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Review
3.5 stars
This is a fun, sweet, emotional and unpredictable read from Penelope Ward. With wonderful characters, fantastic chemistry, and a gorgeous love story, I really enjoyed it.
Felicity is spending the summer at home before she starts law school, and she’s admiring the local wildlife through her binoculars when she spots a very hot, very naked man in his outdoor shower across the bay. She is sprung in her spying by his equally hot friend, who is spying right back at her through his own set of binoculars. It’s an awkward and hilarious encounter made all the more embarrassing when they inevitably run into each other for real.
All of that is forgotten though, when the boys introduce themselves as Brits in town for the summer, and invite Felicity over. It’s the beginning of something between Leo and Felicity, who are instantly drawn to each other, and can’t seem to stay apart. Though they are both going their separate ways at the end of the summer, neither of them are able to resist their attraction, and they dive into a relationship that is full of fun, sweet and sexy moments, and they fall hard for each other.
“We’re both going to end up hurt. But I promise to make every moment matter with you up until that time.”
Adding complexity to their situation – Leo is a member of the British aristocracy. There are rules and expectations guiding his life, and his return home isn’t only the end of a holiday, it’s the beginning of a life that he doesn’t want, but that he is resigned to. It’s a heartbreaking situation, and at the end of the summer, Leo returns home, and Felicity goes off to law school, just like they planned, but knowing that they’ve both left a piece of their hearts behind.
It’s years later when Felicity receives a letter from Leo, and it sends her on a journey to find and reunite with her soulmate. But life isn’t that simple, and an unexpected twist will turn their lives upside down all over again.
Ward usually loves to throw a twist into her books, and while I loved the first part of this story, and knew that drama was coming, I was not expecting this. And while it’s not the story I wanted for them, it’s real. Life isn’t always a fairytale, sometimes the stars don’t align and the road to love isn’t always simple. But the emotion between Leo and Felicity is just beautiful. I could feel their love for each other, and loved watching them eventually find their against-the-odds HEA.
And Sigmund! Can we get a story for Sigmund, please! He’s such an amazing side character, and after this book I feel that he is so deserving of a happy ending of his own – and I need to see him find it!
I enjoyed this book. I loved Leo and Felicity as characters, I love their honesty and openness with each other, and I thought they were just beautiful together.
3.5 stars.
I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Zachary Webber and Andie Arndt – my dream team – and they do a wonderful job. Webber doing an English accent is a joy to listen to *dreamy sigh*.
About the Author
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
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