Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Jill Mansell

You don't want to miss this delightful read!

Don't Want to Miss a Thing

by Jill Mansell

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (November 5, 2013)
• ISBN-10: 1402283938
• ISBN-13: 978-1402283932

Genre: Romantic Comedy
My Rating 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: November 5, 2013

He knows all about women, or so he thought...

Dexter Yates leads a charmed existence in London, with money, looks, and girlfriends galore. Life's fantastic until Dex's sister dies and his world changes overnight. Astonishing everyone, including himself, Dex leaves the city behind, takes charge of his eight-month-old niece Delphi, moves to a beautiful Cotswolds village, and sets about working on his parenting skills. His neighbors, including cartoonist Molly Hayes, seem friendly enough—but Dex can't shake the notion that he's missing something important.

Review:
Dexter is a charmer who has done well in work and financial investments and has great success with the ladies. His is close with his sister, Laura, and is thrilled when she has a darling little girl, Delphi. But eight months later Laura dies unexpectedly having named Dex to be guardian of the infant girl. Dex may know girls but not infants and he is thrown for a loop.

In shock Dex leaves London and runs to a village where he had looked to purchase a vacation house. Dex recalls that even though many of the town folk were not so warm to an obvious outsider, the next-door neighbor, Molly, was really friendly. Molly is a cartoon artist who worked hard to get a strip that is syndicated and helps her make a living along with money she earns by teaching art classes. She is clearly warm, considerate and an encourager. She listens to Dex’s heartache and his reasons why he can’t raise his niece. She acknowledges those reasons but challenges him pointing out that if he loves Delphi he could be responsible for the child and manage to take care of her.

Dex’s life-style hasn’t exactly set him up to be recommended as a parent choice but he is determined to convince the social workers he can and will change. He decides to move to the village where he is sure he will find help in the better environment for raising a child. When he returns Molly instantly falls in love...with Delphi. But she has to resist falling for Dex too.

Molly apparently is the first woman to reject Dex’s advances but she feels she must out of self-preservation. That doesn’t make it easier to watch him start dating an attractive, outgoing pediatrician, especially since the match seems to please the locals.

As Dex struggles with parenting and Molly tries to protect her heart, there are other family dramas and relationships breaking down and being renewed in the village. Dex and Molly are the primary characters but the secondary characters also enrich the village life and the story.

I found the book delightful, easy to read and hard to put down. Dex may not be the most likeable character as a footloose, easy going playboy but he does have charm and he does mature. Molly is a dear from the get go and you can feel her conflicted passions. Ms. Mansell imbues the characters with natural emotions of doubt, insecurity, reluctance to be rejected, and desire to be loved and find the right person to love. I could feel the angst of the characters and that kept me pulled into the story wanting good things to happen in the end. Which it does and it is a wonderful journey getting there so you don’t miss the important things!

I received this ARC from Sourcebooks for an honest review.

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Book Reviw + ARC Giveaway: Take a Chance On Me by Jill Mansell

Treat yourself to this solidly fun read.  Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansell

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (October 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402237510
• ISBN-13: 978-1402237515

     Genre: Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy
     My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Description:
Even in a small town the drama is larger than life...
Cleo Quinn doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to men, but now Will's come along. Handsome and attentive, he could be her Mr Right. Things are definitely looking up for Cleo... apart from one small problem with a rather large ego. Johnny LaVenture, sculptor extraordinaire and her personal childhood nemesis, is back in Channing's Hill and tormenting her as if he'd never been away.
Meanwhile Cleo's sister Abbie has a problem of her own-husband Tom has become distant and withdrawn, and she's determined to find out why. But will the shocking truth mean the end of their idyllically happy marriage?
The sisters are about to discover that the past can come back to haunt you, and that love can flourish in the unlikeliest of places...

Review:  Cleo is a smart, lively lady in her late 20s. Too bad she hasn’t had the best of luck with men. Now she is dating a really hot guy who might be Mr. Right.  She is glad to be sporting a new beau when she runs into her high school nemesis, Johnny LaVenture, who just moved back into town.  Well she was happy to have a handsome beau until she learns that he isn’t available after all. Bummer.

Johnny is a handsome and hugely successful artist.  Cleo doesn’t really know how to respond to him and his continual teasing. She wants to hate him but of course that isn’t how the heart works.

Cleo works as a chauffeur at a limousine company which gives her some interesting clients. She also has some quirky friends to keep her company at the local gathering pub. Her really good friend, Ash, is a heavy set fellow who is a great funny DJ on the local morning show.  Too bad for Ash that when he gets near a woman he likes, his tongue goes in knots.

Then there is Cleo’s sister, Abbie, and her dear husband, Tom.  They are the perfect couple although it was too bad that they were unable to have children.  Still they have had 20 years of good marriage. Then why does Tom seem to be hiding something?  When Abbie discovers what she thinks is the secret, she loses it and makes a huge mistake.  But the real secret is going to cause some major family problems too.

Now there is a new lady in town, Fia.  That is a bit awkward considering she is Cleo’s new (now ex-) boyfriend’s wife.  Oh what a tangled web and it’s about to become more tangled. Cleo likes Johnny (though she doesn’t want to admit it) and Fia likes Johnny. Ash wants Fia; Georgia (can’t tell you how she comes into the picture but she brings trouble!) wants Ash. When gorgeous Honor shows up to claim Johnny hopes are dashed. Although...it isn’t quite clear who Johnny really wants.

All of this makes for a very light and fun read with great British humor. It is easy reading although I did not fly through it. A good choice when you want some snarky repartee and sweet romance.

Caution: There is some rough language in the book and although there are no actual sex scenes, the attitude towards sex is definitely not prudish.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the book to read and review.

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