What do you think?
Rate this book
The Beginning of Everything
An irresistible friends-to-lovers novel of resilience, hope, and new beginnings from the author of The Bookshop of Second Chances
After escaping a bad relationship, Jess Cavendish is running and leaving it all behind, carrying just a few treasured belongings in her knapsack. She needs to start over, but that means sleeping where she can and making the most of her slim savings. Luckily, she comes across a recently sold, unoccupied house. It couldn’t hurt to stay there while she saves up enough to get her own place, right?
Gethin Thomas is also looking to move on after the end of a long-term relationship. He’s returned to his hometown, anxious to renovate the fixer-upper he bought and move out of his sister’s cramped guest room. When he walks through the door one morning, he finds Jess, who’s ready to run again, and surprises them both by offering to let her stay. It feels like the right thing to do, but Jess doesn’t want a handout. They strike a Jess will help with the restoration, furnishing, and decorating in exchange for room and board.
While they peel wallpaper and shop for new furniture, an unexpected friendship develops as they bond over music and food, and slowly open up to each other about their pasts. When it’s time for Gethin to move in, he convinces Jess to be his official housemate and she agrees—so long as he lets her pay rent. The connection between them soon shifts to an attraction that seems both inevitable and overwhelming, and Jess must decide what she wants. With so much hurt in her past, can she risk loving again? She was brave enough to reach for a new life—and now a future she hadn’t even dreamed possible could be just within her grasp.
After escaping a bad relationship, Jess Cavendish is running and leaving it all behind, carrying just a few treasured belongings in her knapsack. She needs to start over, but that means sleeping where she can and making the most of her slim savings. Luckily, she comes across a recently sold, unoccupied house. It couldn’t hurt to stay there while she saves up enough to get her own place, right?
Gethin Thomas is also looking to move on after the end of a long-term relationship. He’s returned to his hometown, anxious to renovate the fixer-upper he bought and move out of his sister’s cramped guest room. When he walks through the door one morning, he finds Jess, who’s ready to run again, and surprises them both by offering to let her stay. It feels like the right thing to do, but Jess doesn’t want a handout. They strike a Jess will help with the restoration, furnishing, and decorating in exchange for room and board.
While they peel wallpaper and shop for new furniture, an unexpected friendship develops as they bond over music and food, and slowly open up to each other about their pasts. When it’s time for Gethin to move in, he convinces Jess to be his official housemate and she agrees—so long as he lets her pay rent. The connection between them soon shifts to an attraction that seems both inevitable and overwhelming, and Jess must decide what she wants. With so much hurt in her past, can she risk loving again? She was brave enough to reach for a new life—and now a future she hadn’t even dreamed possible could be just within her grasp.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2023
144 people are currently reading
14490 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 615 reviews
September 5, 2023
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
This book did not work for me in so many ways. I am not going to bother with the plot or the blurb I am just gonna state what felt off for me. I didn't buy that Gethin would let her stay there, they are complete strangers to one another and Jess deciding to take him up on his offer after leaving an abusive relationship didn't fly with me either. Abused women do not trust that easily or that quickly. I also didn't buy that Jess was sleeping rough; aren't there emergency shelters available for that? Did she have no friends or family to help? I mean she has a cellphone. The whole scenario was just too unrealistic for me.
Both Jess and Gethin seemed really immature for their age and the lack of communication was frustrating to read. Jess and her internal dialogue ending with a question at every turn grated on my nerves. I don’t much want to have to deal with anyone who might discover me lurking in their new property. That would be awkward, right? It was like that over and over again throughout the book.
Parts of the storyline should have been further fleshed out, such as Gethin's relationship with his brother and their backstory...maybe to explain further why he seems too good to be true and help a stranger. This is a very slow burn and it takes too long to get to the heart of things and that's saying a lot as the book is only 267 pages on my tablet.
I hated the cheating angle and I can't see Jess being with someone who admits to it, in fact, I can't see her with anyone at all after what she went through and the romance was just ick. I really liked the premise but the execution fell short, the writing style was a turnoff and the character development was lacking.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
This book did not work for me in so many ways. I am not going to bother with the plot or the blurb I am just gonna state what felt off for me. I didn't buy that Gethin would let her stay there, they are complete strangers to one another and Jess deciding to take him up on his offer after leaving an abusive relationship didn't fly with me either. Abused women do not trust that easily or that quickly. I also didn't buy that Jess was sleeping rough; aren't there emergency shelters available for that? Did she have no friends or family to help? I mean she has a cellphone. The whole scenario was just too unrealistic for me.
Both Jess and Gethin seemed really immature for their age and the lack of communication was frustrating to read. Jess and her internal dialogue ending with a question at every turn grated on my nerves. I don’t much want to have to deal with anyone who might discover me lurking in their new property. That would be awkward, right? It was like that over and over again throughout the book.
Parts of the storyline should have been further fleshed out, such as Gethin's relationship with his brother and their backstory...maybe to explain further why he seems too good to be true and help a stranger. This is a very slow burn and it takes too long to get to the heart of things and that's saying a lot as the book is only 267 pages on my tablet.
I hated the cheating angle and I can't see Jess being with someone who admits to it, in fact, I can't see her with anyone at all after what she went through and the romance was just ick. I really liked the premise but the execution fell short, the writing style was a turnoff and the character development was lacking.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
January 11, 2024
I never thought I’d give The Beginning of Everything four stars. The premise is ridiculous: a man finds a homeless woman living in his newly purchased home and invites her to stay. Because most people would call the cops on her, not say, “Hey! You can continue to live here if you help renovate the house.” It’s such an unbelievable response to the situation.
But that’s how this love story begins, with Gethin finding Jess squatting in his new house and offering her a place to stay. And then you follow along as their relationship moves from landlord-tenant to roommates to friends to maybe more.
I was so skeptical about all of it, especially when Gethin tells Jess he’ll put her on his car insurance. I mean, really? Who does that? But my skepticism fell away as their relationship evolved, and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with the love between these two damaged, middle-aged people.
