SHOULD I TELL YOU? – Jill Mansell
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-7282-5253-7
July 5, 2022
Contemporary Fictionn

Lanrock, England – Present Day

Amber Nicholls, Lachlan McCarthy, and Raffaele Wright all ended up in the same foster home and were raised to adulthood by Teddy Penhaligon and his late wife, May. Teddy is on a cruise and calls home to let them know that he’s found himself a girlfriend, Olga, and is bringing her back home. Amber, Lachlan, and Raffaele are afraid that Olga is a gold digger looking to cash in on a wealthy elderly man. They decide to investigate Olga, though nothing comes up to give them ammunition. After Teddy arrives home with Olga, she turns out to be nice to them, yet they still feel suspicious about her. Are they right in feeling that way?

Lachlan is a top-notch chef and owns his own restaurant. Amber does work for him and has watched the women come on to him through the years. While he’s had girlfriends off and on, there is never one who sticks around. As they work on investigating Olga, Lachlan and Amber become closer. Will it lead to something finally happening between them?

Raffaele had a long-time girlfriend, Vee, but she has recently broken off their relationship and refuses to talk to him without becoming angry. He’s baffled at what he can do to get back with her, or if it’s even worth a try.

There are several other characters in SHOULD I TELL YOU?, including Benjie, who has become more than friends with Jo. But after he learns a secret as to why she’s hanging around him, he breaks it off and starts an online friendship with Dani, and things seem to be going well, except he hasn’t met her yet. What about Jo, who remains in the background. She’s sorry for what happened and wants to make amends.

It’s like a community of characters in SHOULD I TELL YOU? by Jill Mansell. The novel mostly focuses on Amber, Lachlan, and Raffaele, though there are other points of view presented. Their shared experiences of growing up without one or two parents have helped them forge a tight relationship. While Amber has looked at Lachlan longingly over the years, he’s never looked her way. Raffaele has built up his barbershop business to one that is doing well, especially after he got national exposure for doing free haircuts for the homeless. But it is Vee who he misses the most in his life. Without her, he feels like he is floundering. Meanwhile, Olga is turning out to be an interesting character. Is she the right choice for Teddy? Or is she taking him to the cleaners? As this tale nears the end, Lachlan, Amber, and Raffaele are surprised at what they learn about Olga.

Given the number of characters and their storylines in SHOULD I TELL YOU?, readers might find navigating this tale a bit confusing. It really wasn’t until midway through that I got a good grasp on who was who. The main plot is finding out if Olga is a gold digger, but that is pushed to the background mostly. It’s all about the characters and the growth they experience. A nice, sweet tale of friends helping each other just like a family would, don’t miss SHOULD I TELL YOU?

Patti Fischer

'Should I Tell You?' starts with 3 adults, Amber, Lachlan and Raffaelle, finding out that Teddy, their foster dad, has a new girlfriend after being a widower for a few years. The 3 siblings find that suspicious and decide to observe this new relationship closely.

The reader is then placed in the lives of these 3 characters and starts to follow each of them separately. The story goes beyond just Amber, Lachlan, and Raff, showing also Peggy, a close family friend, and her son Benjie. In the beginning, I found it a bit confusing to remember which story was which, but as I started to relate to the characters, I got more and more involved in their lives.

I loved this book. It was my first from Jill Mansell, and I really liked her writing style. All stories told in the book were interesting, but the character that captured my heart was Raff. I even teared up in some moments because of him. Should I tell you? is a beautiful book about family, the one we're born with and the one we choose along the way. I highly recommend it.

This is hard to review without spoilers, so I’m going to keep it short. There’s happy ever after all around, but they were totally predictable. I kind of wished there had been at least one storyline with a twist of some sort and there were so many characters to keep up with that it was hard to get completely involved in any one story.
Set in the Cornish coast, Amber, Lachlan and Raffaelle first meet as teens when they’re all fostered by the same big hearted couple, Teddy and May. They formed a strong bond and kept their friendship strong even after they grew up and moved on with truer lives.
Now they’re all successful adults but have mixed results in their personal lives, but they’ve come back together to meet the young Russian girl their former foster father has met and is involved with. In doing so, they face their own issues and try to make sure Olga isn’t taking advantage of Teddy.
I found myself starting to skim a bit with some of the chapters because they were kind of getting bogged down. It wasn’t a bad story by any means but it also wasn’t a super memorable one.
Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell is a cozy, beachy, feel-good piece of fiction highlighting friendship, love, and family in redefined terms. Set on the Cornish coast with its beach front and blue skies, we find three friends who grew up together in trying times and challenging circumstances. There their bonds were formed and stayed strong for years to come.

