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What Really Happened to Me?: A Clean Wholesome Romance
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 22, 2026
This is a beautiful soul-searching read filled with emotion. Grace is such a multi-layered character, and as we are told more of her story, more of her character and the impact of others is revealed.
I felt such empathy with Grace - that feeling of wanting to do it all and show everyone how capable you are but feeling conflicting emotions at the price of such hard work.
Strawberry House sounded wonderful - a calm oasis in such a harried life was just what Grace needed to take stock. Harvey, Lulu, Iris and Jack all seeing her for what she is - brave, loyal and scared of losing it all. Their unconditional love and support for Grace was wonderful to read.
A fabulous story of being brave and having the confidence in oneself.
May 3, 2026
Dear five-year-old-me,
My name is Grace Leven. I’m fifty-three years old and I hate my life.
So begins What Really Happened to Me? by Ellie Barker. Immediately I was drawn in wondering why Grace was writing to her younger self and why she hated her life. Grace really looked like the woman who had it all. She had a successful career as CEO for a tv company, a supportive husband, a daughter off on a gap year, great friends, fabulous looks and had just featured on the cover of a Sunday magazine. Until, all of a sudden, she didn’t have it all.
I admit that at first I found it difficult to have much sympathy for the hard-nosed career woman Grace was at the beginning of the book. She didn’t seem like she thought of much beyond herself and her career. When this all came tumbling down, she made a spur of the moment decision to disappear for a while to a hotel she had seen advertised in the very magazine she had featured in. This hotel, Strawberry House, promised that any guests who visited would leave feeling like themselves again. Grace thought this was a ridiculous idea but then realised she didn’t really know who she was anymore and what had happened to her.
I think that many women will identify with Grace to some extent. Years spent building up a career and bringing up a family can leave women wondering, as Grace did, just who they are and what happened to them. Through Grace’s letters to her younger self at various crucial points of her life, we find out how she became the person she was when we met her at the beginning of the book. I softened towards her over the course of the novel as I realised why she was how she was. The growth of her character was wonderful to see and I was absolutely cheering her on by the end.
This book is the fifth is what’s known as The Next Chapter collection. I believe that one of the books has been set in Strawberry Village but the books are all standalone. I’d be very keen to read that other Strawberry Village book as I absolutely loved the sound of the community the author created there. Everyone seemed so relaxed, so friendly and so supportive. As one of the characters said, ‘it’s as though there’s always someone here for you when you need it.’.
It would be wonderful to take time out in the way that Grace did although perhaps not under the same circumstances. It’s a book that makes you think about how important it is to take time for yourself, to take a breather, to learn how to say no occasionally without guilt.
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. Full of encouragement, a beautiful romance, friendship, second chances and self-discovery, I found What Really Happened to Me? to be so uplifting and hopeful with its positive message about learning to love yourself, faults and all.
My name is Grace Leven. I’m fifty-three years old and I hate my life.
So begins What Really Happened to Me? by Ellie Barker. Immediately I was drawn in wondering why Grace was writing to her younger self and why she hated her life. Grace really looked like the woman who had it all. She had a successful career as CEO for a tv company, a supportive husband, a daughter off on a gap year, great friends, fabulous looks and had just featured on the cover of a Sunday magazine. Until, all of a sudden, she didn’t have it all.
I admit that at first I found it difficult to have much sympathy for the hard-nosed career woman Grace was at the beginning of the book. She didn’t seem like she thought of much beyond herself and her career. When this all came tumbling down, she made a spur of the moment decision to disappear for a while to a hotel she had seen advertised in the very magazine she had featured in. This hotel, Strawberry House, promised that any guests who visited would leave feeling like themselves again. Grace thought this was a ridiculous idea but then realised she didn’t really know who she was anymore and what had happened to her.
I think that many women will identify with Grace to some extent. Years spent building up a career and bringing up a family can leave women wondering, as Grace did, just who they are and what happened to them. Through Grace’s letters to her younger self at various crucial points of her life, we find out how she became the person she was when we met her at the beginning of the book. I softened towards her over the course of the novel as I realised why she was how she was. The growth of her character was wonderful to see and I was absolutely cheering her on by the end.
