How I Wonder What You Are

by Jane Lovering

“Maybe he wasn’t here because of the lights – maybe they were here because of him …”

It’s been over eighteen months since Molly Gilchrist has had a man (as her best friend, Caro, is so fond of reminding her) so when she as good as stumbles upon one, lying comatose, on the moors one bitterly cold morning, it seems like the Universe is having a laugh at her expense.

But Phinn Baxter (that’s Doctor Phinneas Baxter) is no drunken layabout, as Molly is soon to discover; with a PhD in astrophysics and a tortured past that is a match for Molly’s own disastrous love life.

Finding mysterious men on the moors isn’t the weirdest thing Molly has to contend with, however. There’s also those strange lights she keeps seeing in the sky. The ones she’s only started seeing since meeting Phinn …

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Horses, Paranormal, Adult

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2014

About the author

Jane Lovering was born in Devon, England but, following extradition procedures, now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, four cats, two dogs and doesn't believe in housework so the bacteria and dust are approaching sentience and now rank among the pets. Incidentally, she doesn’t believe in ironing either, and the children all learned self-defensive cookery at early ages. She works in a local school and also teaches creative writing, which are extreme ways of avoiding the washing up.

Published since 2008, she writes romantic comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. One day she's going to find out what that means. Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has a first class honours degree in creative writing. In 2012, her novel Please Don't Stop the Music won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the RNA.

Reviews

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I Wonder What You Are, (Choc Lit), Jane Lovering
Genre: romance
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Well, I loved this book, it’s one of a very few that made me laugh out loud. Very rare for me, smile, even snigger occasionally, but a full on laugh...very rare. Its the septic tank, lavender trouser suit that first did it, the mental images....made me smile even thinking of them.
So, we meet Phinn and Molly, both escaping from traumas and hiding from life in the tiny village of Riverdale. Its an inauspicious meeting though, Molly’s out riding the phlegmatic Stan ( I grew up riding ponies like that, when you’re a horse mad child you don’t care that some horses have just two gaits; Dead Slow and Stop...so they can take full advantage of the hedgerows.) when she comes across Phinn, passed out cold, naked, up on the moors. What’s a girl to do? she can’t leave him – it’s freezing out – so she hauls him up onto Stan, and takes him home. Of course by the time she’s lugged him over the concrete and inside, if he wasn’t injured before he is now...tender skin and saddles don’t go well together any more than tender skin and rough concrete, so when he wakes he’s not only disorientated but very tender. As Caro puts it – she’s ridden nude and she hasn’t got a scrotum! Ouch..
Caro, Molly’s saviour and fount of wisdom. It’d be great to see her in a book next, with the sharp outside, soft inside, Link. Both are much more than the front they show. Caro “rescued” Molly, and now Molly sees her as a close friend, but Caro doesn’t know what she’s running from, other than a man of course. Slowly that comes out along with Phinn’s history. They are so funny, every meeting seems to be a disaster, they both seem to miss every hint and opportunity, and yet we’re compelled to root for them, to want them to find a way forward, but its all two steps forward and one step back. Its a funny read, full of parts that made me snigger, laugh out loud, and then feel really emotional because it was just so, so sad. Running through the text are the Lights, the mysterious lights that no-one else seems to see.
It’s a great read, full of humour and pathos, and one to read again when you want a really feel good romance but not one that’s going to drag you into despair – there’s a place for those, but also for ones like this, where the characters find their way together through a myriad of funny everyday occurrences, where its peppered with dry humour. When they do finally get together it just feels so right, so meant to be, when finally the title makes sense. Looking for what else Jane has written I found I'd downloaded another a couple of years back but not read it...so that’s what I’m reading now, the funny Vampire State of Mind..
Stars: Five, a fun and rewarding romance.
ARC provided by Netgalley and publishers

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. I loved Phinn - the start captured my interest immediately. An abundance of Yorkshire and a mischievous horse kept my interest.

