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Love Lessons in Starcross Valley
'A lovely, very different 5 read from Lucy Knott, full of her trademark cosiness' Sam Tonge, author of Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage, on The Little Barn of Dreams. With the recent breakdown of both her ten-year relationship and her parents' marriage, thirty-five-year-old Marnie Barnes no longer believes in love. To give her life the shake-up it so clearly needs, she books a ticket to Canada. Thousands of miles away from her home and her twin sister, she struggles to have the life-changing experience she dreamt of - until she meets Nova, a dinosaur-loving space nerd with a penchant for living in the moment.
After a wonderful day together in Vancouver, they part ways. Though gutted, Marnie thinks it's proof that she's not meant to find love and tries to move on with her life. But a few months later, back in England, she bumps into someone achingly familiar.
As Marnie navigates her new feelings, takes chances and makes the first move for the first time in her life, can she regain her faith in love - and find it for herself?
After a wonderful day together in Vancouver, they part ways. Though gutted, Marnie thinks it's proof that she's not meant to find love and tries to move on with her life. But a few months later, back in England, she bumps into someone achingly familiar.
As Marnie navigates her new feelings, takes chances and makes the first move for the first time in her life, can she regain her faith in love - and find it for herself?
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2022
39 people are currently reading
667 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
May 10, 2022
I was a bit surprised by this book. It is not the type of book, I would usually choose to read, but I really liked the cover and the description.
At first I found it difficult to follow, as the first few chapters, seemed to jump around a bit, which made it hard to follow initially. But with all books, I always make sure I read 100 pages or 10% before I give up, and I was really grateful to have persuaded with this book as it is thoroughly enjoyable.
Marnie has recently had her personal world, fall apart around her, i.e her long time boyfriend had cheated on her, her parents were getting a divorce, and she had been terminated from her career as a teacher. On a last minute whim, Marnie decided to flee from all her problems in her small town where every body knew everybody and she want on a 6 month vacation to Canada on her own.
The escape to Canada, was just what she needed, a break from everything back home, Marnie was able to enjoy some hiking and ice hockey games, and was able to spend one very special day doing a guided tour of Canada by a special stranger she had met at her first ice hockey game.
6 months later when Marnie had come back home, things had changed, but it seemed for the better. Her Mum had a boyfriend, and her family where all happy to see her, despite her taking off and leaving them for 6 months without so much as a goodbye.
Upon coming home Marnie is unsure how she will go settling in to her old life, she is anxious about seeing her best friend Antoni and her family again. Like all good family and friends, they embrace her with open arms.
Marnie finds a new job at her niece's school as a Teacher's Aid, she is assisting a little girl (Paige) who is behind in her learning and tends to have issues with frustration and anger.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Marnie build a relationship based on trust with Paige, it really is beautiful to see how much she helps this young girl and bring her out of her shell, build her confidence and improve on her studies.
Marnie's love life is becoming more interesting each day since her return home, I won't give anything away, apart from keep reading the book, the story is wonderful.
Please visit my blog and follow to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/Kylies-Book-...
Thankyou to Netgalley, Head of Zeus Publishers and Lucy Knott for this advanced copy in return for my honest review. This truly is a lovely story. I rate this novel 4 stars.
At first I found it difficult to follow, as the first few chapters, seemed to jump around a bit, which made it hard to follow initially. But with all books, I always make sure I read 100 pages or 10% before I give up, and I was really grateful to have persuaded with this book as it is thoroughly enjoyable.
Marnie has recently had her personal world, fall apart around her, i.e her long time boyfriend had cheated on her, her parents were getting a divorce, and she had been terminated from her career as a teacher. On a last minute whim, Marnie decided to flee from all her problems in her small town where every body knew everybody and she want on a 6 month vacation to Canada on her own.
The escape to Canada, was just what she needed, a break from everything back home, Marnie was able to enjoy some hiking and ice hockey games, and was able to spend one very special day doing a guided tour of Canada by a special stranger she had met at her first ice hockey game.
6 months later when Marnie had come back home, things had changed, but it seemed for the better. Her Mum had a boyfriend, and her family where all happy to see her, despite her taking off and leaving them for 6 months without so much as a goodbye.
Upon coming home Marnie is unsure how she will go settling in to her old life, she is anxious about seeing her best friend Antoni and her family again. Like all good family and friends, they embrace her with open arms.
Marnie finds a new job at her niece's school as a Teacher's Aid, she is assisting a little girl (Paige) who is behind in her learning and tends to have issues with frustration and anger.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Marnie build a relationship based on trust with Paige, it really is beautiful to see how much she helps this young girl and bring her out of her shell, build her confidence and improve on her studies.
Marnie's love life is becoming more interesting each day since her return home, I won't give anything away, apart from keep reading the book, the story is wonderful.
Please visit my blog and follow to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/Kylies-Book-...
Thankyou to Netgalley, Head of Zeus Publishers and Lucy Knott for this advanced copy in return for my honest review. This truly is a lovely story. I rate this novel 4 stars.
January 27, 2022
While the description didn’t necessarily match up to the story, it was an easy read. I did however, find myself skimming a bit because some parts were just a lot of unnecessary descriptions that could have easily been cut out and not missed and would have made the story more enjoyable. That being said, I rounded up from 2.5 to 3 stars because I liked seeing the character development and I liked the inclusion of the autistic student.
Marnie is a heartbroken English woman who leaves town and flees for Canada right try and get over her parents divorce as well as the breakup of her own 10 year relationship. While there, she meets a strong, independent woman who gets Marnie to see beyond her past. Eventually Marnie has to go back home and face life again, and with the help of her best friend and her twin sister and her family, she’s able to start to do that by taking a job at the local primary school working with an autistic girl. The teacher isn’t open to marnies alternative style of relating to Paislee so it causes som conflict, but paislee starts to thrive. They go on a field trip to the museum, and lo and behold, Nova, the Canadian woman is there as an instructor. So they meet up again and work together to make a strategy to help Paislee that the teacher will approve of and in the meantime fall in love.
It was cute, there were some plausibility issues but that’s what fiction is for.
Thanks to Aria Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.
Publication date: February 3, 2022
Marnie is a heartbroken English woman who leaves town and flees for Canada right try and get over her parents divorce as well as the breakup of her own 10 year relationship. While there, she meets a strong, independent woman who gets Marnie to see beyond her past. Eventually Marnie has to go back home and face life again, and with the help of her best friend and her twin sister and her family, she’s able to start to do that by taking a job at the local primary school working with an autistic girl. The teacher isn’t open to marnies alternative style of relating to Paislee so it causes som conflict, but paislee starts to thrive. They go on a field trip to the museum, and lo and behold, Nova, the Canadian woman is there as an instructor. So they meet up again and work together to make a strategy to help Paislee that the teacher will approve of and in the meantime fall in love.
It was cute, there were some plausibility issues but that’s what fiction is for.
Thanks to Aria Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.
Publication date: February 3, 2022
July 8, 2024
Gosh, this was a struggle. I though the scenes were prolonged and there were times when not much happened at all. I wasn’t particularly inspired by the story but continued with it as I was curious to see what would happen to the main character.
The story opens in Canada; the next chapter we are taken back to England. I found this incredibly disjointed and felt akin to Marnie with her jet lag! I would have preferred it if the writer had spent a couple of chapters in this setting because it would have helped readers get to know Marnie and her current state of mind – it is only revealed later on in the novel why Marnie is in Canada in the first place. Such an important (and amazing!) setting definitely deserved more than an opening chapter. Instead, we are rushed back to England and the aftermath of her trip which wasn’t helped by the fact that so many of the character names seemed to start with the same letter. Coupled with their rather “vanilla” personalities, they soon blurred into one.
