About this deal
If you like flushed out reads with three-dimensional protagonists, and emotionally meaningful love stories w/ a dash of smut and spice: this book is not for you.
Didi is de manager van een prachtig en luxueus hotel in de Cotswolds, waar ze allerlei brandjes blust en haar gasten tevreden houdt, maar niets had haar kunnen voorbereiden op deze nieuwe ontmoeting met Shay, die terug is in Elliscombe en logeert in het hotel. Oude gevoelens komen direct weer naar boven, maar die wil ze absoluut niet toelaten. Hij kan en mag niet nog eens haar leven overhoophalen, zeker niet nu ze verloofd is en eindelijk gelukkig is. Shay is terug om het huis van zijn terminaal zieke vader op te knappen, die na een enerverend en stormachtig leven zijn laatste maanden thuis wil doorbrengen. Didi and Shay were friends who went on one last group trip abroad before they all went their separate ways for uni, etc. They had some magical moments while there and started their relationship and all was going well until an incident causes everything to change.But Shay’s return stirs up long-forgotten emotions, and the scandal that led him to leave raises its head once again. It’s time for buried secrets to come to light. And it seems that this was someone’s intention all along . . . The old spark is still there, but Didi's determined to ignore it. As manager of a stunning Cotswolds hotel, she's happy at last, and soon to be married. Anyway, Shay isn't staying. He's made a promise to his father. He's going to keep it. And then he'll be gone. I love Jill Mansell’s sweet, heartfelt romcoms and I’m looking forward to read more of her works in near future. Didi en Shay ontmoetten elkaar 13 jaar geleden in Venetië, waar ze de 18e verjaardag van hun gezamenlijke vriendin Layla vierden. Tijdens een sprookjesachtige sneeuwnacht waarin ze allebei het hotel uitglipten, bleken ze een speciale klik te hebben en ze waren al gauw onafscheidelijk. Totdat een schandaal ervoor zorgde dat Shay halsoverkop vertrok, hij haar hart brak en zij hem nooit meer zag. Tot nu.
In fact is was Red Masons' story that possibly intrigued me the most early on, he is a real character, and it felt as though he was rather charismatic even while being rather frail. His son Shay is the reason for the book's title, and I really enjoyed the various dimensions to his personality too. Don't get me wrong, it's not the first work she's pumped out that felt that way, but this had to be the most recycled piece she's done. It read like a book generated from an auto-generator that had previous works of hers input. Or like a ghostwriter taking her bits and bobs and putting it together to recreate a work of Jill Mansell's.
Hobbies
I enjoyed the story and the characters had depth, which I am always a fan of. Even the supporting characters were important to the building of the main characters story. And the setting was brilliant!