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Different Stars



It was a very different sort of tale of two broken people... with a mysterious lights in the sky connecting them



I liked the leads , I liked how Hero was so geek and such a good person , and the heroine was so understanding and in her own way very brave. I just wished there were more beautiful scenes of them together,,,, and that they should hav gotten together bit early ... but i guess dts the part. There were also some interesting philosophical theories running along.... all in all it was good.

[Jenreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

[Rhoda Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd heard about Phinn, the hero in this book and I was so looking forward to reading about him that I pre-ordered the book. When it arrived on my Kindle, I zoomed through it within 24 hours. It would have been quicker if I could read in the shower.

Anyhew - Phinn is a genius and, like a lot of geniuses (geniusi?) he has only a passing relationship with living in the real world. Phinn is more Leonard Hofstader than Sheldon Cooper in that his insecurities have insecurities.Since I like my men to be cute in a stupid-ass way (sorry, DH!), I loved Phinn.

Molly is hiding from her past. As this past trickles out, you realise that Molly isn't as nice as you first thought she was, but then, who is? I felt sorry for her dawning awareness. It made her more believable.

As always, there are very funny bits. The scene in the pub was hilarious. There's also a couple of interesting best friends, a cesspit tank, a horse called Stan (quite a character) and a biting North Yorkshire wind that sees more action than anyone else.

The usual disclaimer applies - I know Jane. We both write for Choc Lit, but I was a fan before all that etc.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two people hurt by love find each other, and ha, oh how they meet each other! You have to read that for yourself.

Molly is hiding away in a house in a village in the middle of nowhere. She has been hurt. But why is she running from love? What happened? And we get to see issues with her love life. She needs to think about that (and does.)

Phinn has even bigger issues and is hiding away in a crappy old house he inherited. Poor guy is drinking too much and is depressed. He is also super smart and has a phd in astrophysics.

They meet (very weird meeting.) They meet again. They meet again (ha, even stranger.) They slowly start to talk, get to know each other more. But she is hiding from something, and he is running from his own feelings. They both need to heal. And we all know how that will work, yes let them heal each other :D The road there is long, but then loves does not come easily.

An amusing book that also was serious at times. Romance and, not for be forgotten, strange lights in the sky. What are those? :)

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prologue was intriguing, but it was the first sentence in chapter one that drew me in immediately. "The man lay naked, unconscious and, inevitably I suppose given the temperature, slightly blue." What followed was a delightful contemporary romance. Phinn and Molly both had hang ups from past relationships and both managed to grow and accept themselves for who they are. There was a hint of magical realism with the colourful lights that appeared several times that only Phinn and Molly could see. I loved Phinn, he was the perfect beta male leading man.

This is the fourth book in the Yorkshire Romance series. It is the first one I have read and can easily be read as a stand alone novel. I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. How I wonder what you are is being released in paperback this month

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely romantic read about overcoming the scars that unhappy and/or unhealthy relationships sear on all aspects of one's life.

Molly (a journalist) and Phinn (an astrophysicist) are both hiding from their past, but a chance encounter and a shared goal sets them up on the road to emotional recovery. The characters (both main and secondary) are beautifully drawn, their back stories drip-fed to the reader in a way that makes you want to keep the pages turning. The change in point of view between Molly and Phinn adds a delightful spin to the story.

Comedy, conflict, romance, and a dash of mystery. What more do you need?

*I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four and a half stars.

What do you do when you are exercising a wilful horse on the Yorkshire moors and find an unconscious naked man? Well if you're a single woman you drag him (in some cases literally) back to your cottage.

Molly Gilchrist is living in a cottage in the Yorkshire countryside, scratching a living writing for a magazine called 'Miles To Go' about walking and helping out her friend Caro(line) with exercising said wilful horse Stan. She had a glittering career in London but 18 months ago something happened to make her run away and hide, where no-one knows her. When she finds astro-physicist Dr Phinn Baxter lying on the moor she brings him back and the two of them begin a prickly, push-me- pull-me relationship. Phinn too is running away from a potential Nobel prize-winning career after his wife left him - only his running away takes the form of vodka. Then they discover that they have both seen a mysterious light formation in the skies, something that no-one else can see, and that binds them together.