I enjoyed the career element of the story where Marnie returns to the classroom as a teaching assistant in a new school. I liked seeing how she works with a particular child and the effort she goes to – even if she is battling against the main classroom teacher. Personally, I don’t think Knott presents teachers in the most positive of lights, which I feel a bit sensitive to, but I did enjoy watching Marnie at work where she felt most comfortable.
But, it wasn’t just the slow plot and the bland characters that made this less enjoyable. I wasn’t prepared for the main love relationship and even found myself re-reading a section in the opening chapter to make sure I hadn’t got the wrong end of the stick. It was this that put me off the story and if the blurb had been clearer, I don’t think I would have read this book. Call me old-fashioned, but I wanted a romantic escapism and I don’t think this offering was what I needed.
Overall, I found the teacher-student relationship most endearing but was put off by Marnie and her ways. It was a story that seemed never-ending and didn’t really excite me in the slightest.
With thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story opens in Canada; the next chapter we are taken back to England. I found this incredibly disjointed and felt akin to Marnie with her jet lag! I would have preferred it if the writer had spent a couple of chapters in this setting because it would have helped readers get to know Marnie and her current state of mind – it is only revealed later on in the novel why Marnie is in Canada in the first place. Such an important (and amazing!) setting definitely deserved more than an opening chapter. Instead, we are rushed back to England and the aftermath of her trip which wasn’t helped by the fact that so many of the character names seemed to start with the same letter. Coupled with their rather “vanilla” personalities, they soon blurred into one.
I enjoyed the career element of the story where Marnie returns to the classroom as a teaching assistant in a new school. I liked seeing how she works with a particular child and the effort she goes to – even if she is battling against the main classroom teacher. Personally, I don’t think Knott presents teachers in the most positive of lights, which I feel a bit sensitive to, but I did enjoy watching Marnie at work where she felt most comfortable.
But, it wasn’t just the slow plot and the bland characters that made this less enjoyable. I wasn’t prepared for the main love relationship and even found myself re-reading a section in the opening chapter to make sure I hadn’t got the wrong end of the stick. It was this that put me off the story and if the blurb had been clearer, I don’t think I would have read this book. Call me old-fashioned, but I wanted a romantic escapism and I don’t think this offering was what I needed.
Overall, I found the teacher-student relationship most endearing but was put off by Marnie and her ways. It was a story that seemed never-ending and didn’t really excite me in the slightest.
With thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2022
Honestly I DNF at page 98.
Don't have any major objections to this book but I picked it up in a charity shop because it looked like some fun to help me get back into reading. Then I found it difficult to read. I just wasn't flying through it in the way I'd like for a fun book.
There were a few things which baffled me. Firstly, it was implied that there was some conflict in the character's life and there just was not. She was completely surrounded by friends and family who love her unconditionally and know her inside out and who pop round to make her lovely meals when they suspect she might be slightly sad. She knows and loves everyone who owns a shop on the high street. She didn't seem to be giving them anything in return or any particular reason to love her. She was just moping. 90 pages later they still loved her and she was still moping and the supposed love interest hadn't even turned up.
Also, I hate to say it but the author was irritating me via the book. Very clunky writing and grammar. "She was stood" all over the place. Lots of strong Americanisms mixed in with very British words like 'arse' generally gave the impression that she didn't know whether she was coming or going linguistically. Then I googled her and she's a twin who loves baking, so she clearly wrote this book about herself. I don't have an inherent issue with that but in this case it annoyed me, probably due to the amount of self-pity whilst describing someone who seems to have an absolutely wonderful (and VERY BORING) life with no conflict and absolutely no reason whatsoever to complain about anything.
If this were good-quality high-brow literature then I would plough on despite it being slow-going, but it isn't, and the reason it's slow-going is that it's poorly written. It is therefore not worth my time or effort.
Don't have any major objections to this book but I picked it up in a charity shop because it looked like some fun to help me get back into reading. Then I found it difficult to read. I just wasn't flying through it in the way I'd like for a fun book.
There were a few things which baffled me. Firstly, it was implied that there was some conflict in the character's life and there just was not. She was completely surrounded by friends and family who love her unconditionally and know her inside out and who pop round to make her lovely meals when they suspect she might be slightly sad. She knows and loves everyone who owns a shop on the high street. She didn't seem to be giving them anything in return or any particular reason to love her. She was just moping. 90 pages later they still loved her and she was still moping and the supposed love interest hadn't even turned up.
Also, I hate to say it but the author was irritating me via the book. Very clunky writing and grammar. "She was stood" all over the place. Lots of strong Americanisms mixed in with very British words like 'arse' generally gave the impression that she didn't know whether she was coming or going linguistically. Then I googled her and she's a twin who loves baking, so she clearly wrote this book about herself. I don't have an inherent issue with that but in this case it annoyed me, probably due to the amount of self-pity whilst describing someone who seems to have an absolutely wonderful (and VERY BORING) life with no conflict and absolutely no reason whatsoever to complain about anything.
If this were good-quality high-brow literature then I would plough on despite it being slow-going, but it isn't, and the reason it's slow-going is that it's poorly written. It is therefore not worth my time or effort.
February 1, 2022
How I absolutely adored this book.
Starting with a prologue in Canada where we meet Marnie and Nova and get a quick taste of an early connection, plus fabulous setting.
And although starting chapter 1 I was slightly disappointed that we weren't still in Canada, I grew to love Starcross Valley fairly quickly too.
As much as getting to know Marnie's twin Jovi and her family was great to me the story kicked up a gear when Paislee was introduced.
Paislee has a very special place in my heart and I was wanting to hug her almost instantly. The way her SEN are seen and handled was sensitively dealt with by the author, even if some of the teachers I wanted to throw things at.
If you have ever thought Romance novels needed more dinosaurs then you will love this one, as there are multiple dino mad characters.
This felt like a breath of fresh air to be reading, and I was completely hooked on it. Loved this book so so much.
Thank you Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Starting with a prologue in Canada where we meet Marnie and Nova and get a quick taste of an early connection, plus fabulous setting.
And although starting chapter 1 I was slightly disappointed that we weren't still in Canada, I grew to love Starcross Valley fairly quickly too.
As much as getting to know Marnie's twin Jovi and her family was great to me the story kicked up a gear when Paislee was introduced.
Paislee has a very special place in my heart and I was wanting to hug her almost instantly. The way her SEN are seen and handled was sensitively dealt with by the author, even if some of the teachers I wanted to throw things at.
If you have ever thought Romance novels needed more dinosaurs then you will love this one, as there are multiple dino mad characters.
This felt like a breath of fresh air to be reading, and I was completely hooked on it. Loved this book so so much.
Thank you Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
September 7, 2025
I understand that the author was trying to give us character development for Marnie and I enjoyed that, but it was clearly at the detriment of the romance. We really only got to see the relationship between her and Nova in flashbacks or off page references and I just didn't like it feel connected to them because of it.
