Home is where the heart is (Going Home - Harriet Evans)

Member Name: kinky_lil_kitten

Product:	Going Home - Harriet Evans
Date:	12/08/08 (208 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good, enjoyable page turning read,

Disadvantages: not really that taxing

Every year Lizzy Walters, her sister and her cousin make the trip home from their busy lives in London to the family home in the country. For Lizzy this often leads to confronting old flames and keeping the family happy. This time however the family are keeping a secret from her, something that everyone seems to know about apart from her. Then to make matters worse the love of her life has returned onto the scene, just when she thought she had managed to move on. So when it came to a family Wedding, Lizzy has to act quickly to save her cherished retreat and keep her love life on track.

I came across Harriet Evans in an airport WH Smith's a few months ago and as I'd not heard of her but liked the sound of this I decided that I would give it a try. Of course the reason I hadn't heard of her was because this is her debut novel. She has a very enjoyable writing style, where the story is told from the characters point of view as it gives you a good insight into the main characters thoughts and dreams, but also makes it feel like your reading someone else's diary. Her style fits well within the context of the story and I really found it hard to stop reading.

When I read I always like to find myself identifying with the main character and I think that Harriet really does this well. I found myself really identifying with her and coupled with a very humorous writing style I really enjoyed the way she had brought the lead character to life. It's not only her lead character that works well, but all the supporting cast too. I felt she really brought everyone into the story well and made you really care about the story.

I'm actually a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella and I really feel that anyone who also likes Sophie will enjoy what Harriet has come up with here. She has a very strong plot that keeps you interested, using a lead character that you really care about. I felt that Harriet has a real talent for telling a story and it really shows within the plot and characters in this book. I think this also really struck a chord with me in terms of having that escape place to run back to and finding that one day it might not be there anymore. It's quite similar to what actually happened with my own families home.

This really isn't a taxing read and perhaps that would be my only real complaint. Of course the fact that the story is so easy going and simple to follow made it ideal for reading on the flight to Milan and back again. It is currently available from Amazon for £5.99 and for fans of Sophie Kinsella or Jill Mansell I think you'd really enjoy it.

Paperback: 448 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

ISBN: 0007198442

Summary: A decent read that makes you want to carry on reading