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Sunday, August 23, 2015

The Unexpected Consequences of Love

Romantic entanglements are Jill Mansell's specialty, and in The Unexpected Consequences of Love, she cleverly snares knots into several interwoven story threads spun from St. Carys, a seaside town in Cornwall, UK.
The main storyline focuses on commercial photographer, Sophie Wells, a young woman who plies her craft in earnest in order to put a painful romantic past behind her. When Josh Strachan moves back to town after a stint as a Los Angeles, Ca. talent agent to help his grandmother, Dot, run Mariscombe House, the family hotel, he is instantly smitten with Sophie, who is doing a photo shoot at the inn. Having sworn off romance, Sophie doesn't look twice at Josh. This only encourages him to work harder to win Sophie's affections—and solve the mystery about her past.

Amid Josh's pursuit, Sophie's free-spirited best friend, Tula, loses her job and moves to St. Carys. When Tula arrives, she is instantly attracted to Josh, but another man from town, Riley--a ne'er do well and flirt--has eyes for Tula. What will it take for Riley to turn Tula's head? Things grow even more complicated when Tula lands a job at Mariscombe House.

Mansell has written another lively, engaging romance where an ensemble of characters--including Grandma Dot--have had their hearts wounded by the past and secrets. Each member of the cast is faced with hang-ups and heartbreaks and the conflicts inherent in the prospect of loving again. Amid obstacles that challenge happy endings, Mansell braids in poignancy, humor and unexpected grace.
 
The Unexpected Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell
Sourcebooks Landmark, $14.00 Paperback, 9781492602088, 432 pp
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
To order this book via INDIEBOUND link HERE

Note: This review is a reprint and is being posted (in a slightly different form) with the permission of Shelf Awareness. To read this review on Shelf Awareness: Reader's Edition (2/10/15), link HERE