January 29, 2022
love lessons in starcross valley is a cute, quick read. torn between 3 and 4 stars, so i'm going to call it 3.5 rounded down.
cws: cheating subplot (not the mcs, but one of the mc's exes), a lot of food mentions, ableism (against an autistic child).
the first little bit of the book was hard to follow. we immediately open in the prologue with our main character, marnie, talking about things that had happened in her life (her parents split, she's no longer with her bf), and it was a little disjointing to read/understand at first. i thought i was reading a sequel to a book that i hadn't read. things become more comprehensible as marnie goes back to her hometown, but then we don't see the love interest again for the first half of the book - marnie focuses on her platonic relationships instead, such as with her best friend and her sister.
i did, though, love the love interest. nova was unique, well-rounded, blunt, and just such a great love interest. her being a paleontologist is cool and i was so jealous of her. i am prepared to defend nova with all my heart. she has done nothing wrong ever.
one of my biggest flaws with this book was its repetitiveness when describing mundane things, like marnie's outfits. there are a LOT of descriptions of her outfits and hairstyles & its reading like a wattpad fanfic (not an ao3 fic) at points. (like it reads like: she threw her hair up in a messy bun and put on this exact outfit btw heres the polyvore link to the outfit i just described in painstaking detail).
however, my biggest issue with the book was the autism portrayal. i am only one autistic reader/reviewer and obviously other autistic readers and reviewers will have different takes on the rep in this novel. i love that autism is becoming more normalized in literature, i just think this could have been handled a little less savior-y.
all in all, i likely would recommend the book to friends - i love sapphic books, i love that autism was included on the page, but i would caution anyone to go in with a scrutinizing gaze for autism being a plot device like that.
thank you to netgalley, head of zeus publishing, and lucy knott for this advanced copy in return for my honest review.
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cws: cheating subplot (not the mcs, but one of the mc's exes), a lot of food mentions, ableism (against an autistic child).
the first little bit of the book was hard to follow. we immediately open in the prologue with our main character, marnie, talking about things that had happened in her life (her parents split, she's no longer with her bf), and it was a little disjointing to read/understand at first. i thought i was reading a sequel to a book that i hadn't read. things become more comprehensible as marnie goes back to her hometown, but then we don't see the love interest again for the first half of the book - marnie focuses on her platonic relationships instead, such as with her best friend and her sister.
i did, though, love the love interest. nova was unique, well-rounded, blunt, and just such a great love interest. her being a paleontologist is cool and i was so jealous of her. i am prepared to defend nova with all my heart. she has done nothing wrong ever.
one of my biggest flaws with this book was its repetitiveness when describing mundane things, like marnie's outfits. there are a LOT of descriptions of her outfits and hairstyles & its reading like a wattpad fanfic (not an ao3 fic) at points. (like it reads like: she threw her hair up in a messy bun and put on this exact outfit btw heres the polyvore link to the outfit i just described in painstaking detail).
however, my biggest issue with the book was the autism portrayal. i am only one autistic reader/reviewer and obviously other autistic readers and reviewers will have different takes on the rep in this novel. i love that autism is becoming more normalized in literature, i just think this could have been handled a little less savior-y.
all in all, i likely would recommend the book to friends - i love sapphic books, i love that autism was included on the page, but i would caution anyone to go in with a scrutinizing gaze for autism being a plot device like that.
thank you to netgalley, head of zeus publishing, and lucy knott for this advanced copy in return for my honest review.
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January 21, 2022
Since the vast majority of the books I read are romance and people regularly ask me for romance recs, I feel like I should start by saying Love Lessons in Starcross Valley is a romance in the traditional sense - it has a happily ever after - but other than being introduced to the love interest in the prologue, we don’t see her again until halfway through the book. So while this book does have a lovely, sweet, heartfelt romance, it’s more women’s fiction, with the main journey being Marnie’s story of self-discovery, healing, and her relationships with the people closest to her.
I really liked Marnie and saw a lot of myself in her, especially her fears and anxiety. I enjoyed watching her come into her own, repair her relationships, and open her heart after being hurt and inflicting some unintentional hurt herself. I felt like I was part of her wonderful little group of friends and family (side note: I'd love to see a story about Antoni!), and the town of Orion and its people felt very real. Being Canadian, I also loved all the Canadian references and the fact Nova was Canadian. Nova was a wonderful character too, and I loved that she was an unapologetic nerd because I’m very much the same way!
I loved Marnie’s passion for teaching and, as someone who was once an early childhood educator myself, I appreciated how Marnie advocated for Paislee when no one else would. The other teachers wouldn't take the time to help her properly and saw her as a ‘problem to be dealt with’ but Marnie saw her as the complex, amazing person she was, and she was determined to make sure the little girl had everything she needed to learn, grow, and feel safe.
Love Lessons in Starcross Valley is for you if you enjoy women’s fiction with well-rounded, realistic characters, explorations of self-discovery, healing, and relationships, and sweet sapphic romances that will leave you with a smile on your face and a happy heart.
*I received an early copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.
I really liked Marnie and saw a lot of myself in her, especially her fears and anxiety. I enjoyed watching her come into her own, repair her relationships, and open her heart after being hurt and inflicting some unintentional hurt herself. I felt like I was part of her wonderful little group of friends and family (side note: I'd love to see a story about Antoni!), and the town of Orion and its people felt very real. Being Canadian, I also loved all the Canadian references and the fact Nova was Canadian. Nova was a wonderful character too, and I loved that she was an unapologetic nerd because I’m very much the same way!
I loved Marnie’s passion for teaching and, as someone who was once an early childhood educator myself, I appreciated how Marnie advocated for Paislee when no one else would. The other teachers wouldn't take the time to help her properly and saw her as a ‘problem to be dealt with’ but Marnie saw her as the complex, amazing person she was, and she was determined to make sure the little girl had everything she needed to learn, grow, and feel safe.
Love Lessons in Starcross Valley is for you if you enjoy women’s fiction with well-rounded, realistic characters, explorations of self-discovery, healing, and relationships, and sweet sapphic romances that will leave you with a smile on your face and a happy heart.
*I received an early copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.
July 20, 2022
This is a story about a man called Josh. That's really all you need to know.
If I counted how many times the MC's ex is mentioned throughout the book, I'm pretty sure we would get up to 3 digits. In everything that happens in this story, Marnie always makes sure to relate it to her ex somehow. Everything she does, she does in some way because of her ex. I can't hear his name anymore...
He isn't nearly interesting enough to basically be the second main character, and yet he is EVERYWHERE. Marnie goes to a shop? She thinks how she once went to a shop with Josh. Marnie gets a new job? She remembers how she used to work with Josh. Marnie sees children? She thinks about how she wanted to have kids with Josh!
For about 60% of the book, the two actual love interests don't even properly meet. They have a quick meeting in the beginning in which they immediately and inexplicably fall in love somehow, then for the next half of the book - nothing. Except of course the usual: characters telling her that she "smiled in her sleep", so she must be in love with somebody - what the absolute fuck?
Everything else is just complete fluff. I know romance always has a lot of fluff, that's jut part of the genre. Usually, however, the fluff is in some way related to a semblance of plot. This is not the case here.
And then there are the info dumps. This is a shallow romantic story, I really don't need to know about every single character's woes, their past and the names of their pets. Again: fluff with no relation to anything.
It's an absolute mess with no direction, no plot, no nothing. Except Josh. If you like stories about people called Josh, this is the one for you.
If I counted how many times the MC's ex is mentioned throughout the book, I'm pretty sure we would get up to 3 digits. In everything that happens in this story, Marnie always makes sure to relate it to her ex somehow. Everything she does, she does in some way because of her ex. I can't hear his name anymore...
He isn't nearly interesting enough to basically be the second main character, and yet he is EVERYWHERE. Marnie goes to a shop? She thinks how she once went to a shop with Josh. Marnie gets a new job? She remembers how she used to work with Josh. Marnie sees children? She thinks about how she wanted to have kids with Josh!
For about 60% of the book, the two actual love interests don't even properly meet. They have a quick meeting in the beginning in which they immediately and inexplicably fall in love somehow, then for the next half of the book - nothing. Except of course the usual: characters telling her that she "smiled in her sleep", so she must be in love with somebody - what the absolute fuck?
Everything else is just complete fluff. I know romance always has a lot of fluff, that's jut part of the genre. Usually, however, the fluff is in some way related to a semblance of plot. This is not the case here.
