I liked the main characters and enjoyed the story line once I allowed myself to suspend reality because there is no way this would ever happen.

If this would’ve been your typical roommate trope I would’ve liked it more, but I can’t just get past the absurdity of the storyline.

You know, I just don't think this book was for me!! 2 stars.

I thought the chemistry between the two leads wasn't as strong as I would like, and the premise threw me for a loop and never let me go. There is... no way that man was that trusting. Like he doesn't know her! To let her live in his house.

It was the adding her to the insurance after maybe two weeks that made me realize that this was bonkers.

But also - I listened to a lot of the audiobook and it was delightful for this season. I liked that the narrator really lend into the cozy and lovely.

But it made it very slow, so when I switched to the e-book, I flew through it, and realized very clearly that the chemistry was off. But overall, it was cute. But not for me!

Thanks to Dell and NetGalley for an early copy for a chance to read and review.

Thank you NetGalley, Jackie Fraser & Random House Publishing Group for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last! Even though this was a little more of a slowburn than I normally go for, I really enjoyed this plot point and loved the characters and their love story! Cannot wait to check out this authors first book!

Solid 4 star read for me!

Jess is trying to flee from an abusive relationship and she takes only what she needs to survive. She has little money and finds a newly sold, but unoccupied home that she is using as shelter. Until one morning she hears a man entering the home.

Gethin is also recently out of a relationship and he bought this fixer upper in his hometown. He’s going to renovate before he moves in, when he meets Jess. Rather than shoo her away, he offers her a place to stay if she helps with the renovation. She has an eye for decorating and helps peel old wallpaper at night.

They are both skeptical, but they work together well and find they have a lot in common such as music and a punk rock, pink hair phase in their youth. After saving money, and getting a better job, Jess is able to pay rent to Gethin just as he’s ready to move in. Everyone assumes they are dating- maybe they should try it?

This book definitely has some problems, but I found the romance to be very sweet and genuine. Both Jess and Gethin have some insecurities they are working through, but each other understands that. Jess is just out of an abusive relationship and just seems too trusting for her dire situation. It’s also hard to believe that she doesn’t have any friends or family that would have housed her?

Thank you @penguinrandonhouse for my gifted ebook. The Beginning of Everything is out now.

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Jess is squatting in a recently sold but unoccupied home, after escaping an abusive relationship. When Gethin finds her there, he allows her to stay and she begins to help him remodel the house. It sounds far fetched, but it works, and soon we are cheering for a developing relationship, even though Jess feels unworthy. I liked the novel, particularly Jess’ growth, as well as Gethin’s kindness. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

** Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC and chance to read and review **

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slow burn
TW: domestic violence

Synopsis:

Not your typical love story and set in Whales, Jess has become homeless. She finds an unoccupied home and begins staying there, but then Gethin, the new owner of the home, finds Jess living there. He agrees to let her stay in exchange for help fixing up the house. As Jess becomes his roommate and a friendship develops, so do their feelings for each other.

Review:
Very quick, adorable read! I did feel that there were a few parts that were dull, but they had such good chemistry it still gave you all the feels! Since they are in their 40s, I think this gave the characters great depth and they both had good character development!

I thought THE BOOKSHOP OF SECOND CHANCES was charming and smart and I equally enjoyed my read of Fraser's latest, THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING.

I really like the author's writing style, and while this book had mostly minimal plot/character-focused vibes, I love the slow build, the gradual tension, and the lens on character growth and interaction. And I also find it really refreshing how Fraser writes about closer-to-middle-aged characters -- they deal with a different set of emotions, life situations, and challenges then we read about in a lot of books, and I like that we get to see these characters struggle, grow, and find love.

I thought this was a unique and lovely read, and I can't wait to read more of Fraser's writing.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the e-book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING is out now.

