ABOUT THE BOOK

Pia Temple has always had a soft spot for Jackson Moody following a passionate teenage love affair that burnt out over one long summer, more than ten years ago. First loves can be hard to forget, and the devastatingly gorgeous Jackson, is harder to forget than most.

After putting aside her ambitions while she cared for her parents, it is finally time for Pia to think about herself. So, when she’s offered the perfect job running the social calendar at Primrose Hall, with a dreamy flat included, how can she refuse? There’s only one problem… The new owner of the refurbished seventeenth-century manor house set in the idyllic Primrose Woods, is none other than Jackson, the man she’s thought about every day for years.

In a whirl of weddings and craft fairs, literary festivals and tea parties, Pia blossoms in her new role. But with the delectable Jackson a daily distraction, maybe this isn’t the dream job after all – especially when Jackson’s unfeasibly beautiful ex-girlfriend Tara, comes back to visit the hall…

Dreams Come True at Primrose Hall is the perfect feel-good love story to brighten even the darkest day. Just right for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.

MY REVIEW

I love British author romances and I jumped at the chance to add another one to my list. Ms. Steeples’ descriptions of the beautiful settings and charming characters are essential to a captivating second-chance romance.

Pia Temple is at a crossroads in her life. She gave up her future to take care of her ailing parents. Now it’s time to sell her childhood home and get on with her life. She needs to find a job and a home quickly, but who will hire someone with little experience? When Pia notices a local ad for a live-in personal assistant to the new owner of Primrose Hall, she may have found an answer to her problem until she sees it’s Jackson Moody, the boy who broke her heart by disappearing from her life so many summers ago. Desperate for a job she takes it despite her misgivings. Will she be able to work for this new Jackson who is kind and accommodating, or will she be opening herself up to another broken heart?

Does Jackson even remember her when they had their teenage summer fling? I mean why would he when he’s dating a gorgeous interior designer/model… or is he? Apparently, he did well when he ran off to London. He’s a successful businessman who purchased Primrose Hall and is making it a local success. He’s a kind and accommodating boss who goes out of his way to make Pia and her neighbor’s temporary adoptive dog, Bertie, comfortable. And what’s with the intense gazes and hugs? Jackson draws her in one minute and pushes her away the next. He is an enigma. He has a checkered past, and we learn he has abandonment issues with two parents who were gone from his life more than with him. Now the parents are back to stay. His mother lives in a trailer in the back of the Hall and his father is clean and sober and wants to start anew. He also loves to take in strays like the ornery and destructive stray Shetland Pony named Little Star and the donkey companion, Twinkle. 

The romance is a slow burn and told in Pia’s POV (my favorite kind). Pia is kind and very forgiving and Jackson is broody but generous. I like the fact that Jackson is clearly jealous of Pia as she starts dating a local firefighter. After all, Jackson doesn’t want to talk about the past and Pia is finally free to make a life of her own. I think Pia was way too forgiving for Jackson’s abandonment so many years ago, but he is committed to making up for it in his own unique way.

The characters are a great asset to the story. Jackson’s eccentric mom, Ronnie, is a treat as she tries to seduce Jackson’s gardener, Mateo. And the unexpected arrival of Jackson’s charming dad, Rex is a fun addition. Pia’s neighbor and friend, Wendy, is a mother figure who helped comfort Pia through her parent’s illness and death. Pia’s brother, Conner, and future sister-in-law Ruby are also important as their wedding approaches and Pia helps them out. Most of all, I loved Bertie the mischievous dalmatian who wins everyone’s hearts.

Overall, this is a cozy, clean romance with an enjoyable cast of characters and a lovely setting.

Thank you to Ms. Steeples for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles – most recently the Dog and Duck series – all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages. She lives in Bedfordshire.

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