I just loved this book. If you have read any of Jane Lovering's other York Romances then you won't be disappointed in this one. Phinn is a nerdy (but sexy) geek and totally a fav new book boyfriend. How I loved him and sympathised with his fears that he wasn't a real man because he wasn't all butch and macho. I loved Phinn's friend Link, although I am still on the fence about Caro - she was mean to Molly and I hold a grudge. And Molly herself? Wow, she truly went through some soul-searching and realised some less than pleasant things about herself. She was also treated really badly, REALLY badly.

Maybe that all sounds a bit angsty, a bit deep? Can I also say it is also REALLY funny, especially about being British in a crisis (hint: it involves Custard Creams).

Overall, it has made me wonder why I stopped buying Jane Lovering's books and has meant I now need to buy all her other books ASAP.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

It’s been over eighteen months since Molly Gilchrist has had a man (as her best friend, Caro, is so fond of reminding her) so when she as good as stumbles upon one, lying comatose, on the moors one bitterly cold morning, it seems like the Universe is having a laugh at her expense.
But Phinn Baxter (that’s Doctor Phinneas Baxter) is no drunken layabout, as Molly is soon to discover; with a PhD in astrophysics and a tortured past that is a match for Molly’s own disastrous love life.
Finding mysterious men on the moors isn’t the weirdest thing Molly has to contend with, however. There’s also those strange lights she keeps seeing in the sky. The ones she’s only started seeing since meeting Phinn …

Apart from the cute way these two meet, this book doesn't really get out of second gear for me...

Phinn and Molly are easily identifiable - I think a lot of people have been down the path that these two were on. It makes it easier for us to sympathise with them. What else I liked about these 2 was their "quirkiness" (for lack of a better word) - it kept them fresh and interesting...

However, the story they were put in just doesn't really get going for me. I got to about the halfway mark and started wondering how much longer it was going to go on for...thankfully, the writing picked up and I got to the end and, ultimately, enjoyed this story.

The other thing that was somewhat distracting was the writing style itself. First-person Molly and then third-person Phinn. Weird choice.

Overall, a pretty decent story that could have used a little more 'oomph' to keep me interested, especially at the start.


Paul
ARH

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange lights in the sky and a naked man on the moors??!! Do you need to know anymore?! It had me hooked from the start and in the characters of Molly and Phinn there's so much fun that the author had playing with their stories, that it made for such an enjoyable read and a real escape from the realities of life - and has me looking to the skies at night in the hope I can spot my own 'Alice lights'!

Molly doesn't know but her life is about to change when she goes out for a horse ride over the moors where she discovers the naked Phinn. Fearing the worst for him, she manages to get him back to safety and the mystery behind him starts to reveal itself. Phinn himself isn't quite sure what is going, but things soon start to fall into place and you really get the sense that these 2 characters were meant to meet to try and help them resolve the pasts they'd been trying to forget.

I loved Phinn and Molly as a pairing! There's hurt there, but there's also compassion towards one another and a real connection that is clear for all to see. There's great humour throughout the book but also a good look at some interesting developments for each character to work through as there's so much hurt that they have to work through! Those lights in the skies are around to distract them and bring them closer together! A fabulous read!

[Aida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an alpha hero sucker. There are very few beta heroes I enjoy. Phinn Baxter was one of them. He was incredibly intriguing, despite being a very insecure man. The heroine, Molly, is also very lovely and, like me, falls deeply for Phinn despite his issues.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could have been just another romantic novel. It has all the ingredients- tortured psyches, wild scenery, boy gets girl, boy loses girl etc. - but it was elevated by good writing and witty asides. I really enjoyed it.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story and I mostly enjoyed it.

I didn’t like the alternating POV - the heroine’s in 1st person and the hero’s in 3rd. Every time it changed, it jolted me out of the story. I would have preferred the entire book in 3rd person close.

