And Now You’re Back
Jill Mansell
One magical night in Venice, Didi fell in love. But it ended – and he left without even saying goodbye.
Now, thirteen years on, Shay Mason is back.
The old spark is still there, but Didi’s determined to ignore it. As manager of a stunning Cotswolds hotel, she’s happy at last, and soon to be married. Anyway, Shay isn’t staying. He’s made a promise to his father. He’s going to keep it. And then he’ll be gone.
But Shay’s return stirs up long-forgotten emotions, and the scandal that led him to leave raises its head once again. It’s time for buried secrets to come to light. And it seems that this was someone’s intention all along . . .
My Thoughts
I have loved Jill Mansell books for many years and was excited to read And Now You’re Back.
We are introduced to Didi and Shay on a snowy night in Venice when they fall in love whilst building a snowman in the middle of the night. Unsurprisingly, this had me completely invested in their story, but unfortunately their romance was not meant to be.
They meet again thirteen years later in the town of Elliscombe where Didi runs the family hotel. Shay has been away building a business empire but has to return to help out his sick father Red. The spark is still there but the timing couldn’t be worse. Didi is engaged and loving her job, all thoughts of her first love placed firmly in the past.
So can they both ignore the chemistry that bought them together on that magical night in Venice?
Like all Jill Mansell novels, the characters are the core of the story. Each cast member has a backstory, sometimes flawed, but always original and relatable.There is sweet Rosa who is grieving deeply and Red the ex con who has to show his vulnerability when his health declines. Both have their own stories worthy of a novel themselves, but here they have to take a backseat to Didi and Shay.
This is not a frantic page turner but more of a cosy catch up with well loved friends who are entirely dependable and always leave you feeling good about everything. An entertaining, character based read with a story about second chances and new beginnings.
Thank you to Headline for a copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly.
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Thank you for reading.
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