I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought my own copy so I could read it again!

Laura Lewis moves to the small village of Buttermarsh, hoping to leave her past behind. She begins working at a local care home, where she meets Gertie, a lively resident who helps her let go of old memories. Richard Brown, a local teacher and single dad, relies on his fun-loving grandmother, Gertie, for support. As Laura and Richard have small encounters at the care home and café, they feel a strong connection but are scared to take a chance on love again. With a little help from a friendly matchmaker, they may discover that it's never too late for a new beginning. This sweet story is about love, hope, and new opportunities.

According to Gertie, Laura and Richard were destined to meet. They both lost their spouses and Laura was starting over in a new small town. As a care giver in a senior facility, Laura met Gertie who had raised Richard after his parents died. Neither one were ready for a new relationship. Laura spent her time working as a carer. Most of her co-workers cared about the patients as much as she did except for Hazel, the boss. She was not nice to the workers or the patients. For anyone who has had loved ones in assisted living or a nursing home, this really shows how important it is to protect the vulnerable. When Gertie and other residents start losing their things, Richard and Laura decide to investigate and use a hidden camera to find the culprit. They seem to be getting closer together and Gertie hopes that her vision for them will come true. This is a very heartwarming story about people who have lost a lot, but have a chance for a happy future.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.

Interesting concept on a classic. Romcom with heart and the Christmas spirit.

Honestly, I went into this book thinking it would be a cute wintery romance. But I was ultimately a bit disappointed because there wasn’t much romance to it. The two main characters, Richard and Laura had like 15 interactions throughout most of the book until closer towards the end where it seemed a bit rushed. I also found that they didn’t have any chemistry together. This book was mostly based around Richard’s meddling grandmother, Gertie, living in a senior home, as well as Laura’s adjustment to moving to Buttermarsh. And mostly Laura and Gertie’s friendship.

I really wanted to enjoy this because the premise & plot seemed interesting but honestly it was kind of boring and fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t connect with the characters at all and didn’t find them as entertaining as I hoped I would.

I understand that this book was heavily leaning towards second chances, fresh starts, and the characters process through grief but I just wish there was more of a romance aspect to it like it was advertised.

Overall, it wasn’t terrible but I just didn’t enjoy reading it.

Laura and Richard had both suffered losses that marked their hearts. Can they be ready to open their hearts again for a second chance at happiness? Sweet small town romance with touches of magic.

This is a perfect fit for readers who adore heartwarming, small-town romances that explore the themes of second-chance love, new beginnings, and the power of human connection, with a dash of quirky charm and humor.

Really sweet read. Laura and Richard are both hurting; Richard hasn’t yet got over the death of your wife and Laura has come to start a new, quiet, life away from those who know her past. The two meet at the Care home that Richards gran Gertie lives in. She’s determined to get them together for them to love their happy ever after. A really lovely read.

Not quite what I expected but there were some good pasts in this. A lot of pain and angst and dark moments. Not much romance and I struggle d at times with the pacing.

This was a heart warming story of a relocation to a small town with a hint of romance along with a heavy topping of grief throughout. Worth checking trigger warnings if you are struggle with or usually avoid books with grief and specific illness/death situations.

The characters were easy to care for whilst you learn what has happened in their past as well as what they are going through within the story. My favourite was Gertie who reminds me of my own Granny with some of her comments.

There were some slower parts of the book where not much was happening but these pass quickly. I think some areas could have used a bit more detail to set the scene but all in all a good easy read for coming into the autumn and winter.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

This book was great! I loved the writing style and I loved the characters and their chemistry. I loved the Christmas vibes. Great book!! This was a great pallet cleanser. I loved the backdrop of a small town.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

TW:
Death of parents by a drunk driver (in the past, off page)
Character dying of cancer on page
Death of a character on page
Death by suicide (in the past, off page)

Laura Lewis wanted to leave her past behind when she moved to the quaint village of Buttermarsh. Hoping to start a new life, she gets a job at a care home. it’s there she meets Gertie, a feisty woman who aims to help Laura to see that it’s time to let go of the past.

Richard Brown is a single father raising an adorable four year old son. His time is split with teaching at the local school and taking care of his son. He’s had significant loss in the past that he can’t seem to let go of.

This book was slow going. I wish there had been a trigger warning because I would’ve saved it for another time or passed on it altogether. There wasn’t much action and it was a bit boring. There was a heaviness to the book that never seemed to lift. It could’ve used moments of levity to add more depth to the story. If this hadn’t been an arc I would’ve DNF. I do feel this was mis-marketed as a romance and would categorize this more as women’s lit.

There isn’t really romance at all. Both characters are too deep into their grief (understandably so) to really contemplate a romantic relationship. In fact, for the majority of the book there are more scenes between Laura and Gertie than there are Laura and Richard. There isn’t any spark, so that when the third act conflict occurs you’re left feeling confused. It didn’t seem that these two people had any type of connection or chemistry, so that when the conflict happens the level at which Laura reacts doesn’t quite match the status of the relationship. It would have been one thing if they had been intimate and in a relationship and Richard had kept the knowledge that he knew of her past hidden during all that time. But they barely have any meaningful interactions, and when they do it is always about Gertie. There’s no indication that either of them have feelings for one another, aside from maybe a hint of interest on both their parts. There was more chemistry between Gertie and Laura than Richard and Laura. As I mentioned, I think the marketing of this book should be reworked because as it stands I would not categorize it as a romance novel, but rather women’s fiction.

I thought this was a sweet, heartfelt story about two people who get a second change at love after suffering from immense loss. I loved the small town setting and the theme of found family.

However, the book did feel a bit unfinished to me, and I feel that the gravity of some of the topics in the book were unexpected and presented too lightly. What I thought was going to be a cute small town romance actually dealt with people recovering from tragic deaths, and I don’t believe the book was marketed correctly for these subjects. I also felt the last scene was too unbelievable with Richard revealing the details in the letter from Gertie - it’s one thing to have a premonition or a strong feeling about something, but the letter was too specific for me to be able to suspend disbelief.

"When Laura Lewis Met Richard Brown" is an enchanting tale that beautifully captures the magic of unexpected love. Joanne Boden's storytelling is both heartwarming and uplifting, making it impossible not to root for Laura and Richard as they navigate the complexities of opening their hearts again. This delightful read will leave you with a smile and a renewed belief in second chances. My favorite character by far was Gertie!

This was a cute read and I enjoyed it but it wasn't my favorite. To me this is one of those palate cleanser books. If you like small towns and second chance romances, you'll like this.

Laura y Richard son dos personas que han perdido a sus seres queridos y que intentan salir adelante, pero algo los retienen hasta que se conocen y se dan cuentan que tal vez es momento de volver a vivir.


Es un libro tranquilo, pero trata sobre temas fuertes como, suicidio, cáncer, muerte y duelo, sin embargo, la autora logra tocar los temas de una manera sutil. Esto no quiere decir que no le dé la importancia o relevancia a estos tópicos.


Hay una cosa que no me gustó y fue que no hay escenas de ellos como novios, mínimo un capítulo o de pérdida en el epílogo, pero no.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.