Jackie Fraser has written a heartfelt romance about gathering the courage to love again when you’re old enough to know you may be better on your own. You just have to accept the story’s initial absurdity to see the beauty of it.
My sincerest appreciation to Jackie Fraser, Dell, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
But that’s how this love story begins, with Gethin finding Jess squatting in his new house and offering her a place to stay. And then you follow along as their relationship moves from landlord-tenant to roommates to friends to maybe more.
I was so skeptical about all of it, especially when Gethin tells Jess he’ll put her on his car insurance. I mean, really? Who does that? But my skepticism fell away as their relationship evolved, and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with the love between these two damaged, middle-aged people.
Jackie Fraser has written a heartfelt romance about gathering the courage to love again when you’re old enough to know you may be better on your own. You just have to accept the story’s initial absurdity to see the beauty of it.
My sincerest appreciation to Jackie Fraser, Dell, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
April 9, 2023
This book is a beautifully written emotional roller-coaster.
August 21, 2023
"Writing about things years later can't show how you felt at the time, usually—only how you remember feeling."
°•*⁀➷
Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review because I loved this book. It was a fresh take on a person hurt by the worst of humanity seeking out someone who is simply kind. Is it unrealistic at times how kind Gethin is? Absolutely. Did I mind? Absolutely not. Fiction is meant to take you out of reality and that is exactly what I've been seeking, and found, within these pages.
Jess runs away from an abusive boyfriend, and unable to trust anyone, finds a vacant house and takes shelter for herself. Gethin, the sweetest man in the world, finds her there one day when he starts on renovations and offers her a place to stay. Unable to trust or accept such open-ended kindness, Jess offers her assistance with the renovations in exchange for a room. I don't want to say too much more because the first meeting is one of the most endearing I have ever read in my life. I just loved Gethin, the entire times, there is not one moment when I wanted to turn away from this book and pretend he didn't exist.
And isn't that just exactly what Jess needed?
They're both recovering from a difficult past, and in each other they find a friendship both had been craving their entire lives. They're not young anymore, they had forgotten to continue their search for a soul friend, a person who is always there for you, always ready to make you happy and understood. And let me tell you, friends to lovers never misses. Because when you trust the person so implicitly that you are going to spend the rest of your life with, what could be better?
They are both so kind and patient with each other's past that it's almost like it was never the focus. We are constantly told as a society that we have to move backwards in order to move forwards, but this book seemed to promote the opposite. We can respect our past, know it shaped us, and move towards something different. We can remember who we are and not let it drag us down in the future. I loved that fresh take, and I loved rooting for them.
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review because I loved this book. It was a fresh take on a person hurt by the worst of humanity seeking out someone who is simply kind. Is it unrealistic at times how kind Gethin is? Absolutely. Did I mind? Absolutely not. Fiction is meant to take you out of reality and that is exactly what I've been seeking, and found, within these pages.
Jess runs away from an abusive boyfriend, and unable to trust anyone, finds a vacant house and takes shelter for herself. Gethin, the sweetest man in the world, finds her there one day when he starts on renovations and offers her a place to stay. Unable to trust or accept such open-ended kindness, Jess offers her assistance with the renovations in exchange for a room. I don't want to say too much more because the first meeting is one of the most endearing I have ever read in my life. I just loved Gethin, the entire times, there is not one moment when I wanted to turn away from this book and pretend he didn't exist.
And isn't that just exactly what Jess needed?
They're both recovering from a difficult past, and in each other they find a friendship both had been craving their entire lives. They're not young anymore, they had forgotten to continue their search for a soul friend, a person who is always there for you, always ready to make you happy and understood. And let me tell you, friends to lovers never misses. Because when you trust the person so implicitly that you are going to spend the rest of your life with, what could be better?
They are both so kind and patient with each other's past that it's almost like it was never the focus. We are constantly told as a society that we have to move backwards in order to move forwards, but this book seemed to promote the opposite. We can respect our past, know it shaped us, and move towards something different. We can remember who we are and not let it drag us down in the future. I loved that fresh take, and I loved rooting for them.
- Paige
May 29, 2023
This one just really wasn’t for me.. I liked the premise starting out, but it just felt SO unrealistic to me. Why would someone feel so comfortable with a complete stranger living in their house? That’s just not normal. I had hoped to find out more about that as the book progressed, but apparently he’s just the nicest guy in the world? I thought maybe there would be more explained in the storyline with his brother but unfortunately there wasn’t.
Also, the style of writing really bothered me. Much of the dialogue was styled in a way that asked a question at the end… it’s cold out here, isn’t it? I could stay at the house another two weeks, couldn’t I? That bad, was it? This bits the wrong way up, isn’t it? Once I picked this out— I was hyperfocused on it the rest of the book and that was a downfall for me because I found myself really irked. I typically don’t pick out things like this, but this stood out so much and it really lessened my enjoyment of the book.
Also, the style of writing really bothered me. Much of the dialogue was styled in a way that asked a question at the end… it’s cold out here, isn’t it? I could stay at the house another two weeks, couldn’t I? That bad, was it? This bits the wrong way up, isn’t it? Once I picked this out— I was hyperfocused on it the rest of the book and that was a downfall for me because I found myself really irked. I typically don’t pick out things like this, but this stood out so much and it really lessened my enjoyment of the book.
September 29, 2023
This one just wasn't for me. It was pretty emotionally heavy and felt rather depressing just to listen to. Added to that, I didn't find the two MCs had much chemistry at all and I really wasn't invested in their story in the slightest. Rather disappointing since I did enjoy the author's last book. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
CW: domestic abuse, depression
CW: domestic abuse, depression
Read
November 27, 2023I'm sorry, Elisabeth 😞. I am not finishing it.
September 22, 2023
This book meant so much to me. I want to start by thanking Jackie Fraser for writing this because I know that I am not the only person who needed it.
From the beginning, I had an instant connection to Jess and was immediately invested. That is easily one of my favorite parts of this book; the characters are so real and relatable.
