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An Unexpected Affair
After her divorce, Eleanor decides it is time to begin again.
She leaves behind her busy London life, and moves to a quiet seaside town in Devon.
There she opens up a bookshop, The Reading Room, on the local highstreet - and makes a roaring success of it.
But can Eleanor make a success of her love life as well?
There is no shortage of men. But when Eleanor thinks back over her life and loves, she remembers a passionate love affair in France in her twenties. And when her sister suggests they take a trip down memory lane and holiday there, will Eleanor take her up on her offer - and if she does, will she discover what happened to her great love Christophe?
Does Eleanor's heart belong in France?
Or is there something, or someone, she's been missing in Devon?
'An Unexpected Affair' is a moving tale of memories, love, loss and new...and old beginnings. It is perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Erica James and Jill Mansell.
'A lovable, warm, and fun read.' - Holly Kinsella, best-selling author of 'Uptown Girl'.
Jan Ellis is a freelance writer and editor who divides her time between London and the southwest of England. Like her heroine, she has a small dog, loves books and is partial to the occasional glass of vin blanc. This is her first foray into fiction.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
She leaves behind her busy London life, and moves to a quiet seaside town in Devon.
There she opens up a bookshop, The Reading Room, on the local highstreet - and makes a roaring success of it.
But can Eleanor make a success of her love life as well?
There is no shortage of men. But when Eleanor thinks back over her life and loves, she remembers a passionate love affair in France in her twenties. And when her sister suggests they take a trip down memory lane and holiday there, will Eleanor take her up on her offer - and if she does, will she discover what happened to her great love Christophe?
Does Eleanor's heart belong in France?
Or is there something, or someone, she's been missing in Devon?
'An Unexpected Affair' is a moving tale of memories, love, loss and new...and old beginnings. It is perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Erica James and Jill Mansell.
'A lovable, warm, and fun read.' - Holly Kinsella, best-selling author of 'Uptown Girl'.
Jan Ellis is a freelance writer and editor who divides her time between London and the southwest of England. Like her heroine, she has a small dog, loves books and is partial to the occasional glass of vin blanc. This is her first foray into fiction.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
- GenresRomance
99 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2013
8 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Jan Ellis
7 books30 followersHello readers! My background is in non-fiction publishing and An Unexpected Affair was the first fiction I had written since the age of about seven. Fortunately people enjoyed it, so I wrote A Summer of Surprises, which continues the adventures of my bookselling heroine, Eleanor Mace. Now these novellas are available to enjoy in one luscious, paperback volume! I'm also thrilled to present a brand-new title – The Bookshop Detective – in which Eleanor ends up doing some sleuthing from her quiet corner of rural England.
As if that wasn't excitement enough, my stories French Kisses and A London Affair are now published in one gorgeous paperback book. NB Amazon has removed most of the reviews for the ebook versions of these stories, but you can still find them on here.
To discover more, please visit my website www.janelliswriter.com or follow me on Twitter @JanEllis_writer and Facebook. I look forward to sharing gossip with you there!
If you have read and enjoyed my stories, please tell your friends and consider putting a short review on Amazon. Thank you!
GERMAN EDITIONS
Three of my books are available in German and you can read reviews on amazon.de.
As if that wasn't excitement enough, my stories French Kisses and A London Affair are now published in one gorgeous paperback book. NB Amazon has removed most of the reviews for the ebook versions of these stories, but you can still find them on here.
To discover more, please visit my website www.janelliswriter.com or follow me on Twitter @JanEllis_writer and Facebook. I look forward to sharing gossip with you there!
If you have read and enjoyed my stories, please tell your friends and consider putting a short review on Amazon. Thank you!
GERMAN EDITIONS
Three of my books are available in German and you can read reviews on amazon.de.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 29, 2015
Posted in full http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/2015...
An Unexpected Affair is a delightful short read with a beautiful emphasis on setting and the feel of friendship and living in a close-knit community. I was instantly charmed by this novel when we meet main character Eleanor at work in her bookshop, The Reading Room. Described as a slightly crumbly bookshop with an adjoining cottage in a small, unfashionable seaside town, it felt like Jan was describing my idea of heaven and I loved the atmospheric feel to Jan’s writing, building up such a lovely picture of the Devon location.
With the encouragement of her sister Jenna, An Unexpected Affair later sees Eleanor head on a trip to France – for some sightseeing and (reluctantly) some shopping, but mostly to pop into the place where she thinks her old love Christophe will be. Jan’s description of France was just as vivid as the seaside location and I especially loved the writing of the vineyards. Everything was just made to feel so tempting and I enjoyed this aspect to the book as much as I enjoyed the actual plot of the story. A book is so much more appealing to me if I can really get a good picture of the location it’s set in and Jan did that with ease.
