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Uusien alkujen talo
Rakastetun Rantakahvilan kirjoittaja kuvaa lämpimästi kolmen naisen ystävystymistä kesänä, joka muuttaa heidän kaikkien elämän.
Brightonin hurmaavassa rantakaupungissa sijaitsevaan taloon muuttaa kolme erilaista naista: Toimittajan uraa kohti hapuilevan Georgien tuo Brightoniin hänen rakastettunsa työ. Menneisyyden tragediaa pakeneva Charlotte haluaa vetäytyä uuden asuinpaikkansa suojiin. Ihmissuhdekriisin nujertama Rosa vaihtaa lontoolaiselämänsä paikallisen ravintolan keittiössä raatamiseen, vaikka haaveissa siintää oma ravintola.Kun samaan vanhaan merenrantataloon vuokralaisiksi päätyneet naiset löytävät tuen ja turvan toisistaan, alkaa jokaisen elämässä kääntyä uusi lehti.
Brightonin hurmaavassa rantakaupungissa sijaitsevaan taloon muuttaa kolme erilaista naista: Toimittajan uraa kohti hapuilevan Georgien tuo Brightoniin hänen rakastettunsa työ. Menneisyyden tragediaa pakeneva Charlotte haluaa vetäytyä uuden asuinpaikkansa suojiin. Ihmissuhdekriisin nujertama Rosa vaihtaa lontoolaiselämänsä paikallisen ravintolan keittiössä raatamiseen, vaikka haaveissa siintää oma ravintola.Kun samaan vanhaan merenrantataloon vuokralaisiksi päätyneet naiset löytävät tuen ja turvan toisistaan, alkaa jokaisen elämässä kääntyä uusi lehti.
479 pages, Hardcover
First published January 26, 2017
209 people are currently reading
2665 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Diamond
82 books1,426 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
First of all, a confession. My name isn’t really Lucy Diamond at all, it’s Sue Mongredien. I’ve used a pen name because ‘Diamond’ is a lot easier to spell and pronounce than ‘Mongredien’ and also because I’ve written lots of children’s books too and wanted to keep the genres separate. (There is actually another Lucy Diamond on Amazon who writes religious children’s books. That isn’t me, though.)
I was born in 1970 and grew up in Nottingham. I read English at Leeds University then moved to London and worked for various publishers before I packed it all in to go travelling around the world for a year and a half. When I came back to the UK, I worked in publishing again, then moved to the BBC. I now live in Bath with my husband and three young children and divide my time between writing and looking after them. You can have a look at my children’s books here.
Favourite things: beaches, holidays, chocolate, wine, reading, Green Wing, bubble baths, sunshine, hearing my children laugh, babysitters
Favourite books: The Magus (John Fowles), The Edible Woman (Margaret Atwood), The Secret History (Donna Tartt), The Colour of Memory (Geoff Dyer)
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
First of all, a confession. My name isn’t really Lucy Diamond at all, it’s Sue Mongredien. I’ve used a pen name because ‘Diamond’ is a lot easier to spell and pronounce than ‘Mongredien’ and also because I’ve written lots of children’s books too and wanted to keep the genres separate. (There is actually another Lucy Diamond on Amazon who writes religious children’s books. That isn’t me, though.)
I was born in 1970 and grew up in Nottingham. I read English at Leeds University then moved to London and worked for various publishers before I packed it all in to go travelling around the world for a year and a half. When I came back to the UK, I worked in publishing again, then moved to the BBC. I now live in Bath with my husband and three young children and divide my time between writing and looking after them. You can have a look at my children’s books here.
Favourite things: beaches, holidays, chocolate, wine, reading, Green Wing, bubble baths, sunshine, hearing my children laugh, babysitters
Favourite books: The Magus (John Fowles), The Edible Woman (Margaret Atwood), The Secret History (Donna Tartt), The Colour of Memory (Geoff Dyer)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews
October 31, 2017
One seafront house at Brighton is home to several tenants. Rosa is starting over training to be a chef after being in the advertising game, until her love life fell apart and she needed to get out and start afresh. Georgie, having followed her boyfriend Simon to Brighton, is trying to carve out a new career for herself in journalism. That produces more than its share of adventures and laughs, as well as problems. Charlotte is still not over the death of her baby daughter Kate and her subsequent marriage break up. Then there is Margot, the elderly and glamorous French woman, who has a profound influence on Charlotte as well as others in the building. Add to this Jo who is a single parent with a teenage daughter Bea and you have an interesting cast of characters, each trying to sort out their own different issues.
This is a story about love and the friendship and support women can provide for each other. At times some of the incidents are over the top, especially the speed dating scene. But, all in all it is a good read, a story of loss and new beginnings as well as changes of direction for some. This is the second book I have read by this author and I much preferred this to The Secrets of Happiness. It made me chuckle at times, shake my head at others and shed a tear or two. In other words, I was fully engaged with these characters. A good fun read for when you just want something lighter.
This is a story about love and the friendship and support women can provide for each other. At times some of the incidents are over the top, especially the speed dating scene. But, all in all it is a good read, a story of loss and new beginnings as well as changes of direction for some. This is the second book I have read by this author and I much preferred this to The Secrets of Happiness. It made me chuckle at times, shake my head at others and shed a tear or two. In other words, I was fully engaged with these characters. A good fun read for when you just want something lighter.
February 7, 2017
I have been eagerly awaiting this book for a long time now. I have had it preordered for months now. I love Lucy Diamonds books. I have only awarded this book three stars because at the start I found it a little hard to get into and it didn't grab my attention like her other books have. That said thou in the end I really liked this book and found it funny and warming.
The book follows the troubles of three woman Rosa, Georgia and Charlotte. All of them have had very troubled pasts and each of them are looking for a fresh new beginning. They also share the same address no 11 Dukes Street.
Rosa has been badly hurt by a man she trusted and her reaction was to run away from it all. Her life, her job, her family, her friends, her house and her partner. But is running away going to solve all her problems? Rosa was once a revered PA consultant now she is working in a kitchen working all hours god sends her. The chef is a bully and it is clear that she is much better than the lowly paid job she has stumbled into.
Charlotte was an honest person who my heart went out to. There is nothing like having your heart broken in the shattering way hers was. I really loved to see her blossoming and coming out of her shell. I really rooted for her and wanted the best for her.
Georgie is the youngest of the three women. And she has left her old life behind, her friends and her family. Sold their lovely home and moved to Brighton to be with her boyfriend who quite frankly doesn't care if she is there or not. I really didn't like him. Georgie thinks that she needs Simon in her life because her whole life revolves around him. But she really doesn't need him at all as she is such a strong and independent woman. Even if she doesn't see it herself.
The women obviously meet and help, encourage and root for each other. In order the sort out their problems and to help them get the lives that they deserve.
This is a very sweet uplifting book.
Happy reading everyone
The book follows the troubles of three woman Rosa, Georgia and Charlotte. All of them have had very troubled pasts and each of them are looking for a fresh new beginning. They also share the same address no 11 Dukes Street.
Rosa has been badly hurt by a man she trusted and her reaction was to run away from it all. Her life, her job, her family, her friends, her house and her partner. But is running away going to solve all her problems? Rosa was once a revered PA consultant now she is working in a kitchen working all hours god sends her. The chef is a bully and it is clear that she is much better than the lowly paid job she has stumbled into.
Charlotte was an honest person who my heart went out to. There is nothing like having your heart broken in the shattering way hers was. I really loved to see her blossoming and coming out of her shell. I really rooted for her and wanted the best for her.
Georgie is the youngest of the three women. And she has left her old life behind, her friends and her family. Sold their lovely home and moved to Brighton to be with her boyfriend who quite frankly doesn't care if she is there or not. I really didn't like him. Georgie thinks that she needs Simon in her life because her whole life revolves around him. But she really doesn't need him at all as she is such a strong and independent woman. Even if she doesn't see it herself.
The women obviously meet and help, encourage and root for each other. In order the sort out their problems and to help them get the lives that they deserve.
This is a very sweet uplifting book.
Happy reading everyone
February 22, 2017
Ever go for a walk and look at the lit up windows of the houses you walk past and wonder who lives there and what does their life look like?
Well, I don’t know what it says about me but, I imagine the lives and problems of the inhabitants of each home I walk past on my walks.
So it was only fitting to read and review The House Of New Beginnings by Lucy Diamond when it was offered to me.