This book is the fifth is what’s known as The Next Chapter collection. I believe that one of the books has been set in Strawberry Village but the books are all standalone. I’d be very keen to read that other Strawberry Village book as I absolutely loved the sound of the community the author created there. Everyone seemed so relaxed, so friendly and so supportive. As one of the characters said, ‘it’s as though there’s always someone here for you when you need it.’.
It would be wonderful to take time out in the way that Grace did although perhaps not under the same circumstances. It’s a book that makes you think about how important it is to take time for yourself, to take a breather, to learn how to say no occasionally without guilt.
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. Full of encouragement, a beautiful romance, friendship, second chances and self-discovery, I found What Really Happened to Me? to be so uplifting and hopeful with its positive message about learning to love yourself, faults and all.
August 3, 2025
The Next Chapter series by Ellie Barker is an absolute delight, delivering heartwarming and relatable stories that offer escapism, acceptance and exploration of profound emotions simultaneously, and What Really Happened To Me? is another wonderful story set in the world of Strawberry Village.
It felt like I was meeting up with friends I’d known forever in Strawberry Village and Lemon Cove - friends who are there for you, no matter what, no judgment, just acceptance, love and support. And there’s no question at all that they are exactly the sort of friends that Grace Leven needed in her life.
We are all going through our own challenges on this rollercoaster called life and Ellie Barker’s writing feels like it comes straight from the heart, bringing the stories to life in such a relatable way that has such real warmth and compassion.
I was immersed from start to end in Grace’s story, completely ignoring the stop points for the Readalong that I was part of. There was no way I could pause and wait for what came next for Grace. Poor Grace, who didn’t know what she needed until her whole life came crashing down around her and accidentally found Strawberry Village and it’s amazing residents, who despite her initial objectives helped her to help herself.
I absolutely flew through this book and truly recommend it for anyone looking for a truly heartwarming, uplifting and positive read that will leave you with that fabulous glow and warm, fuzzy feeling.
Thank you so much Insta Book Tours and Ellie Barker for sharing this book with me - this is my honest and unbiased review.
It felt like I was meeting up with friends I’d known forever in Strawberry Village and Lemon Cove - friends who are there for you, no matter what, no judgment, just acceptance, love and support. And there’s no question at all that they are exactly the sort of friends that Grace Leven needed in her life.
We are all going through our own challenges on this rollercoaster called life and Ellie Barker’s writing feels like it comes straight from the heart, bringing the stories to life in such a relatable way that has such real warmth and compassion.
I was immersed from start to end in Grace’s story, completely ignoring the stop points for the Readalong that I was part of. There was no way I could pause and wait for what came next for Grace. Poor Grace, who didn’t know what she needed until her whole life came crashing down around her and accidentally found Strawberry Village and it’s amazing residents, who despite her initial objectives helped her to help herself.
I absolutely flew through this book and truly recommend it for anyone looking for a truly heartwarming, uplifting and positive read that will leave you with that fabulous glow and warm, fuzzy feeling.
Thank you so much Insta Book Tours and Ellie Barker for sharing this book with me - this is my honest and unbiased review.
September 14, 2025
I am new to this series and was very excited to dive in, as I saw just how much people seemed to love the down to earth and very realistic nature of all the stories. So, with everything going on in life and with the world, I was very keen to have Ellie take me away to someone else's world to experience their life for a moment.
This book focuses on Grace, who is a lovely person, but just is not having life cooperate the way she hopes, for the most part. We travel along as she meets a large series of ups and downs, and some of these may be partly due to the personality she has. She is very focused on her life and her needs, and sometimes forgets to look around because of this, but it was relatable as I know a lot of people have gotten stuck in this rut. When her and Harvey met, I really liked their vibes and the way they brought out the best in one another. It was a lovely book and I liked the way it flows to the end.
This book focuses on Grace, who is a lovely person, but just is not having life cooperate the way she hopes, for the most part. We travel along as she meets a large series of ups and downs, and some of these may be partly due to the personality she has. She is very focused on her life and her needs, and sometimes forgets to look around because of this, but it was relatable as I know a lot of people have gotten stuck in this rut. When her and Harvey met, I really liked their vibes and the way they brought out the best in one another. It was a lovely book and I liked the way it flows to the end.
