Enough room for growth
This book is about Lillian and Andre. It was a heart-breaking and heart-warming story in almost equal measure. Lillian is a real outcast in her family. She is nothing like them, and wants so much more for her life, than to be a robot and join the family’s business, even if it would make her incredibly wealthy. Money cannot buy happiness though.
Andre was her high school sweetheart and they were together for four years. Things did not end amicably for them, and Lillian’s heart was shattered when they broke up. Andre is also one of her obnoxious brother William’s best friends. He too is a rich and successful businessman that has worked hard for his fortune and all of his material things. But he finally feels like something in missing in his life.
Lilly leaves her home with her family to work at Rosemary Farm. It’s a simpler life she’s after, and she’s hoping that is just the place to find herself, and do some real good in her life. She becomes quick friends with Anna, the daughter of the owners of the property. Lilly also loved the tiny and adorable house she was using as her temporary home. Lillian’s sense of accomplishment, even after just that very first day, warmed my heart and had me smiling form ear-to-ear! She LOVED being at the farm (even I felt how relaxed and seemingly at-home she felt), but her heart didn’t feel entirely full – what was missing?
Andre’s friend Greg convinces him to go to Rosemary Farm to unwind and recalibrate – he does it himself every year. When he arrives at the farm, he questions himself about who on earth would pay to go to do farm work… him! As he walked into his tiny room, he’s shocked by the tiny room on offer, wondering where he���ll be able to set up for work – this of course defeats the entire purpose of his getaway! And he’s going to be stuck there for an entire month! He came across as a bit of a twat to me, at first.
He was given his itinerary, and to kill some time, he decided to enjoy the meticulously maintained gardens. At this time, he had some out-of-character thoughts about the beauty of the place. I loved the way he described the sunset – “it looked like someone had melted one of my gold watches and threw the metal across the sky.” Lilly was in the stables, and she went to take the reins of a horse, the person standing behind the horse recognised her. It was Andre, asking Lilly if it was really her.
They hadn’t talked since the night before she left for college, and after a bit of a catch-up, she surprisingly agrees to go to the square dance party in the barn with him. They still have an obvious attraction to each other, and the spark between them is still electric! He was overwhelmed with feelings for the woman who he’d let go once before. He thought she’d matured so well, with features making her look handmade – everything purposeful and exquisitely designed. Lilly too admitted that she’s falling hard and fast for him again. But last time she let him in, he left a jagged tear in her heart with the way things ended, and she was understandably scared to get hurt again.
Nobody in her life (her family) thinks she has any value. She’s worthless? He was reassuring to her too, which she appreciated. She liked having him to talk to about it all. She kissed him deeply. And as she broke the kiss and walked back to her tiny home, he thought he stood in the dark with no fear, with no worry about what anyone thought of him. No material objects had mattered – not the cars, the houses, the money. He was too busy falling in love again.
From this point, there are a lot of emotions, both good and bad, with highs and lows, love, passion, betrayal, doubt and hurt. Her feelings of self-worth (or lack thereof) really do stem mostly form her own family I think – they’re horrible to her! Even her brother - whom she used to be close with - was an absolute turd! But through all of the emotional upheaval and turmoil, Andre works hard to prove himself, by making some HUGE changes in his work and personal life. But with an additional and unexpected surprise, will she be willing to forgive him for running out on her again, and take what he has to offer?
I wish this book didn’t have to end. I was enamoured by the characters and the journey they were on both together and apart. It made me want to go to Rosemary Farm – it sounded like such an idyllic place! I give this book four and a quarter simple stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.