Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering. What can I say other than I loved it and read in one day. Happily Ever After is a Gothic-inspired mystery with a slow-burn romance that picks up pace towards the end. It is laugh-out-loud funny in several places and who doesn’t love a neglected mansion for a setting.

I found the characters to be well developed and the Siamese cat clinched it for me even though he was stinky … The Master

I will definitely read other books by this author. I can’t wait to pick up the authors next book!

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Boldwood Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, I felt like it all fell a bit flat for me. It wasn't executed in a way that kept me hooked and wanting more.
I also was very confused by the formatting of the book, as far as the way dialogue was set up. It made it a bit of a difficult read if I'm being honest.

I have read several of this author's books in the past, but it was a long time ago 2011/2012. Somehow I have missed out on her more recent publications until now.

'Happily Ever After' has a dreamy heroine, Andromeda who believes that real life is like the books she read during her unconventional upbringing. While cataloguing the vast neglected library in an old and crumbling mansion, she soon learns that real life is somewhat less predictable.

The setting and the characters are all well developed with the story having twists and turns to hold the readers interest. Clever touch is each chapter having a literary reference as a title heading. If you enjoy contemporary fiction with a touch of romance and humour this is a very readable example of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Jane Lovering for the opportunity to read and review.

Andi is hired for job cataloguing the contents of a huge library in an ancient home occupied by Lady Tanith and her son Hugo. Lady Tanith is unusual and she really wants to find something that she's sure is hidden in the library but cataloguing the contents is a useful side effect.

Hugo is the second of two sons, but he's the heir to the estate. He's quiet and shy and wants nothing to than to inherit and move on with his life.

There is a cat, which Lady Tanith thinks is the reincarnation of her one true love. The object of her love is found in a giant portrait that hangs in the library and he was Lady Tanith's long-deceased father-in-law. There is also a cook/housekeeper who has her own quirks and nasty disposition. And a strange gardener who forms an unlikely friendship with Andi.

There are some interesting twists in the story. Things I'd never expect in a million years. And some laugh out loud funny events. Obviously not what I expected, but I enjoyed the quirks in the book.

Andi Glover grew up traveling across the country with her hippie parents in a camper van. Her sister escaped the life as soon as she could to attend boarding school, but Andi never got that chance, learning only from her beloved books. Now her only chance at living a normal life on her own lies in Templewood Hall, where she gets a live-in job cataloging its vast and chaotic library. Dreaming that it will become like one of her Gothic novels and the lord of the manor will fall madly in love with her, Andi never expected the uniquely strange cast of characters in this spooky neglected home. Life is definitely stranger than fiction!
Part Gothic mystery, part clean romance, all slow build. There were definitely a lot of strange twists I never expected and fun dry humor. I really loved Jay with his bashful attraction and quirky personality. Andi was a bit whiny at first and resentful of her sister and it was great to see her grow throughout the story. Overall a good story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc! Finally finished it and the publication date was on the 17th February. This was my first book from this author and I have to say that it was not my favourite. I didn't really like the writing style and I got bored halfway through so I had to push through to finish it. It had its moments but it was not for me.

Everything Andi Glover knows she learned from books. After an unconventional upbringing, she isn't really equipped to live life independently in the real world but she definitely doesn't want to go back to living in a converted bus, or living with her sister who manages to have a normal life.

When she gets a job working in the library of a stately home cataloguing books, she knows exactly how life should go. She will meet the single and available heir, he will sweep her off her feet and fall desperately in love with her, they will marry, have beautiful children and live happily ever after. That's what happens in every gothic romance right? Except.....that's not how it unfolds

Andi has been asked to catalogue all the books in the library at Templewood Hall, currently haphazardly piled up everywhere. Really, what she is being asked to do by Lady Tanith Dawe is to secretly find the missing diaries of Sir Oswald, a famous author who Lady Tanith says she was the muse for, even though she later married his son. Accompanying Andi most of the time is a cat known only as The Master, and he needs to be treated accordingly. Also in the house is Hugo, who is the second son but who is now heir to all he surveys after his older brother, Jasper, forfeited his inheritance. Throw in a very grumpy housekeeper and a very rude gardener and the cast is complete.

There were a lot of things to like about this book. For example, I loved that each chapter had the name of a famous house from literature in it. For example, the first chapter is called Manderley and then we had Northanger Abbey and Bag End (from The Hobbit) as well as many others. I did like how Andi's story progressed and where she ended up, but I did think it took Andi a bit long to find the diaries and everything was all a bit drawn out and convoluted.

