The Promise of Summer – Bella Osborne

The story of Ruby and Kim, who work together in Kim’s florist shop. What a refreshing change, to have a book based in Sheffield. I took an immediate liking to both of these strong female characters straight away; I loved the honest way that they were portrayed. Ruby is eager to please and desperate to have a baby – by any means. Kim on the other hand still desperately misses her ‘late’Husband – but there is an element of mystery in the letters she has been receiving from ‘him’.

Ruby meets the grumpy Curtis on a train to London, they end up spending the day together and as the day progresses, so Curtis’ grumpiness thaws. Whilst Ruby is in London, Kim makes a shocking, but endearingly romantic discovery about their regular customer, Adrian. The pair of them seem destined to be close.

Ruby on the other hand is desperately showing Curtis how to have fun, while he is ostensibly trying to find her a partner, through the conduit of giving her a part time job. What could possibly go wrong!

This is a book full of mystery, of laughs and of love. Ruby has a history of poor choices in men; after all – who on earth pees in someone’s kettle! Kim is hiding a secret. Together, the pair have a wonderful friendship and love working together. If I had to choose be word to describe Ruby, it would be ‘joyous’. She takes great delight in taking Curtis on cheap/free days out and always lives life to the max. She is the kind of person who would make the ideal best friend. She is completely selfless, for example encouraging Curtis to date other women, when it is obvious to anyone else that her and Curtis are very keen on each other. Saying that however, she really deserves some love in her life. It was my sincere hope that The gorgeous Curtis would provide this love. Kim is equally unlucky in love and it was easy to see how the Husband ‘confusion’ came about. I adored Kim’s relationship with Boomer the rescue dog – and it was heart-warming that she gave an animal with no hope, a new home and future. I did fear for her on the ‘Husband’ front however!

In all I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming tale of friendship, love and overcoming past demons and I would recommend it as your next summer read.

To buy a copy for yourself, just use this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R6Q4T66/

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