[Vicky Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

All a bit too soppy for me.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. I don't usually enjoy enjoy chick lit as it's mostly generic but I really connected with the characters, especially Phinn.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book despite it being slightly formulaic. The characters were somewhat more interesting than the usual 'chic lit' fare and Stan just made me laugh so much.

[Mrs J M Sadler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't get the comedy

Tried hard to like this book but didn't find it to my taste. This is my persona! View maybe I just can't get on with romance

[Book Gannet · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a small village tucked into a crook of the Yorkshire Moors there are two people who are running hard away from their lives – and somehow end up colliding, with a little help from some mysterious lights, a crotchety horse and some stalwart friends. This romance is steady, a little slow in places, but sweet and fun, surprisingly serious at times and with a touch of whimsy to round it out.

Molly is in hiding from her ex-fiancé, spending her days helping out at her friend’s stables, writing articles for a walking magazine (that’s a magazine about walking, not one that walks around) and riding Stan, the lazy horse who will sink his teeth into anything in search of food. I liked Molly, she’s nice and she’s funny, and she has a very good reason for running out of London. She also has a few issues relating back to her childhood, which have coloured all her relationships with men.

Until she meets Phinn, of course. Because Phinn isn’t like other men, and not just because she finds him stark naked and unconscious on the moors. No, Physicist Phinn is smart, incredibly smart, but also incredibly insecure. He’s spent his life being valued for his brain and undervalued as a man. He’s not bossy or strong or in charge of anything, not even himself. He too has some serious relationship and childhood issues, but also more than a hint of depression. He’s not your usual romance novel hero, but I couldn’t help falling for him a little.

Of course there are times when I wanted to shake the pair of them, either individually or at the same time. Despite both being attracted to each other, it takes a very, very long time for their relationship to get anywhere – even into friendship. They’re both so wary, not to mention emotionally messed up, both trying to come to terms with recent events and the way their lives have changed and how their deep-seated problems have effected their lives that it’s a wonder they ever get anywhere. Best friend Caro is clearly a saint and deserves many medals for putting up with Molly as she does, while Phinn’s mate Link… well, he’s a special case all on his own.

My absolute favourite part of the book, however, was Stan the horse. He’s brilliant. Full of character and humourous moments. He reminded me of a few horses I’ve known and I absolutely loved him. I was less certain of the mysterious lights, but they add a nice touch of whimsical charm to everything, and I loved the gentle digs at Brian-Coxesque TV shows.

In all this is lovely and sweet and fun to read, perhaps a little slow in places but that’s not always a bad thing. It has a touch of magic, a sprinkle of science, some romance and plenty of good friends, rolling together to make an enjoyable read. This is my first Jane Lovering book, but I doubt it’ll be my last.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book from NetGalley*

Molly and Phinn are two lost souls, closed up inside themselves and holding the world at bay. Molly writes for a magazine and came to this remote little village after a bad breakup. She doesn't talk about her ex, nor will she talk about her mother and why she's so angry with her that she avoids her calls or hangs up as soon as she answers the phone. Her life consists of her little cottage, her friend (and landlady) across the street, Caro, and a horse named Stan who is a character in his own right. When she sees mysterious colorful lights flitting across the sky, she's entranced and curious about them, although nobody else in the village appears to have seen them.

One day while out riding Stan, Molly comes across a naked unconscious man lying on the ground. And that's how she meets Phinn. He's a physicist, quite well known in the science community. A lanky, awkward, bespectacled man who's taken up residence in an abandoned, neglected, moldy/mildewey house across the village. (Actually I don't remember if the author described him as “lanky” but in my head he is.) When Phinn sees mysterious colorful lights flitting across the sky, he's entranced and curious about them, although his friend Link never sees them, even when he's walking just a few yards behind Phinn.

While Molly is recovering from her bad breakup, Phinn wears the remnants of his marriage like a cloak. It covers him all around, keeping his memories close and allowing his anxiety and low self-esteem to leak out through the worn fabric. His wife convinced him that he's a wimp, that he's not a real man, that no real woman would want him.