In this story we follow the the lives of three women, all living at Number 11, Dukes Square.
There is Charlotte who is a lonely recluse, hiding from the world following a devastating loss in her past. She has moved to Brighton in the hope of a new start away from her terrible memories of the past
Then there is Georgie who has moved to the city following her childhood sweethearts promotion to manage a big account as a lead architect and further his career.
And finally there is Rosa who has run away from London in an attempt to escape a bad relationship and try to follow her dreams of becoming a sous chef.
So I’m just going to jump into this and say that I didn’t love the book.
There were several things that really bothered me with this story and as much as I tried to get into it and identify with the characters I just couldn’t.
This book had such potential to address personal growth, self empowerment and girl power, but to me it fell short of driving a message or making any impact. I felt the story was simply just vanilla.
Each girl’s life revolved around an issue relating to a man and the only person who carried any hope of empowerment was the oldest neighbour in the apartment block. I had such high hopes that she would leave us with a meaningful message of “love your self, you're worth it” but half way through the book she revealed that she followed her lover to come and live in the UK leaving her children behind in France.
I hated Georgie because her whole world revolved around Simon, her boyfriend. She questioned every move she made in life with what would Simon say or think and whether he’d approve her decision. Even when she shows initiative, taking a leap out of her comfort zone to get a great job, writing for a local publication, she is forever tying to either involve Simon in it or is scared to tell him about it. Meanwhile Simon only cares about him self and how he looks and what he wants. He continuously shows that Georgie’s wishes, ,needs, plans and dreams don’t matter.
Then she finally gets an opportunity to stand her ground and do something for her self, but instead she plays the victim card again, and is left picking up the pieces after Simon leaves her. Instead of being enraged and angry, Georgie spends her time crying over him. At fist I was angry for her and then I was angry with her!!
Stand up for your self girl! Let him crawl back and IF you still want him (because let’s face it he ain’t gonna change) reset the rules of engagement to even out the playing field.
I will save you a rant as to why I disliked each individual character, but I was disappointed to see that each of them needed a man in their life to make them happy.
None of the girls found them self, in the end they only found the man that make them feel complete…. or was that for our benefit?
Instead I would have preferred to have read how each character had truly faced her demons, had learned something from them and had chosen the life path of fulfilment.
Well, I don’t know what it says about me but, I imagine the lives and problems of the inhabitants of each home I walk past on my walks.
So it was only fitting to read and review The House Of New Beginnings by Lucy Diamond when it was offered to me.
In this story we follow the the lives of three women, all living at Number 11, Dukes Square.
There is Charlotte who is a lonely recluse, hiding from the world following a devastating loss in her past. She has moved to Brighton in the hope of a new start away from her terrible memories of the past
Then there is Georgie who has moved to the city following her childhood sweethearts promotion to manage a big account as a lead architect and further his career.
And finally there is Rosa who has run away from London in an attempt to escape a bad relationship and try to follow her dreams of becoming a sous chef.
So I’m just going to jump into this and say that I didn’t love the book.
There were several things that really bothered me with this story and as much as I tried to get into it and identify with the characters I just couldn’t.
This book had such potential to address personal growth, self empowerment and girl power, but to me it fell short of driving a message or making any impact. I felt the story was simply just vanilla.
Each girl’s life revolved around an issue relating to a man and the only person who carried any hope of empowerment was the oldest neighbour in the apartment block. I had such high hopes that she would leave us with a meaningful message of “love your self, you're worth it” but half way through the book she revealed that she followed her lover to come and live in the UK leaving her children behind in France.
I hated Georgie because her whole world revolved around Simon, her boyfriend. She questioned every move she made in life with what would Simon say or think and whether he’d approve her decision. Even when she shows initiative, taking a leap out of her comfort zone to get a great job, writing for a local publication, she is forever tying to either involve Simon in it or is scared to tell him about it. Meanwhile Simon only cares about him self and how he looks and what he wants. He continuously shows that Georgie’s wishes, ,needs, plans and dreams don’t matter.
Then she finally gets an opportunity to stand her ground and do something for her self, but instead she plays the victim card again, and is left picking up the pieces after Simon leaves her. Instead of being enraged and angry, Georgie spends her time crying over him. At fist I was angry for her and then I was angry with her!!
Stand up for your self girl! Let him crawl back and IF you still want him (because let’s face it he ain’t gonna change) reset the rules of engagement to even out the playing field.
I will save you a rant as to why I disliked each individual character, but I was disappointed to see that each of them needed a man in their life to make them happy.
None of the girls found them self, in the end they only found the man that make them feel complete…. or was that for our benefit?
Instead I would have preferred to have read how each character had truly faced her demons, had learned something from them and had chosen the life path of fulfilment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2018
Song for summary: Never Too Late by Hedley
I absolutely adored this book! The characters are sweet, troubled, and unique; while the plot is an emotional and touching story about new friendships, love, and starting over. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I will be sure to keep a look out for this author!
I absolutely adored this book! The characters are sweet, troubled, and unique; while the plot is an emotional and touching story about new friendships, love, and starting over. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I will be sure to keep a look out for this author!
September 5, 2022
Ihanan lempeätunnelmainen romaani. Uusien alkujen talo oli kevyttä luettavaa, vaikka käsitteli vakaviakin aiheita. Ystävyyden kantava voima sekä huumori kevensivät sopivasti ja kun sen yhdisti vielä jouhevaan kerrontaan, niin lopputulos oli sopivan kevyt, mutta vakuuttava.
Jokaisella kirjan kolmesta päähenkilöstä on omat ongelmansa ja haavansa, joista koskettavin oli ehdottomasti lapsena menettäneen Charlotten tarina. Kuitenkin ystävyys ja Brightonin lempeät tuulet valavat naisiin uutta uskoa elämään ja he saavat uutta puhtia elämiinsä. Kolmen naisen kohtaamispaikkana toimii talo, josta sattumalta heistä kaikki saa uuden alun elämälleen .
Tää kirja on just niitä viihderomaaneja, jotka saa hymyn huulille ja jotka lämmittää sisältä.
Jokaisella kirjan kolmesta päähenkilöstä on omat ongelmansa ja haavansa, joista koskettavin oli ehdottomasti lapsena menettäneen Charlotten tarina. Kuitenkin ystävyys ja Brightonin lempeät tuulet valavat naisiin uutta uskoa elämään ja he saavat uutta puhtia elämiinsä. Kolmen naisen kohtaamispaikkana toimii talo, josta sattumalta heistä kaikki saa uuden alun elämälleen .
Tää kirja on just niitä viihderomaaneja, jotka saa hymyn huulille ja jotka lämmittää sisältä.
February 5, 2017
Oh yes, guys, it was a high time for a new Lucy Diamond's book - I've been already experiencing Ms Diamond withdrawal symptoms, to be honest, missing her warm and inviting writing style and gorgeous stories about strong women. When I've seen the title of the new book - "The House of New Beginnings" - I really didn't have to read the synopsis to know that it's going to be a gorgeous novel about taking chances and starting afresh. And guys, this cover...! THIS COVER...! Better let's not start on this beautiful, sparkly, eye - catching cover...
When starting a book by Lucy Diamond I know it is going to introduce me to some lovely, strong female characters. The author's incredible strength lies in writing about people that easily could be our friends, neighbours, family. This time we have three main characters - Rosa, working in a hotel's kitchen, chopping onions and avoiding flying knives, Charlotte whose marriage didn't get through a tragedy and Georgia, following her boyfriend who's just got a new job in Brighton. Of course, there is so much to the girls than meet the eye! They had some very complicated pasts and they all want to start afresh - even Georgia, who sees the move to Brighton as a chance to start a new career. What the girls have in common right now is their new address - they live in the same house, Number 11 Dukes Square, but soon they all are going to cross each other's paths...
As always, the characters are incredibly well written. Lucy Diamond has this gift to create warm, realistic, not over - exaggerated characters, people that we root for and we can so easily relate to, as we could easily find ourselves in similar situations. This is what makes Lucy's writing so exceptional, I think, that she writes about normal, everyday things but makes it in a special way and she doesn't overweigh the readers with only sadness but wonderfully compensates the most tender and serious moments with happy and funny ones. I can't say that I had a favourite character in this novel because I loved them all, from the very beginning. Their stories were so different, but they had something in common as well - they were all looking for happiness, for finding their way even when it seems that all the odds are against you. Rosa has been badly hurt by a man she's trusted and her reaction was to run away, so she left her job, house, friends and moved to Brighton, and instead in the glamorous world of PR she is working in the hotel's kitchen - training to be a chef, as she herself ironically states. It was clear that she is wasting her time in this kitchen, with the bully chef, guys, and my heart went to her. I couldn't watch how she was flagellating herself because of this what's happened in the past, she deserved so much more, she had so much to offer!