There’s a lot of likeable characters in An Unexpected Affair with interesting stories of their own. Not just Eleanor but people like her friend Erika too. As this is a novella, I thought Jan did well to give a backstory to some of the main characters whilst keeping the current story going at the same time, but I would still have liked to learn more, maybe if the book had been a little longer. I do love a novella so I guess for me it’s credit to Jan’s writing that she managed to create so many characters in less than 100 pages that I cared for and wanted to learn more about. Eleanor had a lovely set of friends back in Devon and they were there to offer gentle encouragement, a few laughs and plenty of harmless nosiness too. It seemed like a charming place to live and I felt like I could walk straight into this novel and feel right at home.
This book was an easy, light-hearted read and one which I really enjoyed. It did end quite quickly and I was left wanting more but that’s what follow-on novels are made for! With gorgeous settings, an amiable group of characters and a little bit of romance, An Unexpected Affair is a great choice for a quick, relaxing summer read.
*Book received for an honest review
September 15, 2013
What more can you ask for in a novel : a book shop, a seaside town, a dash of French countryside, and a wonderful cast of characters. I felt like they were real and I was involved in their lives. A charming book.
August 27, 2014
I'm going to give myself a four for this because it was my first bit of fiction and I'm rather proud of it. So there!
May 8, 2014
Easy read.
December 16, 2014
Lovely book, flowed gorgeously. Beautiful seaside setting with a bookshop, I'd like to visit.
February 10, 2015
Very well told story of one woman's journey back to love. Very atmospheric settings and likable characters. The romantic in me would have liked an extra chapter on the end. :)
May 25, 2016
A lovely, gentle story which swept me along with the characters. I look forward to reading more by Jan Ellis.
October 13, 2014
I think this was free on Amazon, so was okay for a wee Sunday lie-in
June 16, 2015
Originally reviewed for Dreaming With Open Eyes
I kindly received An Unexpected Affair in exchange of an honest review by the author.
It was three years since Eleanor Mace had left her boring office job and caused her friends’ collective jaws to drop by announcing that she was leaving busy London and moving to beautiful Devon where she had bought the bookshop called The Reading Room which turned out to be a huge success. Eleanor thought how lucky she was in her new life. And so she was, most of the time. But, sometimes she did think that it might be nice to have someone to share things with again. When her sister Jenna suggests they take a trip to the South of France to track down her gorgeous ex Christophe, Eleanor leaves her beloved bookshop and hits the road. What will await them on their journey? Will Eleanor discover her feelings for her old love again or is there someone, she's been missing in Devon?
An Unexpected Affair is the second novella I read by Jan Ellis. I highly enjoyed French Kisses that's why I was looking forward to giving this one a go. An Unexpected Affair was a nice, quick read that I found easy to lose myself in. Ellis writing is charming, beautiful and easy to follow. We are spoilt for instantly-likeable characters in this novella. I was instantly taken by Eleanor and the wonderful range of side characters. Ellis made it possible that I cared for her characters in less than 100 pages.
I love stories where bookshops are inclueded. In An Unexpected Affair Ellis has done it very nicely. I could totally picture the place complete with the cozy reading space and all the lovely, fluttering books. Books are meant to be treasured and Eleanor's shop brings them wonderful new homes.
It is not a story full of twists and turns, I went with the flow and enjoyed the smooth, peaceful story, full of beautiful weather, beautiful settings, beautiful people a little bit of romance. Told in a very charming, sweet way, I have actually felt emotions in Ellis word. Sadly the story did end quite quickly and I was left wanting more. Fortuately Eleanory story is not over yet. I'm looking forward to Ellis new release A Summer of Surprises, which is a follw-up to this novella, so I can find out what happens next.
I personally class this as a perfect summer read. Get a glass of wine and enjoy this lovable reading, you won't regret it.
I kindly received An Unexpected Affair in exchange of an honest review by the author.
It was three years since Eleanor Mace had left her boring office job and caused her friends’ collective jaws to drop by announcing that she was leaving busy London and moving to beautiful Devon where she had bought the bookshop called The Reading Room which turned out to be a huge success. Eleanor thought how lucky she was in her new life. And so she was, most of the time. But, sometimes she did think that it might be nice to have someone to share things with again. When her sister Jenna suggests they take a trip to the South of France to track down her gorgeous ex Christophe, Eleanor leaves her beloved bookshop and hits the road. What will await them on their journey? Will Eleanor discover her feelings for her old love again or is there someone, she's been missing in Devon?
An Unexpected Affair is the second novella I read by Jan Ellis. I highly enjoyed French Kisses that's why I was looking forward to giving this one a go. An Unexpected Affair was a nice, quick read that I found easy to lose myself in. Ellis writing is charming, beautiful and easy to follow. We are spoilt for instantly-likeable characters in this novella. I was instantly taken by Eleanor and the wonderful range of side characters. Ellis made it possible that I cared for her characters in less than 100 pages.
I love stories where bookshops are inclueded. In An Unexpected Affair Ellis has done it very nicely. I could totally picture the place complete with the cozy reading space and all the lovely, fluttering books. Books are meant to be treasured and Eleanor's shop brings them wonderful new homes.