This is my third Jane Lovering book. Last year I read and loved The Start of the Story by Jane Lovering (my review). If I was going to recommend anywhere to start with this author I would still start there, but this was a bit of fun and worth reading.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Andi Glover loves nothing more than a good book.

Any book in fact because when you’re raised by unconventional parents who think school’s for squares, alongside a deeply conventional sister who escapes home as soon as she can, fiction is eminently preferable to reality.

The only problem is that fiction isn’t the best way to learn about the real world. When Andi starts her new live-in job at Templewood Hall for the eccentric Lady Dawe and her enigmatic son Hugo, it’s tempting to think she’s fallen into the pages of one of her favourite gothic novels.

But the plot twists at Templewood Hall are stranger than fiction and it’s not long before Andi questions if she’s living in a romance novel or a whodunnit. Bumps in the night, a missing heir, ghostly apparitions and secrets that have been kept for generations - the mysteries mount up. Then there's the inscrutable gardener who seems to appear when needed - is Andi right to hope for a happily-ever-after end to her story?

My Opinion

Andi gets a great job for a booklover. I really enjoying reading books by Jane Lovering so I am always on the lookout for upcoming releases – this one was another great addition to Jane’s catalogue. At less than 300 pages, this was a relatively quick read but there is an awful lot going on. A great read.

Rating 4/5

I thought this was such a unique story! I wasn’t at all expecting it to go in the directions that it did, and I loved being surprised by each twist and turn in the journey at this manor.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Jane Lovering’s Happily Ever After had all the makings of a book I’d adore—quirky heroine, gothic estate, mysterious happenings, and a slow-burning romance. And while it delivered on humor and charm, the story didn’t quite sweep me off my feet the way I’d hoped.

Andi Glover is a bookish, somewhat naïve woman who takes a live-in job at Templewood Hall, an eccentric estate that feels straight out of one of her beloved gothic novels. With a formidable Lady Dawe, her aloof son Hugo, and a brooding gardener who appears at the most opportune moments, the setup had me eager for romance and intrigue. And intrigue, there was! Hidden diaries, family secrets, ghostly disturbances—this book leans into its gothic influences while maintaining Lovering’s signature wit.

The humor was delightful, and Andi’s inner monologue often had me smiling. But at times, the novel felt like it was straddling two genres—romantic comedy and mystery—without fully committing to either. The pacing dragged in places, and some of the twists, while entertaining, lacked the emotional impact I was craving. The romance, too, felt a bit underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more depth between Andi and her love interest.

That said, the writing is sharp, the atmosphere is well-crafted, and there are plenty of enjoyable moments. If you love books that blend humor, romance, and a touch of mystery, this might be a fun read for you!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

🎀 𝒫𝓁💞𝓉 🎀 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇᴅᴀ , ᴏʜ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴡᴇ ʀᴇꜰᴇʀ ʜᴇʀ ᴀꜱ “ᴀɴᴅɪ” ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀꜱ ɢʀᴏᴡɴ ᴜᴘ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ꜱʜᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ. ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴀʟʟ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ. ᴀʟʟ ꜱʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅᴏ ɪꜱ ᴅɪᴘ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴄɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄɪᴛʏ. ᴀʟʟ ꜱʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ 📚.ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ꜱʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ɪɴᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇᴛꜱ ᴀ ᴊᴏʙ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴛᴀʟᴏɢ ᴀɴ ᴏʟᴅ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ʟᴀᴅʏ ᴛᴀɴɪᴛʜ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀɪᴀɴ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʟᴏᴏᴋꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʀʟʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʀᴇʙᴇᴄᴄᴀ (ɪꜰʏᴋʏᴋ 😬). ꜱʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ɪᴛꜱ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴏʀ #ᴠᴀɴʟɪꜰᴇ #ꜰʀᴇᴇᴅᴏᴍ #ʙʟᴏᴏᴅʏᴘᴇᴇɪɴɢɪɴᴀʙᴜᴄᴋᴇᴛᴀɴᴅꜱʟᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢᴏɴᴀʀᴏʟʟᴏᴜᴛᴍᴀᴛᴛʀᴇꜱꜱᴏɴᴀᴛᴀʙʟᴇᴛᴏᴘ.ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ɢʀᴇᴇᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀʀᴅᴇɴᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅꜱ ʜᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱʜᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋꜱ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ꜰᴀʟʟᴇɴ ꜱᴛʀᴀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴇᴘʜᴀɴ ᴋɪɴɢ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ.
ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴜɴꜰᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʀᴇ.

