Helen McGinn writes it is delightful and enchanting. I loved the description of the architecture, the sights, and the out of the way spots. All brought the city to life beautifully. Having never been there, I now find myself wanting to, hampered only by current circumstances and the constraints of my wallet. I will note that the locals of Rome are not called 'Romani' (that's a completely different people group) but that is easy enough to fix.
Especially at the start, the book does suffer from a bit of headjumping, which makes it difficult to follow, but this seems to die out after the first few chapters (or I got used to it). What's a little harder to read is the intertwining of the three stories as it feels like both Annie and Jess are shortchanged on the screentime. I really expected more about Annie coming to terms with giving up an art career she loved to have a family and would've liked to see more of Jess's story on the page rather than referred to. However I'm glad all came to a happy resolution.
For a slow, sweet novel about life, choices, and how it's never to late to make different ones, pick up this book.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own
Helen McGinn is a much-loved wine expert on TV and in print and an international wine judge. She spent ten years as a supermarket buyer sourcing wines around the world before setting up her award-winning blog (and best-selling wine book) The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club. She is the drinks writer for the Daily Mail and regularly appears on TV’s Saturday Kitchen and This Morning. Helen lives in the New Forest and Boldwood are publishing her debut women’s fiction title in Spring 2021.
Social Media Links
Website: www.knackeredmotherswineclub.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/knackeredmotherswineclub
Twitter https://twitter.com/knackeredmutha
Instragram http://instagram.com/knackeredmother
No comments:
Post a Comment