I will fully admit, that this novel exceeded my expectations by a mile! I was not prepared for such depth and emotion from this story. I was convinced from the synopsis that it would be a fun yet cliche read, I was wrong, and I'm so happy about that!
The characters are fantastic, Leon is a very humble and caring young guy who is trying to please everyone, he's instantly likeable. When we meet Tiffy she's a naive young woman who hasn't realised the effect her previous relationship has had on her. In my opinion, Tiffy shows the most growth throughout this story, she becomes a much stronger person by the end of the book.
Tiffy's harassing ex boyfriend is a problem many women face, but it's not something I've seen addressed properly in fiction. The author has written a superb story that subtly shows us how controlling and manipulative Tiffy's ex is, as well as demonstrating the caring nature of someone who actually cares about their partner.
The sub-plots were very surprising, I was expecting a fairly straight forward tale, but we were introduced to a war veteran with a love affair he couldn't forget, an eccentric author discovering the benefits of social fame and a brother wrongfully imprisoned. Every character was a wonderful addition to this story.
The dual POV story telling was fantastic, both Tiffy and Leon's separate personalities shone through the writing, giving you an in-depth impression of both. As well as laughing on occasion, this book also brought me to tears! It is an emotional story full of brilliant writing and fantastic characters. To think this is Beth O'Leary's debut novel, it is a masterpiece! One of my favourite contemporaries of the year.
The characters are fantastic, Leon is a very humble and caring young guy who is trying to please everyone, he's instantly likeable. When we meet Tiffy she's a naive young woman who hasn't realised the effect her previous relationship has had on her. In my opinion, Tiffy shows the most growth throughout this story, she becomes a much stronger person by the end of the book.
Tiffy's harassing ex boyfriend is a problem many women face, but it's not something I've seen addressed properly in fiction. The author has written a superb story that subtly shows us how controlling and manipulative Tiffy's ex is, as well as demonstrating the caring nature of someone who actually cares about their partner.
The sub-plots were very surprising, I was expecting a fairly straight forward tale, but we were introduced to a war veteran with a love affair he couldn't forget, an eccentric author discovering the benefits of social fame and a brother wrongfully imprisoned. Every character was a wonderful addition to this story.
The dual POV story telling was fantastic, both Tiffy and Leon's separate personalities shone through the writing, giving you an in-depth impression of both. As well as laughing on occasion, this book also brought me to tears! It is an emotional story full of brilliant writing and fantastic characters. To think this is Beth O'Leary's debut novel, it is a masterpiece! One of my favourite contemporaries of the year.