The writing is really comforting; I love Fraser's turns of phrase and her dialogue is brilliant! It's like being apart of a real conversation, stilted with unfinished sentences. Brilliant!
This premise, starting over after living rough and being abused is not unique, but Fraser turned it into the most beautiful love story; not just between Jess and Gethin, but Jess and herself. While you're invested in Jess and are curious about her past, Fraser poses the story so that you are more concerned with her new life and her fresh start rather than dragging through her past. I appreciated that.
This book was a really beautiful story, such an unexpected gem, and I feel so thankful to have read it. This will be added to my very short list of Favorites 💖
Thank you Jackie Fraser, Netgalley, and Dell for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
From the beginning, I had an instant connection to Jess and was immediately invested. That is easily one of my favorite parts of this book; the characters are so real and relatable.
The writing is really comforting; I love Fraser's turns of phrase and her dialogue is brilliant! It's like being apart of a real conversation, stilted with unfinished sentences. Brilliant!
This premise, starting over after living rough and being abused is not unique, but Fraser turned it into the most beautiful love story; not just between Jess and Gethin, but Jess and herself. While you're invested in Jess and are curious about her past, Fraser poses the story so that you are more concerned with her new life and her fresh start rather than dragging through her past. I appreciated that.
This book was a really beautiful story, such an unexpected gem, and I feel so thankful to have read it. This will be added to my very short list of Favorites 💖
Thank you Jackie Fraser, Netgalley, and Dell for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
September 26, 2023
There is a special feeling in the pages of this book; it exudes warmth and sincerity. Jess and Gethin are both starting over after failed relationships that have left them feeling hurt and insecure. But their circumstances couldn’t be more different, and the way they meet is so unexpected and lovely, that I don’t want to spoil it here. Their feelings for each other evolve slowly, and there are lots of things that complicate matters, but their journey is genuine and captivating. Gethin is so charming and kind, Jess is skittish, but she is also funny and bright. They are the kind of characters I’d like to visit in real life, staying in their guest room and being in their world for a bit.
May 10, 2023
SO SO SO AMAZING! This was a love story but not the same old love story.
Jess is escaping from a bad relationship and is willing to skip town and camp in a cemetery if it means she is safe. After a few weeks of doing exactly that, she comes across a house that is recently sold, but no one is living there yet.
Gethin is the owner of the house. He just got out of a relationship too and has moved back to town. He plans to do some renovations before he moves in. Imagine his surprise when he finds a stranger living in his new place!
For some reason Gethin tells he she can stay. Jess is wary of men and does not want to depend on anyone. So an offer is made - lodging in exchange for helping with renovations. Is he crazy for offering? His sister certainly thinks so. Is she crazy for agreeing? Her friends sure think she is.
What no one expect is for Jess and Gethin to become such good friends, Jess officially becomes his roommate and pays rent. As their friendship turns to attraction, will Jess be brave enough to open her heart again?
Jess is escaping from a bad relationship and is willing to skip town and camp in a cemetery if it means she is safe. After a few weeks of doing exactly that, she comes across a house that is recently sold, but no one is living there yet.
Gethin is the owner of the house. He just got out of a relationship too and has moved back to town. He plans to do some renovations before he moves in. Imagine his surprise when he finds a stranger living in his new place!
For some reason Gethin tells he she can stay. Jess is wary of men and does not want to depend on anyone. So an offer is made - lodging in exchange for helping with renovations. Is he crazy for offering? His sister certainly thinks so. Is she crazy for agreeing? Her friends sure think she is.
What no one expect is for Jess and Gethin to become such good friends, Jess officially becomes his roommate and pays rent. As their friendship turns to attraction, will Jess be brave enough to open her heart again?
January 28, 2024
2.5 stars
Jess leaves everything behind to escape a terrible relationship which leaves her homeless. She finds a vacant house that is for sale and starts squatting in it but eventually the new buyer discovers she has been living there. He offers to let her stay and then one thing leads to another and they are roommates and they start renovating the house together.
Even though this is being advertised as a romance I just did not get those vibes, in fact it gave me icky vibes. The storyline intrigued me but it was just so unrealistic that I could not get into it at all. I kept reading thinking eventually I would connect with the characters but unfortunately never did. Why would Gethin let her stay? Why would she stay after leaving an abusive relationship? None of it made sense to me. Numerous times I had to remind myself that these characters were in their 40's because they came off like they were in their early 20's. Overall just not for me but I know a lot of other people enjoyed it so if you like friends to lovers type books then give it a chance.
Jess leaves everything behind to escape a terrible relationship which leaves her homeless. She finds a vacant house that is for sale and starts squatting in it but eventually the new buyer discovers she has been living there. He offers to let her stay and then one thing leads to another and they are roommates and they start renovating the house together.
Even though this is being advertised as a romance I just did not get those vibes, in fact it gave me icky vibes. The storyline intrigued me but it was just so unrealistic that I could not get into it at all. I kept reading thinking eventually I would connect with the characters but unfortunately never did. Why would Gethin let her stay? Why would she stay after leaving an abusive relationship? None of it made sense to me. Numerous times I had to remind myself that these characters were in their 40's because they came off like they were in their early 20's. Overall just not for me but I know a lot of other people enjoyed it so if you like friends to lovers type books then give it a chance.
June 5, 2025
Read to 64%.
Was really enjoying this cute and sweet, if somewhat predictable story. Kinda fun, too, with all of the UK idioms and references that I had to look up. Then the gay drop and diversity checklist diversity bingo enters with flair at 64%. Moving on. 🪂
Was really enjoying this cute and sweet, if somewhat predictable story. Kinda fun, too, with all of the UK idioms and references that I had to look up. Then the gay drop and diversity checklist diversity bingo enters with flair at 64%. Moving on. 🪂
August 8, 2023
DNF
The Beginning of Everything by Jackie Fraser is a romance that follows Gethin Thomas and Jess Cavendish from friends to lovers.