Charlotte's story was heart - breaking and you really wanted to make things better for her. There is nothing worse than have your heart broken in a way Charlotte had and her sadness was so understandable. She was so honest and so believable in all her feelings and things she's been doing, so realistic with her uncertainty and shyness and I loved to see her blossoming, coming out of her shell and finally not forgetting but accepting.
Georgie was the youngest of the three women and her biggest problem was leaving her best mates for few months when following her boyfriend Simon to the lovely Brighton. She didn't have such problems like Rosa and Charlotte although she was very talented in complicating her own life. She was lovely, full of great sense of humour girl, although I wanted to roll my eyes at her sometimes and mostly I wanted to tell her, hey girl, you are great, you don't need to hang on Simon so much.
And yet all the women, that have already hit the lowest point of their lives, were still dreaming and hoping of something better. And, what's more important, with each other's help, or with help of other great women, they eventually plucked up the courage - and it was beautiful to see how, throughout the story, they were - yes, they had so many downs on their ways - but they always picked themselves up and looked forward. It may all sound too pompous or serious, guys, but of course it isn't - Lucy Diamond delivers (again!) a down - to - earth, light - hearted and uplifting story.
Even the background characters, that come and go - and even the ones that are not so significant, like Paul (oh my word! How much I laughed!) - they add so much to this story, and the book wouldn't be the same without them. They also bring some twists and turns and that made the reading so hooking and so interesting and really, some of the surprises that were their doing were so unexpected. They were all very true to life and the author brought them so effortlessly to life - just like the setting, the house itself and all the events that happened when all the three women were living at Dukes Square. Lucy Diamond's descriptions are colourful and vivid but she doesn't need to write thousand words to describe a thing, she just finds the best words and ways to describe them in a way that has us glued to the pages. There was not a flat moment in this story, guys, and it was a real rollercoaster ride of feelings and emotions with a great dose of brilliant humour - Lucy Diamond at her best!
Truly, "The House of New Beginnings" is a brilliant read about new beginnings (sic!), friendship, dealing with grief and betrayal, finding your own feet - full of uplifting messages and hope. And the dishes that Rosa creates, oh my word, guys...! They sounded so, so delicious! I wouldn't hesitate to become a regular at her diner! I found myself really engrossed in the book and the different storylines and the characters that - at the beginning - didn't know each other, were working together perfectly and I kept my fingers crossed for them all. The story is not rushed, but it has a lovely pace to it that allows you to enjoy all the small and big things in the characters' lives. And having created such brilliant characters the author doesn't have to push on fireworks, an extravagant plot but this what she writes about is lovely and down to earth and I often found myself nodding my head with agreement at the characters' way of resolving their problems. Another winner from one of my favourite authors and I can't recommend it highly enough! Make sure you have it on your wish - list!
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
June 1, 2023
4.5 étoiles pour l’écriture de l’auteure, pour chacune de ces histoires qui finissent par s’entrecroiser, pour chacune de ces femmes et pour tout le beau de ce roman. petit coup de cœur!
February 6, 2017
All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com
Bestselling author, Lucy Diamond, is back with yet another cracking novel. Just when you think her novels cannot get any better, she manages to raise the bar even higher for herself and write another heart-warming read.
We wouldn't be human if we didn't lust after a new start at some point in our lives, right? A change of scenery, fresh new faces, a brand new routine and seeing your old life without your rose-tinted glasses. We have all been there, and no doubt whilst you're reading this, a lot more human beans are deciding to do just that; create a fresh start or a 'new beginning' if you will. Maybe a complete house full of new beginnings? I wonder...
Lucy Diamond's latest novel follows three main characters in particular; Rosa, Georgie and Charlotte. Each lady has their own individual story to tell along with various skeletons in their closets as baggage. Each lady has their own reason as to why a fresh start was needed and, thanks to Number 11, Dukes Square, new life stories will be created. How long their chapters are though, remains to be seen.
Receiving this novel felt as though all my Christmases had come at once (thank you Panmacmillan!)! You know when you have admired an author from afar for years, never in a million years thinking that you would get a chance to talk to that very author, or that you would have a proof copy of their new novel pop through your door, so you jump up and down and stroke the book? Yeahhhhhh, that was me.
Not long after I had picked up Lucy D's novel, I found myself entranced by every word in front of me. The storyline flowed beautifully and didn't require too much brainpower to sail through it. The message throughout the novel is one that I feel will resonate with A LOT of readers as I am sure several of them would have been in that position once or twice. I know I have been. Despite that, Lucy Diamond told the story of three ladies life turbulence with such ease and poignancy, that the deep and secretive moments didn't overshadow the true meaning of the story. As I said above, the novel didn't require over thinking or the need to play detective when it came to characters pasts. Yes, the entire storyline kept me hooked and curious about the overall outcome, but it wasn't forced. Every single line, every single chapter, every single emotion had a purpose within the storyline.
Ah-ha! It's a relaxing sort of read! You know, the type of book that you want to snuggle up with, cuppa on a coaster and chocolate on your lap and just lose yourself in....magic. 'The House of New Beginnings' is just THAT. I'm frustrated with myself for not being able to get that out sooner, I do seem to go round the houses a tad, I do apologise!
'The House of New Beginnings' is a cosy, poignant and emotional read that may end up becoming your 'go to' book for 2017. Full of warm, hilarious moments that are guaranteed to make you smile (as well as shedding a tear), Lucy Diamond's new novel is most definitely one to watch this year.
Effortlessly brilliant; another fantastic read from the genius that is Lucy Diamond.
Bestselling author, Lucy Diamond, is back with yet another cracking novel. Just when you think her novels cannot get any better, she manages to raise the bar even higher for herself and write another heart-warming read.
We wouldn't be human if we didn't lust after a new start at some point in our lives, right? A change of scenery, fresh new faces, a brand new routine and seeing your old life without your rose-tinted glasses. We have all been there, and no doubt whilst you're reading this, a lot more human beans are deciding to do just that; create a fresh start or a 'new beginning' if you will. Maybe a complete house full of new beginnings? I wonder...
Lucy Diamond's latest novel follows three main characters in particular; Rosa, Georgie and Charlotte. Each lady has their own individual story to tell along with various skeletons in their closets as baggage. Each lady has their own reason as to why a fresh start was needed and, thanks to Number 11, Dukes Square, new life stories will be created. How long their chapters are though, remains to be seen.
Receiving this novel felt as though all my Christmases had come at once (thank you Panmacmillan!)! You know when you have admired an author from afar for years, never in a million years thinking that you would get a chance to talk to that very author, or that you would have a proof copy of their new novel pop through your door, so you jump up and down and stroke the book? Yeahhhhhh, that was me.
Not long after I had picked up Lucy D's novel, I found myself entranced by every word in front of me. The storyline flowed beautifully and didn't require too much brainpower to sail through it. The message throughout the novel is one that I feel will resonate with A LOT of readers as I am sure several of them would have been in that position once or twice. I know I have been. Despite that, Lucy Diamond told the story of three ladies life turbulence with such ease and poignancy, that the deep and secretive moments didn't overshadow the true meaning of the story. As I said above, the novel didn't require over thinking or the need to play detective when it came to characters pasts. Yes, the entire storyline kept me hooked and curious about the overall outcome, but it wasn't forced. Every single line, every single chapter, every single emotion had a purpose within the storyline.
Ah-ha! It's a relaxing sort of read! You know, the type of book that you want to snuggle up with, cuppa on a coaster and chocolate on your lap and just lose yourself in....magic. 'The House of New Beginnings' is just THAT. I'm frustrated with myself for not being able to get that out sooner, I do seem to go round the houses a tad, I do apologise!
'The House of New Beginnings' is a cosy, poignant and emotional read that may end up becoming your 'go to' book for 2017. Full of warm, hilarious moments that are guaranteed to make you smile (as well as shedding a tear), Lucy Diamond's new novel is most definitely one to watch this year.
