This book is still available to request on NetGalley as of 20th April 2019
As I work my way through my backlist I am forced to think about why I left certain books behind in this list and not gotten to them sooner. This particular book was one of those. It has a simple storyline and is not a very large book! (there is no exact answer to this almost rhetorical question that I ask myself after respectable intervals of time have passed)
The story stems from personal experience by the author as is described in the prologue section. Once you read that part, it adds added flavour to what is to be encountered further in the book. Cath is an average person, working hard to provide for her son. He has recently moved out of the house to attend university but that still leaves her brother living in her house and not very happily. With nudges from well-meaning friends and even her bosses, Cath invests her bonus on a trip, by herself to France. The underlying motivation to try and trace the last days of her great-grandfather as he fought in the war. There is a sincere appreciation by the author and therefore reflected by Cath, for history and the semblance of peace we have in certain parts of the world at this time.
This additional dimension is what gives the story sustenance. There are happier moments, with making new friends and learning to try something new that are peppered into Cath’s trip. Some of it is expected but still fun to read about(like the romantic angle). There are lighter moments and deeper ones, overall making it a pretty good read. I would highly recommend this to readers of the genre.
I received this as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers. The review is not effected by this and is entirely based on my reading experience
Superfluous Reading 