I usually do pretty well ignoring unrealistic plot lines in romance and women’s fic, but this was tough, even for me. Jess seemed wayyyyyy too trusting for what she has gone through. I thought Gethin was a cutie, but I wish I saw more chemistry between them. The book ended up feeling like it was going on forever and, quite frankly, I got bored. It was full of emotion, though, and I did like seeing Jess grow and find happiness.

3⭐️

Jess is running away from a violent and frightening relationship. She has bought a tent to sleep in and cuts all ties with her past so her boyfriend can’t find her. She goes to Wales where she discovers an empty house that has recently been sold. She counts her lucky stars and moves in until the new owner arrives, however long that will be. That new owner is Gethin and he has returned to his home town in Wales after exiting a disappointing relationship and where he unwittingly finds himself in the role of landlord.

Gethin and Jess become friends and roommates but you know that things can’t exist forever as friends and roommates. This quiet tale explores the value of friendship in a potential love affair - a delicious beach read. Thanks NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy, a pleasure.

Another terrific book by Jackie Fraser. I loved her first one, Bookshop of Second Chances. I really enjoyed this one as well. The Beginning of Everything is a bit of a slow burn so no insta love here. It is about two people who have been hurt in the past who are trying to start over.

Jess has recently escaped from an abusive ex-boyfriend and Gethin is recovering the breakup of his marriage and death of his brother. When Gethin finds Jess living in the house he is planning to move into, he shows her a great kindness and allows her to stay in exchange for helping to fix up the house. From their the relationship slowly develops.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Looking forward to Jackie Fraser's next book!

Jess has escaped a bad relationship and is sleeping wherever she can. She ends up in a house owned by Gethin, who finds her there one day when he returns to his hometown to renovate the house. He offers to let her stay if she helps renovate. They form a friendship and eventually an attraction. Can Jess open herself up after being hurt?

I absolutely loved Fraser's The Bookshop of Second Chances. I hoped that I would feel the same about this book. I did not. I read the entire book, but it moved slowly at times for me. I skimmed a lot so that I could read through the dialogue and see what was happening with Jess and Gethin, his family, etc. It was a strong plot and I wanted to see how it ended. I just could not get myself wrapped up in the pages. This could have been simply me and when I chose to read the book. I would recommend others to try and give it a read.

I hate to say it don't let the cute cover fool you. This isn't really a rom com. And the character's aren't really that likable. And the chemistry is not existent. I know it's fiction but a lot of things that happened don't seem to be that believable. After reading the debut I wanted to give her writing a second chance. Turns out it's her writing style that I don't mesh with.

This was a very unique friends-to-lovers novel—with an appealing protagonist and a completely endearing love interest.

Jess Cavendish is running away from an abusive relationship and living where she can, and sometimes that means she is sleeping outside in a tent. Then she finds an abandoned house in Wales and moves in. But the house has been recently sold to Gethin Thomas, who is recovering from the end of a long relationship. They meet, and suprirsingly, Gethin asks Jess to stay and earn her keep by helping with the restoration and renovation of the house.

As they become closer, and Jess slowly recovers from her trauma, Gethin and Jess start to develop feelings for each other, which forces Jess to face her traumatic past and figure out how to move forward, while healing.

This was a sensitive treatment of abuse and trauma, and how one can move forward in a healthy and realistic way to start again. On a lighter side, I also loved their discussions about 90s alternative British pop and their living room dance parties. So adorable.

I would very much recommend this.

Jess Cavendish is running away from her current situation with only what she can carry on her back. She stumbles upon a house that’s been sold but no one has taken possession yet. She decides to hideout there for a bit.
Gethin Thomas recently left a long-term relationship and needs a fresh start. He’s going to remodel the home he just bought and transform his life as well as the property.
Jess and Gethin meet one day and he offers her a deal she can’t refuse. As they team up to renovate the home they cultivate a friendship and domestic routine they both find comforting. As they work to repair the home, can they repair their hearts as well?
I enjoyed this book. A cozy friend to love story read. I enjoyed both of the main characters and their supporting characters. A perfect read to warm you up as the colder months approach.