This book was definitely not for me. After reading the premise and seeing that the individuals were just trying to start over, I expected a sweet friends-to-lovers romance, but all I got was confusion.
This novel got off to a strange start. As if a tenant in a house he just acquired would happily let a stranger who broke into his house live there rent-free? Also, the writing in this was not it, since it was difficult to get into. By the 30% mark, there was little connection between the characters, and there were far too many superfluous scenes.
*Thank you to Random House Publishing and to the author, Jackie Fraser, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*
The Beginning of Everything by Jackie Fraser is a romance that follows Gethin Thomas and Jess Cavendish from friends to lovers.
This book was definitely not for me. After reading the premise and seeing that the individuals were just trying to start over, I expected a sweet friends-to-lovers romance, but all I got was confusion.
This novel got off to a strange start. As if a tenant in a house he just acquired would happily let a stranger who broke into his house live there rent-free? Also, the writing in this was not it, since it was difficult to get into. By the 30% mark, there was little connection between the characters, and there were far too many superfluous scenes.
*Thank you to Random House Publishing and to the author, Jackie Fraser, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*
September 18, 2023
Jess is on the run from her abusive boyfriend and decides to hide out in a house that’s for sale but unoccupied. Gethin is soon the new owner of the house and when he comes to walk through to start making plans for his renovations, he comes across Jess squatting there, and as one would expect, is shocked. But instead of being upset or angry, he realizes that she’s down on her luck and invites her to stay and help him fix the house up. After what she’s just been through, Jess has serious trust issues with men, and doesn’t want to let anyone help her, but she does need a place to stay so she agrees to help Gethin with some of the projects in exchange for a room. Why is Gethin so trusting of a person he has never met before? What will his friends and family think of him letting a stranger live in his house with him?
Jess and Gethin slowly build a friendship and their feelings gradually grow into something more. You can see the attraction between them, but will Jess be able to let her guard down and let Gethin into her heart? I enjoyed watching he two of them grow and learn from their past while moving forward together. It was also nice to see characters not in their 20’s for a change as well.
Thanks to Dell Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
Jess and Gethin slowly build a friendship and their feelings gradually grow into something more. You can see the attraction between them, but will Jess be able to let her guard down and let Gethin into her heart? I enjoyed watching he two of them grow and learn from their past while moving forward together. It was also nice to see characters not in their 20’s for a change as well.
Thanks to Dell Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
February 14, 2024
Först och främst, Jackie Fraser MIN queen of romance vem är som hon! Hon har en förmåga att beskriva vardagen på ett så fint sätt, det lägger sig liksom ett skimmer av mys över hela boken som är så härligt. Det är en ynnest att få leva i hennes lilla värld för en stund. Romance är ju inte riktigt min genre men hon gör det SÅ bra. Ibland hade huvudkaraktären liite pick-me vibes, och mot slutet vart hon rätt irriterande tbh, men trots detta var denna en fröjd. Det är nåt med Fraser alltså, I just love her omg, kan hon skriva 30 böcker till TACK
June 14, 2023
first, i would like to express my deepest gratitude to netgalley, ballantine, and dell, for the electronic advanced reader copy! the thoughts and opinions in this review are solely my own! 📖🧸😁
2.0 ⭐!
listen, i truly wanted to like this book but the writing style was very difficult to get into when reading it. there were so many ellipses (...), questions at the end of the dialogue, short sentences, dashes, and parentheses. maybe i'm not used to the style of writing but i found it to be really messy and all over the place, as it felt like i was reading a first rough draft copy of the book. it also felt like there were missing portions of the book because it felt like something was missing whenever i was reading the conversations. like these characters pause and hesitate way too much, as well as having way too many internal thoughts in their minds. 🎡💂🏼♂️
the whole story/plot line is just very unrealistic. so jess, the fmc, is running away from a toxic relationship (her ex), and she lives from place to place and finds this unoccupied house. she lives there for a while and i found that part to be actually realistic and felt really bad for jess. there comes the guy, gethin, who actually is the owner of the house (not living there yet) and he sees her. he does not yell or scream at her to get out, he actually lets her stay and they become housemates (what 😐). if i was gethin, i would totally be freaked out as to why a stranger is in the house, but afterward, i would help them with food, clothes, etc, not let them become housemates with me. i mean i thought i would get to see jess's journey, but gethin being a super nice person helps her with literally everything. he gave her a house, a job, he introduced her to all of his friends, and almost gave her a car...like everything was handed to her in a silver platter. on the other hand, jess just questions, assumes, overthinks, and never takes any credit when people compliment her; also likes gardening though! however, i wished i could've seen a deeper progression with jess's character like starting over in a new town, or if she never met gethin (made the whole book very unrealistic and almost hallmark-like). ⚯🪄☕👑
and like their connection is just so one-dimensional. both characters acted like best friends rather than them being in a romantic relationship. their dialogue always seemed so confused/indecisive by how it always ends with a question. also, they are so nosy and curious with one another. like gethin keeps on asking her about her past life and jess does not want to share it at all (it is super personal to her where she mentions that she is not comfortable sharing it), and he still wants to continue on asking questions about jess's past life. jess also reciprocates the same energy back, as she admits in the book that she is nosy. i'm like, "read the room, people!" when they talk, i forget that these characters are 40-something and not teenagers. also gethin is just the dullest character i ever read, his only personality trait is that he is nice. there was a part of the book where he was sad about his past relationship, but it was completely his fault for why they broke up. and when they were talking about something serious, they got side-tracked and distracted by jess wearing high heels. let's just say i did not care for both characters. there was a huge portion of the book where they talked about furniture and i thought this was a furniture or an ikea advertisement by how much they were talking about furniture and interior stuff. 🎡💂🏼♂️⚡
i'm sad because i was excited to read this book, but i feel like i am not the right audience for it. it was so promising if the book just only focused on jess starting over. please don't let my opinion of the book not make you want to buy it, as i am sure this is suitable for other readers! i hope since this is an arc, then there will be improved changes once that book is set to release on the publishing date. once again, thank you to netgalley, ballantine, and dell, for the e-arc! also, congratulations to jackie fraser for her sophomore novel! 🍸🍹🎉🎈
this book is set to release on september 26th, 2023! 📖🪄🪐
2.0 ⭐!
