Published: 18th May 2017
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction
My Rating:
Would you know your forever house if you found it?Hunter's Moon is the ultimate 'forever' house. Nestled by a river in the Peasebrook valley, it has been the Willoughbys' home for over fifty years, and now estate agent Belinda Baxter is determined to find the perfect family to live there. But the sale of the house unlocks decades of family secrets - and brings Belinda face to face with her own troubled past.A gorgeous escapist read for anyone needing a hug in a book - perfect for fans of Erica James, Lucy Diamond and Harriet Evans.
I don't know how Veronica Henry does it but this is the second time she's made me cry reading one of her books. Considering this is only the second book of hers I've read I really feel like that says something about her writing. She just knows how to write a book which makes you feel all the emotions. There is plenty to love in her books and I am just so happy that I read this one.
I will be honest and say I was a little uncertain, to begin with. A book about a family selling their home and unearthing secrets? It sounded like it might be a little boring, an exploration of the past and stories from the past. I was completely wrong. Instead, I had drama and romance and tears and laughter and everything which makes me love a book. It was just utterly charming. You can’t help but fall in love.
It is told from several perspectives both in the past and in the present. It’s easy to tell who it is each time and when it is you are, be it the past or present. I am not always a fan of multiple perspectives in a book as I am easily confused and when POV changes too frequently I can sometimes find myself disconnected from characters but that wasn't the case this time around. Whilst this was very much Belinda and Sally's story it was also the story of the Willoughby's past and present. We saw Belinda in the present striving to sell Hunter's Moon and do the home justice as Sally and Alexander clearly love it although they are selling to move to a retirement community. But you also had the story of Sally and Alexander in the past as they met and their path to falling in love.
It isn’t even just the story of Sally and Alexander which you get, though. It’s in the 60s and you get the story of Alexander’s entire family, the Willougby’s. From his romance author mother to his father who spends far too much time at the pub and his two sisters and their adventures. Sally finds herself organising the whole family and also slowly becoming one of them. It’s hard to say too much about the book without revealing too much but it’s safe to say there is a whole story in the past as you slowly learn about Hunter’s Moon’s history and the family who has lived there. There was also a story to Belinda, as well. Everything just linked together slowly flawlessly, the past and the present and it was just brilliant. I can’t explain why without you reading it so you can get where I’m coming from but trust me, it’s brilliant.
It really was the characters making this book. I loved Belinda and her strength and how she was both driven but kind. But really, it was Sally and her crazy path to Hunter's Moon and the Willoughby family which I loved. And Alexander. I was very much in love with Alexander, but so was many a woman if the book was to be believed.
This may not be a book for everyone but it is a wonderful and charming read set in the English countryside. It will hit you in the feels but you'll be smiling a lot of the time so it's OK. It was also nice to see a few familiar names from the only other Veronica Henry book I've read, as well. I love those little bits of crossover in books. Sarah Dessen is the queen of doing that and it was nice to see here.
Have you read this or any other Veronica Henry book? What did you think? And what was the last book you read which made you tear up?
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