Summary
Jess has run off to Wales to escape a bad relationship. With little money and no where to go, she starts off camping in a cementary. When she realizes a house nearby has been empty, appearing abandoned, Jess manages to break in and stay there. One morning, a man arrives and spots Jess before she can run off. When she returns, there is a note from him, asking her to speak with him and he ultimately allows her to stay while he renovates if she helps out. When the house is ready the owner, Gethin, convinces Jess to stay as his roommate. They build a friendship over the months living together. Despite the growing attraction between the two, Jess isn't sure she is capable of being in a relationship after her last one messed her up so much.

Review
Ugh, I wanted to love this one. A romance with people in their mid-40s, having scars from relationships past. It had so much promise to me. Unfortunately, it just fell flat. The book was slow. It felt like a lot of 'telling'. I don't feel like we built any true connection to Jess or Gethin and I don't understand their connection or attraction. They both felt incredibly immature, so for them both to be over 45, was hard to believe. They felt like teenagers with their poor communication.

I enjoyed this sweet and cozy friends-to-lovers contemporary romance.

It is intriguing because it starts with two characters that meet in a unique way - Gethin is perfect throughout, he seems too good to be true and it takes Jess a while to come around.I liked the way their relationship slowly develops from strangers who meet in interesting circumstances to the poignant ending.

I also liked that the characters were middle-aged and still get their romance and HEA this is a very much slow burn romance

The writing was cozy and homey if that could be called a style. I was very comfortable with this story throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I quite enjoyed this sweet and unexpected friends-to-lovers romance, the cinnamon roll hero, insecure heroine, and setting of west Wales. It was a bit too slow burn for my taste but also very wholesome.

Fans of Fraser’s first novel, The Bookshop of Second Chances, will be delighted to read her new novel. This title may also bring the author new fans.

As the story opens, Jess has fallen on hard times and not for the first time. She is camping out in a cemetery as she has no home. Things look up when she happens on an empty house and uses her lock picking skills to get inside. Jess decides to squat in this home. She hopes that she will find a job, start a new life, and leave her most recent abusive relationship firmly in the past.

One day, Jess is wakened by someone in her (not really hers, of course), new digs. In a surprising twist, rather than being thrown out, Jess is allowed to stay. In return, she will help with the renovations (they are many) that are needed.

Gethin has his own history of a broken heart and, he, too, is vulnerable. What will happen to these two somewhat broken souls? Will they find their happily ever after? Readers will hope so as they wish for good things for these appealing protagonists.

Recommended to those who enjoy women’s fiction and romance.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

The Beginning of Everything is a story of self-discovery and starting over. Jess has found herself running from a past of unpleasant relationships when she unsuspectedly finds herself squatting in Gethin's newly purchased home. Gethin himself is also trying to move on from a failed relationship. Gethin and Jess coexist and slowly evolve into each other's most important person.

This was a sweet story, I would recommend to anyone looking for a story about new beginnings.

Thank you Jackie, Dell, Random House, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!!

this was such a sweet book to read, it was truly so heartwarming. the beginning also provided some stellar fall vibes, perfect for this time of year!

the book centers around jess, a middle aged woman who is starting her life all over. while roughing it, she comes across a newly sold, unoccupied house to stay in for a while, until she comes face to face with the owner. Gethin is also looking to start a new phase of his life after leaving a long-term relationship. He allows Jess to stay at his house in exchange for her help renovating it. As they get to know each other, a little spark starts to grow!

First off, I must say the style of this book was extremely unique. It felt as if I was reading diary entries being written as the Jess is experiencing everything happen. It really made this story come to life. I also loved how unapologetically UK feeling this book was. I haven’t read many books recently that aren’t based in the US so having a new setting was quite refreshing as well as seeing the way the two MCs talk as if I can hear the way they speak in my head.

Overall, a lovely story about new beginnings! I would really recommend it :) please note that the book does touch on domestic violence though