listen, i truly wanted to like this book but the writing style was very difficult to get into when reading it. there were so many ellipses (...), questions at the end of the dialogue, short sentences, dashes, and parentheses. maybe i'm not used to the style of writing but i found it to be really messy and all over the place, as it felt like i was reading a first rough draft copy of the book. it also felt like there were missing portions of the book because it felt like something was missing whenever i was reading the conversations. like these characters pause and hesitate way too much, as well as having way too many internal thoughts in their minds. 🎡💂🏼♂️
the whole story/plot line is just very unrealistic. so jess, the fmc, is running away from a toxic relationship (her ex), and she lives from place to place and finds this unoccupied house. she lives there for a while and i found that part to be actually realistic and felt really bad for jess. there comes the guy, gethin, who actually is the owner of the house (not living there yet) and he sees her. he does not yell or scream at her to get out, he actually lets her stay and they become housemates (what 😐). if i was gethin, i would totally be freaked out as to why a stranger is in the house, but afterward, i would help them with food, clothes, etc, not let them become housemates with me. i mean i thought i would get to see jess's journey, but gethin being a super nice person helps her with literally everything. he gave her a house, a job, he introduced her to all of his friends, and almost gave her a car...like everything was handed to her in a silver platter. on the other hand, jess just questions, assumes, overthinks, and never takes any credit when people compliment her; also likes gardening though! however, i wished i could've seen a deeper progression with jess's character like starting over in a new town, or if she never met gethin (made the whole book very unrealistic and almost hallmark-like). ⚯🪄☕👑
and like their connection is just so one-dimensional. both characters acted like best friends rather than them being in a romantic relationship. their dialogue always seemed so confused/indecisive by how it always ends with a question. also, they are so nosy and curious with one another. like gethin keeps on asking her about her past life and jess does not want to share it at all (it is super personal to her where she mentions that she is not comfortable sharing it), and he still wants to continue on asking questions about jess's past life. jess also reciprocates the same energy back, as she admits in the book that she is nosy. i'm like, "read the room, people!" when they talk, i forget that these characters are 40-something and not teenagers. also gethin is just the dullest character i ever read, his only personality trait is that he is nice. there was a part of the book where he was sad about his past relationship, but it was completely his fault for why they broke up. and when they were talking about something serious, they got side-tracked and distracted by jess wearing high heels. let's just say i did not care for both characters. there was a huge portion of the book where they talked about furniture and i thought this was a furniture or an ikea advertisement by how much they were talking about furniture and interior stuff. 🎡💂🏼♂️⚡
i'm sad because i was excited to read this book, but i feel like i am not the right audience for it. it was so promising if the book just only focused on jess starting over. please don't let my opinion of the book not make you want to buy it, as i am sure this is suitable for other readers! i hope since this is an arc, then there will be improved changes once that book is set to release on the publishing date. once again, thank you to netgalley, ballantine, and dell, for the e-arc! also, congratulations to jackie fraser for her sophomore novel! 🍸🍹🎉🎈
this book is set to release on september 26th, 2023! 📖🪄🪐
June 16, 2023
arc provided by netgalley and random house publishing
one of the most boring books i've ever read, the only reason i finished it at all is because i had dnf'd the book right before starting this one and i was feeling stubborn
the main thing that bothered me was the writing style - everything (especially dialogue) ends with a question mark or includes an ellipses. at one point i counted thirteen (!!) ellipses on one page alone. i don't know if that's just how they talk in wales, but not to be dramatic it was excruciating to read. and because I'm petty, I'll complain about this other annoying quirk where the mc responds to simple statements with an affirmation when it's literally unnecessary. examples:
the content itself wasn't exciting either - the mc has zero character development, instead good things just happen to fall into her lap and make her life better and she confuses this with personal growth. the love interest's only personality traits are being nice and having a hot ex-wife. the only time i was interested in a character is when the mc's best friend comes to visit but she's only there for two chapters and there was quite literally no reason for it. you could've removed those two chapters and the book would have flowed smoother.
anyway, this is a book where the characters all talk about nothing and nothing happens. i exhausted the search function of my kindle and they mention putting the kettle on sixteen different times, because all they do in this book is sit around and have tea.
one of the most boring books i've ever read, the only reason i finished it at all is because i had dnf'd the book right before starting this one and i was feeling stubborn
the main thing that bothered me was the writing style - everything (especially dialogue) ends with a question mark or includes an ellipses. at one point i counted thirteen (!!) ellipses on one page alone. i don't know if that's just how they talk in wales, but not to be dramatic it was excruciating to read. and because I'm petty, I'll complain about this other annoying quirk where the mc responds to simple statements with an affirmation when it's literally unnecessary. examples:
"I'm Mike." "Yes," I agree.
"The thing is," he says, "I really like you." "Yes."
"I wasn't angry, Jess, I was ... upset." "Yes. I'm sorry."
"I love you," he says. "Yes. I love you, too."
the content itself wasn't exciting either - the mc has zero character development, instead good things just happen to fall into her lap and make her life better and she confuses this with personal growth. the love interest's only personality traits are being nice and having a hot ex-wife. the only time i was interested in a character is when the mc's best friend comes to visit but she's only there for two chapters and there was quite literally no reason for it. you could've removed those two chapters and the book would have flowed smoother.
anyway, this is a book where the characters all talk about nothing and nothing happens. i exhausted the search function of my kindle and they mention putting the kettle on sixteen different times, because all they do in this book is sit around and have tea.
September 29, 2023
This book is a very fresh and exciting read because it has a quite unique approach to a relationship story. For starters, the two main characters are in their middle years, not naive young things, so they are immediately interesting as we learn what has gone wrong in their lives to bring them both to this point of transition in middle age. It is refreshing to read a truthful story about people who are still trying to figure life out as they get older.