Right from the beginning I was captivated by the narration, by the author's voice and her turn of phrase. It was flowing, almost lyrical at times. An example:

The anger weighted his words, made them drop and bend the atmosphere around them.

For the most part I enjoyed the story, enjoyed getting to know Phinn and Molly, as well as Stan the horse. I expected those mysterious lights to play into the plot more than they did, but the plot moved forward steadily (albeit a little slowly) despite the lights not being more involved. However, as much I hate to say it, I did at times agree with Phinn that he was being a wimp, and kept wanting him to “man up” and grow a pair. And when he finally did, I was initially disappointed at the way he went about it. But everything was resolved nicely in the end and overall it was a sweet little story.

Note: It's my understanding this is the fourth book in a series, The Yorkshire Romances, but each book can be read as a stand alone.

My full review is on my blog:

http://octoberwomanrobin.blogspot.com...

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

First reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

I have to admit – it’s very difficult to not be immediately drawn in (or to not chuckle) when a novels opens up with a woman finding a naked man, passed out, turning slightly blue due to the cold, out on the moors. I mean really – could you resist? I didn’t think so.

I thoroughly enjoyed How I Wonder What You Are. This isn’t a story where you are going to be overloaded with character information at first – you are going to get to know them slowly, over the course of their story. And that is not a bad thing. At a time when a character’s entire backstory is given to the reader within the first two paragraphs, getting to know and, perhaps understanding, them was an enjoyable part of the overall story.

You could call them both wounded, misfits and not be wrong – but they are also both in need of someone special who will see past the surface to the people they truly are. And don’t we all want that out of life?

This is a novel of discovery, a bit of mystery, a touch of supernatural. It’s also one of being accepted for exactly who you are. Phinn is not your typical romance hero – in fact he is more geek than hero, and that is perfectly fine. They can’t all be Alpa men, we need the normal Beta guys too. Not every woman wants to constantly deal with an Alpha. Molly hasn’t always been the woman she is today. But then who among us is the same person we were 10 years ago? She is doing some hiding of her own now.

Each will slowly find their way to each other. And there comes the romance in the story.

And what are the lights that only Molly and Phinn see when they are together?

You’ll just have to read How I Wonder What You Are for yourself – and maybe find out.

I believe this is a novel that has to be read. I do not want or intend to give you a blow by blow of the story. You have enough to think about already. (Remember the naked man on the moors) *wink*

Because so much of what and who Molly and Phinn are, this is a slowly unfolding story that needs to be read to be enjoyed or even understood. It’s a slow, steady pace (in my opinion) and again, that is not a bad thing. This is an enjoyable story and one I would recommend for anyone who enjoys digging a bit deeper to find out who the characters really are. The touch of the magical is also a wonderful addition to the story. If you can slow down and let the story unfold itself to you – then you will love this one. Go on, give it a try – I think you’ll be glad you did.

*I received an e-ARC of How I Wonder What You Are from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I Wonder What You Are is a unique, entertaining, and heart felt story about two people who are hiding from their pasts, unable to move on.

I really liked the English country side setting Jane took me to in How I Wonder What You Are. Her descriptions of the small town of Riverdale, the stars, and the moors are so vivid. As I read I got the sense that this is the perfect place for Molly and Phinn to be at this point in their lives.

Molly has been hurt and keeps her past private, even from her close friend Caro. She has a heart of gold though, and this is is evident from the hilarious start to the story. Molly was very intriguing and Jane did a great job of bringing her past up at the right times in the story, and I felt like I got to know her well. Molly starts off kind of stuck in where she is, but as the story grows, so does Molly's character.

Phinn is so different from most hero's in romance books! He is very scarred emotionally from his past, so scarred that he is kind of stuck there too. He is brilliant but insecure, and certainly doesn't feel like he will ever be good enough for anyone. It was sad but I liked this unique hero.