And then there are the info dumps. This is a shallow romantic story, I really don't need to know about every single character's woes, their past and the names of their pets. Again: fluff with no relation to anything.
It's an absolute mess with no direction, no plot, no nothing. Except Josh. If you like stories about people called Josh, this is the one for you.
June 4, 2025
This was a really lovely story not just about finding love where you least expect it, but also about family and, perhaps my favourite part, the need for human compassion, particularly when working with children. Marnie’s character is a comfort to spend time with, as is the small town she lives in, and I was rooting for her and Nova from the very start. As the title suggests, the romance sparkles and warmth bleeds through every scene, with a rosy take on slice of life as well as an authentic representation of bisexuality, sisterhood, and the struggles that come with rediscovering yourself.
I began reading this for the sapphics, but I found myself particularly attached to Paisley, a neurodivergent child, and how she’s able to grow with Marnie’s gentle and fun teaching. I think we can all learn something from that!
With all the ingredients of the cosy genre, from baking to community, and a wholesome exploration of love in all its forms, it’s impossible not to feel at home between the pages of Love Lessons in Starcross Valley. It’s perfect for autumn, but feels like a cinnamon-scented warm blanket any time of the year. 🍂
I began reading this for the sapphics, but I found myself particularly attached to Paisley, a neurodivergent child, and how she’s able to grow with Marnie’s gentle and fun teaching. I think we can all learn something from that!
With all the ingredients of the cosy genre, from baking to community, and a wholesome exploration of love in all its forms, it’s impossible not to feel at home between the pages of Love Lessons in Starcross Valley. It’s perfect for autumn, but feels like a cinnamon-scented warm blanket any time of the year. 🍂
January 25, 2025
This was unexpectedly lovely! Kept me amused all day during a storm & power cut.
I did think some things were unnecessary in the story that could have been left out, a lot of head tilting and I never got that sense of closure on her relationship with Josh. Also we never found out why Nova came to England in the first place.
I loved Antoni, what a wonderful friend. Marnies relationship with her sister was interesting. I think it must be difficult being constantly compared to your twin and craving your own identity. Especially when said twin has everything you wish for yourself.
Those teachers were so bitchy! My gosh I hope the profession isn’t like that in real life. I enjoyed reading about her job as a TA, she was so patient with Paislee.
Over all a nice read with a good message behind it. Starting all over again at 35 is tough but better to risk it all and end up with the right person 🫶🏻
I did think some things were unnecessary in the story that could have been left out, a lot of head tilting and I never got that sense of closure on her relationship with Josh. Also we never found out why Nova came to England in the first place.
I loved Antoni, what a wonderful friend. Marnies relationship with her sister was interesting. I think it must be difficult being constantly compared to your twin and craving your own identity. Especially when said twin has everything you wish for yourself.
Those teachers were so bitchy! My gosh I hope the profession isn’t like that in real life. I enjoyed reading about her job as a TA, she was so patient with Paislee.
Over all a nice read with a good message behind it. Starting all over again at 35 is tough but better to risk it all and end up with the right person 🫶🏻
September 30, 2024
2.4* because the writing is too choppy for my liking.
January 24, 2022
DNF at 25%
Love Lessons in Starcross Valley is a romance following 35 year old Marnie, a woman that has just returned from a spontaneous six month trip to Canada after going through a traumatic break up, and Nova, a paleontologist that loves to live in the moment. They meet at a hockey game, spending a great night together. After meeting again in England a few months later, it seems that fate has brought them together.
I was really really excited for this book. It looks so cute, and the description just seemed so interesting to me. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations at all. Marnie’s character is mediocre at best, and there is too much time spent right at the beginning of this book learning *all* about her. Talk about info-dump. I swear, in the first chapter I thought I had heard her entire life story only to find out that I was wrong, there’s more boring backstory in the next chapter. The descriptions of literally everything in this book are about 5 sentences too long. Not to mention that in the first quarter of the book there are absolutely zero plot developments made. I genuinely couldn’t sit through another second of it. I didn’t even get to necessarily meet Nova yet, aside from during the prologue where we really only learn where she works. Seriously, the first 25% of this book is Marnie whining about how horrible her life is and how scared she is to be back home. The story isn’t even supposed to take place here, yet they haven’t even made a suggestion towards her going to England.
Overall, I’m sure this book would’ve turned out great had it not tried to suffocate me with random information right at the start. Or had the exposition gone a little bit faster. Or if the main character wasn’t so annoying from the get-go.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange of an honest review.
Love Lessons in Starcross Valley is a romance following 35 year old Marnie, a woman that has just returned from a spontaneous six month trip to Canada after going through a traumatic break up, and Nova, a paleontologist that loves to live in the moment. They meet at a hockey game, spending a great night together. After meeting again in England a few months later, it seems that fate has brought them together.
I was really really excited for this book. It looks so cute, and the description just seemed so interesting to me. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations at all. Marnie’s character is mediocre at best, and there is too much time spent right at the beginning of this book learning *all* about her. Talk about info-dump. I swear, in the first chapter I thought I had heard her entire life story only to find out that I was wrong, there’s more boring backstory in the next chapter. The descriptions of literally everything in this book are about 5 sentences too long. Not to mention that in the first quarter of the book there are absolutely zero plot developments made. I genuinely couldn’t sit through another second of it. I didn’t even get to necessarily meet Nova yet, aside from during the prologue where we really only learn where she works. Seriously, the first 25% of this book is Marnie whining about how horrible her life is and how scared she is to be back home. The story isn’t even supposed to take place here, yet they haven’t even made a suggestion towards her going to England.
Overall, I’m sure this book would’ve turned out great had it not tried to suffocate me with random information right at the start. Or had the exposition gone a little bit faster. Or if the main character wasn’t so annoying from the get-go.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange of an honest review.
January 28, 2022
Oh what a story, the minute I met Marnie I knew I would love her and this wonderful love story takes you from Canada to Orion her hometown.
Whilst reading this book I felt that we were literally getting to know Marnie from life changing decisions to tiny personality quirks this character was the real deal and I loved her story.
It was brilliant to read a story written about twins as the main characters knowing that the author is a twin, it covered off frustrations and also the unwaivering love and support you always receive. With dinosaur facts scattered throughout and a love of the solar system, this story sucked me straight into Marnie's world and had me reading late into the night and early morning snuggled up with my coffee.
I could easily have kept reading about these amazing characters and was left with a book hangover to realise I had reached the end far too quickly. I say this every time but I think Lucy did truly surpass herself this time with this little beauty.
Whilst reading this book I felt that we were literally getting to know Marnie from life changing decisions to tiny personality quirks this character was the real deal and I loved her story.
It was brilliant to read a story written about twins as the main characters knowing that the author is a twin, it covered off frustrations and also the unwaivering love and support you always receive. With dinosaur facts scattered throughout and a love of the solar system, this story sucked me straight into Marnie's world and had me reading late into the night and early morning snuggled up with my coffee.
I could easily have kept reading about these amazing characters and was left with a book hangover to realise I had reached the end far too quickly. I say this every time but I think Lucy did truly surpass herself this time with this little beauty.
October 8, 2023
If this had an editor I'd be surprised. How did it get through to publishing?? I noticed several typos and grammar mistakes, not to mention the awful pacing and plot. I could not tell you what this book is about- her ex, Canada, being a twin or all the far too long chapters about her being a teaching assistant. There was far too much being shoved in, and still it was slow. Take a shot every time Nova winks, Josh is mentioned or Marnie is hippocrital. And we don't meet the love interest until 120 pages in!! There was so much filler for such a mediocre love story. It's hard to root for either of the characters because Nova is so 2 dimensional as the perfect Canadian girl and Marnie is just annoying! I really didn't like the writing style, and I definitely should have just quit when I realised, about 20 pages in. Also why does she keep eating??? In every chapter she eats about 6 brownies or doughnuts this girl has issues !!
