Sunday, July 27, 2014

Review: A Walk in the Park by Jill Mansell

Rating: ★★★★
Date published: February 16th, 2012
Publisher: Headline Review
Synopsis: It's been a while, but Lara Carson's back in Bath and lives are set to change as a result. Because Lara left her family and boyfriend Flynn eighteen years ago without a word to anyone. Why has no one heard from her since? Her childhood best friend Evie is thrilled Lara's back and able to share her happiness. Evie's about to walk down the aisle with her dream man, Joel. Or so she thinks... Then there's Flynn Erskine, even more attractive now and stunned to see Lara again. The spark between them is as strong as ever, but how's Flynn going to react when he discovers the secret she's been keeping from him? Oh yes, there's a lot of catching up to be done...







What I Thought:


Jill Mansell has given us something a little old, and more than a little new. It's a perfect amalgam of the two.  I do think this is the first time Jill's written a book with a secret of this magnitude though.  I've read all of her books and so hope I'm remembering correctly.  

I liked Lara.  I don't think she did the right thing by keeping her secret for so long, but as she made her choice as a teenager.   I think it gets easier to justify a choice some one has made as time goes on.  I really hated her parental units.  I usually don't use the word hate because it has such strong emotions attached to it, but in this case I do believe they are justified.

Flynn was another character I liked.  I do think he handled Lara's return well and even the reveal of her big secret as well as he possibly could.  Most of the characters in this story were ones I liked.  The only people I felt animosity towards would be Lara's parents and Joel.  When you read the book you'll find out why.

Honestly, I was taken aback by the number of secrets that were revealed.  The book also drove the point home that bitterness can ruin a good thing.  Once again Jill Mansell has written a great story.  I read this book as fast as I could and am eager for her next book.  In the meantime, I think a re-read of Jill's books are in order.


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About the Author
Jill Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol, and writes full time. Actually that’s not true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marvelling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write.

Jill Mansell's books have sold over three million copies and her titles include: Making your Mind up, Fast Friends, Good at Games, Sheer Mischief and Solo, among many others.  



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* A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*

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