The Blurb
Sophie stopped believing in happy endings a long time ago, but could this love change all of that?
Sophie Winter lives in a self-imposed cocoon - she's a single, 31-year-old translator who works from home in her one-bedroom flat. This isn’t really the life she dreamed of, but then Sophie stopped believing in dreams when she was a teenager and tragedy struck her family.
So, to be safe, she keeps everyone at arm’s length. Sophie understands she has a problem, but recognising it and knowing how to fix it are two entirely different things.One night a serious fire breaks out in the flat below hers. Sophie is trapped in the burning building until a passer-by, Ben, sees her and rescues her.
Suddenly her cocoon is shattered - what will be the consequences of this second life-changing event?My Review
Thank you to the publishers Simon & Schuster for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, but that Dani Atkins knows how to tug at the old heart strings, even of a cynical middle-aged woman like me. She writes about heartbreaking situations with a sensitivity which goes deeper than typical Hollywood saccharine schmaltz. I start reading each of Dani's books with almost a sense of trepidation; I just know she's going to make me cry, and I'm going to enjoy doing so.
The story starts with a dramatic event, introducing the main character, Sophie, right in the midst of the flames. The way Dani describes Sophie's fear is very real, and I found myself holding my breath several times. I was drawn right into Sophie's story, feeling every bit of her grief and reluctance to let anyone get close to her.
Dani's characters are great. Ben, Sophie's random rescuer, is an angel (figuratively - not literally!). He is the perfect leading man; gentle, kind, and perfect for helping Sophie find salvation. The supporting cast is, as usual, excellent. We meet some beautifully written characters, who make us laugh and smile in equal measure, with their own back stories.
There is so much more to this story, but I don't want to spoil it for other readers. Just be prepared to be wrong-footed at every turn and to have your emotions toyed with by this fabulously tormenting author in her latest moving novel.
Never stop making me cry, Dani - you know I love it!
You can buy This Love here *
*Tissues Not Included
About the Author
Dani was born and brought up in Cockfosters - a small London suburb at the end of the Piccadilly Tube Line.
This served her well for commuting into the city, where from the age of 18 she worked in a succession of secretarial positions in companies as diverse as a BMW car dealership to the BBC. Dani spent her two hour commute avidly reading and dreamed that one day she would become an author herself.
When her two children grew up and left home, Dani set about turning this dream into reality and devoted her time to writing. She now lives in a rural Hertfordshire cottage with her husband, a soppy border collie dog and a haughty Siamese cat.
Her first novels FRACTURED (called THEN AND ALWAYS in the US) and THE STORY OF US published in 2014. In January 2016, her third novel, OUR SONG was published. THIS LOVE was published in March 2017.
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