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ljwrites85's review
4.0
Callie is happy with her life. She works as a carer at Bayview Nursing Home which she loves apart from one thing, her boss, Denise or as she calls her The She-Devil. She also thinks she’s found her perfect man in Tony who at forty five is old enough to be her dad. At almost a year together he’s last longer than all of her other relationships. But the cracks in her relationship start to show when a resident called Ruby says she knows Tony from somewhere and she is caught in a comprising position by the hunky new gardener Mikey. What is Tony hiding?
So I’ve decided to dip my toe back into a bit of romantic comedy, to have little break from all the murder and bloodshed I’ve been reading lately.
I read this lovely novella in just one day, I didn’t want to stop (happily there are three subsequent books, one of which I will be reading soon, Searching for Steven).
From the cover I was kind of expecting a bit of light-hearted fluff but this story goes so much deeper than that! The characters are complex and flawed, with a compelling storyline, all set against the backdrop of a seaside town makes it a perfect summer read.
I liked Callie, she’s such a big hearted and caring person, even towards her boss, who is absolutely horrible to her, starts acting strangely she still wants to help her. But I kept wishing for her to have a bit more confidence in herself!
Elderly resident Ruby I have to say is my favourite character. She funny, sweet and bit racy at time with her stories from the old days.
Yes the story line may have been a little predictable but the author makes it her own and I am really looking forward to reading her next novel Searching for Steven.
So I’ve decided to dip my toe back into a bit of romantic comedy, to have little break from all the murder and bloodshed I’ve been reading lately.
I read this lovely novella in just one day, I didn’t want to stop (happily there are three subsequent books, one of which I will be reading soon, Searching for Steven).
From the cover I was kind of expecting a bit of light-hearted fluff but this story goes so much deeper than that! The characters are complex and flawed, with a compelling storyline, all set against the backdrop of a seaside town makes it a perfect summer read.
I liked Callie, she’s such a big hearted and caring person, even towards her boss, who is absolutely horrible to her, starts acting strangely she still wants to help her. But I kept wishing for her to have a bit more confidence in herself!
Elderly resident Ruby I have to say is my favourite character. She funny, sweet and bit racy at time with her stories from the old days.
Yes the story line may have been a little predictable but the author makes it her own and I am really looking forward to reading her next novel Searching for Steven.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thejoyfulbookblogger's review
4.5
Review originally posted on my blog www.livinglifewithjoy.com
At the bright young age of 21, Callie constantly finds herself getting involved with men that are old enough to be her father. Does that have anything to do with wanting to replace the father figure that she never really had in her life? Or is she drawn to their maturity and intelligent sense of the world? The latest man in her life [45 year-old Tony] takes advantage of their relationship and is basically only interested in one thing. He never takes her out in public and after ten months together and a heart-to-heart with her brother Nick, Callie begins to wonder what she wants out of a relationship.
Callie’s character was complex and well-developed and I admired her thoughts on caring for and about the older residents of the Bay View Care Home where she worked. You can’t go through life distancing yourself and not getting attached to others simply because they will eventually die. You have to appreciate them while they’re here and take advantage of the time you do have with them. One bit of the story was predicable [yet completely enjoyable], but some of it definitely caught me off guard and surprised me!
I connected with Callie’s generally bubbly personality and the idea that just because you’re always happy doesn’t mean that things can’t get you down sometimes. I also liked that when Callie had difficult things to deal with, she didn’t air her diary laundry on Facebook the way many people do nowadays. She was able to have real human interaction and communication to help her begin to think about what she wanted out of a relationship and life. I loved that the inclusion of social media made this novel feel fresh and relevant.
Another important theme in this story was learning to let go of the liars, cheaters and people that don’t appreciate and respect you. It never fails to amaze me that people can be such conniving, lying, two-faced scumbags, especially when it comes from the people you think you can trust most. Often times people are not always how they appear on the surface. Sometimes people have a tough exterior to protect themselves from the difficult things going on in their own personal lives. Knowing your own self worth and not accepting anything less than what you deserve is key to having successful and meaningful relationships. Everyone deserves to be treated with love and care, especially in a relationship. Raving About Rhys is an entertaining and thoughtful novella about life, love and learning to let go of the toxic people in your life.
Memorable Moments:
She repeatedly spoke of a grandson who was going to visit, yet somehow never materalised. Either he was fiction or he was completely unreliable. I wasn’t sure which idea I preferred.
What sort of a relationship did I want? I wanted one where I could rely on my boyfriend to be there for me when I really needed him. Like tonight. Surely that wasn’t too much to ask?
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
At the bright young age of 21, Callie constantly finds herself getting involved with men that are old enough to be her father. Does that have anything to do with wanting to replace the father figure that she never really had in her life? Or is she drawn to their maturity and intelligent sense of the world? The latest man in her life [45 year-old Tony] takes advantage of their relationship and is basically only interested in one thing. He never takes her out in public and after ten months together and a heart-to-heart with her brother Nick, Callie begins to wonder what she wants out of a relationship.
Callie’s character was complex and well-developed and I admired her thoughts on caring for and about the older residents of the Bay View Care Home where she worked. You can’t go through life distancing yourself and not getting attached to others simply because they will eventually die. You have to appreciate them while they’re here and take advantage of the time you do have with them. One bit of the story was predicable [yet completely enjoyable], but some of it definitely caught me off guard and surprised me!
I connected with Callie’s generally bubbly personality and the idea that just because you’re always happy doesn’t mean that things can’t get you down sometimes. I also liked that when Callie had difficult things to deal with, she didn’t air her diary laundry on Facebook the way many people do nowadays. She was able to have real human interaction and communication to help her begin to think about what she wanted out of a relationship and life. I loved that the inclusion of social media made this novel feel fresh and relevant.
Another important theme in this story was learning to let go of the liars, cheaters and people that don’t appreciate and respect you. It never fails to amaze me that people can be such conniving, lying, two-faced scumbags, especially when it comes from the people you think you can trust most. Often times people are not always how they appear on the surface. Sometimes people have a tough exterior to protect themselves from the difficult things going on in their own personal lives. Knowing your own self worth and not accepting anything less than what you deserve is key to having successful and meaningful relationships. Everyone deserves to be treated with love and care, especially in a relationship. Raving About Rhys is an entertaining and thoughtful novella about life, love and learning to let go of the toxic people in your life.
Memorable Moments:
She repeatedly spoke of a grandson who was going to visit, yet somehow never materalised. Either he was fiction or he was completely unreliable. I wasn’t sure which idea I preferred.
What sort of a relationship did I want? I wanted one where I could rely on my boyfriend to be there for me when I really needed him. Like tonight. Surely that wasn’t too much to ask?
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
leahmichelle_13's review
3.0
It says a lot about me that I did not put this book down the first time the author misspelled "brought" as "bought". That happened three times, much to my complete annoyance but I finished the book anyway!
This was a quick novella, and a pretty interesting taster into Jessica's book series. I liked getting to know Callie, although I found it gross to read about her relationship with Tony. He was old enough to be her dad and that just weirded me out completely. Yuck. But apart from that, I liked Callie. It was so nice to read about her job as a carer, too.
Overall a sweet, quick read and I enjoyed getting to rave over Rhys myself ;)
This was a quick novella, and a pretty interesting taster into Jessica's book series. I liked getting to know Callie, although I found it gross to read about her relationship with Tony. He was old enough to be her dad and that just weirded me out completely. Yuck. But apart from that, I liked Callie. It was so nice to read about her job as a carer, too.
Overall a sweet, quick read and I enjoyed getting to rave over Rhys myself ;)
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