March 11, 2026
This is my first book by Ellie and I loved it so much that I am looking forward to reading her previous books. This story is about Grace, while everything looks perfect on the outside, little does anyone know what really goes on behind closed doors. Everything is going downhill in her personal life and she does not know what to do. Can the Strawberry House Hotel help her to work out what she wants in life and help her to get her life back on track? I feel as though the story is about love, loss and coming to terms with it all, it was a great well rounded story which touched my heart and I hope people in the same situation will be able to relate. Such a heartfelt read.
August 4, 2025
The story in emojis: 🍓🎯❤️
3 things about this book:
•The Next Chapter Collection
•Cosy vibes
•Self Discovery
ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved going back to Strawberry Village, reconnecting with all friends and meeting Grace who was stuck in a rut.
The best way to describe this book was a gentle, cosy story of self discovery. Grace’s story was relatable in some elements and heartbreaking in others - absolute proof of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.
I have loved my time back in Strawberry Village and will be looking to read more of them for the perfect escape from real life.
March 7, 2026
Grace. What a women.
I didn’t think I was going to like her at the start. However it turned into something beautiful and Grace was swept up on the ride.
I knew her husband was a cad. The perfect word for him. So manipulative and self centred. I am really glad the outcome did not include him.
This really made me think about life and what makes me happy.
A lovely thought provoking story.
I didn’t think I was going to like her at the start. However it turned into something beautiful and Grace was swept up on the ride.
I knew her husband was a cad. The perfect word for him. So manipulative and self centred. I am really glad the outcome did not include him.
This really made me think about life and what makes me happy.
A lovely thought provoking story.
July 29, 2025
This is the second book I have read by Ellie Barker and it did not disappoint .
The story of Grace takes you on journey of discovery, one that you feel you’re going on with her.
It is so beautifully written.
Look forward to reading more books by Ellie Barker
The story of Grace takes you on journey of discovery, one that you feel you’re going on with her.
It is so beautifully written.
Look forward to reading more books by Ellie Barker
August 18, 2025
So, as expected, I immediately picked up this book straight after finishing the first, and I'm glad I didn't leave it any longer. It's another heartwarming story that brings strawberry village back in prime focus, as well as another strong underlying message at the forefront. This time around, we follow Grace Leven, a successful CEO of Hi-TV, who the tabloids portray as the woman who has it all. Of course, that all comes crashing down in scandalous fashion.
I admit, Grace was a tricky character for me to connect easily with. For the majority of the book, i found her quite annoying and self-centred but also very relatable. She was utterly flawed in many ways, but it was really hard not to feel sorry for her and root for her own happy beginning, whilst also wanting to shake her a lot of the time. Ultimately, though, she did have all the vibes you would expect from a woman scorned, so she was a great character to develop. I really liked how she was with Harvey. He brought out a softer side in her, and it quickly became obvious that there was more to Grace's behaviour than we know. It was also a pleasure to see Jack, Iris, and many of the OG characters heavily featured throughout the story. I really adore this place. There's a lovely sense of community that seeps off the pages and hooks you in like a warm, fuzzy hug. I really hope there's more instalments to come with this series.
I admit, Grace was a tricky character for me to connect easily with. For the majority of the book, i found her quite annoying and self-centred but also very relatable. She was utterly flawed in many ways, but it was really hard not to feel sorry for her and root for her own happy beginning, whilst also wanting to shake her a lot of the time. Ultimately, though, she did have all the vibes you would expect from a woman scorned, so she was a great character to develop. I really liked how she was with Harvey. He brought out a softer side in her, and it quickly became obvious that there was more to Grace's behaviour than we know. It was also a pleasure to see Jack, Iris, and many of the OG characters heavily featured throughout the story. I really adore this place. There's a lovely sense of community that seeps off the pages and hooks you in like a warm, fuzzy hug. I really hope there's more instalments to come with this series.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews