I was very lucky to receive a copy of Love Nest by Julia Llewellyn which is published by Penguin on February 4th. It follows the fortunes of four people involved in a house chain. Grace has grown up in the sprawling Chadlicote Manor but after the death of her mother she has to sell in order to settle the huge family debt. Grace wants Chadlicote to be bought by the best possible people but how easy will it be for her to leave and start a brand new life? Karen's husband Phil believes that the manor offers the new life that he has been looking for but Karen has no desire to become a lady of leisure in the country especially when a blast from the past turns up at work. Gemma's sights are are set on Karen's suburban home which is preferable to her and Alex's loft apartment particularly for bringing up the baby that she is longing for. Meanwhile Nick Crex is in one of the UK's latest rock bands and Gemma's flat will take him a step closer to the rock and roll lifestyle that he thinks he should be leading. He falls for the classy estate agent, Lucinda who may not be all that she seems but he is still going to have to explain all of this to Kylie, his devoted childhood sweetheart.
This is the first book I have ready by Julia Llewellyn but I thought that it was fantastic. It is such a good idea to link all of these characters together in this way. Moving house often means that you are at a significant point in your life and the new property often reflects your hopes and dreams for the future. All of these characters are at important junctions in life and I was completely gripped as I found out what decisions and mistakes they would make.
The characters are very believable and I think that Julia Llewellyn covers some tough subjects in an honest and sensitive way. If you have read any of her other books then please let me know if you have any recommendations as I would like to read more.
