Friday 3 February 2017

Book Review - Meet Me at Willoughby Close by Kate Hewitt - #AroundTheUKIn144Books #Oxfordshire

Amazon UK
Title: Meet Me at Willoughby Close
Author: Kate Hewitt
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Publication Date: 31st January 2017
Rating: 4 Stars


Welcome to Willoughby Close… a charming cluster of cozy cottages, each with a story to tell and a happy ending to deliver…

Ellie Matthews has come to Wychwood-on-Lea to find a new start for her and her daughter Abby. But, life there doesn’t start out as idyllic as she had hoped. While Ellie loves her cute cottage in Willoughby Close, the Yummy Mummies at the primary school seem intent on giving her the cold shoulder, Abby has trouble fitting in, and her boss, Oliver Venables, is both surprisingly sexy and irritatingly inscrutable.

But miracles can happen in the most unexpected places, and in small, yet wonderful ways. Slowly, Ellie and Abby find themselves making friends and experiencing the everyday magic of Willoughby Close. When Oliver’s nephew, Tobias, befriends Abby, the four of them start to feel like family… and Ellie begins to see the kindness and warmth beneath Oliver’s chilly exterior, which awakens both her longing and fear.

Ellie knows all about disappointment, and the pain of trying too hard for nothing, while Oliver has his own hurts and secrets to deal with. When the past comes rollicking back to remind both of them of their weaknesses and failings, will they be able to overcome their fears and find their own happy ending?

Discover the heartwarming magic of Willoughby Close… with four more stories of hope and happily-ever-afters to look forward to.

I've really enjoyed my return to Wychwood-on-Lea and to the area of Willoughby Close. I first encountered the setting in the first book of this series, A Cotswold Christmas, but you don't need to have read it to enjoy this one. They are both completely standalone, although there are a couple of recurring characters. 

I loved the story of Ellie and her daughter Abbie who have moved to Willoughby Close in search of a new life. Abby is 11, was bullied at her old school for being a bit of a nerd, and now she is dreading her new school. She never really has friends and Ellie is very worried about her. 

Ellie had Abby very young, is divorced from her cheating husband, who has moved to Australia, and is looking forward to settling into her new home and job. She hadn't counted on Oliver being her new boss. Oliver is a rather stuffy Oxford professor and is socially awkward. 

I really felt a part of the story, and Abby was my favourite character. I loved seeing her come out of her shell a bit with two unlikely friendships, one with the Lady in the big house at Willoughby Close, and the other with Tobias, who is Oliver's nephew. She is a reasonably mature for her age, and I love some of her nerdish tendencies, and also the way she interacts with her mother. 

It is obvious who the romance in this book will be between, but it takes the majority of the book to build up to anything, with the tension increasing, but neither Oliver or Ellie wanting, or daring to acknowledge their feelings. 

Meet Me at Willoughby Close is a lovely enjoyable book, in a series that I'm starting to really get into. I am liking the way the stories are coming across, and already looking forward to the next book. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Tule Publishing for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...