The book focuses very closely on Jess and Gethin and the development of their relationship. It is a very intimate and personal story of a delicate, blossoming relationship between two people who start as strangers and grow closer. They have both been hurt and have to learn to trust again, and the story is about their character development, not about any dramatic events or unusual events. Aside from the beginning where Gethin takes the unusual step of extending great kindness to a defensive stranger, this is a story that you can easily imagine playing out across the country.
This is a book that explores important topics that impact ordinary people’s lives every day. Abusive relationships, homelessness, drug addiction, the difficulty of starting over in mid-life and other things that many people will find relatable, and it does it in a way that feels honest and real. The book was moving, funny, heart-warming and emotional in turn and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
The book focuses very closely on Jess and Gethin and the development of their relationship. It is a very intimate and personal story of a delicate, blossoming relationship between two people who start as strangers and grow closer. They have both been hurt and have to learn to trust again, and the story is about their character development, not about any dramatic events or unusual events. Aside from the beginning where Gethin takes the unusual step of extending great kindness to a defensive stranger, this is a story that you can easily imagine playing out across the country.
This is a book that explores important topics that impact ordinary people’s lives every day. Abusive relationships, homelessness, drug addiction, the difficulty of starting over in mid-life and other things that many people will find relatable, and it does it in a way that feels honest and real. The book was moving, funny, heart-warming and emotional in turn and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
August 6, 2023
"After escaping a bad relationship, Jess Cavendish is running and leaving it all behind, carrying just a few treasured belongings in her knapsack. She needs to start over, but that means sleeping where she can and making the most of her slim savings. Luckily, she comes across a recently sold, unoccupied house. It couldn’t hurt to stay there while she saves up enough to get her own place, right?"
This was a sweet book about second chances, friendships, and romance. It was a beautiful story and I look forward to others from this author.
Thank you Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book in exchange for a honest review!
This was a sweet book about second chances, friendships, and romance. It was a beautiful story and I look forward to others from this author.
Thank you Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book in exchange for a honest review!
March 31, 2024
Took me ages to finish as I couldn’t get into it; nothing really happens, apart from a homeless woman getting to live with a random man. Felt unrealistic and a bit weird - male saviour vibes. Hails back to the times of romcoms glorying toxic behaviour, love bombing etc
June 19, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. This is one of those books that takes time telling the story which is something I like.. characters develop. And the story comes together, Jess is shown for exactly who she is a survivor starting over. This could be a great beach read.
December 18, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book, even though my review is ~3 weeks late 😅
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style was different. Very frazzled. It really seemed like I was in Jess’ head and listening to her thoughts. But I still loved it.
It’s not often that you read about a 40-something year old woman that flees an abusive relationship, sleeps in a cemetary overnight, breaks into a home & stays there for 6 weeks until she gets caught by the homeowner, and him allowing her to stay!
Landlord/lodger to lover? One roof? It’s not quite a Second chance romance.. it’s more like they both got their second chance at love after leaving bad relationships. I love how they were friends first, and fell gradually, cautiously. I love how patient Gethin was. He was just so incredibly KINDDDD. It was almost unfathomable how kind he was, but that’s what makes him a book boyfriend 😅
Overall, 4/5 stars. Loved it.
Trigger Warnings: abusive relationships, mental health, briefly touches on topics of drugs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style was different. Very frazzled. It really seemed like I was in Jess’ head and listening to her thoughts. But I still loved it.
It’s not often that you read about a 40-something year old woman that flees an abusive relationship, sleeps in a cemetary overnight, breaks into a home & stays there for 6 weeks until she gets caught by the homeowner, and him allowing her to stay!
Landlord/lodger to lover? One roof? It’s not quite a Second chance romance.. it’s more like they both got their second chance at love after leaving bad relationships. I love how they were friends first, and fell gradually, cautiously. I love how patient Gethin was. He was just so incredibly KINDDDD. It was almost unfathomable how kind he was, but that’s what makes him a book boyfriend 😅
Overall, 4/5 stars. Loved it.
Trigger Warnings: abusive relationships, mental health, briefly touches on topics of drugs.
May 18, 2023
This was a moving love story about a woman who has run away from a toxic relationship only to be left homeless and hopeless. She finds shelter in a vacant house and fully expects to be kicked out any day while she scrambles to get on her feet. She never expects the kindness that she encounters from the new owner of the home. In an effort to still have an affordable place to stay, Jess agrees to help the new homeowner, Gethin, with his renovation projects. What she doesn't expect is how she will be drawn to him as she tries to make her life right.
There were many things I loved about this novel. Jess has an interesting back story and was a relatable character. Both Gethin and Jess were in their 40s which always helps to draw me in because I feel like so many novels are written for 20 year olds. The setting took place in Wales and I loved reading about what life was like there. The novel was very enjoyable and different from your typical romance novel. A very enjoyable read!
Thank you to Random House Publishing for this advanced readers copy.
There were many things I loved about this novel. Jess has an interesting back story and was a relatable character. Both Gethin and Jess were in their 40s which always helps to draw me in because I feel like so many novels are written for 20 year olds. The setting took place in Wales and I loved reading about what life was like there. The novel was very enjoyable and different from your typical romance novel. A very enjoyable read!
Thank you to Random House Publishing for this advanced readers copy.
May 22, 2023
I received a free copy of The Beginning of Everything, by Jackie Fraser, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jess is on her own she starts sleeping in other people's houses, Gethin is the owner of the house she is currently staying in, Gethin allows her to stay in his house. I did not care for the story line at all I did not like Jess; character either.