In this story, we follow these friends’ present day lives, their personal struggles, their celebrations and sorrows, their secret crushes, and relinquishing of certain relationships alongside their attempts to move on.

Should I Tell You? is a slower moving, more character-centered plot with a whole host of side characters with stories of their own. It can be a bit confusing, but in general, this is an easy-to-read, somewhat predictable, but charming, endearing story.

Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell is another home run from this author. I love her writing and this book was no different. This is a perfect summer yet still cozy read! From the very beginning we are drawn into the lives of three friends. While it took some time to get to know all the characters, I love the development of them and their stories while together and yet on their own. This is a great romance and women's fiction all in one!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It drew me in and I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen to everybody in the story. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Should I Tell You by Jill Mansell is a well-written, fast-paced read about a complex family. As predictable as the genre suggests, but there are a few surprises along the way. A nice light read.

This is a cross between women's fiction and romance, but of course, that sounds like they might be the same thing but they are not.

This book primarily follows three friends that met while in a foster home tended by Teddy and May. There are several other characters and couples that bring their own dynamics to the book that make it overall a delightful read and add some depth and variety to the novel.

Teddy and (the late) May brought many children into their home and loved them as if they were their own no matter how long they stayed. That love and affection are what pushed those closest to Teddy to question the new woman in his life whom he met on a cruise. Does she really love him or is she a gold digger? It could go either way based on what we see, but I have to admit Olga is one of a kind. She definitely shakes up everyone's lives but for the better.

Amber, Lachlan, and Raffaele formed a tight bond that still existed many years later. They supported each other through their ups and downs and while they each found their footing in their respective careers - stained glass, chef, and stylist. I appreciated the hard work that they endured for their crafts and that they do not take any of it for granted. They are also there for each other during their various relationships especially Raffaele's relationship with Vee which has gone off the rails but for reasons you may not suspect.

I think the one character that was possibly overshadowed by others is Benjie. He is shy and very much an introvert and I think many would be able to relate to his character. However, with the help of a few of the other characters, he comes out of his shell by the end of the book. It just took him a little more time than some but he really blossoms by the end and I loved seeing him grow.

I can't go without mentioning Moose, an energetic dog that causes a few incidents in the book. But lovable all the same.

Overall, we give this book 4 paws up. It was a relaxing read in a picturesque setting. Plenty of family dynamics to keep the story interesting.

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
This book gives me major Love Actually vibes. Although, same as the movie, it takes a little while to get to know these characters it was such a lovely summer read. It’s always a bit confusing for me to have so many characters, I was happy I stuck with it as it is a super light and quick read. It’s a mix of romantic, parental and friends relationships. In for a feel good read, this is it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Love Actually
Short chapters
Feel Good Read
Quick Read

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥-𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵. 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 - 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦. 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥?

𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘮𝘢. 𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘝𝘦𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 . . . 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺. 𝘐𝘴 𝘝𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘮?

𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘖𝘭𝘨𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦? 𝘖𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘛𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘺'𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵?

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

This is the first book by this author I have read - i don't know how or why, but after reading this book I must rectify that situation as soon as possible.

This is just the sort of story to take on holidays with you. It's warm, funny and sweet without being saccharine or soppy. The characters are well-rounded and interesting, and I was invested in what happened to all of them

Everything comes together beautifully in the end,. though not predictably.

I did find it hard sometimes to follow each storyline - the story jumped between different POVs, which sometimes felt like I had been jolted out of the previous person's POV. I would have liked more of Teddy, who was the reason why Amber, Lachlan and Raffaele are so close. Olga got more focus, and while she was a great character, I felt Teddy was in the background too much.

Having said that, this was an entertaining and heart-warming book and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Brit lit at it's finest!! My first by this author and so glad that she has a fairly decent sized backlist for me to peruse when next I feel the need for a good, heartwarming book. I loved watching all of the various couples fall in love with their partners and was just smiling throughout. Fantastic book!!

Three adult foster children are concerned when their widowed foster father meets a new woman on a cruise. She is much younger than him and they are sure she is a gold digger. The three all have problems of their own but unite in their protection of their foster dad. It turns out Vicky can solve all their problems from love to financial. And she saves one of their lives. A good summer beach read. Set on the Cornish Coast it provides some excitement. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A very good adult friendship bond story. I found this story to be uplifting and comforting.. Will recommend this story to others.

"Should I tell you?" is my first contact with Jill Mansel's writing, and it wasn't disappointing. The author creates such a heartwarming atmosphere around the characters, that the reader gets deeply involved with this beautiful story about family. To be honest, it took me a while to get gripped by the narrative, but once I got, I didn't want to stop reading. In my opinion, there could be more representation. But, in short, it is a lovely book and definitely worthwhile.