🎀 𝑀𝓎 𝓉𝒽💞𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈 🎀 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴢʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ🥰. ɪᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇʟʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴀɴᴅɪ , ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ʟᴀᴜɢʜ ᴏᴜᴛ ʟᴏᴜᴅ🤣. ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴊᴀʏ ᴛᴏᴏ🥹😍 ꜱᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴄᴜᴛɪᴇ ʜᴇ ɪꜱ. ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴍɪx ᴏꜰ ʜᴜᴍᴏᴜʀ , ꜱᴘʀɪɴᴋʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ. ɪᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴜ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪꜱ “ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀɪɴʙᴏᴡꜱ”. ᴍʏ ɴᴇᴡ ꜰᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ʙᴏɴᴋᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴜɢɢᴇʀ ᴍᴇ 😂. ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀᴀᴘ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ᴀ ʀᴜɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴄᴏᴀ ᴏʀ ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ɪᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴀᴛ ᴏʀ ᴀ ᴅᴏɢ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴜʀʟ ᴜᴘ ᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴇᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛꜱ ᴀ ʙʀᴏᴡɴɪᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀ ꜱɪᴀᴍᴇꜱᴇ ᴄᴀᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴀʀᴅɪɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ “ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ” ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜱ ꜱᴛᴜᴄᴋ ʙʏ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱɪᴅᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀꜱ ᴏɴ ɪᴛ😂.
#HappilyEverAfter#Netgalley

Is it possible to read too many books? A strange question for a book blogger to ask and, before I read Happily Ever After, I’d have said absolutely not. But Andi Glover isn’t a normal reader. Brought up by unconventional parents, she has never lived in a house or been to school. Instead, she has travelled around in a converted bus in a nomadic lifestyle and has learnt about life from reading novels. This hasn’t necessarily given her the most grounded approach to life and she often lets her imagination take over. Which may have not been a problem before she ended up at Templewood Hall, inhabited by the eccentric Lady Tanith, her secretive son Hugo and possibly a plethora of ghosts. The most down-to-earth creature in the house is a cat. Andi starts to feel like she might be living in her own Gothic romance novel and lets her literary tendencies take over…

This book is a quirky wild ride through the mind of a hopeless book addict who finds herself surrounded by the cast of one of her books and isn’t really equipped to deal with it. She wants her life to be like a novel, but the characters won’t play ball and the plot isn’t linear and obliging. What do you do when the world isn’t parcelled up into neat chapters and a happy ending isn’t guaranteed? Andi is too quick to jump to conclusions and assume that tropes are a fact of life and it makes things extremely complicated until she meets someone who can pull her back down to earth.

This book is a clever idea which takes a romp through the plots of some of the greatest literary romances ever written, but shows us how we need to learn to separate fact from fiction and keep a firm grip on our sanity when other people seem to be spiralling into madness. The real world isn’t always fun but it is where we have to live, for better or worse.

The book is populated by a small but mighty cast of bonkers characters, particularly Lady Tanith, who is the epitome of rewriting history to suit your own narrative, and the truly appalling housekeeper who is firmly cast in the mould of all sinister literary housekeepers through the ages. Even the house itself is alive with all the gothic nightmares that fiction has given us through the decades. By the end I would not have been surprised if Dracula himself had been found stalking the grounds.

A romantic comedy for anyone who has ever fancied herself the heroine in her favourite literary novel and is in need of a sharp wakeup call. Tremendous fun and I continue to be in awe of Jane Lovering’s skills and imagination.

Two and a half stars.

The blurb:
Andi Glover loves nothing more than a good book.

Any book in fact because when you’re raised by unconventional parents who think school’s for squares, alongside a deeply conventional sister who escapes home as soon as she can, fiction is eminently preferable to reality.

The only problem is that fiction isn’t the best way to learn about the real world. When Andi starts her new live-in job at Templewood Hall for the eccentric Lady Dawe and her enigmatic son Hugo, it’s tempting to think she’s fallen into the pages of one of her favourite gothic novels.

