Victoria Connelly

This chick lit Austen spinoff is very Sense and Sensibility meets The Holiday. I previously read and reviewed Dreaming of Mr. Darcy, the prior book in this series (although the books are not particularly interrelated so far as I can tell). I am happy to report that this one is as charming, for a Jane Austen and chick lit fan, as the former.

The older sister, Sarah (the Elinor), has a pretty severe case of OCD, which is why she's so incredibly fastidious. This is a really interesting take on show more the character of Elinor, who is, excepting Fanny Price, arguably the most boring of Austen's heroines. I like her, but she's definitely reserved. Interestingly enough, I just read another Austen-inspired novel (Compulsively, Mr. Darcy) which did a modern take on P&P with Darcy suffering from OCD. Thankfully, this one's better.


The story alternates between the sisters' trip to Devon for Mia's 21st birthday, where they get to stay in Barton Cottage, and three years later, when the sisters, now estranged, both go to the Jane Austen festival in Bath. How they lost touch is learned slowly. These switches between time worked effectively. Although most of the broad plot is clearly recognizable as Sense & Sensibility, Connelly does make some derivations from the Austen novel. To my mind, these were nice additions, allowing for the modernization of the tale and for her to make her own story.

However, I do want to point out that there is some serious instalove going on here in all sorts of places. Of course, you can see that sometimes it doesn't work out, but that sure doesn't stop these ladies from 'falling in love' within a matter of days again. Sigh. Will people never learn?

Now that I know that people can actually rent the building used as Barton Cottage for Sense & Sensibility, I have a new vacation dream to add to my list. Oh yeah, also that Jane Austen festival. Now to find a friend that would go with me...and the money and time with which to do it. show less

Okay, so I started and stopped, typed and backspaced so many times when I started writing this review, I honestly wasn't sure what I was going to be left with. I couldn't seem to (and still can't to some degree) quite express the level of beauty that is captured within this work. It truly takes us through the landscape of the heart with all its pitfalls, and passions, letting us be guided by the characters themselves as they attempt to find a level of balance in their lives once again.

My show more heart broke for Helen, Luke, and Orla, equally in turn. The first for the lack of life she'd have, the second for the heartbreak he experienced along with the what ifs, and the third for her tenuous connection to life that was lost, but also the horrors she still needed to face in her own life. There was so much hurt, so much pain, so much brokenness that one didn't quite know where to look to find some semblance of joy, some light of hope in these very dark times. They say that people come into our lives at exactly the moment they were meant to...no sooner, no later. Well a definite case can be made for that here because for as much sadness as there was to go around, these two broken souls were able to pull each other through to the other side of their great losses, and while they both still have a ways to go, steps forward are still a win toward discovering happiness once again.

So take a chance on this beautiful novel full of broken "things"...and I think you'll discover just how truly human those experiences that made the cracks, and created the chips, really are. show less

If I had to choose one word to describe this, it would be charming. Connelly does a fabulous job of contrasting the homey insular village in the middle of nowhere, Scotland with the pressures of Hollywood.

And I'm half-disappointed and half-relieved that Connelly did not include the cliched plotpoint of the press finding out just where the missing Hollywood actress had disappeared to and invading Lochnabrae.

First of all, what a beautiful cover. Secondly, the main characters' stories are painful, compelling, and tangible. Not to mention the setting along the Jurassic Coast is captivating.

The book is told from three points of view. Catherine "Cate" Rivers is fleeing her abusive husband with her daughter Eliza to work for Charles "Mr. Fossil" Thorner as his housekeeper and assistant. Charles is a recluse paleontologist who lives and breathes his work with fossils while trying to forget his show more traumatic past. Allie is a single mother dealing with her son's estranged father's surprising return and she is helping her old school friend, Cate start a new life in Dorset. Can they all find peace from their unsettling pasts?

Cate's strength and kindness are what make her a good mother to her sweet and smart daughter Eliza. Their traumatic story of domestic abuse is a sad statistic, but they are starting a new life. Cate is getting her confidence and self-respect back and Eliza is trusting others and finally speaking every now and then after going mute during an awful event with her father. I give credit to Charles for overcoming his own guilt and self-isolation about his son's death, guiding an inquisitive little girl to learn about fossils, and helping a young mother learn to trust again.

Allie is undergoing some changes as well when her son's father, Craig, returns from traveling all over the world. He hasn't seen them in years and now wants to make up for his long absence by spending time with his son. However, it's going to be on Allie's terms because he hasn't earned her trust. I respect Allie's compassion for her son to get to know his father, and I understand her reservations about letting Craig take his son out of the country. However, her solution to travel closer to home together may be more than everyone can handle considering Craig is untrustworthy and a bit of a jerk.

The friendships between Allie, Cate, Charles, and Eliza are real and convincing. I particularly like the interaction between Eliza and Charles which is very moving with Charles' patience as a good male role model for a vulnerable little girl. It was sweet when Charles was just excited as Cate when Eliza spoke. And don't forget about Rigs the cute terrier who is a friend to all.

This lovely story is more about women's fiction than romance, but there is promise. It is about starting over from tragedy, abuse, and desertion. The fossil hunting is educating and the setting is beautifully rugged and wild.

Thank you to Ms. Connelly for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review. show less