Effortlessly brilliant; another fantastic read from the genius that is Lucy Diamond.
April 12, 2021
Não achei ruim, mas também não é nada uauuuu super incrível. É um livro leve, fofinho e bem clichê! Tava precisando de uma leitura assim. 😊
February 21, 2017
In a large, elegant yet imposing Victorian house in the seaside town of Brighton, England, several women live in hiding: hiding from the pain of the past, from people, from life, from the truth of their lives. Recent arrivals, it is months before they even meet the people living in the other flats. Yet when they do, they rediscover much that they had lost: purpose, laughter, confidence, a sense of belonging.
Georgie has followed her partner, architect Simon, to Brighton to avoid a six-month separation - not that he was super interested in her decision, either way. But having quit her librarian job and rented out their house to a couple of teachers, she's here in Brighton with high hopes and plenty of enthusiasm. With no job and a tense, stressed boyfriend dealing with protesters to the new hotel development, and a sense of impending strife, Georgie embarks on a new career: freelance writer. She wouldn't have been able to predict that this would put her in direct conflict with Simon, especially when she's sent to interview the protesters and comes to take their side.
Across the hall, Charlotte lives alone, hiding from everything and everyone. Having lost her baby, Kate, a week after her birth, Charlotte has made little attempt to do anything but indulge in her grief. Her ex-husband has moved on, but after being accused of trying to snatch another woman's baby, Charlotte transferred to the Brighton office of her legal firm, where everyone is much too friendly and involved than she'd like. When the company decides that its employees will take part in a community outreach program, connecting to the elderly, Charlotte has an idea that will help her stay within her comfort zone: having met the elderly Frenchwoman who lives in the attic flat, she feels sure Margot will sign up for it. She doesn't reckon, though, on Margot's force of nature.
On the ground floor lives Rosa, who left her London job and all her friends behind to escape to Brighton when she discovered the truth about her too-good-to-be-true boyfriend, Max. She's turned instead to her personal love of cooking and, having taken an intensive six-month course, is now working as sous chef at the local hotel. Work, home, work again: her life has taken on a simple, unfulfilling routine that is shaken when her neighbour, Jo, is suddenly taken to hospital with appendicitis and she has to take care of Jo's teenage daughter, Beatrice.
These Brighton months will change these women's lives forever, as old relationships are mended and new ones forged.
The House of New Beginnings is a well-written exploration of the grief and pain experienced by these women, which takes many forms and with diverse causes. Each of the main characters - Georgie, Rosa and Charlotte - are captured with a subtle shift in narrative voice, or tone: from Georgie's youthful yet inexperienced spunkiness to Rosa's mature, capable level-headedness to Charlotte's withdrawn, isolating timidity. Chapters alternate between the different storylines, connecting and overlapping at different points, and while sometimes the sense of time became a bit too vague, the pace is swift and smooth and the story engaging.
Usually, I come away from a book like this with a favourite character, but there are such lovable qualities to all three women - and Margot, the dying Frenchwoman with her 'harem' of handsome young studs across town - that I could not possibly pick one. It is light on the romance front - The House of New Beginnings is about individuals forging new relationships and dealing with painful memories and difficult situations, as a kind of mature coming-of-age story - but there is love in each woman's happily-ever-after. While I didn't find it a particularly thought-provoking novel, nor one that offered any new or fresh perspectives on these themes, the gentle, empathetic way Diamond handles each of her female characters helped make them endearing, believable and sympathetic. It touches very lightly on a social justice issue, relating to women's rights, and on gender roles - not enough to satisfy this reader, but enough to give it an edge. It is, primarily, a story of overcoming loss and developing an inner strength, and in that sense it is a very successful one.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.
Georgie has followed her partner, architect Simon, to Brighton to avoid a six-month separation - not that he was super interested in her decision, either way. But having quit her librarian job and rented out their house to a couple of teachers, she's here in Brighton with high hopes and plenty of enthusiasm. With no job and a tense, stressed boyfriend dealing with protesters to the new hotel development, and a sense of impending strife, Georgie embarks on a new career: freelance writer. She wouldn't have been able to predict that this would put her in direct conflict with Simon, especially when she's sent to interview the protesters and comes to take their side.
Across the hall, Charlotte lives alone, hiding from everything and everyone. Having lost her baby, Kate, a week after her birth, Charlotte has made little attempt to do anything but indulge in her grief. Her ex-husband has moved on, but after being accused of trying to snatch another woman's baby, Charlotte transferred to the Brighton office of her legal firm, where everyone is much too friendly and involved than she'd like. When the company decides that its employees will take part in a community outreach program, connecting to the elderly, Charlotte has an idea that will help her stay within her comfort zone: having met the elderly Frenchwoman who lives in the attic flat, she feels sure Margot will sign up for it. She doesn't reckon, though, on Margot's force of nature.
On the ground floor lives Rosa, who left her London job and all her friends behind to escape to Brighton when she discovered the truth about her too-good-to-be-true boyfriend, Max. She's turned instead to her personal love of cooking and, having taken an intensive six-month course, is now working as sous chef at the local hotel. Work, home, work again: her life has taken on a simple, unfulfilling routine that is shaken when her neighbour, Jo, is suddenly taken to hospital with appendicitis and she has to take care of Jo's teenage daughter, Beatrice.
These Brighton months will change these women's lives forever, as old relationships are mended and new ones forged.
The House of New Beginnings is a well-written exploration of the grief and pain experienced by these women, which takes many forms and with diverse causes. Each of the main characters - Georgie, Rosa and Charlotte - are captured with a subtle shift in narrative voice, or tone: from Georgie's youthful yet inexperienced spunkiness to Rosa's mature, capable level-headedness to Charlotte's withdrawn, isolating timidity. Chapters alternate between the different storylines, connecting and overlapping at different points, and while sometimes the sense of time became a bit too vague, the pace is swift and smooth and the story engaging.
Usually, I come away from a book like this with a favourite character, but there are such lovable qualities to all three women - and Margot, the dying Frenchwoman with her 'harem' of handsome young studs across town - that I could not possibly pick one. It is light on the romance front - The House of New Beginnings is about individuals forging new relationships and dealing with painful memories and difficult situations, as a kind of mature coming-of-age story - but there is love in each woman's happily-ever-after. While I didn't find it a particularly thought-provoking novel, nor one that offered any new or fresh perspectives on these themes, the gentle, empathetic way Diamond handles each of her female characters helped make them endearing, believable and sympathetic. It touches very lightly on a social justice issue, relating to women's rights, and on gender roles - not enough to satisfy this reader, but enough to give it an edge. It is, primarily, a story of overcoming loss and developing an inner strength, and in that sense it is a very successful one.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.
February 15, 2017
Absorbing, beguiling, and incredibly touching!
This is a heartwarming story that reminds us to always live life to the fullest and never be afraid to try something new.
The prose is effortless. The plot is a wonderful blend of heart, humour and hope. And the characterization is spot on with a wonderful cast of characters, including some strong, determined, courageous women who learn through compassion and friendship to let go of the past and embrace the future.
This is, ultimately, a story about dreams, heartbreak, goals, loss, love and finding one's true self and I absolutely adored it. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and in the end it left me smiling.
Thank you to NetGalley, especially Publishers Group Canada, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
This is a heartwarming story that reminds us to always live life to the fullest and never be afraid to try something new.
The prose is effortless. The plot is a wonderful blend of heart, humour and hope. And the characterization is spot on with a wonderful cast of characters, including some strong, determined, courageous women who learn through compassion and friendship to let go of the past and embrace the future.
This is, ultimately, a story about dreams, heartbreak, goals, loss, love and finding one's true self and I absolutely adored it. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and in the end it left me smiling.
Thank you to NetGalley, especially Publishers Group Canada, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
September 4, 2018
Det var en väldigt trögstartad berättelse. Jag var nästan på väg att ge upp. Men nu är jag glad att jag läste vidare för halvvägs in så blev den riktigt bra.
August 25, 2025
3,5/5 arrondi à 4/5.
Je m’attendais à un roman superficiel, mais j'y ai trouvé une profondeur inattendue avec l’histoire de Charlotte, qui m’a vraiment beaucoup touchée. J’ai également adoré le personnage de Margot, j’aurais aimé en savoir plus sur sa vie. J’ai également trouvé très appréciable le focus sur tous les personnages féminins, ça fait plaisir de voir autant de femmes à la une ! Et bonus pour la mise en valeur de Brighton, ça donne envie d’y aller !