But the plot twists at Templewood Hall are stranger than fiction and it’s not long before Andi questions if she’s living in a romance novel or a whodunnit.


I rarely use the blurb for books - because that's not a review - but in this case I felt it was the only option. This book vaguely reminded me of Northanger Abbey, a naïve young woman with a vivid imagination goes to stay in a stately home and lets it run riot. The trouble is, all of the characters are eccentric, Lady Dawe who is in love with her late father-in-law, her mysterious elder son Jasper who renounced his inheritance, the skittish younger son Hugo, the surly cleaning lady/cook Mrs Compton, and the vaguely threatening gardener. Don't even get me started on the cat ('the Master') who appears to be the only sane creature there. This really is a case of throwing the kitchen sink at a plot with almost every conceivable protected characteristic (if I can put it that way) thrown in. Yes there was some misdirection but also some of it was blindingly obvious to this reader from an early stage.

I've got to say I think I preferred Jane Lovering's earlier novels, I have been underwhelmed by her most recent novels. Maybe I should stop requesting them and accept we have moved in different directions.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

In Happily Ever After, Jane Lovering delivers a delightful and intriguing blend of gothic mystery, romance, and the kind of introspective storytelling that leaves you both entertained and reflective. Andi Glover, the book’s endearing protagonist, is a book lover with an unconventional upbringing—raised by parents who think formal education is overrated and constantly at odds with her more conventional sister. Andi’s world is one of fiction, where she’s far more comfortable getting lost in novels than navigating the unpredictability of the real world.

Her new live-in job as a caretaker at the atmospheric and mysterious Templewood Hall seems like the perfect setting for a novel—and Andi, who’s long used to viewing life through the lens of her favorite books, quickly starts to see the mansion as a page out of a gothic romance. Templewood is filled with strange occurrences—ghostly whispers, a missing heir, and an air of mystery that would make any fiction enthusiast swoon. Add to that Lady Dawe, the eccentric matriarch, and her enigmatic son Hugo, and Andi’s new life starts to feel like something plucked straight from the pages of a classic novel.

As Andi navigates the eerie, haunted halls of Templewood, she discovers that life can be far stranger than the fiction she’s grown so fond of. Secrets buried for generations, ghostly apparitions, and bumps in the night have her questioning if she’s caught in the plot of a romance novel or perhaps a twisty whodunnit. With all the mystery swirling around her, Andi also finds herself captivated by the inscrutable gardener, a man who seems to appear just when needed and whose presence might hold the key to her own version of a "happily ever after."

What Jane Lovering excels at in Happily Ever After is the perfect balance of lighthearted charm and deeper emotional insight. Andi’s journey of self-discovery as she faces the contrast between her bookish idealism and the messy reality of life is both funny and poignant. While the plot does lean into some familiar gothic tropes—mysterious estates, hidden family secrets, and spectral hauntings—it’s the emotional journey and Andi’s personal growth that elevate the story beyond just a fun mystery. Lovering is excellent at weaving humor and romance into a narrative that remains engaging without ever becoming overly formulaic.

The slow-building tension between Andi and the gardener adds a welcome touch of romance to the book, and readers will find themselves rooting for the pair as they navigate the ups and downs of what feels like an almost too-perfect fairytale. The chemistry between them provides just the right amount of intrigue, and the subtle hints of romance that emerge amidst the twists and turns will leave readers hoping for a satisfying "happily ever after" conclusion.

While some of the plot twists may feel predictable to readers who enjoy gothic mysteries, the book’s charm lies in the journey rather than the destination. The narrative is not just about uncovering the secrets of Templewood, but about Andi’s growing understanding of herself, her place in the world, and the realization that real life, with all its messiness, can still be just as rewarding—if not more so—than the neatly wrapped endings in her beloved novels.

Happily Ever After is a heartwarming, entertaining, and occasionally suspenseful story that will appeal to fans of romantic mysteries and those who love a book with a touch of magic and mystery. Jane Lovering has crafted a charming tale full of wit, wisdom, and just the right amount of intrigue, making it a perfect read for anyone seeking a little escape—and perhaps a happy ending of their own.

This was so cutie! I really liked the two main characters too 💕 the cover is what drew me to this book as it is adorable🥹

Happily Ever After is the third book I've read from Lovering. It was the perfect book for someone who is an avid reader like myself, as it's all about books and a reader called Andi!

