Emma: There's No Turning Back

Emma Le Goff #2

by Linda Mitchelmore

Life hasn t always been kind to Emma Le Goff. She has had her fair share of hardship and now finally, her life appears to be looking up.She and her childhood sweetheart, Seth Jago, are set to marry and both believe that an idyllic existence, free from heartache, awaits them. However, when they discover that the past is more difficult to forget than they could have ever imagined. Emma continues to be haunted by the mysterious circumstances surrounding her family and Seth is hounded by a jealous ex-lover set on revenge. Seth plans for their escape to Canada. But when the charismatic Matthew Caunter returns to Devon, Emma finds herself uncertain of whether a move to Canada is really what she wants This is the sequel to "To Turn Full Circle"

Genres: Historical

337 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2013

About the author

It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good and for Linda Mitchelmore it was losing her hearing to a viral infection that prompted her to write. She signed up to a postal short story writing course with Writing Magazine and has now had some 150 short stories and serials published in national magazines in the UK, Sweden, South Africa and Australia.
For Linda, it has come full circle since she signed up for that short story writing course as she is now a preliminary judge for Writing Magazine competitions.
Linda has been a member of the RNA's New Writers' Scheme for far too long, but alas she has not made it as a novelist - yet!

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Le Goff has had her ups and downs throughout life, with many hard times, but now things are looking more positive. This is because Emma is set to marry her childhood sweetheart Seth Jago, and they are both dreaming of an idyllic existence together. However, their dreams of a heartache-free life are further out of reach as Emma continues to be haunted by the mysterious circumstances that surround her family, and Seth is hounded by a jealous ex-lover who is set on revenge. While Seth plans their escape from everything to Canada, the handsome and charming Matthew Caunter appears in Devon, and Emma finds herself unsure of what she really wants….

Since finishing reading this I have discovered that this is actually book number two in the Emma Le Goff series. Whilst it is in a series, it can be read as a standalone just as I have done, and it is very easy to get into and to understand. Now that I have read it I’d like to go back and read the first book in the series, ”To Turn Full Circle“, so that I can learn where the characters originally started from and the circumstances that brought them to the places and situations that they are in for the second book, as well as learning more of the character’s background.

I really liked Emma as a character, she really shone through and I could hear her voice coming from the pages. I loved her personality, she was feisty and determined and I found myself wanting things to go right for her. I especially liked that Emma had dreams and hopes for her life with Seth.

There are some very interesting secondary characters in the story, and some of them along with other issues and problems are sent to try Emma and Seth and put a strain on their relationship. This made the novel very intriguing and I wanted to read on to see what would happen! I LOVED Seth and Emma as a couple, and I was really rooting for them all the way along.

Emma is a very enjoyable story that is so easy to sit down and relax with, and I’m really looking forward to finding out what happens next!

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Emma and Seth, this was a book where there was drama and then more drama. There was setback after setback, but then the whole village can be pretty evil and unforgiving.

Right back to the beginning, this is actually book 2 but you do not have to have read book 1 to follow along. You get to see things that happened in book 1 that has consequences now. Like why the priest do not want to marry them and why some of the parishioners are stuck up idiots.

Just know that there is Emma and Seth who loves each other and wants to be together and start their new life. Emma wants to build a business for herself and not just be someone's wife. While Seth wants to throw off his father's shadow and be his own man.

Then you throw in Seth's vindictive ex-lover who has a secret. His brother who is in jail. A former friend of Emma whom she might have had feelings for, and yes then those idiots in the town. Those who should move on and not be idiots (yes they made me angry if you can't notice ;) People can be so mean.

Sure there was a bit too much drama, but then there are reasons for it all. And it felt real how Emma and Seth tried to move on with life and even had doubts about their love for each other. People seldom doubt when it it's all lovey dovey so it felt real.

And I do wonder what will happen in the next. It ends all well and you could stop at that. But there will be more so...I do wonder.