Déception sur la conclusion du livre : encore et toujours ce message comme quoi une femme ne peut être pleinement heureuse sans être en couple avec un homme... il y avait mieux à faire avec une des trois héroïnes (comme Georgie par exemple).
Je m’attendais à un roman superficiel, mais j'y ai trouvé une profondeur inattendue avec l’histoire de Charlotte, qui m’a vraiment beaucoup touchée. J’ai également adoré le personnage de Margot, j’aurais aimé en savoir plus sur sa vie. J’ai également trouvé très appréciable le focus sur tous les personnages féminins, ça fait plaisir de voir autant de femmes à la une ! Et bonus pour la mise en valeur de Brighton, ça donne envie d’y aller !
Déception sur la conclusion du livre : encore et toujours ce message comme quoi une femme ne peut être pleinement heureuse sans être en couple avec un homme... il y avait mieux à faire avec une des trois héroïnes (comme Georgie par exemple).
June 29, 2024
Je n’étais pas certaine au début de ma lecture, puisque c’est un livre durant lequel à chaque chapitre on change de personnage, je trouve que c’est un peu sûr utilisé… mais finalement, excellente lecture, réconfortante, pas prévisible, différente, je la recommande!
November 17, 2017
A new Lucy Diamond book – how long have I waited for this? Too long!! It was nice to finally be back in the comfort of one of her books!
In the House of New Beginnings we meet several women who are all hiding from something whether it be love, bereavement and lies. The house is located a stone’s throw away from the beach in Brighton. Each women has a flat at number 11 Duke’s Square. Rosa is a kitchen assistant in a hotel. This wasn’t what she used to do, and it isn’t what she wants to do now but Rosa is hiding away from the lies of her ex-boyfriend. When she found out that he was married with a wife and kids Rosa moved to Brighton to be by herself. Her only passion now is cooking. Georgie lives with Simon. They are both originally from Yorkshire, but Georgie has followed architect Simon down to Brighton after he was awarded a big contract to build a hotel. She didn’t really want to go, but she followed her heart. She’s bored in Brighton, with nothing to do and no one she knows. She manages to get a job writing articles for a local paper where she becomes the paper’s agony aunt. Charlotte has moved to Brighton from Reading. Her marriage has broken up after a devastating loss. The only way Charlotte feels she can cope is to be somewhere new and keep herself busy so that she isn’t reminded of her loss and sadness. Add to the mixture Jo and her daughter Bea and Margot, the elderly French lady who lives in the top floor flat. None of the women know each other but sadness brings them all together.
I was hooked on this story from page one. You get caught initially with Georgie’s story and think that the book is perhaps more light hearted than it is. Everything Georgie does has an amusing undertone to it, but as the story moves on you realise that whilst amusing, Georgie always gets things wrong despite trying to do the right thing. Rosa’s story is sad, stuck in a kitchen being shouted at by the head chef. She cooks at home to take away the sadness of being lied to and her potential is obviously being ignored. Charlotte’s story is the most heart-breaking. Trying the best to cope following the death of her child, Charlotte keeps herself busy with a job she doesn’t like and a very strict and thorough household chore rota. I love the way none of them know each other, but as the book goes on they all help each other despite dealing with their own personal tragedies which never go away. As the story goes on, they all start to build confidence and strength helped by their relationships with each other.
As normal with a Lucy Diamond book, it’s a lovely heart-warming, sometimes sad, read that you just can’t help but love. It wasn’t just the story for me that reeled me in, but the setting also. The description of Number 11 Duke’s Square, how close it was to the sea, sitting in café’s, a walk on the pier or on the beach in the sun sounded absolutely heavenly. I’m also from Reading, so was lovely to have it mentioned in a book that I’ve read!!
A fabulous read! I don’t think I will ever tire of reading a Lucy Diamond book! Five stars!
In the House of New Beginnings we meet several women who are all hiding from something whether it be love, bereavement and lies. The house is located a stone’s throw away from the beach in Brighton. Each women has a flat at number 11 Duke’s Square. Rosa is a kitchen assistant in a hotel. This wasn’t what she used to do, and it isn’t what she wants to do now but Rosa is hiding away from the lies of her ex-boyfriend. When she found out that he was married with a wife and kids Rosa moved to Brighton to be by herself. Her only passion now is cooking. Georgie lives with Simon. They are both originally from Yorkshire, but Georgie has followed architect Simon down to Brighton after he was awarded a big contract to build a hotel. She didn’t really want to go, but she followed her heart. She’s bored in Brighton, with nothing to do and no one she knows. She manages to get a job writing articles for a local paper where she becomes the paper’s agony aunt. Charlotte has moved to Brighton from Reading. Her marriage has broken up after a devastating loss. The only way Charlotte feels she can cope is to be somewhere new and keep herself busy so that she isn’t reminded of her loss and sadness. Add to the mixture Jo and her daughter Bea and Margot, the elderly French lady who lives in the top floor flat. None of the women know each other but sadness brings them all together.
I was hooked on this story from page one. You get caught initially with Georgie’s story and think that the book is perhaps more light hearted than it is. Everything Georgie does has an amusing undertone to it, but as the story moves on you realise that whilst amusing, Georgie always gets things wrong despite trying to do the right thing. Rosa’s story is sad, stuck in a kitchen being shouted at by the head chef. She cooks at home to take away the sadness of being lied to and her potential is obviously being ignored. Charlotte’s story is the most heart-breaking. Trying the best to cope following the death of her child, Charlotte keeps herself busy with a job she doesn’t like and a very strict and thorough household chore rota. I love the way none of them know each other, but as the book goes on they all help each other despite dealing with their own personal tragedies which never go away. As the story goes on, they all start to build confidence and strength helped by their relationships with each other.
As normal with a Lucy Diamond book, it’s a lovely heart-warming, sometimes sad, read that you just can’t help but love. It wasn’t just the story for me that reeled me in, but the setting also. The description of Number 11 Duke’s Square, how close it was to the sea, sitting in café’s, a walk on the pier or on the beach in the sun sounded absolutely heavenly. I’m also from Reading, so was lovely to have it mentioned in a book that I’ve read!!
A fabulous read! I don’t think I will ever tire of reading a Lucy Diamond book! Five stars!
April 29, 2021
I loved this book and devoured it quickly because it was just so enjoyable and engaging to read!
The story follows three women, strangers initially, who for various reasons have moved into the same townhouse of flats to start again. Often when stories follow multiple main characters, I end up enjoying one character’s story more than the others. With ‘The House of New Beginnings’ however, I loved all three storylines equally and enjoyed seeing them overlap.
This was the perfect book to curl up with on the sofa and while away a rainy day.
The story follows three women, strangers initially, who for various reasons have moved into the same townhouse of flats to start again. Often when stories follow multiple main characters, I end up enjoying one character’s story more than the others. With ‘The House of New Beginnings’ however, I loved all three storylines equally and enjoyed seeing them overlap.
This was the perfect book to curl up with on the sofa and while away a rainy day.
January 30, 2020
You know with Lucy Diamond you will get a light, easy going read & I’ve enjoyed this one. Not my favourite of hers but still really enjoyable without being TOO cheesy. Of course everything gets wrapped up a little too neatly at the end & it’s all a little predictable but definitely an easy book to chill out with.
October 4, 2021
I was quite disappointed with this one. I loved the description that's why I got it but I could not identify with any of the characters and skipped lots of the book which I usually consider sacrilegious. But hey, you can't have it all. 😊
May 30, 2025
Ohlala, je n’ai pas aimé la traduction de ce livre. Il y avait beaucoup d’expressions françaises qui m’ont fait grincer les oreilles. L’histoire en soi était intéressante, mais j’ai l’impression que la traduction ne lui a pas rendu justice.😕
November 13, 2025
4.5⭐
The House of New Beginnings follows three women; Georgie, Charlotte and Rosa, who all recently moved to Brighton and live in the same building.
Georgie moved to Brighton because her boyfriend Simon got an amazing job opportunity for 6 months there. Far away from her home, family and friends in Yorkshire, Georgie tries to find new routines in Brighton and is forced to reflect on her relationship with Simon. Georgie and Simon met during school years and have stayed together ever since then, but things do not feel as great in Brighton as it used to. Are they two of them even hoping for the same future?
