A beautiful written love story. Loved the characters, their back stories and their sensitivity. It very much reminded me of Beth O'Leary's Flat Share. Wonderful.

This was a really sweet romance. It reminded me of The Flatshare with the notes (which isn't a bad thing!) I was rooting for them all the way through and it gave me a nice warm glow when I finished it

This book is something special. It’s all the good feels rolled up in one story! Heartwarming and fizzing with fun and anticipation. The story focuses on two neighbours, their unique fledgling relationship and the challenges along the way. I found it difficult to put this book down. Completely compelling! A must read for those who love a good romance.

Thank you Netgalley

This was a quirky but relevant read about the effects of our past and loneliness told from the dual viewpoints of neighbours Bethan and Lachlan. Lachlan is trying to recover from a life changing accident that has affected him both personally and professionally and Bethan is a hard working single mum who does everything she can to put her son first and foremost. A chance moment of spontaneity results in a friendship formed through notes left on windows.

I loved both of these characters, Bethan has had a very difficult time over the last few years but keeps going and tries to keep upbeat, Lachlan is struggling to move forward but finds unlikely motivation in Bethan. They’re both really complex characters but it’s so easy to get into their personalities and the gentle storyline was simple but flowed beautifully, 9/10

Oh yes yes yes YEESSSSS! A huge YES for that book! 5 stars out of 5 and even more if I could! Wow! I absolutely LOVED that story!!! This is by far the best love story I have read for many years! I enjoyed that way of communicating with the lovely neighboor through written words stuck on the window! and what happens next is even better. This story is perfect! There are also of course other things going on in this book such as loneliness struggle, or also struggle to accept your new handicap, struggle to be a single mother, struggle at work and so on. This book is so good! Please go ahead and read it! You will not regret it one bit!

‘The start of something’ is everything you could want in a romance; two likeable characters with their own complicated back stories, a Hallmark channel first encounter and two adorable pets in Bert and Ernie to watch over their interactions.
The story all starts when Lachlan is stuck at home recovering from a leg injury and notices a new neighbour in the flat opposite and in a random act begins a conversation through a poster in the window asking about their vase of flowers. Yes I know this is a cheesy move but because of the way Dickinson depicts Lachlan (and the recent times of lockdown) you can understand the need to reach out and make connections even when you feel foolish that no-one will reply.
Bethan, the neighbour with said flowers, decides to respond because she also feels that sense of loneliness but for her there is a fear of trusting people, especially because she and her young son have been hurt before.
The posters and flirtations go on but what I really enjoyed was the fuller descriptions of Bethan’s garden centre colleagues and Lachlan’s softer side with his cat and dog. This is a very unrealistic love story but who really wants realistic? If you want to be caught up in a cute romance with well rounded characters, funny moments and engaging plotlines this is a perfect book choice.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were really believable and you got swept up in their story - perfect romantic read. Warmly written and very enjoyable. Thank you.

Was it predictable in places? Yes. Would people actually do this? No. Did I devour and love every page? YES! Bethan and Lachlan are adorable, the concept is just the epitome of romance and I loved it so so much. I loved the little personal details for each character, and those around them. So adorable. I hope it gets made into a movie so we can all swoon over this story again.

This was a very cute and lighthearted read. I preferred Lachlan than Bethan as I felt like his emotions were more raw and valid. I just felt like it was a bit unrealistic for Bethan to be so self absorbed thinking Lachlan wouldn’t like her child. Also Lachlan’s drama with the courts made his side of the story more entertaining. The inclusion of Bethan’s boss thinking she stole money just felt like a rushed add on to fill the fact Bethan’s side of the story was boring. This is the second book I’ve read by this author that hasn’t blown me away so I think I’ll be avoiding her in the future

An enjoyable read told by two main characters - single mum Bethan who has recently moved into a flat with her young son Noah and soldier Lachlan who is home on sick leave following a horrific car crash which caused life changing injuries. Both are in desperate need of a friend, so with their windows overlooking they start an unlikely and unusual friendship through notes in their window! I really liked both characters and was rooting for them to overcome their individual hurdles to be together the whole book.

Bethan and Lachie’s gorgeous story had me spellbound. Dickinson writes such sympathetic characters that you are compelled to root for them to find success and love even when they make mistakes or are madly stubborn. This story was charming in its use of handwritten messages, in a day and age where so much communication is reduced to texts, and it gave the characters an intimacy was an absolute joy to see played out.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. Sadly it was quite slow going and when the main characters still hadn’t interacted with each other by chapter 7 I had to give up.