I found the book flowed at a moderate pace with the romance taking a back seat, simmering away in the background. The story kept me entertained and I loved the mystery and intrigue the plot threw up.

It has a great cast of characters, main and supporting with the Master being my favourite. Such a distinguished...cat!

Templewood Hall was the perfect backdrop for the story. It was full of gothicky goodness and even had its own library! Perfect!

A thoroughly enjoyable read, amusing and entertaining.

This book has an unusual plot with unexpected twists and turns, and an interesting cast of characters. It started a bit slow, but it picked up and was really enjoyable. However, I found the ending a bit abrupt. I would have liked to read an epilogue, like a year or so later. :)

Andi Glover was raised by very unconventional parents who lived in a bus and moved from town to town. Andi’s schooling was bare minimal while her sister begged to be sent away to boarding school. Now, Andi’s parents have their own TV special and they are away in Canada filming shows. Rather than live with her domineering sister, Andi has responded to a job for someone to catalog their library.

Arriving at a rather rundown mansion called Templewood Hall, Andi meets Lady Tanith Dawe. The woman is haughty but her son, Hugo, is quite nice and welcoming. Tanith is mourning the loss of Hugo’s grandfather whom she dearly loved. Her big task for Andi is to find the man’s missing diaries that she feels are hidden somewhere in the library.

Andi soon finds the dusty books a nightmare but the family cat has taken a liking to her. Hugo has told her that the place is also haunted. Then there is Mrs. Compton, the housekeeper who has been with the family for years. With the dust and constant mess, it’s obvious the woman doesn’t do much. Even the Gardner she meets seems different. So, her work is cut out for her.

The characters are well written which makes the reader really get into the story that is full of quirkiness. Do check this one out and enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

One of the weirdest books based off book themes that I’ve read. I’ve never read the classics mentioned in here but for a rom-com, this book will have you laughing where you least expect it. A magnificent cast of characters that will fit nowhere yet everywhere. The plot will have you feeling like you should peak around corners. Watch out for The Master…this is a must read if you love humorous romance.

Something a little different from one of my favourite authors – that’s certainly not the first time I’ve said that, and it’s one of the (many) reasons I love her books. This time there’s a particularly Gothic vibe, a theme that real life can be rather less predictable than books would have you believe, an intriguing mystery, a very slow-burn but authentic-feeling romance – and bags of fun and laughs aplenty throughout.

Living at Templewood Hall and cataloguing Lady Dawe’s neglected library could just have been Andi’s dream job. Her upbringing was rather unconventional (her sister made a stand and walked away, while young Andromeda – her name an indication of her parents’ hippy-dippiness – was happy just to take refuge in the world of books): and life in the converted bus, her parents on another extended jaunt, was just starting to get a bit uncomfortable. And there’s always a chance she might find romance with gorgeous Hugo, the heir to the estate, and live happily ever after as the heroines in the books she loves so often do – but although he’s friendly enough, that looks increasingly unlikely. And she really hadn’t reckoned on her ladyship being such an unstable presence (and demanding employer), the freezing cold, the housekeeper from hell, the starvation diet, the things that go bump in the night, the stinky cat insistent on sharing her bed (but what a great character!) – or the real reason for her employment, a quest that looks increasingly impossible, until it becomes even more difficult. Although she might just find the romance she was hoping for – but not quite where she expected to find it.

The story is frequently laugh-out-loud funny – but not without those touches of particular poignancy the author always does so well. The setting of the neglected mansion is just wonderful, and the character development is excellent too. Andi really is rather less than likeable at first (I worried a little… although I loved her distinctive voice, quirky take on life, and dry humour), but the way she tackles the many challenges in her path see her growing, taking chances, and becoming increasingly sympathetic. But every single character is really well-drawn, and I very much enjoyed the unpredictable twists and turns of the story: the pacing is just right, and the story’s ending is pitch perfect with the real possibility of a happy ever after, but that’s only after an unexpected touch of particularly well-written drama. The literary chapter headings were a nice touch too. And I really must mention again that smelly but wonderfully characterful cat, The Master – I just loved his every intervention, especially when it actually seemed he was very much in Andi’s corner.

This book, I’ll admit, certainly wasn’t quite what I expected it to be – but I also think that’s also why I so thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s different, it’s quirky, it’s as beautifully written as always, with lots of warmth, and it’s tremendous fun – I’d highly recommend you give it a try.