Thank you NetGalley, Jill Mansell and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC of Should I Tell You? This is my personal review.
I have read many books by this author and have loved them all. When I saw this one, I knew I wanted to read it.
The book was set in the small town of Lanrock. The story was about so many things that should make a book one I will not forget reading. It had friendship- love and family. The characters for me were scattered and did not connect for me very much. The story line fell between the cracks for me, and I wanted more – I wanted to feel something for the characters. It was just missing that for me.

A story about relationships and family.
The characters are likeable and interesting. Even the one character I thought I was going to hate, ended up being someone I really liked.
If you are looking for a fun romance story to read for the summer, this should be the book you pick up.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In a Nutshell: A fairly complex saga of relationships, mostly of the romantic kind but also including parental and friend connections. As predictable as the genre suggests, but there are a few surprises along the way. A nice light read.

Story Synopsis:
Lachlan is a successful chef and a serial womaniser. Raffaele is a well-known hair dresser who has recently broken up with his dream girlfriend Vee. Amber, a creative stained glass artist, is secretly in love with her best friend but she can’t tell him so for fear of jeopardising their friendship. What ties these three together is not just that they are friends but also that they were raised in the same home as foster children under the loving care of Teddy and May. Now a crisis has brought them together again. May had passed away last year and Teddy seems to have found love in the arms of young, beautiful and too-perfect-to-be-true Olga. How do the trio save their foster dad from the arms of an opportunist while also solving their own personal entanglements?

Jill Mansell is known for her light, easy-on-the-mind-and-heart books. But this book goes overboard on the number of main and somewhat-main characters. If you are the kind to get flustered at too many characters, you better be ready with a notepad (physical or virtual) while reading this book. The main characters are Lachlan, Raffaele and Amber, but the narrative doesn’t focus only on these three. Raffaele’s ex Vee; Lachlan’s patron Peggy, her son Benjie and his love interests; Teddy and Olga; and a few secondary characters such as Dom and Jo also get their fair share of spotlight.

Furthermore, there are about 8 couples who come together or grow apart during the course of the story. (These are just the ones who have a dedicated track in the plot – I have ignored the minor ones.) So you need to remember not just who is who but also who is/was with whom. A go-with-the-flow approach works but you will still end up confused at times. The book would have functioned better if a couple of the subtracks had been taken out. I think it became too ambitious and as a result, focussed more on breadth than depth for its characters.

The story is very easy on the head though. As with almost all stories in this genre, it is fairly predictable. All the stock characters are present – the womaniser, the woman pining in secret for her best friend’s heart, the one still struggling over a bad breakup, the opportunist beauty,… Almost all tracks except for one or two go as expected. Then again, people read this genre more for emotions than for surprises; you get both in this book, that’s a plus.

My favourite part of the book was the focus it gave to foster relationships. The bond between a foster parent and a child, and the feeling of protectiveness that comes with this connection, are nicely depicted. Romance is still the key emotion explored but the foster relationships come a nice second.

Overall, a pretty decent book. Not a mind-blowing experience but definitely not the worst I have read. It has its share of nice and unexpected moments amid the clichés. But I have read a couple of Jill Mansell’s other works and this ranks the least interesting of them all.

If you know this genre, you know what you are going into. It’s a nice, feel-good entertainer that will serve well as a palate cleanser in between intense reads. A one-time read to try without expecting long-term impact.

3.5 stars.

My thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley for the DRC of “Should I Tell You?” This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Jill Mansell writes another enjoyable beach read-treat yourself to it, you will be happy that you did.

This was such a sweet read about 3 individuals' who essentially grew up at some stage or another and have a formidable bond. Amber Nicholls, Lachlan McCarthy, and Raffaele Wright. At some point or another they all lived with Teddy and May and that became their safe-haven. So when Teddy announces he has met someone on a cruise the trio automatically assumes the new woman can't possibly be interested in Teddy she must be a gold digger.

I love the way Mansell tells a story and the way all the characters come together. This is definitely a hit for Mansell.

I've really enjoyed some of Jill Mansell's previous books (I haven't read them all yet) and this one was warm and fluffy like wrapping up in a blanket on a cold winter's night!
The characters were all likeable, but I adored Teddy and Peggy particularly! Peggy's cheekiness and Teddy's kindness really made my heart sing!
This was a fairly predictable read, but why should that be a bad thing? I know what I'm getting with Mansell, and I wanted this. A light read, but a strong theme of family loyalty, even when the characters aren't blood related! Just shows it is possible, and people can still form strong bonds even after real loss of identity.
One of my favourite Mansell reads to date.