Book Review - Plan Cee by Hilary Grossman - #HolidayReading Book 20

Book 20 of 30 that I read on my holiday to Fuerteventura in December 2017

Amazon UK

Title: Plan Cee

Author: Hilary Grossman

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 8th March 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Would you abandon your present for a second chance at your past?

Cecelia Reynolds has spent most of her life trying to forget the commitment-phobic man who broke her heart. It wasn’t easy, but eventually she did it, or so she thought…

As Cecelia and her husband gather for a friend’s wedding, her perfect world is thrown into complete turmoil. Even though it’s been twenty years since she last laid eyes on Keith Emerson, all it takes is one glance for her to feel emotions she thought were long gone. When Keith ends up officiating the ceremony, she quickly realizes his message of love is directed at her, not the happy couple. But can she believe him?

We live our entire lives thinking we know ourselves. But do we ever really?

As secrets and lies cause Cecelia’s world to spin completely out of control, she is forced to seek advice from the most unlikely ally. In the process, she must confront the demons of her past and the events that shaped her into the woman she is now. Will she finally learn the real meaning of love, friendship, and family?

While this book is a sequel to Plan Bea, it also reads as a standalone.

Book that had me interested from the first few pages, I just had to find out more about Cecelia and Keith.

Just what was Keith all about and why did his presence at Beatrice's wedding cause Cee so many problems?

As the story progressed, I struggled to have much sympathy at times with Cee, its not that she is a bad person, just seemed to struggle to make good decisions.

Then again I wasn't overly enamoured by Keith either. In fact the characters I liked the best were Bryce, Cee's husband, and Walter, Beatrice's husband. 

This is the sequel to Plan Bea, and although you don't need to have read the first book to know what is going on in this one, it does give a better foundation for your knowledge of some of the characters. 

I enjoyed the writing, and the story is a reasonably quick one to read.  I was though surprised by the rather abrupt ending, especially as the book finished at 89% which I found slightly off putting. 

Overall I have enjoyed the second book that I have read by the author and I will be curious to see what the next one will be. 

Thank you to Hilary Grossman for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Plan Bea by Hilary Grossman

Amazon UK

Title: Plan Bea

Author: Hilary Grossman

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Booktrope

Publication Date: 8th October 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

We live our entire lives thinking we know those closest to us. But do we ever really?

On the outside, Annabel O'Conner has it all - the perfect husband, two adorable children, an amazing job, and a mother from hell! Just when she gives up trying to regain her overbearing mother's love, an unexpected call turns her world around and makes Annabel question everything she believes about her life. 

Could falling in love give a cold, stubborn, and selfish woman a second chance to open her heart back up to her family?

Beatrice Buchanan has spent more years than she can remember distancing herself from everyone close to her. She barely has a relationship with her grandchildren. The only time she manages to have a one way conversation with her daughter is during her weekly fifteen-minute commute to the nail salon. When Bea meets Walter on a cruise she realizes there may be more to life than designer clothes, killer handbags, and impressing the ladies at her posh country club. 

I have this sometimes very frustrating habit of either deciding I want to read a book either by its cover, or by the author and barely glancing at the blurb until I've started reading. Plan Bea was one such book and as a result, from the first few pages it was clear it was going to have a different focus to it, to whatever I had been thinking. However I am so glad it was written the way it was, as its a brilliant story. 

Plan Bea is a story about Annabel's relationship with her mother Bea. For many years they have been almost estranged, and it isn't until Bea meets Walter, that she starts to soften around the edges and talk to her daughter properly. 

Bea involves Annabel in the planning of her wedding, and despite Annabel having far too many other commitments, such as her two children, husband and job, she agrees, in an effort to gain her mother's approval. 

Bea is a cold hearted woman and has her reasons for being the way she is. During the time Bea and Annabel spend together a lot is revealed, all of which explains the reasoning behind why Bea is the way she is.  And as the revelations start to come you can sense a potential for thawing the mother-daughter relationship. 

There is a twist towards the end of the book that I wasn't expecting, but its an entirely pleasant one, and fitted the story perfectly. 

I found Plan Bea to be written in an engaging way, that is easy to read, and its quite a quick story to read too. The pacing is good, and there was a good selection of characters to like. This was the first book I had read by Hilary Grossman and I can't wait to find the time to sit and read Dangled Carat, as if this is a good example of the authors writing, then I'm sure her other book will be good too. 

Thank you so much Booktrope and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.