A Fresh Start at the Cornish Country Hospital by Jo Bartlett #Review

 

Jo Bartlett's latest visit to the Cornish Country Hospital was published on January 11th by Boldwood Books. 

When life changes in an instant, how do you find the courage to begin again? ❤️‍🩹

A&E doctor, Eve Bellingham’s life changed forever the night her fiancé Max was the victim of a brutal attack. Now, two years later, she has moved her life to Cornwall and is working at St Piran’s Hospital, helping his family cope as Max struggles with his devastating injuries.

But though Eve’s loyalty has never wavered, the man she loved is gone. Annie - Max’s mother - still clings to the hope that one day everything will return to how it was, but Eve isn't so sure it ever will. Torn between duty and despair, Eve feels trapped in a life that no longer fits.

Then she meets Felix Grainger, the dedicated occupational therapist helping Max towards independence. With kindness and quiet strength, he awakens feelings Eve thought she’d lost forever.

To seize her second chance, Eve must risk breaking the only family she’s ever known. Because sometimes, letting go is the bravest way to begin again.

My Thoughts

A fresh start for Eve feels like the perfect January read . Eve has moved down to Cornwall where her fiance and his family are based but is in a difficult position. You sense her loneliness as the man she was engaged to has been changed by a serious brain injury and is being cared for and being readied for sheltered living. Eve has buried herself inher work at the Cornish Country Hospital but avoided getting too close to new friends as she has tried to keep Max's situation private. She does however find herself getting close to his occupational therapist, Felix, who we have met before.

    Felix has returned from America following a bruising relationship and upi come to realise that he is carrying a huge amount of guilt and anguish at the break u[. Eve also has to negotiate how she deals with Max's family who she clings to for support and longs to be part of their dynamic. Max's mother is particularly difficult as she fails to see that Max's injuries are irreversible and that Eve's relationship with him has changed.  Eve shows qualities of compassion and empathy towards Max's family but is so desperate to belong that she is not facing up to reality. 

    The relationships between all the characters are interesting and shed light on each other as Eve looks to forge a new life amid such changes.

In short: fresh starts 

About the Author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast.

You can follow Jo here: Facebook  |  Twitter   |  Instagram   |  Newsletter sign up  |  Bookbub profile 

 Purchase links 

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