Good on the whole, and I loved the premise of it - notes in the window, but I found it hard to believe the two main characters fell in love simply by exchanging notes and some brief meetings with the safety of a hedge between them. The misunderstanding was silly, especially for Bethan to think what she did. I kind of got where Lachlan was coming from. I loved the garden centre gang and story. Bethan's interactions with her son were lovely, as were Lachlan's scenes with Bert and Ernie. Some readers might wonder why Beth and Lachlan didn't progress to phone calls, texts etc. I didn't, finding the idea of exchanging notes in the window charming, but there needed to have been more meetings I think, before they fell in love. There were long passages full of introspection from both Bethan and Lachlan and I think some of them would have benefited from being cut. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I love how well Miranda nailed their character arcs and although the book was slow to start when I got into it I really enjoyed the story

I thought the idea of romancing by note was beautifully executed and a twist with it being in their windows with both of them having a 'secret' they wanted to hide. I was cheering for them both and wanting a happy ending for everyone.

This book really surprised me.

Single Mum Beth moves into a new flat and while moving in, notices a cat in a window opposite. The cat belongs to Lachlan, forced to be at home after an injury.

Both characters had a lot to them and their backstories were great. I really wanted to know more about each one and to find out why they were in the situations we find them in at the beginning of the book.

Dickinson gave the two characters a really fun way to start to get to know one another... through notes in the window. It was nice to see something so silly and lighthearted that brought the whole story together and I really enjoyed seeing what the next message would be.

Although this is obviously a romance, each character has their own things going on and I really liked that. It wasn’t a story of one character relying on the other. Overall a very enjoyable book.

BOOK REVIEW: The Start of Something by Miranda Dickinson

3 Stars

This is the first time I've read a Miranda Dickinson book and although it wasn't perfect, I enjoyed it enough to want to read her books in the future.

The Start of Something is about two lonely people connecting through messages left to one another in their windows.
Our lead female Bethan is a single mum to three year old Noah. She is working at a struggling garden centre, has money issues and is feeling pretty lonely. I really liked Bethan, she is a great mum, a hard worker and has a lovely, upbeat personality. Our lead male is Lachlan, a soldier recovering from a bad car crash where he has suffered life changing injuries which he is struggling to come to terms with. He is a lovely, genuine guy who has two sidekicks in the form of his dog and cat (Bert and Ernie!). I really liked the story being from two points of view as it allowed us to get to know both characters equally.
The romance for me was cute but quite unrealistic. I love the messages in the windows but felt it went on too long and I had no idea how neither of them even thought about exchanging phone numbers. I thought they went well together but the instalove was a bit too much for me. There is always some kind of misunderstanding between the characters in romance books but this one was utterly ridiculous and I don't think two adults in their mid 30s would have acted in that manner.
The side characters were good although there is one rather horrible character that I didn't think added anything apart from quite shockingly rude and sexist comments which I could have done without.
Overall, the writing was really good and engaging. Although the story has its problems and is a little too long, I still enjoyed it and felt a connection with the characters. It is a nice love story with some deeper aspects and I woukd read the author's books again.

Please note that I was #gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

title: the start of something
author: miranda dickinson
pub date (arc): 2 sep 21

tw/cw: ableism, psychological abuse, ptsd, prejudice against single parents
tropes: slow burn, single parent, miscommunication

I'm going to give this book a 3.75 stars :)

pace: the book at first was slow and very hard to get into. I found myself coming back to reading it almost as an obligation a few time, but around 35-40% through, I fell in love with the narrative, the pace picked up a little and it was so hard to put down. I read the rest in almost one sitting - I think it was only two because I had to sleep 😂. That being said, the book has a medium to slow pace, which is not what I usually go for but was really enjoyable once I fell into the rhythm of the book.

tropes: the slow burn was fairly well-written and the relationship between the main characters was definitely one I rooted for, but not the best I had ever seen written. Because of the main theme of the book, that the characters were in opposite apartments, you could tell that once they met the relationship would be beautiful, but again linking to the pace, the beginning just wasn't gripping in terms of their relationship. the single parent in the narrative was extremely well-written and had actual depth of character, which is not something you always see. Miscommunication is generally a trope that I despise, it complicates everything so much and is just a stupid way of creating tension between characters. That being said, this book was very different: I thought the miscommunication brought out the vulnerabilities of the characters and helped to flesh them out as real, sensitive people. I really enjoyed it.

characters: yes yes yes yes yes Bethan and Lachie? chefs kiss. Noah? adorable. Rigsy and Darren? assholes. Harriet? it's complicated but I'm gonna forgive her. beautiful characters

final comments: this book is definitely worth reading if you are looking for a light romance, with passages that will make you laugh uncontrollably whilst also with a depth to the plot and themes which will cling onto your emotions. mixed opinions in the review, I know, but I would definitely recommend it.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a copy of this my way to read and review.

