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When We're Least Expecting it
After meeting handsome though troubled Mehmet on a 1993 holiday to Turkey with her husband, Barbara returns to home to continue her loveless marriage. Yet she begins to exchange letters with Mehmet, and returns to Istanbul one year on to discover whether the 'spark' with him is real or imaginary. 'A fresh and interesting voice' Lesley Cookman
250 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2014
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June 22, 2015
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was just what I was wanting to read at this time of year; a heartwarming contemporary novel and the absolute perfect summer read.
The book centres around a woman named Barbara and her romantic relationships, her relationships with her friends, and her love of travelling. Although this book does focus on romance, I did really enjoy that that wasn't the only thing the book was about. There was so much about friendships and the lasting relationships you can make by helping people.
Dee Fitwilliam succeeds so well in painting a picture with words of the places Barbara travels to. Whether in Turkey, Oxford, or even Ireland, the descriptions were vivid and you could imagine each setting beautifully. Having never been to Turkey, I thought I would feel slightly alienated about the setting but that was definitely not the case. I could picture absolutely every hotel, café, and the beautiful Turkish architecture as it was described in the book. It's made me really want to go there!
All of the characters in the book were so unique, three-dimensional and realistic. Not one of them fell flat. From their detailed pasts to the present inside jokes with one another, these characters really came to life. and were all incredibly likeable. As well as the main character, I became really attached to Mags and Rosalind and their friendship with Barbara was just so lovely. The shift in dynamics between different characters meant that the book never became boring, especially between Mehmet, Gul, and Sean. I was surprised at how quickly I changed my mind and started rooting for different couples!
I think one of the main things I enjoyed about this book was Barbara herself and the life lessons that are learnt by her throughout the book. I think it really speaks to women and encourages them to make decisions not based on other people if they're not happy. I loved Barbara's confidence and although she does worry at times, she never lets it overwhelm her or stop her from enjoying herself. Even when she occasionally embarrassed herself, she was both able to make the reader laugh, yet not dwell on her mistakes.
The story was incredibly interesting and I just couldn't put it down. I constantly needed to know what was happening next. There were lots of unexpected plot twists that I really didn't see coming and they added so much intrigue to the story. The book was both heartwarming and heartwrenching and I would highly recommend this book to any lover of contemporary romance fiction as it will definitely appeal to you. Also, with the summer coming up, it's the perfect time to pick up a copy of this book and give it a read during a holiday or on the beach!
The book centres around a woman named Barbara and her romantic relationships, her relationships with her friends, and her love of travelling. Although this book does focus on romance, I did really enjoy that that wasn't the only thing the book was about. There was so much about friendships and the lasting relationships you can make by helping people.
Dee Fitwilliam succeeds so well in painting a picture with words of the places Barbara travels to. Whether in Turkey, Oxford, or even Ireland, the descriptions were vivid and you could imagine each setting beautifully. Having never been to Turkey, I thought I would feel slightly alienated about the setting but that was definitely not the case. I could picture absolutely every hotel, café, and the beautiful Turkish architecture as it was described in the book. It's made me really want to go there!
All of the characters in the book were so unique, three-dimensional and realistic. Not one of them fell flat. From their detailed pasts to the present inside jokes with one another, these characters really came to life. and were all incredibly likeable. As well as the main character, I became really attached to Mags and Rosalind and their friendship with Barbara was just so lovely. The shift in dynamics between different characters meant that the book never became boring, especially between Mehmet, Gul, and Sean. I was surprised at how quickly I changed my mind and started rooting for different couples!
I think one of the main things I enjoyed about this book was Barbara herself and the life lessons that are learnt by her throughout the book. I think it really speaks to women and encourages them to make decisions not based on other people if they're not happy. I loved Barbara's confidence and although she does worry at times, she never lets it overwhelm her or stop her from enjoying herself. Even when she occasionally embarrassed herself, she was both able to make the reader laugh, yet not dwell on her mistakes.
The story was incredibly interesting and I just couldn't put it down. I constantly needed to know what was happening next. There were lots of unexpected plot twists that I really didn't see coming and they added so much intrigue to the story. The book was both heartwarming and heartwrenching and I would highly recommend this book to any lover of contemporary romance fiction as it will definitely appeal to you. Also, with the summer coming up, it's the perfect time to pick up a copy of this book and give it a read during a holiday or on the beach!
Displaying 1 of 1 review