Both characters come together in Riverdale, and very slowly individually they grow and together a tenuous bond is formed. As the stars dance around them though, so do their emotions and the misunderstandings of people who have been hurt before. I felt very vested in watching Phinn and Molly heal and finally start to move forward. I felt like they were a couple who would be good together if only they could take the chance again. Neither of them are perfect and the road to the future is very bumpy which makes what they are going through realistic.

I really liked Caro! She is an incredible secondary character who tells it like it is, is hilarious, and tries to help Molly put things into perspective. I would love to read more about her!

Family dynamics are explored which adds even more dimension to How I Wonder What You Are as you learn more and more as the story progresses.

I also really liked the way Jane wrote in both first person POV and third person POV! She did this seamlessly and I felt like it really brought the characters to life, and drew me into the story easily.

How I Wonder What You Are kept me laughing but it also made my heart ache a little for Molly and Phinn. The glimpse of supernatural was a unique addition and done in just a way to make me think of the possibilities. Jane wrapped up my heart in How I Wonder What You Are with great character dynamics in a great setting with so many interesting scenarios. I'd recommend How I Wonder What You Are to any romance reader!

[Sorcha O'Dowd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Lovering is an author to watch out for, not only does she create engaging characters and brilliant settings, but she manages to infuse such warmth and humour throughout her stories, which make them such a joy to read.

‘How I Wonder What You Are’ is a book that I was unable to put down. From the word go I was immersed in the Yorkshire landscape and the village life that Molly had escaped to. Being from a small village myself, I could see so many similarities and it made the reading experience that much more richer, as the world Lovering created just felt so real.

Molly was the perfect heroine. I love how Jane Lovering didn’t create a character who was just so likeable, but instead gave her a real depth and character flaws that made her so much more believable as a person. To see her overcome flaws that she felt had controlled her life was really inspiring, and I really enjoyed her accepting her faults and trying hard to move on, and learn from her past experiences. I really felt for her when the truth about the breakdown of her engagement came out, and I was firmly on Team Molly throughout.

Phinn was just the icing on the cake, so to speak. I have a weakness for nerdy guys (probably as I’m rather nerdy myself), and Phinn was the perfect guy for me to swoon over. Jane Lovering did a fantastic job at developing Phinn’s character throughout, as I could see the progress he was making at every turn, and seeing it through his own eyes was so rewarding. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a female reader who won’t want to give Phinn a huge hug.

Infused throughout was some brilliant humour that fit so naturally with the story and characters. Link was hilarious, yet also so multi-dimensional that he wasn’t just a character thrown in to add humour, but one who really helped the pace and development of the story. His reaction to Phinn’s shame over his alpha-male behaviour in bed was brilliant, and it was these little tidbits that made the story what it was.

And not since Flynn Rider and Maximus have I loved a bromance as much as that of Phinn and Stan. Classic!


5 Stars!

*Review copy was kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Molly has come to Yorkshire and the small town of Riverdale to escape from her life and the memories of her fiancés betrayal. She doesn’t want anything disturbing the blanket of solitude she has thrown over herself. However, everything starts to change when she sees some strange lights in the sky, lights that lead her to Dr Phinn Baxter…naked, drunk and passed out in the middle of a field.

In general, I seem to read books written by Americans, not that there is a problem with that, I have gotten used to the slightly different grammar, spelling and the strange words that you guys like to use, for example, fanny… it means something different in the UK, so, when I first read that total confusion reigned. So reading a book written by a fellow Brit, it was nice, reassuring even and it surprised me what a difference it made to my reading experience. The familiar words and phrases, the cadence of the writing, even the personalities of the characters, it was all rather comforting.

However, although I definitely enjoyed the process of reading How I Wonder What You Are I found that the story itself was slow and it took me a while to really immerse myself in it. Rather than a steamy break neck pace with sudden flares of passion and drama, it was a gentle stroll with slow-building romance, involving lots of tears and lots of tea.

I don’t think this book would be for everyone, the romance was slow and the kinkiest it got was Molly tripping over and landing on a naked Phinn in the bath. However, I enjoyed the slightly repressed British romance, it made me laugh and so although this is my first book by Jane Lovering, it won’t be my last.

