Review & Giveaway - Find Me At Willoughby Close by Kate Hewitt

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release Date: 14/03/2017

Series – Willoughby Close #3 (can be read as a standalone)

Welcome to Willoughby Close… a charming cluster of cozy cottages, each with a story to tell and a happy ending to deliver… Harriet Lang had the perfect life, so she's left reeling when everything is taken from her in one fell swoop. Suddenly, Harriet learns her beautiful farmhouse in the Cotswolds is double-mortgaged, her husband Richard’s been unceremoniously fired—and he’s become a little too close to his young, sexy assistant. Harriet moves into Willoughby Close with her three children, trying to hold her head up high. With the help of her neighbor and newfound friend Ellie Matthews, Harriet starts to rebuild her life--but dipping a toe in the dating pool feels strange and meanwhile her children are struggling in different ways. She wonders if starting over is really possible... Then Willoughby Close begins to weave its healing magic on both her and her children, and Harriet begins to see a way forward. She even starts to date sexy local vet Tom Roberts--but when Richard reappears in her life, wanting to make amends, Harriet must make the painful decision about how much of the past can be forgiven—and what kind of future she is fighting for.

EXTRACT

“Come on,” Harriet said now, as she climbed resolutely out of the car and gave them all as cheerful a smile as she could. “Let’s check it out.”

The movers had already come; Harriet had marked what furniture to take from their house to Willoughby Close, and it had been a depressingly small amount. The big, bespoke kitchen table wouldn’t fit, and the huge dresser with all the pottery she’d collected over the years wouldn’t either. In fact, at least two-thirds of their furniture was going into storage, which was expensive, but Harriet couldn’t bear to lose all of it along with the house. They’d need it when Richard got his job, and they bought something bigger.

She’d spent hours and hours, weeks and months, selecting all the furniture for the house, with the help of the expensive interior decorator who had more or less held her hand through the entire process. She’d bought tasteful antiques interspersed with fresh modern pieces, carpets and kilims from various holidays, watercolors and oil paintings of places that were meaningful to them. Sophie had once said, with admiration that bordered on envy, that Harriet’s house could be featured in Country Life.

And so it would again. This was a blip, damn it. Things were going to get better. Richard was going to find a job, he’d said so, and they’d get back their house or buy an even better house, and she’d live there without him, happy and defiant. Or something like that. She couldn’t picture specifics yet, but she couldn’t stand the thought of the rest of her life looking like… this.

The children trooped silently behind her as she fumbled with the keys and then opened the door to number two. The smell of fresh paint and emptiness hit her like a smack in the face. It was the smell of fresh starts, and she didn’t want one.

She stepped inside, reaching for the lights. Although it was only four in the afternoon it was already getting dark, the skies heavy and low with gray clouds. Spring felt a long way off, despite the fact that it was mid-February, and the spattering of snowdrops interspersed with an early crocus or two that she’d seen on the drive in.

“This is it?” Mallory’s voice rang through the empty space, scornful and incredulous. William kicked at the skirting board, scuffing the pristine white paint. Chloe stuck her thumb in her mouth.

“Yes, this is it,” Harriet said, trying to pitch her tone somewhere between firm and bright. “It’s lovely, isn’t it?”

My Review

The first tick is that this book can absolutely be read as a standalone. In fact, I was surprised that it is actually book three in a series as there were no dangling threads, or questions hovering over the secondary characters, as there usually is when you pick up a series part way through. Although, I'm definitely wanting to read all of them now.

Harriet has reached a point in her life where she thinks she has everything she needs. It certainly seems as though she does. Husband, three children, lovely house and able to provide the children with all that they want. Even if it is to keep up with the other school mums! But she discovers that her life isn't quite so perfect after all, when she has a suspicion that Richard, her husband, could be having an affair. In fact it's worse than she thought. They have lost everything.

Arriving at Willoughby Close, Harriet is thrown into a new life. Richard is living alone in a flat and Harriet has to adjust to living life in a rental home and with very little money. Their house is gone, her superficial friends have ditched her and she is left picking up the pieces of her confused children.

Find Me at Willoughby Close isn't a light and fluffy read. It certainly isn't centred around romance. For me it's about family and rediscovery. Harriet thought she had it all but she was actually missing happiness. It's a very real story. Stroppy pre-teen, son that's an energetic handful and a needy youngest child. But when the after school activities and treats stop, Harriet has the opportunity to reconnect with her family - and herself. Was Richard right? Had she changed? Was she partly to blame for their separation?

I wasn't keen on Harriet at first. But I guess that's the authors intention. As the story unfolded I began to respect Harriet and could understand the reason for her choices. It takes a brave person to recognise their faults and act on them and Harriet certainly does. I loved following her journey.

I've read many of Kate Hewitt's books and this one is really different. Wonderfully written as usual. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

An engaging read which I thoroughly enjoyed!

4 Butterfly Rating

BUY LINKS

ABOUT KATE HEWITT

Kate Hewitt is the author of over 65 novels of women’s fiction and romance. Whichever the genre, she loves telling a compelling and emotional story. An American ex-pat and former New Yorker, she now lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five children. You can learn more about her books and life at http://www.kate-hewitt.com.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/katehewitt1

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1269244.Kate_Hewitt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katehewitt1/

Blog: http://www.acumbrianlife.blogspot.co.uk

Website: http://www.kate-hewitt.com