I found it difficult to get into this book as it was slow-moving, written in the first person format which is not my favourite choice and it was too dependent on introspection for my taste. It was eloquently and intelligently written, and a food-for-thought type of novel. It reminded me of a school friend when I was a teenager and in a similar situation. She was an only child whose parents were openly devoted to each other. My friend would complain bitterly that she felt a spare part and left out. Indeed, I felt uncomfortable to see her parents nestled up together on the sofa chatting and kissing, oblivious of others. It seemed inappropriate, but then, my parents fought like cat and dog. Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House.

~Reviewed by Monique~~

Flora Mayfield’s life in an English seaside town with her parents, it should have been idyllic, but for her parents themselves, Nico and Zinny. Flora always knew her parents were different – her mother was older than her father, for instance – but the three of them never really seemed like a family; Flora felt like she intrudes on their coupledom. Nico was very nice to her, but not in a fatherly way, while Zinny never felt like a mother should, aloof, indifferent, and Flora sensed that were she to vanish, her parents would not really notice. Flora, always a loner, still managed to live a decent enough life until two events perturbed her, until then, dullish existence.

Sarah Harrison’s wonderfully very British writing style drew me in right away, as did the slightly unsettling atmosphere of the story. Even without reading the blurb, it’s evident that there is a disaster waiting to happen, it’s a matter of what and when. LOVE IN A MIST is told in the first person, from Flora’s point of view, going back and forth between 1968 and 2000, and this is done seamlessly; I never felt jerked around, the period details were perfect, and it shows us the baffling dynamics of the Mayfields through the years. The tension is stronger at the beginning, then somewhat fades into in the background in the middle part, to resurface in the last quarter of the book. LOVE IN A MIST is slow but evenly paced, which is not a criticism – the story could not have been rushed – although I failed to see the purpose of the Easter weekend trip to Paris; it was lovely, but brought very little to the plot. Some episodes, I felt were needlessly long, while they made for interesting reading, took us away from the suspense. Ms. Harrison’s prose is utterly gorgeous, her descriptions luminous and vivid, but readers ought to take into consideration that the spelling and expressions are British; I certainly have no problem with it.

I found the “devastating piece of news” somewhat anticlimactic. I expected something more explosive, given the blurb, and a couple of red herrings. I had guessed part of the “revelation”, and it felt a bit odd, as the story is told in Flora’s voice, that she had no clue. It also occurred very late in the book – at around 70% – and I wondered about the relevance of one character’s backstory, especially since it did not fully explain the character’s behaviour, which seemed contradictory. Some things were left dangling, although it allowed for a rational conclusion to Flora’s story, but the ending left me slightly unsatisfied, especially that the real shocker for me, came in the last two pages. I must add that my favourite character was, by far, “the Prof”. LOVE IN A MIST is a book that is not for everyone; it hovers between women’s fiction and romance with a dash of psychological suspense; it is a different and fascinating reading experience.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Love in a Mist" reads like a memoir - the story of Flora Mayfield and her path to love. Flora tells her story much like you would have a long conversation with a trusted friend, weaving past and present together. We learn her parents' love story, which she seems to put on a pedestal. She tells us of her childhood, her insecurities about her place in her family and her ability to live up to what she feels are impossible standards in a relationship.

This is presented as a romance, but it feels more like a beautiful journey of realization. There are surprises along the way, but what kept me reading was the author's remarkable ability to tell the story and paint the picture. I could see the movie in my mind.

This is an incredible story that may make you cry and will definitely tug at your heart strings and make you smile. I will be looking for other titles by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This title has a publication date of November 1, 2018.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
Love In A Mist was described as a romance, but to me it was so much more than that. I normally don't like romances, but the description of the book interested me enough to try it out and I'm so glad I did.I
Flora, the narrator of the story, lives with her mum Zinny and her dad Nick by the seaside in England. She is a serious child, quite introverted and prone to navel gazing. Her parents, her father much younger than her mother, are deeply in love, to the point where Flora feels she's a gooseberry. We go back and forth between her youth and the present, where she's is loving her job working for Edwin, a mystery author,
There's a part where she describes wanting a dog so badly, but neither parent is enthusiastic. When her father and Flora go for a walk, they meet a dog, who wanders home with them. Flora does everything to be able to keep the dog, unobtrusively training, feeding and walking him. There's no way she's giving up Towser! The conclusion of that part of the story was so emotional for me, as a dog lover, it brought me to tears. There are many chapters that tugged at my heartstrings, it truly is a lovely book and the ending offered answers to many questions in Flora's life, allowing her to live a future with confidence, love and understanding. Again, I couldn't close the book without shedding a few tears, wishing it wasn't over. Highly recommended!