May 3, 2022
I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
When I saw this one on netgalley it caught my eye and I am glad I got this one as I really enjoyed it. I started reading this one in the perfect mood as this one fit exactly what I wanted to read. Love Lessons in Starcross Valley was a great read about Marnie who has to find herself and figure out what she wants from life after her boyfriend from 10 years cheats on her, she loses her job and her parents separate. I really enjoyed following Marnie's journey. It's a light and uplifting read while also delving deep into Marnie's mindset and journey.
At first I was a bit confused by the start of this book as it wasn't what I had expected. With how much of the blurb focuses on Marnie meeting Nova in Canada and their connection I had assumed Marnie's Canada trip would be a much bigger part of the story. In reality the prologue is that one day in Canada where she meets Nova and then chapter 1 starts while Marnie is back home in England. Once I had adjusted my expectations I was able to settle in and relax into this read. I agree with another reviewer who said it isn't quite a romance book as it reads more like Women's Fiction with the focus being in Marnie's journey, but the romance is an important part of the book.
I enjoyed reading about Marnie and following her story. Marnie is struggling with life as things didn't go as expected and now she doesn't know what to do. When the story starts she just returns form a 6 month trip to Canada and she's already in a better place and a lot of this book focuses on her moving forward now that she had this great trip. She has to figure out what she wants from life, find a new job, deal with her parents separation, face her twin after 6 months apart and maybe find some new love too.
I liked how deep we get to be in Marnie's head in this book and at times I wish the book would go even deeper. I liked seeing how she faces these challenges and how slowly she finds her confidence again and figures out what she wants. I thought it was well done how her anxiety is handled, it felt very realistic. It's pretty subtle, but present. It's part of her life, but not the biggest part and there are plenty of moments where she's fine too. I could really feel Marnie's passion for teaching and how much she cared about kids. I liked how she saw each kid as an individual and the bond she forms with Paislee was awesome to see.
There are some great side characters in this book. Marnie has some great people surrounding her. She has a best friend in Antoni who bakes a lot of yummy sounding food for her in this book. In fact there's quite a bit of food in this book, which I liked. Then she has her friend Cameron as well who runs a craft store and Marnie loves crafts. I also liked her twin sister Jodi and the way they interacted, they have some hurdles to overcome in this book, but it's clear most of their struggles are because they care so much. They really have a tight bond and I enjoyed reading about them. Then there is Jovi's daughter Sienna, who plays a big role too. I also liked the way her parents separation was handled and how it's clear it's for the best even though Marnie struggles a bit with it at first.
Then there is the romance which was lovely. I like the way Nova views life and how the encourages Marnie to live life to fullest. I liked their connection and the way it deepens when Nova comes to England. I also liked Nova's fascination with dinosaurs, it was a fun touch. I liked how they have a few things they have to overcome, but their romance is very low on the drama. They made for a great couple and the epilogue was great!
To summarize: Love Lesson in Starcross Valley was a great read. It took me by surprise when the start was different than I expected, instead of focusing on her trip to Canada there's only the prologue about that. This book follows Marnie journey as she arrives back home and has to figure out what she wants from life now she broke up with her boyfriend, lost her job and her parents are separated. I liked following Marnie as she figures things out. I like how we get a good idea for Marnie's personality and it was awesome to see her get her confidence back and the way she deals with everything. There is a romance, but I felt that the main focus was on Marnie's journey. Having said that I did really like the romance, Nova and Marnie make for a great couple and I liked reading about them. The form an instant connection when they first meet and I liked seeing them build upon that. They have things to overcome, but it's low on the drama. I liked reading about their romance. There are some great side characters too that all bring the story to life and it was great that Marnie had so many people who cared about her.
When I saw this one on netgalley it caught my eye and I am glad I got this one as I really enjoyed it. I started reading this one in the perfect mood as this one fit exactly what I wanted to read. Love Lessons in Starcross Valley was a great read about Marnie who has to find herself and figure out what she wants from life after her boyfriend from 10 years cheats on her, she loses her job and her parents separate. I really enjoyed following Marnie's journey. It's a light and uplifting read while also delving deep into Marnie's mindset and journey.
At first I was a bit confused by the start of this book as it wasn't what I had expected. With how much of the blurb focuses on Marnie meeting Nova in Canada and their connection I had assumed Marnie's Canada trip would be a much bigger part of the story. In reality the prologue is that one day in Canada where she meets Nova and then chapter 1 starts while Marnie is back home in England. Once I had adjusted my expectations I was able to settle in and relax into this read. I agree with another reviewer who said it isn't quite a romance book as it reads more like Women's Fiction with the focus being in Marnie's journey, but the romance is an important part of the book.
I enjoyed reading about Marnie and following her story. Marnie is struggling with life as things didn't go as expected and now she doesn't know what to do. When the story starts she just returns form a 6 month trip to Canada and she's already in a better place and a lot of this book focuses on her moving forward now that she had this great trip. She has to figure out what she wants from life, find a new job, deal with her parents separation, face her twin after 6 months apart and maybe find some new love too.
I liked how deep we get to be in Marnie's head in this book and at times I wish the book would go even deeper. I liked seeing how she faces these challenges and how slowly she finds her confidence again and figures out what she wants. I thought it was well done how her anxiety is handled, it felt very realistic. It's pretty subtle, but present. It's part of her life, but not the biggest part and there are plenty of moments where she's fine too. I could really feel Marnie's passion for teaching and how much she cared about kids. I liked how she saw each kid as an individual and the bond she forms with Paislee was awesome to see.
There are some great side characters in this book. Marnie has some great people surrounding her. She has a best friend in Antoni who bakes a lot of yummy sounding food for her in this book. In fact there's quite a bit of food in this book, which I liked. Then she has her friend Cameron as well who runs a craft store and Marnie loves crafts. I also liked her twin sister Jodi and the way they interacted, they have some hurdles to overcome in this book, but it's clear most of their struggles are because they care so much. They really have a tight bond and I enjoyed reading about them. Then there is Jovi's daughter Sienna, who plays a big role too. I also liked the way her parents separation was handled and how it's clear it's for the best even though Marnie struggles a bit with it at first.
Then there is the romance which was lovely. I like the way Nova views life and how the encourages Marnie to live life to fullest. I liked their connection and the way it deepens when Nova comes to England. I also liked Nova's fascination with dinosaurs, it was a fun touch. I liked how they have a few things they have to overcome, but their romance is very low on the drama. They made for a great couple and the epilogue was great!
To summarize: Love Lesson in Starcross Valley was a great read. It took me by surprise when the start was different than I expected, instead of focusing on her trip to Canada there's only the prologue about that. This book follows Marnie journey as she arrives back home and has to figure out what she wants from life now she broke up with her boyfriend, lost her job and her parents are separated. I liked following Marnie as she figures things out. I like how we get a good idea for Marnie's personality and it was awesome to see her get her confidence back and the way she deals with everything. There is a romance, but I felt that the main focus was on Marnie's journey. Having said that I did really like the romance, Nova and Marnie make for a great couple and I liked reading about them. The form an instant connection when they first meet and I liked seeing them build upon that. They have things to overcome, but it's low on the drama. I liked reading about their romance. There are some great side characters too that all bring the story to life and it was great that Marnie had so many people who cared about her.