April 20, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
AHH-MAZING!!! What a memorable and heartwarming love story between two middle aged characters. "The Beginning of Everything" is a slow burn romance that is about starting over, healing, friendships, resilience, hope, courage and love. I felt so connected to the characters and the story and did not want it to end. ALL the emotions!! This is my first read by Jackie Fraser and I am already a huge fan! I absolutely loved this book so much!!🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
After running away from an abusive boyfriend, Jess finds shelter in a vacant house. Gethin is the new owner of the home and plans to do several renovations before moving into his place. When he discovers a stranger living in his house Gethin is shocked! Instead of getting upset he surprisingly invites her to stay. Jess is extremely cautious of men and struggles to let anyone help her. However, she does need shelter and agrees to help with the renovations of the house in exchange for a room. Why would Gethin invite a stranger to to stay in his house? What will the family and friends think? Is he going crazy or is it a good idea? What could he possible gain from offering Jess to stay in his house? This is beginning of their journey to starting over and healing from past trauma.
Gethin and Jess develop a beautiful friendship and slowly their feelings for one another become stronger. The attraction is definitely there but will Jess be able to trust and open her heart again? I loved how Gethin was so open, kind and patient with Jess. It was refreshing that the focus was not on the past but moving forward. I loved Jess and was rooting for her the entire time. The author has a way of making the characters feel so real and relatable and I found myself feeling like I was right there with them.
Overall, it is such a wonderful love story that kept me engaged to the very end. I highly recommend this book and it deserves all the stars!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
AHH-MAZING!!! What a memorable and heartwarming love story between two middle aged characters. "The Beginning of Everything" is a slow burn romance that is about starting over, healing, friendships, resilience, hope, courage and love. I felt so connected to the characters and the story and did not want it to end. ALL the emotions!! This is my first read by Jackie Fraser and I am already a huge fan! I absolutely loved this book so much!!🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
After running away from an abusive boyfriend, Jess finds shelter in a vacant house. Gethin is the new owner of the home and plans to do several renovations before moving into his place. When he discovers a stranger living in his house Gethin is shocked! Instead of getting upset he surprisingly invites her to stay. Jess is extremely cautious of men and struggles to let anyone help her. However, she does need shelter and agrees to help with the renovations of the house in exchange for a room. Why would Gethin invite a stranger to to stay in his house? What will the family and friends think? Is he going crazy or is it a good idea? What could he possible gain from offering Jess to stay in his house? This is beginning of their journey to starting over and healing from past trauma.
Gethin and Jess develop a beautiful friendship and slowly their feelings for one another become stronger. The attraction is definitely there but will Jess be able to trust and open her heart again? I loved how Gethin was so open, kind and patient with Jess. It was refreshing that the focus was not on the past but moving forward. I loved Jess and was rooting for her the entire time. The author has a way of making the characters feel so real and relatable and I found myself feeling like I was right there with them.
Overall, it is such a wonderful love story that kept me engaged to the very end. I highly recommend this book and it deserves all the stars!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
October 3, 2023
The Beginning of Everything was a very sweet story about two people who found each other and that little by little start sharing a bit of themselves.
It is a lovely story that deals with important topics such as domestic abuse and finding yourself and trusting again. I really liked Gethin and I enjoyed being in Jess’ mind, although sometimes it was quite exasperating the way she was handling things. However, you can understand why she acts the why she acts.
I really enjoyed the story and I loved how it portrayed sweet but simple moments that in the end where important for both of the main characters. What I did not liked was that it became quite slow at times and sometimes even repetitive. I would have also liked to know Jess background from the beginning instead of getting snippets, in the end she basically said the same thing. I just feel it would have been useful in order to understand her better.
But overall, I liked it. It is the first book by the author that I read but I will certainly read her other work.
It is a lovely story that deals with important topics such as domestic abuse and finding yourself and trusting again. I really liked Gethin and I enjoyed being in Jess’ mind, although sometimes it was quite exasperating the way she was handling things. However, you can understand why she acts the why she acts.
I really enjoyed the story and I loved how it portrayed sweet but simple moments that in the end where important for both of the main characters. What I did not liked was that it became quite slow at times and sometimes even repetitive. I would have also liked to know Jess background from the beginning instead of getting snippets, in the end she basically said the same thing. I just feel it would have been useful in order to understand her better.
But overall, I liked it. It is the first book by the author that I read but I will certainly read her other work.
April 16, 2025
Listened on 3.5 speed and it still lasted too long.
This book was just not it for me. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the eARC via NetGalley (two years ago lol).
This was unfortunately a miss for me. Jess is a homeless woman on the run from her abusive ex, and she squats in our MMC's home while he is finishing up work in another city. When Gethin discovers her, he invites her to stay? And... she accepts?
I just couldn't wrap my head around this story, and I was excited to see love after trauma and loss in our 45+ year old main characters. Jess's reaction and behavior was much more early-20-something than a 45-year-old woman. The premise held me back from enjoying any other part of the story, as I felt it was pretty unbelievable. Instead, we see Gethin stocking his fridge and kitchen with food for Jess, inviting her along to buy furniture, out to dinner, etc. No. Just no.
These are my honest thoughts.
This book was just not it for me. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the eARC via NetGalley (two years ago lol).
This was unfortunately a miss for me. Jess is a homeless woman on the run from her abusive ex, and she squats in our MMC's home while he is finishing up work in another city. When Gethin discovers her, he invites her to stay? And... she accepts?
I just couldn't wrap my head around this story, and I was excited to see love after trauma and loss in our 45+ year old main characters. Jess's reaction and behavior was much more early-20-something than a 45-year-old woman. The premise held me back from enjoying any other part of the story, as I felt it was pretty unbelievable. Instead, we see Gethin stocking his fridge and kitchen with food for Jess, inviting her along to buy furniture, out to dinner, etc. No. Just no.
These are my honest thoughts.
September 19, 2023
This beautiful character-driven story about finding the courage to start over in the middle of life caught my interest from the beginning pages and sustained it to the end. The setting in the countryside of West Wales is beautifully evoked, and the main characters, Jess and Gethin, are fully-realized and relatable, flaws and all. They deal with some serious issues from the past, both recent and longer ago: abuse, homelessness, the death of a parent, parental neglect and alcoholism, and infidelity, to name a few. The novel is low action; most of the story deals with the slowly developing, initially fragile friendship between the two, which gradually transforms into love. The relationship between the two roommates is touchingly depicted as kindness and friendship slowly heal their self-doubt, brokenness, and hopelessness. Secondary characters are also deftly drawn, notably Gethin's mother Marian and his sister Abby, his old flame Kate, and Jess's friend Noosha, and Sunnyside, the home they share, renovate, and decorate together, is almost a character in itself. A lovely novel that I will recommend to friends and my book club!