I really enjoyed reading about Bethan and Lachlan’s lives. Especially when they intertwine and start sending each other messages by putting up pieces of paper in there windows. I also loved the adorable inclusion of Burt and Ernie which added more cuteness to this story. I love how the author gave them there own story lines as well as a joint one together. They both had to deal with a lot of hardships in this book and I enjoyed going on that journey with them.

I especially loved seeing Bethan find her voice as well as Lachlan when he gets put in a difficult situation. I also enjoyed the misunderstanding however it is a ploy that quite a lot of books use.

Actual rating 3.75⭐️

If you’re looking for a gentle charming romance to melt your heart and make you feel all gooey inside then The Start of Something might just fit the bill. Lachlan Wallace,an army captain is living alone in his flat, recuperating from a terrible injury, with only his cat Ernie and dog Bert for company. With plenty of time to watch the world go by from his window his attention is drawn to a neighbouring flat where it would seem a new tenant is moving in. Over the coming days he catches glimpses of the woman inside the flat and when his eyes are drawn to the colourful flowers on display in her window Lachlan comes up with a simple but rather ingenious way to begin a conversation without having to leave the confines of his flat.

It is this quaint form of communication that Lachlan instigates that is the selling point of this novel. The idea of conversing and striking up a friendship via handwritten messages taped to your window is such a lovely thoughtful one given most of the population have their heads down and eyes glued to their phone screens as they rapidly text or swipe left or right! To me it seems like an incredibly romantic way in which to slowly get to know someone and form a first impression without immediately judging that person by physical appearance alone which is what we all tend to do. In Lachlan and Bethan’s case there’s that mystery element of not knowing what each other looks like that adds to the deliciousness of their rapidly developing relationship. Having to imagine the person behind the increasingly flirtatious messages when you can only catch the odd glimpse of a bicep or a tattoo or the back of a ponytail is quite wonderful and refreshing. You can’t help but wonder whether these two will progress from their window “conversations” to meeting face to face or whether they’ll remain hidden, too shy and wary to take the next brave step. Who, if either of them will make the first move??

If like me you read a lot of this type of fiction then you’ll realise what Miranda Dickinson is offering conforms to the usual tried and trusted formula with the main characters paths following the standard trajectory. She fulfils the brief in terms of comfort reading as this storyline is undemanding, inoffensive but utterly charming. Your mind is free to drift to a happy safe secure place, the author tapping into that small section of your brain where childhood dreams of princesses marrying their handsome prince and living happily ever after still linger. As a child who grew up on a diet of Enid Blyton, this book represents the adult equivalent and there’s nothing wrong with that!

The two main characters are lovely even if they don’t particularly stand out from the crowd. Both are scarred individuals whether that be physically or mentally but you hope that just maybe they can heal together. It might be the start of a slow burning romance but as we all know slow and steady wins the race! Besides the obvious romantic element it is the theme of friendship that makes this such a comforting and uplifting read. No man is an island and however much we might enjoy our own company, us humans are social creatures at heart so friendship is vital for our well being. That’s especially true for Lachlan who’s not in the best physical health and having a tough time coming to terms with his new limitations and for Bethan who is a single mum to a toddler and also experiencing another form of hardship. As someone who knows first hand how lonely and insular life can be as a single parent I can honestly say I only survived those early years thanks in part to the friendships I built around me. Her story totally resonated with me as I’m sure it will with anyone who suffers from loneliness or feels isolated from the rest of society for whatever reason. Therefore it’s perfectly understandable how a friendly message from a neighbour across the way might just end up being the highlight of Bethan’s or Lachlan’s day, putting a smile on their faces, a spring in their step and restoring their faith in humanity. The thought that they are not entirely alone and someone out there (who they’ve yet to meet in person!)is thinking about them is reason enough to give them and the reader a warm fuzzy glow. Little Noah is adorable and I liked how super supportive childminder Michelle is of Bethan. Even better are the friendships that are in full bloom between this hardworking woman and her garden centre colleagues. I loved the sense of community spirit that the majority of the characters display, all pulling together when the chips are down, providing Bethan especially with a renewed sense of purpose. Bright Hill nurseries are lucky to have her as part of the team! This angle leaves you feeling extremely happy and contented and sums up the overall vibe of the novel. Naturally there are a few bad pennies to ensure the outlook isn’t always sunny together with some inevitable misunderstandings, hastily formed assumptions, a minuscule amount of prejudice and a fair bit of misplaced loyalty but fingers crossed eventually Bethan and Lachlan will come up smelling of roses!


Overall this is a lovely, gentle pleasurable read which doesn’t quite hit the 4⭐️ mark for me but comes very close! The Start of Something is the first book I’ve read from this author but on the strength of this title I’ll be sure to check out some more!

My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.