February 6, 2022
I have read and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of Lucy’s books. By no means have I caught up with everything that she has written but I hope to get there in the not too distant future. I read the synopsis for ‘Love Lessons In Starcross Valley’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of story that I would enjoy. So without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for what proved to be an interesting afternoon of reading. Overall I did enjoy reading ‘Love Lessons In Starcross Valley’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into this story. I didn’t feel the instant connection with the lead characters that I usually have. Even now I can’t say that I especially warmed to Marnie but at the same time I can’t say that I especially disliked her. I did eventually get into the story and I found that I was unable to read the book in one long reading binge but I did read it in several short bursts, which certainly helped. I had my own suspicions as to what was ging to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had got the wrong end of the stick. I did like reading about the ways in which Marnie tries to pick herself up and create a new life for herself. I found ‘Love Lessons In Starcross Valley’ to be an interesting and emotional read.
‘Love Lessons In Starcross Valley’ is well written. Lucy has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. The way in which she has written the story reads more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. The characters were certainly interesting and at times they surprised me. I loved the way in which Lucy writes about her characters- she describes them so vividly and realistically that they seem just as real as you and I. I love the way in which Lucy makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘Love Lessons In Starcross Valley’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lucy’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into this story. I didn’t feel the instant connection with the lead characters that I usually have. Even now I can’t say that I especially warmed to Marnie but at the same time I can’t say that I especially disliked her. I did eventually get into the story and I found that I was unable to read the book in one long reading binge but I did read it in several short bursts, which certainly helped. I had my own suspicions as to what was ging to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had got the wrong end of the stick. I did like reading about the ways in which Marnie tries to pick herself up and create a new life for herself. I found ‘Love Lessons In Starcross Valley’ to be an interesting and emotional read.
‘Love Lessons In Starcross Valley’ is well written. Lucy has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. The way in which she has written the story reads more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. The characters were certainly interesting and at times they surprised me. I loved the way in which Lucy writes about her characters- she describes them so vividly and realistically that they seem just as real as you and I. I love the way in which Lucy makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading ‘Love Lessons In Starcross Valley’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lucy’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
February 4, 2022
The story is about how meeting someone can change
Not only how you feel, react, dream but your life arrange.
When fate steps in and gives you the chance
Will you hide away or take a chance on romance?
After the trauma of relationships breaking down
Marnie Barnes escapes to Canada hoping to clear that frown.
Watching her first live ice hockey game is where she meets
The person beside her whose enthusiasm she greets.
They spend the day together and have lots of fun
But then go their own ways when the day is done.
The encounter has changed her outlook, that's for sure,
She's determined not to go back to being down any more!
The relationship between twins is a key element, too,
Showing how they're close in all that they do.
But that doesn't mean there are no secrets, beware -
And keeping them doesn't mean they don't care.
With family dramas, broken relationships, a new job and more
Coping with so much change is testing, for sure.
But, whilst one door has closed, there's nothing to say
A better one might open for you, too, one day.
For my copy of this very different read, I say thank you.
I hope you've enjoyed this, my honest review.
Not only how you feel, react, dream but your life arrange.
When fate steps in and gives you the chance
Will you hide away or take a chance on romance?
After the trauma of relationships breaking down
Marnie Barnes escapes to Canada hoping to clear that frown.
Watching her first live ice hockey game is where she meets
The person beside her whose enthusiasm she greets.
They spend the day together and have lots of fun
But then go their own ways when the day is done.
The encounter has changed her outlook, that's for sure,
She's determined not to go back to being down any more!
The relationship between twins is a key element, too,
Showing how they're close in all that they do.
But that doesn't mean there are no secrets, beware -
And keeping them doesn't mean they don't care.
With family dramas, broken relationships, a new job and more
Coping with so much change is testing, for sure.
But, whilst one door has closed, there's nothing to say
A better one might open for you, too, one day.
For my copy of this very different read, I say thank you.
I hope you've enjoyed this, my honest review.
February 25, 2024
Listened to this one on audio. A light and entertaining listen. Shows how a chance meeting can change your life. Will read/listen to more by this author.
August 28, 2024
I enjoyed reading this on my holiday !
October 15, 2024
The story is choppy, and you could tell what was going to happen. Nevertheless, it was a good story.
July 5, 2022
The coziest sapphic romance I’ve ever read. Marnie’s life is falling apart so she goes on vacation to Canada and meets nova. They spend a magical night together, but eventually Marnie has to go home to England and face her life again. That is until she sees a familiar face at the local museum.
March 18, 2022
This was good but did feel a little bit disjointed to start with, just perhaps a little bit more refinement needed in the editing stage. The idea was nice though and I liked the characters.
February 13, 2022
If there are two things I know when picking up one of Lucy's books, it's 1) I know I'm going to smile and 2) I'm going to feel all the feelings - joy, laughter, giddiness, hope, sadness, nervousness, and geekiness. What do you mean geekiness isn't a feeling? I beg to differ.
I always worry about coming off as biased when reviewing Lucy's books, knowing her as I do, but I like to think it gives me a deeper insight into what she writes and how she writes. She puts so much of herself into her books, and each one is a piece of her and I know she puts her heart and soul into them. It may not mean everyone will understand every part of the story she writes, or why, but everything she puts in there is for a reason - even down to meticulous detail like the feel of carpet underneath a character's toes or the flavour, texture and aroma of a doughnut.
Of all of Lucy's books, I think this one has more of her in it than any of her previous books and I think I say that with each book but it's true. It's clear to me that she's put a lot of herself into not just Marnie, but Nova too. Two different parts that have come together to make a perfect whole.
There's very much two stories going on in "Love Lessons..." - that of Marnie and Nova - and I love that Lucy has put herself out there and chosen to produce not only QueerLit - which I know she adores. But I also love that she has used her experience as a Teaching Assistant to highlight how those that are neurologically diverse - especially children - are expected to conform and fit society's standards when it should be the other way around. Lucy is one of the most caring - if not *the* most caring and compassionate human beings I have ever met, and I know she's put a lot of care, effort and feeling into creating the relationship between Marnie and Paislee.
I honestly think that "Love Lessons..." tugged at my heartstrings more than any of other Lucy's books - and they did that a lot, trust me - because I can see how much of Lucy's experiences and herself is in this book, and it made my heart swell and break for her in equal measure. Lucy doesn't write the words in her books because she feels that's what people want to read or because it's what might sell - but it's because it's what she believes, what she feels and what she's experienced in some way, shape or form. She crafts characters and worlds and goes into wonderfully expressive detail to draw you into her world, figuratively in the sense of the stories she crafts and literally in the sense that this isn't just Lucy the writer, but Lucy the person. A human being of kindness, light, empathy and energy even when the world hasn't always been kind - one that inspires me and gives me hope in the world, and that I will always support and whose books I will always look forward to because I know I will always end up finishing the book with a smile - and "Love Lessons" did especially as it reminded me that even though life doesn't always go as we plan, it can still take us where we exactly need to be at the right time.
I always worry about coming off as biased when reviewing Lucy's books, knowing her as I do, but I like to think it gives me a deeper insight into what she writes and how she writes. She puts so much of herself into her books, and each one is a piece of her and I know she puts her heart and soul into them. It may not mean everyone will understand every part of the story she writes, or why, but everything she puts in there is for a reason - even down to meticulous detail like the feel of carpet underneath a character's toes or the flavour, texture and aroma of a doughnut.
Of all of Lucy's books, I think this one has more of her in it than any of her previous books and I think I say that with each book but it's true. It's clear to me that she's put a lot of herself into not just Marnie, but Nova too. Two different parts that have come together to make a perfect whole.
There's very much two stories going on in "Love Lessons..." - that of Marnie and Nova - and I love that Lucy has put herself out there and chosen to produce not only QueerLit - which I know she adores. But I also love that she has used her experience as a Teaching Assistant to highlight how those that are neurologically diverse - especially children - are expected to conform and fit society's standards when it should be the other way around. Lucy is one of the most caring - if not *the* most caring and compassionate human beings I have ever met, and I know she's put a lot of care, effort and feeling into creating the relationship between Marnie and Paislee.
