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The Year of What If by Phaedra Patrick #Review

  I am delighted to join in the celebrations for the latest novel by Phaedra Patrick , The Year of What If. You can read my review of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper   here and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy  here Can the future be rewritten? On the verge of her second marriage, Carla Carter knows she’s finally found the one. She and her fiancé, Tom, met through Logical Love, a dating agency she founded for the pragmatically minded, and she’s confident that, together, they will dispel an old family curse claiming Carter women are unlucky in love. But Carla’s highly superstitious family insists she visit a fortune teller before her big day, and the tarot cards reveal that a different man holds the key to Carla’s happiness – someone she met while travelling during a gap year, twenty-one years ago. This startling information spurs Carla to trace and revisit the ex-boyfriends she met during that time before she walks down the aisle. From Barcelona to Am...

The Impossible Search for the Perfect Man by Debbie Howells #Review

 

Happy Publication Day to Debbie Howells on the publication of her novel, The Impossible Search fir the Perfect Man

 
Imagine for a moment, your husband leaves you. Then through a bizarre twist of events, you find yourself working with the girl he’s left you for – and even worse, she's pregnant...

Louisa’s not really up to any more complicated relationships. Right now, she doesn’t need them. She has good friends. Okay, so one has a screwed-up husband and the other a very strange horoscope habit. Not to mention her ex-husband’s new girlfriend, who Louisa has somehow found herself giving relationship counselling to. She doesn’t need anyone else with problems in her life right now.

It would be nice, wouldn’t it? To find a straightforward man, who isn’t remotely messed up. Now there’s a thought... But does such a man even exist?

She thinks not. But, she resolves, a life of helping other people find their happy-ever-afters is still something. But then handsome vet Marcus walks into her life. And everything changes…

Set in the Hampshire countryside against a background of horses and vets, this is a story about friendship and love, and life's way of throwing in the unexpected...


 My Thoughts

You become quite involved in Louisa’s life during this heartwarming story as you follow her journey from shattered marriage, onwards. There is a degree of wry humour to be found in the characters who all have their own quirks and personalities and the animals are equally as endearing. The vets practice where she works offers lots of potential in the story to introduce new characters and by the end, you feel you know them so well.

    Louisa’s family seem rather cold  at first but you see how circumstances change and Louisa begins to see things differently. As per the title, there are plenty of pairings for you to compare as each of Louisa’s friends search for their special person. Marriages are also under the microscope, some more successful than others and a fair few engagements. Most of all, in the story, I appreciated Louisa with her self deprecating manner and ability to see the humour behind events. There is plenty of kindness to offset certain selfish behaviour which leaves you with a feeling of goodwill and the thought that there seems to be the right person for everyone. You might have to kiss a few toads on the way!

In short: warm witty writing




About the Author

 

Debbie Howells’s first novel, a psychological thriller, The Bones of You was a Sunday Times bestseller for Macmillan. Four more bestsellers followed, including most recently The Vow, published by Avon. Fulfilling her dream of writing women’s fiction, she has found a home with Boldwood and her first title with them, The Life You Left Behind, was published in February 2022.


You can follow Debbie here: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

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Book link: Purchase Link

 

Thanks to Debbie Howells, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

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