Published By: Boldwood
Pages: 346
Released On: 21/04/2022
American Star Mendoza is living in her dream location, Edinburgh, a place she discovered in British novels while growing up. Employed at a trendy city centre coffee shop, quirky, pink-haired Star spends her days fantasising about a handsome businessman she serves daily. He’s totally out of her league but a girl can dream, right?
Fin Hunter is exhausted from striving for his father’s elusive love and approval, and of following a life path of his family’s making. When things go drastically wrong Fin decides it’s time to stand on his own two feet and follow his own dream.
Star is bereft when her handsome stranger stops coming to her coffee shop, but a chance encounter in the most unlikely of places leaves her wondering if her fantasy could now become a reality?
Can opposites attract over their love of a city and music or is their story simply doomed to fail?
*****
Thanks to Boldwood for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I have yet to meet a Lisa Hobman book that I didn’t automatically fall in love with.
Was it just me who thought the man on the front cover looked like Wallander-era Tom Hiddleston? That’s who I was picturing for the whole book. And who was I picturing for Star? Well, that should be obvious (hi).
I love the description of Scotland and how much it means to tho two protagonists. It has a magical quality about it that perfectly encapsulates the beautiful country, and if I could afford to move there, I would, especially if there’s a Fin waiting for me.
I like how much attention is given to the Fin’s point of view. Usually with these happily-ever-after type books, the focus is mostly on the female characters, and the men jut become accessories, but for me, this was definitely Fin’s story, and I like how vulnerable and human Lisa made him.
It’s not the most plot-heavy book I’ve ever read, and there was a few moments that I felt were just a tiny bit rushed, but it’s not a big problem. Lisa has such a gorgeous way of drawing everything out from a character and a setting and a scene; it doesn’t feel padded out or woolly, but there’s enough in there to enjoy.
It wasn’t my favourite of her book – that accolade still sits with “Starting Over at Sunset Cottage” (such a stunning book) – but it still had heaps of tenderness and happiness, love and lust, anger and sadness, and above all, pure unadulterated joy of just being yourself.
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