I received this book from TripFiction.com .   

Can love overcome differences?     

My rating:   4 out of 5     

Two very different people want to build a relationship, but will their different characters, circumstances and life histories prevent long term happiness?

30 something year old Emma needs a change, so she gives up her high powered bankers job, and rents a house by the sea, near her great friend Sophie.  Her goal is to have some relaxing quality time and discover what sort of future she wants for herself.

Her new home in Westport, Connecticut is a world away from her “upper crust” upbringing in Somerset, England.  Any idea of a relationship with her landlord, Dominic,  who surprisingly lives next door, is also out of the question, despite everyone else thinking it would be a good idea.  But Emma is used to failing to meet the expectations of others, though this time things don’t go quite according to her plans.

Emma, landlord Dominic and his son Jesse are engaging and fun characters.  So living next door to each other relationships naturally begin to form.  They have so much in common with each other – or so it seems at first.

However after the wonderful beginnings of new love, massive questions arise including whether Dominic can move on from his past and can Emma stay friends with Jesse or would she eventually become a wicked step-mother.  These questions are thoughtfully explored, with useful tips given!  Other themes covered are the question of whether we all eventually turn into our parents – not a pleasant thought given the parents in this book!

It seems that sometimes a big leap is required to achieve the things you want in life.  But how do you know if the jump will result in a better life, or you’ll just fall down a big crevasse?  Is it worth the risk?

This is the first book I have read by Jane Green and I enjoyed it enormously, despite the seemingly often references to products and companies, which I found jarring.   There is plenty of humour about British idiosyncrasies, and I had no inkling of the twist that the author was building up to, until it arrived.  Wow.

For the armchair traveller there is little information about Westport, but plenty in this fun, light hearted and mostly upbeat read to keep you firmly sat in your chair.