After a terrible betrayal of her latest boyfriend Max, Rosa quickly moved from London to Brighton to start over. The scars of the past are still haunting Rosa. How could she not realize the Max situation before? How could she have been fooled like that? Rosa's Brighton routines are interrupted by her neighbor Jo's medical emergency, leaving Rosa to take care of Jo's teenage daughter Bea.
Charlotte's story is the saddest of them all. While Rosa has all right to be upset about Max and what he did and Georgie getting frustrated and questioning the intentions of her Simon, Charlotte lost her baby daughter Kate, feel deep into grief and her marriage to Jim, her husband and the father to Kate, fell apart. In Charlotte's case, no one is to blame because everyone deals with grief differently.
Having to follow 3 POVs worked well once the story and settings were established after a few chapters. While the hardships of Rosa and Charlotte have happened before the start of the book, we could follow Georgie's hardships as they happened. Spoilers below.
From the beginning I could see that there were major cracks in the current state of Georgie and Simon's relationship. As a starter, Simon did not even ask Georgie to join him, Georgie had to ask to join Simon to Brighton! It seems that he thought that 6 months apart from Georgie would not be that bad. Then, he had completely disregarded her wishes for their Brighton apartment and chosen an apartment that was the opposite of Georgie's dream apartment. Simon took Georgie for granted. She tells the readers that she gave up her chance at journalism years ago to follow Simon to Liverpool university. Early in the story Georgie tries to convince herself that Simon loves her and that Simon would follow her as she followed him to Liverpool and Brighton but as the story goes one, one event after another show the opposite. Already here, a potential break-up did not seem far from happening. Once Georgie got the chance to do a proper interview, it happens to interfere with Simon's new job. Georgie's article eventually results in Simon losing his job. Once he loses his job, he wants to immediately leave Brighton and assume that Georgie will happily follow him once more. I am glad she decided to not do so. Georgie and Simon do eventually break up and later on re-unite. I would have been happy with Georgie moving on as well as Georgie and Simon re-uniting (just like Georgie's friend Amelia advices too, Georgie can be happy with or without Simon). Simon was not a mean person per se, he took Georgie for granted and was not nurturing the relationship, only his own goals. Georgie's story is a 4.5⭐
While Simon was not a mean man, Max was the meanest character in this book. It turned out that Max lived a double-life and his name was not Max. His real name was David and he already had a wife called Ann-Marie and two children when he started a relationship with Rosa! Rosa taunts herself by looking up the social media updates of Ann-Marie (who herself seems completely unaware of the situation). I am happy that Rosa does realize that Ann-Marie is also a victim in the situation and the only bad guy is Max/David. At a supper club Rosa arranges, she tells her guests that Ann-Marie is expecting a third baby. One of Rosa's London friends says she saw Max with another woman while having Ann-Marie home and pregnant. I was really pleased with Rosa's and Gareth's revenge plan, threatening to expose David's double-life if he did not stop. I was surprised by the end of Rosa's story, not noticing the new love interest, Gareth, she got at the end of the story until they spelled it out. Rosa's story is a 4⭐
The most emotional and best story was Charlotte's. She has lost her baby daughter Kate and then her husband Jim in the grief. She felt the need to start fresh after an incident in a park when Charlotte noticed an abandoned stroller with a baby inside. Desperate for motherly touch, Charlotte get herself too involved with the baby and later accused for baby kidnapping by the baby's parents! Charlotte is trying to get by by working and cleaning her apartment several times a day pass by time. Later on, after a new work initiative, Charlotte gets involved with her elderly neighbor Margot and tasked to help her with some tasks. To Charlotte's surprise, these tasks were meant to help herself more than Margot. However, once Charlotte is starting to feel better, her parents informs her that her ex-husband Jim has found another woman and is expecting a baby with her! Charlotte feels that she and Kate are replaced after just 1,5 years! It would be easy as a reader to say that it was shitty and too soon for her ex-husband Jim to move on. However, he did nothing wrong by choosing to move and try for family again. Having him stuck in grief like Charlotte would not make Charlotte's situation any better. Later on Charlotte find a man she likes and she dares to get to know him even though he has two daughter with his late wife who has passed away. When everything seems to have sorted out for Charlotte, Margot's health gets really bad and she passes away and I was afraid that Charlotte would fall into grief and darkness again. Luckily, Charlotte manages to deal with situation and move on to her new beginning. Charlotte's story is a 5⭐
The House of New Beginnings follows three women; Georgie, Charlotte and Rosa, who all recently moved to Brighton and live in the same building.
Georgie moved to Brighton because her boyfriend Simon got an amazing job opportunity for 6 months there. Far away from her home, family and friends in Yorkshire, Georgie tries to find new routines in Brighton and is forced to reflect on her relationship with Simon. Georgie and Simon met during school years and have stayed together ever since then, but things do not feel as great in Brighton as it used to. Are they two of them even hoping for the same future?
After a terrible betrayal of her latest boyfriend Max, Rosa quickly moved from London to Brighton to start over. The scars of the past are still haunting Rosa. How could she not realize the Max situation before? How could she have been fooled like that? Rosa's Brighton routines are interrupted by her neighbor Jo's medical emergency, leaving Rosa to take care of Jo's teenage daughter Bea.
Charlotte's story is the saddest of them all. While Rosa has all right to be upset about Max and what he did and Georgie getting frustrated and questioning the intentions of her Simon, Charlotte lost her baby daughter Kate, feel deep into grief and her marriage to Jim, her husband and the father to Kate, fell apart. In Charlotte's case, no one is to blame because everyone deals with grief differently.
Having to follow 3 POVs worked well once the story and settings were established after a few chapters. While the hardships of Rosa and Charlotte have happened before the start of the book, we could follow Georgie's hardships as they happened. Spoilers below.
From the beginning I could see that there were major cracks in the current state of Georgie and Simon's relationship. As a starter, Simon did not even ask Georgie to join him, Georgie had to ask to join Simon to Brighton! It seems that he thought that 6 months apart from Georgie would not be that bad. Then, he had completely disregarded her wishes for their Brighton apartment and chosen an apartment that was the opposite of Georgie's dream apartment. Simon took Georgie for granted. She tells the readers that she gave up her chance at journalism years ago to follow Simon to Liverpool university. Early in the story Georgie tries to convince herself that Simon loves her and that Simon would follow her as she followed him to Liverpool and Brighton but as the story goes one, one event after another show the opposite. Already here, a potential break-up did not seem far from happening. Once Georgie got the chance to do a proper interview, it happens to interfere with Simon's new job. Georgie's article eventually results in Simon losing his job. Once he loses his job, he wants to immediately leave Brighton and assume that Georgie will happily follow him once more. I am glad she decided to not do so. Georgie and Simon do eventually break up and later on re-unite. I would have been happy with Georgie moving on as well as Georgie and Simon re-uniting (just like Georgie's friend Amelia advices too, Georgie can be happy with or without Simon). Simon was not a mean person per se, he took Georgie for granted and was not nurturing the relationship, only his own goals. Georgie's story is a 4.5⭐
While Simon was not a mean man, Max was the meanest character in this book. It turned out that Max lived a double-life and his name was not Max. His real name was David and he already had a wife called Ann-Marie and two children when he started a relationship with Rosa! Rosa taunts herself by looking up the social media updates of Ann-Marie (who herself seems completely unaware of the situation). I am happy that Rosa does realize that Ann-Marie is also a victim in the situation and the only bad guy is Max/David. At a supper club Rosa arranges, she tells her guests that Ann-Marie is expecting a third baby. One of Rosa's London friends says she saw Max with another woman while having Ann-Marie home and pregnant. I was really pleased with Rosa's and Gareth's revenge plan, threatening to expose David's double-life if he did not stop. I was surprised by the end of Rosa's story, not noticing the new love interest, Gareth, she got at the end of the story until they spelled it out. Rosa's story is a 4⭐
The most emotional and best story was Charlotte's. She has lost her baby daughter Kate and then her husband Jim in the grief. She felt the need to start fresh after an incident in a park when Charlotte noticed an abandoned stroller with a baby inside. Desperate for motherly touch, Charlotte get herself too involved with the baby and later accused for baby kidnapping by the baby's parents! Charlotte is trying to get by by working and cleaning her apartment several times a day pass by time. Later on, after a new work initiative, Charlotte gets involved with her elderly neighbor Margot and tasked to help her with some tasks. To Charlotte's surprise, these tasks were meant to help herself more than Margot. However, once Charlotte is starting to feel better, her parents informs her that her ex-husband Jim has found another woman and is expecting a baby with her! Charlotte feels that she and Kate are replaced after just 1,5 years! It would be easy as a reader to say that it was shitty and too soon for her ex-husband Jim to move on. However, he did nothing wrong by choosing to move and try for family again. Having him stuck in grief like Charlotte would not make Charlotte's situation any better. Later on Charlotte find a man she likes and she dares to get to know him even though he has two daughter with his late wife who has passed away. When everything seems to have sorted out for Charlotte, Margot's health gets really bad and she passes away and I was afraid that Charlotte would fall into grief and darkness again. Luckily, Charlotte manages to deal with situation and move on to her new beginning. Charlotte's story is a 5⭐
August 3, 2018
Nothing to dislike, just very average. Individual women move into house of rented flats, lives in turmoil, meet each other, lives sorted. Nuff said.....!
