Member Reviews
Will not be providing a review for this book as I was unable to enjoy it. Not for me. I will try other books by the author though as the premise was good.
A modern-day fairy tale. Who doesn't dream of suddenly becoming rich and inheriting their very own castle?
Ariana Byrne leaps into her new life, and I found it great fun joining her in her adventures.
Thanks so much to Hera books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.
Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. A really nice story that is the perfect escapist read.
I'm so glad this book turned in to the happy fairytale, Ariana Byrne, deserved, as the first few chapters was just bad news after bad news! I admired Ariana's uptempo persona and the way she took on her new life with small strides, in order to give her, her boys and her sisters the life they had been waiting so long for.
This is my first book of Liz Hurley's and once you got past the constant negative news, it was such an uplifting book and showed how good things come to those who wait - and Ariana had waited a damn long time. She was a breath of fresh air from start to finish. Her love for her family and the new people around her reflected off of the pages and she fit in to the new world immediately. She dealt with circumstances admirably and was a strong, beautiful woman who only wanted to do more good in the world and her new hometown. A town that was at risk of losing a lot because of her terrible family, whom she had never even met.
Absolutely delightful characters, educational conversations, heart warming moments, with a great deal of humour and a blossoming romance. It's everything you could want, in one book!
Such a lovely read, it flies by as you just get caught in the pages of Ariana’s world , it’s a fun and happy read, the kind you should pick up when you’re in a bad mood as it will turn your frown upside down. It’s happiness in book form.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
An Uplifting Fairytale....
An uplifting fairytale - the downtrodden Ariana has a dramatic change in fortune as we follow her journey and its ups and downs. Rather delightful reading. You will be rooting for Ariana till the end. An escapist read which will inevitably make you smile.
This book absolutely perked me up when life held me down.
Down on luck stick in a loveless marriage with 3 sisters and twin children as her responsibility, Ari had almost given up when Lady Luck shone on her. She soon found herself titled with money and a sprawling estate in a village at Norfolk.
My first book by author Liz Hurley, the book downright cheered me up. The author's writing had the beauty and warmth of the first sunshine in spring where everything felt new. I loved Ari, she was everything a main character ought to be. Her love for her kids and sisters was beautifully reflected off the words chosen in the prose.
Life was tough, but then it turned a 180 and made her a Lady with riches to boot. I liked how she dealt with the circumstances in her life life. I loved cheering her on through the good times and bad. She was strong and smart, beautiful and loving, everything I want to be. (sadly to say, I am quite wicked)
Delightful characters, engaging prose, heart warming emotions with humor and a tinge of romance made this one of my best reads.
A great book if you're in the mood for something well written, fun to read and entertaining.
It's an engrossing and heartwarming story that made me smile and kept me hooked till the end.
The cast of characters is well thought and plot flows.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
This is such a fab story. I loved the setting, the characters, just everything. Ari is stuck in a loveless marriage with Greg just trying to get by and look after her sons. So when she is told she is actually the Right Honourable Lady de Foix and owns an estate in Saxburgh Norfolk, her first reaction is to laugh.
She can hardly pay her bills and now she is expected to run an estate, stop developers and her inlaws from trying to take her money.
So much happens in this book and leaves you wanting more and more!
This could have been a 5 star book, it is well written and would have held my attention, but for the F bombs, I can't handle reading that kind of stuff. If you don't mind it, you will like this book. It's just not for me. Thank you Hera Books via NetGalley for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
I enjoyed reading ' A New Life for Ariana Byrne' and found it to be an uplifting book. It starts untraditionally insofar that the heroine, Ari, discovers she is heiress to a number of properties, land and the title of Countess, on the same day that one of the villains of the novel is found dead. Typically this would be your average 'happy ending' but instead it is just the beginning.
The reader accompanies Ari on the journey through her new life and follows the challenges she faces as well as the new people she meets, some of whom don't have her best interests at heart. The character of Ari is gradually revealed to the reader through her interactions with others as well as her inner thoughts and what others say about her. She is likeable and it is easy to warm to her; once we are made aware of how she has faced adversity in the past, it is clear that she will be able to cope with the demands of her new role.
Although the book is, in my opinion a 'feel-good' novel, it doesn't shy away from real life issues, such as family dynamics and difficult marriage. The characters are well-observed and the story embraces diversity. I would like to have seen Ari's sisters fleshed out a bit more and as I was reading, I thought there would be scope for a sequel involving one or more of them. Once I'd finished the book and read 'A Letter from Liz' at the end, she hints that this will be a possibility.
Thank-you for the opportunity to read this novel.
Another good book.
The story of Aria and her children. Her life isn’t exactly a bed of roses and is thinking of leaving/divorcing her husband,, when she finds out that she and her sisters have/has inherited titles and vast properties etc. Then finds out that her husband is dead, and after being shunned and insulted by his parents leaves to start her new life.
This new life is totally different from how she’s used to living and has to, along with her sisters get used to her new title and life. She comes across people who used to live with her estranged family and others disliked them. But as time goes by, they start accepting her and she embraces her new life along with the local handsome neighbour.
This book was an absolute delight! A real feel-good, enjoyable read that I whizzed through I loved it so much.
Ariana is the eldest of five sisters, married with 4-year old twin boys, and (at the beginning) stuck in a loveless marriage and struggling to make ends meet. The girls parents died in a freak accident when Ari was 18 and she fought the authorities in order to be guardian to the family and keep the sisters together. Then her luck, and her sisters luck, changes.... she comes into money (lots of), a title and various properties, and gets rid of the waste of space husband and his vile family.
The rest of the story is settling into her new life in Norfolk - my favourite place - and getting to grips with all her new responsibilities, along with getting closer to one of her new neighbours, handsome Sir Seb.
I'm not sure what I expected when I started this book, having never read any Liz Hurley books before, but I absolutely loved it. Ari was such a fantastic character and you were really rooting for her throughout the book. If you're looking for a real feel-good, rags to riches read with some great characters this is for you. It reminded me a bit of a Milly Johnson book, another of my favourite authors. And there are five sisters in all, so I now can't wait to hear all their stories, as promised by the 'letter from Liz' at the end. Highly recommended, rush out and buy this book!
A true feel good book ... taking us to the loves of the have and have nots
Struggling through life recently widowed Ariana finds her life turned upside down when she finds she has inherited not only a fortune but a regal title too
Coming to terms with her new life Ariana and her twin boys along with her sisters take us on their adventures to adapt and do the right thing by the community
A great Sunday afternoon read !!