I honestly think that "Love Lessons..." tugged at my heartstrings more than any of other Lucy's books - and they did that a lot, trust me - because I can see how much of Lucy's experiences and herself is in this book, and it made my heart swell and break for her in equal measure. Lucy doesn't write the words in her books because she feels that's what people want to read or because it's what might sell - but it's because it's what she believes, what she feels and what she's experienced in some way, shape or form. She crafts characters and worlds and goes into wonderfully expressive detail to draw you into her world, figuratively in the sense of the stories she crafts and literally in the sense that this isn't just Lucy the writer, but Lucy the person. A human being of kindness, light, empathy and energy even when the world hasn't always been kind - one that inspires me and gives me hope in the world, and that I will always support and whose books I will always look forward to because I know I will always end up finishing the book with a smile - and "Love Lessons" did especially as it reminded me that even though life doesn't always go as we plan, it can still take us where we exactly need to be at the right time.
February 3, 2022
Love Lessons in Starcross Valley is about Marnie who has left for Canada after the ending of both her ten-year relationship and that of her parents. Needing to escape the heartbreak and her feelings Marnie goes to Canada on her dream once-in-a-lifetime trip. Whilst there she meets Nova, who she spends the day with, a day she can’t forget and one that has had a lasting impression on her. On her return to England, and her ‘old’ life Marnie hopes to put into practice the new perspective that Nova and her six months in Canada has given her.
I loved Marnie’s story from the start (I’m an ice hockey fan so the opening scene had me hooked), she was warm and kind despite trying to heal a broken heart. I loved hearing about her day in Canada at the opening, and although we hear stories from her time there I almost wish a little more of the book was set there.
Marnie meeting Nova at the start of her trip had a lasting impact and you could see the effects of it as she tried to build her life back together on returning to England and her hometown, and in being honest with her twin sister, Jovi, and best friend, Antoni, about her feelings.
The relationships between Marnie and Jovi and Antoni are portrayed so well, that you can feel the closeness and history as you read the book, and the love they have for each other. I loved the way that Nova comes into Marnie’s life and the way that their relationship unfolds.
One of the highlights of this book is Marnie and Paislee relationship. Marnie gets a job at one of the local schools, and become a one-to-one with Paislee. Marnie can see the difficulties that Paislee is facing and finds ways to engage her in the lessons. I can’t claim to understand autism but I would hope that there are lots of people like Marnie willing to help and treat children like she does Paislee. The way Paislee comes out of herself is so heartwarming.
This is the first of Lucy's books that I have read, but it won't be my last. And just look at the cover, gorgeous.
This book is heartwarming and feel-good and has a way to warm your insides, and there’s lots of talk about dinosaurs and who wouldn’t love that! I highly recommend this!
I loved Marnie’s story from the start (I’m an ice hockey fan so the opening scene had me hooked), she was warm and kind despite trying to heal a broken heart. I loved hearing about her day in Canada at the opening, and although we hear stories from her time there I almost wish a little more of the book was set there.
Marnie meeting Nova at the start of her trip had a lasting impact and you could see the effects of it as she tried to build her life back together on returning to England and her hometown, and in being honest with her twin sister, Jovi, and best friend, Antoni, about her feelings.
The relationships between Marnie and Jovi and Antoni are portrayed so well, that you can feel the closeness and history as you read the book, and the love they have for each other. I loved the way that Nova comes into Marnie’s life and the way that their relationship unfolds.
One of the highlights of this book is Marnie and Paislee relationship. Marnie gets a job at one of the local schools, and become a one-to-one with Paislee. Marnie can see the difficulties that Paislee is facing and finds ways to engage her in the lessons. I can’t claim to understand autism but I would hope that there are lots of people like Marnie willing to help and treat children like she does Paislee. The way Paislee comes out of herself is so heartwarming.
This is the first of Lucy's books that I have read, but it won't be my last. And just look at the cover, gorgeous.
This book is heartwarming and feel-good and has a way to warm your insides, and there’s lots of talk about dinosaurs and who wouldn’t love that! I highly recommend this!
February 7, 2022
Love Lessons in Starcross Valley follows a woman in her mid-30s named Marnie as she tries to put some pieces of her life together. The opening of the novel puts the reader right in the middle of her drama where she is in Canada on a six-month trip from England. In this new setting, she is dealing with the end of her relationship with her boyfriend of ten years after he cheated on her, an end to her career as a teacher, along her parent’s divorce. This is an interesting opening as the reader is just meeting the character and attempting to connect with her as she is going through a lot. During her stay, she meets Nova, who became part of her healing process. After her stay in Canada, Marnie returns hoping that she can continue healing and continue her life in England with this new outlook.
Marnie begins a new position as a teaching assistant at a school working with an autistic student. When the school goes on a field trip to a museum, Marnie reunites with Nova, who is a paleontologist and instructor there. The two reconnect and begin to get to know each other again and slowly spend more and more time together. Along with Marnie connecting with Nova, she also has her twin sister, Jovi, and her best friend, Antoni. Marnie’s relationship with each of them was well done as it is clear how much they care about each other. Overall, the story was sweet and fun as Marnie goes through finding love again along with her own emotional journey. I liked how Marnie took time for herself in Canada to gain a new perspective on everything in her life before trying to put the pieces back together as that is sometimes is the best solution for those at a crossroads. This was a very heart-warming story and I cannot wait to read more from the author.
**I give a special thank you to Rachel @rararesources,, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to participate with this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
Marnie begins a new position as a teaching assistant at a school working with an autistic student. When the school goes on a field trip to a museum, Marnie reunites with Nova, who is a paleontologist and instructor there. The two reconnect and begin to get to know each other again and slowly spend more and more time together. Along with Marnie connecting with Nova, she also has her twin sister, Jovi, and her best friend, Antoni. Marnie’s relationship with each of them was well done as it is clear how much they care about each other. Overall, the story was sweet and fun as Marnie goes through finding love again along with her own emotional journey. I liked how Marnie took time for herself in Canada to gain a new perspective on everything in her life before trying to put the pieces back together as that is sometimes is the best solution for those at a crossroads. This was a very heart-warming story and I cannot wait to read more from the author.
**I give a special thank you to Rachel @rararesources,, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to participate with this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
February 4, 2022
This is a sweet story about a young woman being overwhelmed with several things at once and escaping to Canada for 6 months. She meets a lovely woman there and this one day that they spend together is the highlight of her visit. She returns home and tries to get on with her life. I don't think it helps that Marnie is a twin, and so the town she lives in has certain ideas about what twins do and don't do. They are not clones of each other, even though they look alike. As an aside, I currently work with identical twins. Their voices are the same, they walk the same, they have the same hairstyle and colour. They are quite different when it comes to their personalities though, and so it is with Marnie and Jovi. These two are friends with Antoni, who is such a wonderful friend to both sisters, it really makes my heart sing.
Something else I really liked was the relationship that Marnie had with Paislee, a young autistic girl whom she is giving support to in the classroom. There was something very endearing about their bond, it has to be said.
Now the reason I gave this book an average rating is that it went on and on a bit, at times. By the end of the book, I was really tired of hearing about Nova's peachy lips or peachy cheeks. And it was never explained all that well how Nova knew where Marnie was. I know, this is a work of fiction but that was a little bit annoying. I have no problems with the premise of the story at all, in fact, Canada is at the top of my bucket list of places to visit so I think this idea could have been explored a little more but somehow it just didn't quite get there for me.
If you want a light romantic read, this might just do the job. I would have liked a little more depth, personally.
3.5 stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus.
