Book Review - So Now You're Back by Heidi Rice

Amazon UK

Title: So Now You're Back

Author: Heidi Rice

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: 25th February 2016 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Halle Best, TV's Domestic Diva, is proud of everything she's achieved.

Halle took her passion for baking and built her media empire alone after her ex Luke walked out on her sixteen years ago, leaving her a single mum to their two-year-old daughter Lizzie in a dingy flat in Hackney.

Now a bona fide celebrity success, she only speaks to Luke via her lawyer. But as he is threatening to write a tell-all book exposing some of Halle's deepest secrets, keeping him at arm's length won't be so easy anymore.

When Luke suggests a getaway to work through their past, Halle thinks he's crazy; if they can survive two weeks together it will be a miracle.

Yet reconnecting with her past, could be the only way to start her future.

I freely admit to having the lyrics to I Will Survive running through my head, pretty much every time I have come across this book's title, so in some respects very glad I read it on my kindle, so didn't have to stare at the pretty cover continuously, and thankfully I loved the book every bit as much as I do, the classic disco/karaoke hit!

There really are two romances going on in this book, one for Halle, and involving her 18 year old daughter Lizzie. Lizzie's story is more of a coming of age, realising your maturity style of story, as well as her possibly inappropriate crush that could turn into more. 

However for Halle, its the reappearance in her life of  Lizzie's father who she has refused to speak to for 16 years is a shock. As is the way she ends up being tricked into spending two weeks in the wilderness in Tennessee, on an extreme couples retreat. Needless to say some of the consequences could be regarded as predictable and the rest are generally highly amusing. 

There is clearly still a spark between Halle and Luke, however she goes to great lengths to try and deny it. I loved some of the banter between the pair of them, and throughout the book there were small sections of dialogue that would make me smile and giggle to myself. 

This is generally a very upbeat book which doesn't have a huge amount of depth to it, until you start learning about the key males childhoods and upbringings at which point, there is a more serious thread there. 

I found So Now You're Back to be a really easy to read book, that was a sheer delight, and I will definitely be looking out for future releases by Heidi Rice. 

Thank you to Netgalley and MIRA for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.