Category: Paige Toon

Synopsis: Attraction is easy… Falling in love can be hard

When Hannah meets Sonny, she’s irresistibly drawn to him: he’s sexy and confident, but only in town on holiday. That’s fine with Hannah – she doesn’t do long-term relationships. And luckily for her, neither does Sonny. But before they can even so much as kiss, Sonny receives some shocking news and commits to making serious life changes – ones that can’t and won’t include romance.

With even a short fling now off the cards, Hannah and Sonny settle for being friends. But as summer hots up and their chemistry shows no signs of cooling, they start to question their reasons for shutting each other out.

Are they both too broken to find love? And if they tear down the walls between them, will they still like what’s on the other side?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I generally really enjoy Paige Toon books and this one was no different, however the subject matter within the storyline was very sensitive but was dealt with incredibly well by the author. Hannah is house sitting for her uncle and also looking after his dog Bertie. She has a job working at the opticians in town which she thoroughly enjoys. However, when she meets Sonny she has instant chemistry with him. However, it becomes clear pretty quickly that both Hannah and Sonny each have their demons to deal with.

The reason behind Hannah’s reluctance for a relationship was very unexpected and was not something I can recall reading in a fictional book before and this made it all the more enjoyable to read about. I don’t want to say too much more for fear of spoling the plot. In addition to Hannah, Sonny is also reluctant to engage in any kind of relationship due to his past. The nice thing about this book is how each character’s past is revealed. It’s done very slowly and with compassion by the author. I felt like this had an overall different feel to other Paige Toon books I have read but it wasn’t any less enjoyable.

What I liked about this story from start to finish was that it really wasn’t very clear what Laura was going to do. It didn’t feel so cut and dried as some books do and you really feel for Laura as she struggles to make the right decision for both her and her marriage. It was very easy to get completely wrapped up in this book and if it’s one you plan to take on holiday, don’t plan to move from your sun lounger for too long. There wasn’t any part of the book that I didn’t enjoy with one small exception. Towards the end when I was still reeling from Laura’s initial decision, another major event takes place. What niggled me was that this happened literally a few chapters from the end and before I knew it I was reading the epilogue. Don’t get me wrong it certainly didn’t spoil the book but I couldn’t help feeling it was a bit rushed.

I know that there were some small references to characters from other books, but I have yet to read some of her older work so wouldn’t have noticed the link as I’m reading her books out of sequence. Overall, I think this was an absolutely brilliant book and would really recommend it to people. When you are making your holiday packing list, don’t forget to include The Longest Holiday at the end!

We see her life move on to the next phase and although I was disappointed that we do not see Joe Alice grows on me and we see her settle into University life with her friends. Some of the other characters we meet are fun and very readable such as Jessie. Before long Alice meets Lukas a German student who is studying at a nearby university. Lukas is a rich boy who sweeps Alice off her feet to a certain degree.

The second half of the book is spent watching Alice move on with her life and what happens to her next. Lukas is not a nice character and I spent half of the time asking myself what Alice was playing at. But as the story continues you can see the predicament she has got herself into and things start to become if not clearer certainly a lot more understandable. As usual with a Paige Toon book she draws you in with her easy writing style and knack of telling a story that is sometimes bittersweet.

The best part of the book for me was without a doubt the ending. Paige Toon has done once again what she managed to do with the book Johnny Be Good, which is leave the reader on a slight cliff-hanger with a big question mark. I can only hope that there is a follow up to this, otherwise it’s an unnecessarily cruel ending for us fans. This book will certainly keep you reading, and at the end you will certainly be left wanting more.

Although the fairytale seems to come true for Meg as she arrives at Johnny’s plush pad in LA, it soon starts to become a little more difficult than she first though. Johnny himself was what you would expect from a rockstar; difficult, impatient and constantly surrounded by booze and women. I can honestly say that although I wasn’t overly keen on Johnny, the story made total and utter sense. Meg is a great girl who is in a position many can only dream of. What makes the story great is the fact that Meg is a normal girl, living and working in an unusual place. Johnny’s best friend Christian is also a main focal point of the story as he is along for the ride whilst writing Johnny’s biography.

There were some funny moments in the book too and I found myself reading quicker and quicker. I loved the fact that you are submerged into the crazy world of Johnny and his ever increasing demands. The story towards the end was looking a little predictable, but that didn’t faze me as that was where I wanted it to go. One thing I was NOT prepared for was the ending, which left me screaming “no” with frustration. Thankfully, for once leaving a book too long has worked in my favour. The follow up to this book entitled “Baby Be Mine” was released a little under two months ago (yay), and has already been ordered!

This certainly wasn’t a challenging book (just how I like it), but the story and characters flowed easily. It is a perfect beach read and I literally cannot wait to read the follow up, I’m just sad that I waited this long to read it!