Something else I really liked was the relationship that Marnie had with Paislee, a young autistic girl whom she is giving support to in the classroom. There was something very endearing about their bond, it has to be said.
Now the reason I gave this book an average rating is that it went on and on a bit, at times. By the end of the book, I was really tired of hearing about Nova's peachy lips or peachy cheeks. And it was never explained all that well how Nova knew where Marnie was. I know, this is a work of fiction but that was a little bit annoying. I have no problems with the premise of the story at all, in fact, Canada is at the top of my bucket list of places to visit so I think this idea could have been explored a little more but somehow it just didn't quite get there for me.
If you want a light romantic read, this might just do the job. I would have liked a little more depth, personally.
3.5 stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus.
October 7, 2023
Marnie flees to Canada following a bad break up and meets local Nova, forming an instant connection. Back in Orion, the small English village she lives in, she’s settling back into life post break up and dealing with the fall out of leaving abruptly.
I am so sad I didn’t love this more than I did as I love the cover so much and I think the idea is really interesting. I felt like I was reading it for a long time and struggled to get through it despite it not being very long.
I felt the characters were relatively rich, especially the side characters of the family and friends. I felt I could really see the relationships between the Marnie, Jovi and Antoni. The author is a twin and her understanding of being a twin really shines through and I think was the strongest part of the story. We have all had horrible break ups and I also think this element was handled well.
Unfortunately overall the writing style isn’t for me, it’s a little bit twee and repetitive, and too many uses of words like ‘instantly’ which is a turn off. I found the characterisation of Nova’s Canadian-isms a little stereotypical.
The pacing is probably the major issue for me. We meet Nova at the very beginning in one chapter and then don’t see her again til 60% of the way through. It’s hard to really be invested in a relationship we got so little of. A lot of the relationship once Nova arrives in England happens off the page so I felt really detached from it.
Whilst I really liked what the author was trying to do through the portrayal of Paislee it was such a dominating part of the book, to the point I don’t think I could call this a romance as there’s much more of a focus on the issues with the English education system than there is on the relationship between Marnie and Nova.
I am so sad I didn’t love this more than I did as I love the cover so much and I think the idea is really interesting. I felt like I was reading it for a long time and struggled to get through it despite it not being very long.
I felt the characters were relatively rich, especially the side characters of the family and friends. I felt I could really see the relationships between the Marnie, Jovi and Antoni. The author is a twin and her understanding of being a twin really shines through and I think was the strongest part of the story. We have all had horrible break ups and I also think this element was handled well.
Unfortunately overall the writing style isn’t for me, it’s a little bit twee and repetitive, and too many uses of words like ‘instantly’ which is a turn off. I found the characterisation of Nova’s Canadian-isms a little stereotypical.
The pacing is probably the major issue for me. We meet Nova at the very beginning in one chapter and then don’t see her again til 60% of the way through. It’s hard to really be invested in a relationship we got so little of. A lot of the relationship once Nova arrives in England happens off the page so I felt really detached from it.
Whilst I really liked what the author was trying to do through the portrayal of Paislee it was such a dominating part of the book, to the point I don’t think I could call this a romance as there’s much more of a focus on the issues with the English education system than there is on the relationship between Marnie and Nova.
February 7, 2022
Love Lessons in Starcross Valley by Lucy Knott
MY REVIEW
The novel starts with Marnie who is 35 and visiting Canada for a few months and how she meets Nova, who she is attracted to straight away. But they only meet for a day, then they are thousands of miles away. Will they meet again?
Coming back home to Orion, near Manchester, Marnie is back in her flat, seeing her best friend Antoni and her twin sister Jovi. She has had a difficult time as her parents have separated and her boyfriend Josh dumped her after a ten year relationship.
Marnie lives in the village or Orion and the neighbouring village is called Gemini, so they are known as Starcross Valley – hence the book’s title.
There is a lot of food mentioned in the book, especially Antoni’s amazing cakes. I’m sure I put on a stone just reading about them all!
It felt slightly unrealistic that nearly all the characters had unusual names – Marnie, Antoni, Jovi, Paislee, Esme, Jackson, Cameron, Sienna, etc. Surely in a village near Manchester, there would be more people with common names? There’s a Lesley, a Harry and a Tim, but that’s about all.
I enjoyed the scenes with Marnie teaching Paislee. They were really well written and I loved the little girl and Marnie’s way of responding to her needs.
It was good to read a romance between two women, after reading so many between a man and a woman. I wasn’t particularly pulled in by the first chapter, but when Nova reappears, I really connected with the story and wanted to read on to find out what happened.
MY REVIEW
The novel starts with Marnie who is 35 and visiting Canada for a few months and how she meets Nova, who she is attracted to straight away. But they only meet for a day, then they are thousands of miles away. Will they meet again?
Coming back home to Orion, near Manchester, Marnie is back in her flat, seeing her best friend Antoni and her twin sister Jovi. She has had a difficult time as her parents have separated and her boyfriend Josh dumped her after a ten year relationship.
Marnie lives in the village or Orion and the neighbouring village is called Gemini, so they are known as Starcross Valley – hence the book’s title.
There is a lot of food mentioned in the book, especially Antoni’s amazing cakes. I’m sure I put on a stone just reading about them all!
It felt slightly unrealistic that nearly all the characters had unusual names – Marnie, Antoni, Jovi, Paislee, Esme, Jackson, Cameron, Sienna, etc. Surely in a village near Manchester, there would be more people with common names? There’s a Lesley, a Harry and a Tim, but that’s about all.
I enjoyed the scenes with Marnie teaching Paislee. They were really well written and I loved the little girl and Marnie’s way of responding to her needs.
It was good to read a romance between two women, after reading so many between a man and a woman. I wasn’t particularly pulled in by the first chapter, but when Nova reappears, I really connected with the story and wanted to read on to find out what happened.
March 7, 2022
I really hate giving negative reviews but I just did not vibe well with with this one. Love Lessons in Starcross Valley primarily follows thirty-five-year-old Marnie. When her ten-year-long relationship and her parents marriage come to a screeching halt in the same month, she flees the country and has a six-month rendezvous in Canada. This experience is exactly what she needed but she returns to her small town in England still feeling lost. She must get a new job and she begins work with/advocating for a young autistic child named Paisley. An woman that she had a single magical night with in Vancouver pops up in a position in the town's museum. Marnie must ask herself: has she given up on love entirely or just the love in her past relationship?
Romance is formulaic and that is not a bad thing. It makes things consistent. While we technically meet the love interest--Nova--in the novel's prologue, she does not appear again until over 50% in the book. This is totally fine for another genre but not really for romance. I also just had a problem with the way Lucy Knott writes some times. This was almost a DNF for me until I started skimming large sections just to avoid the robotic way it is written. And lastly, the way that Paisley's character is handled is uncomfortable. The intention is nice but it was not successful. Paisley ended up seeming like a figurehead that most of the characters either made fun of or got mad at.
Overall, I just was not a fan. This wasn't for me and that's okay. The sapphic relationship was treated a little bit too much at arm's length for me liking.
**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Romance is formulaic and that is not a bad thing. It makes things consistent. While we technically meet the love interest--Nova--in the novel's prologue, she does not appear again until over 50% in the book. This is totally fine for another genre but not really for romance. I also just had a problem with the way Lucy Knott writes some times. This was almost a DNF for me until I started skimming large sections just to avoid the robotic way it is written. And lastly, the way that Paisley's character is handled is uncomfortable. The intention is nice but it was not successful. Paisley ended up seeming like a figurehead that most of the characters either made fun of or got mad at.
Overall, I just was not a fan. This wasn't for me and that's okay. The sapphic relationship was treated a little bit too much at arm's length for me liking.
**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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