Something happens in this book, something completely out of the blue, which, even having read the blurb on NetGalley, I didn’t expect – and the shock of it almost made me give up.
All credit to the writing of Keris Stainton, who has a number of books, in a variety of genres, to her name, that I continued to the end because, while it wasn’t what I’d signed up for, I enjoyed this funny, heartwarming and actually rather beautiful story.
Here’s the blurb (and, just as a note, there is a different one on certain sites that gives away the surprise element so if you want to remain in the dark, stick to this one):
Izzy Harris should have it all – but her boyfriend has been ignoring her for months, she’s been overlooked for a promotion, and the owner of her local coffee shop pervs on her every time she has a craving for a salted caramel muffin.
Then her life is unexpectedly turned upside down.
Izzy dumps her oblivious boyfriend, and leaps on the chance to win a big pitch at work. Needing to work closely with gorgeous colleague Alex is an added perk…
But then her best friend has her heart broken, the pitch is way more complicated than expected, and Alex is keeping secrets. Does Izzy have what it takes to help her friend, save her career and get the guy?
There are some lovely moments in this story but while I liked the characters, I didn’t warm to them entirely. Some of the dialogue also felt a bit forced, especially the swearing. I don’t mind a bit of swearing in books – authors like Joanna Bolouri make it seem natural – but it just didn’t sit well in this one.
What I did like was the overall message. It’s not subtle by any means but it was very positive and empowering nonetheless.
If you’re looking for a quick and quirky read then this would be a great pick.
Format: Kindle.
Price: 99p.
My rating: Three and a half stars.
With thanks to Bookouture for the ARC in return for an honest review.
After The Rain 
It’s difficult when you don’t warm to any of the characters in any way, to then enjoy the story that unfolds around them, I agree. Probably not one I’ll be reaching for any time soon, to be honest.
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It really is. Plus I’ve read some absolutely stunning books this year so I had to judge it against them. It’s worth a read but it wasn’t my favourite.
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I think a strong emotion (either positive or negative) is important for enjoying a book so I understand why you didn’t rate this book as highly as you would have liked. #MMBC
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Thank you. I would give every book five stars if I could because I can imagine the work that’s gone into writing it and getting published but I think the shock of what happens in this one was just a bit too much for me 🙂
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