The Bluebell Girls by Barbara Josselsohn
Lake Summers Book 2
(Standalone)
Publication Date:
25th Sep 2020
Genre: Women’s
Fiction, Romance
4.2 Stars
“Three generations.
One summer that will change everything.”
This line on the
cover says it all. It is a book of second chances, of introspections, of
understanding, compassion, and accepting life and love with a smile.
Jenna and her
daughter Sophie, an eleven-year-old, come to Lake Summers, Jenna’s home. Jenna
is in the middle of a messy divorce, her self-esteem all-time low. Sophie
starts as a typical pre-teen but grows into a girl with more depth and layers
to her characters. Sweet, Jenna’s mother, happens to hold the key to happiness
and is a delightful person.
We see Chloe,
Jenna’s elder sister, who appears to be dominant and controlling, but then we
learn her thoughts and see her in a different light. Jenna meets Troy, her
first love, and she begins to think about her life, her decisions, the past,
and the present. Troy himself is battling with his demons and finds it hard to
listen to his heart.
It’s been a while
since I read romances, but I wouldn’t necessarily classify this as one. There
is love, but it’s more in thoughts, in the past, and the words and gestures
rather than two people being impulsive.
The writing is mellow,
a bit slow in the beginning, and picks a little pace a while later. It doesn’t
rush off towards the end but walks at a steady pace.
The book doesn’t
have villains, baddies, or typical mean characters that throw a spanner just
for the sake of it. The character arc of Jenna, from doubting her every action
to become who she was once, a confident and bright woman, was crafted very
well.
Sweet’s secret love
story from her past, her bonding with Sophie, and how the threads tie-up at the
end of the book were heartwarming without being too gooey. I did guess a few
things (no spoilers), but that’s fine. The book isn’t based on the reader
guessing anything.
Jenna has a lot of
thoughts and conflicting emotions. She goes back and forth between past and
present, but she doesn’t ramble. There are no repetitions in the story (except
in one place). There is no information dump, either. We get to know bits and
pieces of who Jenna was and how she let circumstances take away her spark. But
she’s never bitter, sad, yes.
There are times when
one needs to read something positive, hopeful, and sweet that’s not preachy and
overly dramatic. This book fits the bill. The ending isn’t a perfect HEA. We
know there will be issues. But we also know that the characters are now at a
place where they are confident of finding ways to love and be happy.
I wish Troy had a
better arc just as Jenna did. He is almost predictable, and that does cut down
the points a bit. Lake Summers seems like a wonderful place to live, and boy, I
love the use of bluebells in the story.
Overall, it’s a nice
and satisfying book for those looking for something warm and cozy without too
much drama. Isn't the cover super cute?
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and Bookouture.
#TheBluebellGirls #NetGalley
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