February 23, 2019
Well this was just a lovely read. Happiness in a book. Tales of heartache turned into a happy ending. Gorgeous book, will happily read Lucy Diamond again.
April 9, 2020
A delightfully light hearted read!
January 30, 2022
I liked it a lot!!!
Loved the new beginnings, even Georgie's...
The story I liked most was Charlotte's. I could feel her pain... glad she got her new beginning.
Loved the new beginnings, even Georgie's...
The story I liked most was Charlotte's. I could feel her pain... glad she got her new beginning.
July 25, 2017
4.5 stars
The book tells a story (or rather stories) of three women - Charlotte, Georgie and Rosa, who come to Brighton as a result of life-changing and often traumatic events in their respective lives, and rent their flats in the same building. Their stories are told separately up to a certain point and then, around the middle of the book, they start to become interwoven, step by step.
I read it almost in one sitting (or rather listened to the audiobook narrated by Avita Jay), so it was a real page turner for me. An uplifting read, and with an obligatory happy ending (which was one of the reasons I had chosen it), but what made me truly connect with the characters and the plot was the fact that the book was well written, heartfelt and and not shying away from things such as sadness and grief. Each of the women had to forge a new path for herself, and they all did so in a way I personally found credible. The book made me cry a few times, and overall left me me with a warm feeling in my heart.
I particularly enjoyed Margot Faberge - who wouldn't?, and found the resolution of Georgie's plot particularly satisfying, especially since I was not sure until the very end how the things would go, which was nice. I have read a few Lucy Diamond books so far, but this one is the best, I think. I might even re-read it in the future. And now I really want to visit Brighton. :)
The book tells a story (or rather stories) of three women - Charlotte, Georgie and Rosa, who come to Brighton as a result of life-changing and often traumatic events in their respective lives, and rent their flats in the same building. Their stories are told separately up to a certain point and then, around the middle of the book, they start to become interwoven, step by step.
I read it almost in one sitting (or rather listened to the audiobook narrated by Avita Jay), so it was a real page turner for me. An uplifting read, and with an obligatory happy ending (which was one of the reasons I had chosen it), but what made me truly connect with the characters and the plot was the fact that the book was well written, heartfelt and and not shying away from things such as sadness and grief. Each of the women had to forge a new path for herself, and they all did so in a way I personally found credible. The book made me cry a few times, and overall left me me with a warm feeling in my heart.
I particularly enjoyed Margot Faberge - who wouldn't?, and found the resolution of Georgie's plot particularly satisfying, especially since I was not sure until the very end how the things would go, which was nice. I have read a few Lucy Diamond books so far, but this one is the best, I think. I might even re-read it in the future. And now I really want to visit Brighton. :)
June 22, 2017
This was a good book I really enjoyed it and had great characters and good story line. Lucy diamond never lets you down with her books can everyone find their way in life and start again. Well worth reading.
April 22, 2018
Review to follow
September 26, 2021
En traditionell, hjärtevärmande feelgood med svärtade kanter. Jag rycktes omedelbart med samt utvecklade en stark längtan efter att bo i ett hyreshus med quirky, gamla damer och potentiella bästa vänner. Plus för alla underbara Brighton-scener också.
November 26, 2019
Estamos em Brighton dessa vez, mais precisamente no endereço Dukes Square, número 11. Ali, existe um prédio - o SeaView, sem elevador, onde moram nossas três protagonistas. Nenhuma delas é dali.
Rosa trabalhava em Londres, como publicitária, e após sofrer uma baita decepção amorosa - daquelas de sentir vergonha porque todo mundo que te conhece morre de pena -, decidiu mudar de vida, e acabou parando em Brighton, e sendo ajudante de um chef muito exigente, Brendan, no Hotel Zanzibar.
Georgie veio de Yorkshire com o namorado porque ele havia recebido uma proposta maravilhosa de trabalho, qual arquiteto (projetar um hotel 5 estrelas). E como o trabalho dela não tinha grandes perspectivas, ela pensou "por que não largar tudo e ir com ele?". E foi. Agora, precisava de um novo trabalho... e de preferência, um novo horizonte à vida.
Charlotte trabalhava numa firma de advocacia de médio porte em Reading, quando foi transferida para Brighton. Divorciada depois que o casamento não sobreviveu a uma tragédia, ela passava todo o tempo - quando não estava no trabalho - trancada em casa, tendo pena de si mesma.
As vidas delas começam a se cruzar numa série de acontecimentos... senão, vejamos:
Jo, enfermeira oncológica, mãe da Bea, que moram em outro apartamento, tem uma crise de apendicite e é internada às pressas. A filha adolescente - e soturna - fica aos cuidados de Rosa. A princípio, apesar do jeito estranho de Bea, as duas se dão bem, mas os turnos estranhos os quais Rosa tinha que trabalhar a fazem procurar o pai de Bea para dar uma ajuda (nesse ínterim, Jo tinha sido operada, mas por causa de uma infecção, precisou ficar mais tempo no hospital.)
Gareth tinha um relacionamento distante com a filha (e logo você descobre o porquê. Situação bizarra a dessa família.) Mas depois que ele a Bea têm uma discussão e a garota some, ele descobre que ela vinha sofrendo bullying em mensagens de texto de colegas da escola, e a resolução disso faz com que pai e filha se aproximem.
Bea, então, se torna até mais sociável, e logo está se metendo na vida de Rosa, dando conselhos sobre seu trabalho e talento na cozinha. O que nos leva à história de Rosa.
Rosa tinha uma vida profissional segura em Londres, tanto que quando ela foi pedir demissão, o chefe estava disposto a oferecer aumento de salário. Mas ela queria mesmo fugir.
Seu relacionamento - e o término dele - foi traumático (e não vou dizer do que se trata já que a autora fez tanta questão de fazer mistério quanto a isso, e a gente só descobre o que aconteceu mesmo com ela lá na frente da leitura), então, somente a distância daria jeito.
Ela tinha por hobby a culinária. Ser ajudante de Brendan era um tormento. Ele berrava, jogava objetos culinários nos empregados que chegavam atrasado e estava sempre estressado. Mas por causa de sua falta de experiência na área, Rosa se sentia de mãos atadas.
Conforme ela vai fazendo amizade com as outras moradoras, surge a vontade de confraternizar e ela convida os vizinhos para um jantar.
No primeiro, apenas as outras duas - Georgie e Charlotte - aparecem, e a partir daí, criam um vínculo.
É Charlotte quem sugere a Rosa que passasse a fazer o Supper Chef, uma espécie de evento semanal em que as pessoas pagam uma entrada, levam a própria bebida, mas saboreiam todas as iguarias criadas pelo chef. As comidas podem ser temáticas ou não. Querendo ampliar sua confiança nessa nova área, Rosa aceita o desafio.
No primeiro Supper Chef, os outros vizinhos aparecem e a fama de Rosa logo cresce. A noite é animada especialmente com a presença de outra vizinha, do último andar, Margot.
Margot é um caso à parte.
Uma das moradoras mais antigas do prédio SeaView, com mais de 80 anos, francesa, Margot consegue dar vida à história com suas tiradas e planos para ajudar Charlotte.
Charlotte é uma solitária. O trabalho trouxe uma palestrante que introduziu uma espécie de campanha de boa ação: deveriam ajudar algum vizinho ancião na área em que cada empregado morava e baseado nisso, um relatório deveria ser preenchido. Charlotte não estava nada animada para isso, mas como sem querer cruzou com Margot na porta do prédio, ali meio que começou o seu projeto.
