An enchanting, standalone, modern rom-com inspired by Jane Austen’s EMMA, about a matchmaking young woman whose heart may be in the right place… some of the time.
Emmeline – Em to her friends – has very little to vex her, except that she hasn’t left her beloved home, Midwynter Hall, in over two years.
But her isolation doesn’t stop her interfering in the lives of others, particularly when it comes to love.
As a romance writer, Emmeline obviously knows what she’s doing, increasingly plotting real-life matches rather than fictional ones.
When best friend Polly gets mixed up with the wrong sort of man, Emmeline has no choice but to swoop to the rescue. And when old family friend Jordi seeks solace after women and work troubles,
Emmeline has the perfect solution. You see, everything she’s written lately – pairing up lovelorn locals – has somehow (maybe magically) come true. So, if she pens a tale about Polly and Jordi despite their many protests, they’ll thank her eventually, once they’re blissfully happy together.
But no one is more surprised than Emmeline when she finds she wants to write herself into the story, especially if someone she cares about may get hurt in the process.
Because as it turns out, believing you’ve never been in love, doesn’t mean you’ve never (unknowingly) given your heart away…
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Lottie Cardew writes uplifting, contemporary romcoms set around the picturesque village of Pebblestow, and is an advocate for diversity in fiction.
Regarded as the bossy one at Novelistas Ink, Lottie often subdues the other members if they misbehave (they don’t really) including the popular authors Trisha Ashley and Sophie Claire. She is a
longstanding member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, scooping their New Writer’s Award in her twenties under a different pen-name. More recently, Lottie also joined the Society of Authors, where as an active participant in the ADCI group (Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses) she interviewed bestselling author Holly Smale in 2021 for the first ever Disability Issue of The Bookseller.
Lottie is diagnosed autistic with suspected ADHD. Her home in North Wales is overrun by husband, not-very-small children, and a ball of fluff masquerading as a Pomeranian, so Lottie frequently takes refuge at her desk.
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My thoughts: this was a fun and sweet rom com, loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma. Emmeline is a former romance novelist, living back at the family seat, Midwynter Hall, with her dad, struggling with agoraphobia and unable to go beyond the gates of her home. The world comes to her in the form of her friend Polly who pops round with the local gossip, and the online writing group she’s joined, led by childhood pal Jordi, as well as visits from her mum.
When Jordi’s life falls apart and he comes to stay in the gatehouse, Em sees a chance to matchmake her two best friends. Only Polly’s got a casual thing going with a hunky gardener and Jordi seems to prefer someone else. Could Em be a bit oblivious to what’s staring her in the face? And could it be time to get some help with her condition?
As the friends hang out in the summer sunshine, and Em gets a few home truths, will there be romance and a potential new project to keep her busy? Charming and enjoyable, this is a gentle and heartwarming story.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 