Beneath the Moon and Stars by Amelia Thorne

Beneath the Moon and the Stars by Amelia Thorne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Home, sweet home…

Joy Cartier has been to some of the most beautiful places in the world – but none of them have ever felt like home. So moving into a tiny cottage in the idyllic village of Bramble Hill, walking distance from her childhood home, seems like the perfect plan.

That is, until she gets there. The surly inhabitants of Britain’s Friendliest Village are anything but welcoming. Even her neighbour, reclusive Hollywood star Finn Mackenzie, takes one look at her and walks in the other direction.

But when the village animosity steps up a gear, it is the infuriatingly brooding Finn who keeps coming to her rescue. Slowly Joy begins to realise that maybe a happy home isn’t about where you live, but who you’re with…

When I say this on netgalley I knew I had to request it. I had heard really great things about this book, and with a cover like that it had to be brilliant.

Joy Cartier has never really been settled in life, after her parents died when she was a child, she relied on her brother Alex to bring her up. Since then she has jumped around from job to job and travelled the world, never really having anywhere she can call home though.

Joy discovers the family home she grew up in at Bramble Hill is up for sale and decides she wants to buy it. After lots of felines by the New owner, Joy decides to move back to try and persuade them.

Joy believes that she can be happy again and make a home for herself in the village. The villagers seem to disagree, they really take to hating her and start to make her life miserable. That is Everton other than Casey, who doesn't live in the village and her hot neighbour Finn. Finn feels sorry for her, although has recently had his heart broken by his wife, he does instantly want to dislike Joy, mainly for the reason she is a red head, just like his ex.

There are quite a few background stories going on in the book, Casey's relationship, Joys brothers and what is Joy actually up to? There are robberies going on, has she anything o do with these? And why is she creeping about at night?

This book I found very easy to read, unfortunately I didn't have time to read it in on or two sittings, but this didn't matter, I was able to dip in and out of it with no trouble of knowing where I was.

I enjoyed the humour that was present in the story but also loved all the emotion that surrounded the characters too. My only negative is that it was predictable, which was ok an most chick lits are, their were occasions that I got a little fed up of Finn and Joys relationship as it felt it wasn't going anywhere. This however were only the negatives I have of the book. Overall it's a warm debut novel that is written well.

I would recommend this to others as a light hearted book that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy. I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.