Margot logo percebe as intenções de Charlotte, mas o jogo muda completamente de campo quando é Margot quem ajuda a mais nova ao pedir que ela faça algumas tarefas (comprinhas que sempre envolviam bebidas, queijos e algum vendedor solteiro bonitão.) E numa dessas tarefas, Charlotte acaba por reencontrar um homem com quem tinha "esbarrado" na orla por conta de uma confusão.
Ned era o dono de um Café não muito longe dali e tinha duas filhas, Lily e Amber, de 6 e 3 anos respectivamente. A primeira vez que ele e Charlotte se encontram nada dá certo. A segunda vez foi meio que por acaso; mas a terceira já foi a vez de Charlotte tentar dissipar o mal-entendido.
Muito além de ter sido um plano de Margot, Ned realmente estava intrigado com Charlotte, e daí, várias feridas poderiam começar a se curar.
O interesse de Ned por ela, assim como a amizade de Rosa e Georgie, seriam o começo de um novo tempo.
E chegamos a Georgie.
O relacionamento dela e Simon vinha desde a época do Ensino Médio. Já moravam juntos há algum tempo e ela estava sempre pronta para apoiá-lo.
A ida deles para Brighton era uma tremenda oportunidade profissional para ele. No entanto, ela ainda parecia perdida.
Com algum custo, consegue trabalho numa revista local de pequena circulação. Ela ocuparia o papel de uma colunista que responderia todo tipo de perguntas - especialmente amorosas - dos leitores.
As cartas que ela tinha em mãos não eram promissoras, então, Georgie acaba criando uma carta dela, reclamando de sua vida atual e de como o seu relacionamento parecia prestes a fracassar.
Tudo era uma brincadeira, mas por um descuido, foi esse o arquivo enviado à revista.
Bom, se o relacionamento dela com Simon não ia bem, ao descobrir essa coluna na revista tudo só iria piorar, certo?
Mas enquanto o trabalho dela mostrava possibilidade de crescer, novas confusões vão distanciando o casal.
O problema é que Simon era o amor da vida dela, mas será que ela era o dele?
Rosa trabalhava em Londres, como publicitária, e após sofrer uma baita decepção amorosa - daquelas de sentir vergonha porque todo mundo que te conhece morre de pena -, decidiu mudar de vida, e acabou parando em Brighton, e sendo ajudante de um chef muito exigente, Brendan, no Hotel Zanzibar.
Georgie veio de Yorkshire com o namorado porque ele havia recebido uma proposta maravilhosa de trabalho, qual arquiteto (projetar um hotel 5 estrelas). E como o trabalho dela não tinha grandes perspectivas, ela pensou "por que não largar tudo e ir com ele?". E foi. Agora, precisava de um novo trabalho... e de preferência, um novo horizonte à vida.
Charlotte trabalhava numa firma de advocacia de médio porte em Reading, quando foi transferida para Brighton. Divorciada depois que o casamento não sobreviveu a uma tragédia, ela passava todo o tempo - quando não estava no trabalho - trancada em casa, tendo pena de si mesma.
As vidas delas começam a se cruzar numa série de acontecimentos... senão, vejamos:
Jo, enfermeira oncológica, mãe da Bea, que moram em outro apartamento, tem uma crise de apendicite e é internada às pressas. A filha adolescente - e soturna - fica aos cuidados de Rosa. A princípio, apesar do jeito estranho de Bea, as duas se dão bem, mas os turnos estranhos os quais Rosa tinha que trabalhar a fazem procurar o pai de Bea para dar uma ajuda (nesse ínterim, Jo tinha sido operada, mas por causa de uma infecção, precisou ficar mais tempo no hospital.)
Gareth tinha um relacionamento distante com a filha (e logo você descobre o porquê. Situação bizarra a dessa família.) Mas depois que ele a Bea têm uma discussão e a garota some, ele descobre que ela vinha sofrendo bullying em mensagens de texto de colegas da escola, e a resolução disso faz com que pai e filha se aproximem.
Bea, então, se torna até mais sociável, e logo está se metendo na vida de Rosa, dando conselhos sobre seu trabalho e talento na cozinha. O que nos leva à história de Rosa.
Rosa tinha uma vida profissional segura em Londres, tanto que quando ela foi pedir demissão, o chefe estava disposto a oferecer aumento de salário. Mas ela queria mesmo fugir.
Seu relacionamento - e o término dele - foi traumático (e não vou dizer do que se trata já que a autora fez tanta questão de fazer mistério quanto a isso, e a gente só descobre o que aconteceu mesmo com ela lá na frente da leitura), então, somente a distância daria jeito.
Ela tinha por hobby a culinária. Ser ajudante de Brendan era um tormento. Ele berrava, jogava objetos culinários nos empregados que chegavam atrasado e estava sempre estressado. Mas por causa de sua falta de experiência na área, Rosa se sentia de mãos atadas.
Conforme ela vai fazendo amizade com as outras moradoras, surge a vontade de confraternizar e ela convida os vizinhos para um jantar.
No primeiro, apenas as outras duas - Georgie e Charlotte - aparecem, e a partir daí, criam um vínculo.
É Charlotte quem sugere a Rosa que passasse a fazer o Supper Chef, uma espécie de evento semanal em que as pessoas pagam uma entrada, levam a própria bebida, mas saboreiam todas as iguarias criadas pelo chef. As comidas podem ser temáticas ou não. Querendo ampliar sua confiança nessa nova área, Rosa aceita o desafio.
No primeiro Supper Chef, os outros vizinhos aparecem e a fama de Rosa logo cresce. A noite é animada especialmente com a presença de outra vizinha, do último andar, Margot.
Margot é um caso à parte.
Uma das moradoras mais antigas do prédio SeaView, com mais de 80 anos, francesa, Margot consegue dar vida à história com suas tiradas e planos para ajudar Charlotte.
Charlotte é uma solitária. O trabalho trouxe uma palestrante que introduziu uma espécie de campanha de boa ação: deveriam ajudar algum vizinho ancião na área em que cada empregado morava e baseado nisso, um relatório deveria ser preenchido. Charlotte não estava nada animada para isso, mas como sem querer cruzou com Margot na porta do prédio, ali meio que começou o seu projeto.
Margot logo percebe as intenções de Charlotte, mas o jogo muda completamente de campo quando é Margot quem ajuda a mais nova ao pedir que ela faça algumas tarefas (comprinhas que sempre envolviam bebidas, queijos e algum vendedor solteiro bonitão.) E numa dessas tarefas, Charlotte acaba por reencontrar um homem com quem tinha "esbarrado" na orla por conta de uma confusão.
Ned era o dono de um Café não muito longe dali e tinha duas filhas, Lily e Amber, de 6 e 3 anos respectivamente. A primeira vez que ele e Charlotte se encontram nada dá certo. A segunda vez foi meio que por acaso; mas a terceira já foi a vez de Charlotte tentar dissipar o mal-entendido.
Muito além de ter sido um plano de Margot, Ned realmente estava intrigado com Charlotte, e daí, várias feridas poderiam começar a se curar.
O interesse de Ned por ela, assim como a amizade de Rosa e Georgie, seriam o começo de um novo tempo.
E chegamos a Georgie.
O relacionamento dela e Simon vinha desde a época do Ensino Médio. Já moravam juntos há algum tempo e ela estava sempre pronta para apoiá-lo.
A ida deles para Brighton era uma tremenda oportunidade profissional para ele. No entanto, ela ainda parecia perdida.
Com algum custo, consegue trabalho numa revista local de pequena circulação. Ela ocuparia o papel de uma colunista que responderia todo tipo de perguntas - especialmente amorosas - dos leitores.
As cartas que ela tinha em mãos não eram promissoras, então, Georgie acaba criando uma carta dela, reclamando de sua vida atual e de como o seu relacionamento parecia prestes a fracassar.
Tudo era uma brincadeira, mas por um descuido, foi esse o arquivo enviado à revista.
Bom, se o relacionamento dela com Simon não ia bem, ao descobrir essa coluna na revista tudo só iria piorar, certo?
Mas enquanto o trabalho dela mostrava possibilidade de crescer, novas confusões vão distanciando o casal.
O problema é que Simon era o amor da vida dela, mas será que ela era o dele?
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