When You Were Mine by Lisa Swift #Review @herabooks

I am delighted to introduce you to Lisa Swift's latest contemporary romance, When You Were Mine which was published on August 14th. This is her first book for Hera Books. 

Life is a love song when you find the right notes

Maggie and Ibby make up a happy – if unconventional – family. After meeting at university, they now live in the village of Applecroft on the beautiful West Country coast.

Okay, so Ibby’s gay and prone to disastrous dates, while couples’ counsellor Maggie spends her days helping people with their relationship problems despite having no sex life of her own. Nevertheless, they’re devoted to bringing up teenage daughter Amelia – the result of a drunken one-night stand when they were students – in a stable and loving family.

Until a face from the past – in the form of hard-partying rock star Jordan Nash – disrupts their quiet lives. As Jordan struggles with his personal demons and old secrets are revealed, can Maggie and Ibby stay strong? Or will bringing back the past threaten all that they’ve built in the present?

My Thoughts

Families come in all shapes and sizes which this novel certainly illustrates. It tells a tale of what can endure over the years and in some cases whether it is ever too late for a second chance. I particularly enjoyed its lighter moments and Maggie turns out to be a warm and thoughtful character with a streak of self- awareness and a wry take on her work as a counsellor. 

    The joys of bringing up a teenager unite Iggy and Maggie and I particularly enjoyed the episodes which were centred around their parenting and their friendships. Amelia, their daughter, looks on at the mess that grown ups can get into and you can see hints that she will mature into a very well- adjusted young woman. She also has the self-centred thoughts of an adolescent and impulsive moments which force the story on. I liked all the characters within the story, which turned out to be a heartwarming story despite some of its slightly darker themes.

In short: Second chances and first loves. 

 

About the Author

Lisa Swift is a romance author from West Yorkshire in the UK. She is represented by Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents. 

Her first book is due to be published by Hera Books in August 2019.

As Mary Jayne Baker, Lisa also writes romantic comedies for Aria Fiction.

Lisa is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

You can follow Lisa here: Twitter   |  Website   |   Facebook

Book links: Amazon UK  |  Apple  |  Kobo

Thanks to Lisa Swift, Hera Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

                                                          Follow the rest of the tour!