October 3, 2023
I was a huge fan of The Bookshop of Second Chances so I was excited to read this and it did not disappoint!
Jess Cavendish finds herself freshly out of an abusive relationship, leaving everything behind but what she can carry, she’s on her own to begin again. Homeless and moving around to find places to sleep, she comes across a vacant, recently sold, home and decides to stay for a few nights. Her goal is to crash there as long as she can while she saves money to get a place of her own.
Gethin Thomas has recently purchased a new home but because it is a fixer upper, he is not living there yet. He’s also fresh out of a relationship and seeking a fresh start.
As fate would have it, he walks through the door of his recently purchased home and finds Jess.
Through some back and forth he offers to let her stay in the house if she will help with the renovations. Reluctantly, Jess agrees to stay and help. The story revolves they’re working on the house all while getting to know one another. Their relationship is so heartwarming to watch unfold. The book does a wonderful job of developing their characters and balancing back story with their current lives. I really enjoyed it!
Jess Cavendish finds herself freshly out of an abusive relationship, leaving everything behind but what she can carry, she’s on her own to begin again. Homeless and moving around to find places to sleep, she comes across a vacant, recently sold, home and decides to stay for a few nights. Her goal is to crash there as long as she can while she saves money to get a place of her own.
Gethin Thomas has recently purchased a new home but because it is a fixer upper, he is not living there yet. He’s also fresh out of a relationship and seeking a fresh start.
As fate would have it, he walks through the door of his recently purchased home and finds Jess.
Through some back and forth he offers to let her stay in the house if she will help with the renovations. Reluctantly, Jess agrees to stay and help. The story revolves they’re working on the house all while getting to know one another. Their relationship is so heartwarming to watch unfold. The book does a wonderful job of developing their characters and balancing back story with their current lives. I really enjoyed it!
May 16, 2023
I had such high expectations...
I had one big issue with this book that almost was enough to make me stop reading. There was what I would consider OW drama. Technically, Gethin didn’t cheat (although he did mention he had cheated in a previous relationship and Jess just got out of an abusive relationship where he was cheating on her). At the point in the book where he has one night with another woman, the relationship has already significantly developed for both MCs even though they are both still working on communicating that and the MCs had slept together. What made it even worse is that Jess was down the hall and hear ~things~ and also ran into the woman the next morning. This event pushed her to move out and finally mature (I felt like she wasn’t making a lot of progress on maturing throughout the book). It also led to them eventually coming back together. The ending fell short. For having to deal with some OW drama and the frustrating MCs (which I will get to in a moment) the end was a bit of a letdown. I kept reading hoping that when they finally got together there would be some strong emotions and I would really feel for them, but I didn’t. At the end all Gethin really has to say about it all is “I wish I hadn’t slept with that girl”.
My problems with the MCs were surrounding their maturity. One of the reasons I like this author and loved The Bookshop of Second Chances is that her characters are older and have lived a life and that life is what brings them together. In this book, the MCs’ pasts were almost too different that finding that shared experience failed. Also, I think Jess’ character was meant to be healing from a bad relationship and finding herself again but she was lacking maturity. Women who escape bad situations, even if those situations shelter them from the world, are often matured and hardened to the world in a way that someone outside their circumstance will likely never be. She never at any point, until the OW drama, pushed outside her limits unless it was following behind Gethin who was trying to build a life with friends and his house. Also, the communication between them was baffling. I had to remind myself I’m reading about older characters not characters in their late teens.
I originally rated this four stars but could not sit down and write a review, I needed to think about it a bit. After processing, I am changing my review to three stars because I can’t get past the OW and the characters. I’ll admit I had high hopes for this because I loved The Bookshop of Second Chances and that will remain one of my top five star reads, but I’m disappointed.
I had one big issue with this book that almost was enough to make me stop reading. There was what I would consider OW drama. Technically, Gethin didn’t cheat (although he did mention he had cheated in a previous relationship and Jess just got out of an abusive relationship where he was cheating on her). At the point in the book where he has one night with another woman, the relationship has already significantly developed for both MCs even though they are both still working on communicating that and the MCs had slept together. What made it even worse is that Jess was down the hall and hear ~things~ and also ran into the woman the next morning. This event pushed her to move out and finally mature (I felt like she wasn’t making a lot of progress on maturing throughout the book). It also led to them eventually coming back together. The ending fell short. For having to deal with some OW drama and the frustrating MCs (which I will get to in a moment) the end was a bit of a letdown. I kept reading hoping that when they finally got together there would be some strong emotions and I would really feel for them, but I didn’t. At the end all Gethin really has to say about it all is “I wish I hadn’t slept with that girl”.
My problems with the MCs were surrounding their maturity. One of the reasons I like this author and loved The Bookshop of Second Chances is that her characters are older and have lived a life and that life is what brings them together. In this book, the MCs’ pasts were almost too different that finding that shared experience failed. Also, I think Jess’ character was meant to be healing from a bad relationship and finding herself again but she was lacking maturity. Women who escape bad situations, even if those situations shelter them from the world, are often matured and hardened to the world in a way that someone outside their circumstance will likely never be. She never at any point, until the OW drama, pushed outside her limits unless it was following behind Gethin who was trying to build a life with friends and his house. Also, the communication between them was baffling. I had to remind myself I’m reading about older characters not characters in their late teens.
I originally rated this four stars but could not sit down and write a review, I needed to think about it a bit. After processing, I am changing my review to three stars because I can’t get past the OW and the characters. I’ll admit I had high hopes for this because I loved The Bookshop of Second Chances and that will remain one of my top five star reads, but I’m disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 615 reviews