*ARC provided by publisher

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[Suzie Groers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my first Jane Lovering book, and to be honest, it won't be my last. Since discovering Jane's books a few years ago I quickly, and delightfully, worked my way through them, with never a disappointment to be found. How I Wonder What You Are was no exception.

I doubt there would be many people who could walk away from the opening scene, where the protagonist, Molly, finds a naked man on the Yorkshire moors (the best I've ever found out in the open countryside was a discarded crisp packet). The naked man turns out to be Phinn (Phinneas Baxter, Physicist, geek and potential hunk), who is drawn up to the moors by the mysterious lights in the night sky. Molly is hiding out in Yorkshire after a failed relationship and she spends her time writing magazine articles and riding her friend's recalcitrant horse, Stan. The relationship between Molly and Phinn develops gracefully throughout the book, they both have issues so there's a lot of coming together and moving apart, which I did begin to find quite frustrating at times but it never got dull to watch the dance between these two. The mysterious lights keep cropping up throughout the story, right up to the very satisfying end, but I'm not going to spoil the fun by saying more on that point.

There is always something quirky going on in Jane Lovering's stories, and that's what appeals to me most about them - you know from the start that you're going to get something different. Her characters are usually flawed, like the rest of us I suppose, which feels more authentic and easy to identify with. There is a lot of humour running through the story as I have come to expect from Lovering's previous works, and she does it so well.

Overall, there is a lovely atmosphere to the book, the characters are believable and well rounded, the setting bleak enough to be believable and the back story doesn't take over too much. Now all I have to do is wait patiently for the next book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly has come to Yorkshire and the small town of Riverdale to escape from her life and the memories of her fiancés betrayal. She doesn’t want anything disturbing the blanket of solitude she has thrown over herself. However, everything starts to change when she sees some strange lights in the sky, lights that lead her to Dr Phinn Baxter…naked, drunk and passed out in the middle of a field.

In general, I seem to read books written by Americans, not that there is a problem with that, I have gotten used to the slightly different grammar, spelling and the strange words that you guys like to use, for example, fanny… it means something different in the UK, so, when I first read that total confusion reigned. So reading a book written by a fellow Brit, it was nice, reassuring even and it surprised me what a difference it made to my reading experience. The familiar words and phrases, the cadence of the writing, even the personalities of the characters, it was all rather comforting.

However, although I definitely enjoyed the process of reading How I Wonder What You Are I found that the story itself was slow and it took me a while to really immerse myself in it. Rather than a steamy break neck pace with sudden flares of passion and drama, it was a gentle stroll with slow-building romance, involving lots of tears and lots of tea.

I don’t think this book would be for everyone, the romance was slow and the kinkiest it got was Molly tripping over and landing on a naked Phinn in the bath. However, I enjoyed the slightly repressed British romance, it made me laugh and so although this is my first book by Jane Lovering, it won’t be my last.

[Ema · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an exploration of love, figuring out one's true desires, and forgiveness.

The lights this book was titled for were a rather cute addition to this book and provided the means for the two to meet and communicate.

Phinn was my favourite aspect of this story. He was quirky and insecure, rather different from most male leads in this type of novel. I enjoyed getting to know him and the strange escapades he had. I also enjoyed hearing about Molly's love of horses; her passion really shone through and made her feel alive.

It took me until about halfway through for the characters to capture me and for me to want to continue reading this book. I felt like a lot of sections could be condensed, and I just wasn't gripped.

This was narrated strangely. Most of the book was written from Molly's first person point of view; however, we also got sections told in third person about Phinn that had all of his emotions and thoughts. I found this to be disorienting. This also made the book more predictable as we knew what both of the main characters were thinking, wanting, and striving for. There were some points that didn't quite make sense, like the pill in the later part of the book, and a lot of the characters' back story became confusing, but overall, this had an easy to follow plot.

I simply didn't enjoy the writing style. Molly, our main first-person character, seemed quite conscious of how she was narrating and at points even commented on her word choice. This kept pulling me out of the book and was distracting.