It is not a story full of twists and turns, I went with the flow and enjoyed the smooth, peaceful story, full of beautiful weather, beautiful settings, beautiful people a little bit of romance. Told in a very charming, sweet way, I have actually felt emotions in Ellis word. Sadly the story did end quite quickly and I was left wanting more. Fortuately Eleanory story is not over yet. I'm looking forward to Ellis new release A Summer of Surprises, which is a follw-up to this novella, so I can find out what happens next.
I personally class this as a perfect summer read. Get a glass of wine and enjoy this lovable reading, you won't regret it.
October 8, 2016
An Unexpected Affair is an enchanting short story, perfect to enjoy when you're short on time but still want a great book to read.
Eleanor is recently divorced and has left her life in London to open a bookshop called The Reading Room in Devon. She's happy with her new life but there are times when she wishes she had a special someone to share it with.
After reminiscing about Christophe, a past love who she spent some time with in France, her sister Jenna suggests that they take a trip to try and track him down.
Jan Ellis has such a wonderful, descriptive way with words, the story flowed beautifully and the descriptions of the landscape had me imagining I could actually smell the sea. Although it's a novella there is enough characterisation to make you feel involved with the story, rather than being an outsider looking in, as I think can sometimes happen in shorter books. The little touches of light humour that ran through it were enjoyable and made the book for me. This was a very enjoyable read and one that I would highly recommend.
Eleanor is recently divorced and has left her life in London to open a bookshop called The Reading Room in Devon. She's happy with her new life but there are times when she wishes she had a special someone to share it with.
After reminiscing about Christophe, a past love who she spent some time with in France, her sister Jenna suggests that they take a trip to try and track him down.
Jan Ellis has such a wonderful, descriptive way with words, the story flowed beautifully and the descriptions of the landscape had me imagining I could actually smell the sea. Although it's a novella there is enough characterisation to make you feel involved with the story, rather than being an outsider looking in, as I think can sometimes happen in shorter books. The little touches of light humour that ran through it were enjoyable and made the book for me. This was a very enjoyable read and one that I would highly recommend.
October 9, 2015
Eleanor ist geschieden und zieht von London nach Devon, einer Kleinstadt an der Küste.
Dort übernimmt sie einen Buchladen, der ein Gewinn für das kleine Städtchen ist.
Doch ob die Mutter von (mittlerweile erwachsenen) Zwillingen recht erfolgreich ist, bleibt ihr privates Glück auf der Strecke.
Irgendwie bekommt Eleanor Sehnsucht nach einem längst vergangenen Leben. Vor ihrer Ehe lebte sie eine Weile in Frankreich. Sie war jung und verliebt.
Nach all den Jahren aber will sie nun erfahren was aus ihrer Jugend Liebe geworden ist.
Und während sie, zusammen mit ihrer Schwester, nach Frankreich reist um Urlaub zu machen, geht zu Hause in Devon alles drunter und drüber.
Jan Ellis' Schreibstil liest sich gut und schnell. Recht flüssig. Es ist toll, dass man bis zum Schluss überrascht wird, auch wenn das ein oder andere vorhersehbar ist.
Für Zwischendurch ist es aber ganz gut.
Dort übernimmt sie einen Buchladen, der ein Gewinn für das kleine Städtchen ist.
Doch ob die Mutter von (mittlerweile erwachsenen) Zwillingen recht erfolgreich ist, bleibt ihr privates Glück auf der Strecke.
Irgendwie bekommt Eleanor Sehnsucht nach einem längst vergangenen Leben. Vor ihrer Ehe lebte sie eine Weile in Frankreich. Sie war jung und verliebt.
Nach all den Jahren aber will sie nun erfahren was aus ihrer Jugend Liebe geworden ist.
Und während sie, zusammen mit ihrer Schwester, nach Frankreich reist um Urlaub zu machen, geht zu Hause in Devon alles drunter und drüber.
Jan Ellis' Schreibstil liest sich gut und schnell. Recht flüssig. Es ist toll, dass man bis zum Schluss überrascht wird, auch wenn das ein oder andere vorhersehbar ist.
Für Zwischendurch ist es aber ganz gut.
February 8, 2015
This is Jan's first novel and I really enjoyed it. I love the fact that your drawn straight away into Eleanor's West Country Bookshop world, brimming to the rafters with some very exciting and interesting people. In this story you get drawn into Eleanor's life which goes from past to present which I found easy to keep up with unlike in other novels where it can become confusing. There are some romantic parts in this book but also some humour. I love the way Jan writes with such passion and look forward to reading her books in the future.
August 18, 2013
Decidedly average after getting off to a good start!
August 31, 2013
Started off interested but the ending felt very rushed. An easy, predictable read.
September 8, 2014
Good story but very short with an abrupt ending. Could have and should have been much longer.
August 25, 2015
Guess this is what they call a beach read. Slow, steady story. Nothing exciting. Just ok. I like more action!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews