My edition: Paperback, published on 24 October 2013 by Avon (a division of HarperCollins), 400 pages.Description: How far would you go to make a new start?
When Nell's on-off boyfriend Aidan calls her into his office, losing her job is the last thing she expects.
Heartbroken and unemployed to boot, she makes a radical decision to blow her redundancy cheque and escape to the untested waters of San Francisco.
But is the glamour of the city too good to be true? And can Nell leave her past behind?
Rating:
When Nell's ex-boyfriend and boss Aidan asks to talk to her in private she's hopeful that he's going to ask her to get back together. But when he instead breaks the news to her that she, along with mostly everyone else in the office, is being made redundant, her world falls apart. While not completely satisfied with her job she had become very used to her life and routine and she's worried about the inevitable tribulations of job hunting that now lay ahead of her. As her redundancy pay isn't going to get Nell far while she's looking for a new place of employment she instead decides that she deserves a break to clear her head and get the energy for the looming job hunting process ahead.
Visiting her local travel agency she in a spur of the moment decides to ask her cousin Lizzie in San Francisco if she wouldn't mind Nell crashing at her place for a few weeks. Lizzie loves the idea of spending some time with her cousin again and before Nell knows it she's on a plane to the US of A for two months of fun in San Francisco, where she not only reconnects with her cousin and her love of baking, but also meets a wealth of wonderful new people who quickly become a big part of her life in her temporary new home.
I loved absolutely everything about this novel! The gorgeous and sparkly cover, the wonderful main character of Nell, her friends (new and old), the dream job she slowly makes a progress with in her new surroundings, the setting of San Francisco, and of course the gorgeous Max Rossi - the potential new beau on Nell's horizon. Honestly I could go on and on about all the things I loved (ie. everything), but most importantly is of course the fact that I found the main protagonist very likeable. Nell is kind, sweet, funny and relatable, and despite the dilemmas she's faced with that make it seem impossible for her to succeed, I kept rooting for her no matter what and hoped she'd make the decision which would ultimately give her the happiness she so deserves.
Another thing that really appealed to me is the story of Nell's journey throughout the book in a physical sense. I love travelling and while I haven't been to San Francisco myself and it wasn't on my radar before (I have been to California but only visited Los Angeles and San Diego on my trip), after reading this book it's quickly made its way high up my list of cities to visit as author Miranda Dickinson makes it sound so inviting. She not only covers a lot of famous touristy sights through Nell's explorations, but she also manages to put the alluring atmosphere of the city to paper from the natives' perspective and it sounds like an absolutely wonderful place to spend some time in, whether for a short holiday or more permanently.
This is the first novel I've read by Miranda Dickinson, but it certainly won't be the last. The incredibly cute Take a Look at Me Now, with its charming and funny characters, was impossible to put down and I already want more (and I'm not just talking about the wealth of delicious baked goods that were described into mouthwatering detail by the author, though I want some more of those too...).
You can purchase your copy from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Waterstones or your own preferred retailer.
Would you like to know more about the author? You can connect with her online at:
Website: miranda-dickinson.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MirandaDickinsonAuthor
Twitter: @wurdsmyth
Many thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment