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A review by bean_there_done_that
Sunshine Over Wildflower Cottage by Milly Johnson
3.0
3 stars.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Wildflower Cottage. Johnson's description was so well-written that the cottage came to life and felt like an actual place. The inhabitants of the town are also very interesting, and though they appeared for only a short moment, they felt just as real and natural.
Viv was really my favorite part of the story. I loved her attitude and confidence, especially when she knew when to step up and be courageous. Her "quirk" was also very interesting, and I love how it was incorporated into the story. Heath, her love interest, was just as interesting, but I wish there had been more screen time between him and Viv.
And that was one of the problems I had with this novel. Because of the vast amount of characters, the focus of the novel shifted a lot. While I had no qualms with the multiple points of view, I didn't like how it kept jumping around. I found myself craving Viv's POV continuously, and I would quickly read through the other POVs in order to get to hers again. Johnson had several conflicts going about in this novel, and I understand that she did that to make the characters feel real and to show the obstacles each character had to surpass.
Yet it pained me to read through Stel's POV. While I understood what she was going through, I felt sick while reading because of her personality. She literally had no backbone or guts. I don't blame her for what had happened to her, in fact, no one deserves to go through what she did. But I wished that she had fought back or told her friends. What's the point of a support group if you don't go to them? Because this is chick-lit, I was glad that everything did turn out alright for her. But if this was real life? Well, she wouldn't be so goddamn lucky.
I also didn't care much for Gaynor's POV. I can see that Johnson is trying to show us that not every character is perfect and has their flaws. But you see, I rather read about the lovely Viv and her growing relationship with Heath, than bitchy, inferiority-complexed Gaynor. If it weren't for these extra POVs, I would have really enjoyed the story a lot more. I loved the dynamic and chemistry between Viv and Heath, and I so very wanted to see how they would get to know each other better. Instead, their spotlight was taken away so many times by the other characters.
The mysteries in this novel were pretty predictable, so don't go into this expecting some Sherlock Holmes mystery. However, I did feel like everything was basically being wrapped up in the last 15%, so it was like BAM BAM BAM. I wish the epilogue was longer (and featured Viv and Heath more).
I feel like I need to give a special mention to two characters who surprised me the most. Cora was the most awesome friend I have ever seen, and I wish she had gotten more screen time. Geraldine was equally as amazing, and my heart went out to her when her past was revealed.
A heart-warming story of friendship and girl power, despite some of the dark plot twists.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Wildflower Cottage. Johnson's description was so well-written that the cottage came to life and felt like an actual place. The inhabitants of the town are also very interesting, and though they appeared for only a short moment, they felt just as real and natural.
Viv was really my favorite part of the story. I loved her attitude and confidence, especially when she knew when to step up and be courageous. Her "quirk" was also very interesting, and I love how it was incorporated into the story. Heath, her love interest, was just as interesting, but I wish there had been more screen time between him and Viv.
And that was one of the problems I had with this novel. Because of the vast amount of characters, the focus of the novel shifted a lot. While I had no qualms with the multiple points of view, I didn't like how it kept jumping around. I found myself craving Viv's POV continuously, and I would quickly read through the other POVs in order to get to hers again. Johnson had several conflicts going about in this novel, and I understand that she did that to make the characters feel real and to show the obstacles each character had to surpass.
Yet it pained me to read through Stel's POV. While I understood what she was going through, I felt sick while reading because of her personality. She literally had no backbone or guts. I don't blame her for what had happened to her, in fact, no one deserves to go through what she did. But I wished that she had fought back or told her friends. What's the point of a support group if you don't go to them? Because this is chick-lit, I was glad that everything did turn out alright for her. But if this was real life? Well, she wouldn't be so goddamn lucky.
I also didn't care much for Gaynor's POV. I can see that Johnson is trying to show us that not every character is perfect and has their flaws. But you see, I rather read about the lovely Viv and her growing relationship with Heath, than bitchy, inferiority-complexed Gaynor. If it weren't for these extra POVs, I would have really enjoyed the story a lot more. I loved the dynamic and chemistry between Viv and Heath, and I so very wanted to see how they would get to know each other better. Instead, their spotlight was taken away so many times by the other characters.
The mysteries in this novel were pretty predictable, so don't go into this expecting some Sherlock Holmes mystery. However, I did feel like everything was basically being wrapped up in the last 15%, so it was like BAM BAM BAM. I wish the epilogue was longer (and featured Viv and Heath more).
I feel like I need to give a special mention to two characters who surprised me the most. Cora was the most awesome friend I have ever seen, and I wish she had gotten more screen time. Geraldine was equally as amazing, and my heart went out to her when her past was revealed.
A heart-warming story of friendship and girl power, despite some of the dark plot twists.