Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Laura Rollins was afraid that had become her mantra until her new book club friends convinced her to take on a new mantra—take a chance. So, Laura is doing just that in Lori Haas’s Charming Chapter. The story revolves around Laura’s adventure, taking a chance and stepping out into her brave new world, where she travels alone for the first time after her husband’s death.
When Laura steps onto the plane, she is nervous but determined, and as the trip unfolds, her self-doubts never completely go away, but she resolutely meets each challenge head-on. One of Laura’s book club friends sets her up as a pet sitter in London, and the lovely townhome becomes Laura’s base for soirees to London sites. When one of the dogs in her charge takes off, it leads to a fateful encounter with Hugh, a strikingly handsome man in the park. Laura is embarrassed by a misunderstanding on her part, but when they run into each other again at the local pub that evening, there seems to be a spark between them.
Hugh is charming, quite handsome, a complete gentleman, and Laura finds herself strongly attracted to him. Hugh seems to be as taken with Laura. He plans not only an outing for them in the interest of Laura’s research of her ancestors but also asks her to stay in England longer, arranging another pet-sitting job opportunity closer to his home in the country.
Laura is utterly charmed, not only with Hugh but with the manor house where she will be staying, and she is excited to receive a printed invitation to a dinner party Hugh is hosting in his home that week. Nervous, Laura goes but discovers at the party that Hugh has been hiding something very important from her—something from which Laura is unsure she’ll ever recover. Laura is in love with Hugh, but disappointment, sadness, and even regret are now Laura’s new companions. Could there be anything that would change her mind after learning what Hugh has been keeping from her?
Charming Chapter is an entertaining, well-paced story with thoughtful insights many women may be experiencing. Lori Haas does a splendid job of sharing Laura’s thoughts and feelings while also seamlessly including the history and sites of London and England, as well as its architecture and beautiful homes.
Charming Chapter is a sweetly and splendidly told story of hopes and dreams, doubts and fears, and hope and love. A truly “charming” read in every possible way. ~ Lindy for Novels Alive