13/06/2020 – Love the Smell of a Book

The perfect book for spending the afternoon sitting in the sunshine reading. I loved this book and will really miss the eager to please Julia and the fiesty Amber as they were such great characters.

When I picked this up I expected to enjoy it as I love reading Jenny Oliver’s books but once I had started it just captured my imagination and I didn’t want to put it down. It transported me to France and took me on the summer holiday we can currently only dream of. I love a nice trip to France and this book just oozed French bakeries and fragrant expresso.

During this story I was taken in many directions with different outcomes down each path, whilst managing to encompass many every day family scenarios all within the one story. I laughed out loud whilst reading this book and wanted a cushion to hide behind as Julia realises everyone has seen her whats app message. A book that will make you feel the emotions as you read them, about the importance of being true to yourself and not trying to please others all the time. An unforgettable adventure that leads to new relationships and the hope that some old ones can be revived.

A brilliant book that I can’t wait to recommend as it kept me hooked right until the very last page.

Book Blurb

It was meant to be the party of the summer…

In Cedar Road, everyone is preparing for Lexi’s ‘White Hot’ summer party. For one night, parking squabbles and petitions are put aside as neighbours sip Prosecco under the fairy lights and gather by the hot tub to marvel at Lexi’s effortlessly glamorous life with Hot Hamish.

For Julia, it’s a chance to coax husband Charlie out of his potting shed and into a shirt so they can have a welcome break from the hellish house renovation they’ve been wrestling with. And it’s a chance for Julia to pretend – just for a night – that her life is as perfect as Lexi’s.

But when, during the party, one of Julia’s WhatsApp messages falls into the wrong hands and reveals her most intimate thoughts, things reach boiling point…

And when all the neighbours know exactly what you’re thinking, there’s only one thing to do.

Run away.

It’s going to be a summer Julia will never forget…

Available to purchase here

About the Author

Jenny Oliver is a bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She has been an elf in the Disney Store, a personal trainer, journalist, editor and, by far the best, a writer. Twice nominated for the RNA Best Contemporary Novel award, Jenny’s books explore the ups and downs of relationships and an unwavering belief in happily ever after. In her spare time, she can be found cajoling her family out to car boot sales, trying to reign in her competitiveness on the netball court and subtly eavesdropping on strangers’ conversations as inspiration for her next book.

Follow her on Twitter @JenOliverBooks, Instagram @JenOliverBooks, and Facebook @JennyOliverBooks.

Many thanks to HQ Stories for the opportunity to join the blog tour, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love!

My Review

A heart warming debut novel about Danny and his son Will and how they are trying to keep their heads above water following the tragic loss of wife/mother Liz and the aftermath of Will’s recovery.

As you get to know Danny, you realise he is doing all he can to keep a roof over their heads whilst grieving the loss of his wife and trying to contend with Will who has been mute since the accident. Danny is fast approaching rock bottom and is running out of ideas to make enough money to pay the rent and put food on the table.

After losing his job Danny becomes desperate to find a new job and this journey takes him to a whole other world, where he meets new people and eventually learns to start moving on. During this journey he accidentally unlocks the key to getting Will to speak but then he faces new challenges as Will doesn’t realise that he has confided in his Dad.

A story of hope, that will lift your spirits as you keep reading and leave your heart soaring with happiness for them as you reach the end. I really enjoyed this book and found that the more I read the more I was routing for Danny, Will and their unlikely collection of friends.