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is October 1911. Emma Le Goff has had her fair share of hardship and now things are looking up for her. Emma at eighteen and Seth Jago childhood sweethearts are now set to marry. Emma and Seth ask reverend Thomson to marry them both but the reverend refuses to mary them. But as the reverend wont marry them Emma has a plan.Seth Jago has a house built and a bakery Emma so she can have her own bakery business selling to hotels. Seth Jago paid a visit to his ex girlfriend Caroline who held Seth's baby daughter in her arms. Seth paid Caroline some money and hoped that his money would be enough to buy Caroline Prentiss off. Seth always promised Emma that he would never lie to her. Seth was going to have to tell Emma about his baby daughter Rose he just needed to find the right moment. Out of the blue Emma walks into her bakery to find that Caroline Prentiss has come into Emma's bakery uninvited sitting in a chair holding Seth's baby. Emma knew Seth wined and dined Caroline once or twice but has no idea why Caroline is holding a baby in her bakery. This is a wonderful tale for the year 2014 to read. It will have you hooked from page one it is full of twist and turns and is full of lovely characters.

[Alison Hydes · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable read

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good easy to read romance but it was more of a family saga, set in Edwardian era

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, Ms. Mitchelmore writes in the style of Catherine Cookson, bringing us the second in a saga about Emma, a girl who has faced more hard times than many of us can imagine, from being orphaned to bullied to shunned to almost raped, this girl has been through a lot.
Only, she's no longer a girl. She's now a "married" woman, sorta.

I liked this book, but not as much as the first. In the first, Emma was just so spunky, never a doormat, always sticking up for herself. She was heroine after my own heart. In this one, she's lost something. I get that she's matured, but it's also almost as though being in love has taken some of the fight out of her and the fight in her is what I adored about her before. She still wants to run a business, she does tell Seth off sometimes, and she sure does care for those she loves. But...

I think the relationship with Seth put me off. I didn't like him in book one and didn't like him in this one either. His jealousy, his...well, his...surprise. I would have kicked him and it out of the house, not forgave and taken on the responsibility of the surprise.

Matthew enters the story very, very late. His presence is only in form of letters and frankly, I don't see what the tizzy over them was about. Letters are harmless and it's not like Seth has always been an angel.

So I was disappointed in Emma this time, the way she handled the letters, the way she let Seth be...well, Seth.

But the writing is solid and there's a lot going on. Sickness, crime, struggles with her business, problems with the town (AGAIN! Ugh, these people.) Some scenes really had me nodding my head, such as when Seth runs into the church for help and the folks don't really act very Christian. There are little, hidden things in the story that make you think about how we treat others.

Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...

[Michelle Heatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma: There’s no Turning Back
It is always a special moment when you meet a favourite character again. I was delighted when the sequel to To Turn Full Circle, Emma: There’s No Turning Back, arrived. I was soon enthralled with Emma’s story and Linda Mitchelmore’s skilful storytelling began to weave its magic.

I wanted to know how Emma’s and Seth’s romance would blossom and I discovered an Emma who had grown from the young girl who had lost everything, her parents and her home, into a confident young woman. She has a home and is an adoring mother to Seth’s illegitimate daughter, abandoned by the child’s real mother, Caroline Prentiss. Emma has everything she had dreamed of, a man who loves her, a daughter she dots on and a thriving business, what more could she want? Emma has received letters from a man she thought she had forgotten, a man who made her excited, a man who could destroy everything she has.

Linda is a supreme weaver of stories and her novels keep the reader spellbound from the first to the last page. The only problem is that I have to wait for the third novel to find out if Emma does find independence and love.

[Sharon Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed seeing Emma as she matures from that naive 15 year old to a young woman. She still has her feisty personality though and doesn't put up with anything.

Refreshingly, the crisis points don't take an age to get to so the pace is fast and engaging.

Full review coming soon!

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book - even better than the first in the trilogy To Turn Full Circle. I'm really looking forward to the final book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realise this was the sequel to To Turn Full Circle, which I have read, but I can remember nothing at all of the plot! This did read OK as a standalone novel though!