There's nothing bad about this book; however, it did take me a while to get into and I'd only recommend this is you're someone who enjoys a lot of character development and if you're someone easily gripped.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank them for their generousity. In exchange, I was simply asked to write an honest review, and post it. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising]

This book was reminiscent to me of "The Time Traveler's Wife". I think it was the first scene of how Molly finds Phinn....

Molly ran after she found out what happened in London. Just up and left. She ran until she found peace, and quiet in a tiny Yorkshire town, in the caretaker's cottage of her friend Caroline. She ran and found Stan, the horse that, in Caro's own words "eats people, you have been warned". Steady, reliable, mind-of-his-own Stan, whom, for whatever reason likes Molly.

She kind of likes being on the edge of the moors, writing for an outdoor themed magazine, working in Caro's stables. Then, she literally finds Phinn, who is escaping his own demons by returning to his uncle's house where no light, no heat no electricity have ever darkened those doors. Only his childhood friend Link Baxter and a camp stove keep him sane.

Phinn is running from relationships of the good and bad types, from history too painful to deal with, towards oblivion if he keeps up with this pace, whether in a bottle or a packet of anti depressives, or the loss of his life in London. Only at Howe's End does her feel safe.

He rescues her, and to misquote Julia Roberts:" she rescues him right back". Together they explore the wide open life reflected in the sky as well as the dark scarey corners of their own histories, and drag Link, Caro and good ol' Stan right along with them.

This book made me outright laugh! Jane Lovering has a wicked sense of humor and I enjoyed this book very much.

[Paris Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on Paris Baker's Book Nook.

You know how to grab a girls attention? Start your book by finding a beautiful man butt naked and unconscious on the moors. Yup, that'll do it. Hooked from the start. Well played, Jane, well played.

This is the first I've read of Jane's books, and also the first I've read from Choc Lit publishers. Having heard a lot of great things about both, I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed.

I loved the characters of both Phinn (I reaaally loved Phinn!!) and Molly. They both had issues and demons from the past. She's hiding, he's running, but they are both sweet, goodhearted people at their core, just feeling at odds with things around them. I loved seeing the relationship between them develop, as the chemistry was obvious from the start and their interactions were wonderful.

The lights that mysteriously appeared around the same time Phinn did are kept magically mysterious right until the end, which kept you wanting answers. Other things are kept unknown such as Molly's awful relationship with her mother, which is not explained for a long time. As this was Molly's big secret in her life, Jane worked this really well with keeping it a secret from the reader too.

How I Wonder What You Are ticked all the boxes for me; it was romantic, cute, funny, engaging and mysterious. The ending was entirely satisfying in that warm-and-fuzzy way when everything just works out so nicely, in particular in regards to the lights. Overall, a really sweet and satisfying read.

Many thanks to Choc Lit for providing a review copy via Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Cage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite its nursery-rhyme title, 'How I Wonder What You Are' is a sophisticated read. I wanted to say 'adult' but that would imply a 50 shades-esque level of steam, whereas How I Wonder simmers gently with sexual tension throughout.
Molly finds Phinn lying naked on the moors and carts him home with the help of an obstructive pony named Stan, so she knows a good deal from the start about his impressive physique. However, despite his high public profile as a professor of Astrophysics, Phinn turns out to have secrets galore, while Molly herself isn't quite the open book she pretends to be.
Like so many of Jane Lovering's books, this is a story of two wounded souls finding healing through a relationship which is by turns hilarious and touching. The romance is always front and centre, and plays out against a delightful backdrop of village life and the quest Phinn and Molly share, to understand the origins of the mysterious lights which hover over the moors at night. Could they be UFOs? Or even UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, which is apparently the latest term for mysterious flying objects)?
The mystery is finally solved in a whimsical but believable way, while the romance too is perfectly wrapped up at the end of the story. In Choc Lit's ever-expanding galaxy of romance writers, Jane Lovering is surely one of the brightest stars.